PURPOSE: To establish signal intensity characteristics of the trachea according to the histologic layers, we performed in vivo and in vitro MR studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed MR imaging of the trachea at 1.5T unit in 11 patients mediastinal masses, vascular anomalies, tracheal stenosis or iatrogenic tracheoesophageal fistula, aryepiglottic fold thickening or mass, tracheal carcinoid, one healthy volunteer and one cadaveric trachea. By using anterior, volume neck or 3 inch dual coil with various pulse sequences, axial and coronal images of the trachea were obtained. The tracheal layers with different signal intensity on MR images were correlated with the histology. RESULTS: In vivo and in vitro MR studies revealed two layers of the trachea ;the inner layer had intermediate to high signal and the outer had low signal. The tracheal cartilage showed low signal intensity in all pulse sequences. The submucosa appeared as intermediate signal intensity on T1 weighted images but high signal intersity on other images due to its abundant mucous and mucoserous glands. However, the mucosa and perichondrium could not be defined on MR images. CONCLUSION: Characterization of the signal intensity according to the histologic layers of the trachea might be helpful for the evaluation of intrinsic lesions of the irachea or the possibility of tracheal invasion from the adjacent tumors.
Cadaver ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Cartilage ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mucous Membrane ; Neck ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula

PURPOSE: This study was to ascertain whether there are differences in health care utilization and expenditure for Type I Medical Aid Beneficiaries before and after applying Copayment. METHODS: This study was one-group pretest posttest design study using secondary data analysis. Data for pretest group were collected from claims data of the Korea National Health Insurance Corporation and data for posttest group were collected through door to-door interviews using a structured questionnaire. A total of 1,364 subjects were sampled systematically from medical aid beneficiaries who had applied for copayment during the period from December 12, 2007 to September 25, 2008. RESULTS: There was no negative effect of copayment on accessibility to medical services, medication adherence (p=.94), and quality of life (p=.25). Some of the subjects' health behaviors even increased preferably after applying for copayment including flu prevention (p<.001), health care examination (p=.035), and cancer screening (p=.002). However, significant suppressive effects of copayment were found on outpatient hospital visiting days (p<.001) and outpatient medical expenditure (p<.001). CONCLUSION: Copayment does not seem to be a great influencing factor on beneficiaries'accessibility to medical services and their health behavior even though it has suppressive effects on outpatients' use of health care.
Cost Sharing ; Delivery of Health Care ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Health Behavior ; Health Care Costs ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Korea ; Medicaid ; Medication Adherence ; National Health Programs ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to compare recipients' health behavior, attitude to using medicaid, medication compliance, and the changes in hospital cost and visit-day of in-patient and out-patient care between tele-care regions (TCR) and general care regions (GCR) in Korean medicaid. METHOD: The design of the study was ex-post facto comparing recipients in TCR and GCR. The sample included 625 persons in TCR and 410 persons in GCR. To collect materials, the case manager interviewed recipients of medicaid and filled out questionnaires which were analyzed through SAS/PC 9.1. RESULTS: In studying health behavior and medication, compliance was not significant. However, the attitude to using medicaid was significantly more positive in TCR than in GCR. In out-patients, the change of hospital visit-day was not significant between TCR and GCR, but TCR showed a reduction in hospital cost compared to GCR. For in-patient recipients, GCR showed a greater reduction in changes in hospital cost and visit-day compared to TCR. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study show that attitudes to using medicaid via telephone are positive and results are more effective than hospital visit consultation, and the cost of out-patient care could be reduced.
Case Management ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Behavior ; Hospital Costs ; Humans ; Medicaid ; Medication Adherence ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Telephone

Because melanocytes are found throughout the leptomeninges, primary melanotic pigmented tumors such as pigmented meningioma, malignant melanoma, melanoblastosis, and melanocytoma can arise from this region. Melanocytomas have been described in the literature as isodense or hyperdense compared with brain parenchyme, as seen on noncontrast-enhanced CT, and as showing relatively homogeneous enhancement. MR imaging demonstrates a high signal on T1-weighted images, and an iso to hypointense signal on T2- weighted images. We report the imaging findings of a melanocytoma that showed hyperdense attenuation on precontrast CT with homogeneous enhancement and hyperintense signal intensity on T1-weighted images and dark signal intensity enhancement on T2-weighted images, and also review the literature.
Brain ; Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Meninges ; Meningioma

We recently obsesved an unusual case of visual loss after the facial injection of autologous fat. A 42-year-old woman underwent autologous fat injection into the temple area to reduce facial wrinkles. The procedure was performed by a surgeon at local clinic. The patient immediately complained of severe right hemicranial pain and lid swelling. She vistied to the ophthalmic department of our hospital 1 week later because of total loss of vision on the right eye. We believe that the cause of blindness was multiple microembolization in the central retinal artery and posterior ciliary branches of the ophthalmic artery via lateral palpebral artery.
Adult ; Arteries ; Blindness ; Choroid* ; Female ; Humans ; Ophthalmic Artery ; Retinal Artery ; Retinaldehyde*

Among the complications of cataract surgery, the reported frequency of posterior capsular opacification was 20~50 percent. We experienced a case of new type of posterior capsular opacification in the seventy-one year old woman patient, who undertook the cataract operation with phacoemulsification six years ago and visited our hospital with the decreased vision. With biomicroscopic examination, posterior capsular opacification, creating a closed chamber between the lens and the posterior capsule in which a liquefied, milky white substance accumulates was detected. The patient was treated with Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy. To our knowledge, there has been no reported case of liquefied posterior capsular opacification in Korea. Therefore we report this case with literature review.
Cataract ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Phacoemulsification

No abstract available.
Anti-Infective Agents* ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

PURPOSE: This study aims to develop a tool to predict occupational health patients' nursing needs or nursing time. METHOD: A tool was composed based on the materials and opinion of experts, and to verify the reliability and validity of the tool, nursing time of total 311 inpatients in 2 occupational health hospitals were surveyed. RESULTS: The developed tool was total 151 items and composed of physical function, cognitive function, communication, emotional and disturbance behavior, nursing skill, and rehabilitation need. The reliability of the tool was high, showing Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.95. But several items should be deleted for low corrected item-total correlation. According to the multiple regression analysis, physical function and rehabilitation need were shown to be the most powerful predictive variables for nursing time. CONCLUSION: The developed tool was appeared to have high reliability and validity. But further refinement of the tool is needed.
Accidents, Occupational ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Occupational Health ; Reproducibility of Results

No abstract available.
Hemangioma* ; Liver* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

No abstract available.
Hemangioma* ; Liver* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*