OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity of electrodiagnostic parameters in the patients with asymptomatic diabetic neuropahty. METHOD: The subjects were 26 patients with asymptomatic diabetic neuropathy and 40 healthy adults as control group. All subjects underwent electrodiagnostic evaluation of the following motor nerves: median, ulnar, tibial, and peroneal. Sensory nerves included: median, ulnar, radial, superficial peroneal, sural, lateral dorsal cutaneous branch of the sural nerve (LDSN) and medial plantar. And other studies were the sural/radial amplitude ratio, LDSN/sural amplitude ratio, peroneal and tibial F-responses, and H-reflex recorded from the soleus muscle. The frequency of abnormal parameters in the patients with asymptomatic diabetic neuropathy was obtained by comparison with the normative limits obtained from the control group. RESULTS: The most frequent abnormal electrodiagnostic parameters were the LDSN onset latency and the amplitude ratio of LDSN/sural (84.6%, respectively) followed by the LDSN peak latency, LDSN amplitude, and medial plantar onset and peak latency (80.8%, respectively). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the LDSN and medial plantar nerve conduction studies are useful for early detection of neuropathy in diabetes mellitus.
Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies* ; H-Reflex ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Sural Nerve ; Tibial Nerve

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine no response rates of sensory nerve conduction studies and late responses in the lower limbs of healthy adults. METHOD: The subjects were 50 healthy adults (mean age, 45.6 years) without the clinical signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. All subjects underwent electrodiagnostic evaluation of the following sensory nerves in lower limbs: superficial peroneal, sural, proximal sural, lateral dorsal cutaneous branch of sural nerve (LDSN), and medial plantar. Examined late responses included: tibial F-wave, peroneal F-wave, and H-reflex recorded from the soleus muscle. RESULT: No response rates of sensory nerve conduction studies such as superficial peroneal, sural, proximal sural, LDSN, and medial plantar nerves were 2%, 0%, 0%, 24%, and 18%, respectively. No response rates of late responses such as tibial F-wave, peroneal F-wave, and H-reflex were 0%, 2%, and 8%, respectively. And no response rates were significantly correlated with age (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: No response rate of sensory and late responses of lower limbs are relevant to age increments, the results should be considered for an early diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in the lower limbs of old population.
Adult* ; Early Diagnosis ; H-Reflex ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Neural Conduction* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Sural Nerve ; Tibial Nerve

Seven days after starting carbamazepine therapy because of a central pain, a 67-year old man with the occlusion of left middle cerebral artery developed acute interstitial lung disease with severe dyspnea and decreased consciousness. Initial therapy included mechanical ventilation, discontinuation of carbamazepine, and injection with epinephrine and steroid. Five days after developing the acute interstitial lung disease, his clinical status and the finding of simple chest X-ray were markedly improved. Several days later, there was the removal of the ventilator and resolution of pulmonary symptoms. Acute interstitial lung disease is a rare fatal adverse reaction to carbamazepine therapy. However, awareness of carbamazepine-induced lung disease may reduce delays in both diagnosis and withdrawal of the drug.
Aged ; Carbamazepine ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Respiration, Artificial ; Thorax ; Ventilators, Mechanical

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to measure the skin-pleura distance (SPD) of interscapular intercostal space and to correlated SPD with the individual constitutional data such as body-weight, height, obesity and body mass index (BMI; kg/m2). METHOD: We examined 50 patients (36 men and 14 women) who had no pathological abnormality in interscapular intercostal space. We measured the SPD in chest CT (GE sytec 3000i) study and also measured individual constitutional data of patients. RESULTS: The average age of the subjects was 47.0+/-15.3 years, average weight was 59.0+/-9.7 kg, average height was 167.0+/-8.7 cm, average obesity was 98.4+/-14.9%, average BMI was 21.1+/-3.2 kg/m2 and average SPD was 3.7+/-0.7 cm. There was no correlation of statistical significance between SPD, height and age. But there were statistically significant correlations between SPD, weight, obesity and BMI (p<0.01). Linear regression analysis of these data showed significant correlations between SPD and weight (p<0.01, y=0.109x-2.744), obesity (p<0.01, y=0.092x-5.367) and BMI (p<0.01, y=0.380x-4.301). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the approach considering the correlations between SPD and obesity or BMI will be helpful in reducing pleural puncture during any injection on interscapular intercostal space.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Obesity ; Pleural Cavity* ; Pneumothorax ; Punctures ; Skin* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of positive psychological characteristics on posttraumatic stress symptoms after traumatic experiences. METHODS: The subjects were 97 firefighters (83 males and 14 females), who completed the Life Events Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to examine the relationships among the variables, and Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the mediation process in the relationships among traumatic experiences, positive psychological characteristics, and posttraumatic stress. RESULTS: The results showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences affected posttraumatic stress symptoms not only directly, but also through self-esteem to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Therefore the lower firefighters' self-esteem was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. Resilience, however, apparently had no function as mediating variable in the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences and resilience each seemed to affect posttraumatic stress symptoms directly. Hence, the lower firefighters' resilience was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. CONCLUSION: This study showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. We also found that resilience affects posttraumatic stress symptoms directly, regardless of the number of traumatic experiences. Likewise, these results showed that we should be concerned in positive psychological characteristics such as self-esteem and resilience in order to prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Firefighters ; Humans ; Male ; Negotiating

Functional paraganglioma of the mediastinum is an uncommon tumor of the paraganglion system that causes symptoms and signs of episodic catecholamine release. It has not been reported in Korea. We experienced a case of a 17 years old man with a history of diaphoresis and paroxysmal hypertension refractory to therapy since 14 years old. Urinary execretion of catecholamine and its metabolites were elevated. Computed tomography(CT) scan revealed high density mass located on the posterior mediastinum in the area of the right fifth intercostal space. At thoracotomy, a 3X3X4cm sized lesion was resected and confirmed as a paraganglioma.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Mediastinum* ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Thoracotomy

Ameloblastoma is cytologically a benign tumor, but is clinically characterized by infiltrative growth and high recurrency. The criteria for surgical treatment of ameloblastoma has not yet established and it is generally accepted that ameloblastoma be treated differently based on clinical types. The purpose of this paper is to consider effectiveness of enucleation in large-sized intraosseous ameloblastoma that has treated more frequently by radical treatment. 39 cases of the intraosseous ameloblastomas were treated by enucleation in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery of Yonsei University, dental college from February 1990 to January 2001. 25 cases were selected because they were large in size that could produce facial disfigurement or pathologic fracture of jaws. They were radiographically characterized by the cortical bone that was expanded or eroded locally and histopathologically by 19 solid ameloblastomas and 6 intramural type of unicystic ameloblastomas. Among the 25 cases, 4 cases - 3 solid ameloblastomas and 1 intramural type of ameloblastoma - recurred. Recurrence rate was 16%. The compact bone which is not invaded by ameloblastoma was used as surgical margin of enucleation with accompanying chemical cauterization for killing the residual tumor cells. This may have been the reason for the low recurrence rate. So, it is considered that enucleation and long-term follow-up enable the large-sized intraosseous ameloblastomas that were characterized by almost destroyed cancellous bone and expanded or discontinued cortical bone to treat minimizing facial disfigurement and masticatory dysfunction and sociopsychological impact produced by radical treatment. I recommend that the large-sized intraosseous ameloblastomas without involvement to the surrounding soft tissues be first treated by enucleation.
Ameloblastoma* ; Cautery ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Homicide ; Jaw ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Recurrence ; Surgery, Oral

The subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis, also known as Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, is a benign, self-limited disorder of unknown cause. This rare disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, leukopenia, and elevated sedimentation rate. This disease preferentially affects young women. The diagnosis of this disease is confirmed by involved lymphnodes biopsy. Evidence for autoimmune dysfunction has been reported, but is usually lacking. According to the review of the literatures, a total of 192 cases of subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis were reported in Korea since 1983 mostly in literatures of pathology or internal medicine and only 7 cases in pediatrics. There was female predominance in a 141:51 ratio. However, among 25 cases of under 20 years of age, there was male predominance in a 16:9 ratio. The patients of under and over 20 years of age were 29 and 82, respectively among the age-known 111 cases of 192 reported. We experienced a 13-year-old boy, who had right cervical lymphadenitis with persisting high temperature and pain on lymph nodes for more than 10 days. An excisional cervical lymph node biopsy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was compatible with subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis. Most antibiotics were not effective, but fever subsided with one day of oral prednisolone therapy. Various laboratory studies for prolonged fever were negative except leukopenia and increased sedimentation rates. The CD4/CD8 ratios in acute and recovery stages were 1.1 and 1.5 respectively, showing mild decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio in the acute stage. Decreased T cell proportions in the acute stage were also noted.
Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Leukopenia ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Male ; Pathology ; Pediatrics ; Prednisolone ; Rare Diseases

The subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis, also known as Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, is a benign, self-limited disorder of unknown cause. This rare disease is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, leukopenia, and elevated sedimentation rate. This disease preferentially affects young women. The diagnosis of this disease is confirmed by involved lymphnodes biopsy. Evidence for autoimmune dysfunction has been reported, but is usually lacking. According to the review of the literatures, a total of 192 cases of subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis were reported in Korea since 1983 mostly in literatures of pathology or internal medicine and only 7 cases in pediatrics. There was female predominance in a 141:51 ratio. However, among 25 cases of under 20 years of age, there was male predominance in a 16:9 ratio. The patients of under and over 20 years of age were 29 and 82, respectively among the age-known 111 cases of 192 reported. We experienced a 13-year-old boy, who had right cervical lymphadenitis with persisting high temperature and pain on lymph nodes for more than 10 days. An excisional cervical lymph node biopsy was performed and pathologic diagnosis was compatible with subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis. Most antibiotics were not effective, but fever subsided with one day of oral prednisolone therapy. Various laboratory studies for prolonged fever were negative except leukopenia and increased sedimentation rates. The CD4/CD8 ratios in acute and recovery stages were 1.1 and 1.5 respectively, showing mild decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio in the acute stage. Decreased T cell proportions in the acute stage were also noted.
Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Leukopenia ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Male ; Pathology ; Pediatrics ; Prednisolone ; Rare Diseases

BACKGROUND: Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) extend the treatment choices for rheumatoid arthritis patients with insufficient response or intolerance to conventional DMARDs (cDMARDs). These agents have considerable efficacy compared with conventional DMARDs, but only a few head-to-head comparisons among these agents have been performed. The objective of this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was to compare the relative efficacy of Certolizumab with conventional DMARD to licensed bDMARD with cDMARD therapy for patients who failed to prior cDMARD treatment under the condition of the reimbursement coverage criteria in Korea. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using MEDLINE and Cochrane library. Key endpoints were the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) responses of 20/50/70 at six months. Bayesian outcomes were calculated as median of treatment effect, probability of the best, Odds Ratio (OR) and probability that OR was greater than one. RESULTS: Compared with other bDMARDs, Certolizumab were associated with higher or comparable ACR response rates; in ACR20, the OR (probability of OR>1) was 2.08 (92.6%) for Adalimumab, 1.86 (85.7%) for Etanercept, 1.89 (79.5%) for Golimumab, 2.36 (92.1%) for Infliximab, 1.79 (87.0%) for Abatacept, 1.74 (80.8%) for Rituximab and 1.82 (86.8%) for Tocilizaumab. In ACR50 and ACR70, the ORs did not present significant differences. CONCLUSION: Certolizaumab with cDMARD was more effective or comparable than other bDMARDs in patients who failed prior cDMARD treatment.
Antirheumatic Agents* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Humans ; Korea ; Odds Ratio ; Rheumatology ; Abatacept ; Adalimumab ; Infliximab ; Rituximab ; Etanercept