Bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BRS) is an innovative device that provides structural support and drug release to prevent early recoil or restenosis, and then degrades into nontoxic compounds to avoid late complications related with metallic drug-eluting stents (DESs). BRS has several putative advantages. However, recent randomized trials and registry studies raised clinical concerns about the safety and efficacy of first generation BRS. In addition, the general guidance for the optimal practice with BRS has not been suggested due to limited long-term clinical data in Korea. To address the safety and efficacy of BRS, we reviewed the clinical evidence of BRS implantation, and suggested the appropriate criteria for patient and lesion selection, scaffold implantation technique, and management.
Coronary Disease ; Drug Liberation ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Korea ; Stents ; Thrombosis

In this article, on page 230, Fig. 2A needs to be corrected.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We compared the efficacy and safety of valsartan and rosuvastatin combination therapy with each treatment alone in hypercholesterolemic hypertensive patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients who met inclusion criteria were randomized to receive 1 of the following 2-month drug regimens: valsartan 160 mg plus rosuvastatin 20 mg, valsartan 160 mg plus placebo, or rosuvastatin 20 mg plus placebo. The primary efficacy variables were change in sitting diastolic blood pressure (sitDBP) and sitting systolic blood pressure (sitSBP), and percentage change in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) in the combination, valsartan, and rosuvastatin groups. Adverse events (AEs) during the study were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 354 patients were screened and 123 of them were finally randomized. Changes of sitDBP by least squares mean (LSM) were -11.1, -7.2, and -3.6 mm Hg, respectively, and was greater in the combination, as compared to both valsartan (p=0.02) and rosuvastatin (p<0.001). Changes of sitSBP by LSM were -13.2, -10.8, and -4.9 mm Hg, and was greater in the combination, as compared to rosuvastatin (p=0.006) and not valsartan (p=0.42). Percentage changes of LDL-C by LSM were -52, -4, and -47% in each group, and was greater in the combination, as compared to valsartan (p<0.001), similar to rosuvastatin (p=0.16). Most AEs were mild and resolved by the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with valsartan and rosuvastatin exhibited an additive blood pressure-lowering effect with acceptable tolerability, as compared to valsartan monotherapy. Its lipid lowering effect was similar to rosuvatatin monotherapy.
Blood Pressure ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Rosuvastatin Calcium ; Valsartan

BACKGROUND: Topical application of corticosteroids also has an influence on skin barrier impairment. Physiological lipid mixtures, such as multi-lamellar emulsion (MLE) containing a natural lipid component leads to effective recovery of the barrier function. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy and skin barrier protection of topical mometasone furoate in MLE. METHODS: A multi-center randomized, double-blind, controlled study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of mometasone furoate cream in MLE for Korean patients with eczema. The study group included 175 patients with eczema, who applied either mometasone furoate in MLE cream or methylprednisolone aceponate cream for 2 weeks. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the physician's global assessment of clinical response (PGA), trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pruritus. Patients were evaluated using these indices at days 4, 8, and 15. RESULTS: Comparison of PGA score, TEWL, and VAS score at baseline with those at days 4, 8, and 15 of treatment showed a significant improvement in both groups. Patients who applied mometasone furoate in MLE (74.8%) showed better results (p<0.05) than those who applied methylprednisolone aceponate (47.8%). The TEWL improvement ratio was higher in the mometasone furoate in MLE group than that in the methylprednisolone aceponate group, and VAS improvement was also better in the mometasone furoate in MLE group. CONCLUSION: Mometasone furoate in MLE has a better therapeutic efficacy as well as less skin barrier impairment than methylprednisolone aceponate.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Cross-Over Studies ; Eczema ; Humans ; Methylprednisolone ; Pregnadienediols ; Prostaglandins A ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Treatment Outcome ; Water Loss, Insensible ; Mometasone Furoate

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization

Psoas abscesses are rare clinical entities complicating Crohn's disease (CD). However, psoas abscesses can cause poor outcomes because the diagnosis is frequently delayed due to the non-specific clinical features. Recently, we managed a case of a huge iliopsoas abscess in a 21-year-old man with a 4-year history of CD who presented with a limping gait and flexion contractures of the sacroiliac joint. Notably, the iliopsoas abscess developed during induction treatment with infliximab. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics, surgical drainage, and a right hemicolectomy. Herein we present the case with a brief review of the literature.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Contracture ; Crohn Disease ; Drainage ; Gait ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Psoas Abscess ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Young Adult

Psoas abscesses are rare clinical entities complicating Crohn's disease (CD). However, psoas abscesses can cause poor outcomes because the diagnosis is frequently delayed due to the non-specific clinical features. Recently, we managed a case of a huge iliopsoas abscess in a 21-year-old man with a 4-year history of CD who presented with a limping gait and flexion contractures of the sacroiliac joint. Notably, the iliopsoas abscess developed during induction treatment with infliximab. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics, surgical drainage, and a right hemicolectomy. Herein we present the case with a brief review of the literature.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Contracture ; Crohn Disease ; Drainage ; Gait ; Humans ; Infliximab ; Psoas Abscess ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We evaluated the standard uptake value (SUV) of F-18 FDG at PET/CT for differentiation of benign from malignant tumor in primary musculoskeletal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six tumors (11 benign and 12 malignant soft tissue tumors, 9 benign and 14 malignant bone tumors) were examined with F-18 FDG PET/CT (Discovery ST, GE) prior to tissue diagnosis. The maxSUV(maximum value of SUV) were calculated and compared between benign and malignant lesions. The lesion analysis was based on the transverse whole body image. The maxSUV with cutoff of 4.1 was used in distinguishing benign from malignant soft tissue tumor and 3.05 was used in bone tumor by ROC curve. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in maxSUV between benign (n=11; maxSUV 3.4+/-3.2) and malignant (n=12; maxSUV 14.8+/-12.2) lesions in soft tissue tumor (p=0.001). Between benign bone tumor (n=9; maxSUV 5.4+/-4.0) and malignant bone tumor (n=14; maxSUV 7.3+/-3.2), there was not a significant difference in maxSUV. The sensitivity and specificity for differentiating malignant from benign soft tissue tumor was 83% and 91%, respectively. There were four false positive malignant bone tumor cases to include fibrous dysplasia, Langerhans-cell histiocytosis (n=2) and osteoid osteoma. Also, one false positive case of malignant soft tissue tumor was nodular fasciitis. CONCLUSION: The maxSUV was useful for differentiation of benign from malignant lesion in primary soft tissue tumors. In bone tumor, the low maxSUV correlated well with benign lesions but high maxSUV did not always mean malignancy.
Body Image ; Bone Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Fasciitis ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Osteoma, Osteoid ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography* ; ROC Curve* ; Sarcoma ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms

Wells' syndrome or eosinophilic cellulitis is a recurrent inflammatory dermatosis, characterized clinically by acute dermatitis resembling cellulitis. The histopathologic findings show diffuse dermal eosinophilic infiltration and characteristic `flame figures'. The etiology and pathogenesis are unknown, however, various associated disorders such as hematological diseases, infections, arthropod bites, drugs, and surgery have been documented. Wells' syndrome has previously been reported in only 4 cases of non-hematological malignancy. A 57-year-old man with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma developed recurrent, mildly tender, urticarial plaques on the trunk and left forearm. A skin biopsy specimen revealed histopathologic findings compatible to Wells' syndrome. Skin lesions resolved with systemic corticosteroids therapy without recurrence until now. We report a case of Wells' syndrome associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Arthropods ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cellulitis ; Dermatitis ; Eosinophils ; Forearm ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

Central diabetes insipidus (DI) is a syndrome characterized by thirst, polydipsia and polyuria. Langerhans cell histiocytosis is one of the etiologies of DI. Recently we experienced a central DI associated with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. The 44 years old female patient complained right hip pain, polydipsia and polyuria. We carried out water deprivation test. After vasopressin injection, urine osmotic pressure was increased from 109 mOsmol/kg to 327 mOsmol/kg (300%). Brain MRI showed a thickened pituitary stalk and air bubble like lesions sized with 5cm, 7cm was shown on fifth L-spine and right hip bone at hip bone CT. CT guided biopsy revealed abnormal histiocytes proliferation and abundant lymphocytes. The final diagnosis was central DI associated with systemic Langerhans cell histiocytosis invading hip bone, L-spine and pituitary stalk. Desmopressin and etoposide chemotherapy were performed to the patient.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Female ; Hip ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osmotic Pressure ; Pituitary Gland ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Thirst ; Vasopressins ; Water Deprivation