Well differentiated osteosarcomas are variants of osteosarcoma composed mainly of fibrous and osseous tissue with minimal cystologic atypia. This tumor may be misinterpretated as a benign lesion if the radiologic and clinical features are not taken into account. We report a typical case of intraosseous well differentiated osteosarcoma occuring in the left distal femur of a 58-year-old woman. Radiologically, it appered as an ill-defined lesion with a mixture of sclerotic and osteolytic ares. But there was a lack of highly destructive appearance of conventional osteosarcoma. Grossly, the mass occupied a metaphysis of the distal femur with extension into the diaphysis and epiphysis. Multifocal cortical destruction and sclerosis were also associated. Histologically, the mass showed typical features of intraosseous well differentiated osteosarcoma. There were various patterns of osteoid deposits and bone formation mimicking those of fibrous dysplasia, nonossifying fibroma or parosteal osteosarcoma.
Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify psychopathologies of sexually abused children and intervening variables of symptom severity. METHODS: Eighty-four school-aged children were identified for sexual abuse from a center for child sexual abuse by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and social workers. We analyzed correlations among symptom severity, types of sexual abuse, gender, age, relationship with the abuser, family system, and current and past psychopathologies. RESULTS: The percentage of victims with particular psychiatric disorders (current) were 79.8%. Children without identifiable disorders were 20.2%, but these children had significantly increased scores on self report scales of anxiety (RCMAS), depression (CDI), and withdrawal scores on parental reports of child behavior checklist (K-CBCL). Sixty nine percent of abused children had primary diagnosis related to sexual abuse in DSM-IV diagnositic system. PTSD was 41.7%, depressive disorder was 38.1%, and anxiety disorder was 21.4%. Psychopathologies were more severe if perpetrators were of acquaintance or if victims had previous psychopathologies or parent-child relational problems. Types of primary caregiver and older age were also related to the severity of psychopathologies. CONCLUSION: Present study suggests that most victims of childhood sexual abuse suffer from significant psychological distress. Intervening variables are relationship with the perpetrator, previous mental health status, age of the child, type of the primary care taker, and the quality of parent-child relationship.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Caregivers ; Checklist ; Child Abuse, Sexual ; Child Behavior ; Child* ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mental Health ; Parent-Child Relations ; Parents ; Primary Health Care ; Psychiatry ; Psychology ; Psychopathology* ; Self Report ; Sex Offenses ; Social Workers ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the pattern and factors associated with women's use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during postpartum in Korea. METHODS: With a descriptive survey design, data of 423 postpartum women were collected via online and offline surveys. RESULTS: A total of 251 women (59.3%) reported CAM use during postpartum. Eating animal-based foods (65.3%), plant-based health foods (52.2%), and using oriental medicine (31.8%) were commonly used in postpartum women. The reason for using CAM were physical recovery (39.1%), breastfeeding (29.7%), weight loss (24.8%), prevention of postpartum complications (5.1%), and others (1.3%). People who recommended CAM use was mainly family (41.3%), and expense of using CAM was 751,188 Korea won. Most women discussed CAM use with doctor (44.9%), and 29.3% of women didn't even consult CAM use with health care providers. Most of (72.3%) women were satisfied with CAM use. Higher level of education and monthly income, being employed, primipara, normal range of gestational weight gain, no abortion experience, and no maternal complication were significantly associated with CAM use in postpartum women. CONCLUSION: Results of this study were somewhat different from those of western research. Findings offer baseline data of CAM use in postpartum women, and health care providers need to understand it when they care for them.
Breast Feeding ; Complementary Therapies* ; Eating ; Education ; Female ; Food, Organic ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Korea ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Postpartum Period* ; Reference Values ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss

Background: Recent studies have shown that oral administration of probiotics may improve the immune imbalance caused by dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in atopic dermatitis (AD). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and immunological effects of Lactobacillus pentosus in children with mild to moderate AD. Methods: Children aged 2–13 years with AD were randomized to receive either 1.0 × 1010 colony-forming units of L. pentosus or placebo, daily, for 12 weeks. The clinical severity of AD and transepidermal water loss were evaluated. Blood eosinophil counts, serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and cytokine levels were measured. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were also analyzed. Results: Eighty-two children were recruited, and 41 were assigned to the probiotics intervention group. The mean scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) indices at baseline were 30.4 and 34.3 for the probiotics and placebo groups, respectively. At week 12, the mean indices were 23.6 and 23.1 for the probiotics and placebo groups, respectively. Clinical severity decreased significantly over time in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups. In both groups, there were no significant differences in cytokine levels, microbial diversity, or the relative abundance of the gut microbiota at week 12 compared with the corresponding baseline values. The mean subjective scores of SCORAD indices after intervention for the probiotics group were significantly lower than those for the placebo group in IgE sensitized AD (P = 0.019). Conclusion Our results show improved symptoms in the probiotics and placebo groups, and we could not find additional effects of L. pentosus in AD. However, the mean subjective scores of SCORAD indices for the probiotics group are significantly improved compared with those for the placebo group in allergen-sensitized AD.

BACKGROUND: Unintended intravenous injection of bupivacaine causes severe cardiovascular complication, which is known for its difficulty in resuscitation. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of pretreatment with midazolam and droperidol in the cardiac toxicity caused by intravenous infusion of bupivacaine. METHODS: Thirty rabbits were divided into three groups; saline- as a control, midazolam, and droperidol pretreated group. We observed the time intervals for the arrhythmia, 25% and 50% reduction in baseline mean arterial blood pressure, and arrest. We also checked the dose of infused bupivacaine to be required for arrest during continuous intravenous infusion of bupivacaine at the rate of 1 mg/kg/min. RESULTS: The onset of dysrhythmia and the time to 50% reduction in baseline mean arterial blood pressure and arrest were significantly more delayed in the midazolam group than the control group (P < 0.05). With respect to the time to 25%, 50% reduction in baseline mean arterial blood pressure and arrest, the data of the droperidol group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Droperidol pretreatment hastened bupivacaine induced cardiac arrest in rabbits. Midazolam pretreatment exerted protective effects on arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. Thus midazolam would be a preferable agent as a supplement for regional anesthesia using bupivacaine.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arterial Pressure ; Bupivacaine* ; Droperidol* ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Arrest, Induced ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Injections, Intravenous ; Midazolam* ; Rabbits* ; Resuscitation

Urethral reconstruction is a problematic issue, thus its management can be challenging. Different methods using various materials were introduced for urethral reconstruction. The authors have made some changes in the groin flap surgery, affording more successful urethral reconstruction for defects of long urethra and penile soft tissue. A 45-year-old male requested both functional and cosmetic reconstruction of his defected penis, caused by an iatrogenic urethral injury and chronic infection following removal of paraffin self-injected on the penile shaft. The defect affected the full length of the penile urethra, corpus spongiosum, and prepuce. A groin flap was designed, measuring 28×10 cm. The most distal flap was utilized for the construction of the luminal surface of the neourethra; relaxed length measuring 8 cm, and the lumen wide enough. Competent external meatus and neourethra was confirmed by retrograde cystogram and the patient voided with sufficient urine caliber up to 2 years follow-up. This operative technique has advantages. Donor sites have non-hair bearing skin for the neourethra and minimal or almost not-recognizable donor site morbidity. After surgery, the patient was relieved from voiding difficulties combined with psychological stress. The author would like to introduce a unique approach for the urethral and ventral phalloplasty using the groin flap.
Follow-Up Studies ; Genitalia ; Groin* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paraffin ; Penis ; Phenobarbital ; Skin ; Stress, Psychological ; Tissue Donors ; Urethra

The adverse effects of pain in post-surgery or trauma patients are well documented. A reliable, safe approach to achieving unilateral analgesia in multiple contiguous thoracic dermatomes would be of great benefit to anesthesiologists in acute pain setting following thoracic or upper abdominal surgery. The aim of this study of post-cholecystectomy pain was to compare two methods of postoperative analgesia with interpleural block and paravertebral block with bupivacaine. Thirty otherwise healthy patients who had undergone elective cholecystectomy through a subcostal incision were randomly allocated to two groups of fifteen patients each and given either interpleural block(group 1) or paravertebral block(group 2) with 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 1:200,000 epinephrine through a single catheter. The degree of analgesia was assessed by a verbal rating scale, Prince Henry pain score and a visual analogue scale(VAS 1-10 cm ; O=no pain, 10=worst pain). These pain scores and vital signs were assessed just before and 10, 20, 30, 60 and 120 minutes after injection of bupivacaine. The onset time of analgesia was similar in both groups(6.6+/-3.74 minutes in group 1 and 5.5+/-2.88 minutes in group 2), but the duration of analgesia was significantly longer in group 1(6.5+/-1.92 hours) than group 2(4.5+/-2.17 hours)(p<0.05). In both groups Prince Henry pain scores significantly decreased 10 minutes after injection of bupivacaine and VAS also significantly decreased 10 and 20 minutes after injection(p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between two groups. The systolic blood pressure decreased 10 minutes after the injection of bupivacaine in both groups(Group 1-3.7%, Group 2-6.5%) and the diastolic blood pressure decreased 10 minutes after the injection of bupivacaine only in group 1(2.5%), (p<0.05), however, these changes in arterial blood pressure were of minimal clinical significance. There is no complication in group 1, but 2 out of 15 patients in group 2 showed bilateral blockade without any serious hemodynamic derangement clinically. In conclusion, both techniques showed similarity in the onset and the degree of analgesia except the duration of analgesia, and presented only a few minor complications. Therefore, we feel that paravertebral block can be used in case that coexisting pulmonary or pleural pathology limits the use of interpleural block for post-cholecystectomy pain management. Furthermore, either of the two techniques may be used alternatively in management of thoracic or upper abdominal pain according to technical skill and preference of anesthesiologists.
Abdominal Pain ; Acute Pain ; Analgesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Bupivacaine* ; Catheters ; Cholecystectomy* ; Epinephrine ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Pain Management ; Pathology ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a mentoring program designed to help middle school girls from low income families cope with stress and improve self-esteem. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design was used. The independent variable was the mentoring program, in which the mentors were nursing students and the mentees were middle school girls. The dependent variables were stress and self-esteem scores. The program was conducted using group activities and personal approaches through the mentor-mentee relationship. The program was conducted from September 1 to December 11, 2010 in a middle school in A city, South Korea. RESULTS: At follow-up, the stress and mental health scores had improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group. The self-esteem scores in the intervention group were significantly higher after the intervention than scores before the intervention. However there was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that mentoring programs have the potential to be developmentally appropriate interventions for stress management and self-esteem improvement in adolescents from vulnerable families and also enable nursing students as mentors to gain confidence in their professional capability.
Adolescent ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Mentors ; Phosphatidylethanolamines ; Poverty ; Students, Nursing

Craniosynostosis is defined as the premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures resulting in skull deformity. Characteristically, this disorder can cause diverse neurosurgical problems, as well as abnormal skull shape. Intracranial hypertension, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation and neuropsychological dysfunction are the major neurosurgical concerns in children with craniosynostosis. In this review article, we investigate pathophysiology, characteristics and proper neurosurgical management of these neurosurgical issues, respectively.
Child* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Cranial Sutures ; Craniosynostoses* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Hypertension ; Skull

PURPOSE: The evaluation of clinical skills and attitudes is an essential component of any examination assessing clinical competency. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was introduced in the 1980's to medical educators for the objective evaluation of clinical competency. In this study, the authors describe and analyse their experience with developing and implementing the OSCE for the board licensure examination of plastic surgeons in Korea. METHODS: We developed a 50-minute long OSCE consisting of ten 5-minute (4.5 minute for examination at each station and 0.5 minute for transfer) stations, duplicated. We divided 74 applicants into 8 groups (about 10 applicants per group). Four stations out of the ten in each station-set used a standardized patient (SP). We compared the scores of the duplicated station-sets to assess the reliability of scoring between station-sets. And we analysed the applicants' questionnaire survey feedbacks on this experience administered at the end of the examination. RESULTS: The passing rate of the examination was 100%. The total scores were statistically different between the two station-sets. Applicants were satisfied with the examination, and felt that the problem-solving processes adopted in each station were valid and appropriate for the assessment of clinical competency for board licensure examination. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the OSCE can be widely applied to board licensure examinations of various specialties.
Clinical Competence ; Humans ; Korea ; Licensure* ; Surveys and Questionnaires