Intestinal tuberculosis is an infectious disease which is still prevalent in the developing countries including Korea. It may occur insidously, have a vague clinical marofestation, and take a chronic course. We have analyzed 101 cases of intestinal tuberculosis. proven by clinical and histopathologic diagnosis for 10yrs since 1977. The results are as follows: 1) Intestinal tbc was prevalent in the age of 20-30 and the male to female ratio was 1:1.7. 2) Among clinical manifestations, abdominal pain, and tenderness, general malaise and abdominal mass were observed in order of frequency. 3) Active pulmonary lesion was associated in 73 cases (73.3%). 4) Ileocecal region was the most frequent site of involvement in barium study and in colonoscopy. 5) The most frequent colonoscopic finding was multiple ulceration and pseudopolyposis and chronic granulomatous inflammation was noted in 58% on hitopathology. 6) Ulcerative type was the most common type 45.4% by intestinal x-ray and colonofiberscopic examination
Abdominal Pain ; Barium ; Colonoscopy ; Communicable Diseases ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Male ; Tuberculosis* ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Humans ; Recurrence*

Fungi are the known sources of irritation associated with atopic diseases (e.g., asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema). To quantitatively estimate their presence in the indoor environment of atopic dermatitis-inflicted child patient's houses (ADCPHs), the high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters installed inside the air cleaners of three different ADCPHs were investigated for the presence of mold. The air cleaner HEPA filters obtained from the three different ADCPHs were coded as HEPA-A, -B, and -C, respectively, and tested for the presence of mold. The colony forming units (CFUs) corresponding to the HEPA-A, -B, and -C filters were estimated to be 6.51 x 10(2) +/- 1.50 x 10(2) CFU/cm2, 8.72 x 10(2) +/- 1.69 x 10(2) CFU/cm2, and 9.71 x 10(2) +/- 1.35 x 10(2) CFU/cm2, respectively. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Trichoderma, and other fungal groups were detected in the 2,494 isolates. The distribution of these fungal groups differed among the three filters. Cladosporium was the major fungal group in filters HEPA-A and -C, whereas Penicillium was the major fungal group in the filter HEPA-B. Nine fungal species, including some of the known allergenic species, were identified in these isolates. Cladosporium cladosporioides was the most common mold among all the three filters. This is the first report on the presence of fungi in the air cleaner HEPA filters from ADCPHs in Korea.
Air Filters* ; Alternaria ; Aspergillus ; Asthma ; Child* ; Cladosporium ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Fungi* ; Humans ; Korea ; Penicillium ; Stem Cells ; Trichoderma

Repeated morphine administration induces tolerance to its analgesic effects. A previous study reported that repeated morphine treatment activates transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) expression in the sciatic nerve, dorsal root ganglion, and spinal cord, contributing to morphine tolerance. In the present study, we analyzed TRPV1 expression and binding sites in supraspinal pain pathways in morphine-tolerant mice. The TRPV1 mRNA levels and binding sites were remarkably increased in the cortex and thalamus of these animals. Our data provide additional insights into the effects of morphine on TRPV1 in the brain and suggest that changes in the expression of, and binding to TRPV1 in the brain are involved in morphine tolerance.

A percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy is a common procedure in the practice of pulmonology. An air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of a percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. We report four cases of a cerebral air embolism that developed after a percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. Early diagnosis and the rapid application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the mainstay of therapy for an embolism. Prevention is the best course and it is essential that possible risk factors be avoided.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Needle/*adverse effects/methods ; Embolism, Air/*etiology/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Intracranial Embolism/*etiology/therapy ; Lung/*pathology ; Male ; Radiography, Interventional

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of acute rheumatic fever(ARF) among children in Korea and to describe trends in its clinical characteristics compared to data from a previous study(1978-1987). METHODS: A mailed questionnaire survey sent to the pediatric departments of 13 general hospitals in Korea requested the total number of patients with ARF and its clinical manifestations from Jan. 1988 to Dec. 1997. These data were compared with the data from a previous study (1978-1987) to evaluate the clinical trends in occurrence and clinical manifestations of ARF during the last 20 years in Korea. RESULTS: The average number of patients with ARF for the 10-year period(1988-1997) was 0.74 per 1,000 annual pediatric inward patients. There was a significant decrease in incidence during the study period. There were 115 male and 85 female patients with ARF, and 97.5% of total patients were 6 to 15 years old. 126 out of 200 patients(63.0%) had a history of preceding upper respiratory infection(URI). The percentage of major manifestations were as follows; carditis(66.5%),polyarthritis(54.0%), erythema marginatum(12.0%), chorea(7.5%) and subcutaneous nodule (6.0%). Clinical findings of carditiswere cardiac murmur(91.0%), cardiomegaly in chest PA(34.6%), congestive heart failure(15.8%). The electrocardiographic findings were PR interval prolongation (37.6%), right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH)(15.8%), QT interval prolongation(13.5%). Doppler echocardiographic valvular lesions were mitral insufficiency(96.2 %), aortic insufficiency(39.8%). Minor and other clinical manifestations were fever(69.0%), arthralgia (56.5%), sore throat(28.5%). CONCLUSION: There was a steady decrease in the number of patients with ARF during the study period from 1988 to 1997. A sudden decrease in number of patients with ARF between the two study periods is likely due to patients with valvular heart disease, possibility of double registration, and wide spread use of echocardiography for accurate diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Arthralgia ; Cardiomegaly ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Erythema ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Postal Service* ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Rheumatic Fever* ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide insufflation during an endoscopic thyroidectomy may cause an adverse effects on blood gas and hemodynamic status. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety of low pressure carbon dioxide insufflation during an endoscopic thyroidectomy. METHODS: Patients in ASA physical status I or II, scheduled for an endoscopic thyroidectomy (n = 70) were gathered for the evaluation. During the operative procedure, minute ventilation at a tidal volume 10 ml/kg and respiratory rate 10/minute was maintained. End-tidal carbon dioxide tension, blood pressure and heart rate were measured and compared before and at 10, 20, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after CO2 insufflation. RESULTS: End tidal carbon dioxide tension significantly increased up to 30 minutes and plateaued thereafter. Mean blood pressure significantly increased up to 30 minutes but there was no change in heart rate after CO2 insufflation. Complications were not reported. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that low pressure carbon dioxide insufflation during an endoscopic thyroidectomy was safe and useful.
Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Insufflation* ; Respiratory Rate ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Thyroidectomy* ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilation

High intensity light emitting diodes (LEDs) are being studied as possible light sources for the phototherapy of neonatal jaundice, as they can emit high intensity light of narrow wavelength band in the blue region of the visible light spectrum corresponding to the spectrum of maximal bilirubin absorption. We developed a prototype blue gallium nitride LED phototherapy unit with high intensity, and compared its efficacy to commercially used halogen quartz phototherapy device by measuring both in vitro and in vivo bilirubin photodegradation. The prototype device with two focused arrays, each with 500 blue LEDs, generated greater irradiance than the conventional device tested. The LED device showed a significantly higher efficacy of bilirubin photodegradation than the conventional phototherapy in both in vitro experiment using microhematocrit tubes (44 +/-7% vs. 35 +/-2%) and in vivo experiment using Gunn rats (30 +/-9% vs. 16 +/-8%). We conclude that high intensity blue LED device was much more effective than conventional phototherapy of both in vitro and in vivo bilirubin photodegradation. Further studies will be necessary to prove its clinical efficacy.
Animals ; Bilirubin/*metabolism ; Biochemistry/*methods ; Gallium/pharmacology ; Hematocrit ; In Vitro ; *Light ; Phototherapy/*methods ; Rats ; Rats, Gunn ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Acute fulminant invasive fungal sinusitis in an immunocompromised host and bacterial rhinosinusitis with intracranial or orbital extension is challenging to manage. And it sometimes constitutes true otolaryngologic emergencies. In the absence of rapid diagnosis and treatment, these diseases can be fatal. A 57-year-old female was admitted for chills and headache, who received a deceased donor renal transplantation 3 months ago. Paranasal sinus CT showed enhanced soft tissue density and MRI showed low-signal with hyperintense signal of around paranasal sinus cavity. The histological investigation revealed invasive aspergillosis of paranasal sinuses. Clinical improvement occurred after endoscopic sinus surgery and post-operative systemic antifungal therapy with amphotericin B and voriconazole.
Amphotericin B ; Aspergillosis ; Chills ; Emergencies ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Middle Aged ; Orbit ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pyrimidines ; Sinusitis ; Tissue Donors ; Triazoles