OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing the intention to have stomach cancer screening using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in Korea. METHODS: For this population-based study, 1,535 adult respondents (aged 40 to 70 years) were recruited using multi-stratified random sampling and a face-to-face administered questionnaire. This study was based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. Intentions were divided into three scenarios for fee payment in the next two years: (1) free of charge, (2) co-payment, and (3) full charge. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the factors influencing the intention to have stomach cancer screening. RESULTS: Perceived behavioral control and attitude toward stomach cancer screening were significant predictors of the intention to have stomach cancer screening. However, subjective norm only influenced the intention to have stomach cancer screening with full charge in the next two years. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that attitude and perceived behavioral control are likely to contribute toward increasing the intention to have stomach cancer screening. Especially, perceived behavioral control is a good predictor. Because the study subjects were nation wide residents, the study results can be generalized.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Health Expenditures ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Patient Acceptance of Health Care ; Stomach Neoplasms/*diagnosis

This study was conducted to examine the effect of chronic low dose organic solvent exposures in the industries towards then neurobehavioral functions of workers subjective symptoms on neurobehavioral function as well as a visual reaction time test (Flicker test) were administered to 94 exposed and 162 unexposed workers in a oil refinery and some other auto-repair shops. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Symptom complaints were higher and Flicker test values were lower in exposed workers than in unexposed workers. 2. Flicker values were inversely correlated with urinary Hippuric acid concentration in exposed workers (r=-0.26, p<0.05). 3. Flicker values were inversely correlated with subjective symptom score (r=-0.15, p<0.05). Low Flicker value were also related with some subjective symptoms such as "Dimmed vision", "Nightmare", "weakness on extremity" in workers as a whole. While symptoms of "Dimmed vision", "Nightmare" only observed among exposed workers.
Reaction Time

The genetically determined ability to metabolize debrisoquine(DBR) is related to risk of lung cancer and DBR hydroxylation exhibits wide inter-individual variation. In this study, 100 korean adults were tested for their ability to metabolize DBR. The DBR metabolic phonotype were determined by metabolic ratio (MR, DBR/4-HDBR) which is the percent dose excreted as unchanged DBR divided by the percent dose excreted as 4-hydro-xydebrisoqinne(4-HriBR) in a aliquots of an eight hour urine sample, after 10 mg DBR test dose administration. Analysis was performed on a capillary gas chromatography fitted with electron capture detector. The results were as follows; 1. Geometric mean or DBR MR was 0.32 in male, 0.27 in female, 0.30 in total and the distribution of log(MR) was seemed to follow normal distribution. 2. Metabolic ratio of DBR was higher in non-smoker and non-drinker than in smoker and drinker without any statistically significant difference. 3. None of personal factors was significantly related to DBR MR except age. 4. The DBR metabolic phonotype was extensive metabolizer(EM) 93, intermediate metabolizer (IM) 7 by traditional method and EM 98, IM 3 by Caporaso's method. The poor metabolizer (PM) phenotype was not found by either method. 5. Maximal expected PM phenotype was 0.36% by traditional method and 0.04% by Caporaso's method.
Adult ; Capillaries ; Chromatography, Gas ; Debrisoquin* ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxylation ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Metabolism* ; Pharmacogenetics ; Phenotype

PURPOSE: Based on the results of the relative risk model of Korean breast cancer, the aim of this study was to develop a Korean breast cancer risk assessment tool which would display the absolute breast cancer risks of Korean women. METHODS: The tool was developed in the three steps: selection of risk factors and relative risks, calculation of baseline breast cancer incidences, and estimation of absolute breast cancer risks. The risk factors used in this tool were age, family history of first- and second-degree relatives, body mass index, age at first delivery, history of breast-feeding, and a special test on the breasts. A program was developed in an HTML file, which was used for input of the risk factors, and a CGI file, which was used to calculate the risk and display the results. RESULTS: The program was stored in the Internet web page, http://home.dankook.ac.kr/breast/brca/brca.htm. After receiving an input of risk factors, the program was able to calculate the relative risk compared to all the age groups, the estimated absolute risks following 5 and 10 years, and the estimated absolute risks up to ages 64 and 74 years. The estimated risks of Korean women using this tool were less than those reported by the NCI risk assessment tool. The risk of breast cancer was highest in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: In this study, we developed a web page containing a Korean breast cancer risk assessment tool. This program may be useful for the assessment of individual breast cancer risks, the selection of screening tools, and the evaluation of preventive options for risk reduction.
Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internet ; Mass Screening ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Based on the results of the relative risk model of Korean breast cancer, the aim of this study was to develop a Korean breast cancer risk assessment tool which would display the absolute breast cancer risks of Korean women. METHODS: The tool was developed in the three steps: selection of risk factors and relative risks, calculation of baseline breast cancer incidences, and estimation of absolute breast cancer risks. The risk factors used in this tool were age, family history of first- and second-degree relatives, body mass index, age at first delivery, history of breast-feeding, and a special test on the breasts. A program was developed in an HTML file, which was used for input of the risk factors, and a CGI file, which was used to calculate the risk and display the results. RESULTS: The program was stored in the Internet web page, http://home.dankook.ac.kr/breast/brca/brca.htm. After receiving an input of risk factors, the program was able to calculate the relative risk compared to all the age groups, the estimated absolute risks following 5 and 10 years, and the estimated absolute risks up to ages 64 and 74 years. The estimated risks of Korean women using this tool were less than those reported by the NCI risk assessment tool. The risk of breast cancer was highest in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: In this study, we developed a web page containing a Korean breast cancer risk assessment tool. This program may be useful for the assessment of individual breast cancer risks, the selection of screening tools, and the evaluation of preventive options for risk reduction.
Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internet ; Mass Screening ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors

Progressive ischemia can result in gangrenous changes of the tissues. Most commonly the digits are affected initially, but progression to the hand is not unusual. Small amounts of infection superimposed on a severe chronic ischemic state can progress very rapidly to gangrene. Clinically, dry and wet gangrene should be differentiated. Dry gangrene represents mummification of tissue, and active purulent tissue and cellulitis are absent. Wet gangrene is characterized by active infection with cellulitis and purulent tissue planes and is an indication for urgent amputation to prevent ascending infection. We experienced a case of dry gangrenous extremity due to septic shock after anethesia.
Amputation ; Cellulitis ; Extremities* ; Gangrene ; Hand ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Shock, Septic*

Paget's disease of the bone is a chronic, progressive disease of unknown etiology, characterized by abnormal bony resorption and deposition. It is a common skeletal disease in Europe and North America, while it is very rare in Asia. Paget's disease of the temporal bone has been reported to cause hearing loss, tinnitus, and mild vestibular symptom. We report a 28-year-old man with Paget's disease, which was a first reported case of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss for the first time in Korea.
Adult ; Asia ; Europe ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Korea ; North America ; Temporal Bone* ; Tinnitus

Lymphocytic hypophysitis, an inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland that is often associated with pregnancy, is caused by autoimmune destruction of the pituitary gland evidenced by diffuse inflammatory cell infiltration of the pituitary gland and some kinds of detectable autoantibodies. We report a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis in a 31-year-old woman presenting with severe hypoglycemia and hyponatremia after delivery. Hormonal study revealed panhypopituitarism and magnetic resonance imaging with enhancement showed the bulging contour of the right side pituitary gland with an ill-defined mass-like lesion and nodular thickening of the stalk. The patient's symptoms and biochemical data improved greatly with replacement of L-thyroxine and glucocorticoid. Partial recovery of panhypopituitarism was also seen. The follow-up tests revealed dramatic resolution of the pituitary lesion.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia* ; Hyponatremia ; Hypopituitarism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Pregnancy ; Thyroxine

Tuberculosis of the skull bone tuberculosis is a very rare disease. We report a case occurring in a 52 year-old male was referred to us because of headache and painful swelling in the right frontal area. Plain chest x-ray revealed fibrous, streaky, nodular, patchy opacities in the LUL together with pleural effusion. Plain skull x-ray and CT scan demonstrated osteolytic lesion in the right frontal bone; scanning showed hot uptake by the right frontal area, and this corresponding to skll findings revealed by plain film. After frontal craniotomy the involved bone flap and epidural abscess were removed. Pafthologically, typical granulomatous inflammation was seens; this was composed of caseation necrosis, epithelioid cells and surrounding lymphocytes and plasma cells.
Craniotomy ; Epidural Abscess ; Epithelioid Cells ; Frontal Bone ; Headache ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Plasma Cells ; Pleural Effusion ; Rare Diseases ; Skull* ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This study analyzed the changes in central aortic waveforms and pulse wave velocity as well as related parameters after treatment with valsartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. METHODS: We used pulse wave analysis to measure central aortic waveform in a total of 98 subjects. In 47 of these patients, pulse wave velocity measurements were obtained before and after 12 weeks of treatment with valsartan. RESULTS: In the central aortic waveform analysis, the aortic pulse pressure and augmentation index were significantly decreased after valsartan treatment, as was the aortic pulse wave velocity. Factors contributing to the improvement in pulse wave velocity were the fasting blood glucose and haemoglobin A1c levels. CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment with valsartan improves arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and the glucose status at baseline was associated with this effect.
Angiotensins ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Glucose ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; Risk Factors ; Tetrazoles ; Valine ; Vascular Stiffness ; Valsartan