BACKGROUND: Gonorrhea is one of the most common venereal diseases in the world. Antibioticresistance development has been an issue with the penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae(PPNG) development. It is possible for PPNG to be resistant to other medications. Therefore, it is significant to determine its frequency rate and its disposition. OBJECTIVES: In this surveillance, we examined overall development frequency of PPNG from 1981 ti 1998. Comparing current five years' frequency rate with that of previous five year, we predicted possible development rate and described the procedures the physicians must take into account in gonorrhea treatment. METHODS: We examined the development frequency of PPNG in male patients of the venereal disease clinic of Jung-gu Community Health Center in Seoul from 1981 to 1998. Also, we analyzed the overall tendency with time series analysis using statistics package, SPSS 7.5.Grouping the years in five-year units, development frequency of PPNG of current five years (1994-1998) was compared with that of previous years. RESULTS: For the result of monthly analysis of frequency rate of PPNG development from 1981 to 1998, the rate tendency came out with a sligh rise (slope : 0.15). And for the result of comparison of grouped years, in current five years, its rate was 51.6%, marking a significant decline from that of the previous five years, which was 57.2% (p-value : <0.0001). CONCLUSION: The rate of current five years was reported to have declined from the previous years. However, the rate is still over 50%. Therefore, the government should continue the PPNG surveillance with test of sensitivity of the medications in use. Moreover, to eliminate gonorrhea, the education on high risk groups should continue and physicians should use a dose of adequate antibiotics in treatment.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Community Health Centers* ; Education ; Gonorrhea ; Humans ; Male ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae* ; Neisseria* ; Seoul* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) is characterized by a symmetrical distribution of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules on the extremities, especially over the dorsa of the hands and feet. The pattern of inheritance is believed to be autosomal dominant, but many sporadic cases have been reported. We report one family of DSH, which showed a typical autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance by pedigree analysis.
Extremities ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Pedigree ; Wills

Primary carcinoma of the uterine tube is one of the least common gynecologic malignancies with a reported incidence of approximately 0.3%. As a result of it, the experience of any one physian is limited. Almost all cases are adenocarcinoma and the cilinical presentation is generally nonspecific, of which the most common symptom is postmenopausal vaginal bleeding. Primary fallopian tube carcinima is infrequently diagnosed before explolatory laparotomy and the majority of patients have extensive disease at diagnosis. We have experienced a case of fallopian tube cancer and report with brief review of literature
Adenocarcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Fallopian Tube Neoplasms ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparotomy ; Uterine Hemorrhage

The nuclear accumulation of p53 protein is known to correspond with mutation of p53 tumor supressor gene. To investigate the relationsbip between clinico-pathologic features and expression of p53 mutations, 65 cases of primary cervical carcinoma were analysed by an immunohistochemieal method using monoclonal antibody of p53. Immunostaining demonstrated varioua nuclear stinings of cancer cells in 48.4% of squamous cell carcinoma(51.9% in large cell carcinoma and 25.0% in small cell carcinomas) and 23.5% of adenocarcinoma(p<0.05) No differences in clinical stage and p53 positivity were found. There was no significant correlation between p53 positive cases and status of recurrence. This data suggests that p53 protein is not correlated with the disease progression and prognosis.
Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Cervix Uteri* ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Genes, p53* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Bleeding that recur or continues after hospital admission for an acutely bleeding peptic ulcer is the single most important factor adversely affecting prognosis. The endoscopic findings of stigmata of recent hemorrhage such as active bleeding, a visible vessel or fresh blood clots in peptic ulcer indicate relatively high rebleeding risk. 30 patients with stigmata of recent hemorrhage in bleeding peptic ulcers were treated by endoscopic alcohol injection therapy during the 3-year period from August 1989 to July 1992. 30 cases included 24 gastric ulcers, 4 duodenal ulcers, and 2 stomal ulcers. 8 of these were actively bleeding at the time of endoscopy and non-bleeding visible vessels were identified in 15 patients and fresh blood clots were present in 7. 12 of total 30 cases had rebleeding or continuous bleeding. 3 of 8 with active bleeding, 5 of 15 with non-bleeding bisible vessels, and 4 of 7 with fresh blood clots had rebleeding. Emergency operations were done in 4 cases. There was no complication such as perforation and mortality. We think that this modality of endoscopic hemostasis is safe and simple, but further randomized controlled trials will be needed to evaluate the efficacy of hemostasis by endoscopic alcohol injection therapy.
Christianity ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Mortality ; Peptic Ulcer* ; Prognosis ; Stomach Ulcer ; Ulcer

Presentation of antigen in a suitable form to lymphocytes is prerequsite for the initiation of primary immune response. Dendritic cells (DC) provide an effective pathway for presenting antigens to lymphocytes in situ. The aim of this study was to establish a dendritic cell-line from human tonsils and to investigate the changes in surface phenotype during culture. Immunohistochemical studies using various surface markers indicated that cultured DC were follicular dendritic cells (FDC) from human tonsils. Cultured DC showed typical dendritic morphology at early stage of culture. Their shape changed into fibroblast-like cells over culture time. Surface phenotype study suggested that cultured DC were distinct from human fibroblast. Antigenic pattern of FDC was changed during culture; I-ILA-DR antigens decreased and HJ2 antigens increased with aging of culture. Functional characteristics of human tosillar FDC will be investigated in the future.
Aging ; Dendritic Cells ; Dendritic Cells, Follicular* ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Palatine Tonsil ; Phenotype

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the efficacy of micro-vascular decompression (MVD) and Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for elderly idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia patients by analyzing the clinical outcome. METHODS: In the past 10 years, 27 elderly patients were treated with MVD while 18 patients were treated with GKRS (>65-years-old). We reviewed their clinical characteristics and clinical courses after treatment as well as the treatment outcomes. For patients who were treated with MVD, additional treatment methods such as rhizotomy were combined in some areas. In GKRS, we radiated the root entry zone (REZ) with the mean maximum dose of 77.8 (70-84.3) Gy and one 4 mm collimator. RESULTS: The mean age was 68.1 years for MVD, and 71.1 years for GKS group. The average time interval between first presenting symptom and surgery was 84.1 (1-361) months, and 51.4 (1-120) months, respectively. The mean follow-up period after the surgery was 35.9 months for MVD, and 33.1 months for GKRS. According to Pain Intensity Scale, MVD group showed better prognosis with 17 (63%) cases in grade I-II versus 10 (55.6%) cases in GKRS group after the treatment. The pain recurrence rate during follow up did not show much difference with 3 (11.1%) in MVD, and 2 (11.1%) in GKRS. After the treatment, 2 cases of facial numbness, and 1 case each of herpes zoster, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, hearing disturbance, and subdural hematoma occurred in MVD Group. In GKRS, there was 1 (5.6%) case of dysesthesia but was not permanent. Three cases were retreated by GKRS but the prognosis was not as good as when the surgery was used as primary treatment, with 1 case of grade I-II, and 1 case of recurrence. The maximal relieve of pain was seen just after surgery in MVD group, and 1 year after treatment in GKRS group. CONCLUSION: For trigeminal neuralgia patients with advanced age, MVD showed advantages in immediately relieving the pain. However, in overall, GKRS was preferable, despite the delayed pain relief, due to the lower rate of surgical complications that arise owing to the old age.
Aged ; Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hearing ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Paresthesia ; Prognosis ; Radiosurgery ; Recurrence ; Rhizotomy ; Treatment Outcome ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

Authors experienced fifteen cases of the pineal tumors during about 5 years from October, 1977 to September, 1982, which were diagnosed with brain C-T scanning. The details of clinical evaluation and follow up of 15 cases of the pineal tumors are presented. The following results were obtained. 1) The age group below age of 20 years in predominant and include 11 cases(73%) of 15 cases, and male is predominantly much than female. 2) On the neurological examination at admission, the RICP signs were showed in 15 cases, Parinaud's syndrome showed in 6 cases, cranial nerve palsy in 8 cases and DI symptom in 5 cases of all 15 cases. 3) In the follow up study, brain CT was more effective than any other conventional neuroradiologic technique. 4) 8 cases of all 15 cases have had normal life in follow up period with minium of 6 months and maximum of 6 months and maximum of 5 years, and one case with mild neurological deficit has been spent life for about 12 months. 5) Of 6 cases died within 2 years, 3 cases had insufficient treatment and 3 cases had sufficient treatment, of whom ond had tumor recurrence at primary site and dissemination to spinal epidural space and other two cases were suspected to have clinical dissemination to spinal cord. 6) On the basis of high survival rate in 9 cases of 12 cases who were treated completely, we thought that good survival rate in the patient with pinealoma will be resulted from a series of planed treatment, including early diagnosis, correction of hydrocepalus, surgical intervention and irradiation.
Brain ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Early Diagnosis ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Germinoma ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Pinealoma* ; Recurrence ; Spinal Cord ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To establish new in vitro model systems that better reflect in vivo condition, multicellular tumor spheroids(MTS) and raft culture were developed using cell lines of squamous cell carcinoma(SCCHN) of the head and neck. In these 3-dimensional systems, the expression of cell surface molecules which are important for modulation of physiology of tumor cells were studied with or without the treatment of interferon(IFN)-gamma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four SCCHN cell lines were used for MTS and raft culture. The effects of interferon-gamma on SCCHN cells were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: All cell lines formed MTS, but only Tu-138 showed a good stratification at the air-liquid interface in the raft culture system. Immunohistochemical studies of MTS using monoclonal antibodies revealed a strong staining for MHC class I, no staining for MHC-DR, a weak patch expression of ICAM-1 and a central strong staining for integrin a 6. Staining patterns were similar for the raft cultures except integrin a 6(intense full-thickness positivity). In both systems, IFN-gamma enhanced the expression of MHC-DR and ICAM-1. No significant change was found in the expression of MHC class I and integrin a 6. CONCLUSIONS: MTS and raft culture system were established successfully from the SCCHN cell lines. IFN-gamma can modulate the surface molecules of tumor cells in the 3-dimensional culture systems.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Line ; Head* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Interferon-gamma ; Neck* ; Physiology

The first clinical trial of the Q-switched Nd:Yag laser posterior capsulotomy by using of Coherent Model 9900 in Korea was carried out since March of 1985. And only 267 aphakic eye cases(257 patients, among 680 consecutive subjects could be followed up for clinical evaluations. The results obtained are as follows: (1) 143 aphakic eyes and 58 pseudophakic eyes with 66 traumatic aphakic eyes were subjected. (2) Good results could be obtained with minimal complications by lower setting (under 1.5 ml) with mean pulse energy of 40~149. (3) Vision improvement after Nd:Yag laser up to 0.9 or more showed in 110 eyes(63%) out of 175 eyes. (4) Complications were encountered in 51 eyes(19%) but most cases were transitory without permanent damages. Vitreous prolapse with rupture of the anterior hyaloid face (14.6%) was observed more frequently in aphakic eyes than in pseudophakic eyes.
Humans ; Korea ; Posterior Capsulotomy* ; Prolapse ; Rupture