BACKGROUND: Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus(CCLE) is a well-known disease entity. But there has been no data about its clinical behavior and histopathologic features in Korea. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to elucidate the clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic features of CCLE, and the relationship between CCLE and SLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 48 cases of CCLE that visited the department of dermatology at the Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to June 1997. Medical records and biopsy slides were reviewed.
Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Medical Records ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Sterilization, Tubal*

BACKGROUND: Congenital hypotrichosis is a non-specific, descriptive term for structural abnormalities of hairs showing variable clinical features. We recently have encountered a group of eleven patients exhibiting abnormal hairs showing similar patterns. OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to clarify the entity of this structural hair disorder. METHODS: Dermatologic examination with routine histopathology, trichograms along with scanning electron-microscopic examination and laboratory studies were undertaken. RESULTS: All cases except one were female, and hair abnormalities had developed at birth or within a year. Diffuse distribution of thin, sparse, soft and hypopigmented hairs were noticed. On hair mounts, four patients showed tapering of roots. The majority of the patients exhibited cuticular changes, as well as pitting and longitudinal axial twisting by scanning electron-microscopic examination; one case demonstrated trichorrhexis nodosa, and another, trans-verse fracture. CONCLUSION: Although our cases bear some similar points with woolly hair, some differences were noted between this type of congenital hypotrichosis and other previously described syndromes.
Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypotrichosis* ; Parturition

To evaluate the effect of low lactose special formula (MF-1) for the treatment of acute diarrhea, we studied thirty nine infants who were admitted with acute diarrhea to the Department of Pediatics, Yeungnam University Hospital. 39 infants of under 6 months of age who had been fed on formula feeds were randomly allocated to receive either a diluted regular formula milk or a low lactose special formula. Each infant received intravenous rehydration during fasting for 6-12 hou s. Group 1 (n=15) was fed half strength of regular. formula (80-100cc/kg/day) for the first 24 hours, three quarters strength formula (100-120cc/ kg/day) for the next 24 hours, and continued feeding with the full strength regular formula milk. Group 2 (n= 24), who fed the same amount of milk as Group 1, continued feeding with the full strength low lactose special formula from the start of feeding. Male to female sex ratio was 1.6 to 1. The characteristics of infants on admission were comparable in the age, the duration of diarrhea and the stool frequency before admission, the degree of dehydration. There were no significant differences in the duration of hospitalization, changes in stool weight and stool frequency after admission between two groups.(p>0.05) The Body weight and skin fold thickness were increased in group 2 who fed low lactose formula, but those who fed diluted regular formula showed reduction of body weight and skin fold thickness (64.251.48 vs -11.452.2g, 0.60.8mm vs -0.10.3mm
Body Weight ; Dehydration ; Diarrhea* ; Fasting ; Female ; Fluid Therapy ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant* ; Lactose* ; Male ; Milk ; Sex Ratio ; Skin

Thoracic radiculopathy (TR) is one of various neurologic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), which can cause pain and motor weakness of chest or abdomen. Electromyographic study is well known to be useful for accurate diagnosis of TR. This study is conducted in order to answer following questions: To what extent does paraspinal EMG study show denervation potentials in neurologically asymptomatic DM patients? ; Is there any correlation between EMG abnormality and severity of diabetes mellitus? We performed thorough neurologic examination and review of medical records in 74 DM patients who were referred for neurologic evaluation and rountine nerve conduction studies. Among those patients, 16 were selected for EMG on lower thoracic paraspinal muscles, who had no clinical symptoms of thoracic radiculopathy and no evidence of peripheral neuropathy on routine nerve conduction studies. The EMG findings were evaluated with relation to serum fructosamine level and duration of DM. On EMG examination, ten of sixteen patients exhibited positive sharp wave in lower thoracic paraspinal muscle. Nine of those ten patients with denervation potential in thoracic paraspinal muscle showed high fructosamine level and eight had been exposed to DM for more than 5 years. It is suggested that subclinical diabetic thoracic radiculopathy is more frequent than expected arid that there is positive correlation between abnormal paraspinal EMG findings and the level of fructosamine and duration of DM. And it is also suggested that there could be selective involvement of posterior primary ramus in diabetic patients, although it needs further studies to be confirmed.
Abdomen ; Denervation ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Electromyography ; Fructosamine ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neural Conduction ; Neurologic Examination ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Radiculopathy* ; Thorax

Though the incidence of paragonimiasis has been remarkably decreased since 1970, it is still not a rare disease in Korea. Major problems in the diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis on chest radiography are its differentiation from pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. Chest radiographic findings have been described in detail, but little have been reported on CT findings. We reviewed CT findings of 10 patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis. The characteristic CT findings were similar to those on chest radiography, such as air-space consolidation (70%), nodular mass (50%), pleural effusion (40%), cystic lesion (30%), small low density within the mass (30%), linear density (20%), pneumothorax(20%), and burrow track (20%). CT depicted the cystic lesions and the burrow tracks more clearly and showed the small worm-retaining cysts within the mass that were not detectable on chest radiography. In conclusion, all of these CT findings are useful in the diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis especially when differentiation from tuberculosis or lung canceris difficult on chest radiography.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Paragonimiasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Rare Diseases ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Blood Donors* ; Chemistry* ; Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Prevalence*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identity the effects of a tailored health promotion program on rural residents' self efficacy, health problems and quality of life. METHOD: Data were collected from May 13th, 2006 to July 29th, 2006. The subjects were selected at Gajo-myeon, Geochang-gun, Gyeonsangbuk-do, Korea. Forty three residents were included in the experimental group and 39 in the control group. The 12-week health promotion program was given to the experimental group. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi2-test, t-test and ANCOVA test with the SPSS/Win 12.0 program. RESULT: The experimental group showed higher scores of self efficacy and quality of life than the control group, and a lower score of health problem than the control group. CONCLUSION: From the above results, it can be concluded that the tailored health promotion program for rural residents is an effective intervention for improving their self efficacy and quality of life and reducing their health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to spread the tailored health promotion program for residents in other rural areas in Korea.
Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Health Promotion* ; Korea ; Quality of Life* ; Self Efficacy*

A relationship between preceding acute paralytic poliomyelitis and the later development of motor neuron disease has only occasionally been suggested since it was first postulated by Charcot in 1875. The authors recently experienced a 20-year-old male who was considered to have postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy. We report this case in view of its rarity and necessity of differential diagnosis from other neuromuscular disorders. Clinical presentation included slowly progressive muscle wasting of left thigh for 4 years, mild weakness of left arm and both thigh, intermittent fasciculation, and previous history of acute paralytic poliomyelitis. Electromyographic findings showed fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, fasciculations, giant motor unit potentials and reduced interference patterns. Muscle biopsy revealed scattered small angulated fibers, individual myofiber degeneration and mild inflammatory cell infiltration.
Arm ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciculation ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Neuron Disease ; Poliomyelitis ; Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome* ; Thigh ; Young Adult