Both idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary involvement of collagen vascular disease(CVD) are well known cause of diffuse interstitial lung disease which lead to fibrosis and honeycombing. We analyzed HRCT findings of 33 patients with IPF and 14 patients with CVD in terms of predominant pattern, site of involvement, mediastinal lymph node enlargement, pleural change and pulmonary volume loss. Criteria of mediastinal lymph node enlargement and pleural thickening were 15mm in long diameter and 3mm, respectively. Volume loss of the lung was measured by using hilar height ratio (apex to hilum/hilum to diaphragmatic dome). Mean age was 61 years for IPF and 46 years for CVD and male: female ratio was 27:6, 4:10, respectively. Predominant HRCT pattern was honeycombing for IPF (63%), and ground-glass opacity for CVD (66%) (p=0.001). Predominantly, subpleural involvement was seen in 90% for IPF and 74% for CVD. Mediastinal lymph node enlargement was seen in 47% of the patient with IPF and 14% with CVD (p=0.004). pleural thickening was seen in 97% of the patients with IPF and 42% with CVD (P=0.002), Pleural effusion was seen in 10% of the patients with IPF and 36% with CVD (P=0.009). Hilar height ratio of more than 1.5 was seen in 84% of the patients with IPF and 29% with CVD. In conclusion, our study shows that patients with IPF are prone to have more progressed stage of pulmonary fibrosis than the patients with CVD on HRCT.
Collagen* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Pleural Effusion ; Pulmonary Fibrosis

It has been well known that dilated cardiomyopathy (D-CMP) has characterized by systolic dysfunction of left ventricle (LV). But there are few studies about LV diastolic and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in D-CMP. The purpose of this study is to assess the LV and RV systolic function as well as diastolic function in D-CMP. The purpose of this tudy is to assess the LV and RV systolic function as well as diastolic function in D-CMP. The gated blood pool scan (GBPS) was undertaken in 14 patients with D-CMP and 14 normal controls. The results are as follows : 1) Compared to normal controls, the global and regional ejection fraction of LV were significantly reduced (P<0.001) in D-CMP. But, there was no significant difference in LV ejection time between the two groups. 2) Peak filling rate and peak filling time were significantly reduced (P<0.001, P<0.05) in D-CMP 3) Global ejection fraction of RV was also significantly reduced in D-CMP compared to normal controls (P<0.001) But there was no significant difference in ejection rate of right ventricle between the two groups. 4) There was close correlation (R=0.802) between ejection fraction and filling rate of LV : filling rate was also reduced as ejection fraction decreased. And LV filling rate was also reduced with reduction of ejection rate. It is concluded that D-CMP shows diastolic impairment as well as systolic pumping failure and this systolic dysfunction is accounted for the diastolic impairment in D-CMP. And D-CMP shows also right ventricular dysfunction in almost all cases, as well as left ventricular dysfunction.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right

We analyzed the peripheral blood of patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer at different stages to assess the presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which we used as an indicator for micrometastatic malignant cells. A total of 35 gastric, 24 colorectal, 4 esophageal and 4 biliary tract cancer patients and nine normal healthy subjects were studied. No CEA mRNA was detected in the nine normal healthy volunteers. CEA mRNA was detected in 100% (10/10) of metastatic, 33.3% (3/9) of early gastric cancer (EGC), and 18.8% (3/16) resectable gastric cancer patients, respectively. In colorectal cancer, 55.6% (5/9) of metastatic cancers were positive for CEA mRNA, and 26.7% (4/15) Duke stage B/C showed positive. One patient with stage III gastric cancer who was negative CEA mRNA initially and turned positive during follow-up, developed multiple bone metastasis one month later. Another stage III patient, who was positive for CEA mRNA, preoperatively revealed early relapse in two months. These results suggest that the identification of circulating tumor cells using RT-PCR for the detection of CEA mRNA is feasible and this analysis may be a promising tool for early detection of micrometastatic circulating malignant cells in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen/blood* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology ; Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/blood ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasm Circulating Cells* ; Neoplasm Metastasis/diagnosis ; RNA, Messenger/blood ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology ; Tumor Markers, Biological/blood*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to survey the health behaviors related to reproductive health, reproductive health history, and sexual behaviors of college students in local areas. METHOD: With a survey design, 792 college students from C and D areas were recruited to assess health behaviors such as smoking and alcohol drinking, as well as history of reproductive health and sexual behaviors. The data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire from November to December, 2007. RESULT: Mean age of the students was 20.8(SD=1.96) and gender distribution was 29.2% for male and 70.8% for female. Unhealthy behaviors were alcohol drinking, smoking, excessive weight loss, and irregular exercise; unsafe sex practices were experience of sexual intercourse with multiple sex partners and history of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Male students had more alcohol drinking (p=.04), smoking(p<.001), excessive weight loss(p=.01), experience of sexual intercourse with multiple sex partners(p<.001), history of STD(p=.025) compared to females. On the other hands, female students participated in regular exercise less than males(p<.001). CONCLUSION: College students seem to perform unhealthy behaviors related to reproductive health and less effective way of safe sex practices. Therefore, a planned education program for reproductive health promotion operated by college level is needed to assess and improve the level of reproductive health in college students.
Alcohol Drinking ; Coitus ; Female ; Hand ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health ; Safe Sex ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Unsafe Sex ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors associated with enrollment and participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in Korea. METHODS: Patients admitted to four university hospitals with acute coronary syndrome between June 2014 and May 2016 were enrolled. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale (CRBS) made of 21-item questionnaire and divided in four subdomains was administered during admission. CRBS items used a 5-point Likert scale and ≥2.5 was considered as a barrier. Differences between CR non-attender and CR attender, or CR non-enroller and CR enroller in subscale and each items of CRBS were examined using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The CR participation rate in four hospitals was 31% (170 of the 552). Logistical factors (odds ratio [OR]=7.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.62–12.55) and comorbidities/functional status (OR=6.60; 95% CI, 3.95–11.01) were identified as a barrier to CR enrollment in the subdomain analysis. Among patients who were enrolled (agreed to participate in CR during admission), only work/time conflict was a significant barrier to CR participation (OR=2.17; 95% CI, 1.29–3.66). CONCLUSION: Diverse barriers to CR participation were identified in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Providing the tailored model for CR according to the individual patient's barrier could improve the CR utilization. Further multicenter study with large sample size including other CR indication is required.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Exercise Therapy ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Patient Participation ; Rehabilitation ; Sample Size ; Secondary Prevention

The second affiliation of the author, Sora Baek, was not added in the article.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplantion recipients. Enhanced cardiac load by the persistence of functioning AVF in posttransplant period is associated with LV hypertrophy and may adversely influence cardiac outcome. METHODS: To investigate the impact of AVF on LV mass and function in kidney transplant recipients, 46 patients with functioning AVF were randomly assigned to surgical closure of AVF (fistular closing group, FC, n=23) or maintenance of fistula (fistular maintenance group, FM, n=23). Serum creatinine of all participants was stable(1.4+/-0.3). Mean age was 46+/-11. Mean posttransplant month was 78+/-53 (12-161). Echocardiography and determination of N-terminal pro-BNP, cTnT and CRP were done at 0, 1 and 6 months in group 1 (FC), and at 0 and 6 months in group 2 (FM). RESULTS: Baseline echocardiographic indices of systolic and diastolic LV function such as EF, E/A, E/E' and Tei index were not significantly different between groups. In patients whose AVF was surgically closed, LV mass (247.7+/-76.8 to 235.2+/-66.5, p=0.015) and LV mass index (144.0+/-10.1 to 137.1+/-8.6, p=0.02) significantly reduced at one month after closure, and no further significant change was observed at 6 months. In two groups no significant change in LV systolic and diastolic performance indices were observed. BNP, cTnT and CRP did not differ between groups in baseline value and did not change after closure. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the persistence of functioning AVF in kidney transplantation recipients is associated with LVH, and which can be reduced by closure of fistula. As LVH is one of major determinants of cardiovascular outcome in transplant patients as well as in general population, it would be prudent to close the fistula in patients with stable graft function.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Creatinine ; Echocardiography ; Fistula ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Kidney* ; Mortality ; Transplantation ; Transplants

Cancer is a major risk factor for pulmonary thromboembolism. Occasionally, the thromboembolic event occurs before the diagnosis of cancer. We report a rare case of massive pulmonary thromboembolism with multiple myeloma diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography.
Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Multiple Myeloma* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Risk Factors

The myocardial bridge of the coronary arteries is observed by coronary angiography at a rate of <5 % and ordinarily does not constitute a hazard. Occasionally, the compression of a coronary artery by a myocardial bridge can be associated with the clinical manifestations of myocardial ischemia during strenuous physical activity and might even result in a myocardial infarction or initiate malignant ventricular arrhythmias. A few cases of percutaneous coronary intervention for a myocardial bridge have been reported. However, there are few reports of the changes in the 2-dimensional strain in the myocardial bridge. We encountered a case of a myocardial bridge in a 48-year-old male patient who had refractory angina despite continuous medication with a beta-blocker and calcium channel blocker. The 2-dimensional strain of the patient changed after percutaneous coronary intervention with stents. We report the first case in Korea with a review of the relevant literature.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Calcium Channels ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Motor Activity ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention* ; Stents

Metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma occurs at a relatively late stage of the disease. Hematogenous and lymphatic metastases are the most common routes for dissemination of tumor cells. Hepatocellular carcinoma also extends into the adjacent portal vein and bile ducts. Since there is no peritoneum between the body of the gallbladder and the liver fossa, gallbladder cancer can easily cross the boundary. Gallbladder invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma, however, is quite rare. We report a case of hepatocellular- cholangiocarcinoma in a non-cirrhotic liver that invaded the gallbladder mimicking the gallbladder carcinoma complicated by cholecystitis and liver abscess.
Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/*pathology ; *Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology/*secondary ; Cholangiocarcinoma/pathology/*secondary ; English Abstract ; Female ; Gallbladder Neoplasms/diagnosis/*secondary ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness