Thoracic foreign bodies (FBs) are serious and relatively frequent in emergency departments. Thoracic FBs may occur in association with aspiration, ingestion, trauma, or iatrogenic causes. Imaging plays an important role in the identification of FBs and their dimensions, structures, and locations, before the initiation of interventional treatment. To guide proper clinical management, radiologists should be aware of the radiologic presentations and the consequences of thoracic FBs. In this pictorial essay, we reviewed the optimal imaging settings to identify FBs in the thorax, classified thoracic FBs into four types according to their etiology, and reviewed the characteristic imaging features and the possible complications.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze articles published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Nursing (JKAN) between 2010 and 2019, along with those published in three international nursing journals, to improve JKAN’s international reputation. Methods: The overall characteristics of JKAN’s published papers and keywords, study participants, types of nursing interventions and dependent variables, citations, and cited journals were analyzed. Additionally, the keywords and study designs, publication-related characteristics, journal impact factors (JIF), and Eigenfactor scores of International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS), International Nursing Review (INR), Nursing & Health Sciences (NHS), and JKAN were analyzed and compared. Results: Among the four journals, JKAN’s score was the lowest in both the journal impact factor and Eigenfactor score. In particular, while the JIF of INR and NHS has been continuously increasing; JKAN’s JIF has remained static for almost 10 years. The journals which had cited JKAN and those which JKAN had cited were mainly published in Korean. Conclusion JKAN still has a low IF and a low ranking among Social Citation Index (E) journals during the past 10 years, as compared to that of four international journals. To enhance JKAN’s status as an international journal, it is necessary to consider publishing it in English and to continuously improve the conditions of other publications.

Angiomyofibroblastoma is a rare benign soft tissue neoplasm that predominantly occurs in the genital region of middle-aged women. We present a case of an angiomyofibroblastoma that involved the posterior perivesical space in a 48-year-old woman. We have documented the magnetic resonance imaging features of this case.
Angiofibroma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Angiomyoma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Vaginal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology

Dilated coronary sinus is often visualized on echocardiography in patients with right sided heart disease as well as with persistent left superior vena cava. We observed a case of markedly dilated coronay sinus caused by persistent left superior vena cava and severe tricuspid regurgitation. The diagnosis was made by transthoracic echocardiography with intravenous injection of agitated saline into both arm.
Arm ; Coronary Sinus* ; Diagnosis ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency* ; Vena Cava, Superior*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical effects of conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection through conjunctival incision in anophthalmic patients with mild ptosis. METHODS: Conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection was performed by one surgeon in 8 patients (8 eyes) who had received evisceration or enucleation and responded to 10% phenylephrine solution to correct ptosis. The average age of the patients was 35.87+/-13.4 years. Ptosis was seen from 1 to 34 months after evisceration or enucleation. The preoperative MRD 1 was -2 to 0.5 mm (average: -0.25+/-1.10 mm) and the difference of MRD 1 between before and after 10% phenylephrine use was 2.56+/-0.98 mm. The Muller muscle was resected 7.5 to 9 mm through conjunctival incision during surgery to match the MRD 1 of sound eye. Mean follow-up period after the operation was 2 to 16 months (average: 8.1 months). RESULTS: Postoperatively, the MRD 1 increased by 1.81+/-0.88 mm on the average, corresponding to the improvement in lid elevation after the use of 10% phenylephrine performed before resection. Surgery was successful in most patients, and postoperative difference in MRD 1 was less than 1 mm from the sound eye. No special postoperative complication was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection is one of the effective methods of correcting mild ptosis in anophthalmic patients.
Adult ; Anophthalmos/*complications ; Blepharoptosis/etiology/*surgery ; Conjunctiva/*surgery ; Eyelids/physiopathology ; Facial Muscles/*surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Contraction ; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical effects of conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection through conjunctival incision in anophthalmic patients with mild ptosis. METHODS: Conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection was performed by one surgeon in 8 patients (8 eyes) who had received evisceration or enucleation and responded to 10% phenylephrine solution to correct ptosis. The average age of the patients was 35.87+/-13.4 years. Ptosis was seen from 1 to 34 months after evisceration or enucleation. The preoperative MRD 1 was -2 to 0.5 mm (average: -0.25+/-1.10 mm) and the difference of MRD 1 between before and after 10% phenylephrine use was 2.56+/-0.98 mm. The Muller muscle was resected 7.5 to 9 mm through conjunctival incision during surgery to match the MRD 1 of sound eye. Mean follow-up period after the operation was 2 to 16 months (average: 8.1 months). RESULTS: Postoperatively, the MRD 1 increased by 1.81+/-0.88 mm on the average, corresponding to the improvement in lid elevation after the use of 10% phenylephrine performed before resection. Surgery was successful in most patients, and postoperative difference in MRD 1 was less than 1 mm from the sound eye. No special postoperative complication was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctiva-Muller muscle resection is one of the effective methods of correcting mild ptosis in anophthalmic patients.
Adult ; Anophthalmos/*complications ; Blepharoptosis/etiology/*surgery ; Conjunctiva/*surgery ; Eyelids/physiopathology ; Facial Muscles/*surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Contraction ; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Transradial coronary angiography and intervention are getting more popularity throughout the world because of lower incidence of puncture site complications and the patients have displayed early ambulation. However, radial arterial spasms and possible endothelial injury due to the small size of radial artery are troublesome. To overcome this problem, we investigated the usefulness of performing transradial coronary angiography using a single Judkins left catheter (JL). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 268 patients who underwent right transradial coronary angiography from June 2003 to December 2003 were enrolled for this prospective study. The Judkins Left 3.5(JL3.5), the Multipurpose (MP) and Amplatz Left (AL2 for males, AL1 for females) were assigned to be used in patients with a randomized protocol. The technical/angiographic success rate, procedural/fluoroscopic time and the frequency of stiffwire usage were assessed. RESULTS: Technical success was accomplished in 87 (96.7%) of the patients with a single JL3.5, in 90 (97.8%) of the patients with the MP and in 83 (96.5%) of the patients with the AL catheter. Successful angiography success was achieved in 77 (85.6%) of the patients using the JL3.5, in 71 (77.2%) of the patients using the MP and in 66 patients (76.7%) using the AL. The technical success rate (p=0.270) and the angiographic success rate (p= 0.162) showed no significant difference among the three catheters. The procedural time was 8.1+/-4.0 min in the JL3.5 group, 8.1+/-3.7 min in the MP group and 7.3+/-3.4 min in the AL group, respectively (p=0.431). Also, the fluoroscopic time was not different among the three groups. CONCLUSION: The JL3.5 catheter is an excellent tool for both coronary imaging and it is equally successful as compared with the MP and AL catheters. Therefore, the JL3.5 may be considered as the initial catheter that can be used, including for those difficult cases having tortuous vasculature of the subclavian artery and the ascending aorta, during transradial coronary angiography.
Angiography ; Aorta ; Catheters* ; Coronary Angiography* ; Early Ambulation ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Punctures ; Radial Artery ; Spasm ; Subclavian Artery

OBJECTIVES: Maternal anemia is common hematologic disorders during pregnancy. Although mild maternal anemia is not associated with fetal anemia, neonatal morbidity including fetal anemia are common with severe maternal anemia during pregnancies. We aim to analyze each variable of FHR using linear and nonlinear methods to detect maternal anemia during pregnancies. METHODS: Seventy antepartal anemic pregnant women(Hb<10.0g/dL) and the contrast group, 70 normal pregnant women were selected among the women who underwent nonstress test(NST) during 3rd trimester in Hanyang University Hospital. The calculated FHR parameters(NST time=20 min) from collected FHR data(40-50min) were made by HYFM II data file. To assess the difference between the anemic and normal pregnancy group, the parameters such as baseline FHR, variability (AMP, MMR), acceleration and deceleration(15bpm-15seconds), gestational age at the time of NST, loss of record, the number of fetal movement, FHR were evaluated. We compared the canonical correlation between each groups using variables of NST. The overall complexity of each FHR time series was quantified by its approximate entropy(ApEn), measure of regularity derived from nonlinear dynamics, "chaos theory". Finally we extract the value of ApEn and were compared between two groups, normal and anemic pregnant women. RESULTS: There were significant decrease of FHR variability(amplitude and mean minute interval) in anemic group. Canonical correlation ensemble was significantly high in 36th-37th and 38th-39th gestational weeks in anemic group(p-value=0.03048 and 0.03421). The value of ApEn was significantly low(0.68+0.26) in anemic group comparing with normal pregnant group(0.95+0.08), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that FHR of maternal anemia is different from that of normal pregnant women, and that subtle behavioral differences could be demonstrated in uterus using computerized FHR analysis. The anemic women during pregnancy have more linear and less complicated FHR than the normal pregnancy group. ApEn, which is bound to be used as an index of fetal well-being would be used as an evaluating tool of intrauterine fetal function in the near future.
Acceleration ; Anemia* ; Anemia, Neonatal ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; Entropy* ; Female ; Fetal Movement ; Gestational Age* ; Heart Rate, Fetal ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Uterus

The goal of this study was to evaluate the sonographic findings of thyroid metastases arising from non-thyroid primaries. The study over a 5-year period comprised nine patients who had histopathologically proven metastatic disease to the thyroid. Ultrasonography was available in all cases. Ultrasound-guided needle aspiration was performed on 10 suspected nodules as determined by ultrasound. The Ultrasonographic findings were analyzed in two different ways. The first analysis included only those nodules biopsed, and the second analysis included all the nodules, biopsed and non- biopsed. The primary neoplasms were breast carcinoma (n=6), uterine leiomyosarcoma (n=1), cervical carcinoma (n=1), and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n=1). Excluding 2 nodules, the 8 remaining metastatic nodules exhibited ill-defined hypoechoic character with heterogeneous texture. The other two nodules showed relatively circumscribed iso- or hypo-echoic character with cystic portion. From the analysis of ultrasonographic findings including all thyroid nodules irrespective of pathologic proof, 7 cases - excluding the 2 cases from the 9 cases - showed unilateral or bilateral multiple nodules suspected of metastasis. There was no evidence of microcalcification in any thyroid nodules. In conclusion, the sonographic findings of the thyroid metastatic nodules were not specific, but unilateral or bilateral multiple suspected thyroid nodules without evidence of microcalcification may be suggestive of metastatic nodules among patients with a known primary non-thyroidal tumor.
Adult ; Female ; Human ; Middle Age ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology/*secondary/*ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Since the bioavailability of itraconazole capsule is influenced by patients gastric acidity, it results in treatment failure due to its low dissolution and subsequent low absorption when administered in fasting. Itraconazole Melt-Extrusion tablet has been lately developed in order to improve its dissolution profile. It is the first clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of itraconazole Melt-Extrusion tablet in Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of itraconazole melt-extrusion tablet 400mg daily for 1 week(pulse therapy) for hyperkeratotic type of tinea pedis and manus. METHODS: A clinical and mycological investigation was made of 812 outpatients with hyperkeratotic type of tinea pedis and/or tinea manus who had visited at 52 general hospitals under the lead of the Korean Dermatological Association from June to December, 1998. Patients confirmed by clinically and microscopically as hyperkeratotic type of tinea pedis and/or tinea manus were administered 2 tablets twice a day for one week and followed up for 8 weeks from the start of the medication. RESULTS: The results were summarized as follows; 1. Clinical symptoms of hyperkeratotic type of tinea pedis and/or tinea mauns were significantly improved at the end of study, week 8(p<0.001). 2. Clinical response rate, defined as more than 50% decrease of the sum of the clinical symptom scores, was 79.3%(512/646). 3. Mycological cure rate, dafined as both culture and KOH negative at week 8, was 78.2%(244 /312). 4. 40(5.5%) patients, of the 727 patients evaluable for drug safety evaluation, were reported to have adverse event. CONCLUSION: Itraconazole Melt-Extrusion tablet 400mg/day for 1 week (pulse therapy) is effective and safe in the treatment of hyperkeratotic type of tinea pedis and/or tinea manus.
Absorption ; Biological Availability ; Fasting ; Gastric Acid ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Itraconazole* ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Tablets ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea* ; Treatment Failure