BACKGROUND: Oral allergy syndrome(OAS) is composed of it,ching sense and edema in oral cavity, lips, throat, pharynx, and larynx following eating some fresh fruits or vegetables. It has been known that most of patients with OAS are allergic to pollens. Common epitopes were found among pollens, fruits and vegetables. Although OAS is a common farm of food allergy in adults, this is the first epidemiologic study of OAS in Korea. MATERIAL AND METHOD: One hundred and fifty one patients who showed positive skin reaction to pollens were telephone-interviewed. Investigation of the prevalence and clinical manifestations of OAS was possible in 81 patients. RESULT: The prevalence of OAS among these patients was 34.6% (28/81). OAS was found in 24(48%) out of 50 patients sensitized to tree pollens, whereas 4(13%) of 31 grass or weed pollen-sensitized paients had OAS. Most common causative food was apple and all of 17 apple- OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Peach was the second common food and 14 of 15 peach-OAS patients were sensitized to tree pollens. Besides oral symptoms, rhinitis, asthma, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or generalized urticaria were accompanied in half of the OAS patients (14/28). Some patients showed OAS to some unique Korean foods such as dropwort, taro and Aster. CONCLUSION: OAS was very common in pollen-sensitized patients. Larger epidemiologic studies are needed to find unique Korean foods and their antigensm causing OAS.
Adult ; Asthma ; Colocasia ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Edema ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epitopes ; Filipendula ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Fruit ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea ; Larynx ; Lip ; Mouth ; Nausea ; Pharynx ; Poaceae ; Pollen* ; Prevalence ; Prunus persica ; Rhinitis ; Skin ; Urticaria ; Vegetables ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough is a common clinical problem to which various etiologies are attributable; postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and chronic bronchitis, However, in some cases, no particular etiology can be confirmed. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate cough sensitivity and the clinical manifestations of patients with idiopathic chronic cough. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 70 non-smoking patients who had been coughing for more than 3 weeks without any history, symptoms or signs of rhinitis, sinusitis, typical asthma, GER or recent upper respiratory infection episodes. Nineteen healthy controls were also enrolled. Bronchial provocation tests with methacholine, capsaicin and distilled water (DW) were performed. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were positive to rnethacholine test (PC20 < 25mg/ml) and defined as cough variant asthma. The others are classified into idiopathic chronic cough. By capsaicin and DW challenge tests, idiopathic cough patients could be divided into two groups, i.e., increased cough sensitivity (ICS) and normal cough sensitivity (NCS) groups. DW- induced cough counts were negatively correlated with C7 (lowest capsaicin concentration inducing continuous 7 or more coughs) (r=-0.739, p<0.001). No difference was found in clinical features such as age, sex, atopy, or peripheral eosinophil counts between these two groups but cough counts per cough burst were significantly higher in the ICS group. CONCLUSION: The heterogeneity in cough sensitivity of idiopathic chronic cough patients may refiect different pathophysiologic mechanisms. It is unclear whether patients with NCS merely have habitual or psychogenic cough or not. These suggest that different therapentic strategies should be established on idiopathic chronic cough patients according to cough sensitivity.
Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Capsaicin ; Cough* ; Eosinophils ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Methacholine Chloride ; Population Characteristics ; Rhinitis ; Sinusitis ; Water

Background/Aims: The multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach is a cornerstone of clinical oncology. This study investigated the current state of MDT care, including patient satisfaction, in Korea. Methods: We obtained the annual number of cancer patients who have received MDT care since 2014 from the registry of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA). In addition, patients who received MDT care from August 2014 to May 2017 at four university hospitals were further characterized, and patient satisfaction was measured prospectively using a patient-reported questionnaire. Results: The total number of patients who received MDT care increased from 2014 to 2016 (2,113 to 9,998 patients, respectively) in the HIRA Cohort. The type of cancer that most often required MDT was breast cancer (23.8%), followed by colorectal cancer (19.1%). In the Representative Cohort (n = 1,032), MDT was requested by the surgeon more than half the time (55.7%). The main focus of MDT was decision making for further treatment planning (99.0%). The number of doctors participating in the MDT was usually five (70.0%). After initiating an MDT approach, the treatment plan changed for 17.4% of patients. Among these patients, 359 completed a prospective satisfaction survey regarding their MDT care. The overall satisfaction with the MDT approach was very high, with an average score of 9.6 out of 10 points. Conclusions The application of MDT care is a rapidly growing trend in clinical oncology, and shows high patient satisfaction. Further research is needed to determine which types of cancer patients could benefit most from MDT, and to enable MDT care to operate more efficiently so that it may expand successfully throughout Korea.

The use of totally implantable central venous access devices (chemoport) has increased with the development of chemotherapeutic agents in oncologic patients, especially with no venous access site. However, there can be various complications such as port site infection, thromboembolism, injury of central vein, fracture of catheter, and migration of catheter. We report a rare case of migration of catheter to right atrium due to the separation of the catheter from the chemoport.
Catheters ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Thromboembolism ; Veins

Purpose: We compared corneal higher-order aberration (HOA) measurements between the Pentacam® HR (PC), which uses the Scheimpflug principle, and the iTraceTM aberrometer (IT), which evaluates Placido disc topography. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 109 eyes of 87 patients without a history of ocular surface disease during the period from January 2021 to December 2022; both devices were used on the same day. We calculated the root mean square values (μm) of corneal total HOA and of the corneal 3rd- and 4th-order HOA at a pupil diameter of 4 mm. Data were compared by Bland-Altman plots for agreement analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient for correlation analysis. Results: There was no significant difference in the total HOA (p = 0.145), coma (p = 0.309), or secondary astigmatism (p = 0.080) between the PC and IT measurements; all other HOAs significantly differed between devices (p < 0.001). In the correlation analysis, the total HOA (r = 0.605, p < 0.001) and coma (r = 0.634, p < 0.001) were moderately correlated between the two devices; the other HOAs showed low degree of correlations. In the Bland-Altman plot analysis, all HOAs showed low agreement between the two devices. Conclusions Corneal total HOA and coma measured by the two devices were significantly correlated between the two devices, but other HOAs showed significant differences in measurement and low correlations. Therefore, corneal HOA measurements cannot be interpreted interchangeably between the two devices.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite increased demand for cancer patient's to make their own decisions based on an adequate understanding of what is involved in chemotherapy, the primary signing agent and the reasons for surrogate signing have not been appropriately evaluated. METHODS: The ethics committee of the palliative medicine subgroup of the Korean Cancer Study Group designed this study and solid cancer patients to whom chemotherapy was offered, from seven institutions, were evaluated. The details relating to surrogate's signing of chemotherapy consent were evaluated. Then, we analyzed the factors associated with surrogate's signing according to patient's demographics and characteristics related to chemotherapy consent. RESULTS: Surrogate's signing was noted for 20.7% (84/405) of patient and over half of surrogate signings were performed by the patients' son or daughter (60.7%). Two main reasons for surrogate signing were patient's incapacity (34.5%) and taking over authorization from patients (33.3%). The factors associated with more frequent surrogate's signing were absence of spouse, lower education level, outpatient, and when residents played a role as a principle provider of chemotherapy consent. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests the lack of patients' own decision making for chemotherapy in some situations. This ethical dilemma must be considered for adequately informed decision making for chemotherapy while ensuring the patients' autonomy is maintained.

Pseudolymphoma or benign lymphoid hyperplasia is an unusual pathologic entity representing lymphoid hyperplasia, which is sometimes not easily classified as reactive or neoplasic. It occurs in a wide variety of sites, including the orbit, salivary glands, skin, thyroid, gastrointestinal tract and lung. Within the gastrointestinal tract, stomach, small intestine and large intestine, particulary rectum, can be involved, but intestine including rectum has been rarely reported in Korea to the best of our knowlege. We experienced a case of focal lymphoid hyperplasia of the rectum presented with hematochezia in a 33-year old male. It was diagnosed by histopathology with sigmoidoscopic biopsy and molecular genetic study. Rectal lesion as well as hematochezia was improved by prednisolone and mesalamine enema therapy. Hence, we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Enema ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Intestine, Large ; Intestine, Small ; Intestines ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Mesalamine ; Molecular Biology ; Orbit ; Prednisolone ; Pseudolymphoma ; Rectum* ; Salivary Glands ; Skin ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland

AIMS: In this paper we have investigated the detection rate of each H. pylori test in the antrum and in the body for patients with nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD), duodenal ulcer (DU), benign gastric ulcer (BGU), and stomach cancer. In addition, we examined whether or not there is any relationship between the decrease of H. pylori detection rate and intestinal metaplasia in the antrum. METHODS: Three different test methods for identifying H. pylori infection-CLOtest, Gram stain, H&E stain-were taken in the antrum and in the body. RESULTS: 1) The detection rates of CLOtest, Gram stain, and H&E stain for NUD group were 88%, 75%, and 64% (mean: 76%) in the antrum, and 89%, 78%, and 67% (mean: 78%) in the body, respectively, and those of DU group were 95%, 95% and 81% (mean: 90%) in the antrum, and 97%, 87% and 64% (mean: 83%) in the body, respectively. Those of BGU group were 86%, 74%, 53% (mean: 71%) and 98%, 82%, 58% (mean: 79%), respectively, and those of stomach cancer group were 80%, 88%, 58% (mean: 75%) in the antrum, and 100%, 96%, 83% (mean: 93%) in the body, respectively. The B/A detection ratio which means the ratio of mean H. pylori detection rate of body to that of antrum was 1.03 in NUD, 0.93 in DU, 1.11 in BGU, and 1.24 in stomach cancer group. 2) The rate of intestinal metaplasia in the antrum was 12% for NUD, and 15% for DU group. Those of BGU and stomach cancer group were 47% and 72%, respectively. 3) The correlation etween B/A detection ratio and intestinal metaplasia in the antrum was good (correlation coefficient(r)=0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The result that body is more adequate for H. pylori detection in BGU and stomach cancer patients rather than antrum can be explained by the high rate of intestinal metaplasia in the antrum which is hostile surrounding for H. pylori.
Duodenal Ulcer ; Dyspepsia ; Humans ; Metaplasia* ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach Ulcer

As the improved medical techniques and environmental changes have increased the frequency of general anesthesia for uncommon congenital anomalies. The airway management for a patient with congenital anomaly gives significant challenges to the anesthesiologist. The purpose of this report is to review the authors' experience with airway management and ventilatory support during the perioperative period in children with congenital anomalies with airway involvement, and to summarize anesthetic implications associated with particular congenital anomalies by literature review. Total 46 cases of general anesthesia for operation of congenital anomalies were performed from January 2000 to August 2005 in our hospital. Most common congenital anomaly is a Down syndrome (17 cases, 37%), and most common cause of surgery is the orthopedic surgery for correction of deformed spine (18 cases, 41%). Direct laryngoscopy was successfully used to establish an airway in 35 (76.1%) cases, whereas 5 (11%) cases required the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy to establish an airway before surgery.
Airway Management ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Bronchoscopy ; Child ; Craniofacial Abnormalities ; Down Syndrome ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Orthopedics ; Perioperative Period ; Spine

Intrathoracic kidney is a very rare congenital anomaly in development of the kidney. It was firstly described by Mikulics in 1922. More than 130 cases were reported in the world. Most of the patients have no clinical problem and discovered incidentally in chest X-ray. We have experienced a case of intrathoracic kidney in a 48-year-old female who was admitted due to recurrent calculous cholecystitis. Intrathoracic mass lesion was noted in the plain chest film and confirmed as intrathoracic kidney by chest computed tomography and intravenous pyleography. We report a case of intrathorcic kidney with brief review of literature.
Adult* ; Cholecystitis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Middle Aged ; Thorax