Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening illness that is mainly caused by toxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Although TSS is classically known to be associated with tampon use, the number of TSS cases with non-menstrual causes such as skin and soft tissue infection has been increasing. Tattooing can result in several complications such as localized and systemic infections, inflammatory skin eruptions and neoplasms. We recently experienced a 26-year-old man diagnosed with typical TSS following tattooing. He complained of fever, chills and erythematous rash at tattoo site. Subsequently, the patient developed sign of shock. The skin cultures on the tattoo site were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was successfully treated with vasopressor infusion and intravenous antibiotics and was discharged without complications. On discharge from the hospital 7 days later, desquamations on the tattoo site, fingers and toes were observed.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chills ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fingers ; Humans ; Shock ; Shock, Septic* ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tattooing* ; Toes

Tinea pedis is frequently found in those people with poor hygine and in hot and humid environments. The authors investigated the clinical, epidemiologicol a id mycological characteristics of tinea pedis in 138 sewerage workers attending a sewerage plant in Seoul. Tinea pedis was found in 82, with a prevalence of 59.4%. The prevalence of tinea pedis increased with age and the period working at sewerage plant, however, there was no statistical significance. Also there was no difference in the prevalence of tinea pedis between the clerical workers and the field workers. Positive rate for KOH smear was 73.2%, and culture positive rates were 42.7%, producing 35 strains of dermatophytes. Twertyeight strains of Trichophyton Rubrum and 7 strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were isolated. Twentyseven yeast-form colonies were isolated, and Trichosporon beigelii was foungl in 19 samples. Most of the yeast forms were found mixed with dermatophytes and moulcis, However, 6 were isolated from direct smear positive cases and yieIded pure colonies of yeast. These included 4 cases of T. beigelii, 1 case of Candida parapsilosis, and 1 case of Candida hormicola. In view of the recent report of these fungi as pathogenic organism, these isolates, rspecially T. beigelii, were considered as a causative agent of tinea pedis in certain groups like sewerage workers.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Fungi ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Plants ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton ; Trichosporon ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Hand* ; Regional Blood Flow*

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of fast walking training on a treadmill on the spinal alignment and muscle thickness of normal adults. METHODS: A total of 36 college students in their twenties participated in the study for eight weeks, and they were divided into the normal walking, fast walking, and speed change groups. All the groups were measured in a pre-test before training. The subjects performed exercise three times per week for six weeks. A post-test was conducted six weeks after training began, and a follow-up test was done two weeks after the training ended.Trunk and pelvic tilts were measured in Formetric 4D for the spinal alignment of the subjects. The muscle thickness was examined in the trunk with an ultrasound test. Repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to test the main effects and interactions among the measurement variables according to time and group. RESULTS: ignificant differences were observed in the pelvic tilt according to time. There were significant differences in the external oblique, internal oblique, transverse abdominal muscle according to time. The post-test results showed significant differences in the left external oblique, internal oblique muscles between before training, six weeks into training, and two weeks after the completion of training. There were significant interactions in the left oblique muscles according to the time and group. CONCLUSION: These findings have some value for patient rehabilitation and clinical applications and interventions through walking training.
Abdominal Muscles ; Adult ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Muscles* ; Rehabilitation ; Ultrasonography ; Walking

Angiolipomas are usually found in the soft tissues of the extremity, trunk, or neck. Spinal angiolipomas are rare, accounting for between 0.14% and 1.2% of spinal axis tumors, and the majority are extradural. We report a case of surgically proven extradural spinal angiolipoma with a high vascular content and involving the thoracic level.
Angiolipoma* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Extremities ; Neck

In order to evaluate the hypotensive effect of the lisinopril, a long acting angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, 10 to 30mg of lisinopril were administered in 35 hypertensive Korean adults during six weeks after a week observation for washout with stepwise increments of the dose according to the response of the patients blood pressure in every two weeks. The results were ; 1) The supine blood pressures were decreased from 163.7+/-16.6/99.8+/-9.3mmHg to 140.7+/-15.5/87.4+/-9.9mmHg at the end of six weeks' drug therapy(p<0.001). The standing blood pressures were also decreased conferrably and to the some lower levels. 2) In 14 patients to whom the drug was administered longer period(12 to 28 weeks) the blood pressure lowering effects were maintained at the level of that of 6th week. 3) Hematologic examination and blood chemistry revealed no discernible abnormal findings before and after the treatment. 4) In those patients who showed no adequate blood pressure control with other classes of antihypertensive drugs the lisinopril was effective in lowering their blood pressures by adding small doses. 5) During the period of the study a few probably drug-related symptoms developed but not troublesome except dry cough and dry mouth shich forced to stop administering the drug after completion of six weeks' period in one patients. From above results we concluded that lisnopril is effective and safe for the treatment of hypertension in Korean adults.
Adult ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Chemistry ; Cough ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lisinopril* ; Mouth ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A

BACKGROUND: Recently, an acquired resistance to vancomycin in enterococci has become a serious clinical problem. For the prevention of further propagation of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), epidemiological study of the infection is essential, but studies on the VRE infection are rare in Korea. We conducted an analysis of the epidemiology of a VRE outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to clear up the route of propagation of the VRE. METHODS: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREFM) strains were isolated from urine specimens of seven patients, rectal swabs from seven patients, and three skin swabs from two patients in the Kosin Medical Center neonatal intensive care unit, Pusan, Korea. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by a disk diffusion method and agar dilution method. Genotypes of vancomycin-resistance were determined by PCR and SmaI-digested genomic enterococcal DNAs were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: All of the 17 strains of VREFM were resistant to ampicillin, vancomycin, and teicoplanin and they showed the same genotype (vanA). SmaI-digested genomic DNAs of seven strains isolated from urine were typed as I (1), II (1), IIIb (4), and IV (1). Three strains from skin swabs were I (2) and II (1). Six strains from rectal swabs were I (2), II (1), and IIIa (3). Genomic DNA typing of one isolate from a rectal swab failed. Each genomic DNA type of VREFM strains isolated from skin swabs of two patients were the same with those from urine specimens as I and II, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that VRE strains colonized in the intestines can cause infections after skin colonizing and can be transmitted/propagated to other people through skin contact. In conclusion, it is important for the prevention of the dissemination of VRE that controls for patients' skin hygiene, as well as hand washing by medical persons, be put in place.
Agar ; Ampicillin ; Busan ; Colon ; Diffusion ; DNA ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Enterococcus faecium ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Genotype ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal* ; Intestines ; Korea ; Molecular Epidemiology* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Teicoplanin ; Vancomycin

Myoepithelioma is a rare tumor composed of cells that are morphologically similar to myoepithelial cells. Myoepithelial tumors usually occur in major and minor salivary glands, though have also been found in sweat and mammary glands. Myoepithelioma very rarely originates in lung parenchyma, though can arise from tracheobronchial submucosal glands. We encountered a case of myoepithelioma originating in lung parenchyma, and report the CT findings, including the pathologic characteristics of the disease.
Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Myoepithelioma* ; Salivary Glands, Minor ; Sweat

Mycotic aneurysms most commonly occur in femoral arteries or the abdominal aorta. Mycotic aneurysm arising from the left subclavian artery is very rare. The morbidity and mortality of ruptured mycotic aneurysms, regardless of their location, remain high despite the current practice of administering an intensive antibiotic regimen. We encountered a case of mycotic aneurysm presenting as mediastinal abscess and arising from in the left subclavian artery. Therefore, we report this case with radiologic findings to remind readers of the possibility of this unusual location of mycotic aneurysm.
Abscess* ; Aneurysm, Infected* ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Femoral Artery ; Mortality ; Subclavian Artery*

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening illness that is mainly caused by toxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Although TSS is classically known to be associated with tampon use, the number of TSS cases with non-menstrual causes such as skin and soft tissue infection has been increasing. Tattooing can result in several complications such as localized and systemic infections, inflammatory skin eruptions and neoplasms. We recently experienced a 26-year-old man diagnosed with typical TSS following tattooing. He complained of fever, chills and erythematous rash at tattoo site. Subsequently, the patient developed sign of shock. The skin cultures on the tattoo site were positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was successfully treated with vasopressor infusion and intravenous antibiotics and was discharged without complications. On discharge from the hospital 7 days later, desquamations on the tattoo site, fingers and toes were observed.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chills ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Fingers ; Humans ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Tattooing ; Toes