PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between the feeling of powerlessness, social support and life satisfaction in the elderly. METHODS: The subjects were 158 old people aged over 65 who were attending one of one college and three settlement houses for senior citizens located in B city. RESULTS: The relationship between the feeling of powerlessness and life satisfaction was in a moderate negative correlation with each other (r=-.433, p=.000). The relationship between social support and life satisfaction was in a moderate positive correlation with each other (r=.410, p=.000). It was found that the higher social support was, the higher life satisfaction was. There was remarkable difference in the form of family (F=2.69, p=.023), the form of residence (F=5.29, p=.002), whether to belong to a group (F=2.26, p=.025). CONCLUSION: For the reasons stated above, as the feeling of powerlessness is lower and social support is higher, life satisfaction is higher. The results clearly show that in order to improve life satisfaction of the elderly, we need to ease their feeling of powerlessness and enhance social support to them. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a nursing intervention program to reduce powerlessness and to improve social support for the elderly.
Aged* ; Humans ; Nursing

STUDY DESIGN: We report two cases of symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) associated with long-term use of steroid medication OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a condition in which excess adipose tissue is deposited circumferentially about the spinal cord in the epidural space. It can present neurologic symptoms including back pain, radiculopathy or cauda equina. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most helpful dignostic means and should be used initially if suspected. Treatment is decompressive laminectomy and debulking of fat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two cases of lumbar epidural lipomatosis with neurologic symptoms were discussed and evaluated by physical examination, postmyelography CT and MRI. RESULTS: Two cases were treated with decompressive laminectomy and debulking of fat. Increased accumulation of the fatty tissue was seen predominently in posterior and posterolateral epidural space of the spinal canal, displacing and compressing the lumbar spinal cord anteriorly. Both gross and histologic evaluation revealed overgrowth of unencapsulated normal appearing fat consistent with spinal epidural lipomatosis. One case was demonstrated gradual improvement in symtoms after operation but the other was died due to medical problems. CONCLUSION: The authors reviewed the literature and reported the results of operative treatment of patients with lumbago, radicular pain and intermitent claudication caused by epidural lipomatosis of lumbar spine and degenerative spinal stenosis.
Adipose Tissue ; Back Pain ; Cauda Equina ; Diagnosis ; Epidural Space ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Lipomatosis* ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Physical Examination ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine

We report a case of Undifferentiated carcinoma of the prostate in a 66 years old male resulted in severe chronic anemia (Hb value: 2.9gm/100dl, Hct:9%). The patient was treated with multiple blood transfusions, diethylstilbestrol and cystostomy with good improvement of general condition.
Aged ; Anemia* ; Blood Transfusion ; Carcinoma ; Cystostomy ; Diethylstilbestrol ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms

Severe burns cause pathophysiological processes that result in mortality. A laboratory biomarker, red cell distribution width (RDW), is known as a predictor of mortality in critically-ill patients. We examined the association between RDW and postoperative mortality in severe burn patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical data of 731 severely burned patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia. We evaluated whether preoperative RDW value can predict 3-month mortality after burn surgery using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, logistic regression, and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Mortality was also analyzed according to preoperative RDW values and incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). Results: The 3-month mortality rate after burn surgery was 27.1% (198/731). The area under the ROC curve of preoperative RDW to predict mortality after burn surgery was 0.701 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.667–0.734; P < 0.001) with a cut-off point of 12.9. The adjusted hazard ratio in patients with RDW > 12.9 was 1.238 (95% CI, 1.138–1.347; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the survival rate was 88.8% for the non-AKI group with RDW ≤ 12.9 and 17.6% for the AKI group with RDW > 12.9. Preoperative RDW was considered an independent risk factor for mortality (odds ratio, 1.679; 95% CI, 1.378– 2.046; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative RDW may predict 3-month postoperative mortality in patients with severe burns, while preoperative RDW > 12.9 and postoperative AKI may further increase mortality after burn surgery.

Severely worn dentition causes various complications such as loss of tooth structure, discoloration, pulp complications and loss of function and aesthetics. In this case, the patient showed particularly severe attrition in the anterior teeth and lack of space for restoration. The amount of vertical dimension was determined based on the diagnostic wax up, and the patient’s adaptation was evaluated by using a removable occlusal splint for 6 weeks. Thereafter, the coordination of the muscular nervous system, aesthetics, temporomandibular joint were re-evaluated for 3 months by restoring the fixed provisional restoration. Through the above treatment process, the final restoration was completed with full mouth fixed prosthesis using monolithic zirconia, and functionally and aesthetically stable results were obtained.

A clinical observation was made on 46 cases of renal tuberculosis who were admitted to the Department of Urology, Eul Ji General Hospital, Seoul, Korea, during the period from January 1978 to December 1982. Following results were obtained. 1. The most common symptoms were urinary frequency (47.8%), gross hematuria (43.5%) flank pain (32.6%) and dysuria (21.7%). 2. Tubercle bacilli were demonstrated in 37% of patients by Ziehl-Neelson staining. The most common findings of urine were hematuria (73.9%), Pyuria (54.4%) and proteinuria (32.6%). 3. Excretory urographic findings in 46 cases of renal tuberculosis were non visualization (45.7%), calyectasis (28.3%), delayed visualization (15.2%), ureteral deformity (10.9%). 4. The most common finding of cystoscopy was hemorrhagic patches (44.4%), followed by sealed off ureteral orifice (s) in 30.6%, ulceration and tubercle formation in 25.0%. 5. Patients were managed by chemotherapy only in 47.8%, chemotherapy with nephrectomy in 43.5%, chemotherapy with reconstructive surgery in 8.7%.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Cystoscopy ; Drug Therapy ; Dysuria ; Flank Pain ; Hematuria ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Nephrectomy ; Proteinuria ; Pyuria ; Seoul ; Tuberculosis, Renal* ; Ulcer ; Ureter ; Urology

BACKGROUND: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetic disorder of the melanin pigment system in which melanin synthesis is reduced or absent in the skin, hair, and eyes. OCA is classified into two major types, and tyrosinase-related OCA can be produced by mutations of the structural gene for tyrosinase enzyme (TYR gene). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the segregation of mutant alleles of the TYR gene in tyrosinase-negative and tyrosinase-positive Korean OCA patients and families. METHODS: We amplified exon I, II, and III of the TYR gene of Korean OCA patients and their families by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), and analyzed the mutations by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in exon I and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses in exon II and exon III. RESULTS: Two tyrosinase-negative cases showed mutations in exon I. Four tyrosinase-nega-tive cases and one tyrosinase-positive case showed mutations in exon II, and one tyrosinase-neg- ative case showed mutations in exon III. In summary, we found three kinds of mutation in four tyrosinase-negative OCA patients and one tyrsinase-positive OCA patient. CONCLUSIONS: RFLP and SSCP analysis can provide a basis for a rapid and sensitive screening system to detect TYR gene mutations of Korean OCA patients and their families.
Albinism, Oculocutaneous* ; Alleles ; Exons ; Hair ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Melanins ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Skin

5 cases of cryptorchidisms were treated with H.C.G. during the period from Feb. 1980 to Sept. 1980. Among them, in 3 cases of bilateral cryptorchidism, H.C.G. effect was surprisingly excellent in doses of 5,500 I.U. of puberogen for 7 weeks, 6,000 I.U. for 4 weeks and 4,000 I.U. for 4 weeks respectively. In 2 cases of unilateral cryptorchidisms the H.C.G. effect was rather unsuccessful, but seemed to be meaningful. H.C.G. treatment was thought to be valuable prior to surgery especially in bilateral cryptorchidism.
Cryptorchidism* ; Male

Pancreatic islet cell adenoma is a benign tumor of pancreatic beta-cell and a rare cause of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in children. The authors experienced a case of pancreatic islet cell adenoma(Insulinoma)in a 11 year and 8 month old male who had frequent loss of consciousness and seizure. Enucleation was done after localization of tumor by selective celiac artery angiography and abdominal computed tomography. Diagnosis was confirmed by histologic findings as pancreatic-adenoma, gyriform growth pattern. A brief review of related literature was made.
Adenoma* ; Angiography ; Celiac Artery ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hypoglycemia ; Infant ; Islets of Langerhans ; Male ; Seizures ; Unconsciousness

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune, subepidermal blistering disease commonly seen in the elderly. It is known as autoimmune bullous dermatoses with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 40,000 and shows no gender or racial predilection. It has an autoimmune nature with immunoglobulin (Ig) G and/or C3 complement targeting hemidesmosomal antigens located in the epidermal basement membrane zone. Drug-induced pemphigoid, although rare, can occur in patients taking penicillamine, furosemide, captopril, penicillin, or sulfasalazine, but infliximab-induced pemphigoid has not been reported. We experienced a case of infliximab-induced pemphigoid in 54-year-old woman with a 17-year history of rheumatoid arthritis.
Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Basement Membrane ; Blister ; Captopril ; Complement C3 ; Female ; Furosemide ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Immunoglobulins ; Middle Aged ; Pemphigoid, Bullous ; Penicillamine ; Penicillins ; Prevalence ; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous ; Sulfasalazine