The Pill Questionnaire (PillQ) has been proposed as a simple way to evaluate cognitive deficits and their impact on the daily lives of those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by asking patients or caregivers about whether patients can independently manage their pills. We used the PillQ to investigate the association of ability to manage medication with cognition and activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with PD. Patients were divided into two groups based on PillQ scores. The no-impact group was able to take their antiparkinsonian medication independently, and the impact group exhibited problems describing their treatment or taking their drugs independently. A total of 208 participants (93 men) were included. 111 patients (53.4%) were included in the no-impact group, and 97 (46.6%) were included in the impact group. The impact group showed significantly lower cognitive functioning, difficulties with the performance of ADLs, and severe motor dysfunction. PillQ scores were significantly correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Management of medication by PD patients is associated with cognitive function, and the PillQ is an easy and useful test for detecting cognitive impairment and its impact on daily life.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, anxiety and compliance with preventive behavior of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in liver transplant patients. METHODS: The participants in the study were 100 liver transplant patients at an outpatient clinic. The data were collected from May 20, 2016, to June 20, 2016. RESULTS: The knowledge score was 6.37±1.73 (range; 1~10) and the correct answer rate was 63.7%. The state anxiety score was 41.35±10.08 (range; 20~68) and the trait anxiety score was 39.60±8.85 (range; 22~59). The compliance with preventive behavior score was 35.70±5.23 (range; 21~45). Anxiety differed significantly according to education level (P=0.040) and occupation status (P=0.047). Compliance with preventive behavior differed significantly according to period after surgery (P=0.035). Compliance with preventive behavior and state anxiety (P=0.007) and trait anxiety (P<0.001) were negatively related. The factor that had the greatest effect on compliance with preventive behavior was trait anxiety (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemic of the MERS has already been completed and none of the subjects of this study has been infected with the MERS; however, patients with liver transplantation always have a risk of various opportunistic infections. If new infectious diseases such as MERS occur in the future, increased anxiety may decrease the practice of prevention. Therefore, anxiety experienced by liver transplant patients should be managed.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anxiety* ; Communicable Diseases ; Compliance* ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Education ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Middle East* ; Occupations ; Opportunistic Infections

The medical fitness of pilots is part of the civil aviation safety scenery. This study aimed to analyze the health problems occurring among Korean commercial pilots. Three data sources were used to identify the health problems: 7,574 aviation medical examination data, 5,400 sick leaves and 39 cases of a decrease in medical fitness during flight duty period and layover of Korean commercial pilots who have been working for K airline from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2018. This study was retrospectively analyzed using SPSS 22 statistical program. Waiver of medical certificates was an average 11.9% of total issuance for 3 years, with a denial of 0.1%. The leading cause of denial of medical certificates was predominantly of cardiovascular cause (55.6%). Mild respiratory and digestive disease accounted for 82% of total sick prevalence and 68% of total sick days. The psychiatric and cardiovascular disease were ranked high according to the number of days lost per case. The most common cause of decrease in medical fitness during flight duty period was acute abdominal pain (36.4%) and musculoskeletal disorder (40%) when staying abroad. Aeromedical emphasis on minimizing cardiovascular risk remains appropriate. Major pilot health problems identified in this study should be considered in establishing pilot health promotion programs for aviation safety.

PURPOSE: Axillary osmidrosis is a distressing disorder characterized by unpleasant odor from axillary area and it is mainly associated with apocrine glands but also associated with eccrine glands. For surgical treatment of osmidrosis, recently ultrasound assisted liposuction(UAL) had been performed for many patients. According to the recent studies about ultrasound assisted liposuction for the treatment of osmidrosis, histologic studies about apocrine gland had been applied for 35 cases, but there were rare mention about eccrine gland and the relationship between two glands. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of ultrasound assisted liposuction for the treatment of axillary osmidrosis on apocrine and eccrine glands. METHODS: From January 2004 to January 2007, 35 patients underwent ultrasound assisted liposuction for the treatment of osmidrosis and 5 patients underwent histologic studies. Histologic examinations were performed before and after ultrasound assisted liposuction and each biopsy was performed in central axillary area. The volume ratio of both glands, presence of degeneration were examined. And in aspirates, distribution and density of both glands and their morphological changes were examined. RESULTS: Preoperative biopsy results showed average volume ratio of apocrine glands to eccrine glands was 65:35. According to the postoperative biopsy results, the volume of apocrine glands in dermis were significantly reduced and glands were degenerated, but the volume of eccrine glands were slightly reduced and glands were mildly damaged. And the average volume ratio of two glands was 20:80. According to biopsy results of aspirates, the volume ratio of two glands was 85:15 and apocrine glands had significantly greater proportion. CONCLUSION: By comparison of each biopsy result, apocrine glands were more significantly reduced and degenerated than eccrine glands in all 5 cases. However, further studies with large sample sizes and close examinations are required.
Apocrine Glands ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Eccrine Glands ; Humans ; Lipectomy ; Odors ; Sample Size

OBJECTIVE: The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is located at chromosome 3p14.2 and encompasses the common fragile site, FRA3B, which may contribute to chromosome breakage and rearrangement of cancer cells. In this study, we examined whether transcriptional alterations of FHIT gene play a role in the development of human cervical carcinomas and the possibility that hypermethylation of CpG islands serves for FHIT inactivation. We then analyzed FHIT expression status with clinical parameters to determine whether it has any prognostic significance. METHODS: The study group included 50 squamous carcinomas, 4 adenocarcinomas, 4 adenosquamous carcinomas, 7 noncancerous tissue and the clinical stage is composed of 4 Ia, 37 Ib and 17 II. Tissue specimens were snap-frozen in liquid N2 and stored at -70degrees C until used. To examine for abnormal transcripts of the FHIT gene, quantitative RT-PCR, genomic DNA-PCR and nonisotopic RT-PCR-SSCP analysis were performed using the standard method. The methylation status was determined by methylation specific PCR. RESULTS: The FHIT gene was down-regulated in 15 of 58 (25.9%) cervical carcinomas. FHIT promoter hypermethylation was detected in 15 of 15 (100%) abnormally expression in cervical carcinomas. CONCLUSION: In this study, gene mutation is not a main mechanism for FHIT inactivation, but the aberrant promoter hypermethylation may be correlated with decreased expression of the FHIT gene. The significance of decreased expression of FHIT does not appear to be an independent prognostic factor in cervical cancers, although a still larger sample of patients will be required to asses this issue definitively.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chromosome Breakage ; CpG Islands ; Equidae ; Histidine* ; Humans ; Methylation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Bortezomib (Velcade(R)) is proteasome inhibitor that is used as a first-line therapy for multiple myeloma. It can cause gastrointestinal, hematologic, and neuromuscular side effects, and a cutaneous reaction is one of its common adverse reactions. To date, several bortezomib-induced cutaneous adverse reactions have been reported, including folliculitis-like rash, pruriginous rash, purpuric rash, mouth swelling, stomatitis-mucositis, edema in the lower limbs, telogen effluvium, and vasculitis. In the Korean literature, only one case of vasculitis has been reported earlier. Two patients have presented with multiple plaques on the trunk at our clinic. The lesions developed several days after bortezomib chemotherapy, and disappeared spontaneously in about 1 week. Herein, we report bortezomib-induced drug eruption presenting as multiple plaques on the trunk with a review of the relevant literature.
Drug Eruptions* ; Drug Therapy ; Edema ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Mouth ; Multiple Myeloma ; Proteasome Inhibitors ; Vasculitis ; Bortezomib

A ‘collision’ tumor refers to the existence of two different neoplasms within the same tumor. Sometimes, the term ‘biphasic tumor’ is also used. However, a ‘collision’ tumor is defined as the occurrence of two neoplasms within proximity of each other yet maintaining distinctly defined, separate boundaries. In contrast, a ‘biphasic’ tumor demonstrates two or more phenotypically distinct neoplastic cell populations merging within the same space. Here, we report a case of collision tumor associated with sarcomatoid eccrine porocarcinoma and basal cell carcinoma arising in a 57-year-old male patient.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Eccrine Porocarcinoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Background: and Purpose: Ventricle enlargement has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We studied the relationship between ventricular size and cognitive function in patients with AD. We focused on the effect of the initial ventricle size on the rate of cognitive decline in patients with AD. Methods: A retrospective analysis of probable clinical AD participants with more than 2 magnetic resonance imaging images was performed. To measure ventricle size, we used visual rating scales of (1) Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) score and (2) conventional linear measurement method. Results: Increased clinical dementia rating (CDR) was correlated with a decreased MiniMental Status Examination (MMSE) score, and increased medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTLA) and global ventricle size (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.021, respectively). There was a significant correlation between the change in cognitive function in the group (70%–100%ile) with a large initial ventricle size (p=0.021 for ΔCDR, p=0.01 for ΔMMSE), while the median ventricle size (30%–70%ile) showed correlation with other brain structural changes (MTLA, frontal atrophy [FA], and white matter) (p=0.036 for initial MTLA, p=0.034 for FA). Conclusions In this study, the initial ventricle size may be a potential new imaging biomarker for initial cognitive function and clinical progression in AD. We found a relationship between the initial ventricle size and initial AD-related brain structural biomarkers.

Sporadic spastic paraplegia (SSP) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) belong to a clinical and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness in the lower extremities. The symptoms are associated with pyramidal tract dysfunction and degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. Parkinsonism is uncommon in SSP/HSP patients. However, both disorders are associated with damage to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. In the present study, the clinical features of patients with SSP/HSP were investigated, and nigrostriatal dopaminergic binding potential was assessed using dopamine transporter (DAT) single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT). Nine patients with spastic paraplegia participated in the present study. The subjects underwent DAT SPECT using the agent [2-[[2-[[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3,2,1]oct-2-yl]methyl](2-mercaptoethyl)amino]ethyl]amino]ethanethiolato (3-)-N2,N20,S2,S20]oxo-[IR-(exo-exo)])-[99mTc]technetium ([99mTc]TRODAT-1). The [99mTc]TRODAT-1 SPECT images of five patients appeared normal, whereas the images of four patients revealed reduced striatal ligand uptake. Among the four patients with reduced uptake, two had parkinsonism, and one exhibited periodic limb movements and restless leg syndrome. Our DAT SPECT imaging study shows that reduced DAT density may be observed in patients with parkinsonism. The results of the present study offer an explanation for the spectrum of spastic paraplegia symptoms and the progression of the disorder.
Adult ; Aged ; Brain/*radionuclide imaging ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organotechnetium Compounds/diagnostic use ; Paraplegia/diagnosis/genetics/*radionuclide imaging ; Parkinsonian Disorders/complications/genetics/*radionuclide imaging ; Pyramidal Tracts ; Radiopharmaceuticals/diagnostic use ; Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary/diagnosis/genetics/*radionuclide imaging ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

OBJECTIVE: To assess prosthetic use by upper extremity amputees, and their difficulties with prostheses in activities of daily living and occupations. METHOD: This study is based on a survey of 307 subjects, who were using prostheses manufactured in the Center of Prosthetics and Orthotics. The survey questionnaire included items about general demographic characteristics, side and level of amputation, type of prosthesis and its use, and difficulties in the activities of daily living, employment and driving. RESULTS: The most common type of prosthesis was the cosmetic hand type (80.2%). There were no statistically significant correlations between satisfaction with prosthesis and the amputation level or type of prosthesis. The most common difficulties in daily living activities experienced by amputees were lacing shoes, removing bottle-tops with a bottle opener, and using scissors. Only 7.3% of amputees received rehabilitation services. Less than half of the amputees (44.7%) used their prostheses for eight or more hours a day, and 76.9% used their prostheses for regular or irregular cosmetic purposes. After amputation, most of the respondents (69.0%) became unemployed or changed workplaces. CONCLUSION: In our study, respondents preferred cosmetic usage to functional usage. Only 30.0% of respondents reported satisfaction with their prostheses. Many of the amputees had difficulties in complex tasks and either changed jobs or became unemployed. Clerical workers were the occupation group, which was most likely to return to work. The development of a more functional prosthetic hand and additional rehabilitation services are required.
Activities of Daily Living ; Amputation ; Amputees ; Cosmetics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Employment ; Hand ; Humans ; Occupations ; Prostheses and Implants ; Return to Work ; Shoes ; Upper Extremity ; Surveys and Questionnaires