Intracranial lipomas located in the cerebellopontine angle are extremely rare. These tumors are maldevelopmental lesions which can cause slowly progessive neurological symptoms. The clinical management of these tumours differs significantly from other lesions in this region. A 45 year old man presented with a 3-month history of vertigo and tinnitus in the left ear. In T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, the lesion was hyperintense and did not enhance after application of gadolinium. The patient was treated with medical therapy with good response. We present a review of the literature, with particular regard to management. Conservative treatment is recommended and limited surgery is usually indicated if the patients suffer from disabling neurological symptoms and signs e.g., vertigo, nausea, trigeminal neuralgia, facial weakness or facial spasm.
Cerebellopontine Angle ; Ear ; Gadolinium ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Spasm ; Tinnitus ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; Vertigo

Backgroud: To evaluate the appropriateness of the requests of the emergency transfusions, 3 year experiences in the use of the immediate-spin crossmatched blood(ISMB) for emergency transfusions in tertiary hospital were reviewed. METHODS: Low-isotonic salt solution was used as a cell suspension and crossmatchings were continued including antiglobulin phase after issuing of the ISMB. The number of cases, the issuing time, sex, age, reasons for emergency transfusions and vital signs of the patients were retrospectively reviewed. Only cases of massive transfusions and classes III and IV according to the Advanced Trauma Life Support(ATLS) classification were considered appropriate. RESULTS: 1. The total number of emergency transfusions were 614 and 0.53 cases per day. The average age of the patients was 44.7+/-17.8 and male to female ratio was 2:1. And 357 cases(58.2%) were performed during off hours when the hospital was not fully staffed. 2. Six hundred thirteen cases(99.8%) were transfused with compatible blood. However, one case(0.2%) was found to have anti-E antibody during the emergency transfusion. 3. Massive transfusion was performed only in 32% of the total cases and the reasons of emergency transfusions in remaining cases were upper gastrointestinal bleeding(53%), trauma(19.2%) and obstetrical problems(16.8%). 4. Of the total 519 cases reviewed, 392 cases(75.5%) were considered appropriately, and 127 cases(24.5%) were considered inappropriately selected for emergency transfusions. CONCLUSIONS: One fourth of emergency transfusions was found to be inappropriate. We believe that the use of ISMB for emergency transfusions should be carefully requested by physicians and educational programs for the use of ISMB is clearly indicated for emergency transfusion management.
Classification ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vital Signs

The purpose of this study was to investigate setting and thermal expansion of dental soldering investments. In order to compare expansion rates and to investigate the effect of water/powder ratio on expansion, setting and thermal expansion of four dental soldering investments were measured under three different water/powder ratio conditions: standard, 20% decreased and 20% increased. Setting expansion of investments was measured by use of dialgauge method. Each measurement was started two minutes later from the beginning of spatulation and recorded every one minute for one hour. Thermal expansion of cylindrical test specimens, 10mm diameter, 50mm length, was recorded in a Thermodilatometer at heating rate of 10degrees C per minute from 25degrees C to 700degrees C. The results of this study were obtained as follows: 1. Setting expansion rates under the standard water/power ratio condition were 0.198% in Speed-E, 0.090% in Deguvest, 0.080% in CM and Hi-temp. Setting expansion of Speed-E was significantly different from those of CM, Deguvest and Hi-temp, and setting expansion of Deguvest was significantly different from those of CM and Hi-temp(p<.05). 2. Under the decreased water/powder ratio condition, there was significant increase in setting expansion of 4 dental soldering investments(p<.05). 3. There were no significant differences in setting expansions of investments except Hi-temp between standard and increased water/powder ratio condition(p<.05). 4. Thermal expansion rates under the standard water/powder ratio condition were 1.923% in Deguvest, 1.629% in Speed-E, 1.619% in Hi-temp and 1.580% in CM. No significant difference in thermal expansions under the standard water/powder ratio condition existed only between Speed-E and Hi-temp(p<.05). 5. Under the decreased water/powder ratio condition, there was significant increase in thermal expansion of CM and Deguvest but decrease in thermal expansion of Speed-E(p<.05). 6. Under the increased water/powder ratio condition, there was significant decrease in thermal expansion of CM, Deguvest and Speed-E but decrease in thermal expansion of Hi-temp(p<.05).
Dental Soldering* ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Investments*

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the cytokine released from the white blood cells (WBC) in the stored platelet concentrates may induce febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions. Few studies, however, have examined the effects of cytokine on platelet activation. METHODS: The platelets from healthy donors were incubated with interleukin (IL) at the final concentration of IL-8 0.5 ng/mL, 3 ng/mL, 5 ng/mL, 10 ng/mL, 1000 ng/mL, and IL-6 0.1 ng/mL, 0.5 ng/mL, 1 ng/mL, 5 ng/mL, respectively. The activated platelets were stained with monoclonal antibodies of PAC-1 and CD62, and were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The ranges of mean percent of PAC-1 and CD62 expressions on platelets were 61.1-71.4% and 9.0-12.5% by incubating with IL-8, and 69.0-73.4% and 13.0-13.9% with IL-6, respectively. There were no significant differences of PAC-1 and CD62 expressions on platelets among the various concentrations of IL-8 nor IL-6. In 0.5 ng/mL concentration, the mean percentage of CD62 expressions on platelets by incubating with IL-6 (13.8%) were greater than that of IL-8 (9.0%). CONCLUSION: During the period of the storage of platelet concentrates, the IL-6 and IL-8 secreted by WBC can activate platelets and thus the suppression of the cytokine secretion may be important for increasing post-transfusional survival of platelets.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Platelets* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Interleukins ; Leukocytes ; Platelet Activation* ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: More attention is given to oxidative hypothesis which causes atherosclerosis to be recognized as inflammatory response. The relationship between serum ferritin which catalyzes lipid peroxidation and high sensitivity C-reactive protein which reflects vascular inflammation was investigated among adults in a health promotion center. METHODS: The study group consisted of 297 men and women (men 86, women 211) who visited the health promotion center of a hospital in Seoul to have a health checkup from October 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. These subjects answered the questionnares and were measured in the following; blood tests, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and several anthropometric measurements. Statistical analysis was performed on 111 subjects after exclusion of those subjects who were taking antihypertensive agents or antidiabetic agents, and who had acute inflammatory diseases, acute liver diseases, anemia, and who had a WBC > or =11,000x10(3)/mm3 or a serum ferritin > or =200 ug/L or a ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) <0.9. RESULTS: The average serum ferritin concentration of men against women was 132.57+/-43.12 ng/ml to 78.23+/-38.10 ng/ml which means that men have about 1.7 times as high concentration than women (P<0.001). Serum ferritin was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.332). Even in multiple stepwise regression analysis, there was a independent relationship between serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (beta=0.138, P=0.010). When we analyzed with distinction of sex, this relationship in women was constant (beta=0.131, P=0.031), but serum ferritin in men just showed the trend of correlation with BMI (beta=9.510, P=0.059). CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between the increase of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in healthy women; furthermore, studies in men need to be confirmed.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anemia ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Atherosclerosis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Female ; Ferritins ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Pulse Wave Analysis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and chewing discomfort and identify the role of food insecurity in the association's causal pathway in a representative sample of Korean elders.MATERIALS/METHODS: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015) data for elders aged ≥ 65 years.Socioeconomic status indicators used included household income and education level.Chewing discomfort was assessed according to the self-reported presence of chewing problems. Food security was surveyed using a questionnaire based on the US Household Food Security Survey Module. RESULTS: The odds ratios of chewing discomfort in the 1st and 2nd income quartiles were 1.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.10) and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.03–1.90), respectively, compared to participants in the highest income quartile. Participants with the lowest education level were 1.89 (95% CI, 1.30–2.75) times more likely to have chewing discomfort than those without chewing discomfort. After including food security in the final model, the logistic coefficients were attenuated in the income and education quartiles. CONCLUSIONS Low socioeconomic status was associated with chewing discomfort. In addition, the results confirm that food insecurity can mediate the association between socioeconomic inequalities and chewing discomfort among the elderly.

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is one of significant risk factors of developing diabetes. The persons with IFG are, thus, an important target group for primary prevention of diabetes. It is well known that plasma homocysteine concentration may be increased in poor folate nutritional status. Elevated level of plasma homocysteine is considered as a marker of enhanced oxidative stress. In addition, the protective effect against oxidative stress may be diminished in poor antioxidative nutrient status as vitamin C. It is, therefore, important to maintain adequate nutritional status of folate and vitamin C in the patients with type 2 diabetes or IFG. This study was performed to determine the effects of supplementation of folic acid or vitamin C on plasma concentrations of homocysteine, oxidized LDL, and lipids and on the activity of plasma anti-oxidative enzyme in patients with IFG. A total of 97 patients with IFG were participated voluntarily with written consents. They were divided into one of the four experimental groups; Control (C), Folatesupplemented (F), Ascorbate-supplemented (A), and Folate plus ascorbate-supplemented (FA). The subjects in C were taken placebo, those in F were supplemented 1 mg of folate, those in A were received 1,000 mg of vitamin C, and those in FA were given 1 mg of folate plus 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily for 4 weeks. No change in plasma concentrations of vitamin C, lipids, and oxidized LDL and the activity of GSH-Px were observed in vitamin C-supplemented group (A + FA) and folate-supplemented group (F + FA) compared to the placebo group (C + A). Only the folate-supplemented group (F + FA) had significantly increased average serum folate concentration and lowered plasma homocysteine concentration compared to the placebo group (C + A). Thus, it should be recommended the patients with IFG to increase folate intake through diets and, if it is not sufficient, to take folic acid supplements to prevent the development of complications induced by hyperhomocysteinemia as well as oxidative stress.
Adult ; Ascorbic Acid ; Diet ; Fasting ; Folic Acid ; Glucose ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Nutritional Status ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Primary Prevention ; Risk Factors ; Vitamins

BACKGROUND: There is a need to prepare an adequate blood supply because of the imbalance between the blood supply and demand and the advent of an aging society. This paper presents the basic data for the blood supply and demand through an estimation of the blood donation and blood usage over the next ten years. METHODS: Data analysis was carried out using time-series methods. The data for the monthly blood donation from the Korean Red Cross from 1992 to 2004 was used to estimate the blood donation, and data of the blood supply from the Korean Red Cross and hospitals from 2000 to 2004 for the estimation of the blood supply for transfusion. In order to overcome the limits of the time-series methods, one prospect excluding the data from the year 2004 and the other prospect including the data from the year 2004 were analyzed simultaneously. RESULTS: According to the analysis performed with data from the year 2004 excluded, blood donation rate is expected to decrease to 2.5% in 2015 and the total blood demand (1,435,903 units), which is composed of RBC and single donor platelet, is expected to exceed the total blood donation (1,408,244 donors) by 2015. According to the analysis performed with the data from the year 2004 included, the blood donation rate is expected to decrease to 1.3% in 2015 and the total blood demand (1,760,219 units) is expected to exceed the total blood donation (1,639,042 donors) in 2009. CONCLUSION: A shortage of blood supply is expected to occur during the next ten years. In order to eliminate this blood shortage, a national data management system for blood collection and usage will be needed. In addition, adequate donor resources as well as a monitoring system will be needed to improve the efficiency of blood usage.
Aging ; Blood Donors ; Blood Platelets ; Humans ; Red Cross ; Statistics as Topic ; Tissue Donors

An abnormal dipping pattern in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is a cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. However, its impact on CV mortality has not been investigated sufficiently in clinical practice to be considered a standard parameter. We assessed the association between abnormal dipping patterns and increased CV mortality in a tertiary hospital in Korea. Our retrospective cohort study included 401 patients who underwent ABPM between 1994 and 1996 in Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. The patients were classified as risers (<0% drop in systolic BP; n=107), and others included dippers and non-dippers (> or =0% drop, n=294). The follow-up period was 120 months. The frequency of CV mortality was 14.0% in risers and 5.8% in others. A Cox regression analysis found a significant association between dipping pattern and CV mortality, after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and hypercholesterolemia. Risers were at greater risk of CV death than others (RR, 3.02, P=0.022), but there was no difference in event rates between dippers and non-dippers. The reverse dipping pattern may be more frequent in clinical settings than in the population at large, and it is strongly associated with increased risk of CV mortality in Korea.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Blood Pressure/*physiology ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/*mortality ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Regression Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

BACKGROUND: To ensure safety of blood transfusion, accuracy in performance of blood grouping tests (BGT) is essential. External proficiency testing (PT) for BGT has not been conducted in Korea. The first PT for BGT in domestic blood centers was conducted in order to evaluate the domestic status of accuracy of BGT in blood centers and to aid in improving the quality of blood centers. METHODS: Whole blood survey specimens consisting of three panels for ABO grouping and two panels for Rh typing were sent to 81 blood centers. Evaluation criteria for BGT were as follows: 'Good' for answers with 100% referee consensus, 'Acceptable' for correct answers other than those of the referee, and 'Unacceptable' for answers other than those of 'Good+acceptable' as correct answers. RESULTS: Rates of correct answers on three panels for ABO grouping were all 100%; however, that of cell typing for the panel with BW was 61.7%, and 31 blood centers incorrectly reported normal 'B' type as an answer. The rate of correct answers for the Rh negative panel was 100%; however, that for the weak D panel was 84%, and 13 blood centers incorrectly reported Rh negative type as an answer. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study demonstrated that some hospital blood centers were not able to correctly detect blood groups with weak antigens. Therefore, to improve the quality of blood centers, intensive education for blood center staff and continued PT for BGT should be required.
Blood Group Antigens ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; Blood Transfusion ; Consensus ; Dietary Sucrose ; Korea