A case of recurrent fibrosarcoma arising from the distal portion of the left spermatic cord in a twenty-two-year-old male is presented, and is discussed on its incidence, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis with brief literature review.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibrosarcoma* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prognosis ; Spermatic Cord*

An autopsy case of spontaneous rupture of urinary bladder followed by longstanding chronic and acute hemorrhagic cystitis associated with anomalous course of the right ureter and pyo-hydronephrosis, and acutely disseminated tuberculous pneumonia in a twenty-two-year-old Korean Army soldier is presented. Pathogenesis of spontaneous rupture of urinary bladder is briefly discussed.
Autopsy ; Cystitis* ; Humans ; Military Personnel ; Pneumonia ; Rupture, Spontaneous* ; Ureter* ; Urinary Bladder*

We studied clinically 33 in patients(48 eyes) of windshield ocular injuries among 72 in patients who had ocular injuries by traffic accidents and underwent surgical treatment in Department of Ophthalmology of Han Gang Sacred Heart Hospital from 1. Jan, 1980 to 31. July, 1987. The results of analysis were as follows: 1. The incidence of windshield ocular injuries was 45.8% of all the ocular injuries caused by traffic accident. 2. The incidence was more common in male(81.9%) and in the age of 4th decades(39.4%). 3. The incidence of bilateral ocular injuries was 45.3%. 4. The ocular injuries were more common in front right seats(54.5%) than driver's seats(45.5%). 5. Eyebll injuries occured in 77.1% and among them, corneoscleral laceration was most common. 6. There was no significant statiscal value of final visual acuity between laceration involvin the cornea only and laceration involving the cornea and anterior sclera. 7. Final V.A less than 0.1 was 43.7% and the most common cause of visual impairment was corneal opacity.
Accidents, Traffic ; Cornea ; Corneal Opacity ; Heart ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lacerations ; Ophthalmology ; Sclera ; Vision Disorders ; Visual Acuity

OBJECTIVES: To gather information about the factors which influence the interest and intention of admission into charging nursing homes for the elderly(CNH), as these homes represent an important method for resolving the problems related to the rapid population aging occurring in Korea. METHODS: A face-to-face interview survey was carried out with 328(men 159, women 169) patients over 60 years old who were admitted at 2 university hospitals and 5 general hospitals in the Busan area between December 1998 and March 1999. Data were analyzed through t-test, ANOVA, correlation and multiple regression analysis. microgram/g RESULTS: The mean age and years of education of the study population was 67.8 and 7.7 years, and the types of chronic degenerative disease included musculoskeletal disorders(20.1%), cerebrovascular disease(17.1%), and diabetes(14.3%). The major forms of household living arrangement prior to admission were elderly alone(22.6%), and elderly couple(33.5%), while about half of them(55.5%) didn't want to live with their children in the future. Almost half were paying medication fees by themselves(46.6%). The level of actual intention of admission(3.07+/-1.39) into a CNH was lower than that of interest(3.22+/-1.33)(p<0.01). Multiple analysis revealed that the intention of admission increased with decreasing number of future supportive persons(beta=0.107), lower level of activity in daily life(beta=0.447), and longer years of education(beta=0.447) with 32.7% of R2. As for the factors which determined the admission into a CNH, the fee and facilities were considered to be most important, and professional nursing and physician's care were the most desired services. In nomenclature, they preferred "elderly hospital" or "elderly health center" to CNH. CONCLUSIONS: Interest in CNH is increasing recently, but existing studies about patient experiences in CHN are still limited. This study may form a basis for future examinations of the needs and uses for CNH. Active financial support and public information are considered by the authors to be important factors for the induction of welfare services for the elderly, through CNH.
Aged* ; Aging ; Busan ; Child ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Financial Support ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Intention* ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Homes* ; Nursing* ; Residence Characteristics

Metastatic malignant tumors involving the thyroid gland are not as unusual as was once believed. They may in fact be more common than primary cancer of the thyroid, especially if careful screening is performed at autopsy. The origins of primary neoplasms that metasta size to the thyoid are myriad, but reports obviously indicate predminantly cancers of the kidney, breast, and lung and malignant melanoma. Occasienally, metastatic lesions from several gastrointestinal neoplasms such as colo-retal and esophageal carcinoma are seen, but metastasis from gastric cancer is very rare. We have seen one case of thyroid cancer metastasized from the stomach cancer. It simultaneously spread to the breast also and confirmed with gastrofiberscopic biopsy, fine needle aspiration cytology of the thyroid and excisonal biopsy of the breast. We report this case with reriew of literature.
Autopsy ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast* ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Kidney ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Melanoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) has been assessed based on the data of the analysis of TB patients notified to the surveillance system in Korea. However, the national status of TB is not validated through this surveillance system. The objective is to determine the epidemiology of TB and to understand the accurate status of TB patients treated in private institutions. METHODS: Medical records of 53,579 patients who had been diagnosed with TB in 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 53,579 patients, the number of sputum smear positive cases was 15,639(29.2%) and the number of new cases was 39,191 (73.1%). The drug resistance rate of new cases was 5.3%, while the rate stood at 13.3% for TB patients with treatment history. The number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients was 2,472 (4.6%), which consists of 2.9% of new cases and 9.3% of TB patients with prior treatment history. The number of extensively drug-resistant TB patients was 749 (1.4%), consisting of 1.1% of new cases and 2.2% of TB patients with prior treatment history. In terms of treatment outcomes, 66.4% of all TB patients, 70.5% of new cases, 64.4% of relapse cases, and 46.8% of MDR-TB cases were cured or completed. It was inferred that in 2008, the total number of TB patients reached 70,767, 145.6 per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 145.5~145.7). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the medical records review of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data can be very effective in promoting the understanding of the current status of TB in private institutions.
Data Collection ; Disease Notification ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) has been assessed based on the data of the analysis of TB patients notified to the surveillance system in Korea. However, the national status of TB is not validated through this surveillance system. The objective is to determine the epidemiology of TB and to understand the accurate status of TB patients treated in private institutions. METHODS: Medical records of 53,579 patients who had been diagnosed with TB in 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 53,579 patients, the number of sputum smear positive cases was 15,639(29.2%) and the number of new cases was 39,191 (73.1%). The drug resistance rate of new cases was 5.3%, while the rate stood at 13.3% for TB patients with treatment history. The number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients was 2,472 (4.6%), which consists of 2.9% of new cases and 9.3% of TB patients with prior treatment history. The number of extensively drug-resistant TB patients was 749 (1.4%), consisting of 1.1% of new cases and 2.2% of TB patients with prior treatment history. In terms of treatment outcomes, 66.4% of all TB patients, 70.5% of new cases, 64.4% of relapse cases, and 46.8% of MDR-TB cases were cured or completed. It was inferred that in 2008, the total number of TB patients reached 70,767, 145.6 per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 145.5~145.7). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the medical records review of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data can be very effective in promoting the understanding of the current status of TB in private institutions.
Data Collection ; Disease Notification ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Recurrence ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

The LEOPARD syndrome is an acronym and serves as a mnemonic for the features of this autosomal dominant syndrome : L - lentigines (multiple), E - electrocardiographic conduction abnormalities, O - ocular hypertelorism, P - pulmonary stenosis, A - abnormalities of genitalia, R - retardation of growth, and D - deafness (sensoryneural). The main features of the syndrome are multiple lentigines in combination with congenital heart malformations. These frequently accompanied cardiac abnormalities are pulmonary stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and various ECG abnormalities. It is advisable to make cardiac evaluation in a patient with LEOPARD syndrome in spite of no clinical symptoms or signs, since cardiac dysfunction may be progressive or developed later. We experienced a case of this syndrome in a 31 year-old female, presenting multiple lentigines, ocular hypertelorism, and congenital cardiac abnormalities of incomplete right bundle branch block and cor triatriatum. We report the case with brief literature review.
Adult ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Cor Triatriatum* ; Deafness ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Genitalia ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Panthera* ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was performed to compare the mucosal findings after esophagogastroduodenoscopy in two groups before and after the use of alendronate only and following administration of the enteric-coated alendronate (5 mg) and calcitriol (0.5 microg) combined drug (Maxmarvil, Yuyu Co.). METHODS: The study population consisted of 33 postmenopausal healthy female volunteers, aged 50 to 70 years (mean age, 58 +/- 5) without gastrointestinal symptoms and with normal baseline endoscopic findings. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed at baseline and was repeated 2 weeks later after daily intake of Maxmarvil (n = 17 subjects) or alendronate only (n = 16 subjects). Mucosal injury scores were reported by an endoscopist after 2 weeks of treatment with each medication schedule. RESULTS: Esophageal mucosal injuries developed in two of 16 subjects in the alendronate only group and 0 of 17 in the Maxmarvil group. Gastric mucosal injuries developed in eight subjects in the alendronate group and four subjects in the Maxmarvil group; this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The mucosal damage scores for the alendronate group (total score 24) were significantly higher than those for the Maxmarvil group (total score 9) in the esophagus and stomach. Therefore, this study suggested that enteric-coated Maxmarvil is less harmful to gastrointestinal mucosa than alendronate, and may improve the tolerability of osteoporosis medication in clinical practice.
Administration, Oral ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alendronate/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Calcitriol/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Drug Combinations ; *Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Esophagus/*drug effects/pathology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa/*drug effects/pathology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Postmenopause ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Republic of Korea ; Sex Factors ; Tablets, Enteric-Coated ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamins/administration & dosage/*adverse effects

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates that elevated COX-2 expression is associated with the carcinogenesis of numerous neoplasms. In this study, we investigated COX-2 expression in various thyroid specimens in order to elucidate its physiological role in pathologic conditions, and to evaluate the efficiency of COX-2 protein expression as a molecular marker of malignancy in the thyroid gland. METHODS: COX-2 expression was studied immunohistochemically in 19 papillary carcinomas, 8 follicular carcinomas, 14 follicular adenomas, 2 H rthle cell carcinomas, 4 H rthle cell adenomas, 8 nodular hyperplasias, 3 Graves' diseases, 3 Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 2 medullary carcinomas, 1 anaplastic carcinoma, and 20 normal thyroid tissues. RESULTS: COX-2 staining was not seen in any of the normal thyroid, Graves' disease, or nodular hyperplasia specimens. In contrast, COX-2 staining was observed in all of papillary carcinomas, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, H rthle cell carcinomas, and H rthle cell adenomas tissues. Moreover, 7 of 8 follicular carcinomas and 11 of 14 follicular adenomas showed COX-2 staining. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that COX-2 is not useful as a marker of malignancy. Since COX-2 expression was evident in follicular adenomas and in papillary and follicular carcinomas. Thus, the enzyme may be involved in the early process of thyroid tumorigenesis.
Human ; *Immunohistochemistry ; Isoenzymes/*analysis ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase/*analysis ; Thyroid Nodule/*enzymology/*pathology ; Tumor Markers, Biological/*analysis