Sarcoidosis is a multi-systemic inflammatory disease in which non-caseating granuloma occur in different sites producing variable clinical symptoms. Although it can involve various organs including brain and orbits, bilateral optic neuritis as the first symptom of systemic sarcoidosis is rare. Sarcoidosis is a diagnostic challenge, especially if systemic symptoms are absent. We report a patient who presented bilateral optic neuritis as the first manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis without other systemic symptoms including cranial neuropathies or intraocular involvement.

Background: The fatality rate of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies among countries owing to demographics, patient comorbidities, surge capacity of healthcare systems, and the quality of medical care. We assessed the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 during the first wave of the epidemic in Korea. Methods: Using a modified World Health Organization clinical record form, we obtained clinical data for 3,060 patients with COVID-19 treated at 55 hospitals in Korea. Disease severity scores were defined as: 1) no limitation of daily activities; 2) limitation of daily activities but no need for supplemental oxygen; 3) supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula; 4) supplemental oxygen via facial mask; 5) non-invasive mechanical ventilation; 6) invasive mechanical ventilation; 7) multi-organ failure or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy; and 8) death. Recovery was defined as a severity score of 1 or 2, or discharge and release from isolation. Results: The median age of the patients was 43 years of age; 43.6% were male. The median time from illness onset to admission was 5 days. Of the patients with a disease severity score of 3–4 on admission, 65 (71.5%) of the 91 patients recovered, and 7 (7.7%) died due to illness by day 28. Of the patients with disease severity scores of 5–7, 7 (19.5%) of the 36 patients recovered, and 8 (22.2%) died due to illness by day 28. None of the 1,324 patients who were < 50 years of age died; in contrast, the fatality rate due to illness by day 28 was 0.5% (2/375), 0.9% (2/215), 5.8% (6/104), and 14.0% (7/50) for the patients aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years of age, respectively. Conclusion In Korea, almost all patients of < 50 years of age with COVID-19 recovered without supplemental oxygen. In patients of ≥ 50 years of age, the fatality rate increased with age, reaching 14% in patients of ≥ 80 years of age.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify minimum data sets for oral mucous integrity-related documentation and to analyze nursing records for oral care.METHODS: To identify minimum data sets for oral status, the authors reviewed 26 assessment tools and a practical guideline for oral care. The content validity of the minimum data sets was assessed by three nurse specialists. To map the minimum data sets to nursing records, the authors examined 107 nursing records derived from 44 patients who received chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in one tertiary hospital.RESULTS: The minimum data sets were 10 elements such as location, mucositis grade, pain, hygiene, dysphagia, exudate, inflammation, difficulty speaking, and moisture. Inflammation contained two value sets: type and color. Mucositis grade, pain, dysphagia and inflammation were recorded well, accounting for a complete mapping rate of 100%. Hygiene (100%) was incompletely mapped, and there were no records for exudate (83.2%), difficulty speaking (99.1%), or moisture (88.8%).CONCLUSION: This study found that nursing records on oral mucous integrity were not sufficient and could be improved by adopting minimum data sets as identified in this study.
Dataset ; Deglutition Disorders ; Drug Therapy ; Exudates and Transudates ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Inflammation ; Mucositis ; Nursing Records ; Oral Health ; Oral Hygiene ; Oral Ulcer ; Specialization ; Tertiary Care Centers

Bamboo salt (BS) is a traditional Korean food, and has been reported to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-metastatic effects. However, the anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) activity of BS has not been described yet. In the present study, we examined the preventive effect of BS on AD. The effect of oral administration of BS was tested in a 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced AD animal model, by histological analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, caspase-1 assay, and Western blotting analysis. BS administration reduced the total clinical severity and scratching frequencies, compared with the AD group. In the serum of DNFB-induced AD mice, the levels of IgE, histamine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin (IL)-5, and IL-13 were significantly reduced by BS treatment. BS significantly reduced the protein and mRNA expression of TSLP, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in the AD skin lesions. BS markedly reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-1 was reduced by BS in the AD skin lesions. Our results suggested that BS should be considered as a candidate treatment for allergic inflammatory diseases including AD.
Animals ; Caspase 1 ; genetics ; immunology ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; adverse effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Histamine ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; immunology ; Interleukin-13 ; genetics ; immunology ; Interleukin-5 ; genetics ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary ; administration & dosage

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is rare, with a more favorable prognosis compared with that of other types of non-small cell lung cancers. Herein, we describe an interesting case of primary pulmonary LELC confirmed postoperatively, which had been initially diagnosed as poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. We suggest that despite the rarity of pulmonary LELC, it should be included as one of the differential diagnoses for lung malignancies. Physicians should consider taking a larger biopsy, especially when histologic examination shows undifferentiated nature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Prognosis

Fibromatoses comprise many different entities of well-differentiated fibroblastic proliferation with variable collagen production and form a firm nodular mass. Abdominal fibromatosis is distinguishable from other forms of fibromatosis because of its location and its tendency to occur in women of childbearing age during or following pregnancy. Abdominal fibromatosis in children is an extremely rare condition. A 15-month-old boy presented with an abdominal wall mass that had recently increased in size. Mass excision was perfomed. The tumor was 4.3x4.1 cm and partly circumscribed. Histologically, the tumor was composed of parallel long fascicles of spindle-cells with a uniform appearance. The edges of the resected mass were infiltrative, and the surgical margins were positive. Mitotic figures were <1/10 high power fields. No cellular atypia or necrosis was present. The tumor cells were positive for vimentin and nuclear beta-catenin staining.
Abdominal Wall ; beta Catenin ; Child* ; Collagen ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibroma ; Fibromatosis, Abdominal* ; Humans ; Infant ; Necrosis ; Pregnancy ; Vimentin

PURPOSE: Influenza virus is one of the most important viruses that cause the respiratory infection seasonally. In April 2009, H1N1 was detected in America and Mexico and then there was pandemic in Korea. We investigated the difference of clinical and laboratory findings between the infections of H1N1 and Influenza B. METHODS: We have retrospectively studied the patients under age of 15 years who visited Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital from August 2009 to April 2010. Evaluation for influenza infection was performed by rapid antigen test or multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Complete blood count with differential counts, C-reactive protein and chest X-ray were checked. RESULTS: Enrolled patients were 2,226 in H1N1-infected group and 288 in influenza B-infected group. Seasonal variation was that H1N1 in autumn and winter but influenza B in spring. The male-to-female sex ratio was same as 1.23 in each group. The mean age of H1N1-infected group was higher than influenza B-infected group (P<0.001). Fever was developed similarly in both groups (P=0.114). However, cough, sputum, rhinorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headache were more prevalent in influenza B infection compared to H1N1 infection (P<0.001). Pneumonia development and admission rate were higher in influenza B infection compared to H1N1 infection (P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although H1N1 infection spread rapidly, H1N1 caused not so severe symptoms than influenza B. Because of the possibility that influenza epidemic will develop repeatedly in the future, we need to evaluate more about different characteristics depending on the virus subtype and prepare for them.
Americas ; Blood Cell Count ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cough ; Diarrhea ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Korea ; Mexico ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons ; Sex Ratio ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Viruses ; Vomiting

Secondary opportunistic central nervous system infections occur in approximately one-third of patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the number of opportunistic infection cases has significantly decreased. However, the number of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases caused by opportunistic human JC polyomavirus has not decreased at a noticeable rate. In this report, seven patients with PML were evaluated at the infectious disease unit of the National Medical Center. Six of the 7 patients were not on antiretroviral therapy at the time of diagnosis. The mean patient age of the 6 men and 1 woman was 39 years. The individual CD4 cell counts were 58, 6, 18, 73, 90, 252, and 94 cells/microliter. The mean CD4 cell count was 84 cells/microliter. The most common clinical manifestation was focal weakness and the temporal lobe was mainly involved. Two of the patients died 52 days after the diagnosis was made. Three patients survived for more than 1 year without disease progression. We conclude that one must take a careful patient history, perform a neurological examination, and examine brain magnetic resonance images in patients with human immunodeficiency virus who show neurological symptoms.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Brain ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Communicable Diseases ; Disease Progression ; Female ; HIV ; Humans ; JC Virus ; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Opportunistic Infections ; Temporal Lobe

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the health status and reported resilience according to acculturation type among Chinese students in Korea. METHODS: The subjects were 386 Chinese students studying in three universities in Chungnam province. The data were collected by standardized questionnaires and SPSS/WIN 15.0 program was used to analyze the data with descriptive statistics, Chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA. RESULTS: Subjects reported the following Acculturation type: integration (26.7%), assimilation (28.5%), separation (32.4%), and marginalization (12.4%). The reported resilience was significantly different according to economic status. The health status was significantly different according to religion and economic status. Acculturation type was significantly different according to age, educational level, length of stay, type of residency and economic status working style. The health status and resilience were significantly different according to acculturation type. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that integration of acculturation type is most useful to health status and resilience among Chinese students in Korea. Future studies need to examine acculturation type as coping strategy for foreign students' adaptation.
Acculturation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Surveys and Questionnaires