No abstract available.
Dysgerminoma* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A moderate dose of statin/ezetimbe combination therapy reduced the LDL-C (low density lipoprotein-cholesterol) in a fashion comparable to high dose statin without increasing the adverse events in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Yet there is no data on the effectiveness and safety of statin/ezetimbe combination therapy in patients suffering with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We retrospectively compared the lipid profiles and clinical variables of 82 patients who were admitted to our institution with AMI. These patients were successfully treated with emergent coronary intervention within 12 hours after the chest pain onset and they were prescribed a single statin (statin group) or statin/ezetimibe combination therapy (dual inhibition group) for treating their hyperlipidemia within 72 hours after the admission. We compared the initial lipid profiles, the % reduction of total cholesterol (TC), the LDL-C at 1 and 6 months and the safety profiles between the two therapeutic groups. RESULTS: Although the initial TC and LDL-C levels were significantly higher in the dual inhibition group than the statin group, one month later, the % reduction of the TC was 27.9+/-13.1% and 17.0+/-15.0% (p=0.004) and the % reduction of the LDL-C was 38.5+/-12.5% and 25.1+/-18.9% (p=0.001) in each group, respectively. One patient in the dual inhibition group showed CPK elevation more than 3 times the upper normal limit and ALT elevation more than 2 times of upper normal limit was observed in one patient in the statin group. CONCLUSIONS: Cholesterol dual inhibition therapy is superior to single statin therapy for the aspect of cholesterol reduction and safety in successfully reperfused AMI patients.
Chest Pain ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hyperlipidemias ; Myocardial Infarction ; Retrospective Studies ; Stress, Psychological

To investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections in Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province, China, epidemiological surveys were conducted on a collaboration basis between the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Yanbian Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 8,396 (males 3,737 and females 4,659) stool samples were collected from 8 localities and examined with the formalin-ether sedimentation technique, and additionally examined with the cellotape anal swab to detect Enterobius vermicularis eggs. The overall rate of intestinal parasites was 1.57%. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides was the highest (0.80%), followed by Entamoeba spp. (0.23%), heterophyid flukes (0.15%), Clonorchis sinensis (0.08%), Enterobius vermicularis (0.07%), hookworms (0.06%), Trichostrongylus spp. (0.06%), Giardia lamblia (0.04%), Paragonimus spp. (0.02%), Diphyllobothrium spp. (0.02%), Trichuris trichiura (0.02%). The prevalence by sex was similar, 1.58% (n=59) in males and 1.57% (n=73) in females. By the present study, it is partly revealed that the prevalences of intestinal parasite infections are relatively low among the inhabitants of Yanbian Prefecture, Jilin Province, China.
Ancylostomatoidea ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; China* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Cooperative Behavior ; Diphyllobothrium ; Eggs ; Entamoeba ; Enterobius ; Female ; Giardia lamblia ; Humans ; Male ; Ovum ; Paragonimus ; Parasites* ; Prevalence ; Trematoda ; Trichostrongylus ; Trichuris

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is the common infectious disease in liver cirrhosis patients with a fever. Brucellosis is a rare cause of bacterial peritonitis. A case indigenous to a citizen of Jeju, he ate a raw veal of cow four times in last 2 months prior to admission. The gram-negative bacilli were isolated from blood and peritoneal fluid cultures. He was confirmed brucellosis by serologic work- ups. This isolate was confirmed as Brucella abortus by using PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and omp2. This is the first case of bruellosis that was diagnosed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in liver cirrhosis patient among native korean citizens. Successful treatment was obtained by using a regimen of doxycycline and gentamicin. Brucella should be suspected as a cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with no response to standard spontaneous bacterial peritonitis treatments.
Ascitic Fluid ; Brucella abortus* ; Brucella* ; Brucellosis ; Communicable Diseases ; Doxycycline ; Fever ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Peritonitis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is the common infectious disease in liver cirrhosis patients with a fever. Brucellosis is a rare cause of bacterial peritonitis. A case indigenous to a citizen of Jeju, he ate a raw veal of cow four times in last 2 months prior to admission. The gram-negative bacilli were isolated from blood and peritoneal fluid cultures. He was confirmed brucellosis by serologic work- ups. This isolate was confirmed as Brucella abortus by using PCR amplification of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and omp2. This is the first case of bruellosis that was diagnosed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in liver cirrhosis patient among native korean citizens. Successful treatment was obtained by using a regimen of doxycycline and gentamicin. Brucella should be suspected as a cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with no response to standard spontaneous bacterial peritonitis treatments.
Ascitic Fluid ; Brucella abortus* ; Brucella* ; Brucellosis ; Communicable Diseases ; Doxycycline ; Fever ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Peritonitis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

BACKGROUND: Generalized granuloma annulare (GGA) is a benign skin disorder of an unknown etiology. Though some cases of GGA have been reported, few systemic reviews of the clinical and pathological features of GGA have been performed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze and correlate the clinical and pathological characteristics of GGA in Korean patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that included 54 biopsy specimens of Korean GGA patients, and the clinical and pathological features of GGA were reviewed and analyzed for their correlation. RESULTS: The cutaneous lesions could be divided into the annular (24, 44%) and nonannular types (30, 56%), and the lesions were more common in males than in females (29 males and 25 females). The incidence of GGA showed a bimodal age distribution. The number of patients who presented within the first decade was 24 cases (44%), and 24 cases (44%) were over the fifth decade. Eight patients (15%) had systemic diseases. Especially, diabetes mellitus (DM) occurred only in the adult GGA patients over forty years old. The pathological findings showed dermal granulomatous lesions that consisted of either a palisading pattern (28, 52%) or an interstitial pattern (26, 48%). CONCLUSION: In contrast to the previously reported studies, the age of GGA onset showed a bimodal distribution, and GGA was observed more often in males. The prevalence of DM in the GGA affected individuals was higher than that found in the general Korean population. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a work-up for DM in the GGA affected patients who are over forty years old.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Granuloma ; Granuloma Annulare ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Generalized granuloma annulare (GGA) is a benign skin disorder of an unknown etiology. Though some cases of GGA have been reported, few systemic reviews of the clinical and pathological features of GGA have been performed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze and correlate the clinical and pathological characteristics of GGA in Korean patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study that included 54 biopsy specimens of Korean GGA patients, and the clinical and pathological features of GGA were reviewed and analyzed for their correlation. RESULTS: The cutaneous lesions could be divided into the annular (24, 44%) and nonannular types (30, 56%), and the lesions were more common in males than in females (29 males and 25 females). The incidence of GGA showed a bimodal age distribution. The number of patients who presented within the first decade was 24 cases (44%), and 24 cases (44%) were over the fifth decade. Eight patients (15%) had systemic diseases. Especially, diabetes mellitus (DM) occurred only in the adult GGA patients over forty years old. The pathological findings showed dermal granulomatous lesions that consisted of either a palisading pattern (28, 52%) or an interstitial pattern (26, 48%). CONCLUSION: In contrast to the previously reported studies, the age of GGA onset showed a bimodal distribution, and GGA was observed more often in males. The prevalence of DM in the GGA affected individuals was higher than that found in the general Korean population. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a work-up for DM in the GGA affected patients who are over forty years old.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Granuloma ; Granuloma Annulare ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

Clonorchis sinensis is currently the most important parasite affecting public health problems in the Republic of Korea. We investigated the prevalence of C. sinensis infection among residents living along 5 major rivers in Korea. A total of 42,562 individual stool samples were collected from 37 localities and examined using the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. Helminth eggs were detected in 4,052 (9.5%) residents and 3,586 (8.4%) were infected with C. sinensis. The egg positive rate of C. sinensis in Nakdong, Seomjin, Geum, Yeongsan, and Han River was 11.7%, 9.9%, 6.5%, 3.1%, and 1.0%, respectively. The overall prevalence of clonorchiasis by sex was 11.2% in males and 6.2% in females. The age-prevalence was the highest in the 50-59 years band. It has been reconfirmed that the endemicity of clonorchiasis is higher in southern areas of Korea, especially along Nakdong and Seomjin Rivers. A combination of continuous control programs with health education initiatives is urgently required in these highly endemic areas of clonorchiasis in Korea.
Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Eggs ; Female ; Geum ; Health Education ; Helminths ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Ovum ; Parasites ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Republic of Korea* ; Rivers*

To know the infection status of zoonotic trematode metacercariae in brackish water fish, we surveyed mullets collected from 18 coastal areas in the Republic of Korea. The metacercariae of Pygidiopsis summa were detected in 236 (68.2%) out of 346 mullets examined. They were found in mullets from 15 areas except for those from Boseong-gun (Jeollanam-do), Pohang-si, and Uljin-gun (Gyeongsangbuk-do). Especially in mullets from Taean-gun (Chungcheongnam-do) and Geoje-si (Gyeongsangnam-do), their prevalences were 100% and 95.5%, and the average metacercarial density was more than 1,000 per fish. They were also detected in mullets from 3 coastal lakes, Gyeongpoho, Songjiho, and Hwajinpoho, in Gangwon-do, and their average densities were 419, 147, and 672 per infected fish, respectively. The metacercariae of 5 other heterophyid species, including Heterophyes nocens, Heterophyopsis continua, Metagonimus sp., Stictodora fuscata, and Stictodora lari, were found in the mullets examined. The metacercariae of H. nocens were detected in 66.7, 100, 28.6, 81.6, 3.9, 61.5, and 27.3% of mullets from Muan-gun, Shinan-gun, Haenam-gun, Gangjin-gun, and Boseong-gun (Jeollanam-do), Hadong-gun, and Geoje-si (Gyeongsangnam-do), and their metacercarial intensities were 64, 84, 119, 99, 1, 24, and 24 per fish infected, respectively. From the above results, it has been confirmed that P. summa metacercariae are heavily infected in mullets from coastal areas of Korea. It is suggested that residents who frequently consume raw mullet dish can be easily infected with heterophyid flukes.
Gangwon-do ; Heterophyidae ; Korea ; Lakes ; Metacercariae ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea* ; Saline Waters ; Smegmamorpha* ; Trematoda

The prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae (CsMc) was examined in freshwater fish from the water systems of Seomjin-gang (River), the Republic of Korea. Total 1,604 fish from 7 local sites of Seomjin-gang were examined by artificial digestion methods. The metacercariae of C. sinensis were detected in 102 (39.8%) out of 256 fish (14 species) from the upper reaches of Seomjin-gang, i.e., Osucheon (22.3% in 6 fish species) in Imsil-gun, and Seomjin-gang (63.9% in 9 fish species) in Sunchang-gun, Jeollabuk-do. Their average density was 9.0 per infected fish. They were also found in 132 (48.0%) out of 275 fish (12 spp.) from the middle reaches of Seomjin-gang, i.e., Songdaecheon (58.9% in 4 fish species) in Namwon-si, Jeollabuk-do, and Seomjin-gang (45.2% in 10 fish species) in Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do. Their average density was 21.0 per infected fish. CsMc were detected in 77 (56.6%) out of 136 fish (11 species) from the lower reaches of Seomjin-gang, i.e., Seomjin-gang (73.3% in 11 fish species) in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, and Namsancheon (8.6% in 1 fish species) in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Their average density was 64.9 per infected fish. The metacercariae of Metorchis orientalis were also detected in 6 fish species from 4 sites of Seomjin-gang. Conclusively, it has been confirmed that CsMc are more or less prevalent in fish from some water systems of Seomjin-gang in Korea.
Clonorchis sinensis* ; Digestion ; Fresh Water ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Jeollabuk-do ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Metacercariae* ; Prevalence* ; Republic of Korea ; Water*