No abstract available.
Humans ; Risk Factors*

Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is not universally accepted as terminology used to discuss headaches associated with disorders of the cervical spine. Sjaastad was the first to describe CGH that its definition and diagnosis relied entirely on clinical features. Pain is often triggered by irritation of nociceptors from structures in the cervical spine, and so diagnostic criteria of CGH have been established with agreement that these headaches start in the neck or occipital region and are associated with tenderness of cervical paraspinal tissues. Past history and clinical features are important to detect and diagnose the disease because the significance of radiological findings and advanced diagnostic testing is unclear. Gunn's intramuscular stimulation (IMS) is a treatment modality of CGH upon radiculopathic model. We tried IMS for treatment of 3 patients with CGH. After IMS, the patients were well respond the therapy and the results were satisfactory. Therefore we recommend the IMS for the treatment of CGH.
Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Headache ; Humans ; Neck ; Nociceptors ; Post-Traumatic Headache* ; Spine

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand the meaning of the work performance of infection control nurses (ICNs) in general hospitals during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a qualitative study to explore and describe the implications of the work performance of ICNs during the early COVID-19 pandemic through a phenomenological approach. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with ICNs who had been working since before the COVID-19 pandemic in the infection control department. Results: The topics brought up by the participants were categorized into five themes. The themes included “confusion caused by the early COVID-19 pandemic,” “exhaustion due to an explosion of work related to COVID-19,” “active response as an ICN,” “emphasis on the importance of infection control,” and “overcoming the early COVID-19 pandemic”. Conclusion It is necessary to strengthen the competence of ICNs as experts and establish a career management system to overcome the confusion and physical and psychological difficulties experienced by ICNs.

No abstract available.
Humans

PURPOSE: Epidormoid cysts are benign epithelial cysts often ocurring within the skin of face and trunk. But carcinomatous change is rare. The authors experienced a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising from the wall of epidermoid cyst of axilla and report the radiologic and pathologic findings with a brief review of the literatures. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Plain chest radiograph, US and enhanced CT of axilla were takened. We analyzed radiologic findings of squamous cell carcinoma in the wall of epidermoid cyst of axilla and correlated with pathologic findings. RESULTS: Plain chest radiograph revealed a huge axiilary mass without bony destruction or calcification. showed a heterogenous hyperechoic mass with eccentrical cystic lesion. Outer margin of the mass was irregular. No posterior acoustic enhancement was seen. Postcontrast CT scan showed a circumscribed complex mass with irregular enhancing rim. During operation mass was located within subcutaneous layer and internal contents of the mass were brown, necrotic keratinous debries. CONCLUSION: Differentiation from solid tumor was difficult. But intradermal or subcutaneous location and rapid growing were characteristic.
Acoustics ; Axilla* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Skin ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We have analyzed two (BclI and XbaI) intragenic restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and St14 (DXS52) variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) by rapid PCR method in 97 unrelated normal subjects. The incidences for positive Bc1I and XbaI polymorphic sites in the Koreans were 81% and 72%, respectively, which were higher than other ethnic groups but similar to that reported in the Chinese or Japanese, giving the heterozygosity rate of 0.32 and 0.40, respectively. The amplified allele size was 880 bp with no other polymorphism in the analysis of St14 (DXS52) VNTR. This finding should be taken into account in the planning of a prenatal diagnosis program for ethnic Koreans
Base Sequence ; Gene Frequency ; Hemophilia A/epidemiology/*genetics ; *Heterozygote Detection/methods ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prevalence

Benign neoplasms of the stomach are uncommon in children. They include adenomatous and hyperplastic polpys, leiomyomas, lipomas, and other lesions. Gastric leiomyoma in childhood represent only 1% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms reported, and slightly more than half of these are gastric. The tumor arises in the muscle layer of the stomach and is usually intragastric and submucosal. Barium contrast studies are useful in localizing leiomyoma with significant intramural or submucosal growth. An endoscopy can permit histologic confirmation if the tumor has eroded through the mucosa. Differentiation however, of malignant lesions from benign submucosal leiomyomas may be difficult. Using endoscopic ultrasonund imaging, highly accurate gastrointestinal tumor characterization, especially submucosal masses, and differentiation of malignant from benign lesion are now relatively possible without surgery. We experienced a case of a gastric submucosal tumor regarded as a leiomyoma, which was diagnosed using endoscopic ultrasonography, and report the findings with a review of related literatures.
Barium ; Child* ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography* ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Lipoma ; Mucous Membrane ; Stomach

BACKGROUND: The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine modulating epithelial cell proliferation and motility. A circulating HGF level is frequently increased in a variety of tumors including advanced breast cancer. The clinical usefulness of measuring circulating HGF in breast cancerwas evaluated in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The plasma HGF levels in patients with primary (n=58) and recurrent breast cancer (n=13) were measured by the ELISA method using Quantikine (R&D, Minneapolis, MN, USA) kit. The results were compared with those of age-matched healthy controls (n=53). The mean (+/-SD) levels of HGF were also compared between primary and recurrent breast cancerpatients. The correlation of the circulating HGF level and the conventional prognostic factors such as tumor size, lymph node involvement, Her-2/neu over-expression, DNA aneuploidy was studied to evaluate the clinical usefulness of HGF as a new prognostic indicator in breast cancer. RESULTS: Plasma HGF levels (mean+/-SD) increased in breast cancer patients (788+/-853 pg/mL), compared with those of age-matched healthy control women (426+/-120 pg/mL) (P<0.05). Patients with recurrent breast cancer (1, 945+/-1, 544 pg/mL) showed increased HGF levels compared with primary breast cancer (592+/-132 pg/mL) (P<0.001). No significant correlations between plasmaHGF levels and conventional prognostic indicators of breast cancer including tumor size, lymphnode involvement, Her-2/neu over-expression, DNA aneuploidy, and histologic grade were found. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings suggest that the measurement of plasma HGF levels in breast cancer patients may be useful for early detection of recurrence.
Aneuploidy ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Plasma ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Authors have undertaken this study to see if the choice of anesthesia can directly or indirectly provide immunomodulation for cytokines, to determine the relationship of cytokines and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in stomach cancer surgery patients, and also to see whether the amount of morphine administration and choice of analgesia can influence cytokine release, and possibly immunity. METHODS: Total 19 gastric cancer surgery patients were randomly assigned in double-blind fashion into two groups. Group-G (n=9) was provided with general anesthesia plus morphine intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV-PCA), whereas group-GE (n=10) with preemptive epidural and general anesthesia plus continuous epidural analgesia for control of postoperative pain. At predetermined time interval, proinflammatory cytokines and stress hormones were evaluated with visual analog pain scale. Simultaneous assessments of operating and anesthesia time, total morphine doses, the time to recovery of gastrointestinal function and incidences of complications were also made. RESULTS: Demographic data, the durations of operation and anesthesia and recovery of gastrointestinal function were similar in both groups. Total morphine doses were approximately four times greater in group-G. Secretions of interleukin-1 beta , TNF and epinephrine were blocked by preemptive epidural anesthesia, meanwhile, interleukin-6 as well as ACTH and cortisol were not. After 24 hours after skin incision, the differences of cytokines, ACTH and cortisol between two groups were dissipated. In spite of these hormonal findings, visual analog pain scale could not disclose any differences. Incidences of complications were statistically insignificant except that of itching in group-GE. CONCLUSION: Preemptive epidural anesthesia and analgesia can partially block only some of cytokines and stress hormones, and these effects do not have clinically relevant long term influences. The amounts and means of morphine administered by continuous epidural analgesia block or IV-PCA demonstrated no evidence of immunosuppression at clinical dose range.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia and Analgesia* ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cytokines ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunomodulation* ; Immunosuppression ; Incidence ; Interleukin-1beta ; Interleukin-6 ; Morphine ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

Diatomology has provided important evidences for diagnosis of drowning in forensic practice. However, conflicting opinions about the reliability of diatom test still exist. As a part of efforts to end this controversy, it is very important to secure the diatom profile in the water sample of drowning site. Our results obtained in this study show the characteristics of temporal and spatial distribution of diatom collected from the main drowning sites of Han river in Korea. During spring, 111 taxa (98 species and 13 varieties) were identified from 31 genera, and 87 taxa (77 species and 10 varieties) were identified from 22 genera during summer. At the level of genus Achnanthes, Cyclotella, Cymbella, Fragilaria, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Stephanodiscus represented the highest numbers, and were the most widely occurred during two seasons. The centric diatoms, Stephanodiscus hantzschii f. tenuis and Cyclotella atomus were typical of spring and summer, respectively, and identified as dominant indicator species. The commonly occurred species, including dominant species in the seasonal cluster analysis influenced the formation of site - specific groups. As a result, our results will be able to be used not only as the comparison data of diatom found in the drowning victim's tissue but also a reference data to rule out the possibility of contamination.
Diatoms ; Drowning ; Korea ; Rivers ; Seasons ; Water