Control of tuberculosis is threatened by widespread emergence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Understanding the molecular basis of resistance might lead to development of novel rapid methods for diagnosing drug resistance. Rifampin is a key component among therapeutic regimens for the tuberculosis; therefore, patients who have drug resistance do not convalesce satisfactorily. The molecular mechanism of resistance to rifampin in M. tuberulosis has been elucidated. Substitutions of a limited number of highly conserved amino acids encoded by the rpoB gene are responsible for the ""single-step"" high-level resistance of M. tuberculosis to rifampin. Currently, two genotype-based protocols allow drug test from minimally grown cultured materials: (i)mutation identification by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified material. and (ii)mutation screening by PCR-SSCP. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the both methods. A sample of 75 isolates of M. tuberculosis was studied, and it inculded 36 rifampin-resistant strains and 39 rifampin-sensitive strains by conventional methods. Mutaions were identified in 36 rifampin-resistant isolates but in none of 39 sensitive isolates. All mutations were clustered within a region of 23 amino acids. Both methods allow detection of rifampin resistance in 2 to 3 days and will thus help in the early management of infection by M. tuberculosis.
Amino Acids ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis

Control of tuberculosis is threatened by widesread emergence of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rifampin is a key component among therapeutic regimens for the tuberculosis; therefore patients in whom resistance to this drug develop have a poor outlook, particularly if rifampin resistance is associated with resistance to other tuberculosis drugs. The purpose of this study was to detect the mutation in rpoB gene of rifampin resistant M. tuberculosis in Korea and to evaluate the usefulness of the method in clinical aspects. A sample of 80 M. tuberculosis was studied, and it included 40 rifampin resistance isolates and 40 rifampin sensitive isolates by conventional methods. The detection method involved the amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the Rif' region and the identification of mutations by single-strand DNA conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP) of the amplification products (157 bp). Mutation were identified in 39 of 40 rifampin resistant isolates, and in 1 of 40 rifampin sensitive isolates.
Humans ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Nucleic Acid Conformation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: Conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is a widely used treatment for appendicitis. Nowadays, single incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA) is increasingly used as an alternative treatment for appendicitis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical significance and differences between LA and SILA. METHODS: A total of 519 patients undergoing LA or SILA between January 2011 and December 2012 were identified in a retrospectively collected database. Patients' characteristics and peri-operative variables were analyzed. RESULTS: LA was performed in 485 patients and SILA was performed in 34 patients. Mean operation time for the LA group was 62.7 minutes (range 23.3~68.1) and that for the SILA group was 62.7 minutes (range 50.9~74.5). This difference of operation time was statistically significant. In the learning curve of SILA, operation time was gradually decreased. No significant differences in hospital stay and peri-operative complications were observed between groups. CONCLUSION: Although operation time for SILA was longer than that for LA, SILA was safe. Therefore, a prospective study should be conducted in order to confirm the possibility of application to most appendicitis patients.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Learning Curve ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies

Mondor's disease is also called thrombophlebitis and it is not a common condition. The characteristics finding of Mondor's disease is a subcutaneous cord that is tender and tense. This disease commonly occurs in the breast and abdomen. The etiology of Mondor's disease is unknown, but the generally agreed on causes are trauma, excessive exercise and breast surgery. On rare occasions, this disease is related to malignancy, pregnancy, filariasis and so on. This disease is self limiting and it is usually treated conservatively and symptomatically. We treated one woman who had Mondor's disease on the anterior side of the left elbow. This is a very rare location for Mondor's disease and so clinicians need to be aware about the possibility of this unusual presentation for this disease.
Abdomen ; Breast ; Elbow ; Female ; Filariasis ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Thrombophlebitis ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

An intussusception was first reported by Barbette in 1674, but an intussusception of the appendix was first reported in London, in 1858. Of all intussusceptions, 5% occur in adults, and of these 90% are as a result of a primary cause. Therefore, treatment is usually based on the primary cause. An intussusception of the appendix can be treated by barium or air reduction, or by an appendectomy, with manual reduction in pediatrics, but these are very uncommon in adult, and can be treated by various methods, according to the underlying cause. A 74 years old woman was preoperatively diagnosed, by radiological examination, to have an intussusception of the appendix. An exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the lesion confirmed as an intussusception caused by an appendix mass, which was cystic and filled with mucin. Therefore, a right hemicolectomy was performed, with the pathological results confirming a mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the appendix. Here, we report a case of an adult intussusception of the appendix in a 74 years old woman.
Adult ; Aged ; Appendectomy ; Appendix ; Barium ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Female ; Humans ; Intussusception* ; Laparotomy ; Mucins* ; Pediatrics

The effect of local hyperthermia of 41 to 43degree C for 30 minutes on radiosensitivity of normal tissue was studied utilizing jejunal crypt microcolony assay. Hyperthermia of this range enhanced the radiation effect and the effect was mainly additive without significant effect on the slopes of cell survival curves. At the isoeffect level of 20 microcolony formation, the thermal enhancement ratio was 1.02, 1.10 and 1.39 for 41degree 42degreeand 43degree C, respectively. The distribution of microcolony formation along the circumference of jejunum was not uniform, having more colonies around the mesenteric border, and this suggests the effect of uneven cooling by blood circulation.
Animals ; Blood Circulation ; Cell Survival ; Fever* ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; Jejunum* ; Mice* ; Radiation Effects ; Radiation Tolerance

BACKGROUND: Primary tumor of the small bowel is uncommon less than 6% of all gastrointestinal tumors. Its symptoms and signs are nonspecific and its diagnosis is difficult. METHODS: We analyzed 43 patients with primary small bowel tumor who had undergone operations at the Chungnam National University Hospital from January 1990 to December 1997. RESULTS: 1) In total 43 cases, 19 cases (44.2%) were male and 24 cases (55.8%) were female, benign tumors were 13 cases (30.2%) and malignant tumors were 30 cases (69.8%). The mean age was 51 year. 2) The primary sites of benign tumors were the duodenum in 5, jejunum in 3, ileum in 5 cases. The primary sites of malignant tumors were the duodenum in 13, jejunum in 9, ileum in 8 cases. 3) Polyp was most common benign tumor (30.7%), and leiomyosarcoma was most common malignant tumor (43.3%). 4) The most common symptom was abdominal pain (65.1%), followed by melena (34.9%) and weight loss (20.9%). The most common sign was palpable mass (39.5%) and anemia (39.5%). 5) In the duodenal tumors, the detectabilities of endoscopy and upper gastrointestinal series were 68.8% and 71.4%, respectively. In the jejunal and the ileal tumors, the detectabilities of small bowel series were 62.5% and 71.4%, respectively and those of abdominal computed tomogram were 50.0% and 42.9%, respectively. The accuracy of preoperative diagnosis was 7 cases (53.8%) in benign and 20 cases (66.7%) in malignant tumor. 6) In cases of malignant tumor, curative resection was performed in 18 cases (60.0%), palliative resection was performed in 10 cases (33.3%), and bypass procedure was performed in 2 cases (6.7%). In cases of benign tumor, small bowel resection was performed in 9 cases and excision of duodenal polyp was performed in 2 cases. 7) The mean follow-up period of malignant tumor of 27 cases except 3 hospital mortality cases was 35 months. During this time, 7 cases were dead due to recurrence. The mean survival time of 7 mortality cases was 20.4 months, of them 4 cases were leiomyosarcoma, 2 cases were adenocarcinoma, and 1 case was lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: Because diagnosis of small bowel tumor is difficult and confirmed in late stage, high degree of suspicion and endeaver to discover it is important.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Anemia ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Ileum ; Jejunum ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Melena ; Mortality ; Polyps ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Anticardiolipin* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy*

The purpose of this study was to investigate loneliness in infertile women and determine how loneliness related to personal characteristics, cause of infertility, family composition, and family conflicts. It also provides basic data for nursing strategies concerning infertile women. A total of 182 subjects were selected at an infertile clinic in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected from May 2 to June 21, 1997 by questionaire. It consisted of questions concerning general characteristics, items relating to infertility, and the Loneliness Scale. The UCLA Loneliness scale was used(more specifically, the Korean version of the Revised UCLA Scale by Kim Ok Soo.). The data were analyzed by using SPSS/PC computer program. The result are as follows: 1. The mean age of infertile women was 32.4 years old, and the mean age of souses was 34.8 yerars old. 30.2% of women had a marital duration of 3-5 years, and 25.8% had a marital duration of 5-10 years. 23.1% reported the main etiology of infertility as unexplained, 18.1% reported ovulation disturbances, and 26.4% reported complex causes. 3.8% of the couples had sexual relationship difficulty 83% lived in nuclear families, while 17% lived in large families. 2. The mean loneliness scores of infertile women was 35.53(SD=8.66). The total loneliness score of this study was 80. 3. There were significant differences in loneliness scores according to ages(F=6.893, p=.001), education background(t=4.418, p=.000), and the educational background of husband(t=2.339, p=.020). 4. Loneliness scores related to family situations were significantly different according to several male nephews in husbands' family(F=2.822, p=.027). 5. Loneliness scores related to conflicts were significantly different according to husbands and their family(F=11.465, p=.000). Nurses should acknowlege the fact that some infertile women may experience loneliness. In conclusion, nurses can provide infertile women with information about ways to decrease loneliness and create support groups for themselves, assisting infertile women to adjust to the experience of infertility through positive methods.
Education ; Family Characteristics ; Family Conflict ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Korea ; Loneliness* ; Male ; Nuclear Family ; Nursing ; Ovulation ; Self-Help Groups ; Seoul ; Spouses

Heterotopic pregnancy is the coexistency of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy is about 1 to 30,000 pregnancy in a natural cycle. However, the frequency of heterotopic pregnancy has steadily increased because of rising incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic surgery and the development of ovulation induction and assisted reproduction. Because heterotopic pregnancy is difficult to diagnose and it has high morbidity and mortality rate, one should always take this into consideration and should conduct careful and thorough gynecologic evaluation. We have experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 29-year old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in a natural cycle and report this case with a brief review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Ovulation Induction ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproduction