OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between socioeconomic factors and asthma symptoms. METHODS: A total of 6,919 elementary school children in Seoul were enrolled in the study. Data were obtained from a web-based questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was based on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood core module. The prevalence of wheeze in the past 12 months and severe asthma symptoms were obtained. The potential risk factors for asthma symptoms included household income and the number of siblings. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk factors of asthma symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of current wheeze (wheeze in the past 12 months) was 5.2%. Household income and asthma symptoms were inversely associated after adjusting for other potential risk factors (p for trend=0.03). This association was modified by the number of siblings. With two or more siblings, the effect of household income on asthma symptoms was not significant. However, low household income was still a significant variable for patients with fewer than two siblings (OR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.09-1.81). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that childhood asthma disparity is dependent on household income. Therefore, policies to improve childhood health inequities should be emphasized.
Asthma ; Child ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Siblings ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Even though plasma paraquat (PQ) levels have known to be an informative predictor, many patients succumb at low PQ levels in acute PQ intoxication. This study was designed to see whether the high resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) of the lungs would be a predictive measure in acute PQ intoxication. HRCT of the lungs was obtained from 119 patients with acute PQ intoxication on 7 days after PQ ingestion. The areas with ground glass opacities (GGOs) were evaluated at five levels with the area measurement tool of the picture archiving and communication systems. Among 119 patients, 102 survived and 17 died. The plasma PQ levels were significantly higher in the non-survivors than in the survivors (2.6+/-4.0 microgram/mL vs. 0.2+/-0.4 microgram/mL, P=0.02). The area with GGOs was 2.0+/-6.4% in the survivors and 73.0+/- 29.9% in the non-survivors (P<0.001). No patients survived when the area with GGOs was more than 40% but all of the patients survived when the area affected by GGOs was less than 20%. In conclusion, the area of GGOs is a useful predictor of survival in acute PQ intoxication, especially in patients with low plasma PQ levels.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Herbicides/blood/*poisoning ; Humans ; Lung Injury/*chemically induced/mortality/*radiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paraquat/blood/*poisoning ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Survivors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We assessed twelve cases of suspected chronic pesticide intoxication, with medically unexplained physical symptoms. METHODS: Complete blood cell count (CBC), blood chemistry, routine urinalysis, chest X-ray, ECG, gastrofiberscopy, abdominal ultrasonography, neuroselective sensory nerve conduction threshold, and psychological assessment were performed on 12 farmers who believe themselves to have suffered from chronic pesticide intoxication. RESULTS: No specific abnormalities were observed on CBC, routine urinalysis, chest X-ray, ECG, gastroscopy, abdominal ultrasonography, or peripheral nerve conduction velocity test. They persistently manifested helplessness, depression, and anxiety. The results of both psychological assessment and general physical examination revealed the following clinical features: depression (8 cases), multiple chemical hypersensitivity syndrome (2 cases), alcoholism (1 case), and religious preoccupation (1 case). CONCLUSION: In those living in the western rural area of South Korea, depression is a prominent ongoing presentation in pesticide-exposed farmers, in addition to unexplainable physical symptoms.
Aged ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases/*diagnosis/psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Environmental Illness/*diagnosis/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Observation ; *Occupational Exposure ; Pesticides/*poisoning ; Psychological Tests

Extramammary Pagets disease(EMPD) of the vulva is an uncommon neoplasm which accounting for 2.5% of all vulvar malignancies and 0.02% of all female cancer. Several hundred cases have been reported worldwide since the first description by sir James Paget in 1874, It generally affects postrnenopausal age poup and presents high rate of recurrence but the precise incidence remines unclear, Although Paget's disease of the breast and the vulva are histologically similar, their histogenesis and biological behavior are considered to be significantly different and EMPD has gcnerally perceived rnore benign compared to that of the breast. Four histologic forms of vulvar EMPD have been recognized and treated vulvar EMPD in according to the 4 histologic classification. The high rate of recurtence disease remains a challenge for optimal management. Recently we experienced a case of Paget's disease of the vulva, diagnosed as an intraepithelial Pagets disease preoperatively and underwent radical vulvectomy and superiomedial thigh(SMT) flap, and present with a brief review of literature.
Breast ; Classification ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Paget's Disease, Mammary ; Recurrence ; Vulva*

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of simvastatin to improved lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic Korean patients. METHODS: From 25 hospitals in Korea, 478 hypercholesterolemic patients were enrolled from November 1996 to April 1998. The inclusion criteria was hypercholesterolemia over 240 mg/dl after diet therapy for 1 month or hypercholesterolemia over 220 mg/dl in patients with definite evidence of ischemic heart disease. Simvastatin 10mg was started and doubled up to 40mg if total cholesterol level remained higher than 200 mg/dl at monthly check. Of 478 subjects, 344 patients in whom study protocol was not violated were analyzed. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 27:73 and 47% of the subjects were in 6th decade. Hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus were present in 30, 10, and 4% of the subjects. Baseline lipid profile (mean of total cholesterol-LDL-HDL-triglyceride mg/dl) was 274-185-52-188. The dose of simvastatin for 3 months was 10/10/10mg in 61% of subjects, 10/20/20mg in 21%, 10/10/20mg in 7%, and 10/20/40mg in 12%. The change of total cholesterol level(before-4wk-8wk-12wk-withdrawal 4wk) was 274-209- 205-198-250, and the maximal reduction rate was 27%. The change of LDL-cholesterol was 185-123-116-110-159, with maximal reduction rate 39%. The change of HDL-cholesterol was 52-54-56-55-54, with maximal increase rate 9%. The change of tryglyceride was 188-161- 164-162-189, with maximal reduction rate 15%. The value before/after treatment of ApoA1, ApoB, and Lp(a) was 129/129, 138/83, and 9.3/10.7, respectively. The level of LDL-cholesterol at the end of treatment was below 100mg/dl in 36% of subjects, 100-130 in 45%, 130-160 in 16%, and over 160mg/dl in 4%. The reduction rate of LDL-cholesterol was different between subjects whose LDL decreased below 100 and those whose LDL did not decrease below 130mg/dl, which suggests the existence of the individual difference of responsiveness to simvastatin. There were only 3 subjects (0.9%) who showed increase of liver enzyme over 3 times as the upper normal limit. Conclusion: Simvastatin is effective in improving lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic Korean patients without serious side effects.
Apolipoproteins B ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Individuality ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Simvastatin*

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of simvastatin to improved lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic Korean patients. METHODS: From 25 hospitals in Korea, 478 hypercholesterolemic patients were enrolled from November 1996 to April 1998. The inclusion criteria was hypercholesterolemia over 240 mg/dl after diet therapy for 1 month or hypercholesterolemia over 220 mg/dl in patients with definite evidence of ischemic heart disease. Simvastatin 10mg was started and doubled up to 40mg if total cholesterol level remained higher than 200 mg/dl at monthly check. Of 478 subjects, 344 patients in whom study protocol was not violated were analyzed. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 27:73 and 47% of the subjects were in 6th decade. Hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus were present in 30, 10, and 4% of the subjects. Baseline lipid profile (mean of total cholesterol-LDL-HDL-triglyceride mg/dl) was 274-185-52-188. The dose of simvastatin for 3 months was 10/10/10mg in 61% of subjects, 10/20/20mg in 21%, 10/10/20mg in 7%, and 10/20/40mg in 12%. The change of total cholesterol level(before-4wk-8wk-12wk-withdrawal 4wk) was 274-209- 205-198-250, and the maximal reduction rate was 27%. The change of LDL-cholesterol was 185-123-116-110-159, with maximal reduction rate 39%. The change of HDL-cholesterol was 52-54-56-55-54, with maximal increase rate 9%. The change of tryglyceride was 188-161- 164-162-189, with maximal reduction rate 15%. The value before/after treatment of ApoA1, ApoB, and Lp(a) was 129/129, 138/83, and 9.3/10.7, respectively. The level of LDL-cholesterol at the end of treatment was below 100mg/dl in 36% of subjects, 100-130 in 45%, 130-160 in 16%, and over 160mg/dl in 4%. The reduction rate of LDL-cholesterol was different between subjects whose LDL decreased below 100 and those whose LDL did not decrease below 130mg/dl, which suggests the existence of the individual difference of responsiveness to simvastatin. There were only 3 subjects (0.9%) who showed increase of liver enzyme over 3 times as the upper normal limit. Conclusion: Simvastatin is effective in improving lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic Korean patients without serious side effects.
Apolipoproteins B ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Individuality ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Simvastatin*

Section of the corpus callosum(SCC) is a useful surgical therapy in selected types of epilepsy, i.e., tonic, atonic, and intractable generalized convulsive seizures. The object of this study was to determine effect of SCC on behaviors, electroencephalography(EEG) and Fos expression in the lithium-pilocarpine model of status epilepticus in the rat. A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were used. They were divided into two groups: control and lesioned group, 20 rats for each. The control group had no callosal section and was injected with lithium-pilocarpine. The lesioned group had callosal section before lithium-pilocarpine injection. In each group, ten rats were used for behavior and EEG monitoring and other 10 were used for Fos expression. The results were as follows: 1) In the SCC group, four(40%) rats never developed status epilepticus, among them two(20%) never exhibited any seizure, while all of the control group developed seizure and status epilepticus. None of the SCC animals died until 24 hours after lithium-pilocarpine injection but 70% of the control animals died within 24 hours of status epilepticus. This difference was statistically significant(p<0.05). 2) The mean latency to the first seizure, status epilepticus and periodic epileptiform discharges after lithium-pilocarpine injection were 34.7+/-2.6min, 32.3+/-1.8min and 180.4+/-9.8min, respectively, in the SCC group, while was 21.0+/-2.0min, 58.2+/-6.9min and 215.6+/-7.2min, respectively, in the control group. These latencies were significantly longer than in the control group(p<0.05). 3) There was a massive Fos expression on the cerebral cortex in the control group at 4 hours after lithiumpi-locarpine injection , while it was less in the SCC group. This difference was statistically significant(p<0.05). In conclusion, complete corpus callosotomy had contributed to the protective effect on the development of status epilepticus in the lithium-pilocarpine model which was similar to that observed in humans. And result of Fos expression suggest that Fos immunohistochemisty may be useful in the study of seizure pathways as a metabolic marker in the lithium-pilocarpine model.
Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

Chusid et al proposed diagnostic criteria of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) that remain valid today. These were, (1) a sustained peripheral blood eosinophil count of more than 1500/L present for longer than 6 months ; (2) no evidence of other apparent causes for eosinophilia, and (3) presumptive signs of parenchymal organ involvement. Any organ system may be affected in HES, but the most severe clinicopathological involvements are of the heart and nervous system. Although multiple organ systems may be involved, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality is cardiac involvement with extensive fibrous thickening of the endomyocardium and overlying thrombus. We report a case of acute peri-myocarditis with eosinophilia, which was confirmed as eosinophilic myocarditis by endomyocardial biopsy, with literature review.
Biopsy ; Edema* ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Heart ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Mortality ; Myocarditis* ; Nervous System ; Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Infants are very different from children and adults in the point of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and psychology. The mortality rate of infant anesthesia is higher than that of child and adult. So that this study is to analyze the infant's operation and to recognize the tendency and problems of infant's anesthesia and also to improve the outcome. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 1436 infants who had operations from april 1987 to february 1995 according to age, sex, department, disease, operation time, postoperative complications, mortality rate and anesthetic method. RESULTS: Total number of operation tend to increase annually. The male to female ratio was 67.5% to 32.5%. The distribution of patients by department was 60.6% of general surgery, 21.0% of plastic surgery and small percentage of other department. The distribution of disease was the following : inguinal hernia - the most common; cleft lip and palate, intussusception and others. The postoperative complications developed in 98 of 1436. The most common complication was the respiratory problems, the others were sepsis, electrolyte unbalance, gastrointestinal and CNS problems. The total mortality rate was 3.6%. The emergency operation case was 17.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The most common distribution of age was neonate and the most commm department was general surgery and the most common disease was inguinal hernia. The most common postoperative complication was respiratory problems and the second was infection and sepsis. The mortality rate in preterm infant, neonate, emergency operation and long duration operation was higher than total motality rate.
Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hernia ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intussusception ; Male ; Mortality ; Palate ; Pharmacology ; Physiology ; Postoperative Complications ; Psychology ; Retrospective Studies* ; Sepsis ; Surgery, Plastic