BACKGROUND: Most studies of Mycoplasma pneumonia involve a group of admitted patients in hospital, usually with major medical illness. So we investigated the epidemiologic and radiologic features during the course of outbreak of pneumonia in Chunnam coastal area. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the epidemiologic and clinical feature of 105 patients with serologically proven Mycoplasma pneumonia treated at Kwang-Yang Hospital during a epidemic period of Jun. 1993 to Dec. 1993. All cases of pneumonia developed in this period were also reviewed and compared with serologically proven group. RESULTS: 1) There were 63 males and 42 females. 2) More than half(57%) of cases belonged to 5-9 years of age group, and mean age was 6.5 years old. Mean age was steadily decreased as prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumonia had been subsided. 3) A major determinant of the outbreak seemed to .to the population density rather than the population size. 4) The common radiologic features were interstitial in type, and 67 cases was restricted to one lobe. Lobar types are more common in late childhood, and interstitial or diffuse types in early childhood. CONCLUSION: These epidemiologic and radiographic characteristics would contribute to the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumonia.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Population Density ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is one of the most important morbidities in childhood, but its underlying causes can not be found even though extensive studies have been done. Advances in diagnostic modalities, including neuroimaging such as MRI reveal the apparent underlying causes of epilepsies. Therefore, we evaluated specific causes of symptomatic epilepsy and compared clinical features with idiopathic epilepsy. METHODS: Three hundred nine epileptic children visited the Pediatric Department of Pusan National University Hospital from January, 1991 to June, 1998. Of these, 79 patients were determined as symptomatic epilepsy and the analysis of various clinical features was undertaken retrospectively, according to the presence or absence of underlying causes. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty two patients(75.1%) were idiopathic and 79 patients(24.9%) were symptomatic, the ratios of male to female and the ages at the onset of first seizure were 1.28 : 1, 1.48 1 and 3.24+/-5.65, 2.40+/-2.86 years(p>0.05, p<0.05), respectively. Causes of symptomatic epilepsy in order of frequency were birth asphyxia(29.9%), CNS malformation(27.3%), CNS infection(22.1%) and others(20.7%). The ratios of male to female and onset age of birth asphyxia, CNS malformation, CNS infection were 2.83 : 1, 1.91+/-2.64, 0.75:1, 2.35+/-2.92 and 1.43 : 1, 2.74+/-2.56, respectively. Seizure types in symptomatic group were classified as partial seizure in 22.1%, generalized seizure in 71.4% and unclassified in 6.5%, compared with those of idiopathic group classified as 46.6%, 51.7%, 1.7%, respectively. Intervals between medication start and seizure control in idiopathic and symptomatic groups were 146.5+/-148.7 days and 246.1+/-247.6 days, repectively(p<0.05). According to their etiology of birth asphyxia, CNS malformation and CNS infection were 364.5+/-315.0 days, 175.4+/-181.6 days, 199.9+/-215.3 days, respectively(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: CNS malformation, birth asphyxia, CNS infection were main causes of symptomatic epilepsy in childhood. In symptomatic epilepsy, generalized seizures was more common and occurred at a younger age. It takes more time to control seizure of symptomatic epilepsy.
Age of Onset ; Asphyxia ; Busan ; Child ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

No abstract available.
Low Back Pain* ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors*

Plant dermatitis can be classified as primary irritant dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, phytophotodermatitis and pseudophytophotodermatitis. Among these, allergic contact dermatitis is seen most freguently. It is generally known that dermatitis causing plants have various characteristics depending on the habitat af different plants. Until now we have had great difficulty in finding the causative factors in plant dermatitis in Korea. This is due to the fact that we do not have anr comprehensive reports regarding domestic or imported timbers concerned in contact dermatiti. The purpose of this thesis is to gather the basic materials necessary to discover the cauae of plant contact dermatitis. All kinds of trees, flowers, and grasses in Korea and imported timbers concerned with contact dermatitis were considered in this study. We strove to ascertain whether the species in our country are the same as found in foreign countries or other different speceies are in our country under the sarne genus found in foreign countries. The basis for our study is several Korean plant books as well as interviews with several native botanists. Vie also discussed major families af plants causing or possible causing plant dermatitis in Korea.
Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dermatitis, Irritant ; Ecosystem ; Flowers ; Humans ; Korea ; Plants ; Poaceae ; Trees

A 62-year-old man presented with a tender, solitary nodule on the left upper arm. He had no specific family history of the lesion. A biopsy specimen showed various sized irregular vascular lumens in the upper dermis. The vascular walls consisted of an endothelial cell layer and rim of one to three layers of glomus cell nests outside the endothelial cells. The cell nests consisted of round shaped epitheloid cells with relatively uniform round or oval shaped nuclei and pale cytoplasm. These tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin, and a-smooth muscle actin. On electron microscopic examination, the cytoplasm of these tumor cells contained fine filamentous components and many electron dense bodies were found at the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. We report a case of a solitary glomus tumor(glomangioma) that showed the histological features of the multiple type of glomus tumor. In addition we describe the results of an immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study.
Actins ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Cell Membrane ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Endothelial Cells ; Glomus Tumor ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Vimentin

To elucidate the clinical avaiability of FNAB, we reviewed retrospectively medical records of 30 patients who had infiltrative pulmonary lesion or pulmonary nodule or mediastinal mass, and got percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy using Westcott needle, 20~22 gauge, at the department of Pediatrics, Hanyang university hospital from July, 1986 to June, 1993. The obtained results were as follows: 1) There were 30 patients, aged 6 months to 15 years. 2) There were 17 male patients and 13 female patients with sex ratio of 1.3:1 3) Among 30 cases, we discovered 16 cases of infiltrative lesions, 7 cases of pulmonary nodules and 7 cases of mediastinal mass lesions. In mediastinal there were 4 cases of anterior mediastinum and 3 cases of posterior mediastinum. 4) Overall success rate on fine needle aspiration biopsy was 60% (18/30). The success rate was 50% (8/16) in infiltrative lesions, 50% (8/15) in pulmonary nodules and 71% (5/7) in mediastinal mass lesions, respectively. 5) Eight infiltrative lesione were diagnosed as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Five pulmonary nodules were diagnosed as aspergillosis (2 cases), tuberculosis (1 case), mucormycosis (1 case), lung metastasis of metastasis of neuroblastoma (1 case). Five mediastinal mass lesions were diagnosed as teratoma (2 cases), lymphoma (1 case), malignant neurogenic tumor (1 case), ganglioneuroblastoma (1 case). 6) The complications occured in 20% (6 cases) among 30 procedures. All cases were due to pneumothorax: 3 cases spontaneously resolved, and 3 cases needed chest tube insertion. There were no death related with this procedures.
Aspergillosis ; Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Chest Tubes ; Child* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Ganglioneuroblastoma ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Medical Records ; Mucormycosis ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Teratoma ; Tuberculosis

A 21-year-old male suffered from generalized anhidrosis and heat intolerance for about 15 years. Other clinical features included multiple angiokeratoma on the back, scrotum and extremities, together with ocular involvement. The electronmicroscopic studies of the skin demonstrated laminated intracytoplamic inclusions in the endothelial cells, pericytes of dermal vessels, fibroblasts and eccrine glandular cells. a Galactosidase assay of leukocytes from the patient and his uncle showed nearly absence of the activity,
Angiokeratoma ; Endothelial Cells ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Galactosidases ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis* ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Pericytes ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Young Adult

Multiple factors including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were evaluated for a case-control study in Chonnam area to investigate the causative entity of COPD. Data on the multiple causative factors from hospital records and interview survey were analyzed in three groups of COPD(64 cases as case group), normal lung (83 cases as control group 1) and non-COPD lung disease (45 cases as control group 2). Smoking status, history of adulthood pulmonary infection and frequent history of URI, socioeconomic status, and GERD were significantly different between COPD group and control group 1. Drinking status, physical height of the subjects and GERD were significantly different between COPD group and control group 2. If control group 1 was used, odds ratio of GERD and COPD was 5.68(95%confidence interval, 95% CI:2.59-12.45) and 4.81 (95% CI:1.89-10.53) when adjusted by age and smoking status. If control group 2 was used. Odds ratio of GERD and COPD was 4.22 (95% CI:1.69-10.56) and 4.59 (95% CI:1.64-12.86) when adjusted by alcohol and adulthood respiratory infection status. In summary, there results suggested that GERD might play a causative role in the development of COPD.
Case-Control Studies ; Drinking ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Hospital Records ; Jeollanam-do ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Odds Ratio ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class

We report a patient who had been initially diagnosed as a myelodysplastic syndrome in 1998 presenting purpuric patches on the left arm that started to develop about a year prior. The purpuric lesions were diagnosed as leukemia cutis by skin biopsy. Her subsequent bone marrow biopsy showed progression into an atypical chronic myeloid leukemia with increased numbers of leukocytes in the peripheral blood. Leukemia cutis typically is regarded as a sign of progression of disease or a manifestation of recurrent disease in treated patients with an established diagnosis of leukemia. We suggest that the skin lesion in this patient could have been a sign of con-version into atypical chronic myeloid leukemia.
Arm ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic, Atypical, BCR-ABL Negative* ; Leukocytes ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Skin

The bacteria as well as the fungi can build up resistance against different kinds of drugs or can decrease in sensitivity to these drugs. Therefore it is necessary that we use the MIC test for acertain period of time to determine the right concentration of drug to use in therapy. The culturing of P. orbiculare was successful in 1951. Up until that time, there were few drugs available to use in the MIC test. So, treatment for Tinea versicolor was dependent upon ones previous experience in determining the drug's effective concentration. Therefore, we performed the MIC test of clotrimazole, sodium thiosulfate, selenium sulfide, propylene glycol against P. orbiculare. The diagnos is for Tinea versicolor in the patient was confirmed by using KOH smear and by the clinical manifeststion. The fungi were then isolated in a culture from an olive oil rich media Mixture of isolated fungus and olive oil was applied to the lateral side of a healthy male's right upper extremity. After one week, P. orbiculare was confirmed by wood lamp examination, KOH smear and culture. After confirmation of P. orbiculare, a variety of concentrated drugs were used. Then media, containing propylene glycol, sodium thiosulfate, selenium sulfide and clotrimazole with a small amount of olive oil was used in inoculations of 10 viable unit/ml of P.orbiculare in attempt to estblish the MIC test. Test results are as follows: l) Propylene glycol MIC Range; 12. 5mg/ml~7. 5mg/ml. 2) Sodium thiosulfate MIC Range; 500mg/ml~7. 5mg/ml. 3) Selenium sulfide MIC Range; l. 25mg/ml~0. 04mg/ml. 4) Clotrimazole MIC Range; 0. 5mg/ml~ 0. 0005mg/ml.
Bacteria ; Clotrimazole ; Fungi ; Humans ; Malassezia* ; Olea ; Propylene Glycol ; Selenium ; Sodium ; Tinea Versicolor ; Upper Extremity ; Wood ; Olive Oil