No abstract available.
Adult* ; Electrodes* ; Humans ; Neural Conduction*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Atherosclerosis* ; Cholesterol* ; Humans ; Korea*

The survey was undertaken among the 105 ostomates who attended the 2nd Workshop for Stoma Rehabilitation on Aug. 30th, 1997 by the Department of Surgery, Kyung-Hee University Hospital to assess the physical, psychosocial and sexual problems with a stoma. The 97% of ostomates had permanent colostomies following abdominoperineal resection. The 67% of ostomates had one or more physical problems caused by stoma. Frequent bowel movement (94.3%), impairment of irrigation (64.6%), unpleasant odor (27.3%), and urinary frequency (21.3%) were common problems encountered by ostomates. Concerning the psychosocial problems, 3.8% of them suffered from profound restriction of social activities and 1.9% of them had psychologic problems such as depression. 42 of 58 ostomates (72.4%) who were employed before operation returned to their work. Among 71 men, 44 (62%) were impaired by sexual function. Most ostomates suffered physical, social, psychologic and sexual problems in their daily life and needed helps of experts such colorectal surgeons, enterostomal therapists, and ostomy association. Attention is needed more to improve the quality of life for the ostomates.
Colostomy ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Male ; Odors ; Ostomy ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation

PURPOSE: The relationship between menopausal status at diagnosis and the prognosis in breast carcinoma remains uncertain. However, it is widely considered that breast cancer in young women is more lethal than in older patients. We therefore attempted to determine whether menopausal status could be a useful prognostic factor for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of premenopausal women who had undergone a definite operation between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 1998 in the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center. Clinical features, histopathologic findings, and prognostic factors were evaluated and compared with those for the equivalent surgical group of postmenopausal women. RESULTS: There were 207 cases (86.3%) of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 10 (4.2%) of infiltrating lobular carcinomas, 6 (2.5%) of ductal carcinomas in situ, and 16 (6.7%) of special type cancers which showed good prognosis. There were some differences in these incidences from those of the postmenopausal women, but they were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Tumor size and lymph nodal status showed no difference between the two groups (P=0.288), nor were there any significant differences in terms of TNM stage, ER/PR status, nuclear or histologic grade (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little differences in pathologic and prognostic factors between premenopausal and postme no- pausal breast cancer patients. Premenopausal status and young age did not have poorer prognostic factors and were predicted to have not worse prognosis.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The relationship between menopausal status at diagnosis and the prognosis in breast carcinoma remains uncertain. However, it is widely considered that breast cancer in young women is more lethal than in older patients. We therefore attempted to determine whether menopausal status could be a useful prognostic factor for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of premenopausal women who had undergone a definite operation between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 1998 in the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center. Clinical features, histopathologic findings, and prognostic factors were evaluated and compared with those for the equivalent surgical group of postmenopausal women. RESULTS: There were 207 cases (86.3%) of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 10 (4.2%) of infiltrating lobular carcinomas, 6 (2.5%) of ductal carcinomas in situ, and 16 (6.7%) of special type cancers which showed good prognosis. There were some differences in these incidences from those of the postmenopausal women, but they were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Tumor size and lymph nodal status showed no difference between the two groups (P=0.288), nor were there any significant differences in terms of TNM stage, ER/PR status, nuclear or histologic grade (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little differences in pathologic and prognostic factors between premenopausal and postme no-pausal breast cancer patients. Premenopausal status and young age did not have poorer prognostic factors and were predicted to have not worse prognosis.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The incidence of inflammatory heart diseases is not yet as high as those of other cardiovascular diseases; however, inflammatory heart diseases do have relatively high mortality rate. Therefore, update information on the economic burden of inflammatory heart diseases are necessary in order to appropriate policy making on these diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used a number of resources to obtain data, national health insurance statistics, the Korean Health Panel, and the causes of death report by the Korean National Statistical Office. The total costs of inflammatory heart diseases were estimated as the sum of direct medical care costs, direct non-medical care and indirect costs. RESULTS: The total direct cost of inflammatory heart disease was higher in Korean men than that of Korean women and cost due to inpatient was higher than that of outpatients cost. The costs to cover premature death were highest among all of the components used to determine the total costs for inflammatory heart disease, representing 66.3% of these costs in Korea. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory heart disease has a relatively high mortality rate, and the costs that are associated with premature deaths consume the greatest proportion of the costs associated with this disease. In spite of some limitations of study, this could be a reliable evidence of economic burden of inflammatory heart disease.
Cause of Death ; Cost of Illness ; Endocarditis ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality, Premature ; National Health Programs ; Outpatients ; Policy Making

The Korean Breast Cancer Society has constructed a nationwide breast cancer database through utilization of an online registration program. We have reported the basic facts about breast cancer in Korea in 2012, and analyzed the changing patterns in the clinical characteristics and management of breast cancer in Korea over the last 10 years. Data on patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer were collected for the year 2012 from 97 hospitals and clinics nationwide using a questionnaire survey, and from the online registry database. A total of 17,792 patients were newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. The crude incidence rate of female breast cancer, including invasive cancer and in situ cancer, was 70.7 cases per 100,000 women. The median age at diagnosis was 51 years, and the proportion of postmenopausal women was higher than that of premenopausal women among those diagnosed with breast cancer. The proportion of cases of early breast cancer increased continuously, and breast-conserving surgery was performed in more cases than total mastectomy in that same year. The total number of breast reconstruction surgeries increased approximately 3-fold over last 10 years. The 5-year overall survival rate for all stages of breast cancer patients was extremely high. The clinical characteristics of breast cancer have changed in ways that resulted in high overall survival over the past 10 years in Korea, and the surgical management of the disease has changed accordingly. Analysis of nationwide registry data will contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of breast cancer in Korea.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mammaplasty ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Mastectomy, Simple ; Online Systems ; Registries ; Survival Rate ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Relapsing polychondritis, a rare multisystem disease, is characterized by wide spread potentially destructive inflammatory lesions, involving cartilaginous structures throughout the body. Auricular chondritis is the most frequent presenting sign of this disease, with arthritis being the second. Other clinical menifestations include nasal chondritis, scleritis, damage to tracheobroncheal cartilage, and cardiovascular and renal involvement. We experienced three cases of relapsiug polychondritis. One case is 66 year old male with bilateral auricular chondritis with histologic confirmation, episcleritis, polyarthritis, periarterial vasculitis, and sensorineural hearing loss. Another case is 42 year old male with respiratory, nasal, auricular chondritis and psoriasis with arthritis. The third case is 46 year old female with three year history of relapsing polychondritis, presenting bilateral auricular and nasal chondritis and severe respiratory tract involvement with histologic confirmation. We also reviewed the other case reports of relapsing polychondritis in Korea. The major presenting manifestations of relapsing polychondritis in Korea were respiratory tract symptoms of dyspnea, cough, and sputum. That is, auricular chondritis was less frequent thari laryngotracheal-bronchial involvement.
Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis ; Cartilage ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polychondritis, Relapsing* ; Psoriasis ; Respiratory System ; Scleritis ; Sputum ; Vasculitis

Diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis is an exceedingly rare, benign, neoplastic condition occurring predominantly in children and young adults. This condition may occur as an isolated finding, or it may be associated with Alport syndrome. We report a case of diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis with Alport syndrome in a 5-year-old girl who had presented with recurrent pneumonia, and present a review of the literature. We suspected Alport syndrome in the patient because she had a clinical history of congenital cataracts and hematuria, as well as imaging findings of diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis. Alport syndrome was subsequently confirmed by electron microscopy of the kidney.
Cataract ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leiomyomatosis* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Nephritis, Hereditary* ; Pneumonia ; Young Adult

The global burden of disease study (GBD) provides valuable information for evaluating population health in terms of disease burden. This study collected and reviewed GBD data in Korea for the year 1990 and 2013. The burdens of cancer, cardiovascular disease, communicable disease, and injuries have decreased remarkably, thereby greatly diminishing the overall disease burden on Korea. Meanwhile, the burdens due to non-fatal chronic diseases such as neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal disease became major burden contributors. Responding to this circumstance presents a complex challenge to the Korean health system and Korean health policy.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Communicable Diseases ; Health Policy ; Korea* ; Musculoskeletal Diseases