Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Scurvy

In this study, the skeletal abnormalities associated with scurvy in subadults crania from three archaeological skeletal collections (Nukdo, Imdang, Yeanri), South Korea was analyzed to examine the prevalence and distribution of childhood scurvy of ancient Korea. For this, 30 subadults crania from the Nukdo, Imdang, Yeanri site were examined. Using criteria described by Ortner and Ericksen (1997) for identifying scurvy in skeletal material we evaluated the cranial skeleton of the subadults for evidence of abnormal porosity. All skeletal materials were macroscopically evaluated for pathological changes associated with scurvy. In results, lesions indicative of probable scurvy were observed in 22 individuals of 30 individuals. Based on the results, childhood disease relating to nutrition and metabolism in ancient Korea might have been widespread, along with scurvy. The results of the present study will be useful for understanding the health condition of the ancient Korean populations. Future work will add significantly to the larger picture of diet and disease within populations of ancient Korea.
Diet ; Korea* ; Malnutrition ; Metabolism ; Paleopathology ; Porosity ; Prevalence ; Scurvy* ; Skeleton ; Vitamins

Scurvy is a manifestation of deficiency of vitamin C, which was characterized by follicular hyperkeratosis, hemorrhagic manifestation, fatigue, muscular ache and pains, swollen jonts, swollen bleeding gums, and peripheral edema. Rescently we experienced a cases of scurvy in 13 month old boy who had been nourished by artificial feedings with ricegruel without additional vitamin C. Rentgenographic findings of bone revealed rosaries in all costochondral junctions and typical scorvutic changes in both femur. Scury is very rare disease in korea now. A brief review of literature was done.
Ascorbic Acid ; Edema ; Femur ; Gingiva ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle Fatigue ; Rare Diseases ; Scurvy*

PURPOSE: Recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C was determined on the basis of preventing the scurvy without considerations of the important function of the vitamin C as a first line antioxidant. So we measured the whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of the contemporay healthy elementary school children in Chinju for the establishment of the optimal daily vitamin C requirment in the elementary school children. METHODS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were measured by the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method in 338 children from the 1st to the 6th grade of one elementary school in Chinju. RESULTS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were 1.36+/-0.34mg/dL and 1.07+/-0.33mg/dL respectively. There existed an close relationship between whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations (r=0.77, p=0.0001). Whole blood vitamin C concentration decreased as the age became older (r=-0.22 p=0.0001), but plasma vitamin C concentration did not change. There were no sex differences in the whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations except in the 3rd grade (p<0.05). Twenty-three of 338 elementary school children (6.8%) had the plasma vitamin C concentration less than 0.6mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: We produced the blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of the contemporay elementary school children in Chinju. These values were not satisfactory in consideration of the importance of the childhood health.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Child* ; Gyeongsangnam-do* ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Scurvy ; Sex Characteristics ; Vitamins*

Subperiosteal hematoma of the orbit is uncommon and mostly produced by trauma or diseases such as leukemia, hemophilia and scurvy. A spontaneous occurrence which is not associated with any of these causes, however, is extremely rare. We report a case of a 27-year-old woman. The presenting symptoms were proptosis, lid edema and diplpia which developed suddenly. Clinical features, orbital echography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging established the diagnosis of spontaneous subperiosteal hematoma of the orbit. It was managed successfully by conservative treatment. A patient profile, mode of clinical presentation, imaging findings, pathogenesis and management options are discussed.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Hemophilia A ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Orbit* ; Scurvy ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for maintaining human life. Vitamin C insufficiency in the plasma is closely related with the development of scurvy. However, in vivo kinetics of vitamin C regarding its storage and consumption is still largely unknown. METHODS: We used Gulo-/- mice, which cannot synthesize vitamin C like human. Vitamin C level in plasma and organs from Gulo-/- mice was examined, and it compared with the level of wild-type mice during 5 weeks. RESULTS: The significant weight loss of Gulo-/- mice was shown at 3 weeks after vitamin C withdrawal. However, there was no differences between wild-type and vitamin C-supplemented Gulo-/- mice (3.3 g/L in drinking water). The concentration of vitamin C in plasma and organs was significantly decreased at 1 week after vitamin C withdrawal. Vitamin C is preferentially deposited in adrenal gland, lymph node, lung, and brain. There were no significant changes in the numbers and CD4/CD8 ratio of splenocytes in Gulo-/- mice with vitamin C withdrawal for 4 weeks. And the architecture of spleen in Gulo-/- mice was disrupted at 5 weeks after vitamin C withdrawal. CONCLUSION: The vitamin C level of Gulo-/- mice was considerably decreased from 1 week after vitamin C withdrawal. Vitamin C is preferentially stored in some organs such as brain, adrenal gland and lung.
Adrenal Glands ; Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; Brain ; Drinking ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mice ; Plasma ; Scurvy ; Spleen ; Vitamins ; Weight Loss

The human body is unable to synthesize vitamin C and a diet deficient in vitamin C leads to scurvy. Scurvy has become a rare clinical entity in most developed country. However it may still be encountered in selected situation, such as old people live along, young children, food faddists, and alcoholics. Scurvy may mimic other medical conditions such as vasculitis, systemic bleeding disorders, and deep vein thrombosis. For this reason, scorbutic patient are often misdiagnosed or evaluated for other disorder, thus delaying the correct diagnosis. We describe a 63-year-old man who had petechiae and ecchymoses of lower extremity, follicular hyperkeratosis, gingival hemorrhage and corkscrew hairs after consuming a restricted diet for 3 year. The diagnosis was confirmed by low concentration of vitamin C in serum, and treatment with vitamin C leads to a rapid reversal of scorbutc changs. We emphasize the importance of taking into consideration scurvy in the diagnosis of patient presenting with a skin rash resembling vasculitis or systemic bleeding disorder in high risk group.
Alcoholics ; Ascorbic Acid ; Child ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Ecchymosis ; Exanthema ; Gingival Hemorrhage ; Hair ; Hemorrhage ; Human Body ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Purpura ; Scurvy* ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Vasculitis* ; Venous Thrombosis

This article demonstrates the medicinal usage of ginseng in the West from 1660 to 1914. Asian[Korea] ginseng was first introduced into England in the early 17th century, and North American ginseng was found in the early 18th century. Starting from the late 17th century doctors prescribed ginseng to cure many different kinds of ailments and disease such as: fatigue general lethargy, fever, torpidity, trembling in the joints, nervous disorder, laughing and crying hysteria, scurvy, spermatic vessel infection, jaundice, leprosy, dry gripes and constipation, strangury, yellow fever, dysentery, infertility and addictions of alcohol, opium and tobacco, etc. In the mid-18th century Materia Medica began to specify medicinal properties of ginseng and the patent medicines containing ginseng were widely circulated. However, starting in the late 18th century the medicinal properties of ginseng began to be disparaged and major pharmacopoeias removed ginseng from their contents. The reform of the pharmacopoeia, influenced by Linnaeus in botany and Lavoisier in chemistry, introduced nomenclature that emphasized identifying ingredients and active constituents. Western medicine at this period, however, failed to identify and to extract the active constituents of ginseng. Apart from the technical underdevelopment of the period, the medical discourses reveal that the so-called chemical experiment of ginseng were conducted with unqualified materials and without proper differentiation of various species of ginseng.
Americas* ; Botany ; Chemistry ; Constipation ; Crying ; Dispensatories ; Dysentery ; England ; Fatigue ; Fever ; Hysteria ; Infertility ; Jaundice ; Joints ; Leprosy ; Lethargy ; Materia Medica ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Opium ; Panax* ; Scurvy ; Tobacco ; Yellow Fever

BACKGROUND: It is necessary for human beings to uptake vitamin C through diet or supplements. It is also well-known that vitamin C plays an important role in the prevention of scurvy, enhancement of collagen synthesis and anti-tumor immune response. In addition, there are several recent reports regarding the effective role of vitamin C on the regulation of allergic responses, such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. However, the effective therapeutic and preventive measures using vitamin C are not established yet, since vitamin C is seriously unstable in aqueous solution. Therefore, we have investigated the best way to maintain the stability of vitamin C. METHODS: After we making a mixture of polyphenol (0.001, 0.01, 0.1%) and vitamin C (1 mM), the mixtures were placed at room temperature both with/without light protection. And then the concentration of ascorbic acid was measured with HPLC. To analyze the in vivo effect of vitamin C on the regulation of skin allergic reaction, polyphenol (0.1%)-vitamin C (1 mM) mixture was applied to the skin and the production of histamine from mast cell was analyzed by Evans blue dye staining. RESULTS: We have found that the polyphenol has preventive power of oxidation of vitamin C. In addition, the production of histamine was suppressed by the polyphenol (0.1%)-vitamin C (1 mM) mixture. CONCLUSION: We have reached the conclusion that our study suggests the research guideline for the therapy of atopic dermatitis through vitamin C.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Asthma ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Collagen ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Diet ; Evans Blue ; Histamine ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Mast Cells ; Scurvy ; Skin* ; Vitamins*

Subperiosteal hematoma of the orbit is uncommon and mostly caused by trauma or some general diseases such as leukemia, hemophilia, and scurvy. Subperiosteal yhematoma associated with sinusitis which is not related to trauma and general diseases, however, is extremely rare. The authors report a case of subperiosteal hematoma of the orbit in 22-year-old man without a history of trauma and general diseases. He had proptosis, and sudden decreased visual acuity. Clinical features, and computerized tomography established the diagnosis of subperiosteal orbital hematoma secondary to ethmoid and maxillary sinusities. We could make definitive diagnosis by needle aspiration of blood using 18-gauge needle with a 10ml syringe at our OPD. To avoid complications such as compressive neuropathy, central retinal occlusion, and recurrence of hematoma, we managed it successfully by evacuation of blood and thermal cauterization to bleeding areas of periosteum, or bone.
Cautery ; Diagnosis ; Exophthalmos ; Hematoma* ; Hemophilia A ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis* ; Needles ; Orbit* ; Periosteum ; Recurrence ; Retinaldehyde ; Scurvy ; Sinusitis ; Syringes ; Visual Acuity ; Young Adult