The authors analized the 98 cases of cervical spine injuries without fracture or dislocation by hyperflexion/hyperextension of the neck. The peak incidence of the age was in the second to fourth decades(69.4%). There was a male preponderance with a sex ratio of. 1.8 : 1. Sources of trauma were motor vehicle accident, object falling on and motorcycle accident in the order of frequency. The common mechanisms of injury were flexion-extension, extension and flexion injury in the order of frequency. There were 10 cases of cervical cord injury without fracture or dislocation and operative management was given in 6 cases of them. The most common preexisting disease was congenital cervical stenosis. Surgical modality such as laminectomy, laminoplasty and anterior decompressive procedure made them improved. The authors discuss the mechanism of injury and surgical management of the patients with cervical cord injury in the absence of concomittent fracture or dislocation.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Dislocations* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Motor Vehicles ; Motorcycles ; Neck ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Sex Ratio ; Spine*

We experienced two cases of occupational asthma induced by Elk dander in Elk-feeders and confirmed these cases by the bronchial provocation test with Elk dander. Both of them showed dual asthmatic response. They also showed positive reaction to the skin prick test with EIK dander. Now one of them has no asthmatic symptoms at all after complete avoidnce of EIK dander.
Asthma, Occupational* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Dander ; Skin

The authors describe 2 cases of multiple thoracic disc herniations in the level of T5~6, T6~T7, T7~8 and T8~9, T9~10, T10~11. Thoracic disc herniations is rare and occurs in less than 4% of all diseases. Moreover, multiple thoracic disc herniations is very rare and only 7 cases were reported in the literatures, which occurred at two levels in 6 cases and five levels in one case. The lesions were determined by thoracic CT myelogram and MRI study. A microsurgical posterolateral approach made them curative. Surgical instruments such as downbite curette and surgical microscope were essential for successful treatment.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Surgical Instruments

No abstract available.
Rupture* ; Scrotum* ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: This study aims at making a survey on health care service providers' cultural competence and making an appraisal of Chinese medical tourists on service quality, health care service providers' cultural competence, perceived value, and satisfaction. METHODS: The data was collected from August until November, 2014 and 150 health care service providers and 65 Chinese medical tourists from 12 medical institutions in Daegu were enrolled in analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that health care service provider's knowledge on Chinese culture was very low with 33.5% of correct answer. Health care service providers were found to get 3.82 point on a 5 point-scale in cultural perception, 3.53 points in cultural sensitivity, and 2.85 points in cultural skills. Chinese medical tourists were analyzed to give 4.08 points on a 5-point scale to satisfaction on health care service, followed by 4.01 points to health care service quality, 4.00 points to perceived value of health care service, and last 3.85 points to a health care service providers' cultural skills. However, there was a difference in points in cultural skills between health care service providers and Chinese medical tourists. Chinese medical tourists' satisfaction with health care service in Daegu was found to be comparatively high, but in relation to satisfaction with communication, it was found to be relatively low. CONCLUSION: Through this research, health care service providers' knowledge level of Chinese culture and cultural skills were low while they seemed to take a half-hearted attitude towards educational experience for building up cultural competence and foreign patient service response.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cultural Competency* ; Daegu* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Health Personnel* ; Health Services Research ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Korea ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Stroke

PURPOSE: Recent years have witness a dramatic increase in public awareness of the health risks associated with lead exposure-particularly concerning young children. The lead poisoning in children was considered a rarity, usually resulting from unique circumstances such as in appropriate use of lead-based body cosmetics or direct administration of lead-containing folk medicine or contaminated atmosphere. The increasing concern about children with lower levels of lead exposure has developed, but there are no data regarding the mean blood lead levels and the incidence of lead poisoning in Korean children. So, this study was conducted to measure the blood lead and ZPP(zinc protoporphyrin) levels of 125 children around Cheonan city. METHODS: 125 children around Cheonan city (from 1 month to 15 year-old, 68 males and 57 females) were studied. We analyzed the mean blood Zinc Protoporphyrin(ZPP) and lead values and excluded children with hematologic disorders in this study. RESULTS: 1) The mean blood lead level was 4.15 microgram/dl (95% CI: 3.82-4.488) and the mean ZPP level was 53.48 microgram/dl (95% CI: 48.44-58.52). Both were within normal range. 2) The mean blood lead level of 68 males was 4.23 microgram/dl and 4.06 microgram/dl in 57 females. The mean blood ZPP level was 49.88 microgram/dl in males and 57.77 microgram/dl in females. There was no significant difference in males and females. 3) There was no siginificant correlation between blood lead and ZPP concentration. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the mean blood lead level of 125 children around Cheonan city was 4.15 microgram/dl. That was within normal range and the same values with United States. It is important that there must be a national counter plan and that pediatricians continue to pay attention to lead poisoning in children.
Adolescent ; Atmosphere ; Child* ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lead Poisoning ; Male ; Medicine, Traditional ; Reference Values ; United States ; Zinc

We experienced five cases of solitary fibrous tumor; two in the pleura, two in the orbital soft tissue, and one in the lung parenchyma. Three patients were male, and the age of the patients ranged from 38 to 71 years (mean age: 53.6). Grossly, the masses were well circumscribed and had varying sizes from 2.5 to 30.0 cm. The cut surfaces were grayish-yellow firm with focal variegated hemorrhage, necrosis, cystic change, and myxoid area. Microscopically, these were characterized by a haphazard proliferation of spindle cells or polygonal cells separated by variable amounts of hyalinized collagen and showed a prominent vascular channels reminiscent of hemangiopericytoma in foci. Immunoperoxidase stains showed a strong reactivity for CD34, and were weakly positive for vimentin. Electron microscopical examination revealed features of fibroblast; spindle to round tumor cells were arranged in groups and surrounded by collagen. Nucleoli were seldom prominent. The cytoplasm contained many microfilaments and a moderate number of cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Collagen ; Coloring Agents ; Cytoplasm ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fibroblasts ; Hemangiopericytoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Lung ; Male ; Necrosis ; Orbit ; Pleura ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors* ; Vimentin

Cephalic brain-like heterotopias, so called nasal gliomas, are masses of mature glial tissue resulted from an error in embryonic development and are frequently located on the bridge of the nose. They often give rise to the clinical suspicion of dermoid cyst, hemangioma, or lipoma. Histologically, they are composed of fibrillary neuroglial cells, mainly large astrocytes, which are interlaced with a variable amount of fibrous and vascular connective tissue. Mitoses are rare. The possible tumor stalk is usually fibrous without glial elements. Due to the occasional presence of connection to the intracranial space it deserves a careful preoperative evaluation including imaging studies. We report a case of cephalic brain-like heterotopia. A sixteen day-old infant presented a mass which was suspended to the forehead by a fibrous stalk. Th excised lesion showed characteristic pathologic features of cephalic brain-like heterotopia.
Astrocytes ; Connective Tissue ; Dermoid Cyst ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Forehead ; Glioma ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Infant ; Lipoma ; Mitosis ; Neuroglia ; Nose ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: A day hospital has been remodeled after a vision to help psychotic patients quickly recover their psychological and social functions and lessen their induced regressions caused by long-term hospitalization, thereby enhancing their social abilities. The authors concerned once developed a day hospital model of an integrated therapy for psychotic patients suitable for Korean situation in their previous paper. Based on it, the present study was to determine how effective a day hospital would be, in comparison of the following two paired groups: day hospital group with experience of hospitalization(hereinafter abbreviated as DH group) & day hospital parents group with experience of hospitalization(hereinafter abbreviated as DH parents group) and OPD group with experience of hospitalization(hereinafter abbreviated as OPD group) & OPD parents group with experience of hospitalization(hereinafter abbreviated as OPD parents group). METHODS: During the 18-month long research period(from May to 1996 October 1997), 17 day hospital patients with experience of hospitalization & their parents and the same number of OPD patients with experience of hospitalization & their parents were corespondingly paired with at random, who identified themselves closest in the following categories: diagnosis, age, sex and function. All of them were asked to check questionnaires on their respective quality of life, insight, and their attitude about drug. Day hospital patients with experience of hospitalization and their parents were checked from the first day they were treated while OPD patients with experience of hospitalization and their parents were examined after discharge from hospital, commonly at the interval of 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months. RESULTS: 1) The quality of life scored higher in DH group than in OPD group. It turned increased significantly at the 3rd month and continued the same until the 12th month. At the 18th month, it showed a significant downturn. Meanwhile, DH group showed a significant upturn at the 3rd month and it turned down at 12 month. 2) The insight of DH group and DH parents group scored higher compared with OPD group and OPD parents group between the 3rd and 18th month, with the 3rd and 6th month showing a particular strength as well. Meanwhile, it continued unchanging for day DH group and DH parents group from the date on, of their discharge from hospital. 3) Attitude towards drugs scored higher in DH group than in OPD group at the 3rd and 6th month. It continued unchanging between the 6th and 18th month. It didn't score significantly higher in DH parents group than in their counterparts. 4) Satisfaction on the therapy started upward in DH group at the 3rd and 6th month, and scored higher in them than in their counterparts during the period form the 6th and 18th month. It started upward as well in DH parents group at the 3rd and 6th month, and scored higher in them than in their counterparts during the period form the 6th to the 18 month. 5) Number, and duration of DH group totalled lower than those by OPD group during the research period. CONCLUSION: The day hospital model, developed by the authors concerned, has proved a highly effective treatment for psychotic patients, as the data scored higher in the day hospital patients and their parents than in the OPD patients with experience of hospital and their parents in terms of "quality of life" by patients, insight, attitude toward drugs and satisfaction on its therapy.
Diagnosis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Parents ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires