Background: Pediatric alopecia areata (AA) can affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their family members. Research on the QoL and burden on family members in pediatric AA is limited. Objective: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study described the QoL and burden of the family members of patients with pediatric AA. Methods: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study enrolled AA patients between the ages of 5 and 18 years from March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018. Enrolled patients and their parents completed the modified Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the modified Dermatitis Family Impact (mDFI). The disease severity was measured using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) survey scores. Results: A total of 268 patients with AA from 22 hospitals participated in this study. Our study found that the efficacy and satisfaction of previous treatments of AA decreased as the severity of the disease increased. The use of home-based therapies and traditional medicines increased with the increasing severity of the disease, but the efficacy felt by patients was limited. CDLQI and mDFI scores were higher in patients with extensive AA than those with mild to moderate AA. The economic and time burden of the family members also increased as the severity of the disease increased. Conclusion The severity of the AA is indirectly proportional to the QoL of patients and their family members and directly proportional to the burden. Physicians need to understand these characteristics of pediatric AA and provide appropriate intervention to patients and their family members.

Perforation of the biliary tree mostly results from injury to the bile duct during surgery or procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and spontaneous bile duct perforation is rare in adults. As the clinical picture varies, early diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous biliary peritonitis is difficult. A 52-year-old male patient presented with abdominal pain and intractable ascites. He already experienced severe abdominal pain 2 months ago and underwent percutaneous pigtail drainage for the ascites at nearby hospital. ERCP showed large filling defect with leakage of contrast media from the mid common bile duct (CBD) into the peritoneal cavity. We performed endoscopic sphincterotomy and extracted CBD stones with basket and balloon catheter. Then fully covered self expandable metal stent was placed in CBD. After the procedure, the symptom was improved and the amount of pigtail drainage from abdominal cavity was dramatically decreased. 6 weeks later, removing the metal stent, there was no more leakage of contrast media into peritoneal cavity. We report a very rare case of spontaneous bile leakage which was successfully managed with placement of metal stent.
Abdominal Cavity ; Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Ascites ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Catheters ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct* ; Contrast Media ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritonitis ; Self Expandable Metallic Stents ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Stents*

Perforation of the biliary tree mostly results from injury to the bile duct during surgery or procedures such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and spontaneous bile duct perforation is rare in adults. As the clinical picture varies, early diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous biliary peritonitis is difficult. A 52-year-old male patient presented with abdominal pain and intractable ascites. He already experienced severe abdominal pain 2 months ago and underwent percutaneous pigtail drainage for the ascites at nearby hospital. ERCP showed large filling defect with leakage of contrast media from the mid common bile duct (CBD) into the peritoneal cavity. We performed endoscopic sphincterotomy and extracted CBD stones with basket and balloon catheter. Then fully covered self expandable metal stent was placed in CBD. After the procedure, the symptom was improved and the amount of pigtail drainage from abdominal cavity was dramatically decreased. 6 weeks later, removing the metal stent, there was no more leakage of contrast media into peritoneal cavity. We report a very rare case of spontaneous bile leakage which was successfully managed with placement of metal stent.
Abdominal Cavity ; Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Ascites ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Catheters ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct* ; Contrast Media ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritonitis ; Self Expandable Metallic Stents ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Stents*

BACKGROUND: Metabolic health is an emerging concept that is highly correlated with various metabolic complications, and adipocytokines have been causally linked to a wide range of metabolic diseases. Thus, this study compared serum adipocytokine levels according to metabolic health and obesity status. METHODS: Four hundred and fifty-six nondiabetic subjects (mean age, 40.5 years) were categorized into four groups according to metabolic health and obesity status: metabolically healthy nonobese (MHNO), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy nonobese (MUHNO), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO). Being metabolically healthy was defined as the presence of fewer than two of the following five metabolic abnormalities: high blood pressure, high fasting blood glucose, high triglyceride, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and being in the highest decile of the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index. Obesity status was assessed using body mass index (BMI), with obesity defined as a BMI higher than 25 kg/m2. Levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 456 subjects, 247 (54.2%) were in the MHNO group, 66 (14.5%) were in the MHO group, 66 (14.5%) were in the MUHNO group, and 77 (16.9%) were in the MUHO group. There were no significant differences in IL-6 or MCP-1 levels among the groups, but levels of TNF-alpha and A-FABP were significantly higher in the MUHNO group compared to the MHNO group. CONCLUSION: High TNF-alpha and A-FABP levels are significantly associated with metabolically unhealthiness in nonobese Korean individuals.
Adipocytes ; Adipokines ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Carrier Proteins ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Fasting ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance ; Interleukin-6 ; Metabolic Diseases ; Obesity* ; Triglycerides ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered one of the most common risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a potential mechanism that explains the association between renal function and cardiovascular mortality. We aimed to evaluate the association between renal function and CAC in apparently healthy Korean subjects. METHODS: A total of 23,617 participants in a health-screening program at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital were included in the study. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was assessed using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured via multidetector computed tomography. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the CKD Staging system with eGFR grade: stage 1, eGFR > or =90 mL/min/1.73 m2; stage 2, eGFR 60 to 89 mL/min/1.73 m2; and stage 3, eGFR 30 to 59 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 41.4 years and the mean eGFR was 103.6+/-21.7 mL/min/1.73 m2. Hypertension and diabetes were noted in 43.7% and 5.5% of the participants, respectively. eGFR showed a weakly negative but significant association with CACS in bivariate correlation analysis (r=-0.076, P<0.01). Mean CACS significantly increased from CKD stage 1 to 3. The proportion of subjects who had CAC significantly increased from CKD stage 1 to 3. Although the odds ratio for CAC significantly increased from stage 1 to 3 after adjustment for confounding factors, this significance was reversed when age was included in the model. CONCLUSION: In early CKD, renal function negatively correlated with the degree of CAC in Korean subjects. Age was the strongest effector for this association.
Adult* ; Calcium ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Vessels* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Mortality ; Multidetector Computed Tomography ; Odds Ratio ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype is a simple and inexpensive screening parameter to identify people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated whether the HTGW phenotype predicts diabetes in urban Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 2,900 nondiabetic subjects (mean age 44.3 years), comprising 2,078 males (71.7%) and 822 females (28.3%) who underwent annual medical check-ups at our center between January 2005 and December 2009, were recruited. The subjects were divided into four groups according to baseline serum triglyceride (TG) level and waist circumference (WC): normal WC-normal TG (NWNT) level, normal WC-high TG level, enlarged WC-normal TG level, and enlarged WC-high TG (EWHT) level. High serum TG level was defined as > or =150 mg/dL and enlarged WC was defined as > or =90 cm for men and > or =85 cm for women. New cases of diabetes were determined according to questionnaires filled in by participants and the diagnostic criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Cox proportional hazards model analysis was used to assess the association of HTGW phenotype with the incidence of diabetes. RESULTS: A total of 101 (3.5%) new diabetes cases were diagnosed during the study period. The EWHT group had a higher incidence of diabetes (8.3%) compared with the NWNT group (2.2%). The adjusted hazard ratio for diabetes for subjects with the EWHT phenotype at baseline was 4.113 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.397 to 7.059) after adjustment for age, and 2.429 (95% CI, 1.370 to 4.307) after adjustment for age, sex, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and alcohol drinking history. It was attenuated by inclusion of baseline fasting glucose level in the model. CONCLUSION: Subjects with the HTGW phenotype showed the highest risk of incident diabetes. This tool could be useful for identifying individuals at high risk of diabetes.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Hypertriglyceridemic Waist* ; Incidence ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Phenotype* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Migraine Disorders

Paclitaxel has been widely used for treating many solid tumors. Although colonic toxicity is an unusual complication of paclitaxel-based chemotherapy, the reported toxicities include pseudomembranous colitis, neutropenic enterocolitis and on rare occasions ischemic colitis. Genexol-PM(R), which is a recently developed cremophor-free, polymeric micelle-formulated paclitaxel, has shown a more potent antitumor effect because it can increase the usual dose of paclitaxel due to that Genexol-PM(R) does not include the toxic cremophor compound. We report here on a case of a 57-year-old man with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and who developed ischemic colitis after chemotherapy with Genexol-PM(R) and cisplatin. He complained of hematochezia with abdominal pain on the left lower quadrant. Colonoscopy revealed diffuse mucosal hemorrhage and edema from the sigmoid colon to the splenic flexure. After bowel rest, he recovered from his symptoms and the follow-up colonoscopic findings showed that the mucosa was healing. Since then, he was treated with pemetrexed monotherapy instead of a paclitaxel compound and platinum.
Abdominal Pain ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cisplatin ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colon, Transverse ; Colonoscopy ; Edema ; Enterocolitis, Neutropenic ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Glutamates ; Guanine ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Paclitaxel ; Platinum ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Polymers ; Pemetrexed

Uremic encephalopathy is a well-known complication in uremia and rarely occurs with involuntary movements which represent basal ganglia lesion. We experienced a cases of recurrent acute uremic encephalopathy associated with reversible bilateral basal ganglia lesion. A 49-year-old man with end stage renal disease due to diabetic nephropathy on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment for the last 2 months was admitted for mental change. His blood sugar was 60 mg/dl, and his mentality was recovered after glucose solution infusion. Five days after admission, he suddenly developed dysarthria and chorea. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated low and high signals on bilateral basal ganglia in T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, respectively. After intensified CAPD treatment, his neurologic manifestations were resolved. One month after discharge, follow-up brain MRI showed decreased size of low attenuation on the basal ganglia. Two months later, he repeatedly developed dysarthria and involuntary movement of extremities. Newly developed bilateral symmetric T1 low and T2 high signal lesion on the basal ganglia was repeatedly observed on brain MRI. At that time, (his) Kt/V was 1.33. So we decided on him to switch from CAPD to hemodialysis, after then his symptoms disappeared.
Basal Ganglia ; Blood Glucose ; Brain ; Chorea ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Dysarthria ; Dyskinesias ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Renal Dialysis ; Uremia

BACKGROUND: Recently, many studies have reported that university students have been suffering from stress because of their the uncertainty of their future and employment. Eating habits have often been considered as one of health-related behaviors that may be affected by life stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stress and eating habits in university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed. The subjects were 282 university students which assessed their eating habits and stresses. The total numbs of students in the study 263. Eating habits were scored using a questionnaire consisting of three categories-regularity, balance, and preference. The stress was assessed by modified Korean version of BEPSI. RESULTS: The stress score was 2.4 and the total score of eating habits was 44.2. The regularity among the domains of eating habits was 14.1, the balance score was 16.1, and the preference was 14.0. In multiple regression after adjustment with confounding variables, stress had a negative relationship with eating habits. CONCLUSION: The relationship between stress and eating habits was statistically significant, especially in regularity and balance. It is important to know not only the health status, but also the factors associated with health such as stresses and eating habits in order to improve the health status of the university students. Further research needs to uncover causality and make a generalization.
Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eating* ; Employment ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Humans ; Stress, Psychological ; Uncertainty ; Surveys and Questionnaires