Pseudoxanthoma elasticum associated with angioid streaks has been called rthe Gronblad-Strandberg Syndrome. A 30-year-old female patient showed circumscribed, cream-colored, crepelike, redundant plaques on neck, axillae, periumbilical area, and inguinal regions. The histopathologic findings of the skin taken from the axilla revealed extensive basophilic degeneration of the elastic tissue and calcium deposition in the middle and lower dermis. Both fundi showed irregular angioid streaks radiating from the optic disk on ophthalmoscopy, and hyperfluorescence of angioid streaks was noted with fluorescein angiography.
Adult ; Angioid Streaks ; Axilla ; Basophils ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Neck ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Optic Disk ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin

PURPOSE: We determined the efficacy and safety of a relatively high dose of terazosin (5mg) in Korean patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), with or without concomitant hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July to December 2006, 200 men who consecutively presented with LUTS were prospectively studied. Eight weeks after treatment, blood pressure (BP), uroflowmetry, and International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) were assessed. For analysis purposes, patients were stratified according to concomitant hypertension. Of the 200 patients, 173 completed the scheduled eight-week treatment period. RESULTS: At baseline, no differences were evident in the two groups in terms of I-PSS, Qmax, PVR and BP. After eight weeks of treatment-although I-PSS and uroflowmetry parameters were not significantly different in the two groups-systolic and diastolic BP in the non-hypertensive control group were higher than in the hypertensive group (p= 0.001 and p=0.0100, respectively). Changes in I-PSS, uroflowmetry parameters, and BPs measured at week eight post- treatment commencement did not significantly differ between the two groups. Moreover, the addition of 5mg of terazosin to antihypertensives did not cause a significant reduction in either systolic or diastolic BP in either group. CONCLUSION: Adding terazosin to existing antihypertensive regimens did not seem to increase the incidence of adverse events. Our findings suggest that 5mg terazosin is effective and that it has an acceptable safety profile as an add-on therapy for patients with LUTS and concomitant hypertension.
Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure/drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prazosin/adverse effects/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate/drug effects/pathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Urodynamics/drug effects ; Urologic Diseases/complications/*drug therapy/ethnology

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of prostatitis symptoms in the general population by questionnaire survey and to measure the effect of prostatitis symptoms on quality of life(QOL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional community-based epidemiologic study was performed on 2,034 men, living in the Seoul metropolitan area using stepwise random sampling. Out of 2,034 interviewees, 1,356 men who were older than 40 and provided sufficient information were selected for this study. The questionnaires were completed by well trained interviewers. Contents of the questionnaires included demographic data, the Prostatitis Symptom Index(PSI), the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), a general health questionnaire section and a sexual health questionnaire section. The PSI was composed of a sum of the scores from three questions about dysuria, penile pain and perineal pain and it ranged 0 to 12. Incidence of prostatitis symptoms was defined by a score of 4 or more and the reference group was defined as consisting of those with a score of 3 or less. The rate of incidence of prostatitis symptoms was assessed according to age and the difference of QOL between the prostatitis symptoms group and the reference group. RESULTS: The overall positive rate of prostatitis symptoms measured by the PSI, in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.5%(61/1,356), adjusted to 4.8% by the relative proportion of this age group in the general population of the Seoul metropolitan area as compared to Korea and the World. The proportion of the group with prostatitis symptoms assessed by the PSI did not increase with age although the proportion of participants with moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) did increase with age. The group with prostatitis symptoms suffered from a much greater incidence of LUTS compared to the reference group (p<0.05). The QOL scores of the IPSS, and the general health and sexual health status of the group with prostatitis symptoms, were worse than those of the reference group.(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positive rate of prostatitis symptoms in men older than 40, living in the Seoul metropolitan area, was 4.8% and it didn't increase with age. The general QOL of the group with prostatitis symptoms was much worse than that of the reference group.
Dysuria ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Prevalence ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Prevalence* ; Seoul* ; Urolithiasis*

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for athrosclerosis, consist of low density lipoprotein like particle and specific glycoprotein, apolipoprotein(a). The levels of Lp(a) are mainly determined by the genetic pleomorphism of apolipoprotein(a) and has been though not to be influenced by age, sex and other biochemical parameters. Recent reports have shown that the concentrations of Lp(a) are correlated with age in women. The purpose of this study was to invastigate the association of Lp(a) concentration with sex and age. METHODS: The concentrations of Lp(a) were measured in 3,707 women and 389 men, free of diseases and medications known to affect the lipid levels. Plasma Lp(a) concentration were measured by commercial radioimmunoassay kit and other lipid profiles by conventional method. RESULTS: In female, median Lp(a) concentration increased with age till the early sixth decade (P=.0000) and then decreased. If peri- and postmenopausal women were excluded in the fifth decades, the relation between age and Lp(a) disappeared. In male, Lp(a) concentration were not associated with age. Median Lp(a) concentrations were higher in females than in males in the fifth(p=.0039) and the sixth decades(p=.0007), The difference became negligible after the exclusion of peri- and postmenopausal woman in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: The concentrations of Lp(a) were corrected with age only in female. Females had higher levels than males in the fifth and the sixth decades. The relations are thought to be nither due to aging process nor sex but due to postmenopausal increase of Lp(a).
Aging ; Apoprotein(a) ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Menopause ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for athrosclerosis, consist of low density lipoprotein like particle and specific glycoprotein, apolipoprotein(a). The levels of Lp(a) are mainly determined by the genetic pleomorphism of apolipoprotein(a) and has been though not to be influenced by age, sex and other biochemical parameters. Recent reports have shown that the concentrations of Lp(a) are correlated with age in women. The purpose of this study was to invastigate the association of Lp(a) concentration with sex and age. METHODS: The concentrations of Lp(a) were measured in 3,707 women and 389 men, free of diseases and medications known to affect the lipid levels. Plasma Lp(a) concentration were measured by commercial radioimmunoassay kit and other lipid profiles by conventional method. RESULTS: In female, median Lp(a) concentration increased with age till the early sixth decade (P=.0000) and then decreased. If peri- and postmenopausal women were excluded in the fifth decades, the relation between age and Lp(a) disappeared. In male, Lp(a) concentration were not associated with age. Median Lp(a) concentrations were higher in females than in males in the fifth(p=.0039) and the sixth decades(p=.0007), The difference became negligible after the exclusion of peri- and postmenopausal woman in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: The concentrations of Lp(a) were corrected with age only in female. Females had higher levels than males in the fifth and the sixth decades. The relations are thought to be nither due to aging process nor sex but due to postmenopausal increase of Lp(a).
Aging ; Apoprotein(a) ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Menopause ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risk Factors

We observed the gastric varices in l89 variceal patients with liver cirrhosis and in 129 patients with UGI bleeding by endoscopy. Gastric varices was found in 27 cases(14.2%) amoag 189 variceal cases. There was variceal bleeding in 74 cases(57.4%) beieg the toy cause of UGI: bleeding among l29 cases with UGI bleeding and 6(4.7%) had endoscopically proved gastric Variceal bleeding. Cardiac and fundic varices were observed in l8 and 12 cases, respectively end 12 cases of cardiac varices were mainly observed on the lesser curvature side. The incidence of isolated gastric varices being 30 % amoag gastric varices was far less than that of esophagogastric varices. There was no significant relations between the severity of liver cirrhosis and the kinds of varices These results suggest that gastric varices are not infrequent cause of UGI bleeding cases. Therefore all must have attention in gastric intestinal fiberscopic examination in portal hypertensive patients.
Endoscopy ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Play and Playthings ; Varicose Veins

PURPOSE: The precise role of angiogenesis in prostate cancer should be defined. Several reports suggest that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) possesses a tumor suppressor function, possibly through its ability to inhibit tumor neovascularization. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most important angiogenic factors in a solid tumor, has shown conflicting results on prostate cancer. Therefore, TSP-1 and VEGF expression in prostate cancer, and their relationship with the p53 status were analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, the expression of VEGF, TSP-1 and p53 was assessed in 75 archival tissues from 23 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 22 localized prostate cancer, and 30 metastatic prostate cancer patients. The relationship between VEGF and TSP-1, and the p53 status, tumor grade and stage was evaluated in patients with prostate cancer. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated a higher VEGF expression level (p<0.01) and a lower TSP-1 expression level (p<0.01) in prostate cancer compared to the BPH tissues. In addition, a higher VEGF expression level (p<0.05) and a lower TSP-1 expression level (p<0.05) in metastatic prostate cancer tissues were observed compared to the localized prostate cancer tissues. A significant inverse correlation was found between the TSP-1 and VEGF expression levels. There was a significant association between the VEGF expression level and the p53 status (p<0.05), but the TSP-1 expression level was not associated with the p53 status. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that angiogenic factors including VEGF and TSP-1 might play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. These changes appear to be influenced by the p53 status.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Thrombospondin 1 ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

PURPOSE: To review the result of a radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinomas and investigate whether an ipsilateral adrenalectomy, during a radical nephrectomy, has a favorable prognostic effect in patients with renal cell carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 365 patients, who underwent a radical nephrectomy, between January 1995 and December 1999, were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had unilateral renal cell carcinomas, and nephrectomies were performed either with (adrenalectomy group, 193 patients) or without (non-adrenalectomy group, 172 patients) an ipsilateral adrenalectomy. The survival rate was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. In conjunction with a univariate analysis, a multivariate analysis was performed, using a Cox regression analysis, to determine the independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: The ages of the adrenalectomy and non-adrenalectomy groups ranged from 21 to 78 (mean age: 54.7 years) and 28 to 77 years (mean age: 54.0 years), respectively. The durations of the follow-up periods in the adrenalectomy and non-drenalectomy groups were 62.4 and 62.6 months, respectively. There were no significant differences in the clinicopathological characteristics, including the T stage, between the two groups. The 3-year survival rates of the adrenalectomy and non-adrenalectomy group were 82.8 and 91.2%, respectively, and the 5-year survival rates were 75.4 and 85.3%, respectively (p=0.095). In the adrenalectomy group, distant metastasis, high T-stage and adrenal involvement were identified as prognostic factors by the multivariate statistical analysis (p=0.002, p=0.008 and p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal that an ipsilateral adrenalectomy, during a radical nephrectomy, does not improve the prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinomas.
Adrenalectomy* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

We studied and analyzed 66 cases of choledochal cyst in a 9 year period from March, 1985 to December, l993 at Hangang, Kangnam and Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital. The results were as follows; 1) Age ranged from 1 year to 82 years and ll of 66 cases were below 10 years. The ratio of men to women was 1: 1.9. 2) The frequency of the triad of symptoms and signs were in order of abdominal pain 53 cases(80.3%), jaundice 12 cases(18.2%) and abdominal mass 9 cases(13.6%). The classical triad of pain, mass and jaundice was present in only 2 cases(3.0%). 3) Alkaline phosphatase was elevated in 42 cases(63.6%), hyperbilirubinemia in 29 cases(43.9%) and hyperamylasemia in 9 cases(13.6%). 4) Performed diagnostic procedures were ultrasonogram in 57 cases(86.4%), endo- scopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram in 32 cases(48.5%), DISIDA scan in 18 cases(27.3%), computed tomogram in 14 cases(21.2%) and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiagram in 6 cases(9.1%). 5) Among 38 cases which ERCP or PTC were performed, according to the Todani's classification, Type I was seen in 28 cases(73.7%), Type IVA in 7 cases(18. 4%), Type II in 2 cases(5.3%) and Type V in I case(2.6%). 6) The associated diseases were cholangitis in 15 cases(22.7%), choledocholithiasis in 12 cases(18.2%) and cholangiocarcinoma in 2 cases(3.0%). 7) Operative procedures were performed in 22 of 66 cases, excision of cyst with Roux-en-Y c~holedochojejunostomy in 17 cases, choledochocystojejunostomy in 2 cases and external drainage in 3 cases.
Abdominal Pain ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholangitis ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Choledocholithiasis ; Classification ; Drainage ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Humans ; Hyperamylasemia ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Jaundice ; Male ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Ultrasonography