To evaluate the reproducibility of the Ambulatory Electrocardiography (AECG), we examined the consistency rates of premature beats between the baseline AECG's and the repeat AECG's in 23 patients who underwent AECG's times within 1 year. 12 patients were male and 11 patients were female. Their mean age was 48 years. (Range ; 20 years-75 years) The time interval between both AECG's was 1 month 20 days. (Range ; 1 day-9months) They did not take any antiarrhythmic druge during the observation period except 4 patients who were taking calcium channel blockers or beta receptor blockers for hypertensive heart disease or ischemic heart disease. The consistency rate of both frequency and complexity of ventricular premature beats was 52%. The consisency rate of both frequency and complexity of supraventicular premature beats was 35%. These consistency rates seemed to vary as the time interval between both AECG's differed. In the case of ventricular premature beats, the consistency rates of 1 day, 8 days and 5 months as the time interval were 100%, 38% and 14% respectively. In the case of supraventricular premature beats, the consistency rates were 50%, 25% and 29%. We concluded that the reproducility of the AECG was low and this reproducibility became lower as the time interval between both AECG's became longer and that hese facts had to be considered when the effect of the antiarrhythmic drugs was evaluated.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Cardiac Complexes, Premature ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory* ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia

The effects of hind-limb immobilization by skeletal fixation of bilateral ankle and knee joints. for sither one or five weeks on glycogen concentrations, glycogen resynthetic activities and insulin responses to glucose uptake of hind-limb muscles were studied on male Splague-Dawley rats. There were significant drops in muscle wet weight to body weight ratio of immobilized soleus and plataris. In the group immobilized for one week, the ratios of sleous and plantaris were decreased by 11% and 38% respectively; and in the group immobilized for five weeks, the ratios were decreased by 42% in both muscles equally. The glycogen concentration and glycogen resynthetic activities of soleus and plantaris muscles in immobilized rats were decreased significantly in the one week group. However, in the five week group, these values were increased significantly compared to the values of those muscles of the one week group. The increased values of the five week group did not exceed those of the control group. The glucose uptake rate of the soleus muscle of the hind-limbs immobilized for one week and for five weeks were studied in vitro. The basal glucose uptake rate of the muscle of the control group was 8.4 ± 0.77Mol/gm/20min. The values of basal rate and insulin responses to the glucose uptake rates in the doses of physiological and supramaximal on the soleus muscles immobilized for one week was significantly decreased, but after immobilization for five weeks, these values were not significantly different statistically those from of the control group statistically.
Animals ; Ankle ; Body Weight ; Extremities ; Fracture Fixation ; Glucose ; Glycogen ; Humans ; Immobilization ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insulin ; Knee Joint ; Male ; Metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Rats

No abstract available.
Lung*

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about the degree of risk and location of multiple primary cancers can facilitate the targeting of screening and surveillance practices on follow-up after treatment of cervical cancer. PURPOSE: The retrospective study was performed to evaluate the characteristics of multiple primary malignancies in patients treated for cervical carcinoma. METHOD: From data base file of gynecologic cancer patients between 1976 and 1995, total 20 patients were found to have cervical cancer and another primary malignancy. Their medical records and pathologic slides were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained from medical records or by telephone. RESULT: There were 8 synchronous and 12 metachronous multiple primary cancers (MPC) among 20 patients. Their mean age was 51 years (range 23 ~ 68 years). The distribution of FIGO stage of the patients with cervical cancer was classified into stage I, 6 patients; stage II, 9 ; and stage III, 5. All patients showed squamous cell type histology of cervical cancer. Eight(40 %) of 20 patients developed second cancer in uterus : 6 malignant mixed Mllerian tumors(MMMT), one endometrial stromal sarcoma, and one endometrial adenocarcinoma. Seven of 8 synchronous type MPC patients are alive (median follow-up, 27 months). In contrast, only one out of 12 metachronous type MPC patients is alive(median follow-up, 114 months). The occurrence of eight malignancies including 6 MMMT, one bladder cancer, and one rectal cancer might be related with previous radiation therapy for cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that routine screening and surveillance work-up might not be necessary in most of patients with cervical cancer. However, the patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiation treatment have to be followed carefully with the consideration of possibility for developing second cancer in the field of irradiation.
Adenocarcinoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal ; Telephone ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Uterus

Although various endoscopic treatments, such as laser photocoagulation, electrocoagulation, heater probe, injection have been used for treatment of arteriovenous malformation (AVM), associated complications also have been reported. In order to avoid the complications, elastic band ligation has recently been used as an alternative method for endoscopic treatment of gastric AVM. A 58-year-old man was admitted due to hematemesis and melena. A gastroscopy revealed AVM with vessel exposure and active bleeding at the greater curvature of fundus, and we performed arteriography for emergency embolization, but, we do not find the bleeding vessel. Endoscopic band ligation therapy was performed as an alternative method for control of bleeding. 2 months later, follow-up endoscopy showed disappearance of AVM and no evidence of hemorrhage.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Electrocoagulation ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastroscopy ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Light Coagulation ; Melena ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: Despite the clinical clues of bronchial asthma, some chronic coughers fail to be diagnosed due to negative test results. This study was aimed at evaluating the diagnostic performance of routine objective tests and identifying a cost-effective approach for asthmatics with a chronic cough. METHODS: Patients with a chronic cough of more than 3 weeks duration, and showing normal chest radiograph and spirometry were enrolled. On the first visit, objective tests, composed of serum total IgE, peripheral blood eosinophil count, spontaneous sputum eosinophil count, methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT) and paranasal sinus radiograph, were performed, with the simultaneous administration of oral prednisolone (0.5mg/kg) for one week. The final diagnoses were made on the basis of the test results, and the patients grouped according to their steroid responsiveness. The role of the etiologic diagnosis tests was evaluated, and the medical costs of the final management plan simulated with respect to three assumed models. RESULTS: Sixty chronic coughers were finally analyzed. The final diagnoses were as follows: bronchial asthma 21.7%, eosinophilic bronchitis 6.7%, paranasal sinusitis 18.3%, presumptive allergy 8.3% and non-diagnostic case 45.0%. Ninety percent were steroid responder. With the bronchial asthma cases, the positive rate of MBPT was 38.5%, with sputum eosinophil count in 84.6%, serum total IgE in 38.5%, and a peripheral blood eosinophil count rate of 30.8%. When the test results and steroid responsiveness data were applied to the 3 models, the chest radiograph, spirometry, sputum eosinophil count and paranasal sinus radiograph test results, and simultaneous short term steroid treatment seemed to have acceptable diagnostic performances, which could be used as a further guide to cost-effective planning. Conclusion:Objective tests, composed of chest radiograph, spirometry, paranasal sinus radiograph and sputum eosinophil count, with simultaneous short term steroid treatment, are suggested as cost-effective approaches for asthmatics with a chronic cough.
Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Bronchitis ; Cough* ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Prednisolone ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sinusitis ; Spirometry ; Sputum

This study was performed to estimate the direct medical costs and epidemiology of pneumonia in adults of Korea. We conducted a multi-center, retrospective, observational study and collected data targeting for community-acquired pneumonia patients ( > or = 50 yr) from 11 hospitals. Costs attributable to the treatment of pneumonia were estimated by reviewing resource utilization and epidemiology data (distribution of pathogen, hospital length of stay, overall outcome) were also collected. A total 693 patients were included; average 70.1 ( +/- 10.5) aged, 57.3% male and average 1.16 CURB-65 (confusion, blood urea nitrogen, respiratory rate, blood pressure, age > 65 yr) scored. The pathogen was identified in the 32.9% (228 patients); Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 22.4% (51 patients) of identified pathogens. The hospital mortality was 3.2% (especially, for S. pneumoniae was 5.9%) and average length of stay was 9 days. The mean total cost for the treatment of pneumonia was US dollar (USD) 1,782 (SD: USD 1,501). Compared to the cost of all caused pneumonia, that of pneumococcal pneumonia was higher, USD 2,049 ( +/- USD 1,919), but not statistically significant. Charge of hospitalization accounted the greatest part of total medical costs. The economic burden of pneumonia was high in Korea, and the prevention of pneumonia should be considered as effective strategy.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Community-Acquired Infections/economics/*epidemiology/mortality ; Female ; *Health Care Costs ; Hospital Mortality ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia/economics/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal/economics/epidemiology/microbiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/isolation & purification

Pulmonary blastoma is a primary lung tumor consisting of a mixture of immature embryonal-like mensenchymal and epithelial components and in some areas resemble embryonal lung tissue of up to 3-4 months gestational age. The tumor was first described in 1945 by Barrett and Barnard and again in 1952 by Barmard, who named it an embryoma of the lung which resembled fetal lung histologically, with glandular structures lined by non-ciliated epithelium and a surrounding stroma resembling mesenchyme. In 1961 Spencer renamed them Pulmonary blastoma as he believed they represented neoplasms similar in pathogenesis to nephroblastoma. The prognosis of these tumors is poor, and the clinical course is not readily predicted from histological appearance. Untill now, more than one hundred cases have been reported in the literature in the word and there is no report in Korea. We report a case of biphasic pulmonary blastoma, which ruptured spontaneously, in a 31-year-old young man who was presented as sharp pain under the right subscapular area.
Adult ; Epithelium ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Mesoderm ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Blastoma* ; Wilms Tumor

Pulmonary blastoma is a primary lung tumor consisting of a mixture of immature embryonal-like mensenchymal and epithelial components and in some areas resemble embryonal lung tissue of up to 3-4 months gestational age. The tumor was first described in 1945 by Barrett and Barnard and again in 1952 by Barmard, who named it an embryoma of the lung which resembled fetal lung histologically, with glandular structures lined by non-ciliated epithelium and a surrounding stroma resembling mesenchyme. In 1961 Spencer renamed them Pulmonary blastoma as he believed they represented neoplasms similar in pathogenesis to nephroblastoma. The prognosis of these tumors is poor, and the clinical course is not readily predicted from histological appearance. Untill now, more than one hundred cases have been reported in the literature in the word and there is no report in Korea. We report a case of biphasic pulmonary blastoma, which ruptured spontaneously, in a 31-year-old young man who was presented as sharp pain under the right subscapular area.
Adult ; Epithelium ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Mesoderm ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Blastoma* ; Wilms Tumor

INTRODUCTION: Transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy(TNAB) has shown to be a resonably safe, simple, and accurate procedure in diagnosis of intrathoracic lung lesions. We reviewed the results of 1,005 TNAB of chest lesions performed on 930 patients with 20 or 22-gauze needles over a period of 10 years. METHODS: From November 1983 to June 1995, 1,005 cases in 930 patients with an undiagnosed lung lesion underwent TNAB at the Hanyang University Hospital: 66% were men and 34% were women. Most of the patients were 40~60 years old and the youngest patient was 3 years of age. RESULT: 540 patients had various malignant chest lesions and 322 patients had benign pulmonary lesions. The diagnostic accuracy of TNAB was 96.1 percent in malignant diseases with one false positive result and 90.1% in benign diseases. A definitive diagnosis was not obtained in the remaining 68 patients. The most common diagnoses among 519 malignancy chest lesions with TNAB were the following: squamous cell lung carcinoma, 31.7%; adenocarcinoma, 24.7%; small cell lung carcinoma, 16.7%; metastatic cancer, 14.2%; large cell lung carcinoma, 6.2% and so on. Complications included pneumothorax in 12.3% necessitating chest tube drainage in 0.6%. Minor hemoptysis occurred in 3.6%. There was no death directly attributable to the procedure. CONCLUSION: We concluded that TNAB permits a direct approach to all kinds of localized lung lesions with a high degree of accuracy and without major complications.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Chest Tubes ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Needles ; Pneumothorax ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; Thorax