Recently with the development in computer technology and its communication system, many changes have come to the medical field. For example, Picture Archiving and Communication System(PACS) has been used in the medicine experimentally. But this system needs high cost and instrument, so this system is not used in personal generally. Our hospital established the medical forum for health and medical counseling in Computer communication network called HITEL. We analysed the questions about urologic problem especially from Sep, 1994 to Jan, 1997. Most of questions are related to external genitalia and sexually transmitted diseases and most of users were in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th decades and male-predominant. In conclusion, medical counseling using PC communication is an effective method especially in urologic field.
Computer Communication Networks ; Counseling* ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Microcomputers ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

No abstract available.
Animals ; Epithelium* ; Gene Expression* ; Laser Capture Microdissection* ; Mice* ; Microarray Analysis* ; Phenobarbital*

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at investigating the incidence, clinical nature and associated clinical characteristics of the clozapine-induced fever. METHODS: Retrospective review of hospital records was performed for 56 inpatients who had started to take clozapine and stayed at the hospital for four or more weeks after the initiation of clozapine treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Clozapine-induced fever was developed in 31% of the patients. The mean peak temperature was 39degrees C and the mean duration of the fever was 3 days. Fever was developed average of 11 days after the initiation of clozapine treatment. All the patients were recovered without discontinuation of clozapine. Demographic variables, the clinical response to clozapine, other drugs administered with clozapine, and the presence of other adverse effects of clozapine were not associated with the clozapine-induced fever.
Clozapine* ; Fever* ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Inpatients ; Retrospective Studies ; Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: The glomerulonephritis appears in various clinical presentations. Renal biopsy is important diagnostic tool for treatment decision and prognosis prediction of glomerulonephritis. We tried to study on the clinical presentations of glomerulonephritis through histopathological findings and treatment responses in elderly patients. METHODS: We made an retrospective analysis in elderly patients aged over 60 years performed renal biopsy in our medical center from January 1991 to February 2005. RESULTS: Of all the 42 patients, the mean age of the patients was 64.6+/-3.5 years, 24 male and 18 female patients were included(1.3:1). Patients aged 60-64 years (n=26, 62%) were majority. On clinical indications of renal biopsies, 17 patients had nephrotic syndrome, 10 had asymptomatic urinary abnormality, 5 had gross hematuria, and 5 had acute azotemia. The results of renal biopsies presented that 30 patients (71%) had primary glomerulonephritis, 9 patients (22%) had secondary glomerulonephritis. Among primary glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy (n=10) was most common, followed by IgA nephropathy (n=7),focal segmental glomerulos-clerosis (n=3), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=2), and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=2). In secondary glomer-ulonephritis, there were diabetic nephropathy (n=2), lupus nephritis (n=2), cancer-related nephritis (n=2), poststreptococcal glomer-ulonephritis (n=1), Henoch-Schonlein nephritis (n=1), amyloidosis (n=1). In the cases of nephrotic syndrome, primary nephrotic syndrome (n=12, 71%) is more prevalent than secondary nephrotic syndrome (n=3, 18%). The most common cause of primary nephrotic syndrome was membranous nephropathy (n=8). The causes of asymptomatic urinary abnormality were IgA nephropathy (n=4), lupus nephritis (n=2), membranous nephropathy (n=1), mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=1). By the complications of renal biopsy, only a few patients presented new-onset hematuria, hematoma, aggravation of hypertension, but, severe complication including an infection or a death was none. 8 of 12 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome were treated, 5 patients of those were shown complete response (n=3) or partial response (n=2). CONCLUSION: Various clinical presentations of glomerulonephritis were shown to elderly patients. Number of complications after renal biopsies were relatively small, and good responsiveness to treatment could be expected in the elderly patients. Therefore it is reasonable to perform a renal biopsy if indicated.
Aged* ; Amyloidosis ; Azotemia ; Biopsy ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; Hematoma ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lupus Nephritis ; Male ; Nephritis ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is a rare congenital muscle disorder, caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene. Affected male infants present severe hypotonia, and generalized muscle weakness, and the disorder is most often complicated by respiratory failure. Herein, we describe a family with 2 infants with XLMTM which was diagnosed by gene analysis and muscle biopsy. In both cases, histological findings of muscle showed severely hypoplastic muscle fibers with centrally placed nuclei. From the family gene analysis, the Arg486STOP mutation in the MTM1 gene was confirmed.
*Codon, Nonsense ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Hypotonia/genetics/pathology ; Myopathies, Structural, Congenital/*genetics/pathology ; Pedigree ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Non-Receptor/*genetics

OBJECTIVE: This study is to report our experience of 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. METHODS: From 1995 to 2006, medical records were retrospectively reviewed in 40 cases of spinal schwannoma. RESULTS:We treated 40 spinal schwannomas in 38 (22 male and 16 female) patients. The mean age was 50.2. Four cases were sited in the cervical spine, 11 cases in the thoracic spine, and 25 cases in the lumbar spine. Two patients showed recurrences. Thirty-eight cases were intradural-extramedullary type and 2 cases were extradural. Two cases (5%) including 1 recurred case had no postoperative motor improvement. Ninety-five percents of patients improved on postoperative motor grade. CONCLUSION: Spinal schwannoma is mostly benign and extramedullary tumor. There were 2 recurred cases (5%) that had history of previous subtotal removal at first operation and had shown worse prognosis compared with the cases without recurrence. To reduce the recurrence of spinal schannoma, total excision of tumor mass should be done.
Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neurilemmoma ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

A 28-year-old primigravida at 33 weeks gestation was referred to our hospital because of aggravation of seizures which occurred intermittently for the past 2 years. A brain magnetic resonance imaging scan taken at 33 weeks gestation showed a large brain tumor (7X5X4 cm) in the left high frontal lobe. She had a cesarean section under general anesthesia at 38 weeks and 1 day gestation. General anesthesia was induced with thiopental 250 mg, succinylcholine 75 mg and lidocaine 60 mg after a vecuronium 0.8 mg intravenous injection. The hyperventilation and mannitol used to reduce increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in this patient may be harmful and detrimental to the fetus before delivery. Achieving both ICP control and fetal well being at the same time during a cesarean section can be challenging to anesthesiologists. We report the anesthetic management of a cesarean section in a patient with a large brain tumor.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General* ; Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fetus ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Injections, Intravenous ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lidocaine ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mannitol ; Pregnancy ; Seizures ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

OBJECTIVES: The Korean government in January 2006 instigated an exemption policy for hospitalized children under the age of six years old. This study examines how this policy affected the utilization of medical care in Korea. METHODS: A total of 1,513,797 claim records from the Health Insurance Review Agency were analyzed by complete enumeration methods. The changes of medical utilization were compared from 2005 to 2006. In addition, the changes of medical utilization between 2004 and 2005 were compared as a pseudocontrol group. RESULTS: The admission rate increased 1.14-fold from 15.20% in 2004 to 17.32% in 2005, and this further increased 1.08-fold to 18.65% in 2006. The increase of patients with a common cold (1.2-fold) was higher than that of both the general patients (1.08-fold) and the patients with the top 10 fatal diseases (0.91-fold). The average length of stay per case for clinics showed the highest increase rates (1.06-fold). The rates of patients with the common cold showed a higher increase (1.05-fold) than that of the general patients. The average medical expense per case was increased by 1.10-fold from 2005 to 2006, which was higher than that from 2004 to 2005 (1.04-fold). The increase rate for patients with the common cold was higher at 1.18-fold than that of the general patients. CONCLUSIONS: The cost exemption policy has especially led to an increase in the utilization of clinics and the utilization by patients with a common cold.
Child, Preschool ; Cost Sharing/*legislation & jurisprudence ; *Health Policy ; Health Services/*utilization ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Insurance Claim Review ; Korea ; Length of Stay

PURPOSE: Craniospinal neurenteric (NE) cysts are rare developmental non-neoplastic cysts of the central nervous system with diverse MR imaging findings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate various MR imaging findings of intracranial and intraspinal NE cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the MR imaging findings of six NE cysts that were confirmed by pathology. We evaluated anatomic location, signal intensity, size and enhancement pattern of NE cysts. RESULTS: Two intracranial lesions were located extra-axially in the cerebellopontine angle and quadrigeminal cisterns. Three spinal lesions were intraduralextramedullary cysts, located ventral to the spinal cord, but one thoracic lesion was an intramedullary cyst. The signal intensity of the cysts was hyperintense on T1-weighted images as compared with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for two intracranial lesions and one cervical lesion. In addition, all intracranial lesions showed diffusion restriction. For the remaining three spinal lesions, the signal intensity was nearly the same as the signal intensity of the CSF as seen on both T1- and T2-weighted images. On contrast-enhanced studies, two intracranial cysts showed a small nodular enhancement and one thoracic spinal lesion showed rim enhancement. CONCLUSION: NE cysts have various locations, signal intensities, and possible focal nodular or rim enhancement. Therefore, NE cysts can be included in the differential diagnosis of various craniospinal cystic or tumorous cystic lesions.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diffusion ; Neural Tube Defects ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord

An aneurysm of the distal superior cerebellar artery (SCA) is a highly rare disease. Fusiform aneurysms of the distal SCA are particularly challenging to treat. Clipping, trapping with or without bypass using microsurgery or endovascular treatment (EVT) were used to treat this condition. We describe the case of fusiform distal SCA aneurysms treated successfully with endovascular coiling with a 3-month follow-up. A 39 year-old male was presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and a 15 mm fusiform aneurysm of the ambient segment of the left distal SCA. EVT for parent artery occlusion and packing of the aneurysm was done. Left sixth nerve palsy appeared after 1 day of EVT. The symptom completely recovered within 1 week of the post-procedural period. No neurological deficit was seen during the clinical 3-month follow-up. EVT of fusiform distal SCA aneurysms with coils is a safe and feasible option to manage this rare condition. However, the treatment options must be carefully selected depending on the neurologic condition, development of collateral circulation, and configuration of the dissection.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Aneurysm* ; Arteries* ; Collateral Circulation ; Endovascular Procedures ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Male ; Microsurgery ; Parents ; Rare Diseases ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage