BACKGROUND: Along with the recent greater number of medical devices for the elderly in the market, there has been a parallel increase in the number of clinical trials for these devices. It is uncertain, though, whether the target population has the awareness and understanding of these clinical trials and the possible adverse events of the devices. METHODS: A total of 147 elderly subjects (mean age, 65.8+/-8.3 years; 39 males) responded to the questionnaire. A pilot study during the development of the questionnaire was conducted in 2009 with the actual survey taking place from June to November 2011. The questionnaire included 22 items-10 items on awareness and understanding of the clinical trial; 4 items on the understanding of adverse events; and 8 items on demographical characteristics. RESULTS: Of the responders, 62.5% had participated in at least one clinical trial and had heard about the clinical trials through a doctor, newspaper, or television. And 63.3% of the responders understood that the purpose of the trial was to show efficacy and safety for the medical device. There were significant differences on the awareness of the trial by gender and life level. However, there was no statistically significant difference in adverse events awareness. CONCLUSION: Although elderly subjects participate in clinical trials, it seems they do not receive enough information when involved in clinical trials of medical devices. In the future, before these trials are carried out, medical device companies need to ensure that they provide their elderly subjects with better education and information.
Aged ; Dietary Sucrose ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Periodicals ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pilot Projects ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Television

No abstract available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*

Torsion of a mucocele of the vermiform appendix is an extremely rare condition and also a rare cause of an acute abdomen with a clinical presentation that is indistinguishable from acute appendicitis, and thus, the condition is diagnosed during operation. Here, the authors describe the case of a 78-year-old female, who presented with intermittent abdominal pain. The appendix had a pelvic position and the torsion was counterclockwise. In addition, the torsion was associated with mucocele of the appendix, which was considered a secondary factor of torsion. Appendectomy and drainage were performed.
Abdomen, Acute ; Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Mucocele ; Torsion Abnormality

PURPOSE: We examined the association between thyroid hormone and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 5,708 middle aged men were included. LUTS/BPH were assessed using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), total prostate volume (TPV), maximal flow rate (Qmax), and a full metabolic workup. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels were measured using chemiluminescence immunoassay. We divided participants into quartiles based on their TSH and FT4 levels: first to fourth quartile (Q1–Q4). RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the percentage of men with IPSS>7, Qmax<10 mL/s, and TPV≥30 mL with increase of FT4 quartile. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for TPV≥30 mL and IPSS>7 were significantly different between FT4 quartile groups (ORs; [5–95 percentile interval], p; TPV≥30 mL, Q1: 0.000 [references]; Q2: 1.140 [0.911–1.361], p=0.291; Q3: 1.260 [1.030–1.541], p=0.025; Q4: 1.367 [1.122–1.665], p=0.002; IPSS>7: Q1: 0.000 [references]; Q2: 0.969 [0.836–1.123], p=0.677; Q3: 1.123 [0.965–1.308], p=0.133; Q4: 1.221 [1.049–1.420], p=0.010). In men with above median levels of testosterone, the FT4 correlated positively with TPV, even after adjusting for confounders. However, the FT4 was not correlated with TPV in men with below median levels of testosterone. TSH was not related to LUTS/BPH measurements. CONCLUSIONS: TPV, IPSS, and Qmax were significantly related to FT4. TPV and IPSS were significantly and independently related to FT4. Additionally, the relationship between FT4 and TPV was distinct when testosterone levels are high.
Humans ; Immunoassay ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Luminescence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Testosterone ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Urinary Tract ; Urologic Diseases

The treatment of choice for Cushing's disease is surgical removal of tumor, the source of ACTH overproduction. In occasional patients in whom a surgical approach including total adrenalectomy is not feasible or surgical removal of tumor is not complete, medical treatment may be necessary because pituitary irradiation requires a long 1ag time to remission. Although ketoconazole, an imidazole derivative with inhibitory activity on adrenal steroidogenesis has been reported to be effective in the treatment of Cushing's disease, the limited effectiveness in lowering very high level of cortisol and occasional hepatotoxicity restrains its wide use. In this report, we describe a woman with Cushing's disease due to pituitary microadenoma. Transsphenoidal pituitary adenomeetomy followed by ketoconzole treatment had been unsuccessful in achieving remission of the disease, but combined treatment with ketoconazole and octreotide accomplished successful reduction in cortisol production.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Ketoconazole* ; Octreotide* ; Pituitary Irradiation

Tufted hair follliculitis is a localized, inflammatory and exudative disease of the scalp characterized by a tufted appearance of the scalp hairs emerging from single follicular openings, and may result in permanent and irreversible scarring alopecia. We report two cases of tufted hair folliculitis in a 53-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man. They had several areas of scarring alopecia with multiple bundles of hairs emerging from single follicular orifices. Histopathologic findings were typical for tufted hair folliculitis. The patients were treated successively with oral antibiotics and with topical application of clindamycin.
Alopecia ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cicatrix ; Clindamycin ; Female ; Folliculitis* ; Hair* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Scalp

No abstract available.
Brain* ; Child* ; Humans

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between the Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). METHODS: We enrolled 240 new male patients who had visited National Police Hospital more than twice during a 6-month period starting from July 2013. At initial visit, the Korean version of the IPSS and VPSS, uroflowmetry, and transrectal ultrasonography were used to evaluate urinary symptoms. After medication, IPSS and VPSS questionnaires were issued again. The Spearman correlation test and the Mantel-Haenszel test were used to evaluate the relationship between the IPSS and VPSS. RESULTS: The median age, total prostate volume, total IPSS, and total VPSS were 59.0 years, 28.0 mL, 12, and 9, respectively. Total VPSS, VPSS obstructive symptoms, VPSS irritative symptoms, and VPSS quality of life (QoL) significantly correlated with the total IPSS, IPSS obstructive symptoms, IPSS irritative symptoms, and IPSS QoL, respectively (correlation coefficient, P-value: 0.632, <0.001; 0.431, <0.001; 0.696, <0.001; and 0.799, <0.001; respectively). The change in the total IPSS after treatment also significantly correlated with the change in total VPSS after treatment (correlation coefficient, P-value: 0.364, <0.001). There were significant correlations between maximal flow rate and IPSS/VPSS obstructive symptoms (correlation coefficient, P-value: -0.190, 0.004; -0.269, <0.001, respectively). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the ratio of the maximal flow rate <15 mL/sec to VPSS obstructive symptoms as the severity of the VPSS obstructive symptoms increased (P trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: VPSS might be useful in evaluating lower urinary tract symptoms at the initial visit and assessing these symptoms at longitudinal follow-up examinations.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms* ; Male ; Police ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Quality of Life ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To report a case of treating a patient with intralesional cidofovir injection who had frequently recurring lacrimal sac squamous papilloma after several excision surgeries. CASE SUMMARY: A 59-year-old man who had mass excision surgery at a different clinic nine months previously, visited our clinic to treat a recurring erythematous protruding mass near his left medial canthus that developed two months prior. Orbit CT showed a 15 x 25 mm-sized large mass located on the lacrimal sac adherent to medial orbital wall. An excision biopsy was performed and the histopathologic examination showed typical findings of squamous papilloma. Because the tumor recurred six months after the second surgery, we decided to perform adjuvant therapy using the antiviral agent cidofovir. The patient was treated with a 5 mg/mL intralesional cidofovir injection every three weeks. A transient recurrence presented on the upper lid at the third intralesional cidofovir injection site two months after the surgery, but the recurrent lesion improved after repeated injections. During the 12 months of follow-up, there were no complications and no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Intralesional cidofovir injections can be a safe and effective treatment for the management of recurrent squamous papilloma of the orbit, especially after total excision.
Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; Papilloma* ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: We performed the present study to evaluate the prognostic factors for the surgical outcome of varicocelectomy in the treatment of a painful varicocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 77 patients undergoing varicocelectomy were enrolled. All the patients were examined for body mass index (BMI), varicocele grade, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), semen analysis, maximal vein diameter, and discrepancy of testicular volume. At a follow-up visit 3~6 months after the surgery, the patient response was graded as a complete response, partial response, or no response. The resolution of pain was defined as a complete or partial response. We used logistic regression analyses to determine the preoperative factors for predicting a complete response and the resolution of pain. RESULTS: Ten subjects were lost to follow-up. The remaining 67 patients were included in this study. The pain was completely resolved in 47.8% of patients, partial resolution was observed in 25.4% of patients, and failure was reported in 26.9% of patients. Among the parameters, only a longer duration of pain (> or =3 months) was an independent factor related to the complete response of pain (odds ratio, 7.371; p=0.010) and the resolution of pain (odds ratio, 7.209; p=0.042). The parameters of semen analysis results, testosterone, LH, FSH, BMI, grade, ultrasonography results, and the type of surgical approach did not significantly predict the resolution of pain. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of pain (> or =3 months) was an independent prognostic factor for the complete response of pain and the resolution of pain.
Body Mass Index ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Logistic Models ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Microsurgery ; Semen Analysis ; Testosterone ; Varicocele ; Veins