OBJECTIVE: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a rheumatic disorder characterized by widespread bodily pain, tenderness at multiple sites, and fatigue. It has a major impact on the quality of life. However, there has been no report regarding the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Korean patients with FM. The objective of this study was to assess the HRQOL and the correlation among each measurement and to identify the predictors for HRQOL in Korean patients with FM. METHODS: The HRQOL and clinical parameters were assessed by Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36), EuroQol 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), time trade off (TTO), standard gamble (SG), Centers for Epidemiologic StudiesDepression (CES-D), social support, self-efficacy scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and tender points, respectively, from 104 outpatients with FM. RESULTS: Of the 104 subjects, 99 (95.2 %) were women with mean (+/-SD) age of 49.2 years (+/-11.1). The mean (+/-SD) years of disease onset was 8.06 (+/-7.38). The mean (+/-SD) scores of SF-36 global, mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) were 41.6 (+/-19.8), 47.4 (+/-25.0), and 43.5 (+/-23.7), respectively. The SF-36 GH, PCS, MCS scores of FM patients were lower than that of healthy controls (p<0.001). The mean (+/-SD) EQ-5D utility and visual analog scale (VAS) were 0.52 (+/-0.32) and 55.6 (+/-19.4). The mean (+/-SD) scores of the TTO and SG were 0.49 (+/-0.44) and 0.47 (+/-0.42). The mean (+/-SD) scores of CES-D, self-efficacy scale, social support and social network were 16.0 (+/-10.2), 55.9 (+/-19.4), 2.37 (+/-0.27), and 2.07 (+/-0.58), respectively. The mean (+/-SD) scores of FIQ was 46.4 (+/-17.7). The FIQ total score was negatively correlated with the scores of SF-36 GH, MCS, PCS, EQ-5D utility and VAS, TTO, SG, social support, social network, and self-efficacy scale (r=-0.63, r=-0.60, r=-0.48, r=-0.59, r=-0.56, r=-0.32, r=-0.27, r=-0.25, r=-0.31, r=-0.54, respectively. all p's<0.001), and positively correlated with the CES-D (r=0.67, p<0.001). In multivariate models, the predicting variables of SF-36 GH and PCS were age, FIQ, and self-efficacy and the predicting variables of SF-36 MCS were income, FIQ, and social support. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the HRQOL in Korean patients with FM is lower than healthy subjects. In a simple correlation analysis, FIQ, CES-D, social support, and self-efficacy were meaningful variables correlated with HRQOL. In multivariate model, age, FIQ, and self-efficacy were independent variables correlated with HRQOL. Therefore, the efforts to improve HRQOL in Korean patients with FM should be designed to improve the self-efficacy and depression in addition to conventional approach.
Depression ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fibromyalgia* ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Visual Analog Scale

Background: Despite the well-recognized health benefits of fresh fruit consumption, there is still substantial uncertainty about its potential effects on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: We examined the association of fresh fruit consumption and glycemic control in patients with T2DM using data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study sample was divided into three groups based on weekly fruit consumption frequency for the analysis. Results: Patients with the highest fruit intake were older than those in the other two groups, and women were more likely to consume fruits in general. Being a current smoker and weekly alcohol intake also showed negative correlations according to the fruit intake tertiles. Fruit consumption was positively correlated with better hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Moreover, patients in the highest tertile of fruit intake were 3.48 times more likely to be in good glycemic control defined as HbA1c <7%. Conclusion We observed that fruit consumption can be helpful in glycemic control in Korean patients with T2DM.

Myokymia is a clinical phenomenon characterized by undulating, vermicular, rippling and wavelike movements spreading across the muscle surface. Facial myokymia is an unusual complication of brainstem hemorrhage. It tends to occur in brainstem tumor or multiple sclerosis. We report a 51-year-old man with continuous facial and neck myokymia after brainstem hemorrhage, who revealed focal myokymic discharges in face, neck and pharyngolaryngeal muscles in-nervated by cranial nerve V, VII, X, and XI. After injection of 20-80 units of Botulinum toxin type A (Dysport ) to the left orbicularis oris, mentalis, mylohyoid and posterior belly of digastric muscles, amplitude of continuous myokymic discharges was markedly reduced. We recommend Botulinum toxin injection as a very effective therapeutic method in managing focal movement disorders.
Botulinum Toxins* ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Brain Stem ; Brain Stem Neoplasms ; Facial Nerve Diseases ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Movement Disorders ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Muscles ; Myokymia* ; Neck* ; Trigeminal Nerve

OBJECTIVE: To find out the changes of the plantar pressure distribution of foot and the pathway of center of pressure (COP) in normal preschool children with age. METHOD: Thirty-eight normal children aged 1 to 6 were participated in this study. We divided into three groups according to the age. Foot contact area, pressure of the foot and pathway of COP were measured using F-scan in-shoe measuring system (Tekscan Inc.) during the gait. RESULTS: The ratio of midfoot contact width to forefoot contact width was decreased with age (p<0.05). And the relative pressure of the medial midfoot was decreased with age (p<0.05). In the analysis of COP, the ratio of anteroposterior length of COP to total contact length was significantly increased (p<0.05), and the ratio of mediolateral width of COP to forefoot contact width was tend to decrease. CONCLUSION: We can identify the characteristics and changes of the foot pressure distribution and the pathway of COP in preschool children with normal foot using F-scan system. These quantitative data of foot scan are useful for evaluating the foot pathology in preschool children during the gait.
Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Foot* ; Gait* ; Humans ; Pathology

Diabetes is a well-known risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and the beneficial effect of improved glycemic control on cardiovascular complications has been well established. However, the rosiglitazone experience aroused awareness of potential cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes drugs and prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue new guidelines about cardiovascular risk. Through postmarketing cardiovascular safety trials, some drugs demonstrated cardiovascular benefits, while some antidiabetic drugs raised concern about a possible increased cardiovascular risk associated with drug use. With the development of new classes of drugs, treatment options became wider and the complexity of glycemic management in type 2 diabetes has increased. When choosing the appropriate treatment strategy for patients with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, not only the glucose-lowering effects, but also overall benefits and risks for cardiovascular disease should be taken into consideration.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Mortality ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; United States Food and Drug Administration

No abstract available.
Cushing Syndrome*

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IL) is a variant of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with an predilection for the CNS. Most cases are not diagnosed until postmortem. IL is characterized by neoplastic proliferation of lymphoid cells within the lumen of small veins and arteries with minimal involvement of the parenchyma. We experienced a 62-year-old woman who presented with seizure and fever associated with anemia, elevated LDH and beta 2-microglobulin without systemic involvement. This report illustrates the diagnostic challenge of this rare disorder with a grave prognosis. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):413~416, 2001)
Anemia ; Arteries ; beta 2-Microglobulin ; Central Nervous System* ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; Veins

No abstract available.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Spine* ; Venous Thrombosis*

No abstract available.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Spine* ; Venous Thrombosis*