The most common cause of small bowel obstruction is postoperative adhesion, and besides a hernia, metastatic or primary cancer and small bowel tumors are possible causes. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal obstruction and is associated with debilitating conditions with marked weight loss. SMA syndrome results from the compression of the third part of the duodenum due to the narrowing of the aortomesenteric angle. We report a 28-year-old woman with SMA syndrome after acute gastroenteritis. Her stomach was severely dilated due to the duodenal obstruction and computed tomography showed the compression of the third portion of the duodenum by SMA. She was conservatively cared for and thus favorably improved.
Adult ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Duodenum ; Female ; Gastroenteritis ; Hernia ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Stomach ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is caused by multiple risk factors and accompany many problems. This study aimed to analyze the association of childhood obesity with ADHD and to know the related factors of ADHD. METHODS: In 2006, 427 students in fourth grade were recruited from two elementary schools in Gwangmyeong city. Height and weight were measured and children's weight status was classified as normal weight, overweight and obese using the age and gender-specific BMI established by Korean Academy of Pediatrics. The Korean abbreviated Conners' parent rating scale (ACRS) was used to measure the ADHD state. RESULTS: The obesity rate was higher in ADHD group than in non-ADHD group (P = 0.005). The Kovacs' children's depression inventory score (CDI score) of ADHD group was higher than that of non-ADHD group (P = 0.003). In ADHD group, there were many cases where students were looked after by members of the family other than the parents after school (P = 0.01). ADHD group had a tendency to have breakfast heavily (P = 0.01). The average monthly income of the parents of ADHD group was relatively higher than that of the non-ADHD group (P = 0.03), and the fathers of ADHD group tend to have night eating syndrome (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The ADHD was significantly associated with childhood obesity, and was likely to be more depressive and had different life styles than non-ADHD group.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Breakfast ; Depression ; Eating ; Fathers ; Humans ; Life Style ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Parents ; Pediatrics ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of group intervention by primary care physicians on the changes of drinking behaviors in Korean heavy drinkers. METHODS: A total of 32 male heavy drinkers participated in group intervention by family physicians of Chungnam National University Hospital. Initially, they were assessed for general characteristics, family function and drinking characteristics prior to the intervention conducted 4 times (about 40 minutes/each session). Reassessment on their drinking frequencies (times/week), drinking amounts (drinks/drinking day) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score was achieved at directly, at 12 weeks and at 1 year after intervention. RESULTS: The mean drinking frequency was significantly (P < 0.01) decreased from 5.2 +/- 1.7 before to 3.5 +/- 2.4 at directly, 3.9 +/- 2.3 at 12 weeks and 4.0 +/- 2.3 at 1 year after intervention. The mean drinking amounts were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased from 17.0 +/- 16.5 before to 11.0 +/- 16.9 at directly, 14.2 +/- 17.8 at 12 weeks and 13.9 +/- 17.8 at 1 year after intervention. The mean AUDIT score was significantly (P < 0.01) decreased from 29.4 +/- 5.8 before to 19.1 +/- 11.0 at directly, 21.8 +/- 9.1 at 12 weeks and 23.0 +/- 9.4 at 1 year after intervention. The number of heavy drinkers and binge drinkers were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 32 (100%) and 32 (100%) before to 20 (62.5%) and 22 (68.8%) at directly, 23 (71.9%) and 24 (75.0%) at 12 weeks, and 22 (68.8%) and 19 (59.4%) at 1 year after intervention. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that group intervention by family physicians may be effective on the improvement of drinking behavior at 12 weeks and 1 year after the intervention in heavy drinkers.
Drinking ; Drinking Behavior ; Family Characteristics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Primary Health Care

BACKGROUND: Sleep is an essential restorative physiologic phenomenon. Impaired sleep results in significant negative effect to the health. Symptoms like sleep initiation difficulty, frequent awakening, severe snoring have related to poor sleep quality. We studied frequency and compared the characteristics of common sleep disorders at family practice. METHODS: We surveyed patients over 18 years of age and their guardians who visited 16 familial practices for 6 days. We investigated sleep characteristics, frequency of sleep disorder and associated factors by questionnaires and analyzed by frequency analysis, Spearman's correlation coefficient, multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: We enrolled 1,117 participants. Older participants were more likely to report early sleep onset and off time, short sleep duration. Mean number of awakening during a typical night is 1.69. Female complained difficulties in initiation and maintenance of sleep more than male. A total of 32.5% had these insomnia symptoms and related to hypertension, stroke, stress, arthralgia, depression, urological disorder. 31.1% had excessive daytime sleepiness, related to stress, arthralgia, depression. Loud snoring and gasp for breath showed positive correlation between male, high BMI. Disrupted sleep over 3 times was related to old age, female, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, stress, arthralgia, depression. Restless leg syndrome were high in elderly, high BMI, stress, arthralgia and depression. CONCLUSION: About one in three who visit in primary medical practice have sleep disorder symptoms like insomnia, daytime fatigue, snoring. 3% of them have gasp for breath, 8% have restless leg syndrome.
Aged ; Arthralgia ; Depression ; Family Practice ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Leg ; Male ; Prevalence ; Sleep Wake Disorders ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Snoring ; Stroke

Generalized or localized edema is a very common symptom in primary care. Edema is developed from an imbalance in the filtration system between the vessel and interstitial spaces. A systematic approach is extremely important to determine the underlying diagnosis, because its management plan depends on the cause of edema. Treatment includes sodium restriction, diuretic use, appropriate management of the underlying disorder, et al. This review can be helpful in establishing the management of edema in clinical practice.
Diuretics ; Edema ; Filtration ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Primary Health Care ; Sodium ; Water

No abstract available.

A pseudo-Cushing's state can be defined as some or all of the clinical features of Cushing's syndrome together with some evidence for hypercortisolism. It may be related to depression, alcohol abuse and obesity. Its manifestation may be transient and resolved with abstinence from causing factors. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with unilateral nonfunctioning adrenal adenoma and geriatric depressive disorder, which diagnosed by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). She showed clinical and/or biochemical features of Cushing's syndrome. Low dose and high dose dexamethasone suppression tests were not identical to those in ACTH independent Cushing's syndrome. Few cases of pseudo-Cushing's syndrome were reported previously in Korea but there was no report about pseudo-Cushing's syndrome combined with nonfunctional adrenal adenoma.
Adenoma* ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Aged ; Alcoholism ; Cushing Syndrome ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Obesity

Diabetic ketoacidosis is an acute complication of diabetic mellitus. The most common triggering factors are infection, insulin therapy omission and the onset of the disease, but if these are excluded, other less frequent etiologic factors must be ruled out. We report a case of 22-year-old woman with Graves' disease presented as diabetic ketoacidosis. She was diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus at 13 years old and continually has been treated with insulin therapy until now. She typically showed tachycardia at rest in spite of correction of metabolic acidosis. Hyperthyroidism worsens glycemic control in diabetic patients and may precipitate diabetic ketoacidosis. Hyperthyroidism always should be investigated in diabetic patients presenting diabetic ketoacidosis without obvious triggering factors.
Acidosis ; Adolescent ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Female ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism* ; Insulin ; Ketosis ; Tachycardia ; Young Adult

A 79-year-old woman with a known history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presented with severe anemia of unknown origin. She had also suffered from repeated episodes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding for the previous 2-3 years. Despite small bowel series and panendoscopic and angiographic studies, the origin of anemia remained undefined until a small multiple bleeding site was found during capsule endoscopy. The lesion proved to be angiodysplasia in jejunum. We report a case of jejunal angiodysplasia is diagnosed by capsule endoscopy in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Aged ; Anemia ; Angiodysplasia* ; Capsule Endoscopy* ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jejunum

A bronchobiliary fistula is rare disorder, consisting of the abnormal communication between the bronchial tree and the biliary duct. We describe a 78-year-old man who had a bronchobiliary fistula caused by choledocholithiasis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of bilioptysis (bile-stained sputum) and the percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC). The patient was treated successfully by percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) with stone extraction and was followed by healing of the bronchobiliary fistula without surgical intervention.
Aged ; Cholangiography ; Choledocholithiasis* ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Fistula* ; Humans