OBJECTIVE: To investigate the basal bone mineral density(BMD)s of the lumbar spine and femur of patients with endometriosis, and the changes of BMDs and biochemical bone markers after 6 months of gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH) agonist treatment. METHODS: The initial BMDs of 35 women with endometriosis were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry at department of obstetrics & gynecology Yongsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Chung Ang University from April 1996 to May 1999. 19 patients of these group was repeatedly measured after 3.6mg subcutaneous depot injection of goserelin(Zoladex) every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. Osteocalcin and Deoxypyridinoline were measured before goserelin treatment, at 3 months, and at 6 months completion of goserelin treatment. RESULTS: Patients with endometriosis did not show the significant difference in mean BMD of lumbar spine and femur in comparison with age matched normal women. Patients treated with goserelin for 6 months showed 0.064+/-0.030g/cm2(5.56%) decrease of BMD in lumbar spine, 0.038+/-0.040g/cm2(3.85%) decrease in femur neck, 0.055+/-0.047g/cm2(6.10%) decrease in Ward triangle, 0.041+/-0.031g/cm2(5.19%) decrease in femoral trochanter. These data had statistical significance(p<0.001). At first 3 months and on completion of 6 months goserelin treatment, there were increase of 66.1%, 122.3% in serum osteocalcin respectively, and increase of 35.2%, 39.6% in urine deoxypyridinoline respectively, compared with pretreatment value. CONCLUSION: From these results, it is concluded that the BMDs of patients with endometriosis were normal, and after 6 months GnRH agonist treatment, bone loss was 3.85%-6.10%, and the values of biochemical bone markers were increased.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density* ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins ; Goserelin ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Obstetrics ; Osteocalcin ; Spine

Crohn's disease, a chronic relapsing, multisystemic, inflammatory disorder, may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract and shows a cobblestone-like appearance on intestinal mucosa. There are also extraintestinal features, including lesions of the skin, eye, and joints. Ulcers, fissures, sinus tracts, abscesses, and vegetant plaques have been reported for the perianal skin lesions of Crohn's disease. We experienced a case of Crohn's disease in a 21-year-old Korean female showing a skin lesion with a cobblestone-like appearance in the perianal region.
Abscess ; Crohn Disease* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Joints ; Skin* ; Ulcer ; Young Adult

Thombolytic therapy and placement of vascular metallic stent can be used for the treatment of lilac venous stenosis and thrombosis, but these treatments increase the risk of pulmonary thromboembolism. Inferior vena cava filter was developed for the prevention of recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism due to lower extremity deep vein thrmobosis and has been regarded as relatively safe and effective treatment modality. We experienced good result of combined treatment of inferior vena filter, thrombolytic therapy and placement of right lilac venous metallic stent in a patient with severe stenosis and thrombosis at both common lilac veins.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Stents* ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Thrombosis* ; Veins* ; Vena Cava Filters* ; Vena Cava, Inferior*

Two cases of giant cell tumor of bone diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology are described. Case 1 was a 28-year-old male who had pain sense for one year at the right distal thigh. His radiologic finding revealed a destructive cortical lesion with soft tissue extension at medial side of epiphysis of the distal femur. Case 2 was a 21-year-old female complaining pain at left distal forearm for eight months and showed a well-demarcated expansile osteolytic lesion with multiseptation, and cortical destruction at epiphysis and metaphysis of the left distal radius on the X-ray. Fine needle aspiration of each lesion was performed. The aspirate of the case 1 revealed moderate cellularity, which was composed of scattered giant cells of osteoclastic type and small round to oval monotonous stromal cells in large areas. Giant cells were evenly distributed in single or small groups and had irregular but abundant cytoplasms with 10 to 20 nuclei in the center. The nuclei showed ovoid shape, fine granular chromatin, and a small but conspicuous nucleolus. Stromal cells were dispersed in isolated pattern or sometimes aggregated in clusters and showed the same nuclei as those of giant cells and scanty cytoplasms. Comparing to case 1, case 2 had a more translucent abundant cytoplasm in the giant cells and more spindled stromal cells. All two cases revealed neither nuclear atypism nor increased abnormal mitoses in both giant and stromal cells, suggesting no evidence of malignancy. Thereafter the lesions were treated with excision and curettage, and histologically confirmed as giant cell tumors of the bone.
Adult ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Chromatin ; Curettage ; Cytoplasm ; Epiphyses ; Female ; Femur ; Forearm ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Giant Cells ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Humans ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Mitosis ; Osteoclasts ; Radius ; Stromal Cells ; Thigh ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB) in patients is mainly caused by acquired drug resistance, However, a small proportion of MDR-TB is caused by initial drug resistance(IDR), which may be somewhat different from acquired drug resistance. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of IDR in MDR-TB patients to use the results as basic data in managing the disease. METHODS: A retrospective study of 30 IDR cases in MDR-TB patients from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1998 was perormed. In order to analyzed the clinical charcteristics, the age, sex, family history, duration of negative conversion, number of resistant drugs, treatment regimens, duration of treatment, extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray was examined. In order too analyzed the level of improvement, the extent of the disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray, tested by Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, and the disease free interval rate of 1-year and 4-year was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 46.6 years and the sex ratio 1:1. Six(20%) patients had a family history. The mean negative conversin of the sputum AFB stain was 2.6 months. The number of resistant drugs was 7.6 and the number of used drugs 3.6. Twenty-three(67%) patients were treated for less than 12months and 28(93%) patients were treated with first-line drugs. The extent of the disease and the cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improved after treatment(p<0.05). Among 13 patients who were followed up for 22.6 months, 2(15%) patients relapsed and the disease free interval rate of 1-year and 4-year was 85%. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that the duration of treatment of IDR in MDR-TB with first-line drugs be 9-12 months even if the extent of disease and cavitary lesion on the chest X-ray improves.
Drug Resistance* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the long-term skeletal responses to hormone replacement therapy(HRT) with or without active vitamin D(VD) by using short-term changes of bone markers in postmenopausal women (PMW). METHODS: Biochemical markers of bone formation(osteocalcin,OC) and (&) resorption(deoxypyridinoline, Dpd ) at 3 months & lumbar bone mineral density(BMD) at 1 year were measured in 64 natural PMW taking HRT(n=41) & HRT with calcitriol 0.25 microgram/day(n=23). The correlation of percent changes of bone markers after 3 months of Tx with those in lumbar BMD after 1 year was evaluated. RESULTS: 1. serum-OC & urine-Dpd showed decrease of 20.9% & 30.1% at 3months respectively & BMD increase of 3.8% after 1 year of Tx. 2. Among 58 PMW with decreased u-Dpd change, 49 (84.5%) revealed increase in BMD, while 40 (81.6%) among 49 PMW with decreased serum-OC change showed increased BMD. 3. Bone gainers showed significant decrease in changes of serum-OC(18.1% vs 9.2% p<0.05) & urine-Dpd(32.6% vs 20.4%, p<0.05) compared with those of bone losers. 4. No correlations of change of serum-OC (r=-0.174 p>0.05) & urine-Dpd (r=-0.091 p>0.05) at 3month with BMD changes at 1year were seen in total PMW, but urine-Dpd changes in HRT without active VD group revealed significantly inverse correlation(r=-0.376 p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Short-term changes of bone markers did not precisely predict the long-term changes of BMD in total PMW except urine- Dpd in HRT without active VD.
Biomarkers ; Bone Density* ; Calcitriol ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Female ; Humans ; Osteocalcin ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

We report a case of porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus in a 28-year old man. The skin lesions, present since birth, were multiple keratotic papules and punctate pits on the palms, soles and heels bilaterally. Histopathologically, the lesion was characterized by dilatation and hyperplasia of the eccrine sweat ducts with parakeratotic plugs related to sweat gland pores. This entity should be considered the differential diagnosis of other types of porokeratosis and comedo-like keratosis on palms and soles.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Dilatation ; Heel ; Hyperplasia ; Keratosis ; Nevus* ; Parturition ; Porokeratosis ; Skin ; Sweat ; Sweat Glands

A 76 year-old male had pruritic skin eruption, swallowing difficulty, dyspnes and generalized muscle weakness developed 6 weeks ago. Diagnosis of dermstomyositis was established by clinical manifestations, muscle enzyme study, electromyogram, histologic finding of skin and muscle. Advanced stomach cancer was found by gastroendoscopy. He was treated with radical subtotal gsstrectomy, systemic steroid, and then marked improved. Authors reviewed relevant literature.
Aged ; Deglutition ; Dermatomyositis* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

BACKGROUND: Antihypertensive effect and safety of the newer, long acting, nonsulfhydryl angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, lisinopril, were studied. METHODS: Twenty eight patients of mild to moderate essential hypertension were administered 10-20mg of lisinopril once daily for ten weeks. Patients were evaluated every two weeks concerning the changes of blood pressure and pulse rate in the sitting position and also any untoward sumptoms and signs attributable to the side effect. Chest X-rey, ECG and laboratory examination were performed in principle two times before and after the completion of medication. RESULTS: The blood pressure declined from 165.4/107.6mmHg to 141.3/92.4mmHg at the end of ten weeks of medication, thus the reduction of 24.1mmHg of systolic pressure and 15.2mmHg of diastolic pressure were observed and the overall effective rate was 85.7%. The pulse rate and laboratory findings were not sigificantly changed before and after the administration of lisinopril. The side effects were observed in 2 cases(7.1%) of mild dry cough and in 2 cases(7.1%) of transitory mild headache and in 1 case(3.6%) of dizziness but no one discontinued medication due to adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Lisinopril proved effective and safe in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Cough ; Dizziness ; Electrocardiography ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lisinopril* ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Thorax

We report a case of multiple xanthogranuloma occurring ori the scalp in a 33 years old wornan. Multiple yellowish papules were developed on her scalp 3 months ago. Histopathologic findings showed massive granulomatous infiltrations of foamy histiocytes Touton giant cells in the dermis, and these cells were positive for lipid stain. This case was considered to be multiple xanthogranuloma in an adult, and treated by sur- gical excision.
Adult* ; Dermis ; Giant Cells ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Scalp