BACKGROUND: The effect of Video Display Terminals(VDT) Syndrome is well documented. The purpose of this study is to examine the difference in systemic subjective symptoms between long term users of computers with that of the general population and to help plan to avoid the risk of developing Video Display Terminal Syndrome. METHOD: Data was collected for this study between August 1996 and February 1997. Two groups consisting of seventy(70) long term computer users(Exposed Subjects) and fifty nine(59) non users (Non Exposed Subjects), were selected for the survey. Data was gathered from the exposed subjects through their response to the survey questionnaire posted on the internet requiring detailed responses concerning ten systemic subjective symptoms that were experienced as a result of the long term exposure to VDT. Data was gathered from the non exposed subjects through written responses to the questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the more significant difference was the experience of ocular symptoms among the exposed group. The exposed group experienced in descending order eleven items of ocular symptoms. Congestion, strain, decreased visual acuity, ocular pain, and dryness. Among seven items of lifestyle, the exposed group characteristically exercised less(P<0.05) and did more home activity (P<0.05), characteristically lead healthier life than the non exposed group. Participation in exercise differed most among the groups. The exposed group participating in moderate exercise scored 517+/-551.6 compared to the non exposed group which exercised very vigorously(p<0.05). In comparison of subjective symptom and life styles per daily exposure time(over 8,10,16 hours daily) there was significant difference between 8 and 10hour exposers only in the stress item(P<0.05). In the exposure group there were less cardiovascular symptoms(P<0.05) due to more art activity(P<0.05), more cardiovascular symptoms and less sleep activity(P<0.001) and more ocular symptoms(P<0.05) due to higher levels of stress. CONCLUSIONS: By exercising, exposers can decrease the respiratory symptoms, and by seeking methods that enable efficient management of work time, the subjects can benefit from the reduced work time, and by seeking methods so that one receive less stress and can resolve them they can reduce their ocular symptoms, sleep problems, cardiovascular symptoms. And in their spare time, the subjects can be recommended to involve in art activity for each person, through PC indirectly. Designing the development of cyber gallery, museum, literature room, concert can reduce the oecur-rence rate of cardiovascular symptoms.
Computer Terminals ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Humans ; Internet ; Life Style* ; Museums ; Visual Acuity ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

During the period of 18 months from December 1984 to May 1986, 41 cases(25.0%) of subpulmonic ventricular septal defect(VSD) were diagnosed among 164 cases of isolated VSD in the cardiac catheterization labortory. The incidence of aortic regurgitation associated subpulmonic VSD(19.5%) was much higher than that of the other types of VSD(2.4%). None of patients less than 1 year old developed aortic regurgitation, the incidence of which has increased with the age after that. That amount of left to right shunt through the VSD was smaller in the patients with aortic cusp prolapse than those without aortic cusp prolapse, and the severity of aortic regurgitation was correlated with that of aortic cusp prolapse. 10 out of 41 patients revealed more than 20mmHg pressure gradient through right ventricle outflow tract and 9 of these patient were as sociated with aortic cusp prolapse.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Cardiac Catheterization* ; Cardiac Catheters* ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prolapse

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*

STUDY DESIGN: Authors experienced three cases of malignant schwannoma arising from multiple neurofibromatosis and invading the vertebrae. OBJECTIVE: To report treatment results and preventive idea in three cases of malignant schwannoma transformed from neurofibromatosis within the retroperifoneal area and invading the vertebrae. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The patients with neurofibromatosis are clearly at increased risk to develop the malignant schwannoma. A review of Korean literature revealed no such cases. RESULTS: The first case presented in the L4 body and was treated by surgical excision and chemotherapy, but she expired due to secondary metastasis in six months after diagnosis. The second case was treated by diagnostic biopsy and chemotherapy with adriamycin, ifosfamide, DTIC, mesna. He eventually lived for 14 months. After a diagnostic biopsy, the third case died due to lung metastasis before we could begin the treatment. CONCLUSION: We recommend that neurofibromatsis patients be regularly followed-up and if necessary, CT examination of spine or abdomen should be done. If a malignant schwannoma is detected, then early treatment can be started.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Ifosfamide ; Lung ; Mesna ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Spine*

Autoimmune diseases are occasionally associated with other autoimmune diseases in the same patients. Autoimmune Graves' disease has been associated with systemic rheumatic diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). And Graves' disease associated with idiopathic thrornbocytopenic purpura (ITP) has been reported many times in Korea. There is a special relationship between SLE and ITP, both of which are autoimmune diseases. Some patients with thrombocytopenic purpura, labeled as idiopathic at the onset, later develop a classical course of SLE, suggesting that ITP may be an early manifestation of SLE. The relationships among these three conditions and their pathogenesis are poorly undemtood, and the coexistence of these diseases at the same time has been reported very rarely, but it may be very probable that there are some relationships among them. We report a case of SLE associated with Graves' disease and ITP treated well by imunosup-pressive agent who had been suffering from recurrence by conventional treatments (antithyroid medication, corticosteroid, subtotal thyroidectomy and splenectomy).
Autoimmune Diseases ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Purpura ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Recurrence ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND: Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in Western society as well as in Korea. Obesity results from a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an attempt to investigate the association of obesity with its candidate genes, beta3 adrenergic receptor (beta3AR) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), we analyzed polymorphisms of beta3AR Trp64Arg and UCP2 -866G/A by PCR-RFLP analysis and the obesity-related phenotypes, including body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose concentration, and plasma lipid profiles in 750 subjects. RESULTS: The Trp64Arg polymorphism in the beta3AR gene was not statistically associated with the BMI. The UCP2 -866G/A polymorphism was significantly higher in obese than in non-obese subjects (P<0.05). However, the UCP2 -866A/A polymorphism was higher in the non-obese subjects. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the UCP2 -866G/A polymorphism might be more useful for the prediction of obesity and obesity-associated diseases in Korean patients than the beta3AR Trp64Arg polymorphism.
Body Mass Index* ; Child ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Disorders ; Obesity ; Phenotype ; Plasma ; Receptors, Adrenergic

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the clinical efficacy of Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (Mirena(R)) for patients who have abnormal uterine bleeding before menopause or sustaining vaginal spotting during postmenopaual hormone replacement therapy. METHODS: Between June, 2001 and June, 2003, forty six premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding such as menorrhagia and intermenstrual bleeding who did not prefer surgical treatment (Group 1) and twenty four postmenopausal patients with vaginal spotting (Group 2) were included in this study. The various parameters such as uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, volume changes of myoma or adenomyosis, and endometrial thickness were evaluated by transvaginal ultrasound examination before and after Levonorgestrel- releasing intrauterine system usage. RESULTS: A significant reduction in abnormal bleeding (26.3 vs 11.0) (p<0.0001) and dysmenorrhea (11.6 vs 6.1) (p<0.0001) were noticed. However, there was no significant change in volume of uterine myoma (40.0 vs 11.3) (p=0.282) and adenomyosis (103.0 vs 95.83) (p=0.266) before and after Mirena(R) insertion in Group 1. Vaginal spotting during hormone replacement therapy disappeared completely in 18/24. Also there was a significant reduction in endometrial thickness (6.3 vs 4.9) (p<0.0001) after Mirena(R) insertion in both group 1 and group 2. CONCLUSION: Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system insertion was acceptable and convenient therapeutic modality for abnormal uterine bleeding of premenopausal abnormal uterine bleeding and vaginal spotting during the postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.
Adenomyosis ; Dysmenorrhea ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Menopause ; Menorrhagia ; Metrorrhagia ; Myoma ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage*

PURPOSE: The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy was recently introduced into the treatment of early breast cancer. However, there have been varying degrees of success in identifying the SLNs. Lymphatic mapping in breast cancer performed solely by intraparenchymal injection of blue dye remains an accepted method of identifying SLNs, largely because of its simplicity. This article describes the technical aspect and improved results of combined peritumoral and subareolar injection of isosulfan blue dye. METHODS: From Jan. 2000 to Jul. 2000, 55 patients with breast cancer (size<5 cm and clinically negative axillary nodes) were enrolled for SLN biopsy by peritumoral and subareolar injection of 1% isosulfan blue dye. And all patients underwent a complete axillary dissection. RESULTS: The identification rate of SLN was 96.4% (in 53 of 55 patients). Of these 53 patients, 11 patients (20.8%) had positive SLNs and 42 patients had negative SLNs. In 42 patients with negative SLNs, one patients was found to have disease on complete dissection, for a false-negative rate of 8.3% (1/12). Conclusion: Compared with other series of blue dye- directed lymphatic mapping, the present study of peritumoral plus subareolar plexus dye-only injection demonstrates a high SLNs localization rate and rapid learning curve. On the basis of these results, it is expected that subareolar lymphatic plexus is the central route to sentinel lymph nodes and the optimal way to perform dye-only lymphatic mapping of the breast.
Biopsy ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Learning Curve ; Lymph Nodes* ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the surgical outcome and determine prognostic factors of thoracic ossified ligamentum flavum(OLF). METHODS: From April 1998 to November 2001, 32 consecutive patients with symptomatic thoracic OLF were treated surgically in our institution. Among them, the authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 28 patients in whom preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomogram were available. Decompressive laminectomy including removal of OLF mass was performed in each case. Mean follow-up period was 25.2 months, ranged from 3 to 46 months. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients(79%) showed functional improvement, in whom average Nurick Grade changed from 3.6 to 2.5 after surgery. Fifteen of eighteen patients presented with motor weakness, six of seven with leg or back pain and one of three with leg numbness or paresthesia improved respectively. No patient had deteriorated postoperatively. Clinical presentation and preoperative Nurick Grade were significant predictive factors for surgical outcome(p=0.004 and p<0.001, respectively). In addition, combined facet joint hypertrophy and/or compressive anterior element indicated poor prognosis(p=0.008). CONCLUSION: Appropriate evaluation and sufficient surgical decompression for combined compressive elements on imaging study could improve the functional prognosis in thoracic OLF.
Back Pain ; Decompression, Surgical ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Hypesthesia ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paresthesia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine* ; Zygapophyseal Joint