No abstract available.
Radiation, Ionizing

OBJECTIVES: To assess the absorption of α-tocopherol acetate and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, which are used as active ingredients in toothpaste, into a reconstructed gingival tissue. METHODS: EpiGingival™ tissues were treated with a 25% slurry of toothpaste containing 2% α-tocopherol acetate and 0.3% 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, for 2 minutes. The treatment was repeated up to 6 times, with 1 hour intervals. After completion of all treatments, the active ingredients in the tissue extracts and receiver solutions were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Although α-tocopherol acetate was not detected, α-tocopherol was detected in the tissue extracts, indicating that α-tocopherol acetate was bioconverted to α-tocopherol after absorption. We could detect 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid both in the tissue extracts and in the receiver solutions, with a positive correlation to the number of treatments. CONCLUSIONS: We found that our toothpaste effectively delivered α-tocopherol acetate and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid to a reconstructed gingival tissue in vitro.
Absorption* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Tissue Extracts ; Toothpastes

We report a 40-year-old man with known neuro-Behcet's disease who showed Fregoli syndrome after a seizure attack. A patient with Fregoli syndrome strongly believes that the psychological identity of a familiar person remains unchanged while at the same time there is a marked change in physical identity. The anatomical basis of Fregoli syndrome is still unclear; our patient showed right hippocampal vasculitis in MRI and frontal dysfunction in neuropsychological testing.
Adult ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Seizures ; Vasculitis*

Kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (kEDS) is an autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterized by muscular hypotonia, hyperextensible skin, skin fragility, joint hypermobility, and progressive kyphoscoliosis. The disorder results from a deficiency of the enzyme collagen lysyl hydroxylase 1 due to mutations in the gene PLOD1. We describe the rare cases of kEDS in Korean siblings with two novel compound heterozygous variants, c.926_934del (p.Leu309_Leu311del) and c.2170_2172del (p.Phe724del) in the PLOD1 gene. They had congenital hypotonia, joint laxity, skin hyperextensibility, Marfanoid habitus, high myopia and atrophic scarring. The younger sibling had an early-onset progressive kyphoscoliosis, while the older sibling showed mild scoliosis during childhood. Intrafamilial variability of the clinical severity and age of kyphoscoliosis onset observed in our cases.

Kyphoscoliotic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (kEDS) is an autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterized by muscular hypotonia, hyperextensible skin, skin fragility, joint hypermobility, and progressive kyphoscoliosis. The disorder results from a deficiency of the enzyme collagen lysyl hydroxylase 1 due to mutations in the gene PLOD1. We describe the rare cases of kEDS in Korean siblings with two novel compound heterozygous variants, c.926_934del (p.Leu309_Leu311del) and c.2170_2172del (p.Phe724del) in the PLOD1 gene. They had congenital hypotonia, joint laxity, skin hyperextensibility, Marfanoid habitus, high myopia and atrophic scarring. The younger sibling had an early-onset progressive kyphoscoliosis, while the older sibling showed mild scoliosis during childhood. Intrafamilial variability of the clinical severity and age of kyphoscoliosis onset observed in our cases.

Cytogenetic dosimetry is useful for evaluating the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation based on analysis of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations. We created two types of in vitro dose-response calibration curves for dicentric chromosomes (DC) and translocations (TR) induced by X-ray irradiation, using an electron linear accelerator, which is the most frequently used medical device in radiotherapy. We irradiated samples from four healthy Korean individuals and compared the resultant curves between individuals. Aberration yields were studied in a total of 31,800 and 31,725 metaphases for DC and TR, respectively, obtained from 11 X-ray irradiation dose-points (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Gy). The dose-response relationship followed a linear-quadratic equation, Y=C+αD+βD², with the coefficients C=0.0011 for DC and 0.0015 for TR, α=0.0119 for DC and 0.0048 for TR, and β=0.0617 for DC and 0.0237 for TR. Correlation coefficients between irradiation doses and chromosomal aberrations were 0.971 for DC and 0.6 for TR, indicating a very strong and a moderate correlation, respectively. This is the first study implementing cytogenetic dosimetry following exposure to ionizing X-radiation.
Calibration ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetics ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiotherapy

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative and granulomatous-disease caused by Actinomycosis israelli. Clinical presentation of the abdominal form of actinomycosis is nonspecific-pain, fever, leukocytosis, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a sensation of abdominal mass and a formation of fistula. In addition, abdominal actinomycosis may mimic a carcinoma, diverticular abscess, inflammatory bowel disease, and tuberculosis. Most of abdominal actinomycosis develops after trauma, appendicitis, diverticulitis or gastrointestinal perforation. We report a case of abdominal actinomycosis preoperatively mimicking as colon carcinoma, which had no predisposing factors.
Abscess ; Actinomycosis* ; Appendicitis ; Blood Sedimentation ; Causality ; Colon* ; Diverticulitis ; Fever ; Fistula ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Leukocytosis ; Sensation ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Sun exposure increases skin cancer risk. However, little is known about general awareness, knowledge and behavior of skin cancer among Korean people. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine and compare the awareness and knowledge of skin cancer and sun protection behavior among Koreans, foreigners, and doctors, excluding dermatologists. METHODS: A written questionnaire was distributed to 1,091 Koreans, 113 foreigners, and 99 doctors. RESULTS: Most people (68.9%) knew that the sun was dangerous for their skin and the majority of people (59.0%) were aware that sun exposure increased skin cancer risk. However, the general knowledge score of skin cancer for Koreans was limited to half that of foreigners. In other words, Korean people recognized skin cancer, but they had a limited knowledge of detail. The general behavior score of Korean people was about two thirds of that of foreigners. The non-dermatologic doctors' score was similar to that of foreigners. CONCLUSION: Although the majority of Koreans are aware that sun exposure increases skin cancer, they don't seem to have a detailed knowledge of skin cancer prevention or early detection. Therefore, a nation-wide skin cancer education and prevention program is strongly required and dermatologists should play a major role in this program.
Education ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Humans ; Korea* ; Questionnaires ; Skin Neoplasms* ; Skin* ; Solar System

OBJECTIVE: Uterine sarcoma is relatively rare tumor of mesodermal origin, and constitutes 2% to 6% of uterine malignancies. It is the most malignant group of gynecologic tumors and presents difficult problems in regard to diagnosis and management. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinicopathologic findings and outcome of patients with uterine sarcoma. METHODS: From March 1990 to March 2004, 8 patients were evaluated with histologically proven uterine sarcoma at department of obstetrics and gynecology of Gyeongsang University Hospital for their clinical profiles and survival retrospectively. RESULTS: The age of patients with uterine sarcoma ranged 39 to 71, and the mean age was 58.4 years. The common presenting symptoms were abnormal uterine bleeding, abdominal pain and lower abdominal palpable mass. Using the FIGO classification: two patients had stage I, one patients had stage II, two patients had stage III, three patients had stage IV disease. Four patients were treated with surgery followed by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, three patients were treated surgery alone, and one patient was treated with radiotherapy alone. Recurrences were revealed at two patients, and the sites were pelvis and brain. The mean duration of follow up was 25.1 months and the overall 2 years survival rate was 25%. The most common pathologic type of uterine sarcomas was leiomyosarcoma. MMMT (malignant mixed mullerian tumor) showed worse prognosis than LMS (leiomyosarcoma) or ESS (endometrial stromal sarcoma). CONCLUSION: Uterine sarcoma are aggressive tumors with a poor prognosis. Age and stage were significant prognostic factor. The primary treatment modality has been surgical resection. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not get been clearly defined and further large scaled multicentric studies are needed.
Abdominal Pain ; Brain ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Mesoderm ; Obstetrics ; Pelvis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma* ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: We evaluated the efficacy of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting additional malignancies in breast cancer patients newly diagnosed by breast ultrasonography and mammography. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1,038 breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative mammography, bilateral breast ultrasonography, and subsequent breast MRI between August 2007 and December 2010 at single institution in Korea. MRI-detected additional lesions were defined as those lesions detected by breast MRI that were previously undetected by mammography and ultrasonography and which would otherwise have not been identified. RESULTS: Among the 1,038 cases, 228 additional lesions (22.0%) and 30 additional malignancies (2.9%) were detected by breast MRI. Of these 228 lesions, 109 were suspected to be malignant (Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System category 4 or 5) on breast MRI and second-look ultrasonography and 30 were pathologically confirmed to be malignant (13.2%). Of these 30 lesions, 21 were ipsilateral to the main lesion and nine were contralateral. Fourteen lesions were in situ carcinomas and 16 were invasive carcinomas. The positive predictive value of breast MRI was 27.5% (30/109). No clinicopathological factors were significantly associated with additional malignant foci. CONCLUSION: Breast MRI was useful in detecting additional malignancy in a small number of patients who underwent ultrasonography and mammography.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mammography* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography* ; Ultrasonography, Mammary