There is still lack of a convinient system that connect referring physicians to the information system of referral hospitals, We proposed to develop the laboratory-information-accessing system(LISA) for physicians referred to AMC referral center with Web-based internet technology. We constructed the menu of AMC Referral Center as a part of Asan Medical Center(AMC) homepage. The information of the referred patients wee collected in the separate internal server and then transferred to the external network sever by a batch. Referring physicians was able to connect to AMC Referral Center via AMC homepage and then browse the list of their patients by putting their identification number and password. At the next, the physicians chose the patients and the test item to be displayed. In order that the referral system is established tin the medical part, the LISA world be more needed, in the society, which internet is getting popular. This LISA was introduced successfully now, and it could be a model of national standard for hospital information system.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Clinical Laboratory Information Systems ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Internet ; Referral and Consultation ; Tin

BACKGROUND: Alteration in plasma lipid levels during malaria attacks was studied to evaluate the diagnstic values in vivax malaria. METHODS: The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) were analyzed and compared in 32 patients with vivax malaria at presentation, in 10 patients after 17-days of treatment with anti-malaria drug, and in 40 control individuals. Interrelation of lipid profile with other parameters including parasitemia level, platelet count, hemoglobin and WBC counts were analysed. RESULTS: In patients with malaria, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c and LDL-c concentrations were significantly lower than those of control subjects. None of lipid profile showed any correlation with the parasitemia level. After treatment, HDL-c was significantly elevated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that lipid profile, especially decreased of HDL-c, may be a valuable information in the diagnosis of the malaria.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Parasitemia ; Plasma ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Platelet Count ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Alteration in plasma lipid levels during malaria attacks was studied to evaluate the diagnstic values in vivax malaria. METHODS: The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) were analyzed and compared in 32 patients with vivax malaria at presentation, in 10 patients after 17-days of treatment with anti-malaria drug, and in 40 control individuals. Interrelation of lipid profile with other parameters including parasitemia level, platelet count, hemoglobin and WBC counts were analysed. RESULTS: In patients with malaria, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c and LDL-c concentrations were significantly lower than those of control subjects. None of lipid profile showed any correlation with the parasitemia level. After treatment, HDL-c was significantly elevated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that lipid profile, especially decreased of HDL-c, may be a valuable information in the diagnosis of the malaria.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Parasitemia ; Plasma ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Platelet Count ; Triglycerides

The prevalence of intestinal tuberculosis has been markedly decreased with the development of antituberculous chemotherapy, improved economic conditions, preventive medicine and early detection and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. An even more impressive resurgence of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis has been seen in recent years among persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The most common site of intestinal tuberculosis is the ileocecal region, and duodenum is a rare site. Symptoms and signs of duodenal tuberculosis are nonspecific. The gross pathologic appearance of the duodenal tuberculous lesions has to its traditional categorization into three forms: 1) ulcerative, 2) hypertrophic, and 3) ulcerohypertrophic (mixed). Hypertrophic lesions of the duodenal tuberculosis should be differentiated from duodenal adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. We herein report a case of duodenal tuberculosis presenting as intraluminal protruding mass in gastroduodenoscopy and multiple intraabdominal lymphadenopathy on abdominal CT. We have confirmed the duodenal tuberculosis by endoscopic biopsy, and review the current literatures.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Drug Therapy ; Duodenal Neoplasms* ; Duodenum ; HIV ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma ; Prevalence ; Preventive Medicine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter methylation is currently the most promising predictive marker for the outcome and benefit from temozolomide treatment in patients with glioblastoma, but there is no consensus on the analysis method for assessing the methylation status in the molecular diagnostic field. The objective of this study was to evaluate methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and pyrosequencing methods for assessing MGMT gene promotor methylation of glioblastoma as well as assessing the MGMT protein expression by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Twenty-seven cases of glioblastoma from the archives at the Department of Pathology Konkuk University Hospital were selected. MGMT promoter methylation was evaluated by MSP and the pyrosequencing methods. The MGMT expression was also measured at the protein level by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Overall, MGMT hypermethylation was observed in 44.4% (12/27 cases) of the case of glioblastoma using either MSP or pyrosequencing. The concordant rate was 70.3% (19/27 cases) between MSP and pyrosequencing for MGMT methylation. There was no correlation between MGMT methylation and the protein expression. No significant differences in progression free survival and overall survival were seen between the methylated group and the unmethylated group by using either MSP or pyrosequencing. The status of the MGMT protein expression was correlated with progression free survival (p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: In this study the concordance rate between MSP and the pyrosequencing methods for assessing MGMT gene promotor methylation was relatively low for the cases of glioblastoma. This suggests that more reliable techniques for routine MGMT methylation study of glioblastoma remain to be developed because of quality control and assurance issues.
Consensus ; Dacarbazine ; Disease-Free Survival ; DNA Modification Methylases ; DNA Repair Enzymes ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Methylation ; Pathology, Molecular ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Quality Control ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and the related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) are disorders characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, a variable degree of impairment of renal function and fluctuating neurological symptoms, which are thought to be due to platelet activation and subsequent formation of thrombi in the microcirculation. The fact that there was no clear-cut clinical and laboratory features that differentiate HUS from TTP has lead to view these two syndromes as a clinical continuum. Microvascular thrombosis is the typical lesion and closely related with endothelial injury and platelet activation. Pathologic alterations of the brain parenchyma are mainly manifested by small multiple infarcts. Numerous cases of CNS complications of these syndromes have been evaluated by using CT, but few reports have mentioned the MR findings. We experienced a case of TTP-HUS that had clinical features of cortical blindness and the brain lesion was confirmed by MRI showing cerebral infarct at the occipital area but it was reversible course. So we report this case with a brief review of literature.
Anemia, Hemolytic ; Blindness, Cortical* ; Brain ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Microcirculation ; Platelet Activation ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic* ; Thrombocytopenia ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Recently, liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been introduced as an alternative to the conventional smear (CS) technique in thyroid fine needle aspiration, due to its diagnostic convenience. METHODS: We assessed 77 cases of thyroid fine needle aspiration using the SurePath(TM) method (SP) as LBC and CS via split-sample techniques. BRAF mutation tests were carried out via polymerase chain reaction and pyrosequencing immediately after diagnosis or a delay of more than one year. RESULTS: In a comparison between SP and CS, the rate of concordance between SP and CS was as high as 84.4% (kappa value, 0.754). In comparison with histologic diagnosis, the overall sensitivity was 100% for both. The specificity was 62.5% for SP and 56.3% for CS. Relative to CS, papillary carcinomas on SP slides revealed more accentuated nuclear irregularities, nucleoli, and reduced nuclear size. In contrast to CS, the delayed BRAFV600E mutation test using SP slides after 1-2 years failed. The use of new primers amplifying shorter product size could help the delayed test achieve success. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the diagnostic efficacy of SP and CS were negligible. The failure of the delayed BRAF mutation test on the SP slides might be associated with DNA degradation.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; DNA ; Needles ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Gland

It has been known that dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) is characterized by systolic dysfunction of left ventricle(LV), but there were few studies about correlation between LV systolic function, diameter and diastolic function measured by echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography(RVG) The purpose of this study is to evaluate LV systolic and diastolic function as well as RV function using regional ejection fraction and functional images by RVG in 17 patients with DCM and to compare these variables with echocardiographic data. The results are as follows : 1) DCM showed diffuse systolic and diastolic dysfunction of LV. The systolic impairment is accounted for the diastolic impairment in DCM. 2) The increased standard deviation of phase angle of left ventricle(LVSDph) revealed LV asynchronous contraction in DCM. 3) LVSDph showed significant correlations with other RVG parameters such as LV ejection fraction, and peak ejection rate, peak filling rate and also with LV systolic and diastolic diameter measured by echocardiography. It is concluded that LVSDph may be useful in evaluation of LV systolic and diastolic function in patients with DCM as well as LV asynchronous contraction.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Radionuclide Ventriculography* ; Ventricular Function, Right*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) fluctuate considerably over time. However, it has not been determined whether these symptoms are affected by the menstrual cycle in female IBD patients. This study analyzed the effects of the menstrual cycle on IBD symptom variation. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 91 study subjects (47 IBD patients and 44 healthy controls) who reported daily symptoms and signs throughout their menstrual cycles. RESULTS: IBD patients had significantly more frequent gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea (30% vs 7%, p=0.006), flatulence (53% vs 22%, p=0.003), and abdominal pain as compared to controls (68% vs 38%, p=0.006). The IBD patients also experienced more frequent systemic premenstrual symptoms than the controls (79% vs 50%, p=0.003). More severe abdominal pain (p=0.002) and lower mean general condition scores (p=0.001) were noted during the menstrual phase as compared to the pre- or post-menstrual phase in both groups. IBD patients experienced more frequent premenstrual gastrointestinal symptoms than controls, but their IBD symptoms did not change significantly during the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of the cyclic alterations in gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms may be helpful in determining the true exacerbation of disease in female IBD patients.
Abdominal Pain ; Female ; Flatulence ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Menstrual Cycle ; Nausea ; Prospective Studies

The nephrotic syndrome that occurs in the absence of renal vein thrombosis, amyloidosis, neoplastic infiltration of the kidneys is an unusual but a well recognized paraneoplastic syndrome. The most frequently reported neoplasms associated with nephrotic syndrome are Hodgkin's disease and various carcinomas. The most common renal lesions are membranous glomerulonephritis(MGN) associated with carcinomas and minimal change lesions associated with Hodgkin's disease. Approximately 40% to 45% of patients clinically manifest the MGN symptoms prior to the diagnosis of the tumor, 40% simultaneously with the tumor and the remaining 15% to 20% following the tumor. Therefore, evaluating the underlying malignancy in patients with MGN is important. Here we report a patient with squamous cell lung cancer, which was detected 12 months after a MGN had been diagnosed, with a review of the relevant literature.
Amyloidosis ; Diagnosis ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Renal Veins ; Thrombosis