Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HIFRS), scrub typhus, murine typhus and leptospirosis have been the principal acute febrile diseases in Korea. To evaluate the seroepidemiologic patterns of acute febrile illness, sera collected from 2,423 patients in 1996 were examined for antibodies against Hantaan virus, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, and Borrelia burgdorferi by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA) and macroscopic agglutination test for Leptospira interogans. Seropositive cases against O. tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, Leptispira interogans and Hantaan virus were 192 (7.9%), 193 (8.0%), 12 (0.5%) and 324 (13.4%), respectively. Male was more affected in HFRS and murine typhus contrasting to scrub typhus and leptospirosis in female. Most positive cases occurred during October and November for scrub typhus, and during November and December for HFRS. These results showed similar patterns with previous epidemical data for recent couple of years, and possibly implied no significant changes occurred in ecologic situations for acute febrile diseases in Korea.
Agglutination Tests ; Antibodies ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; Female ; Hantaan virus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leptospira ; Leptospirosis ; Male ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Rickettsia typhi ; Scrub Typhus ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne

Accelerated idioventricular rhythm(AIVR) describes ventricular rates slower than usual tachycardia rates but faster than the ventricular escape rhythm. Ventricular rates of 40- 120 beats/min are usual. Accelerated idioventricular rhythm probably represents enhanced automaticity in the ventricles and manifests itself when sinus rates slow. This arrhythmia has been reported in association with acute myocardial infarction, digitalis excess, cardiomyopathy, and rheumatic heart disease. Only rare case of AIVR without underlying heart disease has been described. It is transient and intermittent, with episodes lasting a few seconds to a minute, and does not appear to seriously affect the patient's clinical course or the prognosis. Suppressive therapy is rarely necessary. Recently, we have experienced four cases of AIVR in children without underlying heart disease with benign clinical course.
Accelerated Idioventricular Rhythm* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathies ; Child* ; Digitalis ; Heart Diseases ; Heart* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prognosis ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Tachycardia ; United Nations

No abstract available.
Hypersensitivity ; Influenza, Human ; Vaccination ; Vasculitis ; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Traditionally, down beat nystagmus is regarded as a sign of central nervous system dysfunction. But, several years has passed since Herdman et al reported the down beat nystagmus developed during treatment maneuvers for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). We undertook this study to evaluate the character and clinical analysis of the positional or positioning down beat nystagmus, to discuss the clinical significance of positional or positioning down beat nystagmus as a diagnostic criteria of superior semicircular canal BPPV, and to propose the new treatment method. MATERIALS AND METHOD:From November 1999 to March 2004, we sampled the 103 patients with positional or positioning down beat nystagmus. Of these patients, we selected 16 patients except for the patients with central nervous system dysfunction, nonspecific or artifact result, idiopathic origin. RESULTS:All of 16 patients had no sign and radiologic result of central nervous system disorder. 10 patients was reported or suspected the diagnosis of posterior semicircular canal BPPV. Fatigability was reported in 9 patients and reversibility was reported in 1 patient. Average latency was checked less than 2 seconds. CONCLUSION:Although the diagnostic criteria of superior semicircular canal BPPV that we reported was not controversial, we expect that this criteria is useful in diagnosis for patients with atypical positional or positioning down beat nystagmus. And the new treatment method that we reported will has the better results than previous method.
Artifacts ; Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo*

The propolis, honey bee hive product, is a folk medicine for treating various ailrnents and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an extract of propolis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ethanol extracted propolis (EEP) or CAPE on the tumorigenesis, pulmonary metastases, and proliferation and activity of splenocytes and macrophages in ICR mice. EEP at 0.2, 2 or 20mg/ml applied topically on the back of each mice 30 minutes before application of 7,12-dimethylbenz (a)anthracene and 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate inhibited the number of tumors per mouse by 61, 75 or 100%, respectively. ...continue...
Animals ; Bees ; Carcinogenesis* ; Ethanol ; Honey ; Macrophages* ; Medicine, Traditional ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Propolis*

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to explore the effects of hypothermia state induced by 4 oC normal saline (NS) on liver biochemistry, enzymology and morphology after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in swine. METHODS: After 4 minutes of ventricular fibrillation (VF), standard CPR was carried out. Then the survivors were divided into two groups: low temperature group and normal temperature group. The low temperature (LT) group (n=5) received continuously 4 oC NS at the speed of 1.33 mL/kg per minute for 22 minutes, then at the speed lowering to 10 mL/kg per hour. The normal temperature (NT) group (n=5) received NS with normal room temperature at the same speed of the LT group. Hemodynamic status and oxygen metabolism were monitored and the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in blood samples obtained at baseline and at 10 minutes, 2 hours and 4 hours after ROSC. At 24 hours after ROSC, the animals were killed and the liver was removed to determine the Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase enzyme activities and histological changes under a light or electron microscope. RESULTS: Core temperature was decreased in the LT group (P<0.05), while HR, MAP and CPP were not significantly decreased (P>0.05) compared with the NT group (P>0.05). The oxygen extraction ratio was lower in the LT group than in the NT group (P<0.05). The serum levels of ALT, AST and LDH increased in both groups but not significantly in the LT group. The enzyme activity of liver ATP was much higher in the LT group (Na+-K+-ATP enzyme: 8.64±3.32 U vs. 3.28±0.71 U; Ca2+-ATP enzyme: 10.92±2.12 U vs. 2.75±0.78 U, P<0.05). The LT group showed less cellular edema, inflammation and few damaged mitochondria as compared with the NT group. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that infusing 4 oC NS continuously after ROSC could quickly lower the core body temperature, while maintaining a stable hemodynamic state and balancing oxygen metabolism, which protect the liver in terms of biochemistry, enzymology and histology after CPR.

The anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) is one of the major stabilizers of knee motion. The ACL does not heal once torn, unlike many other biological tissues. Its absence can lead to severe joint instability which can lead to disruptions of secondary restraints around the knee and then progress to degenerative joint disease. Thus many authors advocate surgical intervention for a torn ACL in order to restore stability to the joint. Yet, there is still controversy as to best treatment for the ACL injuries. It is desirable to be considered for the patients age, the severity of the injury, and the future activity level of the patient to decide treatment. We analyzed thirty ACL acute injuries of twenty seven patients who had an ACL injury and treated surgically between Apr. 1986 and Dec. 1991 at St. Pauls Hospital. The results were as follows: 1. There were twenty five males and two females. The mean age was 33.4 years ranged, 15 to 52 years. 2. The anterior cruciate ligaments were torn at proximal portion in twenty two cases, at midportion and distal portion in four, respectively. 3. Two knees had isolated ACL injuries and twenty eight had combined injuries. 4. Twenty one out of twenty six cases treated with primary repair, and three out of four cases treated with reconstruction had good-excellent results.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; Joint Instability ; Joints ; Knee ; Male

STUDY DESIGN: A review of all presentations at the Korean Society of Spine Surgery(KSSS) congress from 2001 to 2005. OBJECTIVES: To determine the presentation to publication rate in peer-reviewed journals of abstracts presented at the KSSS congress and evaluate the consistency between the presented abstract and published full-text counterpart. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The rate of publication for presentation at international meetings has been determined but there has been no study for the KSSS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study reviewed all podium presentations of the past KSSS Spring and Fall meetings from 2001 to 2005. A computer search for each abstract was performed. The final published journal, time to publication and publication rate were evaluated according to subspecialty. The published full-text article was compared with the original abstract and evaluated for consistency with respect to the author, material and method, and result. RESULTS: A total of 288 free-papers were identified, of which 167 of them were published as full-text articles. The mean time to publication was 12.15 months. The publication rates according to the subspecialty were basic 67%, lumbar 68%, cervical 64%, deformity 50%, trauma 53%, minimal 14% and others 51%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The presentation to publication rate of the Korean society of spine surgery podium presentations was lower than other international meetings but the articles showed a high consistency rate.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Publications ; Spine

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumor of the female genital tract. Traditional therapy for symptomatic fibroids has been either myomectomy or hysterectony, depending on whether futhur fertility is desire. A promised new altermative therapy-embolization of the uterine arteries- is now available. A 29 year-old woman was diagnosed of uterine fibroid by ultrasonogram and other techniques. We have experienced one case of uterine fibroid necrosis after transarterial embolization. Now we report a case of uterine artery embolization for treattement of uterine fibriods with a brief review.
Adult ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Necrosis* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Artery Embolization

Although very rare, the incidence of tricuspid valve regurgitation after blunt chest trauma has risen in line with the increasing rate of car accidents and steering wheel trauma. It is easy to miss the diagnosis of tricuspid valve regurgitation following blunt chest trauma because most patients feel no symptoms at trauma, and the condition is sometimes overlooked for a long period of time due to its mild symptoms. A 49-year-old man suffered dyspnea on exertion for 1 month due to right heart failure 8 years after accidentally falling from a third floor. Preoperative echocardiography revealed severe tricuspid valve regurgitation resulting from prolapse of the anterior leaflet with annular dilatation. The patient underwent tricuspid valvuloplasty with a 36-mm Carpentier tricuspid ring. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed mild tricuspid valve regurgitation. We report a case of successful native valve salvage of ruptured tricuspid valve after blunt chest trauma, and present a review of the relevant literature.
Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Prolapse ; Thorax* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Tricuspid Valve* ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating