No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Compliance* ; Humans

Tethered cord syndrome is a kind of spinal dysraphism with low-lying conus frequently associated with intraspinal lipoma, diastematomelia or fibrous band. The clinical manifestations varies from long periods of no overt symptoms to back pain, scoliosis, progressive neurological deficit of legs and incontinence. Therefore the diagnosis requires a strong clinical suspicion and aggressive investigation. It shows various cutaneous manifestations including hyperpigmentation, skin dimple, dermal sinus or hypertrichosis. This 34-year-old female patient has had a lozenge shaped hair tuft with terminal hair on the lumbosacral area since her birth. Her MRI scan showed dermal sinus and a low-lying conus at the lower border of L5. The filum terminale was also thickened. These findings are compatible for tethered cord syndrome.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Cauda Equina ; Conus Snail ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypertrichosis ; Leg ; Lipoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neural Tube Defects* ; Parturition ; Scoliosis ; Skin ; Spina Bifida Occulta ; Spinal Dysraphism

Cicatricial pemphigoid is a chronic autoimmune subepithelial blistering disease that predominantly involves mucous membrane with resultant scar formation. It may involve oral, ocular, nasal, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, and anogenital mucous membranes. Cicatricial pemphigoid is a heterogenous group of diseases with respect to the autoimmune target antigens including BP180(type XVII collagen), BP230, laminin 5(epiligrin), laminin 6, type VII collagen and other newly described antigen. We describe a patient with cicatricial pemphigoid in whom circulating IgA and IgG autoantobodies against BP180 and BP230 antigens were detected simunltaneously.
Autoantibodies* ; Blister ; Cicatrix ; Collagen Type VII ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Laminin ; Mucous Membrane ; Pemphigoid, Benign Mucous Membrane*

Fluoroquinolones are an important class of antibiotics that are widely used in adult patients because of their broad spectrum of activity, good tissue penetration, and oral bioavailability. However, fluoroquinolone use in children is limited because juvenile animals developed arthropathy in previous experiments on fluoroquinolone use. Indications for fluoroquinolone use in patients younger than 18 years, as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, include treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and postexposure treatment for inhalation anthrax. In Korea, the systemic use of fluoroquinolones has not been approved in children younger than 18 years. Although concerns remain regarding the adverse musculoskeletal effects of fluoroquinolones in children, their use in the pediatric population has increased in many circumstances. While pediatricians should be aware of the indications and adverse effects of fluoroquinolones, recent studies have shown that the risk for musculoskeletal complications in children did not significantly increase following fluoroquinolone treatment. In addition, fluoroquinolones may be particularly helpful in treating multidrug-resistant infections that have not responded to standard antibiotic therapy in immunocompromised patients. In the present article, we provide an updated review on the safety and current recommendations for using fluoroquinolones in children.
Adult ; Animals ; Anthrax ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biological Availability ; Child ; Fluoroquinolones ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Inhalation ; Joint Diseases ; Korea ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; United States Food and Drug Administration ; Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE: Left ventricular hypertrophy is an important diagnostic and prognostic finding in children with various cardiovascular diseases. Echocardiographic determination of the left ventricular mass is the most accurate method for assessing left ventricular hypertrophy non-invasively. The purposes of this study are 1) to establish a reproducible, validated method for determining left ventricular mass in children by echocardiography, 2) to investigate correlation between LV mass and several factors (body surface area, weight, age, height), and 3) to define reference standards for the left ventricular mass. METHODS: Left ventricular mass was estimated in 63 normal children by three different methods of echocardiography (M mode, modified Simpson's method, Are-length method). RESULTS: The mean LV mass per body surface area were 49.7 +/- 19.4gm/m2, 40.1 +/- 11.2gm/m2, 39.9 +/- 9.6gm/m2 by M mode, Simpson and Area-Length method respectively and was highest by the M mode method. The mean LV mass per body weight were 2.6 +/- 0.9gm/kg, 2.3 +/- 0.6gm/kg, 2.1 +/- 0.5gm/kg by M mode, Simpson and Area-Length method respectively and was highest by the M mode method. Lineal regression analysis between LV mass and body surface area revealed the highest correlation. The values of LV mass by all three method were well correlated. Correlation between Area-Length method and Simpson method was higher than that between Area-Length and M mode method. CONCLUSION: Echocardiography is a very useful method to measure the left ventricular ass. Body surface area is highly correlated with LV mass in all three methods. Area-Length method and Simpson method are superior to the M mode method.
Body Surface Area ; Body Weight ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Child* ; Echocardiography* ; Equidae ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Reference Values

A randomized comparison of pre-and post-experimental design was used to examine the effects of a fall prevention exercise program (FPEP) on muscle strength, ankle flexibility, balance, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and depression for the community-dwelling elderly in Korea. Twenty-two subjects were assigned to an experimental group and twenty-three to a control group. The experimental group participated in a 4-day-per week FPEP of 8 weeks duration, twice a week by direct instruction and twice a week with videotaped instruction by the program instructor at each senior center. The eight-week FPEP turned out to be significantly effective in enhancing muscle strength, ankle flexibility and balance, and in reducing depression, after intervention among community-dwelling elderly in Korea. IADLs, however, was not changed by the intervention. Further research with a larger sample and longer follow up period is needed to expand our understanding about the effects of FPEP. Future study is also recommended to differentiate between the effects of FPEP by direct instruction and by videotaped.
Accidental Falls/*prevention & control ; Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ankle/physiology ; *Exercise ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiology ; Musculoskeletal Equilibrium ; Pliability ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PURPOSE: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are vulnerable to invasive infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp). This study was performed to evaluate immune responses after Hib and Sp vaccination in Korean pediatric HCT recipients. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled at Samsung Medical Center during 2009-2011. ELISA tests to detect anti-PRP IgG antibody and antibodies to Sp serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F were performed at the Center for Vaccine Evaluation and Study, Ewha Medical Research Institute. RESULTS: Ten patients (two allogeneic, eight autologous recipients) with median age 5.4 years (range 2.7-12.2 years) were enrolled. Before Hib vaccination, 60% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers were below 0.15 microg/mL. After vaccination, 100% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers increased above 0.15 microg/mL (cut-off value for detection) and 1.0 microg/mL (cut-off value for seroprotection). For pneumococcus, in 2-5 year-old patients, pre-vaccination geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG for six serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 5 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. In patients older than 5 years, pre-vaccination GMCs of IgG for four serotypes (4, 9V, 14, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 3 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. CONCLUSION: Most HCT recipients had low or no protective antibodies to Hib and Sp before vaccination, but showed good immune responses to protective levels after vaccination.
Academies and Institutes ; Antibodies ; Antibody Formation* ; Cell Transplantation* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Haemophilus influenzae type b* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Prospective Studies ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Transplants* ; Vaccination*

Community-based centres were surveyed to determine the frequency of and risk factors for falls among elderly Koreans. We examined fall-related risk factors, including physiological and physical health, psychosocial functions, self-reported physical capacity and activity, vision, and the use of medication, among 351 elderly people aged 65 years or older, with ambulatory. Forty-two per cent of elderly Korean subjects reported at least one episode of falling in the previous 12 months, 38% of whom had consequences that required either the attention of a physician or hospitalization. Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of falling were a restricted activity during the previous five years (adjusted OR 1.3), use of alternative therapy (adjusted OR 2.7), low knee flexor and extensor-muscle strength (adjusted OR 1.21 and 1.20), and poor balance with closed eyes (adjusted OR 8.32). We conclude that falls among older persons living in the community are common in Korea and that indicator of bad health and frailty or variables directly related to neuromuscular impairment are significant predictors of the risk of falling.
Accidental Falls/prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Accidents, Home/prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Activities of Daily Living ; Aged/physiology/psychology/*statistics & numerical data ; Aged, 80 and over ; Drug Utilization ; Female ; Gait ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Status ; Housing/statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mental Health ; Population Surveillance ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Vision Disorders/complications/epidemiology

No abstract available.
Diagnosis*