Authors examined 40,000 minifilms(boys and girls each 10,000 in junior and senior high schools) which were taken for survey of pulmonary tuberculosis for junior and senior high school students and checked the prevalence of scoliosis. It was considered lateral curvature of spine more than 10 degrees as nonpostural scoliosis, which were analyzed prevalence rate, degree of curvature, distribution of size of curvature, pattern of curve and direction of curvature. Following results were obtained. 1. The overall prevalence rate was 1.56; male 1.38. and female 1.70%(Junior high school 1.06%, Senior high school 2.05%). 2. Scoliosis secondary due to bony abnormality was found in 5 cases. 3. The most common pattern of curvature was the thoracic curve. 4. In sihgle curve, right to left ratio was 1.7, especially senior high school girls had more right curve and junior high school boys had more left curve. 5. The prevalence of senior high school students was greater than that of junior high school students and the degree of curvature was also severe in senior high school students than in junior high school students.
Busan ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Scoliosis ; Spine ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Amniotic band syndrome is an uncommon congenital fetal abnormality with defects of skin resulting in ringlike strictures about the limbs and occasionally the trunk. Its pathogenesis has been still debated in the literature for many years. Amniotic band syndrome features multiple disfiguring and disabling manifestations. A clinical deformities include limb defects, craniofacial defect, visceral defect, body wall defect and other anomalies. We had experienced a case of amniotic band syndrome with retinopathy of prematurity, bilateral orofacial cleft, aphalangia of right hand, ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Amniotic Band Syndrome ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Extremities ; Hand ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Infant, Newborn ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Skin

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated lung function in workers exposed to dusts, fumes and noxious gases at small foundries. METHODS: Lung function was measured in 148 male workers from 12 small foundries and 202 unexposed male workers. Pulmonary function tests performed included: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), percent of FEV1/FVC (FEV1/FVC%), maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow at 25, 50, and 75% of expired FVC (FEF25, 50, 75). RESULTS: Mean values of all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls. Specifically, following stratification by smoking habits, all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls who smoked; however, there were no significant differences observed in any ventilatory indices between nonsmoking exposed workers and controls. The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated work duration as a significant predictor of a decrease in FVC%. CONCLUSIONS: This research indicates that combined occupational exposure to dust, fumes, and gases in small foundries is associated with a reduction in lung function. Smoking may also contribute to respiratory abnormalities. These results suggested that foundry workers should be required to undergo periodic lung function tests and-in addition to not smoking, efficient use of personal protection equipment while at work is recommended.
Dust ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gases ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Lung ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vital Capacity

OBJECTIVE: Detection of intracranial multiple aneurysms, including mirror-image aneurysms, have recently been increasing with the development of diagnostic techniques. However, studies of mirror-image aneurysms have been rare in South Korea. Thus, we intend to report our hospital's experience with mirror-image aneurysms during the past 20 years along with a review of relevant literature. METHODS: We analyzed medical records and image data from patients with cerebral aneurysms who had been admitted to our institution from January 1988 to June 2007. We divided the patients into three groups and investigated the clinical patterns of mirror-image aneurysms (Group 1). We then compared them with patients exhibiting non-mirror multiple aneurysms (Group 2) and the patients with solitary aneurysms (Group 3). We also statistically analyzed the age, sex, smoking habits, medical histories, and prognoses of the patients. RESULTS: Mirror-image aneurysms were found in 62 (5.1%) of the 1,209 patients admitted for cerebral aneurysms over the past 20 years. Of the mirror-image aneurysms, 48% were located in the posterior communicating artery (PcoA), and 40% were in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Ruptures of aneurysms occurred slightly more frequently on the right side and when the aneurysm was larger and its shape was more irregular. Women, particularly menopausal women aged 50 and older, were shown to be at higher risk. Smoking was also a risk factor. However, there were no significant differences in prognoses among the three groups. CONCLUSION: We should pay attention to the possibility of mirror-image or multiple aneurysms when diagnosing and treating menopausal women and smokers, particularly if the cerebral aneurysm is located in the MCA or PcoA.
Aged ; Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Medical Records ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Prognosis ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Smoke ; Smoking

Mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) is occasionally caused by autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis. Multiorgan involvement such as skin, kidney, and peripheral nerve involvement is common in mixed CV. However, central nervous system (CNS) involvement is extremely rare. Here, we report a case of overlap syndrome of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis and mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with CNS involvement. The neurologic deficits and systemic symptoms improved promptly after steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy.

Mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) is occasionally caused by autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis. Multiorgan involvement such as skin, kidney, and peripheral nerve involvement is common in mixed CV. However, central nervous system (CNS) involvement is extremely rare. Here, we report a case of overlap syndrome of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis and mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with CNS involvement. The neurologic deficits and systemic symptoms improved promptly after steroid and cyclophosphamide therapy.

Objectives: The effectiveness of drugs currently used in medication, which is important in the treatment of alcohol use disorders, is limited. Recently, ondansetron which acts as 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, has been studied and proved possibility as new medication for alcohol use disorder. Meanwhile, there are studies supporting that 5-HT1A receptors are related to addictive behavior. Considering those studies, we expect that vortioxetine, which acts as both 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and 5-HT1A receptor agonist, may be effective in treatment of alcohol use disorder. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of vortioxetine on alcohol intake of C57BL/6 mice. Methods: In this study C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to normal saline group, vortioxetine 10 mg/kg group and vortioxetine 1 mg/kg group. To study effect of vortioxetine on alcohol, water, food intake and body weight of mice, we administered each medication for 14 days. Results: The overall alcohol intake was different between the three groups (PGroup=0.021), and alcohol intake in vortioxetine 10 mg/kg group was significantly lower than one in placebo group. Change across time points (PTime<0.001) and the interaction between group and time (PGroup×Time =0.016) were also significant. However, there were no significant differences between the three groups in water, food intake and body weight. Conclusions These results indicated that administration of high dose vortioxetine reduced alcohol intake of mice.Therefore, it is necessary to conduct clinical studies to examine the effectiveness of vortioxetine as a new treatment for alcohol use disorder.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence, survival rate and risk factors of acute renal failure (ARF) in patients following cardiac arrest. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 132 cases of comatose survival after cardiac arrest and these patients had received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a tertiary emergency department from April 1997 to May 2007. We analyzed the basic data and clinical data, and we compared the patients who had developed ARF (ARF group) following CPR with those who had not (the non-ARF group). RESULTS: Out of the 132 comatose survivors, ARF occurred in 54 patients (40.9%). The survival rate was higher in the non-ARF group (52.6%) than that in the the ARF group (16.7%) (p<0.0001). Both baseline renal insufficiency (OR 5.721, 95% CI 2.42-13.51; p<0.0001) and a peak creatine kinase level > 5000 IU/L (OR 8.527, 95% CI 1.78-40.91; p=0.043) were independent predictors of ARF. However, a history of coronary artery disease was not independently associated with renal failure, although it was more frequently found in patients with ARF (the ARF group). CONCLUSION: ARF occurred commonly in the post-resuscitation period. The survival rate was higher in the non-ARF group than that in the ARF group. The major factors contributing to ARF were both baseline renal insufficiency and a peak creatine kinase level > 5000 IU/L.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Coma ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Creatine Kinase ; Emergencies ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Incidence ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

Papillary fibroelastomas are rare, benign primary heart neoplasms that mainly affect the heart valves. These neoplasms have the potential to cause serious, life threatening thromboembolic complications. Here we present the case of a 60-year-old asymptomatic woman with an aortic valve mass that was incidentally discovered via transthoracic echocardiography. There was no evidence of systemic thromboembolism. The mass was surgically excised and histologic examination led to a final diagnosis of papillary fibroelastoma.
Aortic Valve ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Thromboembolism

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to investigate the effect on manganese on the brain of Sprague-Dawley rats, with particular focus on changes to anatomical pathology when brain MRI was recovered after manganese administration. METHODS: There were 15 rats divided into 3 groups of 5 based on dose of manganese: control group, low dose group (10 mg/kg), and high dose group (40 mg/kg). Each dosing group received an injection of normal saline and manganese via the tail vein once a week for 4 weeks. And then, the rats were observed for 12 weeks after stopping manganese administration. Next, each rat underwent a brain MRI and then each was sacrificed. After the rats were killed, the concentrations of blood manganese were measured, and pathologic examinations of the brain were performed. RESULTS: The signal intensity of basal ganglia on T1-weighted imaging of brain MRI did not differ between dosing groups. However, the ratio of neuron/glial cell in the basal ganglia was decreased in the low- and high-dose groups compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the damage of neuron in basal ganglia might be permanent after signal intensity of basal ganglia on T1-weighted imaging of brain MRI was recovered.
Animals ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Brain Diseases ; Manganese ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Veins