• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3031-3035
• /
• 2012

Background: Though open surgical biopsy is the procedure of choice for the diagnosis of bone tumors, many disadvantages are associated with this approach. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) as a diagnostic tool in cases of bony tumors and tumor-like lesions which may be conducted in centers where facilities for surgical biopsies are inadequate. Methods: The study population consisted of 51 cases presenting with a skeletal mass. After clinical evaluation, radiological correlation was done to assess the nature and extent of each lesion. Fine needle aspiration was performed aseptically and smears were prepared. Patients subsequently underwent open surgical biopsy and tissue samples were obtained for histopathological examination. Standard statistical methods were applied for analysis of data. Results: Adequate material was not obtained even after repeated aspiration in seven cases, six of which were benign. Among the remaining 44 cases, diagnosis of malignancy was correctly provided in 28 (93.3%) out of 30 cases and categorical diagnosis in 20 (66.67%). Interpretation of cytology was more difficult in cases of benign and tumor-like lesions, with a categorical opinion only possible in seven (50%) cases. Statistical analysis showed FNAC with malignant tumors to have high sensitivity (93.3%), specificity (92.9%) and positive predictive value of 96.6%, whereas the negative predictive value was 86.7%. Conclusion: FNAC should be included in the diagnostic workup of a skeletal tumor because of its simplicity and reliability. However, a definitive pathologic diagnosis heavily depends on compatible clinical and radiologic features which can only be accomplished by teamwork. The cytological technique applied in this study could detect many bone tumors and tumor-like conditions and appears particularly suitable as a diagnostic technique for rural regions of India as other developing countries.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.2 s.70
• /
• pp.114-125
• /
• 2007

Objectives : Uterine myoma is the most common pelvic benign tumor and may cause abnormal menstrual pattern. The growth of uterine myoma depends on hormones. The 7-zone-diagnostic system (CP-6000A) is a measuring system using skin resistance variability (SRV). The machine shows organic energy and was reported by the gynecologic department to detect functional abnormality of hypothalamus-hypophysis-ovarian axis (H-P-O). Our study was to investigate the SRV of women with uterine myoma by the 7-zone diagnostic system. Methods: Two groups were selected from those who took the CP-6000A test in the College of Korean Medicine Hospital of Sangji University from March 2003 to September 2006. They were divided into normal control (n=40) and uterine myoma groups (n=40). Electrodermal activity of the two groups was compared. Results : The mean value of electrodermal activity of the uterine myoma group was lower than that of thenormal group in all areas on first and second measurement. Especially, the mean value of the patient group was significantly lower than that of the normal group and fell below normal range in the 1, 2, and 3 areas on first and second measurement. Conclusions : The results suggest that women with uterine myoma may have organic energy deficiency and functional abnormality of the H-P-O axis. Further studies to determine the feasibility of this 7 -zone diagnostic system as a reliable diagnostic tool are needed.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.21-39
• /
• 1972

The employment of gamma-ray scintillation camera with the use of short-lived radioisotopic pharmaceuticals, sucu as $^{99m}Tc$ sodium pertechnetate, have enabled us to perform RI (radioisotopic) angiocardiography. Although conventional cardiac catheterization or angiocardiography using contrast media have been an important diagnostic tool, they may carry some risks or serious complications. The author investigated on RI angiocardiography in twelve normal and twenty five patients with cardiovascular diseases in an effort to evaluate its diagnostic value. The results obtained with this study are as follows; 1. In normal subjects, the scintillation camera transit time of arm-to-right heart was found to be $2.1{\pm}0.67$ seconds, right heart-to-lung $1.5{\pm}0.40$ seconds and lung-to-left heart $3.5{\pm}0.86$ seconds. 2. Transformation or displacement of the heart and the great vessel are easily discriminated by RI angiocardiography. Both in the cases with tricuspid atresia and tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defects are well recongnized by sequential RI angiocardiography. 3. It is also helpful in determinining the site and extent of obstruction, and estimatiing the postoperative course both in the cases with superior vena cava syndrome and pulmonary stenosis. 4. Pericarditis with effusion is readilly diagnosed by RI angiocardiogram showing characteristic "dead space" between intracardiac and intrapulmonary radioactivity. 5. It was found that the diagnostic accuracy of this study was 78.4%. It is concluded that above results obtained are useful and accurate enough for the diagnostic screening methode for clinical practice.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2015

Various constituents in clinical specimens, particularly feces, can inhibit the PCR assay and lead to false-negative results. To ensure that negative results of a diagnostic PCR assay are true, it should be properly monitored by an inhibition control. In this study, a cloning vector harboring a modified target DNA sequence (${\approx}375bp$) was constructed to be used as a competitive internal amplification control (IAC) for a conventional PCR assay that detects ${\approx}550bp$ of the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene sequence in human feces. Modification of the native PCR target was carried out using a new approach comprising inverse PCR and restriction digestion techniques. IAC was included in the assay, with the estimated optimum concentration of 1 fg per reaction, as duplex PCR. When applied on fecal samples spiked with variable oocysts counts, ${\approx}2$ oocysts were theoretically enough for detection. When applied on 25 Cryptosporidium-positive fecal samples of various infection intensities, both targets were clearly detected with minimal competition noticed in 2-3 samples. Importantly, both the analytical and the diagnostic sensitivities of the PCR assay were not altered with integration of IAC into the reactions. When tried on 180 randomly collected fecal samples, 159 were Cryptosporidium-negatives. Although the native target DNA was absent, the IAC amplicon was obviously detected on gel of all the Cryptosporidium-negative samples. These results imply that running of the diagnostic PCR, inspired with the previously developed DNA extraction protocol and the constructed IAC, represents a useful tool for Cryptosporidium detection in human feces.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.59 no.1
• /
• pp.77-82
• /
• 2021

As malaria remains a major health problem worldwide, various diagnostic tests have been developed, including microscopy-based and rapid diagnostic tests. LabChip real-time PCR (LRP) is a small and portable device used to diagnose malaria using lab-on-a-chip technology. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of LRP for detecting malaria parasites. Two hundred thirteen patients and 150 healthy individuals were enrolled from May 2009 to October 2015. A diagnostic detectability of LRP for malaria parasites was compared to that of conventional RT-PCR. Sensitivity of LRP for Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, and P. ovale was 95.5%, 96.0%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Specificity of LRP for P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, and P. ovale was 100%, 99.3%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Cohen's Kappa coefficients between LRP and CFX96 for detecting P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. malariae, and P. ovale were 0.96, 0.98, 1.00, and 1.00, respectively. Significant difference was not observed between the results of LRP and conventional RT-PCR and microscopic examination. A time required to amplify DNAs using LRP and conventional RT-PCR was 27 min and 86 min, respectively. LRP amplified DNAs 2 times more fast than conventional RT-PCR due to the faster heat transfer. Therefore, LRP could be employed as a useful tool for detecting malaria parasites in clinical laboratories.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.351-359
• /
• 2021

The red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) belonging to genus Megalocytivirus is responsible for red sea bream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) in marine and freshwater fishes. Although several diagnostic assays for RSIV have been developed, diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are not yet evaluated. In this study, we developed a TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR method and evaluated its DSe and DSp. To detect RSIV, the probe and primers were designed based on consensus sequences of the major capsid protein (MCP) genes from megalocytiviruses including RSIV, infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), and turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV). The probe and primers were shown to be specific for RSIV, ISKNV, and TRBIV-types megalocytiviruses. A 95% limit of detection (LOD_95%) was determined to be 5.3 viral genome copies/µL of plasmid DNA containing the MCP gene from RSIV. The DSe and DSp of the developed real-time PCR assay for field samples (n = 112) were compared with those of conventional PCR assays and found to be 100% and 95.2%, respectively. The quantitative results for SYBR Green and TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR were not significantly different. The TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR assay for RSIV may be used as an appropriate diagnostic tool for qualitative and quantitative analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 2000

Pulmonary hamartomas are uncommon benign tumors, usually discovered radiologically as a solitary coin lesion in asymptomatic individual. The approach to the patient with a peripheral lung nodule has changed with the increasing acceptance of fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC) as a rapid, safe, inexpensive, and highly accurate diagnostic tool. However, a few reports describing the FNAC findings of pulmonary hamarioma have appeared in the cytologic literature and the experience of FNAC is limited. We reviewed all 9 cases of pulmonary hamartoma with histologic confirmation after FNAC seen at Asan Medical Center since 1995 to evaluate cytologic findings and to determine the value of FNAC in identifying that lesion. Originally, seven of nine patients were diagnosed as pulmonary hamartoma, while two patients were diagnosed as inflammatory lesion and adenocarcinoma of each. On review, eight of nine patients were considered as diagnostic of pulmonary hamartoma. The diagnostic findings in FNAC of pulmonary hamartoma were the presence of fibrillary myxoid tissue with spindle cells as well as hyaline cartilage.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.39 no.7
• /
• pp.125-144
• /
• 2001

The purpose of this study is to make a preliminary investigation about the diagnostic process for marital preparation against future divorce which will be necessary for developing tools for the process. Delphi tests have been twice held among 23 professionals regarding the concept of marital diagnosis and the areas of marital preparation to be estimated including definitions of the marital preparation for marriage and the status in which marriage has been prepared, and the categorization of the preparation The result of the study is as follows : Firstly, the concept of marital preparation is comprehensive, for it does include various kinds of preparation necessary for adjustment to marital life except the preparation for wedding ceremony. Secondly, the status in which marriage has been prepared can be divided into individual preparation, a couple's relational preparation, and preparation for marital life. Thirdly, premarital preparation education or counselling will be provided for young persons who are not in status of marital preparation. The areas of marital preparation to be estimated are maturity, independence from parents, and good health in terms of individual preparation, and the depth of love, understanding each other, similarity, harmonization, supplementation, capacity of communication, self-control, and all that sort of thing in terms of relational preparation, sex, views about marriage, information about marital life, role division, giving birth to child and rearing, financial management, and understanding both families of husband and wife.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.1042-1045
• /
• 2003

In this paper, we present a new method for the monitoring of Electric Control Unit's(ECU) self-diagnostic and the sensor signals of vehicle through Web. In order to measure the ECU's self-diagnostic and sensor signals, the interfaced circuit is designed to communicate ECU and terminal according to the ISO, SAE regulation of communication protocol standard. Microprocessor 80C196KC is used for communicating ECU's self-diagnostic signals and the results are sent to the Embedded Linux System(ELS) through RF module. ELS is developed by SA1110, RF module, Embedded Linux. All commands related in ECU communication are executed through Web. The CGI program composed in web server is executed by user and will return sensor signals from ECU Software on Embedded Linux system is developed to monitor the ECU's sensor signals using the arm compiler tool chain in which RS232 port is programmed by half duplex method. The possibility for remote measurement of ECU sensor signal through Web is verified through the developed systems and algorithms.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.34-38
• /
• 2002

Positron emission tomography(PET) is an imaging method that employs radionuclide and tomography techniques. Since 1995, we applied PET not only to the diagnosis of breast cancer but also to the detection of abnormalities in the augmented breast and to the detection of metastasis. Until 2001, we evaluated 242 breast cases by PET at PET center of Seoul National University Hospital. Our group has reported serially at the international journals. In the first report, PET showed high sensitivity for detecting breast cancer, both the primary and axillary node metastasis. A total of 27 patients underwent breast operations based on PET results at Seoul National University Hospital from 1995 to 1996. The diagnostic accuracy of PET were 97% for the primary tumor mass and 96% for axillary lymph node metastasis. In case of the breast augmented, PET also showed excellent diagnostic results for primary breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis where mammography and ultrasound could not diagnose properly. PET also had outstanding results in the detection of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer(sensitivity 94%, specificity 80%, accuracy 89%). In addition, our study gave some evidence that PET could be applied further to evaluate the growth rate of tumors by measuring SUV, and finally to prognosticated the disease. PET could also be applied to evaluate the response after chemotherapy to measure its metabolic rate and size. In conclsion, PET is a highly sensitive, accurate diagnostic tool for breast cancer of primary lesion in various conditions including metastasis.