Drowning is a leading cause of accidental deaths worldwide, but its pathological diagnosis remains a challenge for forensic pathologists owing to a lack of pathognomonic findings in drowning deaths and inconclusive autopsy findings caused by postmortem changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathway taken by inhaled drowning medium through the airway after death in a variety of experimental conditions, including underwater pressurization. We used methylene blue dye to monitor the spread of drowning medium to the lungs. Results of theses experiments demonstrated that it is possible for a significant amount of downing medium to enter the airway during immersion after death. Our results suggest that autopsies of immersed bodies and interpretation of these findings should be performed with special care.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drowning* ; Immersion ; Inhalation* ; Lung ; Methylene Blue* ; Postmortem Changes

BACKGROUND: The positive reactions of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) show varying degrees in the tissue of all sweat gland neoplasms by immunohistochemistry. The CEA secreted from sweat glands presents a high value, compared with that of serum. OBJECTIVE: The study was to evaluate the sweat CEA value in relation to serum CEA value by sex, smoking status and blood type in healthy subjects. METHOD: Fifty-two healthy subjects(M : 43, F :9) aged 21-30, participated in the study. 2ml sweat was collected from the face and chest after intense exercises and 3ml blood was collected from their antecubital veins. Roche Core CEA enzyme immunoassay was used for the measurement of sweat and serum CEA. RESULTS: Sweat CEA values were 102.0+4100.5ng/ml in males and 70.6+458.5ng/ml in females, with their mean valueof 96.6+/-94.9ng/ml. Sweat CEA values were 108.3+/-103.5ng/ml in 27 smokers and 83.9+/-84.8ng/ml in 25 nonsmokers(p>0.05, t-test). Sweat CEA values were higher among the males and the smokers. Serum CEA values were 2.5+/-1.7ng/ml in males and 1.6+/-0.8ng/ml in females, with its mean value of 2.4+/-1.6ng/ml. There was no difference between serum values of smokers and nonsmokers. Sweat CEA values were about 40 times higher than those of serum, with no correlation of sweat and serum CEA(correlation coefficient=-0.16, P>0.05). In the blood type study, sweat CEA values were 123.1+/-131.8ng/ml in A type and 66.1+/-55.0ng/ml in B type(P>0.05), whereas serum CEA values were higher in AB type and lower in O type(P<0.05, ANOVA). CONCLUSION: Sweat CEA values are extraordinarily high in contradistinction to serum. Sweat CEA values are not affected by sex, smoking status and blood type. There seems to be no association between CEA values of sweat and serum.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen* ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sweat Gland Neoplasms ; Sweat Glands ; Sweat* ; Thorax ; Veins

There have been many epidemiological and clinical researches on chronic fatigue (CF) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) since the 1990s, but such studies have been quite limited in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the point prevalence of CF and CFS in patients who visited community-based eight primary care clinics in Korea. The study subjects were 1,648 patients aged 18 yr and over who visited one of eight primary care clinics in Korea between the 7th and 17th of May 2001. The physicians determined the status of the subjects through fatigue-related questionnaires, medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. The subjects were categorized into no fatigue, prolonged fatigue, CF and then CF were further classified to medically explained CF (Physical CF and Psychological CF) and medically unexplained CF (CFS and idiopathic chronic fatigue). The point prevalence of CF and CFS were 8.4% (95% CI 7.1-9.7%) and 0.6% (95% CI 0.2-1.0%). Medically explained CF was 80.5% of CF, of which 57.1% had psychological causes. The clinical characteristics of CFS were distinguished from explained CF. CF was common but CFS was rare in community-based primary care settings in Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Chronic Disease ; Community Health Services/statistics & numerical data ; Comparative Study ; Fatigue/*epidemiology ; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Sex Distribution

Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease of menstruating females affecting the reproductive life. We report herein a case of perineal endometriosis in a 33-year-old woman. The patient presented two rounded, thickened plaques bilaterally on the perineum for about four year. The plaque on the right side was located mainly at the episiotomy scar. Histologic examination showed confirmative feature of glandular structures embedded in the cellular stroma and predecidual changes of late secretory phase of endometrium. Radical operation of total hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy and partial excision of perineal lesions were performed. There was complete resolution with no relapse by the 6-month follow-up. This is of a very rare occurrence and three cases have been reported in the Korean literatures up to date.
Adult ; Cicatrix ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium ; Episiotomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Ovariectomy ; Perineum ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Actinomycosis*

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans

The recently proposed Bethesda system for cervical/vaginal cytology has made a standardization related to "atypia". In cellular changes due to inflammation or repair, the word "benign cellular change" has been suggested as a substitute for atypia. Terminology related to atypical cells may become standardized, but the cytologic criteria has not been well defined yet. We evaluated 160 cases of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance(ASCUS) by the Bethesda System(TBS). Among 30,428 cases screened, a cytologic diagnosis of ASCUS was made in 498 cases(1.6%) and 160 cases were histologically verified. ASCUS was diagnosed based on nuclear enlargement and nonclassical signs of condyloma. The results are as follows: One hundred and twenty three cases(76.9%) revealed chronic cervicitis. Thirty seven cases(23.1%) demonstrated squamous intraepithelial lesion. Among intraepithelial lesions, condyloma and mild dysplasia were 28 cases(75.7%). Moderate and severe dysplasia were 5 cases(13.5%) and 4 cases(10.8%), respectively. It is concluded that patients with ASCUS should be colposcopically examined.
Breast ; Diagnosis ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Pneumococcal Infections* ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Streptococcus* ; Uterine Cervicitis

Authors report herein a case of a 27-year-old male patient who had been suffering from chronic ulcerative dermatitis with scar-like changes and successive involvement of the ankles, limb folds, nape and abdomen, and no tendency to heal from age 4. At the age 14, an immunologic study showed a selective IgA deficiency with partial T-lymphocyte inactivation. Ten years later, at age 24, he showed a severe form of morphea over a generalized area and disabling joint contractures, and was diagnosed as disabling pansclerotic morphea with an IgA value that returned to a near normal level. At the age 27, an adult-fist, 7×6×4cm sized, squamous cell carcinoma with an easy bleeding tendency like an overgrowing granulation tissue vascular tumor had developed on the chronic ulcerative lesion on the posterior aspect of the right ankle for 2 months. Aggressive metastatic lesion occurred on the right popliteal area 3 months later. He died 1 month thereafter.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Ankle ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Contracture ; Dermatitis ; Epithelial Cells* ; Extremities ; Granulation Tissue ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; IgA Deficiency ; Immunoglobulin A ; Joints ; Male ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Ulcer*

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult life, but it is rare in the pleura. We recently experienced a case of cytology of malignant fibrous histiocytoma in pleural fluid. The smear revealed histiocytic malignant cells, spindle malignant cells and inflammatory cells. The histiocytic cells showed abundant, pale cytoplasm and ovoid, irregular, eccentrically-placed nuclei. The spindle cells showed elongated nuclei. Intercellular collagen was also present.
Adult ; Child* ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnostic Errors ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria* ; Pilomatrixoma ; Pleura ; Sarcoma

No abstract available.
Acne Vulgaris*