BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple aspects of patients' lives. Its epidemiology varies regionally; however, nationwide epidemiologic data on psoriasis depicting profile of Korean patients has not been available to date. OBJECTIVE: To understand nationwide epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of adult patients with psoriasis visited university hospitals in Korea. METHODS: This multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study recruited 1,278 adult patients with psoriasis across 25 centers in Korea in 2013. Various clinical data including PASI, BSA, DLQI, SF-36 and PASE were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1,260 patients completed the study (male:female=1.47:1). The mean age was 47.0 years with a distribution mostly in the 50s (24.9%). Early onset (<40 years) of psoriasis accounted for 53.9% of patients. The mean disease duration was 109.2 months; mean body mass index was 23.9 kg/m²; and 12.7% of patients had a family history of psoriasis. Plaque and guttate types of psoriasis accounted for 85.8% and 8.4%, respectively. Patients with PASI ≥10 accounted for 24.9%; patients with body surface area ≥10 were 45.9%. Patients with DLQI ≥6 accounted for 78.8%. Between PASI <10 and PASI ≥10 groups, significant difference was noted in age at diagnosis, disease duration, blood pressure, waist circumference of female, and treatment experiences with phototherapy, systemic agents, and biologics. CONCLUSION: This was the first nationwide epidemiologic study of patients with psoriasis in Korea and provides an overview of the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical profiles of this patient population.
Adult ; Biological Products ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea* ; Phototherapy ; Psoriasis* ; Waist Circumference

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

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

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

BACKGROUNDS: Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been established as an efficacious option to resolve the shortage of cadaveric donor organs for pediatric recipients. This surgical innovation has significantly reduced the pretransplantation mortality for children, but the crisis of increasing scarcity of donor organs in our hospital has led us to extend LDLT to adult recipients. However, the extension of LDLT from pediatric recipients to adult recipients has been made only with limited success largely because of the inability of a relatively small-size left-lobe graft to meet the metabolic demands of an adult recipient. It has been postulated that a left-lobe graft smaller than 40% of the recipient's standard liver volume will not result in a successful adult-to-adult LDLT in chronic parenchymal liver disease. METHODS: From February 1997 to October 1997, 10 LDLTs, using 9 extended left-lobe grafts and 1 right-lobe graft, were performed on patients with end-stage parenchymal liver diseases (9 cases of B-hepatitis-induced cirrhosis with or without an associated hepatocellular carcinoma and 1 case of alcoholic cirrhosis) at the Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center. The ratios of the graft to the standard liver volume of the recipients were in the range of 30% to 55%. RESULTS: All grafts showed immediate function, but delayed normalization of the serum total bilirubin was demonstrated in all recipients receiving left-lobe grafts. There were no mortalities and serious complications in donors. Two recipients died of sepsis 21 days and 40 days after transplantation, and 8 recipients (80%) are alive with good liver function at a median follow-up of 5.1 months (range 2~10 months). CONCLUSIONS: The aim of this article is to report our experience with adult-to-adult LDLT shows that a graft size greater than 30% of the recipient's standard liver volume is able to meet the metabolic demands of adult recipients with chronic parenchymal liver disease and that LDLT might open a new donor pool for adult recipients when the supply of cadaveric organs is severely restricted.
Adult ; Alcoholics ; Bilirubin ; Cadaver ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Living Donors* ; Mortality ; Sepsis ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

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

BACKGROUND: Lung abscess is an accumulation of pus within a destroyed portion of the lung. Antibiotic therapy and postural drainge has proven to be an effective method of treatment for the majority of patients with pyogenic lung abscess. When medical therapy fails, thoracotomy and pulmonary resection are the current therapies. Empyema is pus in the pleural space, and this term is reserved for effusions on which the Gram stain of the pleural fluid is positive. Initially, such collection may be drained via chest tube. Recently, in patients who are judged to be unsuitable for surgery and are in poor condition, percutaneous drainage using pig-tail catheter has been performed. We report our experience with 10 cases of lung abscess and 23 cases of empyema who were treated by percutaneous pig-tail catheter drainage. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our study included 10 patients with lung abscess and 23 patients with empyema who were treated by percutaneous pig-tail catheter drainage, from January, 1990, to May, 1996, at Hanyang University then a pig-tail catheter was inserted into the abscess or the site of empyema under fluoroscopic and ultrasonograpic guidance. Following aspiration, the catheter was sutured into the skin, and connected to the suction tip. Catheter drainage was discontinued when the abscess or empyema was resolved in radiologically and clinically. RESULTS: There were 2 cases of lung abscess caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae and 14 cases of empyema caused by M. tuberculosis. The others were unknown. The duration of drainage was 1-2 weeks in 7 cases of lung abscess and 14 cases of empyema. In the 29 of 33 patients, percutaneous drainage were carried out successfully. 20 of the 29 cases rapidly improved. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous drainge is effective and relatively safe for management of lung abscess or empyema refractory to medical therapy or poor candidates for surgical treatment.
Abscess ; Catheters* ; Chest Tubes ; Drainage* ; Empyema* ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Lung Abscess* ; Lung* ; Skin ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Suction ; Suppuration ; Thoracotomy ; Tuberculosis

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