For the purpose of elucidating relation between red cell electrolyte concentrations and serum digoxin level, measurement of red cell electrolyte concentrations and seum digoxin level by radioimmunoassay were done in 46 normal controls and 63 patients of CHF including 8 patients with digitalis intoxication. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Red cell sodium concentration and ratio of red cell sodium to red cell potassium concentration in normal males were significantly higher than those of females, and red cell potassium concentration in normal males was significantly lower than that of normal females. 2. Red cell potassium concentration in patients of CHF was significantly higher than that of normal controls, but there was no difference in the red cell sodium concentration between the groups. 3. There was no relation between red cell electrolyte concentrations and serum digoxin level, and red cell electrolyte concentration did not exactly estimate serum digoxin level. 4. Red cell electrolyte concentrations in the patient of CHF were valuable in detecting digitalis toxicity.
Digitalis ; Digoxin* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Potassium ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sodium

We reviewed the records of seven patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and intravitreal phacofragmentation for removal of posteriorly dislocated lenses from September 26, 1994. to January 12, 1995. More than half volumes of crystalline lenses were dislocated during cataract extraction in four eyes, and all three eyes of dislocated lenses with intact capsules had a history of blunt trauma. Five eyes had visual acuity of 15/20 or better at 3 months after removal of intravitreal crystalline lenses. But two eyes, undergone excessive manipulation for removing intravitreal nuclear fragments via the limbus during cataract operation, had 4/20 vision with complication of retinal or choroidal detachment. These results suggest that the overall prognosis for visual recovery after pars plana vitrectomy and phacofragmentation for removal of intravitreal crystalline lens, is quite good if there were no excessive attempts to remove intravitreal lens fragment during cataract extraction.
Capsules ; Cataract ; Cataract Extraction ; Choroid ; Humans ; Lens, Crystalline ; Prognosis ; Retinaldehyde ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

The plica is remaining synovial septa in adult life which developed in early fetal life. The suprapatellar plica separates the suprapatellar pouch from the knee joint which sometimes has chnical significance according to its shape, but it has been occasionally overlooked and also pathophysiology of symptomatic plicae may be hard to explain. The authors experienced 7 cases of suprapatellar plica syndrome which mimic soft tissue tumor in 7 patients who had complained of vague pain and ill defined mass around the knee and by arthroscopy found the imperforated suprapatellar plica in which increased hydraulic pressure cavity evokes the clinical symptoms and signs exarnination from 1992 to 1997. We suggest that the suprapatellar plica with complete septum might be clinically significant in patients who are in active life.
Adult ; Arthroscopy ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint

Condyloma acuminatum, a benign disease caused by a filtrable virus, occurs predominantly in the perianal andgenital areas. The lesions are noninvasive but are subject to recurrence. In rare instances, a more aggresive formof this disease, known as "giant condlyloma acuminatum" or "Buschke-Lownestein tumor", occures. In this form,infiltration of the lesion into surrounding structures takes place. This tumor has been reported to occurprincipally in the genitourinary tract. The authors experienced a cases of giant condyloma acuminatum originatingfrom rectum in 67 years old male patient which recurred 3 months after electrofulguration.
Buschke-Lowenstein Tumor ; Humans ; Male ; Rectum ; Recurrence

Although the ultrasonography has been regarded as a important procedure in the diagnosis of intraabdominalabscess, there were relatively few papers concerning the ultrasonographic findings of periappendiceal abscess.Nineteen cases of surgically proven periappendiceal abscess caused by perforated appendicitis were studied byultrasonography at the Kyung Hee University Hospital during last 34 months. The results were as follows; 1.Diagnostic accuracy of the real-time ultrasonography was 94.7%(18/19). There were only one false positive and onefalse negative. 2. The location of abscesses were ; periappendiceal 68.4%(13/19), pelvic 21.0%(4/19), subhepatic5.3%(1/19) and subphrenic 5.3%(1/19) in order of frequency. 3. Variable echo-patterns of abscesses wereencountered. But irregular, thick walled, posteriorly reinforcing, echo-free or mixed echo-patterns were mostcommon.
Abscess ; Appendicitis ; Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: Employee Assistance Programs have recently been introduced to Korea as a potential solution to relieve workers's stress and improve their mental health. This study was conducted to determine the needs of EAPs among manufacturing industry workers in Gyeongsang-do Korea. METHODS: Responses to structured survey questionnaires were received from 556 workers at 7 mediumsized manufacturing factories. RESULTS: Among the 556 workers who responded to the questionnaire 'Prevention & management of work stress', 'Mental health & management of daily life stress', 'Physical exercise health promotion program'. 'Elderly care', 'Outplacement', 'Financial support for leisure activities', and 'Ensuring leisure time'were raised as the main issues and services that they expected to be provided by the company. CONCLUSION: EAPs have recently been introduced in Korean companies. The study results will be helpful to clarify the needs of individual Korean workers and to determine what EAP services should be provided.
Health Promotion ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Mental Health ; Questionnaires

The mesectodermal leiomyosarcoma of the orbit is extremely rare disease. An 81-year-old woman presented with progressive painless proptosis in her right eye of 1 month duration. Computed tomographic scan of the orbit demonstrated 5-cm size lobulating mass of the right orbit which displaces eyeball anteriorly and bulges out to temporalis portion with severe destruction of lateral orbital wall and intracranial extension. For diagnostic pur-pose, incisional biopsy was performed. Light microscopic examination showed the characteristics of neurogenic tumor. Electron microscopic examination disclosed the features of smooth muscle cells as well as neural differentiation of the tumor, leading to the diagnosis of mesectodermal leiomyosarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of mesectodermal leiomyosar-coma of the orbit in Korea
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Orbit ; Rare Diseases

Clonorchiasis is known to be closely related with the development of recurrent pyogenic cholangitis and carcinoma of the bile ducts. In order to ascertain the cholangiographic signs for recurrent pyogenic cholangitis or carcinoma of the bile ducts arising in patients with clonorchiasis. we reviewed cholangiograms in 42 patients with proven clonorchiasis. The population consisted of 29 patients with clonorchiasis alone, six patients with clonorchiasis and recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, and seven patients with clonorchiasis and carcinoma of the bile ducts. Cholangiographic abnormalities in 29 patients with clonorchiasis alone, six patients with clonorchiasis and recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, and seven patients with clonorchiasis and carcinoma of the bile ducts. Cholangiographic abnormalities in 29 patients with clonorchiasis alone were intrahepatic multiple, oval, or elliptic filling defects measuring 2-10 mm in size, representing adult flukes (n=24). The peripheral bile duct were obstructed (n=18), and the margins were ragged (n=20) and hazy (n=12) the intrahepatic bile ducts were dilated diffusely (n=27), and the dilated peripheral small tributaries gave the impression of "too many ducts appearance" (n=7) and dilatation was mid (n=17) In six patients with clonorchiasis and recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, there were filling defects of stones, and the extrahepatic ducts and larger intrahepatic ducts were predominantly dilated. In seven patients with clonorchiasis and cholangiocarcinoma all the biliary tree proximal to the tumor was markedly and diffusely dilated In the latter two groups, filling defects of flukes and associated findings were less prominent, but there was disproportionately severe dilatation of too many intrahepatic ducts. In patients with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis or cholangiocarcinoma, clonorchiasis should be considered as a underlying cause when cholangiogram shows "disproportionately" severe dilatation of too many intrahepatic ducts. intrahepatic ducts.
Adult ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangitis ; Clonorchiasis* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Trematoda

We retrospectively evaulated the frequency and risk factors of glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty by reviewing charts of 96 patients(112eyes) who received the penetrating keratoplasty from May 1992 to Novermber 1995 at Chonnam Universty Hospital. Intraocular pressure was increased over 21mmHg in 18 eyes after surgery. Underlying disease of them were graft failure (5 eyes), bullous keratoplasty(5 eyes), corneal ulcer(5 eyes), trauma(3 eyes). Ten eyes(55.5%) were glaucomatous preoperatively. Eight eyes(44.4%) were phakic, 7 eyes(38.9%) aphakic, and 3 eyes(16.7%) pseudophakic. Ten eyes(55.5%) underwent only penetrating keratoplasty, 4 eyes(22.2%) vitrectomy at the time of penetrating keratoplasty, and 4 eyes(22.2%) combined cataract extraction. The eyes with previous history of glaucoma(19 eyes) had higher incidence of increased intraouclar pressure than those 93 eyes with no glaucoma history(P<0.0001). Aphakic eyes(21 eyes) had higher incidence of glaucoma than phakic eyes(80 eyes)(p<0.05).
Cataract Extraction ; Glaucoma* ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure ; Jeollanam-do ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transplants ; Vitrectomy

We performed a retrospective study of 12,307 patients who visited the emergency room of St. Paul's Hospital, secondary medical center, from January 1 to December 31,1996. The results were as follows : 1. Of 12,307 total patients, male to female ratio was 1.16:1 but after 7th decade, there were more female than male. And 3rd decade was the peak age group. 2. The majority o(patients visited our emergency room from noon to midnight (65% of total patients). 3. On average,33.7 patients visited our emergency room per day. Most patients visited on Sundays and other holidays(average 43.3 per day). 4. By monthly distribution, the patients Increased slightly during May, June, July, August and September. 5. Disease to injury ratio was 2.6:1. In disease, male to female ratio was 1 :1 and in injury, the male prominence had a the ratio 1.8:1 In 2nd decade, disease to injury ratio was higher (1.4:1) than that of other decade. And there were mostly disease patients in the group under 1 year old (19.2: 1). 6. Of 12,307 total patients,5,458 patients received only Intern's treatment (44.3%). In 3rd decade, the ratio of Intern's treatment was higher (54.4%). 7, The patients were categorized as follows, Infernal medicine 28.1%, Pediatrics 18.2fo, Orthopedic surgery 13.2%, Plastic surgery 7.4% etc. 8. Averaged admission rate was 25.3% and the rate of general surgery was the highest (49.5%). The rate of admission to intensive care unit (ICU) was 5.5% of total visiting patients and 21.8% of total admission patients. 9. The total patients transferred from other hospitals were 1152 (9.4%), 3.16 per day. The majority used non-emergency vehicles and only 8.5% of patients used the rescue service or ambulances. 10. The average transit time spent in the emergency room was 182 minutes. The longest was 246 minutes in March and the shortest 127 minutes in January.
Ambulances ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgery, Plastic