In order to investigate the level of lead exposure of workers in litharge making industry and to evaluate how lead exposure, personal habit such as smoking and drinking affect the prevalence of lead related symptoms and other study variables, we investigate 114 workers(24 office workers and 90 lead exposed workers) in a litharge making industry. Study variables chosen were blood lead(PbB), zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood(ZPP), Hemoglobin(Hb), hematocrit (Hct), SGOT and SGPT. symptom questionnaires which had 15 lead exposure related symptoms were provided to all workers and filled up by themselves and reconfirmed by physician. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The mean value of PbB, ZPP and SGOT in lead exposed group were higher than those of non-exposed group, and there were no differences of means in other study variables. 2. The smoking and drinking rate of study subjects were 65.8% and 71.0% as a whole. Smoking rates were lower in non-exposed group than exposed group, but drinking rate were not. 3. There were no differences of mean values of study variables between smoker and non-smoker in non-exposed and exposed group, but there was a difference of mean value of SGOT between drinker and non-drinker in lead exposed group. 4. while the symptom prevalence of lead exposed group were higher in neuromuscular category than non-exposed group, those of non-exposed group were higher or same with exposed group in gastrointestinal and general symptom category. 5. The symptom prevalence of smoker were higher than non-smoker regardless of exposure. 6. The symptom prevalence of drinker were only higher in gastrointestinal symptom category than non-drinker. 7. In multiple stepwise regression analysis of lead related symptoms as dependent variable and blood lead, smoking habit, drinking habit and work duration as independent variables, drinking habit contributed to the gastrointestinal symptom category, whereas blood lead and smoking contributed to the neuromuscular symptom category. For the total symptoms work duration and smoking habit contributed significantly.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Drinking ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Zinc

Since there is no report of daily walking activity of Korean, authors studied on normal adult daliy walking activity in korean of various kinds of occupation, personal life and patients. Total 134 cases were studied and in which there were 10 patients, 7 retired elderlies, 4 house wives, 48 employees of compaines, 30 nurses, 4 laboratory technicians, 2 pharmacists, 7 house staff doctors, 12 chief doctors, 4 cases of hicking and 6 cases of 18 holes golf players. The daily walking steps were measured with pedometer in 167 times in total and following results were, obtained. 1. Bed rest patients ; less than 1000 steps/day 2. Retired elderly ; 2,724(2,150-3,500) steps/day 3. House wife ; 5,437(3,030-7,920) steps/day 4. High ranking, old clerk and chief doctor ; 5,000-6,000 steps/day 5. Ordinary non-active clerk and non-clerk employee ; 6,000-9,000 steps/day 6. common young active clerk and nurse ; 10,000-15,000 steps/day 7. Very active clerk and non-clerk employee ; 15,000(13,000-20,000) steps/day 8. Heavy worker ; more than 20,000 steps/day
Adult ; Aged ; Bed Rest ; Golf ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Laboratory Personnel ; Occupations ; Pharmacists ; Spouses ; Walking*

PURPOSE: There is yet no ideal single staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to analyze HCC survival times according to the TNM, Okuda, CLIP, JIS, and BCLC staging systems and their prognostic discrimination ability. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of medical records and statistical data from the Korean statistical information service was done for HCC patients diagnosed at Bundang CHA hospital between June, 1992 and February, 2009. RESULTS: During follow-up, 121 (72%) of 168 people died and 1, 3 and 5 year overall survival rates were, respectively, 58%, 35% and 25%. In the analysis of discriminative ability of each staging system, the CLIP staging system showed the highest LR chi-square value, and the lowest AIC value (p<0.05). Therefore, the CLIP staging system appears to be superior to the other systems. CONCLUSION: Of the 5 staging systems in this study, the CLIP staging system was superior to the other systems, but the results of many other studies from different countries have varied. It is necessary to establish the staging system suitable for each country's actual circumstances.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Information Services ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: There were several reports that thyroid autoimrnune disease commonly found in myasthenia gravis patients. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disease as well as analyze correlation between acetylcholine receptor antibody and various thyroid autoantibadies among the myasthenia gravis patients in Korea. METHOD: The patient group, 48 patients, diagnosed as myasthenia gravis from January 1985 to December 1995 at the department of Neurology, Internal medicine at Dongsan Medical Center was compaired to the control group, 40 patients, with no age and sex difference from the patient group. The samples were collected from both group for the measure of the values of acetylcholine receptor antibody, thyroid autoantibody and thyroid hormones. RESULT: 1) The values of acetylcholine receptor antibody in myasthenia gravis group and control group were 5.78+-0.7nM and 0.05+-0.06nM respectively. Of 48 patients with myasthenia gravis, 38 patients have been measured acetylcholine receptor antibody value > 0.5nM, Their mean average value was 7.24+-0.66nM. 2) The severe myasthenia gravis group with value of acetylcholine receptor antibody 0.5nM and severe myasthenia gravis group with value of acetylcholine receptor antibody 0.5nM showed thyroglobulin antibody value of 159.6+-79.91IU/mL versus 56.86+-32.99IU/mL. also thyroid microsomal antibody value showed 159.0+-79.9IU/mL and 23.633+-0.19IU/mL respectively. 3) Of 48 myasthenia gravis patients, 12 patients (24%) had high value of antithyroglobulin antibody or anti-microsomal antibody and 5 patients (10%) had both antibodies at the same times. In contrast, only 3 patients (8%) were observed with high value of either one of antibodies. Patient with both antibodies was not observed in normal control group. CONCLUSION: According to the datas we have obtained, appearence of the thyroid autoantibody is significantly greater in severe myasthenia gravis group than normal control group. Therefore it is suggested that the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disease is higher in severe myasthenia gravis group than mild myasthenia gravis group or normal control group.
Acetylcholine* ; Antibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neurology ; Prevalence* ; Sex Characteristics ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC), an undifferentiated carcinoma with intense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, is commonly reported in the nasopharynx and occasionally in other organs. Pure type of LELC has previously been reported in the gallbladder. Mixed type could be reportable in comparison with other organs. Here we present a case of an 83-year-old man with mixed LELC and adenocarcinoma in the gallbladder. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of mixed LELC and adenocarcinoma in the gallbladder.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Nasopharynx

No abstract available.
Myocardial Infarction*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients who underwent surgery followed by radiation therapy (RT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 106 DCIS patients who underwent surgery followed by postoperative RT between 1994 and 2006. Ninety-four patients underwent breast-conserving surgery, and mastectomy was performed in 12 patients due to extensive DCIS. Postoperative RT was delivered to whole breast with 50.4 Gy/28 fx. Tumor bed boost was offered to 7 patients (6.6%). Patients with hormonal receptor-positive tumors were treated with hormonal therapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 83.4 months (range, 33.4 to 191.5 months) and the median age was 47.8 years. Ten patients (9.4%) had resection margin <1 mm and high-grade and estrogen receptor-negative tumors were observed in 39 (36.8%) and 20 (18.9%) patients, respectively. The 7-year ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR)-free survival rate was 95.3%. Resection margin (<1 or > or =1 mm) was the significant prognostic factor for IBTR in univariate and multivariate analyses (p < 0.001 and p = 0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: Postoperative RT for DCIS can achieve favorable treatment outcome. Resection margin was the important prognostic factor for IBTR in the DCIS patients who underwent postoperative RT.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating* ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Multivariate Analysis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome*

A customized vestibular rehabilitation (VRT) is an important treatment modality in patients with vestibular dysfunction with gaze instability, motion-provoked vertigo, disequilibrium and gait disturbance. We discuss in this paper the patient selection criteria for VRT, rehabilitation strategies for vestibular deficits, and the factors that affect the outcome.
Gait ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Vertigo

Granulomatous(lobular) mastitis is a distinct disease entity of unknown etiology which is characterized by noncaseating granulomatous lobulocentric inflammation. We describe a rare case of granulomatous(lobular) mastitis of a 36 year-old pregnant woman a review of the literature. The mass which was discovered in the third month of her pregnancy, began as a localized, nontender mass on the left breast and persisted during her entire pregnancy. It decreased slightly in size when she began taking post-partum bromocriptine. Clinically and mammographically, the mass was highly suspected as a carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis. Fine needle aspiration smears revealed numerous aggregates of granulomas composed of epithelioid histiocytes admixed with multinucleated giant cells of Langhans' and foreign body type, and collections of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Ziehl-Neelsen, silver methenamine and PAS stain were negative for acid-fast bacilli, fungus, and bacilli on the smear respectively. Histologically, granulomatous inflammation was centered on the breast lobules. Caseation necrosis was absent, instead, numerous microabscesses were formed in the center of the granulomas. Cultures of the fresh tissue for the AFB, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungus were all negative. Excision of the mass was performed without further treatment and there was no recurrence of the mass 6 months postoperatively. An autoimmune mechanism, infection, and some association with oral contraceptives have been suggested as etiologic factors in the literature.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine* ; Spinal Cord Diseases*