BACKGROUND: With increase of antibiotics use and invasive procedures, infections caused by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) are increasing. Recently, we experienced the outbreak of- nosocomial infections caused by MRAB resistant to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam in intensive care units (ICU) and general ward. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the infected patients and antibiotic susceptibility of the organisms. And surveillance cultures and IRS-PCR were performed to find out the transmission route. METHODS: We collected data from physical examination and clinical records. We performed surveillance cultures of environment, patients not infected with MRAB in ICU, and hands of health care workers. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and June 1997, 49 strains of MRAB were isolated from the 26 patients hospitalized in Kangnam St. Mary' s Hospital. The lower respiratory infection (13 cases) was the most common infection and sputum was the most common sources (47.1%). All strains of MRAB showed the same genotype. In disk diffusion test, all strains were resistant to piperacillin, gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipencm, ciprofloxacin. From the surveillance cultures, the genotypically identical strains were isolated from ventilator Y-piece, the floor of ICU, and hands of health care workers. It suggested that this strain was transmitted through ventilatory device or hands of health care workers. We instructed all the health care workers to wash hands, to disinfect hospital environment completely. Since July 1997, no further case has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Since A. baumannii could be transmitted through ventilatory devices and the hands of health care workers, it is important to wash hands and to disinfect hospital environment completely.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aztreonam ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Imipenem* ; Critical Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Piperacillin ; Sputum ; Ventilators, Mechanical

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

Dengue fever is an important health problem for international travelers to all endemic areas. The steadily increasing numbers of tourists visiting endemic areas raise the risk of exposure, and imported dengue cases are increasingly observed in nonendemic area. Dengue has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, often with unpredictable clinical evolution and outcome. While most patients recover following a self-limiting, non-severe clinical course, a small proportion progress to severe disease such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. Therefore, it is important to suspect dengue fever in every febrile patient returning from the tropics. Whenever it is suspected, a quick diagnosis and adequate managements are essential to avoid complications. We report two cases of imported dengue fever in Korean children presenting with fever, headache, nausea, and rash.
Child ; Dengue ; Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Korea ; Nausea ; Philippines

Absent terminal phalanges are often associated with corresponding omission of the associated nail. Lack of phalanges may arise in isolation or may be associated with other skeletal or dental abnormalities. We report two cases of corn associated with congenital aphalangia and anonychia in a 3-year-old child and a 22-year-old woman.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Zea mays*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether polymorphisms of gene encoding CYP1B1 is associated with the risk of endometriosis in Korean women. METHODS: We investigated 199 patients with histopathologically confirmed endometriosis rAFS stage III/IV and 183 control group women who were surgically proven to have no endometriosis. The genetic distribution of four different CYP1B1 polymorphisms at G119-T, G432-C, T449-C, and A453-G were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR products. RESULTS: We found no overall association between each individual CYP1B1 genotype and the risk of endometriosis. The odds ratio of genotype GG/GC+GG/TC+TT/AA compared to GG/CC/CC/AA (reference) was calculated as 2.06 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.003~4.216. CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that CYP1B1 genetic polymorphism may be associated with development of endometriosis in Korean women.
Endometriosis* ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

Supernumerary nipple is a rare developmental anomaly occuring along the course of the embryological mammary lines, usually over the anterior aspect of the chest, axilla, and abdominal wall. We, herein, report a case of supernumerary nipple of the most common type in a 30-year-old woman, which has accessory nipples without aberrant gland tissue.
Abdominal Wall ; Adult ; Axilla ; Female ; Humans ; Nipples* ; Thorax

Pyogenic sacroiliits is a rare disease and the diagnosis is difficult because of unawareness of the disease and nonspecific symptoms and signs mimicking septic hip, iliopsoas muscle abscess and herniation of intervertebral disk. There are some predisposing factors related to the disease like trauma, pregnancy, intravenous drug abuse and infection of other systems such as skin, genitourinary system and heart. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative bacteria. Here we describe a case of 27-year-old woman presented with acute onset of back and left buttock pain. Bone scintigraphy revealed increased uptake at left sacroiliac joint and computed tomography of the pelvis showed left sacroiliitis with left iliacus and iliopsoas abscess. There was no history of usual predisposing conditions. S. aureus was grown from blood cultures and the patient improved with 2 weeks of intravenous cefazolin followed by 4 weeks of oral clindamycin treatment.
Abscess ; Adult ; Bacteria ; Buttocks ; Causality ; Cefazolin ; Clindamycin ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Heart ; Hip ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Psoas Abscess ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Rare Diseases ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Sacroiliitis* ; Skin ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous ; Urogenital System

Pyogenic sacroiliits is a rare disease and the diagnosis is difficult because of unawareness of the disease and nonspecific symptoms and signs mimicking septic hip, iliopsoas muscle abscess and herniation of intervertebral disk. There are some predisposing factors related to the disease like trauma, pregnancy, intravenous drug abuse and infection of other systems such as skin, genitourinary system and heart. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common causative bacteria. Here we describe a case of 27-year-old woman presented with acute onset of back and left buttock pain. Bone scintigraphy revealed increased uptake at left sacroiliac joint and computed tomography of the pelvis showed left sacroiliitis with left iliacus and iliopsoas abscess. There was no history of usual predisposing conditions. S. aureus was grown from blood cultures and the patient improved with 2 weeks of intravenous cefazolin followed by 4 weeks of oral clindamycin treatment.
Abscess ; Adult ; Bacteria ; Buttocks ; Causality ; Cefazolin ; Clindamycin ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Heart ; Hip ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Pelvis ; Pregnancy ; Psoas Abscess ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Rare Diseases ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Sacroiliitis* ; Skin ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous ; Urogenital System

Bladder leiomyoma is a very rare tumor, and only 0.43% of bladder tumors are of this type. Bladder leiomyoma may cause various symptoms depending on its anatomical location and size. The most common voiding symptoms manifested by leiomyoma are the obstructive symptoms. We report a case of a 42 year old woman who had voiding symptoms for 3 years while visiting the outpatient department of genito-urology due to acute urinary retention. We performed ultrasonography, computed tomography, MRI and transurethral resection, and from these test, the pathologic diagnosis revealed a leiomyoma of bladder.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck* ; Outpatients ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Retention*

No Abstract available.
Infection Control*