BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is considered as an autoimmune disorder due to the generation and presence of autoantibodies directed against melanocyte antigens in the patients sera. Previous studies have revealed an increased incidence of organ-specific autoantibodies in vitiligo patients. A number of studies have demonstrated an increased frequency of thyroid autoantibodies in vitiligo patients and vitiligo is commonly seen in patients with clinical thyroid diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of antithyroid antibodies in vitiligo patients and to correlate the presence of these antibodies with factors such as sex, age, activity of the disease, duration of the disease and the type of vitiligo. Another aim of this study is to compare the incidence of abnormal thyroid function in those who have antithyroid antibody and those who don't. METHODS: One hundred and fifty seven vitiligo patients who visited vitiligo clinic in Samsung medical center from January of 1995 to November of 1996 were enrolled in this study. Detection and titration of antithyroid antibodies were performed by immunoradiometric assay. RESULTS: Among 157 patients tested, 17(10.8%) patients had antithyroglobulin antibodies and 10(6.4%) patients had antimicrosomal antibodies. Five patients had both antibodies. Statistically meaningful data are as follows; 1) Antimicrosomal antibody appeared less frequently in patients of childhood-onset. 2) Antithyroglobulin antibody was detected more frequently in active disease. Fifty nine out of 157 patients were examined for thyroid function. Four out of 22 patients with antithyroid antibody had abnormal thyroid function. None out of 37 patients without antithyroid antibody had abnormal thyroid function. CONCLUSION: The incidence of antithyroid antibodies according to onset age and activity is contradictory to previous reports, therefore large scaled study will be necessary to draw a conclusion.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies* ; Autoantibodies ; Humans ; Immunoradiometric Assay ; Incidence* ; Melanocytes ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Vitiligo*

OBJECTIVE: The Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES) is a screening measure for dissociative experience in adolescents. The present study aimed to investigate the reliability, validity and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale. METHODS: The Korean version of the A-DES was administered to a normative group of 371 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years and a traumatized group of 33 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with known trauma. RESULTS: The internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's alpha=0.91) and the test-retest correlation of the A-DES was high (r=0.99). Correlation between the A-DES and other measures of dissociation was moderate (r=0.48). There were no significant age differences in mean total A-DES scores for the normative sample, or for boys or girls separately. Nor were there any significant gender differences for any age group. The mean total score of the A-DES was significantly higher in the traumatized group than in the normative group. There was a statistically significant difference between adolescents with self-reported trauma and those without a trauma history in the normative group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the Korean version of the A-DES is a reliable measure with excellent internal consistency and good stability over a 4-week test-retest interval with single factor structure. It can be used to screen for dissociative symptoms in Korean adolescents between the ages 12 and 18.
Adolescent ; Aged ; Dissociative Disorders ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Psychometrics

In order to prepare the fundamental data for preventing the hazardous effects at toluene exposure in many kinds of industry, the authors determined the level of urinary hippuric acid on 592 toluene exposed women(exposed group) and 102 unexposed women(control group) in Pusan area, from April 1 to October 31, 1986. Hippuric acid was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The results were summarized as follows; 1. The mean value of urinary hippuric acid concentration of the control group was 0.44+/-0.21g/l(0.11-0.89g/l). The distribution of urinary hippuric acid concentration of the control group was not fit to the normal distribution. 2. The mean value of urinary hippuric acid concentration of the exposed group was 1.56+/-0.95g/l(0.44-4.57g/l). The distribution of urinary hippuric acid concentration of control group was not fit to the normal distribution. 3. The urinary hippuric acid concentration by age group was not statistically significant in the control group, but in the exposed the urinary hippuric acid concentration was highest in women between 20-29 years old(1.71+/-0.95g/l) and was statistically significant(p<0.01). 4. The urinary hippuric acid concentration by duration of working hours was not statistically significant(p>0.1).
Busan ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Female ; Humans ; Toluene*

The authors reviewed 16 cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma(SSEH) described in the Journal of the Korean Neurosurgical Society and one case unpublished case of our own. Attention was focused on sex,age, medical history, position and vertebral level of the hematoma, preoperative neurological condition and operative result. This study comprised 17 patients, 14 males and 3 females, between five and 79 years old. All vertebral segments were affected, though the thoracic area predominated. In 13 patients, sensory and/or motor deficit was incomplete and in four, SSEH resulted in complete preoperative sensory and motor loss. In all patients, the hematomas were removed surgically through total laminectomy. In four, postoperative recovery was total, but in ten, was incomplete, and the neurological condition of three showed no improvement. We concluded that in cases of SSEH, this operation is the treatment of choice.
Aged ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male

The position of interventricular septum, which was measured by transitional zone of EKG, was compared with that measured by 2-D echocardiography in 51 patient. 1) The position of interventricular septum measured by 2-D echocardiography was very similar to that measured by transitional zone of EKG. 2) Extensive AMI (Anterior Myocardial Infarction) and LBBB showed moderate differences between two method. 3) RBBB and replaced mitral valve state showed severe differences between two methods. Transitional zone of EKG was helpful to define the position of interventricular septum except extensive AMI, bundle branch block and replaced mitral valve state.
Bundle-Branch Block ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve

The authors report a case of postoperative supratentorial epidural hematoma as a complication of acoustic neurinoma surgery. The 43-year-old man presented with hearing difficulty on the left side and decreased facial sensation. MR imaging demonstrated a huge, cystic left acoustic neurinoma and the retromastoid suboccipital approach was used for gross-total resection of the tumor. Postoperatively, the patient was drowsy and showed right hemiparesis. Computed tomographic scanning revealed a huge epidural hematoma in the left parietooccipital convexity. The intraoperative course was uneventful. Immediate craniotomy was performed and the epidural hematoma was removed. Bleeding from the superior sagittal sinus occurred, but was completely controlled. Postoperatively, the patient was neurologically normal, except for mild left facial weakness. Remote postoperative intracranial hemorrhage is a rare complication of craniotomy with significant morbidity and mortality. Such hemo-rrhages are likely to develop at or soon after surgery and can be related to the craniotomy site, operative positioning, and nonspecific mechanical factors. In this case, mechanical displacement of the brain secondary to excessive dehydration and CSF drainage was thought to be the cause of postoperative epidural hematoma. Clinical awareness of this rare but potential complication is essential to its early diagnosis and treatment. Difficulty in awakening from anesthesia and the development of new neurological deficits not attributable to the operative site are the most important keys to early diagnosis. Computed tomography is the diagnostic method of choice.
Acoustics* ; Adult ; Anesthesia ; Brain ; Craniotomy ; Dehydration ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Hearing ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Paresis ; Sensation ; Superior Sagittal Sinus

Between January 1990 and February 1991, ureteroscopic removal of ureteral stone was performed in 40 cases at outpatient department under local anesthesia(36 cases) and epidural anesthesia(4 cases). The results were as follows. The success rate of ureteral stone removal was 82.1% (32 among 39 cases) in lower ureter, 86.7 %(26 among 30 cases) in female and 70.0%(7 among 10 cases) in male. Anesthetic methods were local(36 cases), and epidural(4 cases), Mean duration of hospitalization was 1.4 days(0-7 days). The associated complication rate was low, with most patients being treated conservatively. Therefore, we believe that the ureteroscopic stone removal at outpatient department can be done safely if we select patients properly(especially women). have adequate equipment and execute properly the basic technique.
Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Outpatients* ; Ureter* ; Ureteroscopy

PURPOSE: To report a case of recurrent endophthalmitis due to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus hemolyticus after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. CASE SUMMARY: A 76-year-old female visited our outpatient clinic with decreased vision 40 days after uncomplicated cataract surgery in her right eye. At the visit, anterior chamber inflammation and cloudy fluid between the posterior capsule and IOL were observed. Uveitis due to residual cortex of lens or capsular block syndrome was suspected, so YAG laser capsulotomy and subconjunctival injection of dexamethasone were performed. Two days later, hypopyon and vitreous opacity were seen. The patient underwent an emergency vitrectomy and intravitreal antibiotic injection with suspicion of bacterial endophthalmitis. The culture was negative. Twenty days after the vitrectomy, anterior chamber inflammation and vitreous opacity developed. The recurrence of endophthalmitis was suspected due to infection by bacteria in the surrounding tissue of the IOL, so the patient underwent an IOL and lens capsule removal with intravitreal antibiotic injection. At this time, the culture revealed methicillin resistant staphylococcus hemolyticus. Systemic and topical vancomycin was then administered, resulting in decreased inflammation. Twenty days after the IOL removal, decreased vision, anterior chamber inflammation, and vitreous opacity developed. Endophthalmitis was decreased by intravitreal antibiotic injection and topical antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Methicillin resistant staphylococcus hemolyticus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic recurrent endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.
Aged ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anterior Chamber ; Bacteria ; Cataract ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergencies ; Endophthalmitis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin ; Phacoemulsification ; Recurrence ; Staphylococcus ; Uveitis ; Vancomycin ; Vitrectomy

The cutaneous appearance of transient or persistent livedo reticularis is characterized by violaceous, mottled, ring-shaped interconnecting lesions that form a reticular or net-like pattern. It can occur physiologically in response to cold exposure, such as in cutis marmorata, but can also be induced by pathological conditions such as vascular obliterans or venodilation. We report two cases of livedo reticularis that occurred on the lower limbs of two patients post ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. As the patients had no other likely causes of livedo reticularis, the reticular skin lesions were suspected to occur in association with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. Livedo reticularis is an uncommon adverse reaction, with few cases being reported post ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination.

The areola is a rare location for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) because sunlight exposure, the main risk factor for SCC, is unusual on it. Acantholytic SCC (ASCC) is a rare histologic variant of SCC, characterized by pseudoglandular appearance with acantholytic tumor cells. A 59-year-old male presented a painful erythematous papule on his right areola. He had a history of psoralen ultraviolet A phototherapy for psoriasis in his 20s. Biopsy revealed an epithelial tumor and pseudoglandular structures with acantholytic tumor cells. In immunohistochemistry, cytokeratin 5/6, epithelial membrane antigen, and p63 were positive, while cytokeratin 7, carcinoembryonic antigen, S-100, and estrogen and progesterone receptors were negative. Periodic acid-Schiff stain was negative. Ki-67 labeling index was 79.7%. The final diagnosis was ASCC of the areola. After wide local excision, recurrence have not been reported. Here, we report a case of ASCC on the areola, focusing on its rare histologic variant and uncommon location.