PURPOSE: We investigated the biochemical characteristics of serum and urine in the patients suffering with uric acid stone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 99 patients suffering with uric acid stone underwent routine urine analysis and 24-hour urine analysis for determining the urinary calculi risk factors. We conducted serum analysis for the stone risk factors and also analysis of the stone analysis. To compare the stone risk factors, 93 patients with calcium stone were identified and then the biochemical risk factors in the serum and urine were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with uric acid stone was 56.5+/-12.4 years and the mean age of the patients with calcium stone was 40.2+/-11.5 years. Serum uric acid, cholesterol and triglyceride were all significantly increased in the patients with uric acid stone compared to that in the patients with calcium stone. The patients with uric acid stone showed a lower urinary pH and also lower urinary uric acid and citric acid excretion compared with those patients with calcium stone. The composition of the uric acid stone was mixed with calcium in 63.6 percent of the stones and 36.4% of the stones were pure. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with uric acid stone had higher serum uric acid, cholesterol and triglyceride, and they had a lower urinary pH and lower uric acid and citric acid excretion as compared with the patients with calcium stone. Uric acid-calcium mixed stone was most common in the patients with uric acid stone. There is a great likelihood of uric acid stone in the patients with stone who have one or more of the above mentioned biochemical characteristics. Therefore, these factors are important to conduct metabolic evaluation for preventing stone recurrence.
Biochemical Phenomena ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Citric Acid ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Population Characteristics ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid* ; Urinary Calculi

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the long term effect of the epidural injections with steroid and local anesthetics in the low back pain patients by assessments of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and several relating factors that influence good results. METHOD: Seventy two low back pain patients with or without sciatica were treated with epidural injections of weekly steroid (methylprednisolone acetate) and daily local anesthetics (lidocaine and bupivacaine) for 2 weeks via an epidural catheter. The efficacy of the epidural injections was assessed with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score at the day of admission (VAS1), discharge (VAS2) and during the long term follow up period (VAS3)(mean : 14 months, 8~24 months). RESULTS: VAS1, VAS2 and VAS3 were 6.22+/-2.03, 3.36+/-1.49, and 3.39+/-1.45 respectively. VAS2 and VAS3 were significantly different with VAS1 (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Epidural injections of steroid and local anesthetics are effective not only in the short term period, but also in the long term peroid for patients with low back pain with or without sciatica.
Anesthetics, Local* ; Catheters ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural* ; Low Back Pain* ; Sciatica ; Visual Analog Scale

The Diabetes Educator Training Module (DETM), which was developed in 2011, contained more than 900 slides. The purpose of the DETM is to help Korean diabetes educators develop programs for diabetic patients and health professionals. In this paper, we present information regarding the history, the principles of development, the contents, and the use of the DETM program. We hope that the DETM will be a useful tool for helping diabetic patients to understand their disease and to improve their glycemic control and treatment adherence.
Health Occupations ; Humans ; Patient Education as Topic ; Teaching Materials

OBJECTIVES: The clinical manifestations of gout in Korea would be changed lately according to the rapid economical development and the development of diagnostic methods. This study was done to reveal the late clinical features of gout in Korea. METHODS: A retrospective study was done for the 90 gout patients who had been treated in Seoul Paik Hospital from March 1974 to August 1994. Age of onset, sex, duration of disease, serum uric acid level, uric acid concentration of 24 hour urine, joint of first attack, recurrently involved joints, X-ray of involved joint, frequency of tophi, renal ultrasonography, and associated diseases were analyzed. The uric acid levels of the 808 civilians who visited our hospital for the periodic health examination were used as a control value. RESULTS: 1) The serum uric acid level in Korean adults was 5.2+/-1.1mg/dL in male, 3.8+/-0.7mg/dL in female, and 4.7mg/dL in general. The serum uric acid concentration of the gout patients was 8.6+/-2.2mg/dL in male, 6.1+/-2.1mg/dL in female, and 8.5+/-2.3mg/dL in general. The age of onset was 46.4+/-12.9 years old and male to female ratio was 44: 1 2) The renal excretion of uric acid was 470+/-173 mg/day in gout patients. 3) The sites of first attack were first MTP joint(76%), tarsal joint(13%), knee(5%), and other MTP joints(5%) 4) The involved joints during the repeated attacks were first MTP joint(84%), tarsal joint(23%), and fingers(23%), The duration of disease was significantly longer and the serum uric acid concentration was higher in the patients with tophi than they are in the patients without. 5) The 4l% of patients showed hone change in X-ray. 6) The renal ultrasound examinations were abnormal in 42% of the patients and the serum uric acid concentrations were significantly higher. 7) Obesity was found in 68% of patients, hypertension in 39%, hyperlipidemia in 16%, and chronic renal disease in 12%. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of gout in our study were similar to those of others done in and out of Korea, except that the frequency of hypertringlyceridemia was much lower than that of the foreign countries.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Arthritis, Gouty ; Female ; Gout* ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hyperuricemia ; Joints ; Korea* ; Male ; Obesity ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Ultrasonography ; Uric Acid

Pernicious anemia is a macrocytic anemia that is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, itself a result of the absence of intrinsic factors due to autoimmune destruction of parietal cells. We report here the case of a 43-year-old female with spontaneous remission of pernicious anemia. The patient presented with fatigue. Her serum vitamin B12 level was low, hemoglobin level was 7.6 g/dL, and serologic tests for anti-intrinsic factor and anti-parietal cell antibodies were positive. We diagnosed her with pernicious anemia, but did not administer vitamin B12 because her hemoglobin level increased spontaneously. Since then, the patient's hemoglobin and serum vitamin B12 levels have been within the normal range.
Adult ; Anemia, Macrocytic ; Anemia, Pernicious* ; Antibodies ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Intrinsic Factor ; Rabeprazole ; Reference Values ; Remission, Spontaneous* ; Serologic Tests ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency

Undifferentiated(embryonal) sarcoma of the liver developing predominantly in the late childhood is extremely rare in malignant hepatic tumors. It has been described by a variety of terms such as malignant mesenchymoma, embryonal sarcoma, fibromyxosarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma or primary sarcoma of the liver. The tumor usually presents a huge mass containing solid and sometimes cystic components, and is cmposed of large stellate and spindle cells in an abundant myxoid matrix. The treatment of choice is surgical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, but the prognosis of this disease has been reported extremly poor. We experienced a case of undifferentiated(embryonal) sarcoma of the liver recently which was confirmed by pathological examinations in a 18-year-old boy. He visited our hospital for examination of the progressive growing RUQ abdominal mass detected incidentally. On physical examination, a firm, non-tender, hard, fixed, huge, abdominal mass was palpated in the right upper quadrant of abdomen. Abdominal ultrasonography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a 10x15cm sized mass confined to the left lobe of the liver, and it was hypovascular mass on angiography. We performed left lobectomy including the tumor and it was confirmed as undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of the liver by pathologic examination. We herein report this case including histologic, electronmicroscopic and flow cytometric results with the review of literatures.
Abdomen ; Adolescent ; Angiography ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Humans ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mesenchymoma ; Physical Examination ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal ; Sarcoma* ; Ultrasonography

It is a common knowledge to anesthesiologists that bleeding can eventually lead to shock and it is a mandatory task of anesthesiologists to monitor and prepare for postoperative bleeding. We have experienced at recovery room a case of cardiac arrest due to massive bleeding after a spinal surgery in a 62-year-old lady weighing 60 kg with no specific abnormalities in both history and physical examination. Immediate intervention with CPR, DC shock and administration of blood and fluids revived her and a subsequent surgical procedure was performed for bleeding control. The major common cause of cardiac arrest associated with operation/anesthesia are cardiovascular failure and respiratory failure. Postoperative bleeding, therefore, warrants close and careful monitoring in order that immediate and optimal care can be provided.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Heart Arrest* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Recovery Room ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Shock

We experienced 3 cases of Candida esophagitis in infancy which were diagnosed by esophageal endoscopy. First case, 10 month-old boy with combined immune deficiency had suffered from oral thrush and poor feeding for more than 4 months. Esophageal endoscopy revealed multiple whitish creamy patches on the friable erythematous and necrotic mucosa of the esophagus. He was firstly treated with amphotericin-B but in vain. Then he was treated with fluconazole (5 mg/kg/day) and in a few days oral thrush nearly disappeared and endoscopy after 2 weeks revealed complete healing of the esophagitis. Second case, 6 month-old boy with some cellular immue defect also suffered from oral thrush, poor feeding and intermittent fever. He was treated with fluconazole and oral thrush was imporved. He was discharged without follow up endoscopy. Third case, 4 month-old girl with liver cirrhosis due to infantile cholestasis had Candida sepsis. Esophagitis was found incidentally during the endoscopic examination of esophageal varix. First 2 cases showed multiple small filling defects and decreased motility on esophagography. Candida antigen was not detected in the sera of all 3 cases of candidiasis. We conclude that Candidia esophagitis should be suspected when an infant has been suffering from long-term treatmet-resistant oral thrush and poor feeding and that esophageal endoscopy can be easily performed in infants also and useful in diagnosing esophagitis and assessing the outcome of treatment.
Candida* ; Candidiasis ; Candidiasis, Oral ; Cholestasis ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Esophagitis* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Fever ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Sepsis

From May, 1975 to August, 1986, we experienced 21 patients with ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva. 1) Their ages ranged from 15 to 52 years with a mean age of 26.7 years, and 14 patients were male and 7 patients were female. Among 18 cases of which aneurysms occurred on the right sinus of Valsalva, 15 cases (83%) ruptured into the right ventricle, 1 case (6%) ruptured into the right atrium and 2 cases (11%) ruptured into the pulmonary artery. All 3 cases of which aneurysms occurred on the noncoronary sinus ruptured into the right atrium. 2) Clinical symptoms consisted of dyspnea (95%), palpitation (81%), chest pain (43%), orthopnea (33%), cough (14%), hemoptysis (5%), oliguria (5%), and fever (5%). In all patients continuous heart murmur was audible. Hepatomegaly (48%), pulmonary basal rale (14%), and pretibial pitting edema (19%) were also observed. 3) In all patients diagnosis was made with cardiac catheterization and angiography, and confirmed by operation excetpt one case. 4) Among 20 patients who had been performed corrective surgery, ventricular septal defect was observed in 16 patients (85%), aortic insufficiency in 5 patients (25%), pulmonary infundibular stenosis in 1 patient (5%), patent foramen ovale in 1 patient (5%), and tricuspid insufficiency in 1 patient (5%). Ventricular septal defect was observed in all 16 patients whose aneurysms of the right coronary sinus of Valsalva ruptured into the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. 5) All patients survived operation, and no postoperative complication was found except 1 patient to whom reoperation was performed because of postoperative aortic insufficiency and detachment of the patch closure for ventricular septal defect. There was symptomatic improvement in all patients.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured* ; Angiography ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Sinus ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Foramen Ovale, Patent ; Heart Atria ; Heart Murmurs ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemoptysis ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Male ; Oliguria ; Postoperative Complications ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Subvalvular Stenosis ; Reoperation ; Respiratory Sounds ; Sinus of Valsalva*

PURPOSE: Alignment is an important factor in the long-term success of total knee arthroplasty. In the total knee arthroplasty, the conventional extramedullary femoral alignment system has significant error in femoral coronal alignment, since it is difficult to find the femoral head center and it is time consuming to determine during the operation. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of the newly-designed marker system for extramedullary femoral alignment that uses radiologic distance between the 2 femoral head centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2008 and July 2009, 90 patients (100 knees) with knee osteoarthritis underwent total knee arthroplasty using the femoral extramedullary femoral guide system. We measured the distance between the femoral head centers using the radiologic picture archiving and communication system (PACS, General Electric, Milwaukee, WI) system preoperatively, then plastic rods and metal pegs were used to simulate the inter femoral head center distance. By placing the center of the plastic rod after marking the inter femoral head center distance on the central body line, we could trace the coronal mechanical axis. We measured the angle between the femoral mechanical axis and the femoral component in standing long leg antero-posterior radiograph to assess radiologically the accuracy of coronal alignment postoperatively. RESULTS: The average femoral length in the study group was 402.5+/-16.2 mm. The mean distance between the femoral head and the center of the marker was 49.6+/-17.9 mm. The average error in estimation of the distance between the femoral head center and the metal peg of the marker was 3.78+/-3.14 mm. The positional error in alignment was 1degrees or less in 90% and 2degrees or less in 100% of knees. The average angle of femoral component to femoral mechanical axis was 89.9+/-1.5degrees (range 84.4-93.6degrees). The coronal alignment of the femoral components was within 90degrees+/-3degrees in -96% of cases. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the clinical method reported here is a simple and reliable method to localize the center of the femoral head during total knee arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Head ; Humans ; Knee ; Leg ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Plastics ; Radiology Information Systems