Purpose: We aimed to investigate manifestations and patterns of care for patients with brain metastasis (BM) from breast cancer (BC) and compared their overall survival (OS) from 2005 through 2014 in Korea. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 600 BC patients with BM diagnosed between 2005 and 2014. The median follow-up duration was 12.5 months. We categorized the patients into three groups according to the year when BM was initially diagnosed (group I [2005-2008], 98 patients; group II [2009-2011], 200 patients; and group III [2012-2014], 302 patients). Results: Over time, the median age at BM diagnosis increased by 2.2 years (group I, 49.0 years; group II, 48.3 years; and group III, 51.2 years; p=0.008). The percentage of patients with extracranial metastasis was 73.5%, 83.5%, and 86.4% for group I, II, and III, respectively (p=0.011). The time interval between BC and BM was prolonged in patients with stage III primary BC (median, 2.4 to 3 years; p=0.029). As an initial brain-directed treatment, whole-brain radiotherapy alone decreased from 80.0% in 2005 to 41.1% in 2014. Meanwhile, stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy alone increased from 13.3% to 34.7% during the same period (p=0.005). The median OS for group I, II, and III was 15.6, 17.9, and 15.0 months, respectively, with no statistical significance. Conclusion The manifestations of BM from BC and the pattern of care have changed from 2005 to 2014 in Korea. However, the OS has remained relatively unchanged over the 10 years.

Growing evidence suggests that environmental air pollution adversely affects kidney health. To date, the association between carbon monoxide (CO) and mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has not been examined. Methods: Among 134,478 dialysis patients in the Korean ESRD cohort between 2001 and 2014, 8,130 deceased hemodialysis patients were enrolled, and data were analyzed using bidirectional, unidirectional, and time-stratified case-crossover design. We examined the association between short-term CO concentration and mortality in patients with ESRD. We used a two-pollutant model, adjusted for temperature as a climate factor and for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter as air pollution variables other than CO. Results: Characteristics of the study population included age (66.2 ± 12.1 years), sex (male, 59.1%; female, 40.9%), and comorbidities (diabetes, 55.6%; hypertension, 14.4%). Concentration of CO was significantly associated with all-cause mortality in the three case-crossover designs using the two-pollutant model adjusted for SO2. Patients with diabetes or age older than 75 years had a higher risk of mortality than patients without diabetes or those younger than 75 years. Conclusion: Findings presented here suggest that higher CO concentration is correlated with increased all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients, especially in older high-risk patients.

Actinomycosis is a rare acute-to-chronic bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces. A 7-year-old healthy girl presented with left-sided nasal obstruction and purulent discharge. She had no special medical or trauma history, and the symptoms developed gradually after severe vomiting one month prior to the visit. Nasal endoscopy revealed white-black-colored cheesy material that appeared as a foreign body or fungal material in the left nasal cavity. The lesion was completely removed endoscopically under local anesthesia. The patient was prescribed only a topical antibiotic ointment without any additional systemic antibiotics. She was diagnosed with actinomycosis based on histopathological examination after a few days. There was no recurrence at six months post-procedure. The common treatment for actinomycosis is surgical removal and a systemic antibiotic therapy. However, this case was successful with complete surgical removal and only a short-term topical antibiotic ointment therapy. Therefore, the treatment for actinomycosis should differ based on clinical characteristics and the patient’s condition.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic progressive autosomal recessive disease and caused by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations. CFTR gene encodes an ion channel involved in salt and water transport in multiple organs including lung, pancreas and reproductive tract. To date, more than 2,000 mutations of CFTR gene have been identified. Because the age of onset and the severity of symptoms may vary greatly, a diagnosis of CF can be challenging. Although CF is common in Caucasians, it is extremely rare in Koreans. A few cases of CF have been reported in Korean children since 1988. Here, we report a 13-year-old girl carrying c.263T>G (p.Leu88X) and c.2977G>T (p.Asp993Tyr). Furthermore, we reviewed 22 Korean cystic fibrosis cases reported in the literature.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze correlations between depression, cognitive function, oral health state, ability to perform activities of daily living, oral dryness symptoms, and oral health-related quality of life, and determine factors influencing the latter.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires completed by 260 participants with suspected dementia, residing in South Korea. Psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and dental hygienists visited clinics in the participating regions for examination and questionnaire administration. General characteristics, the geriatric depression scale, ability to perform activities of daily living, cognitive function, oral health state, and oral health-related quality of life were analyzed. Independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted, identifying factors affecting oral health-related quality of life. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 20.0 (IBM Corp., USA), and the significance was set at p<0.05.RESULTS: Approximately 65.0% of participants were female, 63.5% were in their 70s, and 90.0% had health insurance. About 21.5%, 42.0%, and 36.5% were normal, slightly impaired, and had dementia, respectively. High cognitive impairment was associated with poor oral health. Sex, education levels, marital status, and living arrangements influenced oral health-related quality of life. According to the regression analysis, geriatric depression and oral dryness affected the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index scores.CONCLUSION: In conclusion, oral dryness and depression levels among elders influenced oral health-related quality of life. The results showed that to enhance elders' oral health-related quality of life, it is essential to not only improve their oral health state, but also relieve oral health problems, especially oral dryness, and take into consideration their psychological aspects.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dementia ; Dental Hygienists ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Marital Status ; Oral Health ; Psychiatry ; Quality of Life ; Residence Characteristics ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To find more accurate way to determine the location of parotid tumors that cross anatomical criteria for the facial nerve (FN).SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Two hundred patients were included in the study and retrospectively studied. Five anatomical criteria were used to predict the location of parotid tumors on computed tomography (CT). Deep portion of tumors was measured and then, cut-off value was obtained after receiver operator curve analysis. The location of tumor was predicted by using the cut-off value and by the conventional way, in which the side where most of the tumor is located is determined as the tumor site. RESULTS: The parotid tumors were located in superficial lobes in 148 cases, and in deep lobes in 52 cases by operative record. The tumors that cross the anatomical criteria were defined as ‘crossing tumor.’ The cut-off values for prediction of ‘crossing tumor’ location on CT were 6.7 mm for anatomical line, 6.4 mm for FN line, 11.2 mm for retromandibular vein, 4.9 mm for Utrecht line and 3.8 mm for Conn's arc. The accuracy of 5 anatomical criteria for ‘crossing tumor’ was between 55.9% and 81.6% when the cut-off value was used, whereas the accuracy was between 25.7% and 68.9% when conventional way was used. CONCLUSION In cases of ‘crossing tumor,’ the cut-off value obtained by measurement of deep portion of tumor can be applied to improve the diagnostic performance for the prediction of tumor location.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To find more accurate way to determine the location of parotid tumors that cross anatomical criteria for the facial nerve (FN). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Two hundred patients were included in the study and retrospectively studied. Five anatomical criteria were used to predict the location of parotid tumors on computed tomography (CT). Deep portion of tumors was measured and then, cut-off value was obtained after receiver operator curve analysis. The location of tumor was predicted by using the cut-off value and by the conventional way, in which the side where most of the tumor is located is determined as the tumor site. RESULTS: The parotid tumors were located in superficial lobes in 148 cases, and in deep lobes in 52 cases by operative record. The tumors that cross the anatomical criteria were defined as ‘crossing tumor.’ The cut-off values for prediction of ‘crossing tumor’ location on CT were 6.7 mm for anatomical line, 6.4 mm for FN line, 11.2 mm for retromandibular vein, 4.9 mm for Utrecht line and 3.8 mm for Conn's arc. The accuracy of 5 anatomical criteria for ‘crossing tumor’ was between 55.9% and 81.6% when the cut-off value was used, whereas the accuracy was between 25.7% and 68.9% when conventional way was used. CONCLUSION: In cases of ‘crossing tumor,’ the cut-off value obtained by measurement of deep portion of tumor can be applied to improve the diagnostic performance for the prediction of tumor location.
Facial Nerve ; Humans ; Methods ; Parotid Gland ; Parotid Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Veins

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-oxidative stress and preventive effect of modified Gongjin-dan (WSY-1075) in a detrusor underactivity rat model.

METHODSRats were randomly allocated to three groups: shamoperated (control), bladder outlet obstruction-induced detrusor underactivity (BOO-DU), and BOO-DU with WSY-1075 (WSY) groups. WSY-1075 was orally administrated to rats 200 mg daily for 2 weeks prior to the operation and 4 weeks after the operation. Bladder outlet obstruction was surgically induced in rats by ligation around the urethra avoiding total obstruction. Cystometrography was conducted on rats in each group for examination of bladders.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, bladder outlet obstruction led to a significant increase in oxidative stress with consequent changes to molecular composition, and decrease in maximal detrusor pressure (P<0.05). WSY-1075 treatment significantly suppressed oxidative stress and prevented degenerative and dysfunctional changes in bladder, as compared with BOO-DU group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONWSY-1075 had beneficial effect on prevention of BOO-DU.

Iatrogenic postintubation tracheal injury is a rare but potentially fatal complication associated with anesthesia. However, as signs of tracheal injury including subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and respiratory distress may also be related to surgical technique, diagnosis may be confused and treatment of tracheal injury can be delayed. We report a case of postintubation tracheal laceration, whose diagnosis was delayed because of symptoms were confused with subcutaneous emphysema after septorhinoplasty including osteotomy. As symptoms deteriorated in spite of conventional management, patient underwent evaluation to determine other causes and eventually postintubation tracheal injury was detected. Therefore, even if there is no problem during tracheal intubation, it is necessary to consider postintubation tracheal injury in patients with subcutaneous emphysema that worsens despite appropriate treatment after septorhinoplasty including osteotomy.
Anesthesia ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Lacerations ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Osteotomy ; Pneumothorax ; Subcutaneous Emphysema