OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders cause changes of autonomic nervous system (ANS) which affect cardiovascular system. Primary insomnia (PI) makes acceleration of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tone by sleep deficiency and arousal. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) sets off SNS by frequent arousals and hypoxemias during sleep. We aimed to compare the changes of heart rate variability (HRV) indices induced by insomnia or sleep apnea to analyze for ANS how much to be affected by PI or OSAS. METHODS: Total 315 subjects carried out nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) were categorized into 4 groups - PI, mild, moderate and severe OSAS. Severity of OSAS was determined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Then we selected 110 subjects considering age, sex and valance of each group's size [Group 1 : PI (mean age=41.50+/-13.16 yrs, AHI <5, n=20), Group 2 : mild OSAS (mean age=43.67+/-12.11 yrs, AHI 5-15, n=30), Group 3 : moderate OSAS (mean age 44.93+/-12.38 yrs, AHI 16-30, n=30), Group 4 : severe OSAS (mean age=45.87+/-12.44 yrs, AHI >30, n=30)]. Comparison of HRV indices among the four groups was performed with ANCOVA (adjusted for age and body mass index) and Sidak post-hoc test. RESULTS: We found statistically significant differences in HRV indices between severe OSAS group and the other groups (PI, mild OSAS and moderate OSAS). And there were no significant differences in HRV indices among PI, mild and moderate OSAS group. In HRV indices of PI and severe OSAS group showing the most prominent difference in the group comparisons, average RR interval were 991.1+/-27.1 and 875.8+/-22.0 ms (p=0.016), standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN) was 85.4+/-6.6 and 112.8+/-5.4 ms (p=0.022), SDNN index was 57.5+/-5.2 and 87.6+/-4.2 (p<0.001), total power was 11,893.5+/-1,359.9 and 18,097.0+/-1,107.2 ms2 (p=0.008), very low frequency (VLF) was 7,534.8+/-1,120.1 and 11,883.8+/-912.0 ms2 (p=0.035), low frequency (LF) was 2,724.2+/-327.8 and 4,351.6+/-266.9 ms2 (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: VLF and LF which were correlated with SNS tone showed more increased differences between severe OSAS group and PI group than other group comparisons. We could suggest that severe OSAS group was more influential to increased SNS activity than PI group.
Acceleration ; Anoxia ; Arousal ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Cardiovascular System ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Sympathetic Nervous System

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence of breast arterial calcification in Korean women, and to determine its association with systemic diseases and carotid arterial atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand seven hundred and thirteen female subjects who underwent mammography at a health care center between May 1999 and May 2000 were included in this study. Of the total, 172 were found to have breast arterial calcification, and were classified according to age. The coincidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia was examined in both the subject group and the control group selected on the same age basis. To investigate the presence and degree of carotid atherosclerosis, sonographic maging was performed and the findings were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The incidence of breast arterial calcification showed statistically significant differences according to age, with a higher incidence in older patients (p<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the incidence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus between groups. Carotid atherosclerosis was subjects more prevalent among subjects than in the control group (p<0.05), though there was no statistically significant difference in the degree of luminal stenosis. CONCLUSION: The most common pathologic cause of breast arterial calcification is arteriosclerosis. Breast arterial calcification is demonstrated at mammography, along with other clinical risk factors for atherosclerosis or coincidental neurologic symptoms. We stress that further evaluation of the carotid artery is necessary.
Arteriosclerosis ; Atherosclerosis* ; Breast* ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Mammography ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Phenobarbital ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography*

Seidel nail provides more advantages for treatment of humeral shaft fracture than other treatment modalities. It enables patients to get high bone union rate, makes surgical technigne less invasive, and allows early mobilization mobilization so that the patients is subjected to more comfortable treatment. But, Seidel nail is apt to injure the rotator cuff and has relatively weak holding power of distal fragment of fracture so that it may result in distraction and rotatory instability, and make nonunion and impaired shoulder function. Thus, in order to the functional and radiological results, complications and technical problems, we evaluated the efficacy of Seidel nail in treatment of 20 cases of hurneral shaft fractures from March l994 to March 1996, retrospectively. The results were as follows. 1. 18 cases(90%) achieved radiological union. 2. The time of union was 12.5 weeks in average. 3. 17 cases achieved satisfactory results according to Neers functional score. 4. The complications included proximal protrusion of nail from the entry site(10%), fracture of greater tuberosity of proximal humerus(5%), loosening of distal spreading screw(10%), and nonunion( l 0%). In conclusion, Seidel nailing is one of good treatment modalities for humeral shaft fracture, but skillful operative technique is needed to obtain the satisfactory functional result. And also, it is necessory to modify the distal locking system of Seidel nail to reinforce the rotational stahility of the fracture site.
Early Ambulation ; Humans ; Humerus ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff ; Shoulder

Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Maffucci's syndrome is characterized by dysccondroplasia with hemangiomata. Since Angelo Maffucci (1881) first described this entity, 105 cases and some more were reported in the literature till 1976. We recently observed a patient suffering from this disorder. The patient is 21 year-old girl, who has multiple hemangiomes on her right foot, right buttock, left wrist and enchondromas on both proximal phalanx, distal phalanx of both great toes and proximal, middle phalanx of right second toe. The disease started at age of 11 and these lesions grew rapidly last 3 years. The diagnosis was based on clinical, radiological and histological findings. Because of its rarity, we report it with brief review of literature.
Buttocks ; Chondroma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Korea ; Osteochondrodysplasias ; Seoul ; Toes ; Wrist

BACKGROUND: Since dysthymia begins in late childhood or adolescence and has a chronic course, long-term pharmacotherapy may be required. New generation antidepressant, moclobemide, with more acceptable side effect profiles, is effective in the treatment of dysthymia. The main objective of this study was to determine whether they exhibit comparable efficacy and tolerability in dysthymia to amitriptyline. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The efficacy and tolerability of the moclobemide and amitriptyline, were compared in a eight-week single-centre double-blind study in patients(n=37) with dysthymia using he HAMD-17, the Clinical Global Impression Scale(CGI), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale(MADRS), Efficacy Index-Therapeutic Index(EITE), 4-point Index Side Effect Scale(4-PISES), and Efficacy Index-Side Effect Scale(EISE). RESULTS: A total of 37 patients entered the study, 19 were randomly assigned to the moclobemide group and 18 to be amitriptyline group. Demographic and illness characteristics were similar in both groups. There were no significant difference between two groups at the total 17-HDRS score, the HAMD-17% improvement, the total MADRS score, CGI response, and the EITE. In the comparison of EISE between two groups, the scores of the moclobemide group were relatively lower than the amitriptylinen group in full treatment. And the differences were significant(moclobemide group 1.39+/-0.61 ; amitriptyline group 2.00+/-0.85, p<.001). At the 4-PISE. There was no serious or treatment threatening side effects. And there was no specific difference in side effects between two groups. The moclobemide group reported higher EIR scores than the amitriptyline group at every follow up day, but the differences were not significant. And there was no significant differences in the scores of five HRQOL subcategories which is compared between two groups at every follow up days. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of 17-HDRS and MADRS, moclobemide and amitriptyline are equally effective at least in allevating dysthymic symptoms. But moclobemide tended to be less troubling and better tolerated than amitriptyline. Therefore, moclobemide treatment can be used as a safe, and higher satisfactory treatment strategy for the dysthymia.
Adolescent ; Amitriptyline* ; Depression ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Therapy ; Dysthymic Disorder* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Moclobemide*

IgA nephropathy can occur rarely as a complication of D-penicillamine treatment, but it is exact pathogenesis remains unclear. If a patients has gross or microscopic hematuria during D-penicillamine treatment, D-penicillamine induced IgA nephropathy should be suspected as a cause of hematuria. In those cases, renal biopsy should be taken for diagnosis and proper management. We experienced a case of IgA nephropathy confirmed by renal biopsy in a 39-years-old female patient with scleroderma during D-penicillamine therapy and report this case with a review of literature.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Penicillamine*

Traditionally, radical hysterectomy is the main surgical method for the treatment of early cervical carcinoma and always results in the loss of fertility. But, large numbers of young women are recently being diagnosed with cervical carcinoma and fertility preservation has become a concern. So, there has been a move towards more conservative approaches for the treatment of cervical carcinoma in recent years. Radical trachelectomy, which allows preservation of uterus but removes the cervix, parametrium and upper one third of the vagina, is a conservative but locally radical procedure. We performed radical abdominal trachelectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy for two cases of invasive cervical carcinomas, which may be the first report in korea. One patient was 37 years old single women who had stage Ib cervical cancer and was disease free for 17 months after treatment. The other patient was 19 years old student who was also single and had stage IIa cervical cancer and was disease free for 14 months after treatment. We report the first two cases and review the literature on radical trachelectomy.
Adult ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Fertility ; Fertility Preservation ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Uterus ; Vagina ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Scabies outbreaks have been reported in long-term care facilities, but less commonly in acute care facilities. We experienced an outbreak of scabies that occurred in neurosurgery-intensive care unit of a general hospital, Seoul, Korea. METHODS: An outbreak of scabies was noticed on September 2006 when hospital staffs of NICU were diagnosed with scabies. The infection control nurse reviewed medical records and interviewed all of patient in NICU and health care workers. The epidemic spread of scabies from a patient to other patient, hospital employees and their families and associates was identified from historical, clinical, and microbiologic skin preparation data. RESULTS: Forty-three NICU patients and 22 health care workers were investigated. Five scabies cases were identified in total of 42 cases who are exposed to index case with attack rate of 11.9%. The attack rate of scabies in health care workers and NICU patients were 10% and 13.6%, respectively. Tertiary cases also occurred among the family members of workers, with a tertiary attack rate of 44%. CONCLUSION: The patient of acute care facilities also have chances of being exposed to scabies outbreak, since sensorimotor deficits or cognitive disorders make it difficult for individuals to communicate and understand the implication of risky contacts.
Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Long-Term Care ; Medical Records ; Scabies ; Skin

Primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system which is characterized by high radiosensitiveness is rarely reported in the literature. We have experienced a case of recurred cerebellar lymphoma whose criginal site was septal area. Though septal tumor disappeared completely after radiation, a large cerebellar tumor was found 2 years thereafter. After decompressive suboccipital craniectomy and partial tumor removal the patient's general condition improved so secondary radiation and chemotherapy were started. In the course of port-op therapy, the patient abruptly deteriorated and succumbed.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Cerebellum* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Septum of Brain

OBJECTIVES: To determine how extended high frequency is affected by noise exposure and other factors that maybe have adverse effects. METHODS: Pure tone audiometry for usual frequencies (250-8000 Hz) and extended high frequencies (1000-16000 Hz) was conducted for 331 workers at a manufacturing company from 2004 to 2005. History of noise exposure, military service, tinnitus, alcohol drinking, smoking, ear diseases, and noisy hobbies were taken by interview. T-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression was conducted according to the frequency to evaluate the factors that could affect extended high frequency hearing. RESULTS: The noise-exposed group had significantly poorer hearing than the noise-unexposed in the frequency range 2000-16000 Hz. The hearing deteriorated with increasing age through all the frequencies. High frequency hearing of 14000 Hz was significantly worse in the noise-exposed group in their 30s. Noise exposure during military service had a bad effect on hearing, especially for the noise-unexposed group. Tinnitus was associated with poorer hearing in both noise-exposed and noise-unexposed groups. Workers with noisy hobbies exhibited better hearing in the noise-unexposed group, contrary to our expectation. Extended high-frequency hearing was affected by aging, ear protection, and noisy hobbies. In extended high frequency, 14000 Hz was especially related with noise exposure history. CONCLUSIONS: Extended high frequency, especially 14000 Hz, could be used as an indicator of noiseinduced hearing loss and should be considered as a screening test for workers in noisy environments.
Aging ; Alcohol Drinking ; Audiometry ; Ear ; Ear Diseases ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hobbies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Military Personnel ; Noise ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tinnitus