BACKGROUND: Regular blood donation can lead to iron deficiency. Serum ferritin is sensitive indicator of body iron depletion. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum ferritin reagents using the turbidimetric immunoassay (TIA) and to establish a reference range in first time blood donors in Korea. METHODS: The study was prospectively conducted, between Feb. 2011 and Apr. 2011, on 120 male and 120 female blood donors at five blood centers. Serum ferritin was determined by TIA using two brands of reagents (Beckman Coulter Inc., USA; HBi, South Korea) and two automated chemistry analyzers (AU640, Beckman Coulter Inc.; Hitachi7180, Hitachi High-Technologies Corp., Japan). Precision, linearity, limit of detection, analytical measurement range and correlation with chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) were evaluated. A reference range for serum ferritin in first time donors was established. RESULTS: The coefficients of variation of precision were less than 4%. Linearity was observed up to 312.7~450 microg/L depending on which reagent used. Both reagents had good correlation with CLIA results. Serum ferritin levels for first time donors showed left skewed distribution. The reference ranges for males and females were 34.1~385.9 microg/L and 6.8~121 microg/L using Beckman Coulter (AU) reagent, and 18.7~271.3 microg/L and 4~83.7 microg/L using HBi (AU) reagent, and 15.2~274.7 microg/L and 6~84 microg/L using HBi (Hitachi) reagent. CONCLUSION: A reference range for serum ferritin in first time donors in Korea was established using automated chemistry analyzers with inexpensive TIA reagents.
Blood Donors ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Indicators and Reagents ; Iron ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Reference Values ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of a double checking method with an extramedullary guide for improving the accuracy of an intramedullary alignment guide in a total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1999 to October 2002. 30 cases of a double checked total knee arthroplasty with an extramedullary guide were classified as Group I, and an other 30 cases of a total knee arthroplasty with an intramedullary guide were classified as Group II. The extramedullary guide was a set 3-finger width medial to the anterior superior iliac spine as a landmark, and was checked by the X-ray findings during surgery. The radiological assessment was carried out by comparing the preoperative and postoperative standing AP view. RESULTS: The postoperative femorotibial angle in Group I was valgus 5.9degrees (5-9degrees) and valgus 7.7degrees (4-11degrees) in Group II. The normal anatomical variation (valgus 6+/-2degrees) was outranged in 1 case (3%) in group I, and 6 cases (20%) in group II. CONCLUSION: Determining the angle of a distal femoral resection only with an intramedullary guide can cause a misalignment by many factors. The double check method with an extramedullary guide can improve the alignment accuracy, and show better results.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee* ; Spine

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is rare but life-threatening severe cutaneous adverse reaction, which is mostly induced by drugs. It characterized by widespread epidermal necrosis, resulting in bullae with sloughing and frequent involvement of the mucous membrane. Due to high mortality, management of patients requires prompt withdrawal of the causative drug, appropriate supportive care, and consideration of immune-modulating agents, such as intravenous immunoglobulin or corticosteroids. Wilson disease is an inherited disorder of copper transport that results in excessive accumulation of copper in the body. Copper chelation with penicillamine is an effective first line therapy in most patients. We present a 20-year-old man with Wilson disease who developed TEN following administration of penicillamine. He was successfully treated with systemic corticosteroid, intravenous immunoglobulin, and supportive management.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Copper ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Mortality ; Mucous Membrane ; Necrosis ; Penicillamine ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome* ; Young Adult

Especially in design of automobile, there are many professional softwares based finite element or multi-body like Madymo, Pam-Crash, Ansys. These program have been released almost every car maker and university. Also in accident reconstruction fields, there are some softwares like PC-Crash, HVE was developed. Unfortunately these programs for accident reconstruction are so general and its input data are so limited, it is very difficult or even impossible to analyze some special cases. In this study, we reconstruct two crime scenes using Madymo program. Although this program was developed for design of car, we apply to crime scene reconstruction. First case is regarding traffic accident. A car was fell under 5m from the road and turn over and then move about 40m. Finally the driver eject from the car. Second case is regarding suicide by hanging. When the police investigate the crime scene at first time, they assume that this crime is a murder case but we carried out autopsy and investigated the crime scene again and analyzed by computer simulation and finally find out this crime is suicide case not murder.
Accidents, Traffic ; Automobiles ; Autopsy ; Computer Simulation* ; Crime* ; Homicide ; Humans ; Police ; Suicide

PURPOSE: This study was performed to retrospectively correlate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and peak standardized uptake value (pSUV) with prognostic factors and MRI findings for breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety four breast cancers in 82 women were included in this study. Our patients underwent presurgical MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT, and immunohistological staining of the surgical or biopsy specimens. We evaluated relationships between mean ADCs and pSUVs with a variety of prognostic factors (age, tumor size, histologic grade of tumor, hormone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression status, and nodal metastasis) and MRI findings (shape, margin and internal enhancement of mass, T2-signal intensity, and kinetics), using statistical methods. RESULTS: Both mean ADCs and pSUVs were significantly associated with histologic grade (p = 0.000 and p = 0.001) and nodal metastasis (p = 0.013 and p = 0.001). pSUVs were significantly associated with tumor size and estrogen receptor status, as well as irregular shape and rim enhancement pattern on MRI findings. On multivariate analysis, mean ADCs were significantly associated with invasiveness, estrogen receptor status and HER-2 expression status. PSUVs were only significantly associated with tumor size. CONCLUSION Mean pSUVs on PET-CT and ADCs on DWI helped predict prognosis of breast cancer.

Tinea incognito (TI) is a dermatophytic infection which has lost its typical clinical appearance because of improper use of steroids or calcineurin inhibitors. The incidence of TI is increasing nowadays. We conducted retrospective review on 283 patients with TI from 25 dermatology training hospitals in Korea from 2002-2010 to investigate the demographical, clinical, and mycological characteristics of TI, and to determine the associated risk factors. More than half (59.3%) patients were previously treated by non-dermatologists or self-treated. The mean duration of TI was 15.0 +/- 25.3 months. The most common clinical manifestations were eczema-like lesion, psoriasis-like, and lupus erythematosus-like lesion. The trunk and face were frequently involved, and 91 patients (32.2%) also had coexisting fungal infections. Among 67 isolated strains, Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently detected (73.1%). This is the largest study of TI reported to date and the first investigational report concerning TI in Korea. We suggest that doctors should consider TI when a patient has intractable eczema-like lesions accompanied by tinea pedis/unguium. Furthermore, there should be a policy change, which would make over-the-counter high-potency topical steroids less accessible in some countries, including Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Demography ; Eczema/pathology ; Face/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psoriasis/pathology ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Tinea/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Trichophyton/isolation & purification ; Young Adult