OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of obesity and lifestyle to health status among Korean men in the Health Screen Examinees. METHODS: We checked out the results of lifestyle including smoking, alcohol, exercise, regular meals, preference of meat/vegetable, and spicy food which were contained in questionnaire, among 1,890 adult men in the Health Screen Examinees. And we also evaluated the result of body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood sugar (FBS), liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase [ALT], gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GPT]), and lipid profiles (total cholesterol [TCHO], triglyceride [TG], low density lipoprotein [LDL], high density lipoprotein [HDL]). Statistical analysis of the health profiles and lifestyle, BMI were performed by using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: On multiple logistic regression analysis, 'obesity' was related to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dyslipidemia. 'Smoking' was related to TG and HDL. 'Unhealthy drinking' was related to SBP, DBP, hypertension, ALT, gamma-GPT, liver disease, TG, HDL, and dyslipidemia. 'Irregular exercise' was related to FBS, ALT, TG, LDL HDL, and dyslipidemia. 'Irregular meals' were related to TCHO, LDL, and HDL. CONCLUSION: For 1,890 adult men, an obesity and unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, irregular exercise and eating meals, and preference of meat and spicy food) were related to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dyslipidemia. So health promotion is necessary for the patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dyslipidemia to recover from these chronic diseases.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Eating ; Fasting ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Lipoproteins ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Meals ; Meat ; Obesity ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVE: Appropriate placement of thoracic epidural catheter provides an adequate postoperative analgesia in chest and upper abdominal surgery. Usually, when thoracic epidural puncture is performed, both scapular lower tips and the thoracic (T)7 spinous process is assumed to be at the same horizontal level. The aim of this study is to identify the thoracic epidural puncture in the sitting position, with the neck flexed and arms crossed, may change the relationship between the thoracic vertebrae and the scapular lower tips. METHODS: One hundred patients with postoperative patient controlled epidural analgesia using thoracic epidural catheters were enrolled. It is presumed that the both scapular lower tips and T7 spinous process is at the equal level when performing thoracic epidural puncture. The actual insertion level of the Tuohy needle was examined by radiography when the patient was in the sitting position. RESULTS: Out of 100 patients, there were 62% that were in the same level as the scapular lower tips and T7 spinous process. However, 1% of the patients leveled at T4, 1% at T5, 25% at T6, 18% at T8, and 1% at T9. CONCLUSION: When performing the thoracic epidural puncture under the sitting position, the relationship of the T7 and the scapular lower tips may change. The change of position of scapular lower tips varied among T6.82+/-0.70. Therefore, to be precise, it is advised to utilize C-arm guide when epidural puncture is carried out.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Arm ; Catheters ; Humans ; Neck ; Needles ; Punctures ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; Thorax

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to consolidate screening function of special health examination for occupational asthma by investigating the results of respiratory function test as for workers who have been exposed to agents that cause occupational asthma. METHODS: To find out cases of occupational asthma, we carried out non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (NSBH) test, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) test in appointed order for asthma-suspected cases among 4,602 workers that had a spirometry as a special health examination from April 2009 to July 2011. And we also performed t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis to compare and analyse the associations between forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) and duration of exposure, kinds of agents, and number of exposed agents that cause occupational asthma. RESULTS: The case of occupational asthma was not found among 4,602 workers. And the result of a multiple regression analysis showed that organic compounds were correlated with FEV1/FVC (P=0.021). However, duration of exposure and number of exposed agents that cause occupational asthma were not associated with FEV1/FVC. CONCLUSION: For strengthening screening function of special health examination for occupational asthma, we can consider simultaneous operation of NSBH and PEFR, extending the PEFR term from 2 weeks to 4 weeks, thorough history taking on asthma. And as organic compounds may have effect on bronchial obstruction, so we need to concentrate on organic compounds-exposed workers for early screening of occupational asthma.
Asthma ; Asthma, Occupational ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Mass Screening ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry ; Vital Capacity

Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD), a common complication in patients with end-stage renal disease, is characterized by more than three kidney cysts and normal or decreased sizes of both kidneys without any familial history of cystic kidney disease. In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), however, both kidneys are usually enlarged. Extrarenal manifestations are common in ADPKD, including hepatic cysts, seminal vesicle cysts, mitral valve prolapse. A 40-year-old man presented to the emergency clinic at Inha University Hospital with severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 3 days. He had been undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for 15 years, but it was recently changed to hemodialysis owing to sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP). Radiologic imaging studies revealed bilateral enlarged kidneys with multiple eggshell calcified cysts and some hepatic cysts, which suggested ADPKD. He underwent left nephrectomy, and pathological tests revealed ACKD-associated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) confined to the resected kidney. He was treated with steroids for SEP, and the symptoms resolved. We herein report a case of ACKD-resembling ADPKD-that progressed to RCC in a patient with concurrent SEP who had been undergoing CAPD for 15 years.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Nausea ; Nephrectomy ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Seminal Vesicles ; Steroids ; Vomiting

Hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia is a rare disease, but can be fatal if it is diagnosed late or untreated. Despite the previous case report of severe aplastic anemia following hepatitis, hepatitis A virus (HAV)-associated aplastic anemia is very rare, and a case with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has not been reported in the literature. Here, we report the case of a 13-year-old boy, who developed severe aplastic anemia after full recovery of acute HAV infection, and eventually received BMT for aplastic anemia following HAV infection. It is a very rare case and the first case that recovered after BMT. The aim of this case report is to highlight the potential of progression to aplastic anemia after acute HAV infection and the importance of suspicion when pancytopenia is developed.
Adolescent ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis A virus* ; Humans ; Male ; Pancytopenia ; Rare Diseases

Since its first description in 1989, lymphoepithelial cyst of the thyroid gland (LEC-T) has been generally considered a branchial cleft derivative similar to its presentation in other sites, including thymus, parathyroid, and pancreas. However, its characterization has mainly focused on histologic and sonographic findings, and cytological findings are generally described simply or left out entirely. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of our case showed large tissue fragments of epithelial cells on a background of lymphocytes. Some areas showed sheets or small nests of squamoid cells, which were closely admixed with clusters of lymphoid cells. Squamous cells contained relatively moderate to large amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm and vesicular nuclei with occasional nuclear grooves that lacked intranuclear inclusions. Some cells demonstrated keratinization and nuclear atypia. Herein, we describe FNAC findings of LEC-T and review other possible diagnoses.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Branchial Region ; Branchioma ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies ; Lymphocytes ; Pancreas ; Thymus Gland ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Ultrasonography

Prevotella bivia (P. vivia) has a high proliferative potential in the presence of estrogen. Therefore, its involvement in vaginal tract infections, such as endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease, has been well described in the literature. We experienced a very rare case of a 40-year old woman with a 6-cm abscess on the cuff who presented with a large amount of vaginal discharge and nausea two months after laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy. Our case indicates that clinicians should be aware of the possibility of P. vivia infections although rare.
Abscess ; Endometritis ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Nausea ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Prevotella* ; Vaginal Discharge

Although the prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is extremely good, locoregional recurrences after initial treatment occur. Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a reliable tumor marker to detect recurrence or persistence of PTC. However, occasionally serum Tg may miss the detection of a recurrence. We report a 54-year-old female presented with hoarseness due to cervical recurrence without concomitant elevation of serum Tg and anti-Tg antibody, in contrast to extremely increased needle-washout Tg, who had undergone a total thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation as initial therapies for PTC. Several factors causing such discrepancy between needle-washout Tg and serum Tg can be suggested including site of recurrence, volume of tumor, interference by some kind of plasma antibodies other than anti-Tg antibody, and any conformational defect of Tg protein. Among them, the most convincing explanation is that any conformational defect of Tg may lead to impaired secretion of Tg to blood. We suggest that more studies are needed to find the cause for potential mechanisms involved in PTC recurrences without increased serum Tg.
Antibodies ; Female ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Plasma ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Thyroglobulin* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy

A 38-year-old female presented with abdominal pain, radiating to her back. Her medical history included type 2 diabetes, which had been uncontrolled for 8 months. Her initial laboratory tests showed marked hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, and elevated serum amylase and lipase levels, although the results were inconclusive in terms of a direct diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Abdominal computed tomography showed only minimal fluid collection at the pancreas tail. As her serum triglyceride (TG) level was 9,884 mg/dL, we made a working diagnosis of AP due to hypertriglyceridemia, and she was treated with massive hydration with an insulin infusion. Subsequently, she recovered rapidly from the abdominal pain, her serum glucose was controlled, and her serum TG decreased. Hypertriglyceridemia is a well-accepted underlying cause of AP. When extremely high hypertriglyceridemia is detected in patients with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, complications should be considered and managed.
Abdominal Pain ; Acidosis ; Adult ; Amylases ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Insulin ; Lipase ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis* ; Triglycerides

Coronary artery fistula draining into lung parenchymal vasculature has not been reported. Herein, we describe a case of an 81-year-old woman who presented with a localized pulmonary edema on right upper lobe associated with coronary fistula emptied into vasculature in right upper lobe. She underwent transcatheter closure of the fistula with an Amplatzer Vascular Plug 4, which resulted in complete occlusion and improved localized pulmonary edema.
Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Lung* ; Pulmonary Edema*