We report a case of linear scleroderrna associated with severe musculoskeletal atrophy of Ieft arm or disabling pansclerotic morphea of children. The patient was 11 year-old girl who has 8 years history of linear violaceoushued atrophic plaques on left arm and anterior chest, left sboulder region in a circumscribed sclerotic lesion. She had a history of injury on left forearrn at 3 years of age. One, month later, erythematous swelling and hardening of skin on left hand were developed and then progressed rapidlyfto other area for one year. However there was no signs of dyspnea, dysphagia, Raynauds phenomenon, myalgia, weakness and photcsensitivity. Diagnosis was confirmed by the characteristics of clinical features and histologic findings of skin and muscle and laboratory findings. As a therapeutic trial, low dose D-penicillamine was attempted.
Arm ; Atrophy* ; Child ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Myalgia ; Penicillamine ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; Skin ; Thorax ; Upper Extremity*

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to identify gender-based health inequality and explore impacting factors on health inequality in one province in Korea. METHODS: This was an explanatory study using the secondary data on Chungnam province from the Fifth Community Health Survey from August 16 to Oct 31, 2012. Variables included in this analysis were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community for socio-cultural characteristics and subjective health status as an indicator of health inequality. Data were analyzed by chi2-test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: There were gender inequalities and disparities in health, and these inequalities were greater in woman than in man (chi2=161.8, p<.001). The impacting factors were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community, which was accounted for 22.6% of variances of health inequality. Among these variables, gender showed the largest influence in health inequalities. CONCLUSION: To solve health inequalities, it should be considered gender differences based on social determinants of health. It is necessary to develop long term project based on these results and the social determinants model of World Health Organization.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Education ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Poverty ; Social Determinants of Health ; Socioeconomic Factors* ; World Health Organization

PURPOSE:We assessed the relationship of indoor aeroallergen specific IgE levels with total IgE level, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and lung function in children with atopic asthma. METHODS:Two hundred twenty-eight children with atopic asthma in Cheongju area were studied. Sera were assayed for total IgE and specific IgE antibodies to important indoor allergens including Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), Alternaria, cats, dogs, and cockroaches. One hundred eighty children sensitized to house dust mites (HDMs) were evaluated for %FEV1 and methacholine PC20. RESULTS:Serum specific IgE to HDMs presented the highest prevalence (90.0% for Der p and 92.7% for Der f), followed by specific IgE to Alternaria (21.6%). A contribution of > 10% of the total was only common for IgE antibody to Der p or Der f. The level of specific IgE to Der p (r=0.677, P<00.001) or Der f (r=0.657, P<00.001) was significantly correlated with total IgE level. Higher level of Der f-specific IgE was associated with higher incidence of AHR and FEV1 decline. CONCLUSION:Concentration of specific IgE antibody produced to HDMs provides an explanation for the higher total IgE levels found in a major portion of children with atopic asthma and has a close relationship with AHR and lung function.
Allergens ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Asthma ; Cats ; Child ; Cockroaches ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dogs ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Incidence ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Prevalence ; Pyroglyphidae

The functional derangement of skeletal muscles which may be attributed to chronic hypoxia has been accepted as a possible mechanism of exercise impairment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The metabolc changes in skeletal muscle in patients with COPD are characterized by impaired oxidative phosphorylation early activation of anaerobic glycolysis and excessive lactate and hydrogen ion production with exercise. But the cause of exercise limitation in patients with chronic lung disease without hypoxia has not been known. In order to evaluate the change in the skeletal muscle metabolism as a possible cause of the exercise limitation in chronic lung disease patients without hypoxia, we compared the muscular metabolic data of seven male patients which had been derived from noninvasive 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS) with those of five age-matched normal male control persons. 31P MRS was studied during the sustained isometric contraction of the dominant forearm flexor muscles up to the exhaustion state and the recovery period. Maximal voluntatry contraction(MVC) force of the muscle was measured before the isometric exercise, and the 30% of MVC force was constantly loaded to each patient during the isometric exercise. There were no differences of intracellular pH (pHi) and inorganic phosphate/phosphocreatine (Pi/PCr) at baseline, exhaustion state and recovery period between two groups. But pHi during the exercise was lower in patients group than the control group (p<0.05). Pi/PCr during the exercise did not show significant difference between two groups. These results suggest that the exercise limitation in chronic lung disease patients without hypoxia also could be attributed to the abnormalities in the skeletal muscle metabolism.
Anoxia ; Exercise ; Forearm ; Glycolysis ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Isometric Contraction ; Lactic Acid ; Lung Diseases ; Lung* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Male ; Metabolism* ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Muscles ; Oxidative Phosphorylation ; Protons ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

Periprosthetic acetabular fracture (PAF) is an uncommon complication following hip arthroplasty. However, as the number of people needing hip prostheses continues to rise, the absolute number of PAF is expected to increase as well. These fractures may occur either intraoperatively or postoperatively. Postoperative fractures can be caused by traumatic events or by pathologic conditions related to periacetabular osteolysis. The management of PAF usually depends on the degree of displacement and the stability of the acetabular component. While most of non-displaced fractures can be managed nonoperatively by protected weight bearing, displaced fractures with unstable implants require surgical intervention, which is often technically challenging. This review summarized the latest findings on the epidemiology, the diagnosis, the classification, and the treatment of PAF.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Hip Prosthesis ; Hip ; Osteolysis ; Periprosthetic Fractures ; Weight-Bearing

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, serious concerns have been raised regarding the impacts of rising temperatures on health. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between elevated temperatures and kidney disease through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: In October 2017, 2 researchers independently searched related studies in PubMed and Embase. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, including only studies that presented odds ratios, relative risks, or percentage changes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The characteristics of each study were summarized, and the Egger test and funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: Eleven studies that met the criteria were included in the final analysis. The pooled results suggest an increase of 30% (95% CI, 20 to 40) in kidney disease morbidity with high temperatures. In a disease-specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed for both renal colic or kidney stones and other renal diseases. In a study design–specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed in both time-series analyses and studies with other designs. In a temperature measure–specific subgroup analysis, significant results were likewise found for both studies using mean temperature measurements and studies measuring heat waves or heat stress. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that morbidity due to kidney disease increases at high temperatures. We also found significant results in subgroup analyses. However, further time-series analyses are needed to obtain more generalizable evidence.
Hot Temperature ; Infrared Rays ; Kidney Calculi ; Kidney Diseases ; Kidney ; Odds Ratio ; Publication Bias ; Renal Colic

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, serious concerns have been raised regarding the impacts of rising temperatures on health. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between elevated temperatures and kidney disease through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: In October 2017, 2 researchers independently searched related studies in PubMed and Embase. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model, including only studies that presented odds ratios, relative risks, or percentage changes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The characteristics of each study were summarized, and the Egger test and funnel plots were used to evaluate publication bias. RESULTS: Eleven studies that met the criteria were included in the final analysis. The pooled results suggest an increase of 30% (95% CI, 20 to 40) in kidney disease morbidity with high temperatures. In a disease-specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed for both renal colic or kidney stones and other renal diseases. In a study design–specific subgroup analysis, statistically significant results were observed in both time-series analyses and studies with other designs. In a temperature measure–specific subgroup analysis, significant results were likewise found for both studies using mean temperature measurements and studies measuring heat waves or heat stress. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that morbidity due to kidney disease increases at high temperatures. We also found significant results in subgroup analyses. However, further time-series analyses are needed to obtain more generalizable evidence.

BACKGROUND: Following several decades of decline, the incidence of tuberculosis has recently begun to increase in many countries and the control of this disease has been impeded by the emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The development of rapid diagnostic methods and effective new drugs are needed to control MDR-TB. One of the new drugs for MDR-TB is rifabutin (RBU) which has been known to be effective in some patients with MDR-TB. A few reports showed that some types of mutaitions of the rpoB gene, which were known to be present in 96-98% of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis, were associated with the rifampicin-resistant but RBU-susceptible phenotype. This study was performed to investigate the correlation between RBU susceptibility and the patterns of rpoB gene mutations in Korean MDR-TB. METHODS: Sixty-five clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, gathered from patients two visited the Asan Medical Center from July 1997 to June 1999, were investigated. Clinical responses to rifabutin-containing regimen were evaluated. An RBU susceptibility test and sequencing analysis of rpoB gene were performed, and the result were analyzed to confirm which mutations correlated with RBU-susceptible MDR-TB. RESULTS: Fifty-three of 56 (95%) clinical isolates of MDR-TB had 60 mutations of the rpoB gene. The most frequent mutations were found at codon 531 (43%), and two mutations were combined in seven clinical isolates. Five of 53 (10%) clinical isolates showed the RBU-susceptible phenotype, and in them the characteristic patterns of point mutations were found at codon 509, 516, and 526. CONCLUSION: The frequency and pattern of mutations of the rpoB gene of Korean MDR-Tb isolates were similar to those in western countries, where the prevalence of tuberculosis is low, but some show RBU-susceptible phenotypes. RBU-susceptible MDR-TB isolates showed the characteristic pattern of mutations of the rpoB gene which could be used to rapidly diagnose RBU susceptibility.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Codon ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Phenotype ; Point Mutation ; Prevalence ; Rifabutin* ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

BACKGROUND: Home ventilation can decrease hospital-acquired infection, increase physical activity, improve nutritional status, enhance quality of life, and reduce medical costs. The number of patient using home ventilators has been increasing, particularly in Europe and United States. Although the number of patients with home ventilation has been increasing in Korea, the current status of these patients is not well known. This study was undertaken to obtain basic information upon these patients in additon to evaluating any problems related to patients' home care in our country. METHODS: A register of 92 patients with home ventilators in Seoul and Kyunggi province were obtained from commercial ventilator supply companies. The patients were contacted by phone and 29 of them accepted our visit. Information concerning education about home care before discharge, equipment cost, and problems related to home care were documented. The mode and preset variables of the home ventilator were checked; tidal volume (TV), peak airway pressure, and oxygen saturation were measured. RESULTS: There were 26 males (90%) and their mean age was 48.0(±20.1 years. The underlying diseases were: 21 neuromuscular disorders, 2 spinal cord injuries, 6 chronic lung diseases. Among the caregivers, spouses (n=14) predominated. Education for home care before discharge was performed primarily by intensive care unit nurses and the education for ventilator management by commercial companies. Twenty-five of the 29 patients had tracheostomies. Volume targeted type (VTT;n=20, 69%) was more frequently used than the pressure targeted type(PTT). Twenty-three of the 29 patients purchased a ventilator privately, which cost 7,450,000(±3,290,000) won for a PTT, and 14,280,000(±3,130,000) won for a VTT. Total cost for the equipment was 11,430,000(±634,000) won. The average cost required for home care per month was 1,120,000(±1,360,000) won. CONCLUSION: The commonest underlying disease of the patients was neuromuscular disease. The VTT ventilator was primarily used with tracheostomy. Patients and their families considered the financial difficulties associated with purchasing and maintaining equipment for home care an urgent problem. Some patients were aided by a visiting nurse, however most patients were neglected and left without professional medical supervision.
Caregivers ; Education ; Europe ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Home Care Services ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; Nurses, Community Health ; Nutritional Status ; Organization and Administration ; Oxygen ; Quality of Life ; Seoul* ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spouses ; Tidal Volume ; Tracheostomy ; United States ; Ventilation ; Ventilators, Mechanical*

No abstract available.
Closing Volume* ; Humans ; Posture* ; Pulmonary Ventilation*