BACKGROUND: Thromboembolism is the major complication in patients with the insertion of cardiac prosthetic valves. The purpose of this study is evaluate the risk factors about the formation of left atrial thrombi after cardiac valve replacement. METHOD: Transesophageal(TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) were done to evaluate postoperative cardiac condition in 98 patients with cardiac prosthetic valves from Jan. 1991 to Oct 1991. Several clinical and echocardiographic parameters were analyzied to evaluate the relationship with the formation of left atrial thrombi. RESULT: In univariate analysis, important factors related to the formation of left atrial thrombi are type of operation (p=0.027), postoperative left ventricular function(p=0.003), preoperative(p=0.037) and postoperative systolic ventricular size(p=0.024). However, in multivariate analysis postoperative left ventricular size(p=0.017), presence of previous thrombi(p=0.014), preoperative left atrial size(p=0.014) and postoperative left atrial size(p=0.014) are significant factors. CONCLUSION: Patients with high risk and low risk for the formation of left atrial thrombi after valve replacement can be identified by readily available clinical and echocardiographic variables.
Echocardiography ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors* ; Thromboembolism

BACKGROUND: Recent increase in use of the periodic health screening is due to a concern for health. But study of patient's compliance with recommended periodic health screening has not yet been conducted. This study was accomplished to clarify which aspect to be considered in order to increase patient's compliance after health screening. METHODS: This study was done from March 3 to May 15 in 1997 by Hanil health care center, Among 370 workers in a state-run corporation who received health screening tw? years ago, 170 men were advised to receive an additional laboratory test or treatment at the time. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire and were inte?iewed by doctors to evaluate their compliance. 162 of 170 patients(95.3%) were enrolled in the study, except 8 patients who did not answer the questionnaire. RESURTS: The mean age of patients was 54 years. Most of them were technicians and managers, graduated from high school or higher, and had an annual income of at least 35,000,000 won. The disease of requiring an additional test or treatment were in the order of liver disease, hypertension, gastrointestinal disease, urologic disease and abnormal urinalysis. 68 patients(42%) were compliant and 94 patients(58%) were noncompliant. For reasons of noncompliance,27 patients(28.7%) answered "because l had no symptoms", 20 patients(21.2%) answered "because I didn't think I needed the test or the treatment" and 12 patients(12.7%) answered "because I was busy". The factors influencing compliance were analyzed through chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Their compliance was highly related to the patients'insight into the necessity of the test. the existing disease, and the reporting method of the health screening results. It was not associated with the patients'feeling about their health status, the health behaviors such as smoking and drinking, occupational factors, distance from shire homes to the hospital, or the presence of a hospital near home for those who didn't live in Seoul. The independent effect of the factors influencing the compliance was evaluated by means of stratified analysis. The only independent factor associated with the compliance was the patients' insight. The compliance according to diseases was higher than average in hypertension, liver disease, diabetes mellitus and urologic disease, and lower than average in pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal disease, thyroid disease, cardiac disease, opthalmologic disease and abnormal urinalysis. CONCLUSIONS: The most influencing factor related to compliance was the patient's insight into the necessity of the further testing. We should consider a proper way to increase compliance on health screening. Direct counseling, if possible, is recommended following health screening and way to increase patient's compliance utiliging mail report as another.
Compliance* ; Counseling ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drinking ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Health Behavior ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Postal Service ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thyroid Diseases ; Urinalysis ; Urologic Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in females. Numerous drug-targetable biomarkers and predictive biomarkers have been developed. Some researchers have expressed doubts about the need for next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies in daily practice. This study analyzed the results of NGS studies on breast cancer at a single institute and evaluated the real-world applications of NGS data to precision medicine for breast cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the results of NGS studies and analyzed the histopathologic features and genetic profiles of patients treated for breast cancer from 2010 to 2021. Seventy cases had data from CancerSCAN, a customized panel of 375 cancer-associated genes, and 110 cases had data from TruSight Oncology 500. Results: The most frequently detected single nucleotide variant was the TP53 mutation (123/180, 68.3%), followed by PIK3CA muta-tions (51/180, 28.3%). Estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutation was detected in 11 patients (6.1%), of whom 10 had hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative breast cancer, and two had no history of prior endocrine therapy. Based on their NGS study results, 13 patients (7.2%) received target therapy. Among them, four patients had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation, and nine patients had a PIK3CA mutation. Conclusion NGS can provide information about predictive biomarkers and drug-targetable biomarkers that can enable treatment and participation in clinical trials based on precision medicine. Further studies should be conducted to excavate novel drug-targetable biomarkers and develop additional target therapies.

PURPOSE: There have been limited studies investigating the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), metabolic diseases, and dietary factors in Korean adults. Here, we examined the association between nutrient intake and serum hsCRP among Korean adults. METHODS: Using data on 2,624 healthy Korean adults (1,537 women and 1,087 men) from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and dietary factors were analyzed once the subjects were grouped into either sex, age, or BMI. Nutrient intake was evaluated using the dietary data obtained by one-day 24-hour recall. Based on the guidelines of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association, hsCRP level was classified as HCRPG (High CRP Group, hsCRP > 1 mg/L) and LCRPG (Low CRP Group, hsCRP ≤ 1 mg/L). Proc surveyreg procedure was performed to examine the associations between nutrient intake and hsCRP after adjustment for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: The average hsCRP level of healthy Korean adults was 0.95 ±0.03 mg/L (0.97 ±0.04 mg/L in men, 0.92 ±0.05 mg/L in women). Obese subjects had significantly higher hsCRP than non-obese subjects in both sexes. The hsCRP level was positively associated with current smoking, physical inactivity, BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and blood pressure and inversely associated with HDL-cholesterol. LCRPG had significantly higher intake of dietary fiber compared to HCRPG in women. High hsCRP level was associated with more dietary cholesterol intake but less omega-3 fatty acid intake among subjects aged ≥ 50y. HCRPG of obese subjects had higher intakes of fat and saturated fatty acid than LCRPG. CONCLUSION: The hsCRP level is closely associated with several lifestyle variables and nutrient intake in healthy Korean adults. Individuals with high hsCRP level show low intakes of dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids but high intakes of dietary fat and cholesterol. Our findings suggest that a potential anti-inflammatory role for nutrients and lifestyle in the Korean adult population.
Adult* ; American Heart Association ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, Dietary ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Dietary Fats ; Dietary Fiber ; Fasting ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Male ; Metabolic Diseases ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

TO know the causative agent of asptic meningitis. we performed and cerebrospinal fluid study on 24 children who had been admitted to the department of Pediatrics.. Asam Medical Center form Jume. 1991 to July 1991. In the 10 cases of them. CSF virus culture was done Special Reference Laboratory, Japan The most of the patients were young infants, and 15 cases of them were under 3 months of age. The male to female ratio was 1:1.4 We observed the main symptoms as fever 100%. irritability 67%, vomiting 17%. poor feeding 13%, seizure 8%. In the 4 cases among the 10 cases with virus culture, Coxsackievirus B5 was cultured. We concluded that the causative agent of this epidemic aseptic meningitis in 1991 was Coxsakievirus B5.
Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Japan ; Male ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Pediatrics ; Seizures ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of gestational age and illness severity, and the effect of antenatal exposure to magnesium sulfate, glucocorticoids, and antibiotics, on the timing of the first stool in preterm infants. METHODS: Medical records of all preterm infants admitted to the neonatal ward at Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital between March 1998 and August 1998 were reviewed. We studied the time of the first stool in 55 infants. RESULTS: The median age of the infant at the time of first stool was 18 hours, and 90% of the infants passed stool by 50 hours. Both the gestational age and the illness severity, as measured by the score for neonatal acute physiology(SNAP), correlated significantly with the timing of the first stool(r=0.47 and P<0.001 for SNAP; r=0.29 and P<0.05 for gestational age). An analysis of covariance showed that the relationship between SNAP and the timing of the first stool was significant even after adjustment for gestational age(P<0.01), but the relationship between the gestational age and the timing of the first stool was not significant after adjustment for SNAP (P=0.14). Antenatal exposure to magnesium sulfate for tocolysis, glucocorticoids for enhancing fetal lung maturity, and antibiotics, had no effect on the timing of the first stool. CONCLUSION: Delayed passage of first stool is a function of illness severity, not of gestational immaturity. Antenatal exposure to magnisium sulfate, dexamethasone, and antibiotics, does not affect the timing of first stool in premature infants.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Dexamethasone ; Gestational Age ; Glucocorticoids ; Heart ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung ; Magnesium Sulfate ; Medical Records ; Tocolysis

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of gestational age and illness severity, and the effect of antenatal exposure to magnesium sulfate, glucocorticoids, and antibiotics, on the timing of the first stool in preterm infants. METHODS: Medical records of all preterm infants admitted to the neonatal ward at Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital between March 1998 and August 1998 were reviewed. We studied the time of the first stool in 55 infants. RESULTS: The median age of the infant at the time of first stool was 18 hours, and 90% of the infants passed stool by 50 hours. Both the gestational age and the illness severity, as measured by the score for neonatal acute physiology(SNAP), correlated significantly with the timing of the first stool(r=0.47 and P<0.001 for SNAP; r=0.29 and P<0.05 for gestational age). An analysis of covariance showed that the relationship between SNAP and the timing of the first stool was significant even after adjustment for gestational age(P<0.01), but the relationship between the gestational age and the timing of the first stool was not significant after adjustment for SNAP (P=0.14). Antenatal exposure to magnesium sulfate for tocolysis, glucocorticoids for enhancing fetal lung maturity, and antibiotics, had no effect on the timing of the first stool. CONCLUSION: Delayed passage of first stool is a function of illness severity, not of gestational immaturity. Antenatal exposure to magnisium sulfate, dexamethasone, and antibiotics, does not affect the timing of first stool in premature infants.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Dexamethasone ; Gestational Age ; Glucocorticoids ; Heart ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung ; Magnesium Sulfate ; Medical Records ; Tocolysis

Gynecomastia is a proliferation of the glandular component of the male breast. Gynecomastia is the most common variant condition of the male breast and results from the effect of an altered estrogen-androgen balance on breast tissue or from the increased sensitivity of breast tissue to a normal estrogen level. We experienced a case of macrogynecomastia in a 16-year-old boy who had a normal male phenotype and was treated by reduction mammoplasty with breast tissue removal, which was effective and produced good cosmetic and psychologic results.
Adolescent ; Breast ; Estrogens ; Female ; Gynecomastia ; Humans ; Male ; Mammaplasty* ; Phenotype

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the outcomes of percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN) are influenced by the type of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and evaluate the effectiveness of PEN in patients with single-level LDH.METHODS: This study included 430 consecutive patients with single-level LDH who underwent PEN. Before treatment, the LDH type was categorized as bulging, protrusion, extrusion, and sequestration, while Pfirrmann grades were assigned according to imaging findings. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain and success rates (Odom’s criteria) were assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment.RESULTS: The mean preoperative VAS scores for back and leg pain were 6.90 and 4.23, respectively; these decreased after PEN as follows : 2.25 and 1.45, respectively, at 1 month; 2.61 and 1.68, respectively, at 3 months; 2.28 and 1.48, respectively, at 6 months; and 2.88 and 1.48, respectively, at 12 months (p<0.001). The decrease in VAS scores for leg pain was significantly greater in the extrusion and sequestration groups than in the other two groups (p<0.05); there were no other significant differences among groups. More than 70% patients exhibited good or excellent 12-month outcomes according to Odom’s criteria. Subsequent surgery was required for 59 patients (13.7%), with a significantly higher rate in the extrusion (25.0%) and sequestration (30.0%) groups than in the bulging (7.3%) and protrusion (13.8%) groups (p<0.05). Nevertheless, subsequent surgery was not required for >70% patients with extrusion or sequestration. Patients with Pfirrmann grades 1–3 (14.0–21.5%) showed a significantly higher rate of subsequent surgery than those with Pfirrmann grade 0 (4.9%; p<0.05).CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that PEN is an effective treatment for back and leg pain caused by single-level LDH, with the outcomes remaining unaffected by the LDH type.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Analog Scale

An 80-year-old Korean woman who previously experienced penicillin allergy presented to a dental hospital for treatment of a fractured tooth. A dentist extracted the tooth and prescribed her A-cillin (amoxicillin hydrate) 250 mg orally 3 times a day for 3 days and Carol-F® (ibuprofen arginine) orally 3 times a day for 3 days. She received the prescriptions, returned home, and took one dose of each drug. One hour later, she experienced hypertension, itching, shortness of breath, and was unable to move her tongue to pronounce words. Approximately 6 hours after drug administration, the symptoms persisted, and the patient was admitted to an emergency medical center (EMC). The patient was discharged from the EMC after a one-night stay in the hospital for symptomatic treatment.