OBJECTIVES: Subacute thyroiditis is a nonsuppurative inflammation of thyroid gland and is probably caused by a cytopathic virus. Typical clinical symptoms and features of subacute thyroiditis vary widely during the course of illness. It has a clinical course, evolving from hyperthyroidism through a temporary hypothyroidism to recovery. However, the final outcome of this disease remains unpredictive in some patients. Permanet hypothyroidism occurs infrequently. METHODS: Thirty-three patients proven to have subacute thyroiditis at the Ewha Womans University Hospital from September 1993 to November 1995 were studied. We analyzed their clinical features, laboratory findings, and duration of recovery to cha- racterize the course of the disease. RESULTS: 1) Total 33 patients were studied: 31 patients were female and 2 patients were male. Their mean age was 42.6+/-8.3 years old. The peak months were August through October in this study. 2) Initial mean ESR was 73.0+/-35.2mm/hr, mean T3 was 217.3+/-73.9ng/dl, mean T4 was 15.2+/-8.5microgram/ dl, and TSH was 0.06+/-0.09microIU/ml. The positive rates of antithyroglobulin and anitmicrosomal antibodies were 31% and 6% respectively, and TSH receptor antibody was elevated in one patient. 3) In the thyroid scan, 91% showed both lobes nonvisualisation, and 9% showed one lobe nonvisualization. Radioactive iodine uptake(RAIU) at 24 hour was 2.4+/-3.3%. 4) With the predisolone therapy, 90% of patients completely recovered, 57% of these patients had no hypothyroid phase and remaining 33% of them had hypothyroid phase during course of the disease. Three of the patients had permanent hypothyroidim. 5) The average duration of recovery was 3.2+/-1.4 months and it has no correlation with initial thyroid hormone levels, antithyroid antibodies and duration of steroid administration. CONCLUSION: There was no historical, physical, laboratory findings that help us predict those patients likely to have an exacerbation of the disease.
Antibodies ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Inflammation ; Iodine ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Subacute

No abstract available.
Fasting* ; Female ; Humans

Background: Postpartum thyroiditis is a painless, destructive lymphocytic inflammation of the thyroid gland that occurs during the postpartum period and is associated with a high prevalence of serum thyroid autoantibodies. Clinical symptoms and laboratory fi#ndings of postpartum thyroiditis vary widely during the course of illness and the final outcome of this disease remains unpredictive in some patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical course and the predictors of the outcome of the disease. Methods: Thirty-eight patients proven to have postpartum thyroiditis at the Ewha Womans University Hospital were studied. We analyzed their clinical features, laboratory findings and duration of recovery to characterize the course of the disease. Results: Their mean age was 29.0±3.3 years and the time of diagnosis was 4.9±1.9 months after delivery. The prevailed months of delivery were November through January in this study. Twenty six patients were hypothyroid and 12 were thyrotoxic at initial thyroid function. The positive rates of antithyroglobulin and anitmicrosomal antibodies were 92%, 67% in the hypothyroid group and 75%, 67% in th thyrotoxic group respectively. TSH receptor antibodies were negative in all patients. In the hypothyroid group the titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were significantly higer than the thyrotoxic group. The titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were positively correlated with serum TSH and negatively correlated with serum T4. In all patients, the titers in thyroid function tests returned to the normal range without long-term hypothyroidism. Conclusion: The titers of antimicrosomal antibodies were significantly higher in the hypothyroid group than the thyrotoxic group. Thus the titers of antimicrosomal antibodies can help guide the physician in the care of patients with postpartum thyroiditis who will probably be hypothyroid. In this study, we were surprised that all patients became euthyroid without permanent hypothyroidism.
Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Clinical Study ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Inflammation ; Postpartum Period ; Postpartum Thyroiditis ; Prevalence ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Reference Values ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis

The syndrome of ectopic production of ACTH by non-pituitary neoplasm occur with various types of tu#rnors. Pheochromocytoma is a rare, but one of the important causes of this syndrome. Recently we experienced a 36-year-old male patient with ACTH-producing pheochromocytoma. After left adrenalectomy, serum ACTH level retumed to the normal range. The patient became normotensive without antihypertensive agents and hyperglycemia resolved and insulin therapy was discontinued. Secretion of ACTH was confirmed by immunohistochemical stain.
ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic* ; Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Adult ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Male ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND: Patient-controlled sedation with propofol has been shown to provide safe and effective sedation for patients undergoing surgery under local anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of patient-controlled sedation and analgesia with propofol and fentanyl in 17 patients undergoing cataract surgery. METHODS: An admixture of 400 mg of propofol with 100microgram of fentanyl (42 ml) was loaded into a patient-controlled analgesia pump and administered at a rate of 10 ml/hr. The lock-out time was 1 minute and the bolus dose was 1 ml. At the end of surgery, pain relief, anxiety relief and the satisfaction score were recorded on a patient questionnaire with a 1 to 10 scale. RESULTS: The sedation level varied from patient to patient and there was no incidence of oversedation. Most patients were satisfied with this anxiety and pain relieving technique (more than a score of 8). Blood pressure and arterial oxygen saturation showed minimal changes and remained within normal ranges. There were no complications except complaints of pain at infusion sites from 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-controlled sedation and analgesia is a safe and satisfactory method for most patients undergoing cataract surgery for relieving pain and anxiety.
Analgesia* ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia, Local ; Anxiety ; Blood Pressure ; Cataract* ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Incidence ; Oxygen ; Propofol ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reference Values

Genetic susceptibility is involved in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Association studies with a whole genome-based approach instead of a single or a few candidate genes may be useful for discovering new susceptible genes. Although the etiology of non-segmental and segmental types is different, the association between gene polymorphisms and vitiligo has been reported, without defining types or in non-segmental type. Whole genome-based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined in patients with non-segmental and segmental types of vitiligo using the Affymetrix GeneChip 500K mapping array, and 10 functional classes of significant SNPs were selected. Genotyping and data analysis of selected 10 SNPs was performed using real-time PCR. Genotype and allele frequencies were significantly different between both types of vitiligo and three of the target SNPs, DNAH5 (rs2277046), STRN3 (rs2273171), and KIAA1005 (rs3213758). A stronger association was suggested between the mutation in KIAA1005 (rs3213758) and the segmental type compared to the non-segmental type of vitiligo. DNAH5 (rs2277046), STRN3 (rs2273171), and KIAA1005 (rs3213758) may be new vitiligo-related SNPs in Korean patients, either non-segmental or segmental type.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/*genetics ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Autoantigens/*genetics ; Axonemal Dyneins/*genetics ; Calmodulin-Binding Proteins/*genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; *Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Republic of Korea ; Vitiligo/*genetics ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Patients receiving surgery under local anesthesia might feel anxiety during surgery and suffer pain due to the insufficiency of local anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of patient-controlled sedation and analgesia in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). METHODS: We studied 63 adult patients. A mixture of 400 mg of propofol and 200microgram of fentanyl (total 44 ml) was infused to the patient at a rate of 10 ml/hr using a PCA device. The lock-out time was 1 minute and the bolus dose was 1 ml. During surgery, we monitored vital signs and sedation state. At the end of surgery, we assessed the degree of satisfaction about pain and anxiety relieving effects by using a questionnaire with a 1 to 10 scale. RESULTS: About 90% of patients were wide awake during surgery, others were drowsy or intermittently sleeping. About 95% of the patients were satisfied with anxiety relief (more than a score of 8) and 84% were satisfied with pain relief in painful episodes (more than a score of 8). Vital signs were within normal limits. The oxygen saturation was maintained above 94% during surgery, except three patients whose oxygen saturation was 92% for short while. Twenty-two percent of the patients complained of pain at their drug infusion sites. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that patient-controlled sedation and analgesia using the mixture of fentanyl and propofol might be a good way to relieve patient's anxiety and pain without respiratory depression and excessive sedation for those undergoing ESS under local anesthesia.
Adult ; Analgesia* ; Anesthesia, Local ; Anxiety ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Propofol ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Vital Signs

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was tried to determine the role of β-catenin in invasion in pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We analyzed cancer invasiveness according to β-catenin expression in pancreatic cancer cell line. We also investigated the change in cancer invasiveness when β-catenin expression was changed. To enhance β-catenin activity, we treated low β-catenin cancer cell line, PANC1, with Wnt-3a conditioned media and transected β-catenin. We also treated high β-catenin expressing cell line, BxPC3, with XAV939, β-catenin inhibitor and siRNA for β-catenin to inhibit β-catenin expression. RESULTS: The high β-catenin expressing cancer cell line, BxPC3 showed higher invasiveness, and low β-catenin expressing cell lines, PANC1and MIA-PaCa-2, were less invasive. By adding the Wnt-3a conditioned media or performing transfection with β-catenin in PANC1, cell invasiveness was increased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). On inhibition of β-catenin by XAV939 and siRNA in BxPC3 cell line, invasiveness was significantly decreased (p < 0.01). It was not correlated with the expression of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) or CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6), the invasion related protein. On analysis of association with metastasis in human tissue, Wnt-3a expression was statistically correlated with the development of metastasis (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS Based on our data, β-catenin may be involved in cancer invasion in pancreatic cancer, and it is not associated with CD44, the invasion related protein.

PURPOSE: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast, a specific histologic type of human breast cancer, is a rare malignant tumor. Because of the rarity of apocrine carcinoma and lack of a standardized definition, the clinicopathologic features have not been definitively determined. In this study, we present a single institution analysis of the clinicopathologic features of 19 cases of apocrine carcinoma and contrast them with those seen in infiltrating ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS). METHODS: We respectively reviewed the records of 19 patients with apocrine carcinoma who underwent surgery at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between October 1997 and April 2007. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 52.8 years. Eight patients (42.1%) were under 50 years of age. In all patients, the initial symptom was a breast mass. Twelve (63.2%) of 19 tumors were located in the right breast and the other 7 cases (36.8%) were located in the left breast. The average tumor size was 2.19 cm (range 0.7-7 cm). Two patients had axillary lymph node metastasis. Estrogen receptor (ER) was positive in 3 cases (16.7%). The HER-2 overexpression rate was 35.3%. There was no locoreginal recurrence, distant metastasis, or death during the median follow-up period of 35.4 months (range 4-114 months). CONCLUSION: Compared with the alleged characteristics seen in Korean breast cancer patients, apocrine carcinoma was characterized by an older age at the time of diagnosis and a higher incidence of hormone receptor negatively. The HER-2 overexpression rate was similar to the rate for other tumors. Although there was a relatively low incidence ER positivity, there was no recurrence or death. Therefore, apocrine carcinoma appears to be clinically distinct from infiltrating ductal carcinoma, NOS.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histopathological features, and to find relationship between treatment modality and prognosis of borderline ovarian tumors. METHODS: Ninety-three cases of borderline ovarian tumors that had been treated were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Histologic types of this study group composed of 67 cases of mucinous borderline tumor, 23 cases of serous borderline tumor, 2 cases of mixed type, and 1 case of Brenner tumor. The mean age was 41.6 years (range 14 to 83), and 41 (44.1%) patients were nullipara. The most common chief complaint was palpable mass (39.8%) and asymptomatic cases were presented in 23 patients (24.7%). The cases of elevated serum CA125 (< or =35 IU/ml) were 25.8% in mucinous type and 61.9% in serous type. Surgical staging was completed in 57 cases and other 36 cases were incompletely staged. 45 cases were managed by conservative surgery. There were 4 cases with recurrence, and all of them were related to conservative surgery. Chemotherapy was given to 40 cases. Mean follow-up period was 27.3 months. One patient expired during follow-up, and overall 5-year survival rate was 95.2%. CONCLUSION: Borderline ovarian tumors have a good prognosis. But recurrence rate was high in conservative surgery. In conclusion, careful preoperative evaluations, complete surgical exploration and long-term follow-up after treatment are needed.
Brenner Tumor ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mucins ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate