An increased placental ratio has known to be associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular complications in adulthood among the intrauterine fetal growth restriction. A retrospective study on 202 singleton growth-restricted infants without major congenital anomalies born from Jan. 1995 to Feb. 2001 was performed to determine the relationship between placental ratio and neonatal morbidity. The cases were categorized into three groups according to the placental ratio (<1SD below the mean, within 1SD of the mean, >1SD above the mean). There were no differences in the maternal characteristics and antenatal complications except pregnancy induced hypertension between high placental ratio group and the other groups. It presented the trend that was toward the increase of placental weight and the decrease of birth weight in high placental ratio group. The infants with a high placental ratio had increasing tendencies of meconium stained amnionic fluid, hypocalcemia, phototherapy, asphyxia.
Amnion ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Hypocalcemia ; Infant* ; Meconium ; Phototherapy ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies

An increased placental ratio has known to be associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular complications in adulthood among the intrauterine fetal growth restriction. A retrospective study on 202 singleton growth-restricted infants without major congenital anomalies born from Jan. 1995 to Feb. 2001 was performed to determine the relationship between placental ratio and neonatal morbidity. The cases were categorized into three groups according to the placental ratio (<1SD below the mean, within 1SD of the mean, >1SD above the mean). There were no differences in the maternal characteristics and antenatal complications except pregnancy induced hypertension between high placental ratio group and the other groups. It presented the trend that was toward the increase of placental weight and the decrease of birth weight in high placental ratio group. The infants with a high placental ratio had increasing tendencies of meconium stained amnionic fluid, hypocalcemia, phototherapy, asphyxia.
Amnion ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Hypocalcemia ; Infant* ; Meconium ; Phototherapy ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute* ; Leukemic Infiltration* ; Lymphatic Diseases* ; Skin*

Pyogenic spinal epidural abscess is extremely rare, but a significant disease due to its high mortality rate and remaning neurologic sequela, if it is not diagnosed and treated in time. Recently, it became possible to promptly diagnosis pyogenic epidural abscess by MRI. We report a case who was subjected immediately to surgical drainage under the cover of intravenous antibiotic treatment after diagnosis who recovered completely without any residual.
Abscess ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Epidural Abscess* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality

OBJECTIVE: To compare the obstetric complications and perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies conceived by In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer to twin pregnancies conceived naturally. METHODS: Maternal and neonatal data were reviewed for all twin pregnancies. All twin pregnancies (n=116) were divided into IVF twin pregnancyes group (n=43) and naturally conceived twin pregnancyes (n=72). The obstetric and perinatal outcomes were compared and analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using student's t-test, x2 test, and Fisher exact test. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in maternal age and gestational age between two groups but nulliparity was higher in IVF-ET twin group than naturally conceived twin group. Also no differences of obstetrics and perinatal outcomes were seen between two groups. CONCLUSION: Although twin pregnancies following IVF-ET are more likely to result in bad prognosis, in this study obstetric and perinatal outcomes are comparable to those of naturally conceived twin pregnancies.
Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Fertilization* ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Maternal Age ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Prognosis

Background: When suspicious lesions are observed on computer-tomography (CT), invasive tests are needed to confirm lung cancer. Compared with other procedures, bronchoscopy has fewer complications. However, the sensitivity of peripheral lesion through bronchoscopy including washing cytology is low. A new test with higher sensitivity through bronchoscopy is needed. In our previous study, DNA methylation of PCDHGA12 in bronchial washing cytology has a diagnostic value for lung cancer. In this study, combination of PCDHGA12 and CDO1 methylation obtained through bronchial washing cytology was evaluated as a diagnostic tool for lung cancer. Methods: A total of 187 patients who had suspicious lesions in CT were enrolled. PCDHGA12methylation test, CDO1 methylation test, and cytological examination were performed using 3-plex LTE-qMSP test. Results: Sixty-two patients were diagnosed with benign diseases and 125 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer. The sensitivity of PCDHGA12 was 74.4% and the specificity of PCDHGA12 was 91.9% respectively. CDO1 methylation test had a sensitivity of 57.6% and a specificity of 96.8%. The combination of both PCDHGA12 methylation test and CDO1 methylation test showed a sensitivity of 77.6% and a specificity of 90.3%. The sensitivity of lung cancer diagnosis was increased by combining both PCDHGA12 and CDO1 methylation tests. Conclusion Checking DNA methylation of both PCDHGA12 and CDO1 genes using bronchial washing fluid can reduce the invasive procedure to diagnose lung cancer.

Forty-seven ampicillin-resistant R plasmids derived from 218 Shigella sonnei isolates from Daegu and Gwangju areas from 1980 to 2000 were epidemiologically compared by fragments of restriction endonuclease patterns by EcoRI and SmaI, and by Southern hybridization with a blaTEM-1 probe. All the ampicillin-resistant strains isolated in the 1980S carried a conjugative R plasmid responsible for multiple resistance other than ampicillin, and an ampicillin-resistance plasmid. Ampicillin-resistant strains isolated in the 1990S harbored single conjugative R plasmid encoding ampicillin resistance along with variable antimicrobial resistances. The restriction endonuclease digestion patterns and Southern hybridiztion analysis of conjugative R plasmids showing identical resistance pattern and a same size showed different fragment and Western blotting patterns according to different isolation years and areas, while identical patterns were observed among the plasmids derived from a same isolation year and area. These findings suggest that ampicillin resistance among S. sonnei isolates was due to introduction of ampicillin-resistant R plasmids originated from different sources.
Ampicillin Resistance* ; Ampicillin* ; Blotting, Western ; Daegu ; Digestion ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; Gwangju ; Plasmids ; R Factors ; Shigella sonnei* ; Shigella*

BACKGROUND: Although most of aerobic gram-positive bacilli have been considered to be contaminants, gram-positive bacilli should be identified to the species level if they are isolated from sterile body sites such as blood, and from adequately collected clinical specimens if they are the predominant organisms. However, identification of gram-positive bacilli are difficult due to the enormous diversity of these organisms and the small number of readily available commercial identification systems in clinical laboratories. Gram-positive bacilli and coccorods isolated from blood cultures were tested with BBL Crystal Gram-Positive (GP) Identification (ID) system in order to evaluate the system's usefulness of identifying these bacteria. METHODS: Thirty-seven stock strains of aerobic gram-positive bacteria isolated from blood cultures between October 1998 and November 1999 at Wonju Christian Hospital were simultaneously tested by BBL Crystal GP ID system and API system. Three kinds of API system (API Coryne, API 50 CHB, and API 20 Strep) were tested according to gram stain results. Gram-positive bacilli or gram-positive coccorods consecutively isolated from blood cultures from May to November in 2000 were identified by BBL Crystal GP ID system. RESULTS: Among the 37 stock strains of aerobic gram-positive bacteria, agreement rate of identification between Crystal GP ID system and API system were 88% to the genus level and 63% to the species level in Bacillus species, and 90% to the genus level in Corynebacterium species. The isolation rate of gram-positive bacteria from blood cultures from May to November in 2000 to the genus level were: Bacillus; 41.9%(18/43), Corynebacterium; 37.2%(16/43), and the other grampositive coccorods; 20.9%(9/43). CONCLUSIONS: Crystal GP ID system is a useful identification system which, when combined with basic microbiological tests, should lead to satisfactory identification results for gram-positive bacteria isolated from blood cultures.
Bacillus ; Bacteria ; Corynebacterium ; Gangwon-do ; Gram-Positive Bacteria*

Agranulocytosis is a rare but the most serious life-threatening complication of antithyroid drug therapy. Most cases of agranulocytosis occur within the first 3 months of antithyroid drug therapy, but some cases happen several years after starting treatment. However, there is a paucity of data on the delayed onset of agranulocytosis. We report a case of methimazole-induced agranulocytosis with suppurative pharyngotonsillitis occurring during the long-term treatment. A 48-year-old woman with Graves' disease visited our hospital with sore throat and high fever (39.2degrees C). She had continuously been treated with methimazole for the preceding 7 years-15 to 40 mg daily from Jul 2007 until Apr 2014 and 50 mg daily from May 2014 until September 2014. A month ago, the dose of methimazole had been reduced to 10 mg daily due to transient neutropenia. Her initial blood tests showed an absolute neutrophil count of 40/microL. Moreover, physical examination showed right neck enlargement. We stopped methimazole, and she was empirically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and granulocyte colony stimulating factor. Neck CT scan detected enlarged right tonsils and lymph node. Cervical lymph node biopsy only showed acute and chronic inflammation. About 3 weeks after she recovered, 10 mCi of radioiodine ablation therapy was performed. This case suggests that the sign of agranulocytosis should be carefully monitored in patients with Graves' disease, throughout the course of treatment with methimazole, even under the long-term therapy.
Agranulocytosis* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fever ; Granulocytes ; Graves Disease* ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymph Nodes ; Methimazole ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neutropenia ; Neutrophils ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pharyngitis ; Physical Examination ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed