PURPOSE: This study was performed to examine the serial alteration of the optic nerve in chronic ischemia-induced brain injury of albino rat, which might be an experimental model of ischemia-induced optic nerve disease and vasogenic glaucoma in human. METHODS: We ligated bilateral common carotid arteries so that the brain and optic nerve had permanent ischemic injuries. Serial alteration of the optic nerve was studied on postoperative 1 day, 3 day, 5 day, 1 week, 2 week, 4 week and 9 week. After fixing the brain by perfusing formaline through the left ventiricle, we dissected the brain and optic nerve and then made specimen for Hematoxilin-Eosin (HE) stain to observe the histopathology of the optic nerve. Kluiver-Barrera (KB) stain was performed to qualify the myelin injury and optic nerve injury status. RESULTS: The HE stain specimen showed increased spaces in the nerve fiber layer and increased number of vacuoles three days after the operation. The optic neve injury became augmented with time. The KB stain showed better-defined configuration of HE stain. CONCLUSIONS: We were able to notice that optic nerve injury was induced by the bilateral common carotid ligation in this chronic ischemic experimental model, which might be an help to the studies of ischemic optic nerve disease, neurodefensive mechanism, and the hemodynamic mechanism of glaucoma in human.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Formaldehyde ; Glaucoma ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Ligation ; Models, Theoretical* ; Myelin Sheath ; Nerve Fibers ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; Optic Nerve* ; Rats* ; Vacuoles

Sparganosis is caused by tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra, which commonly invades the subcutaneous tissue, and less frequently invades the abdominal wall, intestine, muscle, thorax, breast, eye, brain, spinal cord etc. We experienced a rare case of living sparganosis, which was found in the flexor muscle of the distal forearm. Ultrasonography was helpful in the diagnosis of sparganosis
Abdominal Wall ; Brain ; Breast ; Cestoda ; Diagnosis ; Forearm* ; Intestines ; Larva ; Sparganosis* ; Spinal Cord ; Spirometra ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography

The Health Interview Survey in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is a major source for planning and evaluating the national health promotion policy. The aim of the study is to find the areas for improvement of the current Health Interview Survey in light of its stated purpose and to propose possible means for the improvement. In terms of the survey content, there were several areas that needed improvement: the lack of comparability across the waves, the limit of the number of questions due to the Nutrition Survey and the Examination Survey, non-availability of seasonal statistics, and the dearth of evidence on socioeconomic position variables. To make improvements in the survey content, there is a need to clarify the purpose of the HIS in the KNANES. Second, more items need to be developed to produce the indicators of the Health Plan 2010. Third, core questions and elective questions should be defined. Fourth, multi-level socioeconomic position indicators need to be developed. In terms of the survey methods, the difficulty of managing interviewers and the inefficiency of data input and processing were found to be the areas for improvement. Possible solutions include a survey through the year and the introduction of the CAPI system. In addition, we suggest that a two-year survey period to better synchronize with the local health interview surveys which should be the major data source for the community health promotion plan.
Information Storage and Retrieval ; Health Promotion ; Health Surveys ; Nutrition Surveys ; Seasons

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of intracranial hemorrhage in children with skull fractures from head trauma. Methods: The retrospective study included 205 patients diagnosed with a skull fracture in a pediatric emergency room. Data were analyzed using χ 2 -test, Fisher’s exact test, t-test, and logistic regression analysis with the SPSS/WIN24.0 program. Results: Intracranial hemorrhage was diagnosed in 71 patients. There were statistically significant differences between the hemorrhagic group and non-hemorrhagic group in age group, places of accident, type of accident, location of the fracture, and symptoms. Intracranial hemorrhage by age group was higher in school-age and adolescence than in infancy. The places of accidents of hemorrhage were higher in street and school than in the home. The types of an accident of bleeding were higher in the case of knock and traffic accident than in fall. Symptoms of nausea, headache, and loss of consciousness were associated with higher intracranial hemorrhage.Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that knock (OR= 3.29, 95% CI= 1.50-7.22), traffic accident (OR= 4.78, 95% CI= 1.31-17.43), nausea (OR= 4.18, 95% CI= 1.42-12.31), and loss of consciousness (OR= 3.29, 95% CI= 1.41-9.50) were risk factors for intracranial hemorrhage. Conclusion In this study, the risk factors of intracranial hemorrhage were identified in pediatric patients with skull fractures caused by head trauma. It is recommended that the results of this study be used to manage and educate patients, caregivers, and medical staff after head trauma hemorrhage.

This case report describes a patient with semipedunclated granuylar cell tumor(granular cell myoblastoma) of the proximal ascending colon removed by endoscopic polypectomy. A 39-year old femalie was visited to our hospital for intermittent abdominal pain and loose stool. Colonoscopic examination showed a semipedunclated lesion covered with yellowish white smooth mucosa in the proximal ascending colon. The tumor was removed by endoscopic polypectomy. The collected specimen was 0.9x0.8 cm in size. The cut surface of the specimen showed a white round firm tumor covered with mormal epithelium of the colon. Using immunohistochemical study, the tumor cells were to be positively stained by S-100 protein and negatively stained by desmin, which supports the concept of the Schwann cell origin of granular cell tumor. In Korea, 2 cases of granular cell tumor of the colon and rectum, which were treated by surgical removal, have been reported. This case in the first endoscopic polypectomy of granular cell tumor of the colon and retum in Korea. The endoscopic polypectomy is thought to be useful for the therapy of small pedunclated or semipedunclated granular cell tumor, intracolonic type.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending* ; Desmin ; Epithelium ; Granular Cell Tumor* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; S100 Proteins

OBJECTIVES: While the Korean government’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is considered effective given the relatively low mortality rate, issues of inequality have been insufficiently addressed. This study explored COVID-19-related health inequalities in Korea. METHODS: Age standardization for various health inequality indices was derived using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the Microdata Integrated Service of Statistics Korea. The slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated for socioeconomic variables, while absolute difference (AD) and relative difference (RD) were used for gender and disability inequalities. RESULTS: We observed a number of COVID-19-related health outcome inequalities. Gender inequality was particularly noticeable in infection rates, with the rate of women 1.16 times higher than that of men. In contrast, socioeconomic inequality was evident in vaccination rates, with a 4.5-fold (SII, -4.519; 95% confidence interval, -7.403 to -1.634) difference between the highest and lowest household income groups. Regarding clinical progression post-infection, consistent findings indicated higher risk for men (RD for hospitalization, 0.90; severe cases, 0.54; and fatality, 0.65), individuals with disabilities (RD for hospitalization, 2.27; severe cases, 2.29; and fatality, 2.37), and those from lower socioeconomic groups (SII for hospitalization, 1.778; severe cases, 0.089; and fatality, 0.451). CONCLUSIONS While the infection risk was nearly ubiquitous, not everyone faced the same level of risk post-infection. To prevent further health inequalities, it is crucial to develop a thoughtful policy acknowledging individual health conditions and resources.

Sinoscopy as an endoscopic investigative method of examining the maxillary sinus offers the advantage of a direct local interpretation in contrast to the usual indirect methods. The beginning of sinoscopy dates back to Hirschmann (1903) and Spielberg (1922). During the last 20 years, this method has been reintroduced and refined. In spite of a large number of articles about sinoscopy from Europe, there have been no articles about sinoscopy from Korea. In the present study, 182 maxillary sinuses were examined by sinoscopy and PNS Xpray for diagnostic reasons. The failure rate in sinoscopy was 3.8% and the rate of incomplete sinoscopy was inferior to X-ray. The detection rate of antral secretion by sinoscopy was higher than by Xpray. In the bacteriological study of antral secretions the percentage of no-growth specimens was 75.7%. In all approximately ten strains of bacteria were isolated from the secretions. Among them, streptococcus was the most common organism found. Therapeutic sinoscopy was performed in 16 patients who suffered from subacute or chronic maxillary sinusitis. In 8 of these patients, local treatment during therapeutic sinoscopy improved the mucosal appearance.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Comparative Study ; Endoscopy* ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus*/radiography ; Maxillary Sinus*/secretion ; Middle Age ; Sinusitis/diagnosis* ; Sinusitis/radiography ; Sinusitis/therapy

Several growth factors and polypeptides are not commonly yet used for regenerators of bone tissue or alveolar bone because of the insufficiency of studies on their side effects, genetic engineering for mass production and stability for clinical application. Recently, many herbal medicines, which have advantage of less side effects and possibility of long-term use, have been studied for their capacity and effects of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative potential of periodontal tissues. Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have been traditionally used as medicines for treatment of bone disease in Eastern medicine. The objective of the present study is to examine the ability of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB1) when several natural medicines were supplemented. hFOB1 were cultured with Dulbecuo's Modified Eagle's Medium Nutrient Mixture F-12 HAM ( DMEM/F-12 1:1 Mixture, Sigma, USA) and negative control, dexamethasone (positive control), and each natural medicines for 3 days. And then ALP activity was measured by spectrophotometer for enzyme activity and Alizarin red S staining for morphometry. Among the natural medicines of this study, Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba induced higher activity of ALP synthesis than negative controls in all experimental group. Albizziae Cortex showed mild increases than negative control group. According to measurement of positively stained area, all of the natural medicines of this study increased compared to negative control. Especially, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba showed statistical significance compared to negative control (p<0.05). These results indicate that Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have an inducing ability of ALP synthesis on osteoblast.
Albizzia ; Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Diseases ; Dexamethasone ; Genetic Engineering ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Morinda ; Osteoblasts* ; Peptides

Plasmodium vivax malaria re-emerged in South Korea in 1993, and epidemics continue since then. We examined genetic variation in the region encompassing the apical membrane antigen-1 (PvAMA-1) of the parasites by DNA sequencing of the 22 re-emerging P. vivax isolates. The genotype of the PvAMA-1, which was based on sequence data previously reported for the polymorphic regions, showed that two haplotypes were present at one polymorphic site. Compared with reported data, the two types, SKOR type I and type II, were similar to Chinese CH-10A and CH-05A isolates, respectively. Thus, the present study showed that two genotypes of AMA-1 genes coexist in the re-emerging Korean P. vivax.
Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; *Antigens, Protozoan ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Female ; Genotype ; Human ; Korea ; Malaria, Vivax/*genetics ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/chemistry/*genetics ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism (Genetics) ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/*genetics ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to understand what peri-menopausal women know in order to enhance perimenopausal management. METHODS: Data collection was performed in December 2010. A total of 211 peri-menopausal women in Seoul and City S, Gyeonggido were surveyed using a convenience sample. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: We found that 86% of peri-menopausal women had not received any health education on menopause and 92% of perimenopausal women wanted more education about menopause. Women who acquired relevant information from a hospital (or medical staff) had high levels of knowledge and care of their menopause. Also, it was found that there was a high correlation between postmenopausal women's knowledge and menopause management (r = 0.75, P = 0.01). A regression model of the factors that affect menopausal management consisted of menopausal knowledge, menopausal status and menopausal education, with these factors explaining 20.5% of variance. CONCLUSION: Systematic efforts and education are necessary to empower menopausal women in the management of their menopause.
Data Collection ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged