OBJECTIVE: To find out general characteristics, common problems, outcomes of delivery of unmarried mothers and related social factors, and to provide basic information based on the results in order to change social systems and to have a correct understanding of unmarried mothers. METHODS: We studied 196 unmarried mothers who delivered from Jan. 2003 to Aug. 2004. All data were collected by survey whose groups were divided into three by ages, and they were analyzed by Fisher's exact test obstetrically and socially. It verified 95% significant level. RESULTS: Cesarean section rate was 14.3% which is remarkably lower than married mothers. However, it is getting higher (p=0.003) as they are older, and the rate of group of 30s is similar to that of married mothers. Also, the average birth weight of unmarried mothers' babies is 3,056 gm and it is similar to that of married mothers. They took prenatal care only 3.27 times and 22% of them did not commence it until the 3rd trimester. Fifty seven percent drank alcohols, 51% smoked, and 49% used drugs during pregnancy. Most unmarried mothers who took this survey had a lower level and economic status. After delivery, 16.3% of them raise their babies and 83.7% of them had their babies adopted through welfare facilities. CONCLUSION: We conclude that it is necessary to have a social system, welfare facilities, and financial supports that educate contraceptive measures to potential unmarried mothers, let them recognize their situations, and protect them.
Alcohols ; Birth Weight ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Financial Support ; Humans ; Illegitimacy* ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Prenatal Care ; Single Person* ; Smoke ; Social Welfare*

BACKGROUND: Tongue cancer comprises 10% of all head and neck cancer, and in spite of progress of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures in oncology, the prognosis of tongue cancer remains poor because of rich lymphatics of the tongue and high propensity of early subclinical lymph node metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen cases of tongue cancer specimens were sectioned serially and reviewed to investigate the correlations between macroscopic surface extension diameter and microscopic depth of invasion. And correlations between surface extension, muscular invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis of tongue cancer were studied. Furthermore, safety margin for glossectomy was also studied. RESULTS: The obtained results were as follows: 1) The macroscopic diameter of surface extension and microscopic depth of invasion of tongue cancer were correlated to each other (especially when the macroscopic diameter of surface extension was below 20 mm).2) Surface extension and muscular invasion were correlated independently with cervical lymph node metastasis. However, the 95% confidence index using the Cornfield method was too broad in order to draw a correlation among these three factors. 3) The safety margin was between 2.3mm and 13.5 mm. CONCLUSION: Macroscopic surface extension of tongue cancer serves as a valuable prognostic factor in predicting the depth of muscular invasion. Therefore, the safety resection depth can be estimated by the surface extension. In 12 cases of muscular invasions, relatively high prevalence of cervical lymph node metastasis were found, when compared to that of non-muscular invasive cancer. Therefore, muscular invasion itself is a very useful prognostic factor. But it is difficult to confirm the correlation between muscular invasion and cervical lymph node metastasis because of too broad CI.
Glossectomy ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prevalence ; Prognosis* ; Tongue Neoplasms* ; Tongue*

Although metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and the development of atherosclerosis, consensus is still lacking on the status of cardiovascular function and geometry in MetS patients. We investigated the relation between MetS and left ventricle (LV) geometry and function, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial stiffness in a community-based cohort of 702 adult subjects. Subjects were categorized into three groups according to the number of MetS components present, as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines: 1) Absent (0 criteria), 2) Pre-MetS (1-2 criteria) or 3) MetS (> or =3 criteria). In female subjects, LV mass, LV mass/height(2.7), deceleration time, and aortic pulse wave velocity increased, and E/A ration decreased in a stepwise manner across the three groups. These changes were not observed in male subjects. The mean carotid IMT was higher in the MetS group than in the other two groups. The degree of MetS clustering is found to be strongly correlated with geometric eccentricity of LV hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and arterial changes irrespective of age and blood pressure status, particularly in females. Waist circumference is found to have the most powerful effect on cardiovascular parameters.
Adult ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/*physiopathology ; Cardiovascular System/pathology/*physiopathology ; Carotid Arteries/anatomy & histology/physiology ; *Cohort Studies ; Female ; Heart Ventricles/anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; *Rural Population ; Ventricular Function, Left/physiology

Paraduodenal hernias are rare congenital malrotational anomalies of midgut that arise in the potential spaces and folds of the posterior parietal peritoneum adjacent to the ligament of Treitz and can lead to intestinal obstruction. Also, they have shown several presentation patterns, such as asymptomatic, chronic intermittent abdominal pain, and acute severe abdominal pain. If symptomatic hernias with strangulation are untreated, according to the previous reports, they lead to overall mortality exceeding 50%. We report a case of the left paraduodenal hernia combined with small bowel obstruction from the patient who had no history of surgery before and developed abdominal pain after drinking of alcohol heavily. Abdominal CT scan showed sac-like mass of clustered in the left upper quadrant. The patient underwent the surgery of the bowel reduction and adhesiolysis and got uneventful recovery.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Duodenal Diseases/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Hernia/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) offers prognostic information beyond that provided by the evaluation of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. However, the validation of electrocardiogram (ECG) criteria for the diagnosis of LVH is limited in Korea general population. The purpose of this study is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ECG criteria for the detection of LVH in general population. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated a total of 1,946 adults from the community-based cohort. The left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was estimated with echocardiographic measurement and adjusted with body surface area. LVH was defined as a value greater than or equal to the sex-specific 90th percentile value of LVMI. ECG criteria for the diagnosis of LVH were Sokolow-Lyon criteria and Cornell criteria. RESULTS: The LVMI was significantly higher in male subjects (91.1 +/- 23.9 g/m2 vs. 83.9 +/- 21.7 g/m2, p < 0.001). The cutoff values were 120.8 g/m2 in male subjects and 112.2 g/m2 in female subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of Sokolow-Lyon criteria were 5.6% and 93.6% in male, 4.1% and 97.8% in female. Those of Cornell criteria were 2.8% and 98.7% in male, 14.3% and 95.8% in female. In male, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of Sokolow-Lyon voltage and Cornell voltage were 0.55 and 0.52. And those in female were 0.59 and 0.60. CONCLUSIONS: In our community-based sample, ECG criteria showed low sensitivity and high specificity. The performance of ECG criteria for detection of LVH was suboptimal, suggesting limited usefulness of ECG as mass screening tools.
Adult ; Body Surface Area ; Cohort Studies* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

A female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin (FATPWO) is a rare neoplasm believed to originate from Wolffian remnants because the tumors are located in areas where such remnants are abundant. Because FATPWO is so rare that tumor biological behavior is not well defined, especially in cases of ovarian tumors, the collection and investigation of all relevant data, including this case report, are thus crucial to identify the best possible treatment for this type of tumor. We report a 14-year-old girl presented with a huge ovarian tumor that is reminiscent of dysgerminoma on CT scan. Left salpingo-oophorectomy was perfomed. Because the pathologic report on frozen section was malignant neoplasm, additional surgical staging was performed. A ovarian tumor of probable Wolffian origin was diagnosed by the pathologist, finally. No adjuvant therapy was given and there was no clinical evidence of recurrence during the 19 months of follow-up.
Adolescent ; Dysgerminoma ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of allergic rhinitis (AR), nationwide in random children and adolescents of Korea. METHODS: A modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire survey was done in 1,820 children from elementary, middle, and high school nationwide in Korea. The subjects were selected by the stratifying sampling method by school grade and five regions. Current AR was defined as having AR symptoms during the last 12 months with a history of physician-diagnosed AR. Skin prick tests for 18 common allergens were performed. RESULTS: The number of males was 945, and that of females was 875. The mean age of the patients was 12.61+/-3.40 years. The prevalence of current AR and atopic current AR were 29.0% and 18.7%, respectively. Risk factors for current AR were male (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.486; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.189-1.856), family history of paternal AR (aOR, 3.208; 95% CI, 2.460-4.182), family history of maternal AR (aOR, 3.138; 95% CI, 2.446-4.025), antibiotic use in infancy (aOR, 1.547; 95% CI, 1.228-1.949), mold exposure during infancy (aOR, 1.416; 95% CI, 1.103-1.819), mold exposure during the last 12 months (aOR, 1.285; 95% CI, 1.012-1.630), and sensitization on skin prick tests (aOR, 2.596; 95% CI, 2.055-3.279). Risk factors for atopic current AR were the same as those of current AR, whereas breast-milk feeding (aOR, 0.720; 95% CI, 0.530-0.976) was a protective factor. Sensitized allergens as risk factors for current AR were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farina, ragweed, mugwort, oak, alder, birch, Japanese hop, cat, and dog. CONCLUSION: The prevalences of current AR and atopic current AR were 29.0% and 18.7%, respectively. Male, sex parental AR, antibiotic use in infancy, mold exposure during the last 12 months, mold exposure during infancy, and atopic sensitization were risk factors for current AR. Breast-milk feeding was a protective factor for atopic current AR. Aeroallergen sensitization was an important risk factor for AR.
Adolescent ; Allergens ; Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Betula ; Cats ; Child ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dogs ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Humulus ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Parents ; Prevalence* ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis* ; Risk Factors* ; Skin