OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this study was aimed at examining the epidemiological and clinical data of firesetters in Konju forensic psychiatric hospital. METHOD: The thirty firesetters were admitted at Konju forensic psychiatric hospital from January. 1, 1998 to December. 1, 1995, They carefully investigated from January. 3, 1996 to July. 31, 1996 through the methods of psychiatric interview, chart review, the written judgement review and telephone interview. RESULTS: There are significant differences in education level and intelligence quotient among three groups. Prevalence of febrile convulsion, nail biting, and enuresis are highest among the firesettes. Alcohol-related family history is significantly high in firesetters. Most frequently reported motivation of firesetters were psychosis, and anger or revenge.
Anger ; Education ; Enuresis ; Hospitals, Psychiatric* ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Interviews as Topic ; Motivation ; Nail Biting ; Prevalence ; Psychotic Disorders ; Seizures, Febrile

Helicobacter pylori, loss of basement membrane, atrophy, type III intestinal metaplasia, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutations and altered p53 function were believed as a factor to develop the gastric adenocarcinomas. To investigate the incidence and prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, intestinal metaplasia and atrophy, 120 gastrectomy specimens collected from patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (100 cases) and non-neoplastic conditions (20 cases) were studied. Intestinal metaplasia can be classified as type I (complete), type II (incomplete, sulfomucin-negative) and type III (incomplete, sulfomucin-positive) by Filipe and Jass. The incidence of intestinal metaplasia of gastric adenocarcinoma was 96% compared with the incidence of 75% in non-neoplastic conditions. The type I and type II were more common than type III and were present in both non-neoplastic conditions (75%) and adenocarcinoma (74%). In contrast, type III intestinal metaplasia was seen in only 20% of intestinal metaplasia-positive cases, all of which (22 of 22) were from patients with adenocarcinoma. The high specificity of type III intestinal metaplasia might be acceptable for screening purposes, but its sensitivity of 22% for gastric adenocarcinoma is low. Helicobacter pylori were detected in 96% of adenocarcinoma cases and 100% of non-neoplastic cases. Atrophy was detected in 50% of non-neoplastic cases and in 57% of adenocarcinoma cases. The data thus confirms a significant relation between incomplete sulfomucin-secreting intestinal metaplasia (type III) and gastric carcinoma, especially intestinal type (p<0.01). Thus, the type III intestinal metaplasia should be considered a risk factor and its presence in a biopsy specimen should prompt close surveillance.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenomatous Polyposis Coli ; Atrophy ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Gastrectomy ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Metaplasia* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Balloon-tipped, flow-directed (Swan-Ganz) catheters are used commonly for monitoring of cardiac function in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. We report a case of pulmonary hypertension with hypoxemia which may be caused by incorrect positioning of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) during CABG. Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) of 70/40 mmHg which was nearly high as systemic pressure was measured when we tried to wean patient from cardiopulmonary bypass. But, TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) showed nonspecific finding. PAP decreased soon and maintained about 33/16 mmHg for a few minutes. But, the PAP elevated high to 70/40 mmHg again and the arteral oxygen tension (PaO2) decreased to 61.2 mmHg. When we withdrew the PAC to the depth of 35 cm, the PAP and systolic pressure returned to normal range and PaO2 elevaed to 320 mmHg. End tidal CO2 was elevated from 30 mmHg to 35 mmHg.
Anoxia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Catheters* ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Artery ; Reference Values

We report 2 cases of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis, one in s 29-year-old woman and the other in a 24-year-old man. Crops of papules and pustules developed on well demarcated, walnut-sized, erythematous plsques on the cheeks and forehead. Eruptions were more pronounced on the periphery of the plaques with central clearing. Blood eosinophilia was evident in case 1. Histologic findings showed a dense inflammatory infiltration and abscesses composed mainly of eosinophils in and around hair follicles, sebaceous glands and around blood vessels. We could see beneficial responses by administration of dapsone in both cases, but its effect was just suppressive and temporary.
Abscess ; Adult ; Blood Vessels ; Cheek ; Dapsone ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Folliculitis* ; Forehead ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Sebaceous Glands ; Young Adult

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mortality of patients over eighty years old with femoral neck fractures that have been treated with bipolar endoprostheses. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied 37 patients out of a total of 83, who suffered from hip fractures and were treated with surgery from 2000 through December 2004. We attempted to distinguish the differences between the 8 patients who died (Group A) and the 29 patients who lived (Group B). The variables that we analyzed, were: age, sex, operative time, the time period from admission to surgery, the time period from admission to discharge, the ASA score, and any medical comorbidities. Results: In Group A, 2 patients died within 1 month, 2 died between 1 and 6 months, 1 died between 6 and 12 months, and 3 died after 1 year. There were statistical differences between Group A and Group B with respect to two variables: the time period from admission to, and medical comorbidities. Conclusion: There were significant correlations with an increase in the mortality rate among patients with lung disease, female patients in general, and delays in surgery. Therefore, particular care should be paid to patients with these variables.
Comorbidity ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Hip Fractures ; Hip* ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Mortality* ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate our experience on laparoscopic appendectomy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on 2,856 patients who had been operated by laparoscopic appendectomy under diagnosis of acute appendicitis at the Sung-Ae Hospital and Kwang-Myoung Sung-Ae Hospital from October 1991 to July 1998. RESULTS: Among 2,856 patients who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy,2,379 patients (83.3%) were operated due to simple acute appendicitis, 275 patients (9.6%) due to perforated appendicitis. Operation time was 44.6 minutes for simple acute appendicitis and 60.3 minutes for perforated appendicitis. In perforated appendicitis, intra-peritoneal irrigation and drain insertion was performed. The length of hospital stay in patient with simple acute appendicitis was 3.7 days (5.82 days in conventional appendectomy) and patients with perfotrated appendicitis was 6.1 days (9.91 days in conventional appen-dectomy). Complications such as wound infection, intra-abdomen abscess, trocar site bleeding, subcutaneous emphysema developed in 43 (1.5%) patients (79/1,947, 4.5% in conventional appendectomy). In 202 (7.1%) patients, appendix was normal, but another diseases were detected, including acute pelvic inflammation, ovarian cyst, mesenteric lymphadenitis, enteritis, diverticulitis in order. CONCLUSION: Overall complication rate was lower in laparoscopic appendectomy compared with conventional appendectomy and the length of hospitalization of laparoscopic appendectomy was shorter. When the acute appendicitis is suspected, especially in the reproductive women, the laparoscopic approach would be better diagnostic and therapeutic value than conventional method. Therefore laparoscopic appendectomy would be replaced with conventional appendectomy.
Abscess ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Enteritis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Length of Stay ; Mesenteric Lymphadenitis ; Ovarian Cysts ; Retrospective Studies ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Surgical Instruments ; Wound Infection

Most of the malignant tumors of the pancreas are adenocarcinomas arising from the ductal epithelium. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas, even though it is the most common sarcoma of the pancreas, is very rare. We present a case of leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas, probably primary, with metastases to the stomach, lymph nodes, and abdominal wall. A 52-year-old woman visited the hospital with vague right upper abdominal pain and weigh loss of 6 kg for 2 months. The radiological and endoscopic examination revealed that she had a large heterogeneous mass, 11 cm in size, in the pancreatic body and tail, a 4 cm-sized mass in the paraaortic area, and a 3 cm-sized polypoid mass in the stomach. Histologically, they were all similar to one another and composed of markedly pleomorphic cells. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies showed definite smooth muscle differentiation of the tumor cells. Two months later, the patient underwent an excision of a new 3 cm mass in the right lower abdominal wall, showing features of well differentiated leiomyosarcoma.
Abdominal Pain ; Abdominal Wall ; Adenocarcinoma ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas* ; Sarcoma ; Stomach

We report a case of erythema elevatum ditinum in a 6-year-old girl. Th symmetrically distributed skin lesions consisted of elevated purplish annular plaques and nodules on the elbows, knees, ankles and buttocks, and some of the lesions showed vesicles, hemorrhagic crusts, and necroses. Biopsy specimens from the knee and ankle revealed typical leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Ve performed a Multites CMI, a test for delayed r.utaneous hypersensitivity, in which the patient showed positive reaction to streptococcal antigen(Lancefield group C). We tried oral prednisolone and dapsone seperately and could see a remarkable response to both drugs.
Ankle ; Biopsy ; Buttocks ; Child* ; Dapsone ; Elbow ; Erythema* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Knee ; Necrosis ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: There are two kinds of mechanism for laser therapy according to selectie photothermolysis. Selective photothermolysis means that a chromophore can be selectively dei, stroyed with a laser of n appropriate wavelength and of a short pulse duration that is shortor than the thermal relaxation time of the chromophore. It is supposed that the side effects of the continuous wave laser, in which selective photothermolysis does not exist occur more often than when a pulsed wave laser is used. OBJECTIVE: We compar.d the side effects of flashlamp-pumped pulsed tunable dye laser(SPTL), whose treatment is baseal on selective photothermolysis, with those of copper vapor laser(CVL , which is a quasi-continuous thermal laser. METHODS: The laser cl arts of 498 patients with SPTL treatment and 485 patients with CVL, treatment in Asan Medical Center from 1989 to 1994 were examined, retrospectively. RESULTS: 1) Among 498 patients, with SPTL treatment, we observed various side effects in 47(9.4%). The incidences of individial side effects are as follows, hyperpigmentation in 6.2%(31), vesicl formation in 1.6% (8), surface texture change in 0.8% (4), Hypopigmentation in 0.6% (3), scar format,ion in 0.2% (1). 2) After CVL treatment, side effects occurred in 30(6.2%) among 485 patient.. Hyperpigmentation in 3.1%(15), vesicle formation in 2.5%(12), surface texture change in 0.2%(1), hypopigmentation in 0.2%(1), and scar formation in 0.1%(1) were observed. CONCLUSION: The total incidence of side effect.s after CVL treatment is not statistically different, from that after SPTL treatment, which contradicts the previous theory.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Cicatrix ; Copper* ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypopigmentation ; Incidence ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Dye* ; Lasers, Gas* ; Relaxation ; Retrospective Studies

To evaluate characteristic CT findings of orbital pseudotumor and to define differentialpoints from other pathology, the authors retrospectively reviewed CT of 19 patients who were prooen to have orbital pseudotumor by clinical course and, in some cases, biopsy. A variety of CT findings including extraocular muscle thickening(11 cases), streaky infiltration of retroorbital fat(11 cases), mass formation(10 cases), optic nerve thickening (6 cases), conjunctival thickening (5 cases), scleral thickening(4cases), enlarged lacrimal gland(4 cases) and destruction of orbital bone (2 cases) were observed. Thickening of the anterior portion and irregular margin were characteristic findings of extraocular muscle and optic nerve lesions. Mass formation predominantly occurs in the anterior portion of the orbit. In most cases more than two orbital structures are involved by lesion.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Optic Nerve ; Orbit* ; Orbital Pseudotumor* ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies