OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer has been the most prevalent female cancer in South Korea since 2001. Early detection of this disease is the most effective strategy for reducing mortality. The objective of this study was to identify factors which could predict advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS: Participants who were initially diagnosed with breast cancer and referred to the Stress Clinic of the Breast Cancer Center at Kyungpook National University Hospital were included. Through a semi-structured interview, the authors investigated psychosocial variables such as the extent of marital and family functioning and emotional-economic family burden as well as sociodemographic and health behavior-, health characteristic- and cancer-related variables. RESULTS: Data were collected from 219 participants. One hundred and twenty(54.8%) subjects were diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer. Variables that were significantly different between the advanced-stage and early-stage groups included : monthly breast self examination(p<0.000), annual mammographic screening(p< 0.000), mode of tumor detection(p<0.000), nature of the first symptoms(p<0.000), time to treatment after di-agnosis(p<0.000), overloaded economic and family burden(p=0.018), marital functioning(p<0.000) and family functioning(p<0.00). Logistic regression analysis indicated that irregular annual mammography screening(OR=7.431 ; 95% CI 2.407-22.944) or a lack of screening(OR=25.299 ; 95% CI 7.855-81.482) and a dysfunctional marital relationship(OR=4.772 ; 95% CI 2.244-10.145) were significantly associated with advanced stage at diagnosis of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: We reconfirmed screening behavior to be a risk factor for delayed diagnosis of breast cancer. Our findings also emphasized the importance of psychosocial factors such as marital functioning in early detection of breast cancer. Psychiatric consultation in the area of martial functioning could be beneficial for increasing early detection in breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Delayed Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mammography ; Marriage* ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Psychology* ; Risk Factors ; Time-to-Treatment

Jehovah's Witnesses present a challenge for the anesthesia professionals on account of their refusal to accept blood and blood products. Therefore, anesthesiologists must be able to individualize their treatment depending on the patients' condition. We report a case of a stent removal and aorto-biiliac bypass surgery in a Jehovah's Witness. A 69 year-old, hypertensive man presented with claudication of both lower extremities due to the distal migration of an endoaneurysmal stent. According to his previous medical history, he had a lacunar infarction in the right middle cerebral artery territory, ischemic coronary artery disease with a stent in situ, and a stent inserted for an abdominal aortic aneurysm by radiological intervention. Because he strongly refused a transfusion, human recombinant erythropoietin was used before surgery. After the erythropoietin treatment, hemoglobin level increased to 14.8 g/dl (hematocrit 47.6%). During the operation, closed-circuit cell saver was used and transfused autologous blood was saved by acute normovolemic hemodilution. The patient recovered uneventfully from the anesthesia and was transferred to the intensive care unit. He was discharged on the ninth postoperative day without complications with a hematocrit level of 28.9%.
Adult* ; Aged ; Anesthesia ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* ; Blood Transfusion* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Disulfiram ; Erythropoietin ; Hematocrit ; Hemodilution ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Jehovah's Witnesses ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Stents ; Stroke, Lacunar

BACKGROUND: Propofol, a new intravenous anesthetic agent, is now used for brief operation and day surgery for its rapid recovery and controllability. Propofol, rapid acting sedatives hypnotics, is known to no analgesic effect. This study was taken to evaluate the analgesic effect of propofol, compared to those of fentanyl. METHODS: Forty patients (ASA physical status 1, 2) scheduled for surgery of short duration (within 1 hour) were randomly allocated into two groups. Induction of anesthesia was performed by injection of thiopental (5 mg/kg) and succinylcholine (1 mg/kg) and ventilated with O2-N2O (50%) after endotracheal intubation. Maintenance of anesthesia was performed by vecuronium (1 mg/kg) and continuous infusion of propofol (group I) or fentanyl (group II). RESULTS: There was no significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both groups. In heart rate, there was significant difference at preincision and postincision between two groups. Time to extubation (4.5 +/- 4.6 vs 6.3 +/- 4.6 min), time to eye open (7.5 +/- 7.1 vs 6.6 +/- 5.4 min), time to complain pain after stop dropping at recovery room (30.5 +/- 8.0 vs 35.5 +/- 17.9 min), the average flow rate of drugs (6.0 +/- 2.2 mg/kg/hr vs 6.7 +/- 2.4 microgram/kg/hr) has no significant difference between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A single continuous infusion of propofol is applied as one of general anesthesia methods with O2-N2O, muscle relaxants. Propofol has a appropriate and similar analgesic effect compared with fentanyl in operation of little hemodynamic changes and short operation, and rapid recovery compared with fentanyl.
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Propofol* ; Recovery Room ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

The paraganglioma is rare neuroendocrine tumor arising from paraganglionic tissue and most cases show characteristic endocrinological symptoms that are caused by catecholamine secretion. We report here on a case of nonfunctioning retroperitoneal paraganglioma that did not show any neuroendocrine symptoms, and this was misdiagnosed as ovarian tumor by ultrasonography and CT.
Female ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Ovary* ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Ultrasonography

The paraganglioma is rare neuroendocrine tumor arising from paraganglionic tissue and most cases show characteristic endocrinological symptoms that are caused by catecholamine secretion. We report here on a case of nonfunctioning retroperitoneal paraganglioma that did not show any neuroendocrine symptoms, and this was misdiagnosed as ovarian tumor by ultrasonography and CT.
Female ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Ovary* ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fetal fibronectin as a diagnostic method of preterm rupture of membanes and its clinical usefulness compared with standard tests. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-eight women who had recieved antenatal care and complained of fluid leakage prior to 37 weeks were enrolled in this study. Standard tests-vaginal peculum examination, Nitrazine test, transabdominal sonography-were perfomed. Rupture of membranes was diagnosed if any two of the standard tests were positive. Fetal fibronectin in posterior vaginal fornix was determined qualitatively by ROM kit (Adeza Biochemical, Sunnyvale, USA). RESULTS: The sensitivity of fetal fibronectin for prediction of rupture of membranes in the women who complained of fluid leakage was 90.6% and its specificity, positive and negative predictive value were 65.7%, 76.4% and 85.1% respectively. 12 women were not diagnosed as rupture of membrane on standard tests but were positive for fetal fironectin. CONCLUSION: Fetal fibronectin would be a useful diagnotic method for rupture of membranes, especially in the women who complained of fluid leakage but not diagnosed by standard tests.
Female ; Fibronectins* ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Rupture ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Purpose: We assessed the clinical utility of routine histopathological evaluation of the lacrimal sac during dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods: From April 2009 to April 2018, we included 1,619 eyes of 1,266 patients who underwent dacryocystorhinostomy in our hospital. All lacrimal sacs were histopathologically examined. We excluded cases in which malignant lacrimal sac tumors had been preoperatively diagnosed. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records in terms of clinical manifestations, histological findings after lacrimal sac biopsy, and malignant tumors. We recorded the age, extent of bone marrow involvement, stage, and prognosis of patients with malignancies. Results: We treated 217 males and 1,049 females of a mean age at diagnosis of 58.8 ± 12.3 years. The biopsy data showed that chronic inflammation with fibrosis (n = 1,026 [81.0%]) was the most common condition, followed by fibrosis (n = 133 [10.5%]), chronic inflammation (n = 94 [7.4%]), reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (n = 5 [0.4%]), malignant tumors (n = 4 [0.3%]), tubular adenomas (n = 2 [0.2%]), and papillomas (n = 2 [0.2%]). All malignant tumors were mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas. Two of these four patients underwent additional imaging tests, but malignancies were not apparent. The other two had no specific complaints other than tearing. In addition, no abnormalities were evident on slit lamp examination or the syringing test. All four patients were cured by chemotherapy. Conclusions No clinical manifestation, physical examination or imaging data, or intraoperative finding in patients with nasolacrimal duct obstructions reliably identify a malignancy; but histological examination does.

Purpose: We assessed the clinical utility of routine histopathological evaluation of the lacrimal sac during dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods: From April 2009 to April 2018, we included 1,619 eyes of 1,266 patients who underwent dacryocystorhinostomy in our hospital. All lacrimal sacs were histopathologically examined. We excluded cases in which malignant lacrimal sac tumors had been preoperatively diagnosed. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records in terms of clinical manifestations, histological findings after lacrimal sac biopsy, and malignant tumors. We recorded the age, extent of bone marrow involvement, stage, and prognosis of patients with malignancies. Results: We treated 217 males and 1,049 females of a mean age at diagnosis of 58.8 ± 12.3 years. The biopsy data showed that chronic inflammation with fibrosis (n = 1,026 [81.0%]) was the most common condition, followed by fibrosis (n = 133 [10.5%]), chronic inflammation (n = 94 [7.4%]), reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (n = 5 [0.4%]), malignant tumors (n = 4 [0.3%]), tubular adenomas (n = 2 [0.2%]), and papillomas (n = 2 [0.2%]). All malignant tumors were mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas. Two of these four patients underwent additional imaging tests, but malignancies were not apparent. The other two had no specific complaints other than tearing. In addition, no abnormalities were evident on slit lamp examination or the syringing test. All four patients were cured by chemotherapy. Conclusions No clinical manifestation, physical examination or imaging data, or intraoperative finding in patients with nasolacrimal duct obstructions reliably identify a malignancy; but histological examination does.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the infection rates of bacteria associated with dental caries among children and adolescents in Korea. Methods: Oral examinations were conducted in 146 students. The numbers of bacteria associated with dental caries, such as Streptococcus mitis , Streptococcus mutans , Streptococcus sobrinus , and Lactobacillus casei , in the subjects’ oral cavity were counted by real-time PCR, and infection rates for those bacteria were additionally investigated. Results: The infection rate of Streptococcus mitis , Streptococcus mutans , Streptococcus sobrinus , and Lactobacillus casei was 99.3% (145/146), 63.0% (92/146), 1.4% (2/146), and 25.3% (37/146), respectively. The amounts of Streptococcus sobrinus and Lactobacillus casei did not differ with the participants’ age. However, the number of Streptococcus mutans was 537.6 for primary school students, 5698.2 for middle school students, and 19037.5 for high school students. The mean number of oral bacteria increased with age (P<0.05). The mean bacterial numbers of the infected subjects indicated significant differences in the numbers of Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans (P<0.05). Conclusions The infection rates of Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus mutans were distinct in children and adolescents. Efforts to control the bacteria associated with dental caries are needed to prevent dental caries.

OBJECTIVE: Empathy is important in the education of medical students. Many psychosocial variables are related to empathy. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between empathy and psychosocial factors such as burnout, personality, self-esteem, and resilience. METHODS: The participants completed a set of self-reporting questionnaires, including questions related to socio-demographic characteristics, the Korean edition of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, student version (JSE-S-K), Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (R-SES), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Partial correlation and regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: In male students, there were positive correlations between JSE-S-K and R-SES (r=0.229, p=0.002); conscientiousness of the NEO-FFI (r=0.153, p=0.037) and negative correlations, specifically between JSE-S-K and depersonalization of MBI (r=-0.206, p=0.005). In female students, there was positive correlations between JSE-S-K and personal accomplishment of MBI (r=0.384, p=0.004). In the multiple regression model, the JSE-S-K was affected by conscientiousness of the NEO-FFI (adjusted R² =0.245, β=0.201, p=0.001); depersonalization, personal accomplishment of the MBI-GS (β=-0.188, p=0.001, β=0.143, p=0.017); R-SES (β=0.176, p=0.004); sex (β=0.117, p=0.029). CONCLUSION: The present findings suggested that conscientiousness, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, self-esteem and sex have an influence on empathy. Therefore, these must be considered in medical education and can be helpful to nurture more empathetic doctors.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depersonalization ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Empathy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychology ; Students, Medical