BACKGROUND: This study was performed to assess the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the menopausal symptoms of Korean women by comparing the postmenopausal symptoms before and after HRT in women who continued therapy and those who stopped. METHODS: The subjects were 40 menopausal women(24 women on continuous medication, 16 women who discontinued medication) who received HRT and were alde follow of at least 2 months later in the Department of Family Practice. The menopausal symptoms were evaluated by two doctors according to the modified Kupperman Index. RESULTS: The basic values of Kupperman Index were not significantly different between women who had received the HRT continuously and those who discontinued HRT. In women with continued HRT improved symptoms after HRT were hot flushes, sweating, fatigue, headache, tachycardia and total score of Kupperman Index. However, only vertigo and headache were improved in women who discontinued HRT. Treatment period was the single most predictor of total score of Kupperman Index after therapy. And it could explain the 44.1% of variance of total score in the direction of improvement proportional to the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS: The HRT is helpful to relieve the menopausal symptoms. And the treatment period is more important than the severity of basic symptoms to improve menopausal symptoms after therapy.
Family Practice ; Fatigue ; Female ; Headache ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Tachycardia ; Vertigo

BACKGROUND: It is known that obesity is related to hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus. The results of study done in Korea are widely spread. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of obesity by four obesity measure methods and the risk of obesity for obesity related diseases. METHODS: This study was done for the period from May 1 to August 31, 1995 in three health care centers run by middle sized hospitals in Pusan. The total number of sampled population was 654(men 227, women 427) RESULTS: We compared obesity by sex and age according to four obesity measure methods. The results were as following . Obesity was more prevailed in women than in men for all measure methods. In women, there was significant difference according to age by Brocas Index(P =0.006), Kassura's modified formula(P=0.018) and Suh's formula(P=0.009) but in men there was no significant difference. We cornpared the laboratory test results of men and women. The test results elevated significantly in men were diastolic blood pressure(P=0.001), hemoglobin(P<0.001), aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.034), alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.011), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase(rGT)(P<0.001). Total cholesterol was elevated significantly in women. We evaluated the correlation of age and obesity with the tests. For the age, systolic blood pressure(P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure(P=0.001), total cholesterol(P<0.001), glucose(P=0.038), AST(P<0.001) were correlated positively. For the obesity, systolic blood pressure(P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure(P<0.001), total cholesterol(P<0.001), glucose(P= 0.045), ALT(P=0.003) were correlated positively. The odds ratio of obesity for elevated blood pressure was 1.03(P=0.005), for hypercholesterolemia 1.03(P=0.001), for elevated ALT 1.03(P =0.005) for hyperglycemia 1.01(P=0.083). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that the prevalence of obesity is higher in women than in men at 40 years old and beyond. We found that obesity is independent risk factor of elevated blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia and elevated ALT. We suggest that the clinicians be concerned in dealing with obesity.
Adult* ; Alanine ; Aspartic Acid ; Blood Pressure ; Busan ; Cholesterol ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperglycemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Obesity* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Nails*

Epidermoid Cyst is a very rare benign neoplasm of the testis which represents about 1% of all testicular tumors. Ultrasonography findings of epidermoid cyst are so variable in reported cases that it is not eas y to diagnose preoperatively. The echogenecity of mixed echoic. it may show hyperechoic rim, and rarely shows target apperance. Target appearance may be a specific finding of epidermoid cyst, and it may be helpful to diagnose preoperatively. we describe a case of epidermoid cyst of the testis demonstrating double target sign on ultrasonography.
Epidermal Cyst* ; Testicular Neoplasms ; Testis* ; Ultrasonography

45 cases of proved renal cell carcinoma which were operated on during last 10 years between March 1972 and February 1982 in the department of Urology of Yonsei University College of Medicine were clinically observed with the reference to the operative morbidity due to the surgical incisions of both anterior transperitoneal approach (25 cases or 55%) and modified thoracoabdominal approach which is 11th-rib resection with extrapleural and transperitoneal exposure (20 cases of 45%). According to the experience with modified thoracoabdominal incision for the 17 radical nephrectomies and 3 open biopsies and through the review of the literatures, some results were obtained and summarized as follows. 1. Modified Thoracoabdominal approach is superior to the anterior transperitoneal approach for the operation of renal malignancy because of better exposure for the renal pedicle and upper pole as well as low morbidity rate (1:1.6). 2.We could also be sure by our self experiences of a few advantages of Modified Thoracoabdominal approaches as others reported previously. (1) An undisturbed intrathoracic space avoids a source of complications. (2) Because of adequate exposure of renal pedicle and upper pole even in the large renal tumor, operativemanipulation is easier and safer. (3) As muscle layers to be cut are not heavy, postoperative pain is less complained. The incision is also relatively simple to make and close. (4) Modified Thoracoabdominal approach is worth to apply to any urologic operations for the kidney and upper ureter. 3. In case tumor thrombi were involved in the supradiaphragmatic vena cava and vena caval resection is inevitable, either midline abdominal incision with sternotomy or conventional thoracoabdominal incision should be chosen rather than Modified thoracoabdominal approach.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Nephrectomy* ; Pain, Postoperative ; Sternotomy ; Ureter ; Urology

No abstract available.
Cardioplegic Solutions* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans

Herpes simplex virus infections, with their increasing tendenes are one of the most common infectious diseases. But there have been no systematic investigations on the prevalence of HSV antibodies according to ages in Korea. We therefore decided to investigate this prevalence using micro-neutralization tests. Blood samples were collected from 502 randomly selected men and women, 5 months to 77 years of age who were outpatients or hospitalized patients at the Hanyang University Hospital between 1990-1991. Students at the Hanyang university college of medicine, and other volunteers were also tested. All of the serum samples were assayed for antibodies to HSV useing the microneutralization test. The Cos strain of HSV 1 and the YHS 2-1 strain of HSV 2 were use3 in our study. The antibody titers were expressed as the highest serum dilution causing 80% plaque reduction. The individuals with a neutralizing antibody titer of 1: 2 or higher to HSV 1 were regardel as having the antibody to HSV l. To determine HSV 2 antibody activity, the II/I index was used (II/I mdex : log HSV1 antibody titer/log, HSV 2 antibody titer, lI/I index >0.85) The results obtained were the followings : 1. HSV 1 antibodies were found at a relatively high rate in young a es and its prevalence gradually increased with age. 2. HSV 1 antibody titers iricreased with age. 3. HSV 2 antibodies were not found in children under 11 years of ae but were found in teenagers at a relatively low rate. The prevalence tended to increas with age. 4. HSV 2 antibody titers showed a higher value in those over 31 years of age.
Adolescent ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Child ; Communicable Diseases ; Female ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Outpatients ; Prevalence* ; Simplexvirus* ; Volunteers

Partial Unilateral Lentiginosis (PUL) is a rare pigmentary disorder characterized by the numerous lentigines confined to a body segment, with a sharp demarcation at the midline. We report two cases of PUL. A 38-year-old woman had asymptomatic discrete small hyperpigmented macules that were scattered on the T7~L1 dermatomes on the left side of her trunk and were clearly demarcated in the midline on both anterior and posterior sides. In the other case, an 18- year-old woman had hyperpigmented macules that were scattered on the left neck, shoulder, and anterior chest. Other anomalies including neurofibromatosis, neurologic anomalies, and multiple lentiginous syndrome were not related in both cases. We report two cases of PUL having no other anomalies.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lentigo* ; Neck ; Neurofibromatoses ; Shoulder ; Thorax

We report the clinical evolution of two elderly male patients with extramammary Paget's disease who were treated with radiotherapy. Both cases primarily involved the scrotum and penile root, and were not associated with any underlying or visceral malignancy. The total doses administered were 6000 cGy and 3000 cGy, respectively. A good clinical response was achieved in both cases. No major side effects were observed. The patients are being followed for any signs of recurrence and have been completely asymptomatic to date
Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Paget Disease, Extramammary ; Radiotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Scrotum

BACKGROUND: Recently, there are so many newly developed equipments to detect blood gas analysis with serum electrolytes. And then, so many important parameters are quickly reported from laboratory department. So, many clinicians use the data to manage the critical patient. We attempted to detemine the correlation coefficient and adjustment equation. METHODS: Total 68 patients results of Na, K that are cheked using arterial whole blood(288 blood gas system) and venous serum electrolytes analyzer(NOVA 6) were evaluated and we detemined the coefficient of two methods from April to September, 1995. RESULTS: The correlations between the results obtained with NOVA 6 and that of 288 blood gas system were excellent for both Sodium and potassium(r>0.95, p<0.001 in both). In this study, we make the regression equation to adjust the differences between the two methods. Na : y=1.004190X+7.656643(r=0.9637, p<0.001) y=venous serum Na, x=arterial whole blood Na K: y=0.994831X+0.489631(r=0.9545, p<0.001) y=venous serum K, x=arterial whole blood K. CONCLUSIONS: Specimen(whole blood, serum), kind and content of heparin also affect the results of electrolytes. And then, the report of the result after adjustment of them using above equation will provide reinforcement of the efficacy of the results using arterial whole blood specmen. We recommend it especially for emergency laboratories for critical test.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Electrolytes* ; Emergencies ; Heparin ; Humans ; Sodium