OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of mirror therapy on recovery of upper limb function and strength in subacute hemiplegia after stroke. METHOD: Fourty subacute hemiplegic stroke patients (onset <6 months) were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the mirror therapy (MT, n=19), or control group (n=21). MT group received mirror therapy for 30 minutes after each treatment, additionally with the traditional rehabilitation programs, 5 days per week for 4 weeks; 2 hours or more per day, 3 days or more per week. To measure the outcome, we performed the manual muscle test (MMT), manual function test (MFT) and Jarmar grip strength test. RESULTS: MT group showed significant improvements in MMT, grasp and lateral pinch force of grip strength test (p<0.05), compared to control group. Improvement in MFT was more evident in MT group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Mirror therapy can be used as an adjuvant therapeutic technique for improving upper limb function and strength for subacute hemiplegia.
Hand Strength ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Muscle Strength ; Muscles ; Organometallic Compounds ; Stroke ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to analyze drinking on the day of injury, usual drinking pattern, factors associated with the injury and socioeconomic factors for patients who visited the emergency room (ER) for injuries. METHODS: From among all the trauma patients who visited ER, this research included 474 patients who were over 18 years of age and who visited the ER within 48 hours of their injury. Questionnaire surveys, telephone surveys, and serologic tests were conducted for all the patients. RESULTS: The drinking rate before injury was 51.9% among the 337 drinkers. The rate of drinkers was 72.2% (male 85%, female 42.6%), and the rate of habitual drinkers was 22.4% among the 466 subjects. The rates of habitual drinkers and nonhabitual drinkers were 31.5% and 68.5%, retrospectively, among the 337 drinkers. Such groups as assaulted patients, patients operated on under local anesthesia, patients injured indoor or outdoor except on roads, patients diagnosed as laceration, and patients injured between midnight and 8 a.m., and between 4p.m. and midnight had significantly higher incidents of drinking on the day of the injury (p=0.00~0.02). Such groups as males, older people, married people, people with low levels of education, people with high incomes and assaulted patients had significantly higher numbers of habitual drinkers (p= 0.00 ~ 0.04 ). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that alcohol use is an important factor for patients who visit the ER for injuries and alcohol drinking. But it can not be concluded that there is a causal relation between alcohol use and injury. Such groups who visit the ER for injuries as males, older people, married people, people with low levels of education, people with high incomes and assaulted patients need to be screened for alcohol misuse.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anesthesia, Local ; Drinking* ; Education ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Retrospective Studies ; Serologic Tests ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Telephone

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the retrieval rate and accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided 14-G semi-automated core needle biopsy (CNB) for microcalcifications in the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB procedures and specimen radiography were performed for 33 cases of suspicious microcalcifications apparent on sonography. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB and radiology-pathology concordance were analyzed and the microcalcification characteristics between groups with successful and failed retrieval were compared. RESULTS: Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved and the microcalcification retrieval rate was 90.9% (30/33). Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved. Twenty five were finally diagnosed as malignant (10 invasive ductal carcinoma, 15 ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) and five as benign. After surgery and mammographic follow-up, the 25 malignant lesions comprised 12 invasive ductal carcinoma and 13 DCIS. Three lesions in the failed retrieval group (one DCIS and two benign) were finally diagnosed as two DCIS and one benign after surgery. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB was 90.9% (30/33) because of two DCIS underestimates and one false-negative diagnosis. The discordance rate was significantly higher in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 6.7%; p < 0.05). Punctate calcifications were significantly more common in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 3.7%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB could be a useful procedure for suspicious microcalcifications in the breast those are apparent on sonography.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle/*methods/standards ; Breast/*pathology ; Breast Diseases/pathology/radiography ; Breast Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Calcinosis/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/*pathology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional/standards ; Young Adult

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that involves many organs, occasionally mimicking malignancy. We herein report a 50-yr-old woman of muscular sarcoidosis of chronic myopathic type, manifested by hypercalcemia and muscle wasting. Besides insignificant hilar lymphadenopathy, her sarcoidosis was confined to generalized atrophic muscles and therefore, F-18 FDG PET/CT alone among conventional imaging studies provided diagnostic clues for the non-parathyroid-related hypercalcemia. On follow-up PET/CT during low-dose steroid treatment, FDG uptake in the muscles disappeared whereas that in the hilar lymph nodes remained. PET/CT may be useful in the evaluation of unexpected disease extent and monitoring treatment response in suspected or known sarcoidosis patients.
Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/*diagnostic use ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia/complications/*diagnosis ; Kidney Calculi/complications/diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes/radionuclide imaging ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals/*diagnostic use ; Sarcoidosis/complications/drug therapy/*radionuclide imaging ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels*

Non-islet cell tumor induced hypoglycemia (NICTH) is attributable to overproduction of insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) by solid tumors, and these tumors usually originate from mesenchymal or epithelial cells. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare mesenchymal tumor and most commonly find in the gastrointestinal tract. It is usually expresses the CD117 (stem cell factor receptor, c-kit) detected by immunohistochemistry. Hypoglycemia associated with GIST is very rare and this has not yet been reported in Korea. A 72-year-old man was hospitalized due to frequent episodes of confusion. It was observed that non-hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, an elevated serum IGF-II level and a huge liver mass. The histology of liver mass showed c-kit (CD117) positivity, which was consistent with GIST, but it was surgically unresectable. He was treated with imatinib mesylate. Although he recieved palliative treatment, he still experienced intermittent fasting hypoglycemia. After 2 months, the serum IGF-II level was even higher than before. We changed imatinib mesylate to sunitinib malate and performed radiotherapy on the liver mass. Although the change of the liver mass was not significant, he did not suffer from hypoglycemia for three months afterwards.
Aged ; Benzamides ; Epithelial Cells ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Immunohistochemistry ; Indoles ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Korea ; Liver ; Mesylates ; Palliative Care ; Piperazines ; Pyrimidines ; Pyrroles ; Imatinib Mesylate

OBJECTIVE: The sensitivity of the AutoPap Primary Screening System with Location-Guided Screening (AutoPap LGS) for identifying atypical cells in cervicovaginal smears was evaluated. METHODS: Two hundred forty one slides with atypical cervical cytology randomly sampled were rescreened both manually and by the AutoPap LGS. The AutoPap LGS localized the atypical cells as 15 fields of view(FOVs), which were reexamined by manual review. The sensitivity was also evaluated in accordance with the cellularity of the smears. RESULTS: The AutoPap LGS successfully processed 232 out of 241 slides. The sensitivity of the AutoPap LGS identifying the atypical cells in successfully processed slides was 97.4%(226/232). The false negative rate was 2.6%(6/232). There was no false negative case in high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) or squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) smears in the AutoPap LGS. The FOVs localized the diagnostic-atypical cells in 97.8%(221/226). The number of diagnostic-atypical FOVs was increased in higher-degree of atypical cytology. The AutoPap LGS localized the atypical cells in 100% of adequately cellular smears and in 92.5% even in low cellular smears. CONCLUSION: The AutoPap LGS showed relatively good sensitivity to detect atypical cells. It can be a valuable system to localize atypical cells, especially in HSIL or cancer slides, even in smears with low cellularity.
Mass Screening* ; Vaginal Smears

Cholesterol embolism is due to dislodgment of cholesterol crystals from the atheromatous aorta resulting in an occlusion of small arteries. Cholesterol emboli may occur spontaneously but usually develops as a complication of vascular procedures. The organs most frequently involved are the skin and the kidneys but any organ can be affected. Cutaneous manifestations include livedo reticularis, indurated firm violaceous painful plaques and noduli tending to show central necrosis and tender blue toes. We report two cases of cutaneous cholesterol embolization of lower extremities with the impairment of renal function after coronary angiography, proven by skin biopsy.
Aorta ; Arteries ; Biopsy* ; Cholesterol* ; Coronary Angiography* ; Embolism ; Embolism, Cholesterol* ; Kidney ; Livedo Reticularis ; Lower Extremity ; Necrosis ; Skin* ; Toes

No abstract available.
Antley-Bixler Syndrome Phenotype*

BACKGROUND: Surgery for bromhidrosis has a high risk of complications such as hematoma and necrosis. New nonsurgical methods may reduce the burden on surgery and the risks for the patient. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and side-effects of the 1,444 nm Nd:YAG interstitial laser for treating axillary bromhidrosis. METHODS: Eighteen bromhidrosis patients were treated with a 1,444 nm Nd:YAG laser at Korea University Ansan Hospital. The post-treatment follow-up was 6 months. After the procedure, we confirmed apocrine gland destruction through histopathological examination. At each follow-up, we measured the severity of the remaining odor, postoperative pain, degree of mobility restriction, and overall satisfaction. RESULTS: After 180 days of follow-up, malodor elimination was good in 20 axillae, fair in 12 axillae, and poor in four axillae. At the end point of the study, 14 patients were totally satisfied with the laser treatment, three patients were partially satisfied, and one patient was disatisfied. Pain and limitation of mobility were significantly reduced within 1 week post-operatively, and were almost resolved within 4 weeks post-operatively. A histopathological examination revealed decreased density and significant alterations to the apocrine glands. CONCLUSION: Subdermal coagulation treatment with a 1,444 nm Nd:YAG interstitial laser may be a less invasive and effective therapy for axillary bromhidrosis.
Apocrine Glands ; Axilla ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Korea ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Necrosis ; Odors ; Pain, Postoperative ; Prospective Studies*