PURPOSE: Recently, two tests are commercially available for the identification of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI): tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA). Due to its false positiveness, TST tends to be preferred by IGRA until now. In our study, we simultaneously performed both TST and QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and compared their results. METHODS: TST and QFT-GIT were done for the diagnosis of LTBI among children who visited pediatric out-patient clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea from February of 2007 to May of 2008. The study group was stratified into two groups in terms of whether there was intrafamilial contact or not. RESULTS: Out of total 35 children, 29 were tuberculosis (TB)-exposed cases and the remainders were diagnosed as clinical pulmonary TB. Among these 29 children, TST was positive 38.9% (7/18) for the intrafamilial and 45.5% (5/11) for the non-intrafamilial, and at the same time, the result for QFT-GIT was positive 5.6% (1/18) and 9.1% (1/11), respectively which implies that TST was more sensitive than QFT-GIT. Among 29 TB-exposed cases, 26 initially went through TST and QFT-GIT together on their first visit to out-patient clinic, and 15 continued the follow-up tests. Out of total 41 cases collected, the agreement (known as kappa value) was 0.063 which was relatively low. Including 6 cases with pulmonary TB who were all positive for TST and only 5 being positive for QFT-GIT, the final kappa value was 0.334. CONCLUSION: In our study, the agreement for TST and QFT-GIT was low, and the majorities were almost the cases of positive TST. In current situation with lacking a gold standard test and limited data on children to adolescents, this result is quite alarming that the recent trend tends to replace TST by QFT-GIT when diagnosing LTBI.
Adolescent ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Korea ; Latent Tuberculosis ; Outpatients ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Tuberculin ; Tuberculosis

T. verrucosum Infection has been reported for the first time in 1986 in Korea and has been increasing progressively. To evaluate the progress of clinical and histopathological change of dermatophytosis caused by T. verrucosum, inoculation study, using T. verrucosum isolated from infected human (human strain) and from infected cattle (cattle strain), was done in 24 male albino Hartley guinea pig. Their clinical and histopathological changes were evaluated. In addition, comparison for the growth rate between human strain and cattle strain on Sabouraud's glucose agar was made. The results were as follows: 1. Growth rate on Sabouraud's glucose agar: Cattle strain showed significantly more rapid growth rate than human strain on Sabouraud's glucose rate at 25℃ and 37℃. And cattle strain showed more rapid growth rate at 37℃ than 25℃. But human strain showed no significant difference of growth rate at both temperature. 2. Clinical findings: Initial erythema, scale and crust were developed about 8th after inoculation. All three findings reached maximum severity about 12th to 16th day and disappeared about 30th to 34th day after inoculation. There was no significant difference in progress of erythema, scale and crust between cattle strain and human strain. 3. Histopathological findings: Although mild acanthosis was noticed on the 3rd day after inoculation, the other findings including parakeratosis, intraepidermal abscess, spongiosis and vascular change, cellular infiltration were found on 9th day after inoculation. They reached maximum severity on the 12th day and lasted to the 25th day after inoculation. After that, all three findings were decreased gradually between 29th day and 33th day. On the PAS staining, hyphae and spores were found on the 6th day and disappeared on the 21th day after inoculation. 4. In trichophyton skin test, all of the 24 guinea pigs became positive within average 9.83±1.17 days These findings suggested that dermatophytosis caused by T.verrucosum induced rapid cell mediated immunity and contributed to rapid resolution of the lesion.
Abscess ; Agar ; Animals ; Cattle ; Erythema ; Glucose ; Guinea Pigs* ; Guinea* ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Immunity, Cellular ; Korea ; Male ; Parakeratosis ; Skin Tests ; Spores ; Tinea ; Trichophyton*

BACKGROUND: The relationship between type II diabetes and congnitive function has been explored in several studies. But the result was controversial. The purpose of the study was to determine whether diabetes mellitus in older patients(>or=65 years) is assiciated with cognitive dysfunction and to discover the related factors with th cognitive dysfunction. METHOD: Twenty patients with type 2 diabetes and twenty subjects with non-diabetes are studied with cognitive function test at Hwachun health center and county hospital. Cognitive function was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination and Clock Drawing test and the score was analyzed. The diabetes groups were subdivided with duration of diabetes, HbAlc, chronic diabetic complications and then analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 6(30%) diabetic subjects scored below 24 on mini-mental state examination, compared with 3(15%) of controls(p=0.2560). The mean socres were 20.1+/-2.7 and 19.0+/-3.5 respectively. Clock drawing test demonstrated that 13(65%) diabetic subjects inconectly placed the numbers and hands, compared with 7(35%) of controls(p=0.0578>0.05). The duration of diabetes mellitus, HbAlc, chronic diabetic com- plications were not associated with cognitive dysfun- ction among diabetic subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elderly is not associated with cognitive dysfunction, but further study should be done.
Aged ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Hand ; Hospitals, County ; Humans

No abstract available.
Lipopolysaccharides* ; Otitis Media with Effusion* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis*

Vnrus deformity is a common finding in patients who are candidates for toial knee replacement arthropiasty. To obtain excellent clinical results and to maintain well-aligned and stable prosthetic components in patients who have such a deformity, adequate ligament balancing as well as accurate cone.ction of bony alignment is required. But many technical problems are encountered. Especially the bony defect on the medial aspect of the tibia after adequate bone cutting and ligament imbalance with laxity in the lateral side and contracture in the medial side. Total knee replacement arthroplasty with 43 patients(56 cases) to be mcre than 10 degrees of varus of tibio-femoral angle was done by a single surgeon and reviewed retrospectively. The diagnosis was osteoarthritis in 46 cases, rheumatoid arthritis in 9 cases. The average follow up period was average 33 months(l-7 years). Preoperative varus deformity of average 13.5 degree., was corrected to valgus 6.69 degrees at last follow-up. Postoperative range of motion was 122.5 degree. And the mean knee society score improved from 24.8 to 87.2 postoperatively and the function score improved from 23.6 to 83.9 postoperatively. At self-assements, 88.2% of the patients was very satisfied or somewhat satisfied. Total knee replacement ;u1hroplasty in the patients with vaus deformity is effective procedure to corri.ct deformity and improve clini- c;1 and functional status, but long-term follow up period is required for changing alignment.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Contracture ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Osteoarthritis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibia

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma, Papillary*

We have experienced 10 cases of intracranial tuberculoma which were confirmed by CT scan in National Medical Center from Jan. '79 to Aug. '82. The analysis is based on 10 cases with intracranial tuberculoma on whom operation was performed in 7 cases and conservative treatment was done in 3 cases. Extracranial disease or a past history of tuberculosis are evident in half of patients. The common presenting features are intracranial hypertension and papilledema. These are usually located in the supratentorial region. The use of CT brain scanning can be of great help in diagnosis and follow up more than others. The current treatment consists of medical therapy such as combined antituberculous agents, but surgical exploration may be reserved for intractable seizure, suspected brain tumor and medical failure or severe intracranial hypertension.
Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Hypertension ; Papilledema ; Seizures ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculoma, Intracranial* ; Tuberculosis

The posterior lumbar interbody fusion not only has the advantage of avoiding collapse of the motion segment, it also accomplishes wide decompression of all neural components and distraction of the interverteral disc space. The modified technique of posterior lumbar interbody fusion with preservation of facet and cortical plate alleviates postoperative slippage and settlement. And also, modern improvements in operative illumination, better control of epidural hemorrhage by proper positioning of the patient, and the use of Surgicel as a tamponade in retracting epidural veins and dura definitely improve the technical feasibility of PLIF. Recently we encountered 3 cases of PLIF and the postoperative results were excellent.
Decompression ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lighting ; Low Back Pain ; Veins

No abstract available.
Mastoid* ; Otitis Media with Effusion* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis*