We report a case of solitary congenital calcified nodule of the ear in a 1-year-old female. The lesion was a 2 X 2mm-sized, elevated, slightly erythematous and whitish-centered nodule located since birth on the superior helical rim of her left ear. Histopathological findings fram the totally excised lesion showed calcium deposits as amorphous, basophilic masses in the upper dermis and focal discharge of calcium by means of transepidermal elimination. Surrounding the calcium deposits, lymphohistiocytic infiltrations were present.
Basophils ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Ear* ; Female ; Humans ; Parturition

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge structure of health information (HI) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Keywords or meaningful morphemes from HI presented on five health-related websites (HRWs) of one national HI institute and four hospitals, as well as HI needs among patients presented in nine literature, were reviewed, refined, and analyzed using text network analysis and their co-occurrence matrix was generated. Two networks of 61 and 35 keywords, respectively, were analyzed for degree, closeness, and betweenness centrality, as well as betweenness community analysis. Results: The most common keywords pertaining to HI on HRWs were lung, inhaler, smoking, dyspnea, and infection, focusing COPD treatment. In contrast, HI needs among patients were lung, medication, support, symptom, and smoking cessation, expanding to disease management. Two common sub-topic groups in HI on HRWs were COPD overview and medication administration, whereas three common sub-topic groups in HI needs among patients in the literature were COPD overview, self-management, and emotional management. Conclusion The knowledge structure of HI on HRWs is medically oriented, while patients need supportive information. Thus, the support system for self-management and emotional management on HRWs must be informed according to the structure of patients’ needs for HI. Healthcare providers should consider presenting COPD patient-centered information on HRWs.

No abstract available.
Heart Diseases* ; Heart*

Coenzyme Q is concentrated in Golgi apparatus membranes and mitochondria, but not in other membranes. Although it is difficult to prove the metabolic action of coenzyme Q administered exogenously in clinical cases, the effect of this substance can be evaluated by criteria based on clinical findings. In an attempt to evaluate the effect of coenzyme Q for the treatment of 67 patients(male 26 cases, female 41 cases) of congestive heart failure, we administered Coenzyme Q1030mg daily for 4 to 8 weeks. Most of them were valvular heart disease(74.6%) and hypertension (14.9%). Clinical effects were evaluated at least 4 weeks later by the criteria using a scoring method of severity of congestive heart failure which was devised by Ishiyama, etc. In summary, a definite effect was found in 13 cases(19%) and a mild effect was observed in 46 cases(69%). During treatment there were no significant side effects, and also no significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
Blood Pressure ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Female ; Golgi Apparatus ; Heart ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Membranes ; Mitochondria ; Research Design ; Ubiquinone

PURPOSE: To investigate the visual prognosis, the interval, and the rate of development of after-cataract following cataract surgery in atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Twenty eyes of 13 patients diagnosed as cataract associated with atopic dermatitis were operated between January, 1994 and January, 2000. Visual acuity, postoperative inflammatory reaction, the interval, and the rate of development of after-cataract were investigated and compared with the cataract cases without atopic dermatitis. RESULTS: The average preoperative best corrected visual acuity of 20 eyes was 0.23+/-0.22. The average postoperative best corrected visual acuity at 1, 2, 7, and 12 months after surgery were 0.78+/-0.23, 0.83+/-0.16, 0.78+/-0.23, 0.83+/-0.26, respectively. These values showed no significant difference compared to the postoperative visual acuity of the cataract cases without atopic dermatitis. Aqueous flares measured with laser flare meter were 15.09+/-9.20, 11.15+/-4.68, and 7.38+/-0.75 photon counts/millisecond at 10 days, 1, and 2 months after surgery, which did not seem to influence the final visual acuity and the development of after-cataract (p>0.05). Among the 20 eyes, 66.67% finally developed after-cataract and the average time interval of the development of after-cataract was 11.25+/-4.22 months. CONCLUSIONS: Visual prognosis following cataract surgery in atopic dermatitis is good, while after-cataract seems to develop more frequently and earlier compared to the cases without atopic dermatitis.
Aqueous Humor ; Cataract* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Prognosis* ; Visual Acuity

Eosinophilic panniculitis is characterized by a prominent infiltration of numerous eosinophils in subcutaneous fat, and has been identified in patients with a variety of associated clinical conditions. A case of eosinophilic panniculitis in a 20-year-old woman with a history of atopic dermatitis is reported. She later developed superior sagittal sinus thrombosis, and we stress the importance of systemic evaluations in patients with eosinophilic panniculitis.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Humans ; Panniculitis* ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Superior Sagittal Sinus* ; Thrombosis* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: There are many rating scales for assessment of geriatrics. But each of these scales were not sufficient to evaluate comprehensive geriatric assessment, physical and psychologic efforts for care. METHODS: We developed new scales to comprehensive geriatric assessment for care of geriatric patients. The Geriatrics Physical Support Scale(GPSS) evaluates physical effort consists of 10 areas and the Geriatrics Global Support Scale(GGSS) evaluates general condition of patients consist of 6 areas. Eighty probable and possible AD patients received the Clinical Dementia Rating Rating Scale(CDR), Korearn version of Mini-Mental State Examination(K-MMSE), Barthel Activity of Daily Living Index(B-ADL) GPSS, GGSS. We tested internal consistency, correlation among dementia rating scales. RESULTS: The GPSS correlated to CDR -0.63(p<0.01), B-ADL -0.90(p<0.01) and the GGSS correlated to CDR -0.60(p<0.01), B-ADL -0.75(p<0.01). The internal consistency were 0.69(GGSS), 0.92(GPSS). CONCLUSION: The Geriatrics Global Support Scale evaluate general condition of patients and the Geriatrics Physical Support Scale evaluate physical efforts needed for care of geriatric patients. These scales an also brief and easy rating scales to grade degree of caregiver`s burden.
Dementia ; Geriatric Assessment ; Geriatrics* ; Humans ; Physical Exertion ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: We evaluated the surgical outcomes and complications of new pediatric intraocular lens in congenital cataract. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on 29 eyes of 22 patients diagnosed with congenital cataract that underwent optic capture following lens emulsification. New pediatric intraocular lens (LJC 575A, Lucid Korea, Seoul, Korea) implantation into the bag was performed with posterior capsulorrhexis and anterior vitrectomy. RESULTS: After follow-up of 17.79+/-7.08 months, 15 eyes showed a visual acuity of 0.5 or above, and 10 (71.4%) of the 14 eyes showed a visual acuity of 20/470 or above. As for complications, posterior synechia developed in 8 eyes, exudative membrane was found in 3 eyes, iris capture by IOL haptic was found in 1 eye, and slight opacification of posterior capsule was identified in 1 eye. CONCLUSIONS: Use of new 8 mm pediatric intraocular lens in congenital cataract may be considered selectively.
Capsulorhexis ; Cataract* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Iris ; Korea ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Membranes ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

A total of 132 cases of structural scoliosis have been followed since Jan. 1963 up to Dec. 1976 at the Hanyang University Hospital. The present paper classified scoliosis according to the etiology and analyzed curve patterns and spinal deformties such as rotation and wedging. Various kinds of treatment were done and these included Milwaukee brace, posterior spinal fusion with or without Harrington instrumentation. The end results of these treatment were also analyzed. The results concluded from the present studies were as follows: 1. Poliomyelitis was the most common cause of structural scoliosis. Of 132 cases of scoliosis, paralytic scoliosis was 48.5% while idiopathic scoliosis was 31.1% and congenital scoliosis 9.8%. 2. In paralytic scoliosis lumbar curves were the most common pattern and thoracic and thoracolumbar curves were the next. 3. In idiopathic scoliosis, the most common pattern was the right thoracic. 4. Very severe curves over 80° were more frequent in paralytic than in idiopathic scoliosis, showing the percentage of 20.3% in paralytic scoliosis and 10.3% in idiopathic scoliosis respectively. 5. The number of vertebrae involved in primary curve was approximately the same in both paralytic and idiopathic scoliosis. 6. In paralytic scoliosis, as the curves progressed, rotation of vertebrae became more marked in lumbar curve than in thoracic curve, while wedging deformity was more severe in thoracic curve than in Jumbar curve. 7. The tendency of the rotation and wedging in thoracic and lumbar curve was the same in both idiopathic scoliosis and paralytic scoliosis. When the degree of curves was the same, rotation and wedging were slightly more severe in idiopathic than in paralytic scoliosis. 8. In congenital scoliosis hemivertebrae were the most common anomaly and the majority of congenital anomalies were located at lumbar region. 9. Treated with Milwaukee brace, 22.1% of original curve angle was corrected in idiopathic coliosis, 9.8% in paralytic scoliosis, and 7.3% in congenital scoliosis, respectively. The Milwaukee brace was effective in thoracic and thoracolumbar curves but not in lumbar curves. 10. In paralytic scoliosis treated with posterior spinal fusion without Harrington instrumentation, the final degree was 43.2 and the correction loss was 12.6% but with both posterior fusion and Harrington instrumentation, the final degree was 50.2 and the correction loss was 6.8%. 11. There were 2 cases of complication after posterior spinal fusion without Harrington instrumentation. One was pseudarthrosis and the other was bending of graft with some loss of correction. One case of complication occured after posterior spinal fusion with Harrington instrumentation. It was a case of displacement of distraction hook on the rod.
Braces ; Clinical Study ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Lumbosacral Region ; Poliomyelitis ; Pseudarthrosis ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine ; Transplants

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients undergoing combination chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 111 patients with DLBCL participated in this study at C University Hospital. The CIN group consisted of patients with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) lower than 1,000 cells/μL. Clinical factors, the level of depression, and the level of healthy lifestyle were measured on the chemotherapy administration day, and the ANC was measured on the next follow-up day. Results: Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with CIN in DLBCL were the presence of B symptoms at diagnosis (β=4.69) and low-risk CIN regimen (β=0.10) among clinical factors, and the level of healthy lifestyle (β=0.17). Conclusion Oncology nurses have to focus on the patients vulnerable to CIN having B symptoms at diagnosis, receiving a low-risk CIN regimen, and showing non-adherence to healthy lifestyle practice. Administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor can be considered for the patients receiving low-risk CIN regimen to reduce CIN. Education programs including healthy lifestyle practice to improve the immune system should be applied to the DLBCL patients.