PURPOSE: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) generally varies depending on its diagnostic definition, and many different definitions inevitably lead to substantial confusion and lack of comparability between studies. Despite extensive research, there is still no gold standard for the definition of MetS, which continues to be a matter of debate. In this study, we investigate whether and to what extent its individual components are related to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the 2005 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a nationally representative survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population. The study sample consisted of 1,406 Korean adults (587 men, 819 women) who were diagnosed with MetS based on the revised National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) criteria. Central obesity is defined as a waist circumference cutoff point reported in Asia-Pacific criteria for obesity based on waist circumference by the World Health Organization. CVD was defined as presence of stroke, myocardial infarction, or angina pectoris on a medical history questionnaire. RESULTS: The CVD prevalence among the subjects was 6.8% for men and 8.6% for women. Besides age, the components of MetS showing a significant difference in the number of CVD events were high fasting glucose (FG) in men and high blood pressure (BP) and high FG in women. After adjusting for gender and age, high FG was shown to yield a significant difference (odds ratio: unadjusted 2.08, adjusted 1.81), alone among all MetS components. However, after adjusting for only age, no significant difference was found. CONCLUSION: Fasting glucose level is the highest predicting factor for CVD in Korean patients with MetS based on the revised NECP definition.
Age Factors ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology/*etiology ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications/epidemiology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

Purpose: This study examined the quality of life (QoL) and quality of care (QoC) in inpatient hospice settings in Korea before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Data were obtained from three institutions that participated in two prospective cohort studies. The primary outcomes measured were the QoL of patients with terminal cancer and their family caregivers (FCs), as well as the QoC as perceived by the FCs. Results: Multivariable regression analysis revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, both patients and FCs experienced better QoL than before the pandemic, and FCs reported a higher QoC. Conclusion Health policymakers should consider our findings when planning for future pandemics.

Purpose: This study examined the quality of life (QoL) and quality of care (QoC) in inpatient hospice settings in Korea before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Data were obtained from three institutions that participated in two prospective cohort studies. The primary outcomes measured were the QoL of patients with terminal cancer and their family caregivers (FCs), as well as the QoC as perceived by the FCs. Results: Multivariable regression analysis revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, both patients and FCs experienced better QoL than before the pandemic, and FCs reported a higher QoC. Conclusion Health policymakers should consider our findings when planning for future pandemics.

Purpose: This study examined the quality of life (QoL) and quality of care (QoC) in inpatient hospice settings in Korea before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Data were obtained from three institutions that participated in two prospective cohort studies. The primary outcomes measured were the QoL of patients with terminal cancer and their family caregivers (FCs), as well as the QoC as perceived by the FCs. Results: Multivariable regression analysis revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, both patients and FCs experienced better QoL than before the pandemic, and FCs reported a higher QoC. Conclusion Health policymakers should consider our findings when planning for future pandemics.

Purpose: This study examined the quality of life (QoL) and quality of care (QoC) in inpatient hospice settings in Korea before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Data were obtained from three institutions that participated in two prospective cohort studies. The primary outcomes measured were the QoL of patients with terminal cancer and their family caregivers (FCs), as well as the QoC as perceived by the FCs. Results: Multivariable regression analysis revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, both patients and FCs experienced better QoL than before the pandemic, and FCs reported a higher QoC. Conclusion Health policymakers should consider our findings when planning for future pandemics.

To evaluate the effect of pterygium on corneal astigmatism and visual acuity, we checked the corneal curvature and visual acuity before and after the operation for pterygium in 126 eye. In the cases of Grade I, the mean change of the horizontal corneal curvature was +0.32D and the mean change of the vertical corneal curvature was +0.07D (P<0.05). In the cases of Grade II, the mean change of the horizontal corneal curvature was +0.54D(P<0.01) and the mean change of the vertical corneal curvature was +0.09D(P<0.05). All of the horizontal and vertical corneal curvature increased after removal of the pterygium, especially the horizontal curvature increased more than the vertical curvature. As the pterygium invades the cornea more extensively, the corneal curvature increased more markedly. After the operation for pterygium the visual acuity was improved 1 to 2 lines at the Han`s visual acuity table in some cases, but there was no statistical significance (P>0.5).
Astigmatism* ; Cornea ; Pterygium* ; Visual Acuity*

A 4-year-old girl developed acute motor, sensory impairment, lower abdominal pain and urinary dysfunction after URI. In acute stage of disease, MRI showed diffuse spinal cord swelling and high signal intensity on T2WI below T2 body level. The patient did not improved and one month later, follow-up MRI showed diffuse spinal cord atrophy and syrinx formation as sequelae of ATM on T1WI below T9 level. To our knowledge, this is the first case showing the sequelae of acute transverse myelitis seen in Korea.
Abdominal Pain ; Atrophy* ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myelitis, Transverse* ; Spinal Cord*

No abstract available.
Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis*

PURPOSE: This study was performed in order to evaluate the clinical characteristics, effect of treatment and prognosis in patients with testicular tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 42 patients with testicular tumor treated at our hospital. We analyzed the pathologic classification, clinical stage, preoperative tumor markers, treatment methods, clinical characteristics, and prognosis. RESULTS: The histologic type was seminoma in 11, teratoma in 10, yolk sac tumor in 5, embryonal cell carcinoma in 4, mixed type in 8 and secondary neoplasm in 4. Clinically, 31 patients were stage I, 2 stage IIa, 2 stage IIb, 1 stage IIc, 6 stage IV. Following orchiectomy, 22 patients underwent surveillance, 12 chemotherapy, 4 radiation therapy, 1 retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), 2 radiation plus chemotherapy, and 1 radiation plus chemotherapy and RPLND. The 10-year survival rate was 90.9% in the cases of seminoma. Similarly, the 10-year survival rate was 96.0% in the cases of non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT). CONCLUSION: In our study, patients with testicular tumor revealed an excellent survival rate. Testicular tumors are solid tumors that have a possibility of complete remission by additional chemotherapy or radiation following radical surgery. Therefore, early detection and aggressive treatment were mandatory.
Classification ; Drug Therapy ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Orchiectomy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seminoma ; Survival Rate ; Teratoma ; Testicular Neoplasms ; Testis* ; Biomarkers, Tumor

PURPOSE: Joubert syndrome presents neonatal respiratory abnormalities and other clinical manifestations. Pathologically the patients show hypoplasia or agenesis of cerebellar vermis and other intracranial anomalies. Our purpose is to evaluate the clinical manifestations and MR findings of Joubert syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the patients presenting with clinical stigmata of Joubert syndrome and agenesis of vermis on MR imaging, eight patients who did not satisfied the criteria of Dandy-Walker malformation, tectocerebellar dysraphia and rhombencephalosynapsis were selected. MR findings and clinical manifestation were analyzed. RESULTS: On MR imaging, agenesis of the cerebellar vermis (all cases), hypoplasia of the cerebellar peduncle (6cases), fourth ventricular contour deformity(6cases), tentorial elevation (4cases), deformity of the lateral ventricles (4cases), dysgenesis of the straight sinus (3cases) were demonstrated. Other findings were abnormalities of corpus callosum (3cases), falx anomalies (3 cases), occipital encephalomeningocele (2 cases) and fluid collection in posterior cranial fossa (2cases). Clinical manifestations were developmental delay (5cases), abnormal eyeball movement (3cases), hypotonia (2 cases), neonatal rerspiratoy abnormality (2cases), etc. CONCLUSION: Joubert syndrome showed various clinical manifestations and intracranial anomalies. MR imaging is an useful modality in detection of the cerebellar vermian agenesis and other anomalies of the patients.
Christianity ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Corpus Callosum ; Cranial Fossa, Posterior ; Dandy-Walker Syndrome ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Muscle Hypotonia