Neurofibromatosis is a complex hereditary disease involving many organs and systems. The incidence in pregnancy is less frequent and has been reported as 1/5000 to 1/18500 deliveries. Therefore, little is known about the interactions between neurofibromatosis and pregnancy. A survey of relevant literature suggests that patients with NF have an increased risk of perinatal complications (pregnancy induced hypertension, IUGR, preterm labor, abortion, stillbirth, high cesarean section rate) and maternal disease aggravation (rupture of an aneurysm, sarcomatous degeneration of neurofibroma, activation of pheochromocytoma). Refined ultrasound, flow studies and fetal monitoring allow us to provide improved pregnancy care for neurofibromatosis. However, It should be remembered that even now, neurofibromatosis places pregnant women and their fetuses in a high risk group with the potential to develop life threatening complications. We report a case of vertebral artery aneurysm and preeclampsia complicating a pregnancy with neurofibromatosis."
Aneurysm* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Monitoring ; Fetus ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Stillbirth ; Ultrasonography ; Vertebral Artery*

OBJECTIVES: Considering large diversity of clinical presentation of schizophrenia, it is important to identify valid clinical subtypes or dimensions that might have homogeneous biological underpinning. The current study aimed to explore lifetime symptom-based dimensional phenotypes in patients with chronic schizophrenia, and to investigate their correlation with cognitive functions and other clinical characteristics. METHODS: Lifetime-based symptoms and additional clinical variables were measured using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies and the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome in 315 clinically stable patients with chronic schizophrenia. Through principal components factor analysis, eight dimensional phenotypes were obtained. Comprehensive neuropsychological tests were administered for 103 out of 315 patients, and domain scores were calculated for cognitive domains defined in the MATRICS consensus battery. RESULTS: 'Non-paranoid delusion factor' including delusions of grandiose or religious nature, showed significant negative correlation with processing speed, working memory, attention/vigilance, and general cognitive ability, and positive correlation with intra-individual variability. 'Negative symptom factor' showed significant negative correlation only with general cognitive ability. Those two factors were also negatively correlated with function levels measured by Global Assessment Scale (GAS), and associated with poor treatment responses. CONCLUSION: Symptom-based dimensional phenotypes of schizophrenia measured on a lifetime basis showed discriminative correlation with cognitive function domains, global functioning level, and overall treatment responses, indicating their possibility as valid phenotype axes of schizophrenia having homogeneous biologic basis.
Appointments and Schedules ; Cognition ; Consensus ; Delusions ; Humans ; Memory, Short-Term ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Phenotype ; Schizophrenia*

Pancreatic pseudocyst occurs as a complication of pancreatitis or trauma, which results in the escape of pancreatic enzymes from the parenchyma or ductal system of pancreas. At that time, serum amylase may have returned to normal level, and the patient may be subjectively asymptomatic. In this phase, the radiologic findings are relatively greater significance than laboratory data. In the conventional radiologic study, pancreatic pseudocyst have been frequently confused with other retroperitoneal mass, but recently with clinical application of ultrasound and CT scan, more accurate diagnosis can be obtained. The brief results are as follows; 1. Male to female ratio was 3:2 in 15 patients. Incidence was most common in young adult age. Most frequent symptom was epigastic pain, and which was noted in 11 cases of patients. 7 cases of patients had past history of abdominal trauma and past history of pancreatitis was only in 1 case. Most common laboratory finding was leukocytosis in 8cases of patients and elevated serum amylase was also noted in 7 cases. 2. In each 5 cases of patients, plain chest roentgenologic evidence of left side pleural effusion and hemidiaphragm elevation were observed. 3. On flat abdomen film, soft mass shadow was visualized in 8 cases of patients. On UGI series, evidence of retrogastric space widening was observed in 11 cases of patients. 4. The location of pseudocyst is mainly in body and tail of pancrease in 11 cases of patients. 5. More accruable diagnosis can be obtained through application of ultrasound and CT scan.
Abdomen ; Amylases ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Pancreatitis ; Pancrelipase ; Pleural Effusion ; Tail ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; United Nations ; Young Adult

We investigated recent epidemiologic trends regarding campylobacteriosis vs. nontyphoidal salmonellosis (NTS), a previously known leading cause of bacterial enterocolitis in Korean children. Among 363 hospitalized children with acute inflammatory diarrhea, Campylobacter (18.7%) was the most frequently detected pathogen using multiplex polymerase chain reaction tests followed by Salmonella (15.4%). Children with campylobacteriosis were older than children with NTS (112.6 months [interquartile range (IQR) 66.0–160.1] vs. 53 months [IQR 31.0–124.0], P < 0.001) and had higher prevalences of abdominal cramping and stool hemoglobin. Campylobacteriosis may be suspected as a primary cause of acute inflammatory diarrhea in hospitalized school-aged Korean children and adolescents.
Adolescent ; Age Distribution* ; Campylobacter ; Child* ; Child, Hospitalized ; Colic ; Diarrhea* ; Enterocolitis ; Humans ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Salmonella ; Salmonella Infections*

The present study investigated risk factors for iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) during late infancy, including feeding type and complementary feeding (CF) practice. Healthy term Korean infants (8–15 months) were weighed, and questionnaires regarding delivery, feeding, and weaning were completed by their caregivers. We also examined levels of hemoglobin, serum iron/total iron-binding capacity, serum ferritin, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Among 619 infants, ID and IDA were present in 174 infants (28.1%) and 87 infants (14.0%), respectively. The 288 infants with exclusively/mostly breastfeeding until late infancy (BFL) were most likely to exhibit ID (53.1%) and IDA (28.1%). The risk of ID was independently associated with BFL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 47.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 18.3–122.9), male sex (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–2.9), fold weight gain (aOR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.5–4.6), and perceived inadequacy of red meat intake (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0–2.7). In addition to the risk factors for ID, Cesarean section delivery (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1–3.2) and low parental CF-related knowledge (aOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.5–5.2) were risk factors for IDA. In conclusion, prolonged breastfeeding and perceived inadequacy of red meat intake may be among the important feeding-related risk factors of ID and IDA. Therefore, more meticulous education and monitoring of iron-rich food intake, such as red meat, with iron supplementation or iron status testing during late infancy if necessary, should be considered for breastfed Korean infants, especially for those with additional risk factors for ID or IDA.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Breast Feeding* ; Caregivers ; Cesarean Section ; Eating ; Education ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Female ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Infant* ; Iron* ; Male ; Methylcellulose ; Odds Ratio ; Parents ; Pregnancy ; Red Meat* ; Risk Factors ; Weaning ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of guided imagery on stress including cognitive, affective, marital and social, and anxiety among women receiving in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: Data were collected between April, 21 and June, 17, 2008. The participants in this study were 57 women (26 for the experimental group, 31 for the control group) receiving IVF for primary or secondary infertility in one of the outpatient infertility centers in Seoul. The guided imagery (Suk, 2001) was provided through audio CD to the experimental group by themselves 8 minutes per day for 2 weeks. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 windows program. RESULTS: After guided imagery, the experimental group showed significantly lower affective stress and total stress scores. Anxiety scores increased significantly in the control group, but not in the experimental group after treatment. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that guided imagery is an effective nursing intervention for reducing stress especially affective stress and anxiety among infertile women receiving IVF in outpatient infertility center.
Anxiety ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Imagery (Psychotherapy) ; Infertility ; Outpatients

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine differences in mammography screening according to breast cancer and social network characteristic. METHODS: Data were collected from 187 married women 35 years and older who were using public health centers, health promotion centers, cultural centers, obstetrics and gynecology hospitals or other relevant community sites. Data were collected between October 24 and December 4, 2008. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. RESULTS: The participation rate for mammography screening was 35.3%. The following general and breast cancer characteristics showed statistically significant differences: religion, family incomes, regular medical-care, general health examinations during past 2 years, and history of breast disease. The following social network characteristics showed statistically significant differences: social norms and subjective norms. Using logistic regression analysis, regular medical-care, breast cancer risk appraisal, social norm, and subjective norms were highly predictive of subsequent mammography. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that it is important to develop and provide tailored intervention programs through integrated socially mediated programs. By consciously including social network and support systems, breast cancer detection efforts would not end as a one-time event, but naturally build on network structure of adults women, thus facilitating regular mammography screening.
Adult ; Breast ; Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Gynecology ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mammography ; Mass Screening ; Obstetrics ; Public Health

BACKGROUND: Becton Dickinson (BD) Vacutainer tubes are the most widely used vacuum system for collection of blood in clinical laboratories. We compared the performance of two new tubes, Sekisui INSEPACK tube and Green Cross Green Vac-Tube, with the existing BD Vacutainer tubes for 49 common analytes. METHODS: A total of 20 apparently healthy volunteers were recruited for this study. For rountine chemistry and thyroid function tests, we compared the results of two new vacutainer tubes and BD Vacutainer tubes with those of BD glass tubes at t =0 hr by student paired t test. Hematology and coagulation test results of the two new vacutainer tubes were compared with those of BD Vacutainer tubes at t =0 hr. To study the stability of each analyte, results at t =24 +/- 2 hr, t =72 +/- 2 hr, and t =168 +/- 2 hr were compared with those at t =0 hr for each tube. RESULTS: Although paired t test analysis revealed statistically significant differences between two tested tubes and existing BD Vacutainer tube in several tests (total protein, total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, uric acid, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, direct bilirubin, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, lactate dehydrogenase, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine), these differences were not considered clinically significant. Stability of two new vacuum tubes for each analyte was similar to that of the BD Vacutainer tube. CONCLUSIONS: Sekisui INSEPACK tube and Green Cross Green-Vac Tube showed a satisfactory analytical performance compared with existing BD Vacutainer tubes. We conclude that these two new plastic vacutainer tubes are acceptable for the commonly ordered laboratory tests.
Blood Cells/chemistry ; Blood Proteins/analysis ; Blood Specimen Collection/*instrumentation ; Equipment and Supplies/standards ; Female ; Humans ; Male

PURPOSE: Motion effects in parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are investigated. Parallel MRI is known to be robust to motion due to its reduced acquisition time. However, if there are some involuntary motions such as heart or respiratory motions involved during the acquisition of the parallel MRI, motion artifacts would be even worse than those in conventional (non-parallel) MRI. In this paper, we defined several types of motions, and their effects in parallel MRI are investigated in comparisons with conventional MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to investigate motion effects in parallel MRI, 5 types of motions are considered. Type-1 and 2 are periodic motions with different amplitudes and periods. Type-3 and 4 are segment-based linear motions, where they are stationary during the segment. Type-5 is a uniform random motion. For the simulation, Cartesian and spiral grid based parallel and non-parallel (conventional) MRI are used. RESULTS: Based on the motions defined, moving artifacts in the parallel and non-parallel MRI are investigated. From the simulation, non-parallel MRI shows smaller root mean square error (RMSE) values than the parallel MRI for the periodic (type-1 and 2) motions. Parallel MRI shows less motion artifacts for linear (type-3 and 4) motions where motions are reduced with shorter acquisition time. Similar motion artifacts are observed for the random motion (type-5). CONCLUSION: In this paper, we simulate the motion effects in parallel MRI. Parallel MRI is effective in the reduction of motion artifacts when motion is reduced by the shorter acquisition time. However, conventional MRI shows better image quality than the parallel MRI when fast periodic motions are involved.
Artifacts ; Computer Simulation ; Heart ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging