BACKGROUND: Invasive and life-threatening infections such as meningitis, pericarditis, peritonitis, empyema, and septic arthritis are diagnosed via culture of relevant body fluids (BFs). The blood culture system (BCS) has been reported to be a useful alternative for BFs culture to enhance recovery of fastidious microorganisms and reduce detection time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of BCS as compared to conventional culture method (CCM) in terms of culture yield. METHODS: The samples collected between October 2011 and September 2012 were processed using CCM, while those collected between October 2012 and September 2013 were processed using BCS. The 2 processes were compared in terms of total number of requests, recovery rate, turnaround time (TAT), and detection time. RESULTS: The positive rate using CCM was 18.2% (575/3,151), where 845 isolates were recovered from 575 specimens. Using BCS, the positive rate was 28.3% (922/3,260), where 1,472 isolates were recovered from 922 specimens. While comparing the 2 methods on terms of yield of clinically significant isolates, a greater number of fungi (1.2%) and anaerobic bacteria (1.4%) were recovered using BCS as compared to using CCM. The difference in TAT for positive samples was 24 hours and 40 minutes, where BCS had a shorter TAT than CCM. The mean detection time of 951 positive samples by BCS was 19 hours and 56 minutes. Growth of clinically significant isolates was detected within 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: BCS for culture of BFs showed an improvement in recovery rate, number of isolates, and TAT as compared to CCM. Thus, BCS is a suitable alternative for culture of BFs.
Arthritis, Infectious ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Body Fluids* ; Empyema ; Fungi ; Meningitis ; Pericarditis ; Peritonitis

We present a case of in-utero vesicoamniotic shunting and postnatal vesicostomy in a very low birth weight baby with posterior urethral valve syndrome. He was diagnosed as posterior urethral valve at 24(+5) weeks' gestation. Because of severe hydronephrosis and oligohydroamnios, the shunt was established by basket-shaped catheter at 27(+0) weeks' gestation. After shunt, hydronephrosis improved. At 29(+4) weeks' gestation, the shunt catheter escaped from its position and severe urinary ascites and hydronephrosis developed. At 30 weeks' gestation, the baby was born and showed elevated BUN and creatinine. On the 10th day of birth, vesicostomy was done for urinary drainage. Thereafter, the baby has been followed up for 10 months and has had recurrent episodes of urinary infection. We report the case with a brief review of literature.
Ascites ; Catheters ; Creatinine ; Cystostomy* ; Drainage ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; United Nations

OBJECTIVE: To understand the difference of defecation physiology between postpartum and postoperative women. METHODS: Between July 1998 to April 1999, we performed defecogram and pudendal nerve motor latency to 31 women, who were 8 postoperative women, 9 post cesarean-section state women, and 14 normal vaginal delivery-state women. RESULTS: According to the defecogram results, only squeezing angles of the anorectal angle were significantly increased(96.0 vs 72.3, 74.9 degree) in normal vaginal delivery-state women compared to post cesarean-section state and postoperative women, but rest and evacuation angles were not. And to pudendal nerve latency, there were no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the pudendal plexus was damaged during labor, therefore its ability to control puborectalis muscle was damaged. So, the anorectal angles of squeezing of postpartum women were significantly increased, compared to those of post cesarean section women or postoperative women.
Cesarean Section ; Defecation* ; Female ; Humans ; Physiology* ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Pudendal Nerve*

Far Eastern countries including Korea show the high prevalence of hepatitis B virus carriers, so that the incidence of liver cirrhosis is higher than in western countries. But pregnancies with liver cirrhosis are rarely encountered in clinical settings, since liver cirrhosis usually develops after childbearing ages and often causes the disturbance of estrogen metabolism, resulting in severe menstrual irregularity and infertility. Therefore, little is known about the interactions between liver cirrhosis and pregnancy. Liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension are not contraindications to pregnancy but necessitate intensive monitoring throughout pregnancy because the complications of liver cirrhosis, which pose additional risks during pregnancy, are numerous and unpredictable. We report 3 cases of pregnancies in patients with liver cirrhosis with brief review of the literature.
Estrogens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Incidence ; Infertility ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Metabolism ; Pregnancy* ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: To correlate the pathologic and MR findings of distal femoral cortical irregularity(DFCI) in adult. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed knee MR images of 120 adult patients(25-62 years old) without infection, tumor, or fracture. Five femoral specimens of adult cadaver were used to correlate pathologic and MR findings. A double cortical line' on MR images was interpreted as DFCI, and MR findings were analyzed to determine the thickness, internal signal intensity, location of the DFCI, shape of the external cortex, and clarity of the inner cortex. The outer cortex was classified as either convex or flat, and the inner cortex was classified according to its thickness and continuity as one of three types. RESULTS: One hundred and sixteen patients(97%) had DFCI, which in all cases was observed at the attachment site of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. Mean thickness was 3.7mm and DFCI was thicker in men than in women(p<0.05). The outer cortex was convex in 75 cases(65 %) and flat in 41(35 %). The inner cortex was thick and continuous in 47cases(41 %, mean age 31), thin and continuous in 54(47 %, mean age 38), and thin and discontinuous in 19(16 %, mean age 47). Clarity tended to diminish with age. The internal area of DFCI showed signal intensity equal to that of adjacent bone marrow and was pathologically proven to be normal marrow tissue. CONCLUSION: DFCI was observed in most adults and was considered to be a normal variation. Its MR and pathologic findings were different to those observed during periods of growth.
Adult* ; Bone Marrow ; Cadaver ; Head ; Humans ; Knee ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Retrospective Studies

We report a case of testicular tunica albuginea cyst with psammoma body which was treated with excision and testicular preservation. The presumptive diagnosis of a simple intratesticular cyst was made by ultrasound. The intraoperative pathological diagnosis was benign serous cyst and then simple excision of the lesion with testicular masses, and it may permit identification of lesions that can be excised locally with testicular preservation. To our knowledge tunica albuginea cyst with psammoma body, a characteristic histological finding, has not been reported. Its histogenesis was also discussed.
Diagnosis ; Testis ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether abnormal triple marker in the second trimester may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Between November 1996 and April 1998, we evaluated 1,158 pregnant women undergoing second trimester triple marker screening tests who delivered at our hospital. The pregnancy outcomes of 48 women with false positive screens were compared with 1,158 screen negative controls. The pregnancy outcomes were obtained from hospital delivery records. RESULTS: Women with abnormal triple marker showed increased risks for low birth weight(p<0.01). But there was no significant differences between study and control groups with respect to preterm labor, pregnancy induced hypertension, oligohydroamnios, premature rupture of membrane, placenta previa, abruptio placenta, fetal death in utero. CONCLUSION: Abnormal triple marker in the second trimester was associated with low birth weight.
Female ; Fetal Death ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening* ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy, High-Risk* ; Pregnant Women ; Rupture

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the usefulness of diffusion-weighted MR imaging(DWI) in patients with small acuteinfarction by comparing it with fast spin-echo T2-weighted MR imaging(FSE T2WI). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Weretrospectively analyzed the results of FSE T2WI in 26 consecutive patients who on DWI showed small discretehyperintensities of less than 1.5cm and whose final clinical diagnosis, within one week of clinical attack, wasacute inforction. Lacunar infarcts accounted for 24 cases and 2 small cortical infarcts for two. The onset ofsymptoms occurred within 12 hours (hyperacute stage) in two patients, within 24 hours in seven, within 3 days innine, and within one week in eight. Infarcts as seen on FSE T2WI were categorized as follows : (-) for cases ofimpossible localization with non-visualization ; (+/-) for cases of equivocal localization with faint visualizationand/or poor differentiation from combined chronic infarcts and chronic ischemic changes, or from subarachnoid CSFin cases of cortical infarction ; and (+) for cases of adequate localization with clear visualization andmoderately good differentiation from the associated brain changes, or from subarachnoid CSF in cases of corticalinfarction. These infarcts were analyzed according to the time of onset of symptoms. RESULT: For the localizationof small acute infarctions, DWI was markedly superior to the category(-), moderately superior to the category(+/-).With regard to the onset of symptoms, DWI was markedly or moderately superior to FSE T2WI in 2/2 (100%) ofhyperacute stage diagnosed within 12 hour of clinical attack, in 4/7(57%) diagnosed within 24 hours, in 5/9 (56%)diagnosed within 3 days, and in 1/8 (13%) diagnosed within 1 week(p<0.05). In 12/26 cases(46%), small acuteinfarcts were localized by DWI better than by FSE T2WI. CONCLUSION: Because the signal was unchanged or itsintensity was poor, small infarcts at the acute stage were frequently difficult to localize by FSE T2WI. Inaddition, differentiation of these from combined chronic infarcts and chronic ischemic change was poor. DWI canlocalize small acute infarcts even when the results of FSE T2WI are negative or inconclusive.
Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Stroke, Lacunar

Congenital tracheal stenosis is very rare, but it leads to life threatening obstruction in infancy and childhood. Recently, we experienced two cases of congenital tracheal stenosis, involving half of the distal trachea. We adopted slide tracheoplasty procedure proposed by Peter Goldstraw. Tracheoplasty was performed by dividing the stenosis at midpoint, incising the proximal and distal narrow segments vertically on opposite anterior and posterior surfaces, and sliding these together. On case 1, the patient is now doing well. On case 2, the patient succumbed due to anastomotic disruption at postoperative day 4.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis*

Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collaterals is a rare and complex lesion in which great morphologic variability exists regarding the sources of pulmonary blood flow. We report a case of this disease with no true central pulmonary arteries in a 9-month-old-boy successfully treated by one-stage complete unifocalization and repair from a midline sternotomy approach.
Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Atresia* ; Sternotomy