STUDY DESIGN: A noninterventional, multicenter, cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: We investigated the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the quality of life (QoL) and functional disability in Korean adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Among patients with CLBP, 20%–55% had NP. METHODS: Patients older than 20 years with CLBP lasting for longer than three months, with a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score higher than four, and with pain medications being used for at least four weeks before enrollment were recruited from 27 general hospitals between December 2014 and May 2015. Medical chart reviews were performed to collect demographic/clinical features and diagnosis of NP (douleur neuropathique 4, DN4). The QoL (EuroQoL 5-dimension, EQ-5D; EQ-VAS) and functional disability (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale, QBPDS) were determined through patient surveys. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare PROs between the NP (DN4≥4) and non-NP (DN4 < 4) groups. RESULTS: A total of 1,200 patients (females: 65.7%; mean age: 63.4±13.0 years) were enrolled. The mean scores of EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, and QBPDS were 0.5±0.3, 55.7±19.4, and 40.4±21.1, respectively. Among all patients, 492 (41.0%; 95% confidence interval, 38.2%–43.8%) suffered from NP. The prevalence of NP was higher in male patients (46.8%; p < 0.01), in patients who had pain based on radiological and neurological findings (59.0%; p < 0.01), and in patients who had severe pain (49.0%; p < 0.01). There were significant mean differences in EQ-5D (NP group vs. non-NP group: 0.4±0.3 vs. 0.5±0.3; p < 0.01) and QBPDS (NP group vs. non-NP group: 45.8±21.2 vs. 36.3±20.2; p < 0.01) scores. In the multiple linear regression, patients with NP showed lower EQ-5D (β=−0.1; p < 0.01) and higher QBPDS (β=7.0; p < 0.01) scores than those without NP. CONCLUSIONS: NP was highly prevalent in Korean patients with CLBP. Patients with CLBP having NP had a lower QoL and more severe dysfunction than those without NP. To enhance the QoL and functional status of patients with CLBP, this study highlights the importance of appropriately diagnosing and treating NP.
Adult* ; Back Pain ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Low Back Pain* ; Male ; Neuralgia* ; Prevalence* ; Quality of Life ; Visual Analog Scale

Behcet's disease is a systemic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, genital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Renal involvement is rare in patients with Behcet's disease particularly immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. Other autoimmune diseases have been associated with increased risk of malignancy, but not Behcet's disease. Some cases of Behcet's disease accompanied by bladder cancer, thyroid cancer, stomach cancer, or hematologic malignancies have been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, co-occurrence of Behcet's diseases with thymic carcinoma has not yet been reported. We experienced a 49-year-old male patient who had been treated for Behcet disease and IgA nephropathy, who presented with a large mediastinal mass on chest x-ray. After thymectomy, he was diagnosed with thymic carcinoma with complete resection.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Behcet Syndrome ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomatitis, Aphthous ; Thorax ; Thymectomy ; Thymoma* ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Ulcer ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Uveitis

Several autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions have been consistently linked with an increased risk of hematologic malignancies. Although ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease, previous studies have demonstrated that it is not associated with an increase in risk of malignant lymphomas. Cases of AS accompanied by hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and Hodgkin's disease have been reported. In Korea, AS with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or follicular lymphoma has not been reported. We experienced a 38-year-old male who had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma with bone metastasis, who achieved complete remission after having been treated with chemotherapy, developed new inflammatory back pain. An MRI of his hip showed an active inflammation of the left sacroiliac joint and a positive HLA-B27. The patient was diagnosed with AS and was treated with naproxen, which improved the pain in his back and buttock.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Buttocks ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hip ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Follicular ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Male ; Multiple Myeloma ; Naproxen ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

BACKGROUND: Warfarin is a widely used oral anticoagulant with broad within- and between-individual dose requirements. Warfarin concentrations can be monitored by assessing its pharmacologic effects on International Normalized Ratio (INR). However, this approach has not been applied in the routine clinical management of patients receiving warfarin therapy. We performed a plasma warfarin assay using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to determine if such an assay can be utilized in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We included a total of 105 patients with atrial fibrillation, and who were receiving warfarin for more than 1 yr. The plasma concentrations of total warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin were determined by HPLC-MS/MS (Waters, UK). We assessed the association between warfarin dose, concentration, and INR as well as the effects of these factors on warfarin concentrations. RESULTS: The mean maintenance dose of warfarin in 105 patients was 4.1+/-1.3 mg/day (range, 1.7-8.0 mg/day) and their mean plasma warfarin concentration was 1.3+/-0.5 mg/L. We defined a concentration range of 0.6-2.6 mg/L (corresponding to the 2.5th to 97.5th percentile range of the Plasma warfarin levels in the 74 patients showing INR within target range) as the therapeutic range for warfarin. The correlation of warfarin dose with warfarin concentration (r2=0.259, P<0.001) was higher than that with INR (r2=0.029, P=0.072). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant correlation between warfarin dose and plasma warfarin concentrations in Korean patients with atrial fibrillation. Hence, plasma warfarin monitoring can help determine dose adjustments and improve our understanding of individual patient response to warfarin treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anticoagulants/*blood/therapeutic use ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atrial Fibrillation/drug therapy ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Warfarin/analogs & derivatives/*blood/metabolism/therapeutic use

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the similarities and differences in neonatal medical terminology between South Korea and North Korea. METHODS: This study was carried out by searching North Korean neonatal terminologies used in textbooks published in North Korea and comparing those terms with the South Korean terms used in textbooks in South Korea. RESULTS: The North Korean terms are different from the South Korean terms in that North Korean terms adopt more from the native language. There are also some differences in the inscription of foreign language, spelling and spacing. But, there are few terms that cannot be capable of communication. CONCLUSION: We could identify the major differences between South Korean and North Korean neonatal medical terms. We should take effort to establish unified terms by establishing more communication between both sides.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea* ; Korea* ; Neonatology

In the average adult with a normal immune state, Epstein-Barr virus pneumonia is very rare, especially in the form of interstitial lung disease. According to recent studies, the Epstein-Barr virus is also associated with lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, AIDS and Langerhans cell histiocytosis, but not with sarcoidosis. BOOP is caused by lung injury due to an infection or drug intoxication, and is related to connective tissue disease or bone marrow transplantation, but is sometimes idiopathic. We experienced a patient with symptoms and signs of interstitial lung disease, with confirmed BOOP and EBV ingection from an open lung biopsy and serologic examination, respectively Herein, this case is reported, with a review of the literature.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Bronchiolitis Obliterans* ; Bronchiolitis* ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Injury ; Pneumonia ; Sarcoidosis

Lung cancer, breast cancer and lymphoma are the common oncologic causes of malignant pleural effusion, comprising more than the half of the causes. However, an endocrinologic carcinoma associated malignant effusion is very rare. Recently, we encountered a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma causing malignant effusion. An 83-year-old female patient presented with dyspnea due to massive pleural effusion in her left side. The pleural biopsy, pleural fluid cytology and breast needle aspiration biopsy results were consistent with a metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid ultrasonography showed two thyroid masses, but the patient refused a thyroid biopsy. This case highlights the need for considering the possibility of papillary thyroid carcinoma when the cause of malignant pleural effusion cannot be found because one of the rare clinical manifestations of a papillary thyroid carcinoma can be dyspnea due to malignant effusion.
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymphoma ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

Lung cancer, breast cancer and lymphoma are the common oncologic causes of malignant pleural effusion, comprising more than the half of the causes. However, an endocrinologic carcinoma associated malignant effusion is very rare. Recently, we encountered a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma causing malignant effusion. An 83-year-old female patient presented with dyspnea due to massive pleural effusion in her left side. The pleural biopsy, pleural fluid cytology and breast needle aspiration biopsy results were consistent with a metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thyroid ultrasonography showed two thyroid masses, but the patient refused a thyroid biopsy. This case highlights the need for considering the possibility of papillary thyroid carcinoma when the cause of malignant pleural effusion cannot be found because one of the rare clinical manifestations of a papillary thyroid carcinoma can be dyspnea due to malignant effusion.
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymphoma ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

A distant metastasis from a renal cell carcinoma is quite common after a radical nephrectomy. For this reason, a5 year scheduled follow up is recommended. However, a distant metastasis 5 years after the resection is quite rare. We encountered an endobronchial metastasis from a renal cell carcinoma that was discovered 7 years after the radical nephrectomy, and did not present during the 5 year scheduled follow up regimen. We report this case with a review of the literatures.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Nephrectomy*

PURPOSE: The object of this study was to determine the difference between two methods for myocardial performance index(MPI) in children, using the conventional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography. METHODS: A total of 27 children with anatomically normal hearts were enrolled for the study. all were examined by conventional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography at Gangneung Asan Hospital between December, 2005 and February, 2006. First, we measured the time interval(a1) between the mitral inflows from apical 4-chamber view, and the ejection time(ET1) from apical 5-chamber view. And then, we calculated MPI1, isovolumic contraction time(ICT1) and isovolumic relaxation time (IRT1). Secondly, we measured ICT2, ET2 and IRT2 from apical 5-chamber view with a Dopper signal placed at just below junction between mitral and aortic valve at the same cardiac cycle. And then, we calculated MPI2. We compared MPI1 to MPI2. All MPIs were calculated by using the formula, MPI=(ICT+IRT)/ET. RESULTS: The mean age was 5.7+/-2.2 years old(M:F=15:12). The MPI2 was higher than MPI1: 0.277+/-0.083 vs. 0.428+/-0.081(MPI1 vs MPI2, P=0.000). Also, the ICT2 was higher than ICT1: 56+/-15 msec vs 97+/-18 msec(ICT1 vs ICT2, P=0.000) and the IRT2 was higher than IRT1: 42+/-8 msec vs 53+/-9 msec(IRT1 vs IRT2, P=0.000). But, the ET2 was lower than ET1: 260+/-16 msec vs 254+/-14 msec (ET1 vs ET2, P=0.01). There was, as well, positive linear correlation between MPI1 and MPI2. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there is a difference between MPI1 and MPI2 in connection with estimating methods. However, the two MPIs had a positive linear correlation. Judging from our results, the MPI of the new method might be a useful index of venticular global function in children.
Aortic Valve ; Child* ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Humans ; Relaxation