OBJECTIVE: The prescription rates of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are very low around 1% in Korea. This study was aimed to explore the preference of LAIs in patients with schizophrenia, who are currently living in community, and their caregivers. METHODS: The patients, diagnosed with schizophrenia by DSM-IV TR and were registered in the 31 mental health centers of Gyeonggi province and their caregivers were inquired the knowledge of the LAIs. The questionnaires contained information such as demographic characteristics, history of psychiatric treatment, and so on. RESULTS: About 5,318 were registered in 31 community mental health centers of Gyeonggi province in February 2012. The questionnaires of 614 patients and 365 caregivers were gathered from 20 community mental health centers. The mean ages (+/-SD) of patients and caregivers were 41.9 (+/-10.2) and 62.2 (+/-13.4) years old, respectively. 272 patients (44.6%) had experienced the discontinuation of medications without doctor's consent. 217 patients (35.9%) and 97 caregivers (27.1%) knew about the LAIs. The preference rates for LAIs were 35.2% and 46.8% for the patients and caregivers, respectively. CONCLUSION: There is still huge discrepancy between the preference and the real prescriptions of LAIs in community-dwelling patients and their caregivers, much higher than in those of hospital settings. This study suggests that both patients and caregivers registered in the community mental health centers have a strong commitment to live in the community. The obstacles against the benefits of LAIs need to be resolved.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Caregivers ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia

Neurilemmomas are benign tumors of the nerve sheaths. They are usually painless and are most common in the upper extremities. Pathologically, neurilemmoma is encapsulated and made up of organized element: the Antoni A cells, the Antoni B cells and the Verocay bodies. According to Stout, neurilemmomas never become malignant. Two cases of neurilemmoma of tibial nerve and One case of neurilemmoma of lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve are presented with a review of the literature. Tumors were enucleated and confirmed by pathological examination.
B-Lymphocytes ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma ; Tibial Nerve ; Upper Extremity

Malignant gastric lymphoma is an uncommon but important lesion with a more favorable prognosis than that ofgastric carcinoma. A total of 16 cases of gastric malignant lymphoma examined during a period from Jan. 1980 toSept. 1983 at Seoul National University Hospital were subjected to the radiological and pathologic correlations.In all cases, the diagnosis was established by histopathology of the resected specimens (9 cases) or endoscopicbiopsy specimesn ( 7 cases). Based on the comparative study of upper G-I series and macroscopic findings of thesurgically resected specimen, the authors investigated the reliable radiographic findings which can be valuable indifferentiation of gastric lymphoma from other gastric lesions, especailly carcinoma, and suggested the followingdiagnostic criteria for the malignant lymphoma of the stomach. 1. Discrete multiple polypoid lesions with orwithout central umbilication. 2. Geographic ulcer, deviated from center of the mass. 3. Irregular thickness ofelevated rim of the mass. 4. Diffuse giant gastric rugae. 5. Giant gastric rugae, mixed with other lesion.
Diagnosis ; Lymphoma ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Stomach ; Ulcer

The antihypertensive effect of Doxazocin were evaluated in 20 patients with essential hypertension. Two to eight mg of Doxazocin per day were administered continuously for two or eight weeks. The results were as follows : 1) Doxazocin were effective in 18 out of 20 patients(90%) at the end of 8 weeks treatment. 2) The systolic blood pressure was signigicantly decreased(173+/-20mmHg VS 144+/-33mmHg, P+/-0.001), and the diastolic blood pressure was also decreased(110+/-10mmHg VS 93+/-19mmHg, P<0.01) after treatment. 3) Triglyceride showed a decreasing tendency but statistically significance was not observed. Total cholesteral, HDL-cholesterol, BUN, creatinine, and uric acid did not change significantly before and after treatment with Doxazocin. 4) The side effects were headache in one case and dizziness in to cases. These results suggest that Doxazocin is an effective antihypertensive agent and concerning lipid profile, further long term observation is needed.
Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Dizziness ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid

Tuberculosis and lymphoma, these 2 diseases can present with lyphadenopathy in anywhere of the body. Therefor differentiation of tuberculosis from lymphoma is often difficult. CT scans of 17 patients with tuberculosis and 23 patients with lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the efficacy of CT scans in differentating adenopathy between tuberculosis and lymphoma, All the patients underwent abdominal CT scans with contrast enhancement before treatment. The size, internal architecture, distribution of lymph nodes, and associated findings on CT scans were analyzed. As compared with lymphoma, tuberculous lymphadenopathy showed 1) female preponderance (65%), 2) predilection for portocaval lymph nodes (47%), 3) internal low attenuation in lymph nodes (82%), 4) cold abscess formation (24%). Characteristics of lymphoma on CT scans included 1) male prepondrance (78%), 2) conglomeration of lymph nodes (39%), 3) homogenous internal lymph node structure (83%). These results suggest that evaluation of the characteristics of lymphadenopathy on CT scans is helpful for differentiating between tuberculosis and lymphoma.
Abscess ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases* ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis*

Tuberculosis and lymphoma, these 2 diseases can present with lyphadenopathy in anywhere of the body. Therefor differentiation of tuberculosis from lymphoma is often difficult. CT scans of 17 patients with tuberculosis and 23 patients with lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the efficacy of CT scans in differentating adenopathy between tuberculosis and lymphoma, All the patients underwent abdominal CT scans with contrast enhancement before treatment. The size, internal architecture, distribution of lymph nodes, and associated findings on CT scans were analyzed. As compared with lymphoma, tuberculous lymphadenopathy showed 1) female preponderance (65%), 2) predilection for portocaval lymph nodes (47%), 3) internal low attenuation in lymph nodes (82%), 4) cold abscess formation (24%). Characteristics of lymphoma on CT scans included 1) male prepondrance (78%), 2) conglomeration of lymph nodes (39%), 3) homogenous internal lymph node structure (83%). These results suggest that evaluation of the characteristics of lymphadenopathy on CT scans is helpful for differentiating between tuberculosis and lymphoma.
Abscess ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases* ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Humans ; Lung, Hyperlucent*

BACKGROUND: An insertion-deletion polymorphism of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been shown to be associated with enzyme activity levels of ACE. Reported results that have been mutually contradictory about asthmatic hypersensitiveness and occurrence according to ACE gene insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism. Also, the involvement of the ACE genes as the genetic basis of bronchial asthma is currently controversy. We investigated whether there was any association between polymorphisms of the ACE genes and airway hyper-responsiveness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: A total of 100 patients with COPD were enrolled in this study. The ACE genotypes were determined in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction. Pulmonary function test including bronchodilator response (BDR), methacholine bronchial provocation test (MBPT) were done in those patients. Airway hyper-responsiveness include any findings of positive BDR or MBPT. RESULTS: In COPD patients, the ACE genotype distribution did not differ significantly among groups of patients with severities of COPD, and with or without airway hyper-responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that polymorphisms of the ACE gene may not be associated with airway hyper-responsiveness, development and severity of COPD.
Angiotensins ; Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Genotype ; Humans ; Methacholine Chloride ; Mutagenesis, Insertional ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Function Tests

In a series of 91 patients underwent stereotaxic evacuation of spontaneous intraparenchymal hematoma during last 2 years; 15 had simple aspiration and 76 had urokinase irrigation gradually through the indwelling silastic catheter. Dosage of used urokinase was average 26,000u and duration was average 2.8 days. The average removed volume percent of the hematoma was 80.1+/-15.2%, eight out of 76 cases were performed urokinase irrigation revealed rebleeding; causes were overpressure during aspiration in 4 cases, blood dyscrasia in 3 cases, and fibrinolytic effect of urokinase in one case. High incidence of rebleeding were; thalamus(4 out of 16 cases; 25%) in location, before 6 hours(4 out of 19 cases; 21.1%) in operation time interval from ictus, below 10ml(4 out of 13 cases; 30.8%) in volume of the hematoma, but not correlated with amount of used urokinase. Causes of unsatisfactory removed cases were small hematoma, brain stem and thalamic hemorrhage and malposition of the catheter. Even in cases of combined ventricular hemorrhage, we didn't experienced hydrocephalus with urokinase irrigation. In 20 cases sampled randomly, osmolality of serum and aspirated liquefied hematoma were compared; the serum osmolality was 297.6+/-12mEq and osmolality of liquefied hematoma induced by urokinase was 304.7+/-11.3mEq. These findings strongly suggest that the surrounding interstitial fluid of the hematoma was shifted into the liquefied hematoma because of 7mEq difference of osmotic pressure. Over all good result(daily living activity) on discharge was 64.5% and mortality rate was 7.9%.
Brain Stem ; Catheters ; Extracellular Fluid ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Osmolar Concentration ; Osmotic Pressure ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

The fibroblasts are the principal cells in the periodontal ligament of periodontium. As the periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLF) show similar phenotype with osteoblasts, the PDLF are thought to play an important role in alveolar bone remodeling. Cell-to-cell contacted signaling is crucial for osteoclast formation. Recently it has been reported that PDLF enhance the bone resorbing activity of osteoclasts differentiated from hematopoietic preosteoclasts. The aims of this study were to clarify the mechanism of PDLF-induced osteoclastogenesis and 2) whether we can use preosteoclast cell line instead of primary hematopoietic preosteoclast cells for studying the mechanism of PDLF-induced osteoclastogenesis. Osteoclastic differentiation of mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was compared with that of mouse bone marrow-derived M-CSF dependent cell (MDBM), a well-known hematopoietic preosteoclast model, by examining, 1) osteoclast-specific gene expression such as calcitonin receptor, M-CSF receptor (c-fms), cathepsin K, receptor activator nuclear factor kappa B (RANK), 2) generation of TRAP(+) multinucleated cells (MNCs), and 3) generation of resorption pit on the OAASTM plate. RAW264.7 cultured in the medium containing of soluble osteoclast differentiation factor (sODF) showed similar phenotype with MDBM-derived osteoclasts, those are mRNA expression pattern of osteoclast-specific genes, TRAP(+) MNCs generation, and bone resorbing activity. Formation of resorption pits by osteoclastic MNCs differentiated from sODF-treated RAW264.7, was completely blocked by the addition of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a soluble decoy receptor for ODF, to the sODF-containing culture medium. The effects of PDLF on differentiation of RAW264.7 into the TRAP(+) multinucleated osteoclast-like cells were examined using coculture system. PDLF were fixed with paraformaldehyde, followed by coculture with RAW264.7, which induced formation of TRAP(+) MNCs in the absence of additional treatment of sODF. When compared with untreated and fixed PDLF (fPDLF), IL-1beta-treated, or lipopolysaccharide- treated and then fixed PDLF showed two-fold increase in the supporting activity of osteoclastogenesis from RAW264.7 coculture system. There were no TRAP(+) MNCs formation in coculture system of RAW264.7 with PDLF of no fixation. These findings suggested that we can replace the primary hematopoietic preosteoclasts for RAW264.7 cell line for studying the mechanism of PDLF-induced osteoclastogenesis, and we hypothesize that PDLF control osteoclastogenesis through ODF expression which might be enhanced by inflammatory signals.
Animals ; Bone Remodeling ; Cathepsin K ; Cell Line ; Coculture Techniques ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Macrophages ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoprotegerin ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Periodontium ; Phenotype ; RANK Ligand ; Receptors, Calcitonin ; RNA, Messenger