No abstract available.
Dementia* ; Humans ; Urinary Incontinence*

A culture of the Leptospira species and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) are considered as the reference standard for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, but both tests are imperfect for early diagnosis. We describe 4 patients diagnosed with leptospirosis using nested polymerase chain reaction (N-PCR) that targeted the 16S rRNA gene and the passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). In our 4 cases, Leptospira DNA in the urine, plasma, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), was detected by N-PCR in the early phase of leptospirosis, except in the sample from the buffy coat. Especially, case 3 showed that N-PCR with the urine and CSF was positive 8 days after symptom onset, but not for the plasma or buffy coat. We report 4 cases of leptospirosis that were diagnosed by N-PCR that targeted the 16S rRNA gene with urine, plasma, or CSF, but not the buffy coat. Three were cured by doxycycline but the case 4 was fatal. Detection of Leptospira DNA by PCR from the urine and CSF, in addition to plasma, may be helpful to confirm the diagnosis.

Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative bacterium that can cause serious, potentially fatal infections. V. vulnificus causes three distinct syndromes: an overwhelming primary septicemia caused by consuming contaminated seafood, wound infections acquired when an open wound is exposed to contaminated warm seawater, and gastrointestinal tract-limited infections. Case-fatality rates are higher than 50% for primary septicemia, and death typically occurs within 72 hours of hospitalization. Risk factors for V. vulnificus infection include chronic liver disease, alcoholism, and hematological disorders. When V. vulnificus infection is suspected, appropriate antibiotic treatment and surgical interventions should be performed immediately. Third-generation cephalosporin with doxycycline, or quinolone with or without third-generation cephalosporin, may be potential treatment options for patients with V. vulnificus infection.
Alcoholism ; Diagnosis ; Doxycycline ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Prognosis ; Public Health* ; Risk Factors ; Seafood ; Seawater ; Sepsis ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio* ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

Sandhoff disease is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disease presenting bilateral optic atrophy and a cherry red spot in the macula. This case report presents the characteristics of a patient with Sandhoff disease as assessed by ophthalmic, neuroimaging, and laboratory procedures. Ophthalmologic examination revealed that the patient could not fixate her eyes on objects nor follow moving targets. A pale optic disc and a cherry red spot in the macula were seen in both eyes. Low signal intensity at the thalamus and high signal intensity at the cerebral white matter were noted in a T2-weighted brain MR image. A lysosomal enzyme assay using fibroblasts showed the marked reduction of both total beta-hexosaminidases, A and B. Based on the above clinical manifestations and laboratory findings, we diagnosed the patient as having Sandhoff disease.
Atrophy ; Cerebral Cortex/*pathology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Isoenzymes/deficiency ; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/*diagnosis/enzymology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ocular Motility Disorders/*diagnosis ; Optic Disk/*pathology ; Retinal Diseases/*diagnosis ; Sandhoff Disease/*diagnosis/enzymology ; Thalamus/pathology ; beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase/deficiency

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between oral health behaviors of workers by examining the oral health awareness and the need for oral health education. METHODS: After the institutional review board approval, we surveyed industrial workers in Seoul, Gwangju, Changwon, and Goksung, in Korea, from July 19 to August 29, 2016. The final questionnaires (287 in total) were assessed using the SPSS 24.0 software for Windows (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). The data were analyzed using frequency analysis, average, standard deviation, t-test, and the Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Through the response of “yes” for the question, “oral health education experience,” we can see the respondents have high level of interest (P<0.001). And through the response of “yes” for the question, “Periodic oral Examination” and “regular scaling” and “oral care product use” we can see the respondents have high level of interest (P<0.001) and high importance (P<0.001), there was a statistically significant difference. On analyzing the correlations between workers, there was positive correlation oral health ‘Interest’ and ‘Importance’ (r=0.598, P<0.001). Of the 287 participants, 80.1% indicated that they did not receive any previous oral health education, while 85.4% indicated a willingness to attend oral health education programs in the future. Of the 80.1% of participants with no prior oral health education, 60.0% indicated lack of oral health education because of few opportunities to participate in such programs. They most prefer “Oral Hygiene Management” 64.8% for education contents and choose “Direct-education by inviting Expert” as the best education method 75.6%. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop oral health education programs suitable for the industrial field characteristics for people in workplace, and to enhance and expand oral health education services in the workplace in order to maintain interest in oral health.
Education* ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Gwangju ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Health Education ; Hygiene ; Korea ; Methods ; Oral Health* ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The mortality rate of the invasive pulmonary aspergillosis to be able to developed during chemotherapy induced myleosuppressionin is high in hematologic malignancy patients despite antifungal treatment. Effective antifungal treatment combined with operation can decrease the mortaligy rate of the invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Recently, we experienced the successful management of the two cases of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia through effective antifungal treatment and surgical resection. We report this cases with review of literature.
Drug Therapy ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hematology ; Humans ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Mortality ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease has been increased recently in Korea. The use of minimally invasive laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery has become popular in the operation of esophageal disease such as esophageal cancer or gastroesophageal reflux disorder. We experienced three cases of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications and one case of laparoscopic Collis gastroplasty, and we will describe the technical aspect of these surgeries.
Esophageal Diseases ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Fundoplication* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastroplasty* ; Korea ; Laparoscopes ; Prevalence ; Thoracoscopy

Chikungunya infection is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. A 19-year-old man who had traveled to the Republic of Surinam to perform volunteer work complained of a fever, arthralgia, articular stiffness, and a skin rash on both the arm and trunk. Chikungunya fever was diagnosed using a Chikungunya virus specific IgM antibody in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using blood samples obtained during follow-up visits. In this report, we describe a case of imported Chikungunya fever that presented with arthralgia and a skin rash, with islands of normal skin, that occurred following travel to Surinam, South America.
Aedes ; Arboviruses ; Arm ; Arthralgia ; Chikungunya virus* ; Culicidae ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Islands ; Skin ; South America* ; Suriname* ; Volunteers ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The most widely used pulmonary function test is spirometry. It is a relatively simple and noninvasive test that measures the volume of air expelled from fully inflated lungs. However, spirometry is an effort-dependent test that requires careful instruction and the full cooperation of the test subject. Because the old patients have relatively longer expiration time than the young patients, it is difficult for both old age and technician to fulfill the end of test criteria for forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether forced expiratory volume in six seconds (FEV6) could be utilized in place of FVC in the detection of airway obstruction for the old age. METHODS: Total 353 old age (> or =65years) were enrolled in this study and performed spirometry. Subjects were divided into two groups by FEV1/FVC as the gold standard for diagnosing obstructive airway disease; Group I: 132 patients with FEV1/FVC> or =70% , Group II: 221 patients with FEV1/FVC<70% The relationship between FVC and FEV6 values were analyzed in both groups and differences between the groups were investigated. RESULTS: The mean difference of FVC and FEV6 values (FVC-FEV6) was 138.4+/-23.0 mL (5.06+/-2.86%). This difference was found to be higher in group II (189.4+/-162.5 mL, 7.0+/-5.4%) than group I (52.9+/-47.3 mL, 1.9+/-1.5%). When FEV1/FVC is taken as the gold standard, FEV1/FEV6 had negative predictive value of 87.4% and a sensitivity of 91.4% in the detection of obstructive airway disease. Conclusion: FEV6 was a relative good candidate for parameter in the detection of airway obstruction in the old age for whom it is difficult to fulfill acceptable FVC maneuver. However, additional researches are needed to determine the usefulness of FEV6 in detecting obstructive airway disease of old age.
Airway Obstruction ; Diagnosis* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Lung ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry ; Vital Capacity