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.

No abstract available.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid* ; Animals ; Brain* ; Diazepam* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*

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

No abstract available.
Nerve Fibers* ; Retinaldehyde*

PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is being used increasingly in the treatment of patients with large or locally advanced breast cancer with the aims of downstaging and eliminating micrometastasis. We report a correlation between tumor response to preoperative primary chemotherapy and patient outcome in a series of 73 consecutive patients with breast cancer. METHODS: From Feb. 1991 to Oct. 1998, 73 patients with breast cancer (tumor size>3 cm or clinically axillary node positive) were treated with multimodality therapy, including a sandwich type of chemotherapy, comprised of 3 preoperative cycles and 3 postoperative 3 cycles of FEC or MMM. The median follow-up period was 53 months. RESULTS: The overall objective clinical response rate (complete & partial response) of the primary tumor to chemotherapy was 75.5% (standard UICC criteria). The pathologic complete response rate was 9.6%. The overall 5-year survival rate was 86.8%, and the overall 5-year disease free survival rate was 82.6%. The response rate to chemotherapy declined with increasing tumor size, but there was no relationship between the clinical response to chemotherapy and menopausal status, chemotherapeutic regimen, or histopathologic type. A breast-conserving operation could be done in 64.4% of the patients as a result of a decrease in the tumor size. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy allows a breast-conserving operation to be performed more frequently in cases of large or locally advanced breast cancer. The responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a powerful prognostic factor for the overall survival and the disease free survival in breast cancer patients.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Patients with diabetic cystopathy ultimately undergo morphometric and functional changes in their bladder. Therefore, various voiding symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, urgency, hesitancy, retention and weak stream were evaluated. Irritative symptoms usually develop in cases where the prevalence period of diabetes mellitus (DM) is short, and the obstructive symptoms develop in the opposite case. Improving the voiding symptoms might differ according to prevalence period. Therefore, the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment was compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred ten patients were divided into three groups according to how long they had suffered from DM, and were treated with medical therapy over a 4 week period: group A (<5yrs), group B (5-10yrs), group C (>10yrs). The patients were asked to write their subjective symptoms in a voiding diary and a urodynamic study was undertaken. RESULTS: After medical therapy, the frequency, nocturia and urgency in group A had improved to 72%, 77% and 88% respectively (p<0.05). The frequency, nocturia, urgency, hesitancy, retention and weak stream in group B had improved to 51%, 57%, 66%, 59%, 69% and 61% respectively (p<0.05), and in group C these symptoms had improved to 15%, 12%, 10%, 17%, 12% and 8% respectively (p>0.05). In a urodynamic study of group B, the maximum detrusor pressure had increased from 20.3+/-6.7cmH2O to 53.5+/-8.1cmH2O and the post void residuals decreased from 62.3+/-36.4ml to 21.2+/-17.1ml (p<0.05). In addition, there were little improvements in the maximum bladder capacity, the first sensation and compliance (p>0.05). In group C, there was little improvement in the urodynamic study (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The medical therapeutic efficacy for these patients reduces as the DM revalence period is longer.
Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Humans ; Nocturia ; Prevalence* ; Rivers ; Sensation ; Urinary Bladder ; Urodynamics

PURPOSE: The prognosis for breast carcinoma in young women, especially those less than 35 years of age, is perceived as being unfavorable. However, the relationship of age at diagnosis and prognosis still remains controversial. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 37 breast cancer patients, who had been 35 years old or younger at the time of their diagnosis from Jan. 1990 to Dec. 1994 at the Department of Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital. RESULTS: The factors that influenced survival were pathologic stage, tumor size, and the number of axillary node metastases, but operation method, postoperative radiation therapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not. CONCLUSION: When we compared the group with age < or =35 to the group with age >35, the former group showed worse disease free survival, but the overall survival was not worse.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

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*