No abstract available.
Doxycycline ; Humans ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Syphilis

The authors has recently experienced a case of Argyll-Robertson pupil in neurosyphilis patient. Characteristic ophthalmological findings in this case are incomplete ptosis of right lid, bilateral loss of pupillay reflex, mydriasis of right eye, and miosis of left eye. The authors administered Benzathine penicilline intramuscularly during 4 weeks of admission, but dissociated pupil was not improved.
Humans ; Miosis ; Mydriasis ; Neurosyphilis ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Pupil* ; Reflex

Lues maligna (malignant syphilis), also called noduloulcerative syphilis, is a kind of cutaneous secondary syphilis, which presents virulent clinical features and is frequently associated with an immunosuppressed state. Though there are many possible debilitative diseases, it has recently been more frequently presented in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Other causes are diabetes and chronic alcoholism. Prompt diagnosis and early treatment can result in a desirable recovery and prevent spread of the disease. We report two cases of lues maligna associated with the underlying diseases of HIV-infection and diabetes. The skin lesions in these cases showed favorable results after treatment with benzathine penicillin.
Alcoholism ; Diagnosis ; HIV ; Humans ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Skin ; Syphilis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Despite the importance of consuming sufficient amounts of vegetables, daily vegetable intake among adolescents in Korea is lower than the current dietary recommendation. The objective of this study was to examine determinants affecting vegetable preference in order to suggest a stage-tailored education strategy that can promote vegetable consumption in adolescents. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Adolescents (n = 400, aged 16-17 years) from two high schools participated in a cross-sectional study. Survey variables were vegetable preference, the social cognitive theory (SCT) and stages of change (SOC) constructs. Based on vegetable preference, subjects were classified into two groups: a low-preference group (LPG) and a high-preference group (HPG). SOC was subdivided into pre-action and action/maintenance stages. To compare SCT components and SOC related to vegetable preference, chi-squared and t-tests, along with stepwise multiple-regression analysis, were applied. RESULTS: In the LPG, a similar number of subjects were classified into each stage. Significant differences in self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at home and school were detected among the stages. Subjects in the HPG were mainly at the maintenance stage (81%), and there were significant differences among the stages regarding self-efficacy, affective attitudes, and parenting practice. In the predictions of vegetable preference, self-efficacy and parenting practice had a significant effect in the “pre-action” stage. In the action/maintenance stage, outcome expectation, affective attitudes, and vegetable accessibility at school had significant predictive value. In predicting the vegetable preference for all subjects, 42.8% of the predictive variance was accounted for by affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable accessibility at school. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that different determinants affect adolescent vegetable preference in each stage. Self-efficacy and affective attitudes are important determinants affecting vegetable preference. Additionally, school-based nutrition intervention that focuses on enhancing affective attitudes, self-efficacy, and vegetable exposure may constitute an effective education strategy for promoting vegetable consumption among adolescents.
Adolescent* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Parenting ; Parents ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Vegetables*

We have experienced 2 cases of lichen planus. Case 1 was a. 76-year-old male who has suffered from discrete, scaly, round to polygonal papules on the trunk and the e:xtremiities for 3 months. The VDRL test for syphilis was reactive at a titer of 1:2 and the TPHA test was positive. The skin lesions were responded to 3 weekly injections of benzathine penicillin 2.4 million units, Case 2 was a 17-year-old male who has suffered from discrete, erythematous to violaceous colored, flat papules on the right shin for several months. He has treated with oral medication of griseofulvin. After 2 weeks of the medication, the skin ]esions showed improvement with gradual reduction of pruritus and flattening of the papules. About one month of the medication, all skin lesions cliappeared with dark brownish hue and hypopigmentation. And recurreci lesions after stopping medication are disappeared after 2 months of retreatment with griseofulvin.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Griseofulvin ; Humans ; Hypopigmentation ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Male ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Pruritus ; Retreatment ; Skin ; Syphilis

Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LPG) is theoretically a superior choice of minimally-invasive surgery and function-preserving surgery for the treatment of proximal early gastric cancer (EGC) over procedures such as laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG), open total gastrectomy (OTG) and open proximal gastrectomy (OPG). However, LPG and OPG are not popular surgical options due to three main concerns: the first, oncological safety; the second, functional benefits; and the third, anastomosis-related late complications (reflux symptoms and anastomotic stricture). Numerous recent studies have concluded that OPG and LPG present similar oncological safety profiles and improved functional benefits when compared with OTG and LTG. While OPG with modified esophagogastrostomy does not provide satisfactory results, OPG with modified esophagojejunostomy showed similar rates of anastomosis-related late complications when compared to OTG. At this stage, no standard reconstruction method post-LPG exists in the clinical setting. We recently showed that LPG with double tract reconstruction (DTR) is a superior choice over LTG for proximal EGC in terms of maintaining body weight and preventing anemia. However, as there is no definitive evidence in favor of LPG with DTR, a randomized clinical trial comparing LPG with DTR to LTG was recommended. This trial, the Korean Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study-05 (NCT01433861), is expected to assist surgeons in choice of surgical approach and strategy for patients with proximal EGC.
Anemia ; Body Weight ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Stomach Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic fever (RF) and Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) patients necessitate secondary prophylaxis with benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injection every 3 weeks to prevent recurrences and complications. Patients with rheumatic fever on regular benzathine penicillin G injection usually experience moderate to severe pain resulting to poor compliance to treatment. 

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the effect of BPG diluted in lidocaine hydrochloride 1%  versus diluted water in reducing injection pain in patients with RF and RHD.

METHODS: This is a randomized double-blind crossover study conducted at the PCMC OPD. Thirty-three patients diagnosed with RF and RHD were divided into 2 groups; the first group received BPG diluted in sterile water followed by BPG diluted in lidocaine hydrochloride  1% after 21 days, the second group received the same medication in reverse order. Pain scale was measured using Universal pain assessment tool immediately after injection. Paired T test was used to compare the pain score results of the two groups.

RESULTS: Pain score was significantly less in patients who received BPG diluted in lidocaine hydrochloride 1%; from an average pain score of 4.88 to 0.63 (p<0.0001), among those who received BPG diluted in sterile water. No adverse effects were seen in all patients.

CONCLUSION: This study concluded that BPG diluted in lidocaine hydrochloride 1% significantly and safely reduced post-injection pain. In all patients diagnosed with RF and RHD, BPG injection should be diluted in lidocaine hydrochloride 1% to decrease injection pain and improve patient's compliance.

BACKGROUND: Immediate early gene (IEG) is supposed to be linked in the continuous seizure induced long-term changes of specific neurons. We tried to investigate the effects of focal interictal epileptiform discharges on the c-JUN expression in the rat brain which is not clearly understood. METHODS:Epidural electrodes were placed on a male Sprague-Dawley weighing 150~230 g and benzathine penicillin (Pc) was applied cortically. After focal interictal epileptiform discharges were successfully identified, EEG was recorded regularly. Cardiac perfusion and extraction of the brain was done at 2, 4, 24 hours and 1 week after the Pc application. Sixteen rats were evenly distributed into 4 groups. Immunocytochemical staining with specific antisera (Santa Cruz) was performed. RESULTS: The epileptiform discharges were induced within an hour after topical Pc applications. At 2 hours after Pc application, c-JUN was moderately expressed in the dentate gyrus (DG) and weakly expressed in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, thalamus, and neocortex. At 4 hours, c-JUN was minimally expressed in DG and other regions. Whereas, at 24 hours, c-JUN was maximally expressed in the DG and also in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, thalamus, and neocortex. One week after Pc application, c-JUN was moderately expressed in the DG and weakly expressed in the CA3 pyramidal cell, amygdala, pyriform cortex, and neocortex. CONCLUSIONS: This data showed that even focal interictal epileptic activity can induce IEG encoded c-JUN protein in the specific distant brain regions of a rat until a late period and the expression pattern showed a synchronous and bimodal pattern.
Amygdala ; Animals ; Brain* ; Dentate Gyrus ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Male ; Neocortex ; Neurons ; Penicillin G ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Perfusion ; Pyramidal Cells ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; Thalamus

The clinical feature of secondary syphilis is of `the great imitator'. The rarity of clinical syphilis today has led to an erosion of clinical skills to determine this condition. It is important for physicians to keep in mind that any atypical skin lesions may be syphilid. We report two cases of psoriasiform syphilid in a 64-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman. They presented with multiple, erythematous to brown colored scaly papules and plaques on the abdomen, back and chest. The differential diagnosis included papulosquamous diseases, especially psoriasis. Histopathologic findings were not consistent with that of psoriasis, but consisted rather with that of interface dermatitis. Serum VDRLs were strongly positive (1: 256 and 1: 64, respectively), and TPHAs were positive, too. After intramuscular treatment with 2.4 million units of benzathine penicillin G, the skin lesions cleared within 1 month.
Abdomen ; Clinical Competence ; Dermatitis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Cutaneous* ; Thorax

Psoriasiform lesion is rare in secondary syphilis. We report a case of psoriasiform syphilid in a 36-year-old man, who showed condyloma lata on the perianal area and multiple erythematous scaly plaques on the face, glans penis, scrotum, and both palms and soles. He had sexual contact with prostitute about 3 months ago. The differential diagnosis included papulosquamous diseases, especially psoriasis but a psoriasiform syphilid was confirmed through skin biopsies and serologic tests. The patient was treated with benzathine penicillin G 2.4 million units intramuscularly weekly for 3 weeks. After the treatment with benzathine penicillin G, the skin lesions disappeared completely.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Penis ; Psoriasis ; Scrotum ; Serologic Tests ; Sex Workers ; Skin ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Cutaneous*