No abstract available.
Colon* ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive*

This study aimed to explore the correlation between usual vitamin K intake and response to anticoagulant therapy among patients under warfarin therapy. We conducted a retrospective survey of patients (n = 50) on continuous warfarin therapy. Clinical information and laboratory parameters were sourced from medical records. Anticoagulant effect was evaluated by using the percent time in therapeutic range (TTR) and the coefficient of variation (CV) of International normalized ratio (INR). Dietary vitamin K intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire that has been developed for the purpose of assessing dietary intake of vitamin K. A total of 50 patients aged between 21 and 87 years were included in the study. The mean vitamin K intake was 262.8 +/- 165.2 microg/day. Study subjects were divided into tertiles according to their usual vitamin K intake. The proportion of men was significantly higher in second and third tertile than first tertile (p = 0.028). The mean percent TTR was 38.4 +/- 28.4% and CV of INR was 31.8 +/- 11.8%. Long-term warfarin therapy group (> or = 3 years) had a higher percentage of TTR as compared to the control group (< 3 years) (p = 0.046). No statistically significant correlation was found between usual vitamin K intake and percent TTR (p > 0.05). In conclusion, no significant association was observed between usual vitamin K intake and anticoagulant effects. Further studies are required to consider inter-individual variability of vitamin K intake. Development of assessment tools to measure inter-individual variability of vitamin K intake might be helpful.
Humans ; International Normalized Ratio ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Vitamin K* ; Vitamins* ; Warfarin*

Acute gastric anisakiasis with multiple anisakid larvae infection is reported. A 68-year-old woman residing in Busan, Korea, had epigastric pain with severe vomiting about 5 hours after eating raw anchovies. Four nematode larvae penetrating the gastric mucosae in the great curvature of the middle body and fundus were found and removed during gasteroendoscopic examination. Another one thread-like moving larva was found in the great curvature of upper body on the following day. On the basis of their morphology, the worms were identified as the 3rd stage larvae of Anisakis simplex. This case is acute gastric anisakiasis provoking severe clinical problems by the multiple infection and the greatest number of anisakid larvae found in a patient in Korea.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Animals ; Anisakiasis/*parasitology/surgery ; Anisakis/*growth & development ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/parasitology/pathology/surgery ; Gastroscopy ; Human ; Stomach Diseases/*parasitology/pathology/surgery

OBJECTIVES: Recurrence of mood episodes associated with a specific season has been described in various mood disorders. Seasonal change in mood and behavior as a lifetime trait is also observed in healthy individuals. This study aimed at comparing the lifetime trait of seasonal variations of mood and behavior between bipolar disorder patients and controls as well as investigating associated factors of seasonality. METHODS: Subjects were ninety-four clinically stable patients with bipolar disorder and 188 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Seasonality of mood and behavior was assessed retrospectively on lifetime basis using Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire(SPAQ). RESULTS: The patient group showed a higher median global seasonality score(GSS) of SPAQ and a higher rate of seasonal affective disorder(SAD) compared to the control group(p < 0.0001). For subjects showing prominent seasonality, the seasonal symptom profile and seasonal pattern was similar in both patient and control groups. In addition to the diagnosis, female gender was shown to be a predictor of seasonality in the multiple linear regression analysis(p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that lifetime trait of seasonality may be related to the susceptibility of bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder ; Female ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mood Disorders ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

Bronchogenic cyst is an uncommon congenital anomaly that arises from maldevelopment of the primitive foregut, and is usually found in the lung and mediastinum. Cutaneous or subcutaneous bronchogenic cysts are rare, and occur especially in the shoulder region. We report here on a 40-year-old woman with a soft, nontender, cystic mass on the upper posterior aspect of the right acromioclavicular joint; this had been recognized about 20 years before. She underwent incision and drainage of the lesion at a local clinic about 1 year ago, but the wound was not healed. MRI showed an irregular-shaped dark signal intensity lesion that measured 2 x 1.5 cm in the subcutaneous fat layer. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium that displayed squamous metaplasia. The cyst wall revealed frequent smooth muscle bundles, occasional seromucous glands and multifocal lymphocytic infiltration. This is the first reported case of subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst of the shoulder in a Korean adult.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Drainage ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mediastinum ; Metaplasia ; Muscle, Smooth ; Shoulder* ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Wounds and Injuries

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is being widely used in an attempt to treat many hematological diseases such as leukemia, anemia, and lymphoma. To evaluate the success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, it is very important to determine how rapidly engraftment occurs. Therefore, this retrospective study was conducted to determine which factors affected the term of engraftment during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, while focusing on the oral intake status. To accomplish this, 416 patients who underwent transplant operations at St. Mary's hospital from May 2006 to April 2008 were evaluated. The long-term engraftment group was characterized as having longer fasting days and more frequent vomiting, diarrhea, and oral mucositis incidences than the short-term engraftment group. In addition, the inhibitors of oral intake such as vomiting, diarrhea, and oral mucositis developed frequently between the pre-transplantation and 2 weeks after transplantation. A significantly negative correlation was observed between the oral intake volume and the duration of the oral intake inhibitors. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the frequency of vomiting and oral mucositis during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the length of hospitalization, and the hematocrit level in the 2 weeks after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were significant predictors of engraftment. The results of this study could be used to establish a guideline for nutritional assessment, nutritional goals, and nutritional support for patients during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Anemia ; Diarrhea ; Fasting ; Hematocrit ; Hematologic Diseases ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Nutritional Support ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomatitis ; Transplants ; Vomiting

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in school-age children has increased in industrialized countries. As diet is one of the main factors provoking AD, some studies have suggested that food additives in processed foods could function as pseudoallergens, which comprise the non-immunoglobulin E-mediated reaction. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is an eosinophil granule protein released during allergic reactions to food allergens in patients with AD. Thus, serum ECP levels may be a useful indicator of ongoing inflammatory processes in patients with AD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of consuming MSG in processed foods on serum ECP levels among children with AD. This study was performed with 13 patients with AD (age, 7-11 years) who had a normal range of total IgE levels (< 300 IU/ml). All participants ate normal diets during the first week. Then, six patients were allocated to a processed food-restricted group (PRDG) and seven patients were in a general diet group (GDG). During the second week, children in the PRDG and their parents were asked to avoid eating all processed foods. On the third week, children in the PRDG were allowed all foods, as were the children in the GDG throughout the 3-week period. The subjects were asked to complete a dietary record during the trial period. Children with AD who received the dietary restriction showed decreased consumption of MSG and decreased serum ECP levels and an improved SCORing score on the atopic dermatitis index (P < 0.05). No differences in serum ECP levels or MSG consumption were observed in the GDG. Serum total IgE levels were not changed in either group. In conclusion, a reduction in MSG intake by restricting processed food consumption may lead to a decrease in serum ECP levels in children with AD and improve AD symptoms.
Allergens ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Developed Countries ; Diet ; Diet Records ; Eating ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; Eosinophils ; Food Additives ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Sodium Glutamate

PURPOSE: We performed invasive thermometry to verify the elevation of local temperature in the liver during hyperthermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three 40-kg pigs were used for the experiments. Under general anesthesia with ultrasonography guidance, two glass fiber-optic sensors were placed in the liver, and one was placed in the peritoneal cavity in front of the liver. Another sensor was placed on the skin surface to assess superficial cooling. Six sessions of hyperthermia were delivered using the Celsius TCS electro-hyperthermia system. The energy delivered was increased from 240 kJ to 507 kJ during the 60-minute sessions. The inter-session cooling periods were at least 30 minutes. The temperature was recorded every 5 minutes by the four sensors during hyperthermia, and the increased temperatures recorded during the consecutive sessions were analyzed. RESULTS: As the animals were anesthetized, the baseline temperature at the start of each session decreased by 1.3degrees C to 2.8degrees C (median, 2.1degrees C). The mean increases in temperature measured by the intrahepatic sensors were 2.42degrees C (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-3.13) and 2.67degrees C (95% CI, 2.05-3.28) during the fifth and sixth sessions, respectively. The corresponding values for the intraperitoneal sensor were 2.10degrees C (95% CI, 0.71-3.49) and 2.87degrees C (1.13-4.43), respectively. Conversely, the skin temperature was not increased but rather decreased according to application of the cooling system. CONCLUSION: We observed mean 2.67degrees C and 2.87degrees C increases in temperature at the liver and peritoneal cavity, respectively, during hyperthermia. In vivo real-time thermometry is useful for directly measuring internal temperature during hyperthermia.
Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Fever* ; Glass ; Liver* ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Swine ; Thermometry ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that coffee consumption has an influence on kidney function. This study investigated the relationship between habitual coffee consumption and renal impairment in Korean women, in consideration of diabetic status. METHODS: This study involved 2,673 women aged 35 to 84 years who had participated in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, conducted in 2008. Habitual coffee consumption was classified into three categories: less than 1 cup per day, 1 cup per day, and 2 or more cups per day. Renal function impairment was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes and renal function impairment was higher in women who drank < 1 cup of coffee per day. Compared with drinking < 1 cup of coffee per day, the odds ratio (OR) for renal function impairment was significantly lower (OR, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 to 0.95; P = 0.03) in those who habitually drank > or = 2 cups per day after adjusting for multiple confounding factors. When data were stratified according to the presence of diabetes, coffee consumption > or = 2 cups of coffee per day showed an inverse association with renal function impairment in only diabetic women (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.88; P = 0.04), compared with consumption < 1 cup of coffee per day. CONCLUSION: In a representative sample of Korean women, coffee consumption was significantly associated with a decreased risk of renal impairment especially in middle and elderly-aged diabetic women.
Aged ; Coffee ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Drinking ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate characteristic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of granulocytic sarcomas of the head and neck. METHODS: The CT (n=11) and MR (n=1) images obtained from 11 patients (7 males and 4 females; mean age, 23.5 yr; age range, 1 to 69 yr) with histologically-proven granulocytic sarcomas of the head and neck were retrospectively reviewed. Histological confirmation was done by bone marrow biopsy in 9 patients, and/or local biopsy in 4 patients. The imaging findings were analyzed with particular attention to location, size, shape, margin, bone destruction, internal architecture, pattern and degree of enhancement, and multiplicity of the lesions. RESULTS: The masses were most commonly located in the orbital cavity (n=8); other locations included lymph nodes (n=5) and palatine/pharyngeal/lingual tonsils (n=3). The mass sizes varied from a mean diameter of 1.3 to 5.8 cm (average, 2.6 cm). Multiple lesions were found in 6 patients. The shapes of the tumors were ovoid in 12 patients and irregular in 4 patients. Most lesions had poorly-defined margins (13/16) and invaded adjacent bony structures (5/16). On the pre-contrast CT images, the masses were iso- (5/8) or low-density (3/8) in comparison with muscle. The MRI, which was obtained in one patient in this study, showed that the mass was iso-signal intensity on T1-weighted images and iso-signal intensity on T2-weighted images compared to the gray matter of the brain. On the post-contrast CT images, there was homogenesous (n=12) or heterogeneous (n=4) enhancement, with mild (n=10), moderate (n=4), and marked (n=2) enhancement in the solid portions of the lesions. CONCLUSION: Although rare, granulocytic sarcomas arise in various locations in the head and neck area (most commonly in the orbit) in the form of well-demarcated, and mildly- and homogenously-enhancing masses with adjacent bony invasion.
Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Brain ; Head ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Muscles ; Neck ; Orbit ; Palatine Tonsil ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma, Myeloid