BACKGROUND: Pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma mimicks Kaposi sarcoma, both clinically and histopathologically. These conditions are due to congenital (Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome) or acquired (Mali) vascular malformations. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were aimed at evaluating the clinical and histopathological characteristics of pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma and finding differential diagnostic tools from Kaposi sarcoma. METHODS: Clinical information of 7 patients with pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma diagnosed in Asan Medical Center from 1989 to 1999 was obtained from the medical records and clinical follow-ups. We re-evaluated 10 biopsy specimens obtained from them and immunohistochemical studies for cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA), CD34, vimentin, and factor VIII were performed with the standard streptavidin-biotin method using paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of 7 pseudo-Kaposi sarcomas and 3 Kaposi sarcomas. In addition, we examined whether human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) was detected in 3 patients by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Six male and one female patients were included. Mean age was 36.3 years. Three patients were classified into Mali type and the other four patients were into Stewart-Bludfarb type. Histopathological examinations revealed capillary proliferation in the upper dermis, perivascular infiltrate of inflammatory cells, extravasated red blood cells, and fibrosis of dermis. Anti-factor VIII and CD34 stained endothelial cells only. CLA was expressed in lymphocytic infiltrate in the epidermis and dermis of pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma, whereas it was negative in Kaposi sarcoma. PCR for HHV 8 showed negative results. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudo-Kaposi sarcoma is an uncommon entity with characteristic clinical and histopathological features. Differential diagnosis between Pseudo-Kaopsi sarcoma and Kaposi sarcoma is important. We suggest that detection of HHV 8 by PCR and imunohistochemical study for CLA may be effective tools in the differential diagnosis between them.
Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Dermis ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelial Cells ; Epidermis ; Erythrocytes ; Factor VIII ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Herpesvirus 8, Human ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mali ; Medical Records ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoma ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Vascular Malformations ; Vimentin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to learn the affective factors of case managers' occupational stress. METHOD: A total of 986 participants responded to a self-administered questionnaire that included 24 items of Korean Occupational Stress Questionnaire Short Form (KOSQSF), job satisfaction index, health behaviors, general characteristics, and variables related to work. The data collection of research was done from 17th to 21th of September, 2007. The data were analysed by t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression with SPSS 11.1 package program. RESULT: The results of this study were as follows: The overall job satisfaction rate of men and women was highly than that of the Korean worker's standard. There were statistically significant differences in occupational stress in work place, work department, work position, smoking, treatment in out-patient clinic, subjective & relative health-status, work load, supervisor's review on work-ability, and job satisfaction. According to the multi-variate analysis, occupational stress(47.6%) was related to job satisfaction, workload, individual work-ability, supervisor's review on work-ability, health status and gender. CONCLUSION: Occupational stress varied depending on the ten variables and was influenced by job satisfaction(35.7%) and 5 other variables. The results suggest that further follow-up study on case managers is necessary to relieve their occupational stress.
Data Collection ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Job Satisfaction ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Workplace

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of undergraduate nursing student adaptation to college life and investigate the factors that influenced that adaptation. METHODS: First-year (undergraduate) students attending three nursing colleges were surveyed from November 24 through December 5, 2014; and data from 206 respondents were analyzed. For data analysis, multiple regression analysis was performed using the SPSS WIN 18.0 program. RESULTS: The findings showed that age (p=.002), emotional intelligence (p<.001), and self-efficacy (p<.001) were significant variables that influenced first-year undergraduate nursing student adaptation to college life. Undergraduate nursing student adaptation was explained by self-efficacy (beta=.327, p<.001), emotional intelligence (beta=.222, p=.001), satisfaction with education in their academic major (beta=-.217, p<.001), and academic achievement (beta=.136, p=.018); and, the explanatory power of these variables was 41.2%. CONCLUSION: To facilitate undergraduate nursing student adaptation to college life prior to clinical practice, developing and apply programs to improve self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, satisfaction with education in their major, and academic achievement is deemed necessary.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Emotional Intelligence ; Humans ; Nursing ; Statistics as Topic ; Students, Nursing*

OBJECTIVE: The HPV vaccination target adolescents, and may be influenced by opinion of parents and other family member. For implementation of HPV vaccine, we measured knowledge of HPV infection and acceptability of vaccination among adults in Korea. METHODS: From August 2006 to November 2007, we provided a written questionnaire to females (above 19 years- olds) who visited Il-sin Christian hospital for prenatal care or gynecological examination. The questionnaire was built using elements of The Health Belief Model. We measured (1) awareness of HPV (2) perceived susceptibility (3) perceived seriousness (4) perceived benefit of vaccination (5) perceived barriers (6) cues to action. RESULTS: Total 975 females answered the questionnaire, and the mean age was 40 years. Only 23.8% knew the fact cervical cancer is related to HPV infection. 78.3% of respondents were willing to accept HPV vaccination after they understood HPV vaccination can prevent cervical cancer. Financial burden and possible side effect were barriers to vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Despite of low awareness of HPV infection, most (78.3%) adults favored having HPV vaccination. But the vaccine was more likely to be accepted if it is recommended by a physician and reasonably priced.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cues ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Gynecological Examination ; Humans ; Korea ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Parents ; Prenatal Care ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaccination

This study was performed to evaluate whether increasing hemoglobin before ascent by prophylactic erythropoietin injections prevents acute mountain sickness (AMS). This open-label, randomized, controlled trial involved 39 healthy volunteers with hemoglobin < or =15.5 g/dL who were divided randomly into erythropoietin (n=20) and control (n=19) groups. Epoetin alpha 10,000 IU injections were given weekly for four consecutive weeks. On day 1, and 7 days after the last injection (day 29), oxygen saturation (SaO2), and hemoglobin were measured. The subjects departed Seoul on day 30 and arrived at Annapurna base camp (ABC, 4,130 m) on day 34. AMS was diagnosed when headache and Lake Louise score (LLS) of > or =3 were present. Immediate descent criteria followed US Army recommendations. Two groups differ in hemoglobin levels on day 29 (15.4+/-1.1 vs 14.2+/-1.0 g/dL, P=0.001). At ABC, erythropoietin group had a significantly lower mean LLS, AMS incidence, and number of subjects who met immediate descent criteria. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that SaO2<87% and control group, but not hemoglobin<15.0 g/dL, independently predicted satisfaction of immediate descent criteria. Erythropoietin-related adverse effects were not observed. In conclusion, erythropoietin may be an effective prophylaxis for AMS.(Clinical Trial Registry Number; NCT 01665781).
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Altitude Sickness/diagnosis/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Blood Pressure/physiology ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Erythropoietin/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Headache/physiopathology ; Hemoglobins/analysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Oxygen/blood ; Questionnaires ; Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use

Differential diagnoses showing Verocay body-like formation include schwannoma, palisading myofibroblastoma, palisading cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma, dermatofibroma with myofibroblastic differentiation, leiomyoma, palisaded encapsulated neuroma, and neuroma. A 60-year-old Korean man presented with a 10-year-history of an asymptomatic nodule on the right forearm. Histopathological examination revealed well-circumscribed multi-micronodules with prominent Verocay body-like formation consisted of spindle cells and extensive infiltrate of mutinous materials. The spindle cells were negative for S-100 protein and desmin, but positive for vimentin and a-smooth muscle actin by immunohistochemical staining. The micronodules were lined by CD34 and factor VIII positive endothelial cells. The mutinous materials were stained with alcian blue at pH 2.5, but not at pH 0.5. We diagnose it as myxoid myofibromatosis-type perivascular myoma showing Verocay body-like formation.
Actins ; Alcian Blue ; Desmin ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endothelial Cells ; Factor VIII ; Forearm ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Leiomyoma ; Middle Aged ; Myofibroblasts ; Myoma* ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue ; Neurilemmoma ; Neuroma ; S100 Proteins ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Lupus erythematosus profundus (LEP) is an unusual clinical variant of lupus erythematosus (LE). It is unclear which part LEP occupied in the disease spectrum of LE. OBJECTIVE: Clinical and histopathological studies were performed on 19 patients with LEP in order to further define the clinical patterns, know the various serological findings, and review the histopathological features. METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out of the clinical records and histopathological specimens of 19 patients with LEP. RESULTS: The most common clinical features were indurated nodules or plaques on the cheek. There was a 37% positivity in the ANA test. Histopathogically epidermal changes as well as subcutaneous involvements were common. There were no cases of newly developed SLE during the follow up period of 41 months. CONCLUSION: Most patients with LEP have a relatively benign disease course, although a few develop systemic abnormalities and have abnormal laboratory findings.
Cheek ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Panniculitis, Lupus Erythematosus ; Retrospective Studies

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare, slowly growing, locally invasive spindle-cell tumor characterized by a protuberant cutaneous mass with a pronounced tendency to recur and by a prominent storiform histopathologic pattern'-'. We present a case of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with myxoid area on the chest of a 57-year-old man. The histopathological study showed a dermal tumor of uniform spindle-shaped cells with storiform pattern. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was stained positively to anti-CD34 antibody and negatively to anti-factor XIIIa antibody.
Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Factor XIIIa ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Thorax

Plexiform neurilemmoma is a relatively rare, benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor, whieh usually arises in either the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. These tumors may occur singly or as multiple lesions (plexiform neurilemmomatosis), We report an unusual case of plexiform neurilemmomatosis associated with cafe au lait spots reminiscent of neurofibromatosis clinically and another case of plexiform neurilemmoma on the finger. A Biopsy revealed the characteristic palisaded arrangement of spindle cells within well circumscribed elongated nodules, The skin lesions were completely excised without recurrence thereafter.
Biopsy ; Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Dermis ; Fingers ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Peripheral Nerves ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: It is controversial to treat complicated appendicitis in pediatric patients on several points, especially optimal time for appendectomy. The purpose of this study is to determine optimal time for operation in perforated appendicitis in pediatric patients. METHODS: Children with perforated appendicitis under the age of 14 underwent appendectomy between January 2006 and December 2008 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital were analyzed retrospectively according to factors which may affect the postoperative hospital course such as complications, time of beginning of diet, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: During the study period, 357 patients with acute appendicitis underwent appendectomy and 118 patients were diagnosed with perforated appendicitis. Comparing symptom durations between more than 48 hours and less, the former induced significantly higher postoperative complication rates. Body temperature above 37.5degrees C at admission affected significantly higher complication rates and delay of beginning of diet. Children with intraabdominal abscess at appendectomy showed higher complication rates than without abscess. Children who underwent operation in the daytime started diet significantly earlier and showed less complication than those operated on at night. The frequency of preoperative antibiotics administration did not alter the postoperative hospital course. CONCLUSION: For the children diagnosed with perforated appendicitis, non-urgent appendectomy in the daytime after initial conservative management including intravenous administration of antibiotics, hydration, and correction of serum electrolyte is safer and more efficient than performing emergency operation, and moreover there is no necessity for secondary admission for interval appendectomy.
Abscess ; Administration, Intravenous ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Body Temperature ; Child ; Diet ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies