No abstract available.
Cataract* ; Nephrotic Syndrome*

Animals ; Dental Implants ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Male ; Osseointegration ; Osteogenesis ; Plants ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Titanium

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is more frequent in the elderly and results in higher morbidity and mortality. Korea is undergoing extraordinary demographic change. Elderly patients constitute an even-increasing proportion of the population but there have been few studies on the epidemiological investigation of the CAP in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to characterize the background, etiology, clinical course and outcome of CAP in elderly compared with younger patients. METHODS: During the study period (from 1st January to 31th December 1997), 214 patients with CAP were reviewed with regard to epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and microbiological data. 119 elderly patients (> or =65 years-old of age) were compared with 95 younger patients (<65 years-old of age). The both groups were compared with each others in terms of variables related to CAP. RESULTS: Comparison of epidemiological data between older and younger patients revealed a high prevalence of alcoholics (40% vs 56%), current smoker (33% vs 56%), malignancy (8% vs 24%) in the elderly. In terms of complication and clinical manifestation, shock (1% vs 6%), intubation (6% vs 20%), mechanical ventilation apply (5% vs 18%), respiratory failure (2% vs 12%), dyspnea (26% vs 56%), altered consciousness (0% vs 13%), extrapulmonary symptom (11% vs 18%) and bilateral infiltration (8% vs 20%) showed higher incidence in the elderly than in the younger patients. Causative organisms are identified in 47% (56/119) of elderly patients: those identified most frequently were S. pneumoniae (25%), K. pneumoniae (20%), S. aureus (16%), other Gram-negative bacilli (13%) and H. influenzae (11%). The overall mortality were significantly higher in the elderly patients (24%) than younger patients (5%). Two independent risk factors, those were related to the mortality of the elderly:higher APACHE II score (RR:3.43, 95% CI=1.43~7.21) and requirement of endotracheal tube (RR:4.73; 95% CI=1.72~16.5). CONCLUSION: CAP in the elderly shows more serious clinical and abnormal laboratory features than younger patients. In elderly, S. pneumoniae was the most common causative organism for CAP but other agents, particularly K. pneumoniae was isolated frequently. The severity of illness at initial presentation such as high APACHE II score and requirement of endotracheal tube were the major variables affecting the outcome.
Aged* ; Alcoholics ; APACHE ; Consciousness ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human ; Intubation ; Korea ; Mortality ; Pneumonia* ; Prevalence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Shock

We found an error in our published article. Author name should be corrected.

A 60-year-old man undergoing maintenance hemodialysis presented with periodic fever, which resembled Pel-Ebstein fever of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite scores of diagnostic evaluations, origin of the fever remained obscure. On positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan, focal hot uptakes were seen in the mediastinum and mediastinoscopic biopsy showed many acid-fast bacilli with chronic granulomatous inflammation and necrosis. After a week of anti-tuberculosis medication, the patient remained afebrile without recourse to antipyretics.
Antipyretics ; Biopsy ; Electrons ; Fever ; Fever of Unknown Origin ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Renal Dialysis ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node

A 60-year-old man undergoing maintenance hemodialysis presented with periodic fever, which resembled Pel-Ebstein fever of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite scores of diagnostic evaluations, origin of the fever remained obscure. On positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan, focal hot uptakes were seen in the mediastinum and mediastinoscopic biopsy showed many acid-fast bacilli with chronic granulomatous inflammation and necrosis. After a week of anti-tuberculosis medication, the patient remained afebrile without recourse to antipyretics.
Antipyretics ; Biopsy ; Electrons ; Fever ; Fever of Unknown Origin ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Renal Dialysis ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node

Diffuse mesangial sclerosis (DMS) is one of the underlying pathology of congenital and infantile nephrotic syndrome. Infants with DMS develop nephrotic syndrome before 2 years of age and progress to end stage renal disease within 3 years of age. The authors experienced a case of isolated DMS in a 4-month-old male infant who had nephrotic syndrome for 1 month. The diagnosis was confirmed on the basis of clinical, laboratory, pathological and molecular genetic findings. This is the 3rd case report of DMS in our country and the 1st case report of isolated DMS confirmed by molecular genetic study.
Denys-Drash Syndrome ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Molecular Biology ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Pathology ; Sclerosis*

Objective: : Anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS) is a common surgical procedure used to treat cervical spinal degenerative diseases. One of the complications associated with ACSS is prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS), which can result in airway obstruction, dysphagia, and other adverse outcomes. This study aims to investigate the correlation between various cervical sagittal parameters and PSTS following single-level ACSS, as well as to identify independent risk factors for PSTS. Methods: : A retrospective study conducted at a single institution. The study population included all patients who underwent single-level ACSS between January 2014 and December 2022. Patients with a history of cervical spine surgery or trauma were excluded from the study. The presence and severity of PSTS was assessed by reviewing pre- and postoperative imaging studies. The potential risk factors for PSTS that were examined include patient age, sex, body mass index, tobacco use, comorbidities, serum albumin levels, operative time, implant type, implanted level, and various cervical spine sagittal parameters. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent risk factors for PSTS. Results: : A total of 62 consecutive patients who underwent single-level ACSS over a 8-year period at a single institution were enrolled in this study. Only preoperative segmental angle showed positive correlation with PSTS among various cervical spine sagittal parameters (r=0.36, p=0.005). Artificial disc replacement showed a negative correlation with PSTS (β=-0.38, p=0.002), whereas the use of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) had a positive impact on PSTS (β=0.33, p=0.009). We found that male sex, lower preoperative serum albumin, and implantation of upper cervical level (above C5) were independent predictors for PSTS after single-level ACSS (β=1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 2.15; p=0.012; β=-1.63; 95% CI, -2.91 to -0.34; p=0.014; β=1.44; 95% CI, 0.38 to 2.49; p=0.008, respectively). Conclusion : Our study identified male sex, lower preoperative serum albumin levels, and upper cervical level involvement as independent risk factors for PSTS after single-level ACSS. These findings can help clinicians monitor high-risk patients and take preventive measures to reduce complications. Further research with larger sample sizes and prospective designs is needed to validate these findings.

PURPOSE: To compare the measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) obtained using two kinds of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), Pentacam®, and ultrasound pachymetry (USP). METHODS: CCT was measured by Cirrus OCT®, Spectralis OCT®, Pentacam®, and USP in 32 eyes from 32 subjects without ocular disease of the anterior segment. RESULTS: The average CCT measurements using Cirrus OCT®, Spectralis OCT®, Pentacam®, and USP were 549.2 ± 28.7 µm, 545.2 ± 25.4 µm, 554.0 ± 27.8 µm, and 548.4 ± 27.9 µm respectively. The measurements were significantly highly correlated with each other (Pearson's correlation coefficient r > 0.9, all p-values < 0.001), but were significantly different (p < 0.001). The CCT 95% limits of agreement between Cirrus OCT® and Spectralis OCT®, Cirrus OCT® and Pentacam®, Cirrus OCT® and USP, Spectralis OCT® and Pentacam®, and Spectralis OCT® and USP were 27.70 µm, 26.1 µm, 26.97 µm, 22.91 µm, 35.59 µm, and 32.15 µm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CCT values measured using the four devices were highly correlated with each other, but the measurement using Pentacam® was significantly thicker than that using USP. The measurements of the two kinds of spectral domain OCT were similar to those using USP. Therefore, these differences should be considered in clinical use, and measurements cannot be considered interchangeable.
Corneal Pachymetry* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence* ; Ultrasonography*

The human heart is a complex organ in which many complicated congenital defects may happen and some of them require surgical intervention. Due to the vast complexity of varied anatomical presentations, establishing an accurate and consistent nomenclature system is utmost important to facilitate effective communication among pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and radiologists. The Van Praagh segmental approach to the complex congenital heart disease (CHD) was developed in the 1960s and has been used widely as the language for describing complex anatomy of CHD over the decades. It utilizes a systematic and sequential method to describe the cardiac segments and connections which in turn allows accurate, comprehensive and unambiguous description of CHD. It can also be applied to multiple imaging modalities such as echocardiogram, cardiac CT and MRI. The Van Praagh notation demonstrates a group of three letters, with each letter representative for a key embryologic region of cardiac anatomy: the atria, ventricles and great vessels. By using a 3-steps approach, we can evaluate complex CHD precisely and have no difficulties in communicating with other medial colleague. This pictorial essay revisits the logical steps of segmental approach, followed by a pictorial illustration of its application.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Humans ; Logic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging