Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial neoplasm of the skin and the most common human skin cancer. It is generally associated with a good prognosis. In this case report, a giant basal cell carcinoma of the nodulo-ulcerative type showing wide ulceration with marginal multiple small nodules, is presented. It was trapezoidal in shape, having dimensions of 7 cm at the greatest basal width, 6 cm vertically with different anterior and posterior margin dimensions, and 5 cm horizontally at the top margin. After wide excision of the lesion including 5–10 mm safety margins, the wound was reconstructed with a local skin flap and split-thickness skin graft. The reconstructed wound healed well without recurrence for 1 year.

In the face, the nose plays an important role in both function and appearance. Among the subunits on the nose, the alar is a critical nasal structure of high aesthetic value. Previously, many surgeons have insisted that structural support should be added to the reconstruction of alar and particularly so in the case of a full-thickness defect. In a 58-year-old male patient who had a third-degree burn injury and full-thickness defect in most of the left nasal alar, forehead flap surgery alone was successfully performed without structural support.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated diseases are reported to have distinct pathogenic mechanisms, clinical courses, and therapeutic implications in comparison to other acquired demyelinating syndromes. Here, we report the case of a 6-year-old Korean girl with recurrent steroid-responsive optic neuritis (ON) and an episode of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) with a high MOG antibody titer. Initially, she suffered from left ON with subclinical brain lesions including magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensities in the bilateral frontal subcortical white matter, the left thalamus, and the right cerebral peduncle. Her vision improved dramatically after steroid therapy; however, 3 months after the 1st episode, she developed acute encephalopathy with extensive newly developed ADEM-like lesions and resolution of previous hyperintensities. Despite regular interferon β-1a injection after steroid tapering, she developed a 3rd episode presenting as a right ON. Throughout these three episodes, serological tests associated with autoimmune diseases, viral markers, anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies, and cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands were negative, with the immunoglobulin G index in the normal range. After the 3rd episode, anti-MOG antibody testing was performed and higher titer was detected. Testing for anti-MOG antibodies is highly recommended for relapsing inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system diseases in pediatric patients, in order to define early an adequate long-term treatment.

Basal cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial neoplasm of the skin and the most common human skin cancer. It is generally associated with a good prognosis. In this case report, a giant basal cell carcinoma of the nodulo-ulcerative type showing wide ulceration with marginal multiple small nodules, is presented. It was trapezoidal in shape, having dimensions of 7 cm at the greatest basal width, 6 cm vertically with different anterior and posterior margin dimensions, and 5 cm horizontally at the top margin. After wide excision of the lesion including 5–10 mm safety margins, the wound was reconstructed with a local skin flap and split-thickness skin graft. The reconstructed wound healed well without recurrence for 1 year.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in cases of follicular neoplasm (FN) on the basis of histologic diagnosis, and reviewed the cytologic findings of FN according to the FNAC. METHODS: Among the 66 cases diagnosed with thyroid FN by FNAC during the 7-year period from 2003 to 2009, 36 cases that had undergone thyroid surgery were available for review. Cytologic diagnosis was compared with the histologic diagnosis of each case. RESULTS: Among the 36 cases with a cytologic diagnosis of thyroid FN, histologic diagnosis was as follows: 20 follicular adenomas (55.6%), 3 Hurthle cell adenomas (8.3%), 2 follicular carcinomas (5.6%), 8 nodular goiters (22.2%), 2 papillary carcinomas (5.6%), and 1 Hashimoto's thyroiditis (2.8%), resulting in a diagnostic accuracy of FNAC for thyroid FN of 69.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that FNAC for thyroid FN is a useful primary screening method because when FN is diagnosed by FNAC, the rate of FN histologic diagnosis is relatively high, however, adequate sampling and experience is a prerequisite for this procedure.
Adenoma ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Goiter, Nodular ; Mass Screening ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis

PURPOSE: After the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine in 1995 in Korea, it was included in the national immunization program in 2013. In the post-Hib vaccine era, some studies in other countries reported that invasive Hib disease affects adults, especially the elderly and immunocompromised persons, more often than it affects children. To evaluate disease susceptibility, quantitative and qualitative analysis of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) antibodies were carried out in Korean adults aged 20 to 85 years. METHODS: Sera were collected from 39 healthy adults (20 to 50 years of age) and from 30 elderly adults (75 to 85 years of age) who did not have immune-compromising conditions. The concentration of anti-PRP immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum bactericidal indices (SBIs) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and serum bactericidal assay. RESULTS: Geometric mean concentrations of anti-PRP IgG and geometric mean SBIs were 0.88 µg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 3.85) and 354 (95% CI, 50 to 2,499) in young adults and 1.67 µg/mL (95% CI, 0.53 to 5.24) and 449 (95% CI, 146 to 1,376) in elderly adults, respectively. When the threshold of seropositivity for anti-PRP IgG was applied as 0.15 or 1.0 µg/mL, which is the protective antibody level in children, seropositive rates were 87.2% or 53.8% in young adults and 100% or 60% in elderly adults. The seropositivity rates of the SBI (SBI ≥4) were 82.1% and 100% in the groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most subjects in the adult and elderly adult groups display immunity to Hib based on quantitative and qualitative antibody levels, but not all. Because high immunization and low Hib circulation rates may reduce the natural Hib immunity in the population, monitoring Hib immunity as well as disease are needed continuously.
Adult* ; Aged ; Antibodies* ; Child ; Disease Susceptibility ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Haemophilus influenzae type b* ; Haemophilus influenzae* ; Haemophilus* ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunization Programs ; Immunoglobulin G ; Korea ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: This present study examined the power of the Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) subscales to predict a DSM-IV diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). METHODS: The sample included 37 children and adolescents with ODD and 46 normal controls. The participants and their parents were interviewed for clinical diagnosis using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and the parents completed the K-CBCL. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the diagnosis of ODD. RESULTS: Among the CBCL subscales, Delinquent and Aggressive Behavior scales significantly predicted ODD diagnosis. The means of these CBCL subscales were significantly higher in the ODD group when compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Two CBCL subscales (Deliquent and Aggressive Behavior) displayed good diagnostic efficiency for assessing ODD in children and adolescents. Through combining information from the CBCL, an empirical-quantitative approach to psychopathology in children and the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, the results demonstrated that a clinical diagnostic approach is an effective diagnostic paradigm for children with ODD.
Adolescent ; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders ; Checklist ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Mood Disorders ; Parents ; Psychopathology ; Weights and Measures

Portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis are uncommon conditions and have been associated with poor prognosis. They are most commonly caused by necrotizing enterocolitis but may have other causes, and they can be associated with necrotizing and ischemic colitis, intra-abdominal abscess, small bowel obstruction, diverticulitis, colon cancer, and acute pancreatitis. With the more frequent use of computed tomography (CT) scans, portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis have been increasingly detected in recent years. Because of its high mortality rate, necrotizing enteritis with portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis may be treated with emergent exploratory laparotomy. We report a case of necrotizing enteritis with portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in a 47-year-old man treated with intensive medical management and delayed operation due to unstable condition and surgical mortality. He had good clinical results without complications after the delayed operation.
Abdominal Abscess ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diverticulitis ; Enteritis* ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Pancreatitis ; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis* ; Portal Vein* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the Korean version of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT). METHODS: The Korean version of the Q-CHAT and the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) 1.5-5 were completed by parents of 24 toddlers and preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 80 unselected toddlers and preschoolers. Parents of the ASD group also completed the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores were obtained from medical records. RESULTS: The ASD group scored higher on the Q-CHAT than the unselected group. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Q-CHAT was 0.658, and test-retest reliability was calculated to be 0.836. The estimated area under the curve was 0.793. The total scores of the Q-CHAT in the ASD group demonstrated significant positive correlations with findings regarding pervasive development problems in the CBCL, SCQ, and CARS. A total score of 33.5 may be a useful cutoff point to use when identifying toddlers at risk of ASD. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of the Q-CHAT has good reliability and validity and can be used as a screening tool in order to identify toddlers and preschool children at risk of ASD.
Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Autistic Disorder* ; Checklist* ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Parents ; Reproducibility of Results*

OBJECTIVE: We developed a fully automated smartphone-based stress management application and explored its usability, potential feasibility, and preliminary efficacy for stress management in Korean employees. METHODS: Healthy employees working in large public enterprises were enrolled. Participants used our automated stress management application for four weeks. With the application, they monitored their stress level and life style factors. Personalized stress management techniques, including psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral technique, were also provided based on their stress level and lifestyle pattern. In 2014, additional relaxation techniques were incorporated. Participants’ mental health status and lifestyle pattern were self-assessed at baseline and at 4 weeks after using the application. RESULTS: A total of 68 subjects were recruited. The application generally received high satisfaction rating. After the intervention, perceived stress level was significantly decreased, both in 2013 and 2014 (BEPSI-K score pre. vs. post. 14.27 vs. 11.00, F=12.49, p=0.001 in 2013; 12.05 vs. 10.00, F=17.18, p < 0.001). In 2014, depression symptom severity was also significantly decreased (CES-D score pre- vs. Post-, 17.66 vs. 11.95, F=9.76, p=0.004). The effects were more significant in females and in those < 35 years. CONCLUSION: Our fully automated stress management application is acceptable and usable, showing preliminary efficacy for reducing employees’ stress levels.
Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Mental Health ; Public Sector ; Relaxation Therapy