The authors reviewed 7,065 new outpatients who visited the dermatology clinic of Gyeongsang National University Hospital in Chinju from Jan. 1st, 1987 to Dee. 31st, 1990 to study the prevalence of common dermatoses in this region as compared to other regions in Korea, The results suggest that age, sex, monthly and yearly distribution patterns around Chinju are similar to those of other areas in Korea except for higher prevalences of vitiligo, psoriasis, alopecia, and for lower prevalences of scabies, insect bites, and syphilis.
Alopecia ; Dermatology ; Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Humans ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis ; Scabies ; Skin Diseases* ; Syphilis ; Vitiligo

Septic arthritis in neonates is a rare condition. A failure to make an early diagnosis of septic arthritis in neonates may leave a permanent disability as a result of a delayed treatment. Thus, septic arthritis, requires a prompt diagnosis and a timely treatment especially in this subset of patients. In this case report, we describe our treatment protocol for septic arthritis and concurrent osteomyelitis in the right shoulder of a 28-day-old newborn. Using 2.4 mm wrist arthroscopy, we performed an arthroscopic irrigation and drainage, to remove intra-articular debris and inflammatory tissue, and multiple drilling. We report a satisfactory clinical outcome without any postoperative complications or side effects.
Arthritis, Infectious* ; Arthroscopy ; Clinical Protocols ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Osteomyelitis ; Postoperative Complications ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder* ; Wrist

OBJECTIVE: To examine a normal range for nuchal translucency thickness between 9 and 14 weeks' gestation in normal fetuses. METHODS: Nuchal translucency was measured prospectively in 124 fetuses between 9 and 14 weeks' gestation resulted in normal pregnancy outcome. The nuchal translucency measurement was expressed as the median and the 5th, 25th, 75th, and 95th percentiles according to complete weeks of gestation based on ultrasound measurement. RESULTS: The median nuchal translucency thickness was 1.8 mm at 9 weeks' gestation and it declined to 1.6 mm at 10 weeks. But the median thickness increased from 1.95 mm at 11 weeks to 2.3 mm at 12 weeks, after which it slightly declined to 2.25 mm at 13 weeks. And then it increased to 2.5 mm at 14 weeks. A nuchal translucency thickness greater than 2.5 mm was not found at 9 and 10 weeks' gestation, but found in 21.8% of fetuses from 11 weeks to 14 weeks. CONCLUSION: In normal fetuses, there is a physiologic variation in the thickness of nuchal translucency between 9 and 14 weeks' gestation. The calculation of risk for trisomies based on this thickness should take this variation into account. The adoption of a gestational age-dependent cutoff point, based on the deviation of a given measurement from the median, may reduce the invasive procedure for karyotyping. And this study suggest that if the nuchal translucency measurement is greater than 2.5 mm before 10 weeks, it may advise the karyotyping.
Female ; Fetus* ; Karyotyping ; Nuchal Translucency Measurement* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Prospective Studies ; Reference Values ; Trisomy ; Ultrasonography

Traumatic optic neuropathy is one of true ophthalmic emergencies and there is no proven form of treatment for traumatic optic neuropathy. 82 cases of traumatic optic neuropathy were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of high dose corticosteroid for the visual improvement. Age, sex, initial visual acuity, final visual acuity, interval to treatment, the type of trauma and the affected region were studied retrospectively.250 mg of Methylprednisolone was administered intravenously every 6 hours for 3 days, and then followed by tapering using oral prednisone The vision was improved in 36 of 82 cases[43.9%]. It was difficult to interpret the relation-ships between the affected region and visual improvement, the interval for each treatment and final visual acuity. However, the vision was improved in 45 of 50 cases who had an initial visual acuity of above light perception, but in the two of 32 cases with no light perception. If indicated, fifteen cases were treated with a combination of high dose corticosteroid and optic nerve decompression. In initial treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy, high dose corticosteroid was effecive. Whether or not initial visual acuity was better than light perception was a key risk factor in the outcome.
Decompression ; Emergencies ; Methylprednisolone ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Nerve Injuries* ; Prednisone ; Risk Factors ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain in children is one of the most common problems encountered in our daily practice. The children often are not able to tell us their exact complain symptoms and differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is difficult in its first encounter. When family physicians encounter patients with acute abdominal pain in the ambulatory care settings, they must make an appropriate decision for proper management such as admission, referral, discharge and follow-up without firm diagnosis. If it is possible to predict the course or prognosis of acute abdominal pain by clinical data concerning patient, it will be helpful to make a decision for the management of acute abdominal pain. So we tested for hypothesis that patients with acute intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdomen X-ray finding is not serious and shows favorable outcome. METHOD: 82 patients with acute abdominal pain were assessed from Oct. in 1996 to Sep. in 1997 at the emergency department of Kyungju Hospital, Dongkuk University. 69 patients among 82 showed normal simple abdomen X-ray findings. 67 patients were discharged and 2 patients were admitted. 64 patients were contacted by phone call after 1 week and reported their outcome of the previous abdominal pain. RESULTS: Among 64 subjects 36 patients were male and 28 patients female. 57 patients complained of intermittent abdominal pain and 7 patients complained continous abdominal pain. Positive predictive value of intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdominal x-ray was 98%. Outcome of patients with intermittent abdominal paln was more favorable than that of continuous pain. CONCLUSIONS: Acute intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdomen x-ray findings in children shows favorable outcome and can be managedim ambulatory care settings.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain* ; Ambulatory Care ; Child* ; Decision Making* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Prognosis ; Referral and Consultation

BACKGROUND: Keloids and hypertrophic scars are benign fibrous growths which usually occur in predisposed individuals after trauma. Numerous modalities have been used to treat keloids and hypertrophic scars, but the final results have been so far unsatisfactory. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of tlis study was to evaluate the effect of the combination of cryosurgery and intralesional corticoster oid for treatment of these scars. METHOD: Thirty patients, aged 17 to 45 years old, with keloids or hypertrophic scars(mean duration, 6.4 years) were treated using solid CO2 followed by intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide(13.3 mg/ml). Two freeze-thaw cycles per lesion were employed. Freezing time was chosen arbitrarily from 7 to 20 sec depending on the characteristics of each scar. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows. 1. Excellent and good results were achieved in 57% of all subjects on average, 77% of those who were treated more than 3 times, and 48% of those treated less than twice. 2. The keloid of less than 2 years duration showed better results than older ones. 3. No recurrence was seen in 63% of patients, but partial recurrence in 21% of patients and complete recurrence in 10% were observed. Lesions on the trunk showed less improvement (p<0.05) and were more recurrent than other lesions. 4. There were complications in 9 patients, such as hyperpigmentation(6), hypopigmentation(1), infection(1) and telangiectasia(1). CONCLUSION: Cryosurgery and intralesional corticosteroid injections produced synergistic advantages. A cornbination of these modalities might be an effective treatment modality in keloids and hypertrophic scars.
Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Cryosurgery* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Keloid* ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Triamcinolone

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to compare the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering diet therapy instructed by physicians with that instructed by dieticians using techniques that remove regression to the mean. METHODS: 118 patients who visited the office of Family Medicine department in Pusan Paik Hospital from February to November, 1996 and had serum total cholesterol(TC) concentrations greater or equal to 200mg/dL from two measurements were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups randomly according to the cholesterol-lowering dietary education methods : the one was educated by physicians(Group I), and the other by dieticians(Group II). We evaluated the differences of lipid levels after education in consideration of regression to the mean. RESULTS: The mean reduction in TC concentrations achieved by dietary therapy was 10.7 % and 7.3%(without and with adjustment for regression to the mean) in Group I, and 9.8 and 6.5%(without and with adjustment, for regression to the mean) in Group II. The baseline TC concentrations and TC concentrations after dietary therapy were significantly different in individual group regardless of adjustment for regression to the mean. However, the reduction degrees of TC concentrations were not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that even after adjustment for regression to the mean, dietary therapy will achieve the expected reduction. And it seems that the diet education by physicians will be effective as much as that by dieticians.
Busan ; Diet Therapy ; Diet* ; Education ; Humans ; Nutritionists*

Measurement of the normal pituitary gland height was performed on magnetic resonance (MR) images of 144 subjects with no known or suspected pituitary or hypothalamic diseases. Midsagittal T1 weighted images (T1WI) were used for measurement, and mean vertical height according to age and sex group was obtained. In all age groups, the pituitary height was greater in females than in meles, The group of 0-9 years in both genders showed the minimum mean pituitary height, The maximum mean height was observed in the 10-19 years age group in both genders. The height gradually decreased with increasing age after age 20 years. There was no subject with a height more than 9.0 mm in females or 8.0 mm in males. In conclusion the measurement of the normal pituitary pland height using mid sagittal MR imaging can be used for the evaluation of the pituitary gland lesions.
Female ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland* ; Sex Differentiation*

No abstract available.
Infarction* ; Liver*