• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.34-40
• /
• 1998

Present study was conducted to determine the frequency, clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of children with idiopathic hypercalciuria. Study patients consisted of 150 children with isolated hematuria (recurrent gross or persistent microscopic), and hypercalciuria was defined as urinary calcium excretion over 4 mg/kg/day. During follow-up period up to $6{\sim}8$ years, serial check-up of renal sonogram for stone formation and Dipstick examination for hematuria were done. Forty-four (29%) out of 150 cases were diagnosed as idiopathic hypercalciuria, and in hypercalciuric children compared to normocalciuric children boys were more common than girls (9:35) and gross hematuria was more common than microscopic hematuria (37:7) (P<0.05). Oral calcium loading test showed renal type in 29 cases, absorptive type in 8 cases and in 7 cases type could not be definable. Among 3 types no differences could be found in 24 hour urinary calcium excretion and in clinical or laboratory data. Urolithiasis developed in 4 out of 44 cases (2 at the time of initial diagnosis and 2 within $1{\sim}2$ years of follow-up periods) and these children showed lower chronologic age ($3.7{\pm}2.7\;vs\;7.2{\pm}2.9\;yr$) and more girl than boys (3:1 vs 6:34) (P<0.05) compared to the rest of the hypercalciuric children. Follow-up urinalysis showed disappearance of hematuria in 56, 50, 66 and 75% of children at $1{\sim}2,\;2{\sim}4,\;4{\sim}6$ and $6{\sim}8$ years after initial diagnosis respectively. In conclusion, present study demonstrates that idiopathic hypercalciuria is a major cause of isolated hematuria in children so that in these children 24 hour urinary calcium excretion test seems to be an essential test to be performed. And serial renal sonography should be done to detect development of nephrolithiasis. However, clinical significance of dividing hypercalciuric children into two pathophysiologically distinct subtypes by oral calcium loading test seems to be in doubt and further study is needed to solve this problem.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.36-49
• /
• 1973

This study was carried out for the objectives to collect the basic informations on the health behaviors of the elementary school children in an urban area in Korea. Seven hundred students were drawn to fill in the designed questionnaire which carries variety of Questions on health re-lated behaviors in general, eating habits, disease history, mental health, and sex education. Questionnaire were filled in by their parents. Major findings are as follows: ① 55.7% had habits of washing the hands before eating whereas 59.8% trashing their hands after toilet. The others had no idea of washing hands before eating and after toilet. ② 26,5% had habits of brushing the teeth twice a day 54.7% only once in the morning, and 2.6% once only in the evening. Thus, the idea of prevention from decayed teeth seems to be lacking among the school children. ③ Bathing habits were also inquired to get 40.3% of bathing more than once a week, 43.1% once every two weeks, and the rest of 16.6% once every one to three months. ④ 41.7% keep the regular bedding time whereas 58.3% irregular. Physical exercises were con-ducted by 76.6% on the ground while 23.5% did not practice any physical exercises at all. Of those physical exercises, rope skipping occupied 37.5%, and the other 66.9% consisted of 14 different kinds of individual type physical exercises such as gymnastic exercise. The main reasons for not enjoying exercises were different by sex; boys largely complained the inadequacy and lack of gymnastic facilities and girls felt in short of friends who could join the exercises. ⑤ 31.9% of the school children had been taking not much of food while 28.3% had unbalanced diets. Of these unbalanced diets, meat occupied 33.2% to be the priority to have an order of the following items such as vegetables, bread or noodle, and fishes as next to each. For eating habits, 88.5% take simple snack such as bread (38.4%, cookies, fruits, and candies in order. 25.8% of the children were provided such snacks or their parents regularly. Breakfast was sufficiently taken by 45.0% whereas 8.4% had never sufficiently. As to the lunch, 63.6% had sufficiently while 16.8% insufficiently. 70.6% take breakfast with all family members together and 30.4% separately. Correlation of sufficient taking of breakfast and eating together of tile family member's seems to be significant when we compare 72.5% of sufficient takers who enjoy breakfast together with the family members with 55.6% of insufficient takers who enjoy it with the family. This finding allows the investigator to point out the importance of table circumstances for children's eating. ⑥ The most common disease was catching a cold (38.8%), and the second was stomach trouble to be followed by the frequency of car sickness, headache, and skin infection. Doctors are consulted only by 23.9% when they are sick whereas 59.7% resorted to the drug stores. The lower the educational attainment of the parents, the lower the rate of visiting clinics. ⑦ 36.7% of their parents pointed out the problems of personality guidance as the most difficult thing at home 71.3% of their parents worried about and unsatisfied with their children's personality traits. Of these complains of the parents, impatience stood at the top to be tabulated at 24.1%, and 21.1% indicated narrow-mindedness. In line with this primary socialization at home, the most crucial problem seems to be related with the lack or recognition of the parents'own role when we find only 43.1% of the parents understood the importance of their own role for the home education of children; the latter group attributed tile responsibility of personality formation to the children themselves. ⑧ As to the sex educational aspects, 30.9% of children have ever asked about the physiology of reproduction or sexual matters to their parents, of those parents only 17.0% could give the constructive responses to the inquiries of the children. In companies on with these data, 25.6% recognized their own role in sex education for their own children while the large segments of the parents (51.1%) attributed the responsibility of sex education to tile low level of 38.3% who recognized the importance of sex education in the school curriculum and 25.1% of the parents insisted to wait until they get to know naturally about sex. 38.1% of the parents said they had some knowledge on sex from books while 16.9% through mass media. The next groups had common senses of sex from their own parents, school friends and other sources.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.164-176
• /
• 1998

This study deals with the current medical utilization for migrant workers and the characteristics of them. The purpose of this study is to provide the basic information to establish proper medical policy. For the study self-made questionnaire was used, which was answered by 453 migrant workers working in the area of manufacturing and non-technical work in 10 cities like Seoul, Inchon, Namyangju, Sungnam, Kwangju, Pyungchon, Kunpo, Kimpo, Masuk in Kyungki-do and Chunan in Chungchungnam-do. Besides, 303 medical records of those who had visited free medical check-up center were analyzed. The period of accumulating data is 6 months, from November 1st, 1996 to April 30th, 1997. The characteristics of migrant workers and current medical utilization are analyzed by percentage and the relation between characteristics and current medical utilization were analyzed using ${\chi}^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA. The finding of this study was as follows : 1) The number of nationality was 16. The first majority was Philippians as 32.0%. Among 16 nationalities Southeastern and Northern Asians were 48.9%, Southwestern Asian was 46.5%, the rest was 7.3%. Men were 81.0%, those who are aged from 26 to 30 were 39.0%, Graduatee from high school 92.7%, Christians 56.3%, unmarried 55.4% and salary from 600,000 Won to 800,000 Won 53.8% averaging monthly payment 669,810 Won. As for their residence, those who resided over 3 years were 31.9% and the illegal residence reached 77.4%. As for Korean language, those who speak in middle level were 5.6%. 2) As for kind of work and circumstances, manufacturing was 81.1%, 4 off-days per month 72.2% and 9-10 working hours per day 42.1%. As for accommodation, residence in fabric was 62.6% and one or two members as roommate 40.2%. 3) The characteristics of health behavior showed that 89.4% of migrant workers had 3 meals, 70.9% of them did not drink alcohol, 73.5% of them did not smoke. 4) As a characteristic of health status, 71.8% of them perceived of their health. 76.1% thought that they had no illness before coming Korea. Among them who recognized their illness, those who had problem in circulatory system was 35.3%, respiratory system ENT 19.1% and nervous system 19.1%.66.2% of those having illness had already had sickness when coming to Korea. 5) During last one month, 79.2% of them were known as ones having no illness. Among the sick, those who had problem in circulatory system was 31.6%, nervous system 23.7% and respiratory system 21.1%. 60.3% of the sick were not cured at that time. 6) Sorting the symptom of those who visited free medical check up, dental care was 24.2%, orthopedic 14.0% and digestive system 13.8%. Teethache was 34.4%, stomach problem 11.6%, upper respiratory inflammation 10.2% and back pain 5.9%. Averagely they visited free medical check up 1-2 times. According to symptom, epilepsy 25.5 times, heart and vascular disease 9 times, constipation 2.8%, neurosis 2.38 times and stomach problem 2.34 times. 7) The most frequently visited medical service by migrant workers was hospital. The most mentioned reason was good healing as 36.3%. The medical service satisfied migrant workers mostly was hospital as 64.3%. The reason of satisfaction was also good healing as 45.9%. 8) 77.2% of respondents did not spend money for medical check. Average monthly medical cost was 25,100 Won, 3.7% of income. Those who had no medical security was 73.4%. In their case, 67.7% got discount from hospital or support from working place and religious organization. 9) As for the difference of medical utilization according for the characteristics of migrant workers, legal workers and no-Korean speaker used hospital more frequently. 10) Those who were satisfied most of all with the service of hospital were female workers, hinduists and buddhists, legal workers or manufacture workers. 11) Christians, those who have 3 meals or recognize themselves as healthy ones mostly had no illness. As a result, the most of migrant workers in Korea are from Asia. They are good educated but are working in manufacturing and illegal. Their average income is under 700,000 Won which in not enough for medical cost. They have no medical security and medical fee is supported by religious organization or discounted. Considering these facts the medical policy by government is to be established.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.273-275
• /
• 2017

It has been forty years since the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Korea. Following the 1977 legislature mandating medical insurance for employees and dependents in firms with more than 500 employees, South Korea expanded its health insurance to urban residents in 1989. Resultantly, total expenses of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) have greatly increased from 4.5 billion won in 1977 to 50.89 trillion won in 2016. With multiple insurers merging into the NHI system in 2000, a single-payer healthcare system emerged, along with separation policy of prescribing and dispensing. Following such reform, an emerging financial crisis required injections from the National Health Promotion Fund. Forty years following the introduction of the NHI system, both praise and criticism have been drawn. In just 12 years, the NHI achieved the fastest health population coverage in the world. Current medical expenditure is not high relative to the rest of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The quality of acute care in Korea is one of the best in the world. There is no sign of delayed diagnosis and/or treatment for most diseases. However, the NHI has been under-insured, requiring high-levels of out-of-pocket money from patients and often causing catastrophic medical expenses. Furthermore, the current environmental circumstances of the NHI are threatening its sustainability. Low birth rate decline, as well as slow economic growth, will make sustainment of the current healthcare system difficult in the near future. An aging population will increase the amount of medical expenditure required, especially with the baby-boomer generation of those born between 1955 and 1965. Meanwhile, there is always the problem of unification for the Korean Peninsula, and what role the health insurance system will have to play when it occurs. In the presidential election, health insurance is a main issue; however, there is greater focus on expansion and expenditure than revenue. Many aspects of Korea's NHI system (1977) were modeled after the German (1883) and Japanese (1922) systems. Such systems were created during an era where infections disease control was most urgent and thus, in the current non-communicable disease (NCD) era, must be redesigned. The Korean system, which is already forty years old, must be redesigned completely. Although health insurance benefit expansion is necessary, financial measures, as well as moral hazard control measures, must also be considered. Ultimately, there are three aspects that we must consider when attempting redesign of the system. First, the health security system must be reformed. NHI and Medical Aid must be amalgamated into one system for increased effectiveness and efficiency of the system. Within the single insurer system of the NHI must be an internal market for maximum efficiency. The NHIS must be separated into regions so that regional organizers have greater responsibility over their actions. Although insurance must continue to be imposed nationally, risk-adjustment must be distributed regionally and assessed by different regional systems. Second, as a solution for the decreasing flow of insurance revenue, low premium level must be increased to an appropriate level. Likewise, the national reserve fund (No. 36, National Health Insurance Act) must be enlarged for re-unification preparation. Third, there must be revolutionary reform of benefit package. The current system built a focus on communicable diseases which is inappropriate in this NCD era. Medical benefits must not be one-time events but provide chronic disease management. Chronic care models, accountable care organization, patient-centered medical homes, and other systems that introduce various benefit packages for beneficiaries must be implemented. The reimbursement system of medical costs should be introduced to various systems for different types of care, as is the case with part C (Medicare Advantage Program) of America's Medicare system that substitutes part A and part B. Pay for performance must be expanded so that there is not only improvement in quality of care but also medical costs. Moreover, beneficiaries of the NHI system must be aware of the amount of their expenditure through a deductible payment system so that spending can be profiled and monitored. The Moon Jae-in Government has announced its plans to expand the NHI system; however, it is important that a discussion forum is created so that more accurate analysis of the NHI, its environments, and current status of health care system, can take place for reforming NHI.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.47-63
• /
• 1978

This study was conducted to obtain a basic information necessary to assess present rice milling technology in Korea The profiles for milling plants was analyzed by survey work.For the private custom-work mills, which process about 80 percent of domestic rice consumption ,their actual milling test for the identical samples as used for filed mills was conducted. Two rice varieties Japonica and Tongil-type were associated with the experiments. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Analyses for private custom-work mills showed their general aspects as; about 91 percent of the mills belonged to an individual owner ship ; more than 93 percent of the mills was established earlier than 1950 ; about 80 percent of the mills was powered with electric motor; mills having less than two employees were about 75 percent; about 45 percent of the mills provided for warehouse in storing customers cereal grains. 2. The polishers installed in 1,255mills within the surveyed area (7 counties) have been supplied by 44 different domestic manufacturers ;in but about 60 percent of which was supplied by 6major manufacturers. The polishers could be classified into two categories in terms of principles of their polishing actions ;jet-pearler and friction types. About 51 percent of the mills was equipped with the former which has been recognized as giving greater milling recovery than the friction types. 3. Reason for owners of private mills to supplement new machines was due mainly to pgrading their mills to meet the requirements that established by the Government. However, about 60 percent of the mill owners intended to replace with new pearler by their own needs to meet with new high yielding varieties. 4. Processing systems of each previate rice mills surveyed could be classified into three categories, depending upon whether the systems posessed such components as precleaner and paddy separator or not. Only 36.7 percent of mills was installed with both precleanr ad paddy seperrator, 5.0 percent of mills did have neither percleaner nor paddy seperator, and rest of them equipped only one of the two. Hence,it is needed for about 63% of rice miils to be supplemented with these basic facilities to meet with the requirements for the standaized system. 5. Actual milling capacity measured at each field rice mills was shown a wide variation, having range from about 190 to 1,210 kg/hr. The percentages of mills classified according to daily milling capacity based on this hourly capacity were 24.3% for the capacity less than 3 M/T a day; 20.0% for 3-4 M/T; 15.6% for 4-5 M/T; 6.7% for 5-6 M/T; 22.3% for 6-7 M/T; and 11.0% for more than 7 M/T a day. 6. Actual amount of rice processed was about 310 M/T a year in average. About 42% of total milled rice was processed during October to Decembear, which formed a peak demand period for rice mills. The amount of rice milled during January to May was relatively small, but it had still a large amount compared to that during June to September. 7. Utilization rate of milling facility, i. e., percentage of the actual amount of milled rice to the capacity of rice mills, was about 18% on the year round average, about 41% in the peak demand season, and about 10% during June to September. Average number of operating days for mills surveyed was about 250 days a year, and about 21 days a month. 8. Moisture contents of paddy at the time of field mill tests were ranged 14.5% to 19.5% for both Japonica and Tong-i] varieties, majority of paddy grains having moisture level much higher than 1530. To aviod potential reduction of milling recovery while milling and deterioration of milled rice while storage due to these high grain mJisture contents, it may be very important for farmers holding rice to dry by an artificial drying method. 9. Milling recovery of JapJnica varieties in rice mills was 75.0% in average and it was widely ranged from 69.0% to 78.0 % according to mills. Potential increase in milJing recovery of Japonica variety with improvement of mill facilities was estimated to about 1.9%. On the other hand, milling recovery of Tong-il varieties in the field mill tests was 69.8% in average and it ranged from 62% to 77 %, which is much wider than that of Japonica varieties. It is noticed that the average milling recovery of Tong-il variety of 69.8% was much less than that of the Japonica-type. It was estimated th3.t up to about 5.0% of milling recovery for Tong-il variety could be improved by improving the present lo'.ver graded milling technology. 10. Head rice recoveries, as a factor of representing the quality of commercial goods, of Japonica and Tong-il varieties were 65.9% and 53.8% in average, and they were widely ranged from 52% to 73% and from 44% to 65% , respectively. It was assessed that head rice recovery of Japonica varieties can be improved up 3.3% and that of Tong-il varieties by 7.0% by improving mill components and systems.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.63-67
• /
• 2015

Purpose Among various causes that influence image quality degradation, various methods for decrease in Artifact occurred by respiration of patients are being used. Among them, this study intended to evaluate CTAC Shift correction method and additional scan compare to the Scan(Q static scan) using respiratory gated system. Materials and Methods This study was conducted on 10 patients, and used PET-CT Discovery 710 (GE Healthcare, MI, USA) and Varian's RPM system. 5.18 Mbq per kg of $^{18}F$-FDG was injected on patients, asked them to take a rest for 1 hour in the bed, and conducted test after urination. Images were visualized through Q static scan, CTAC Shift correction method, Additional scan based on the Whole body scan(WBS) with Artifact. Decrease in Artifact was compared in each image, conducted Gross Evalution, and measured changes of SUVmax. Results For image obtained through the CTAC Shift correction method through WBS with Artifact, 12~56%, Q static scan image showed 17~54% of change rate and Additional Scan showed -27~46% of change rate. In Blind Test, the CTAC Shift correction image showed the highest point with 4 points, Q static scan image showed 3.5 points, and Additional scan image showed 3.4 points. The standardized WBS scan through Oneway ANOVA and three types of Scan method showed significant difference(p<0.05), and did not show significant difference between the three Scan methods(p>0.05). However, the three Scan methods showed significant difference in Blind test. Conclusion Additional scan and Q static scan require more time than the CTAC Shift correction method, there is concern about excessive exposure to patients by CT rescan and Q static scan is difficult to apply on patients with inconsistent respiration or irregular respiration cycle due to pain. For CTAC Shift correction method, limited correction is possible and the range is limited as well. It is considered as a useful method of improving diagnostic value when hospitals use the system appropriately and develop various advantageous factors of each method.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.280-287
• /
• 2011

This investigation was undertaken to survey toxigenic fungal contamination of various rice samples in 93 rice processing complexes (RPC) in Korea. Rice was grown in 2009 and the samples were collected in 2010. Seven types of rice samples such as unhusked, brown, blue-tinged, discolored, polished, half-crushed, and rice husks were obtained from each RPC. One-hundred and five grains of each sample were placed on PDA plates after surface disinfection. The incidence of fungal contaminants was 26.8%. Aspergillus spp. was the most dominant fungal contaminants and Fusarium spp. was the most frequently occurred in samples. The heaviest Fusarium contamination was found in unhusked grain, rice husks, and bare blue-tinged rice and followed by colored rice whereas broken rice was the least contaminated. Regional difference of fungal contamination was distinctive. Fusarium incidence in the rice samples from southern region of Korea including Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces was higher than those from central region including Chungcheong, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Provinces. In contrast to Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. were dominated in brown and polished rice samples and their incidences were more severe in central region than southern region. The major contaminants shown more than 1% of kernels infected were Aspergillus (5.0%), Fusarium (2.0%), Alternaria (1.4%), Dreschlera (1.3%), Penicillium spp. (1.3%), and Nigrospora spp. (1.0%). Collectotrichum, Pyricularia, Myrothecium, Epicoccum, Cladosporium, Moniliella, Gloeocercospora, Chaeto- mium, Curvularia, Phialopora, Acremonium, Gliomastix, Trichoderma, Rhizopus, Phomopsis, Paecilomyces, Genicularia, Geotrichum, Acremoniella, Rhizoctonia, Phoma, Oidiodendran, and Candida spp. were among the rest observed at low incidence. The major contaminants of rice samples were well-known as toxigenic fungal genera so toxin producibility of these fungal isolates is necessary to be examined in future. It is also needed to study Myrothecium spp. on species level as it was detected for the first time in rice.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.172-178
• /
• 1997

We present a etrospective analysis of arterial embolectomies performed at the Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. During the period of March 1987 Feburary 1996 twenty-six patients underwent embolectomies, eighteen patients were male and eight patients were female, mean age of patients was 56.8 years. Rest pain was the chief complaint in 24 patients, the remaining two patients complained of long term history of claudication after recovery of acute symtoms. But only 10 patients had sensBrylmotor symtoms. Heart was the most common source of embolization and frequent predisposing factor of embolism was ischemic heart disease in 8 cases and valvular heart disease in 11 cases. The sites of embolization were upper extremities artery in 6 cases, saddle embolism in 2 cases, lower extremities artery in 18 cases and the most common site of embolism was femoral artery in 1 1 cases. Preoperative angiography was taken in the diagnosis and planning of the embolectomy in 1) patients while in the other patient p eoperative angiography was not taken. Only two cases were operated within the golden period of 6 hours and other cases were operated in more than 6 hours after embolization. In all patients, the Fogarty embolectomy catheter was used without bypass surgery via bachial ateriotomy in the embolism of upper extremities artery, bilateral groin approaches in the saddle embolism and transfemoral approach in the embolism of lower extremities artery. However 3 patients were re-operated via transpopliteal approach in the distal poplitiotibial embolism. Eighteen patients received perioperative anticoagulation therapy by heparin or fraxiparine and wafarin was used in 17 patients at the time of discharge and the indication of anticogulation was patients of valvular heat disease andfor atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery atherosclerosis and recurrent embolism. Postoperative results of the embolectomy were as follows: fouteen pateints had excellent results, five cases had symtom improvement after re-operation, B. K. amputation in 1 case who had severe atherosclerosis of lower extremities, recurrent embolism in 1 case and death in 2 cases the cause of death were acute renal failure and cerebral artery embolism, respectively. The complications of the embolectomy were reperfusion syndrome, pseudoaneurysm and intimal dissection in one case each. Conclusively the problems of embolism is delayed diagnosis and increasing number of old aged patient who had suffered from ischemic heart diease. Preoperative angiography was not always needed for embol ectomy. Selective anticoagulation therapy can decrease incidence of re-embolism. In the distal poplitiotibial embolism, embolectomy of tibial artery was difficult.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.94-102
• /
• 1997

Purpose: There have been some efforts to diagnose intracranial aneurysm through a non-invasive method using MRA, although the process may be difficult when the lesion is less than 3mm. The present study prospectively compares the results of high resolution, fast speed slice interpolation MRA and DSA thereby examing the potentiality of primary non-invasive screening test. Materials and Methods: A total of 26 cerebral aneurysm lesions from 14 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from ruptured aneurysm (RA) and 5 patients with unruptured aneurysm(UA). In all subjects, MRA was taken to confirm the vessel of origin, definition of aneurysm neck and the relationship of the aneurysm to nearby small vessels, and the results were compared with the results of DSA. The images were obtained with 1.5T superconductive machine (Vision, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) on 4 slabs of MRA using slice interpolation. The settings include TR/TE/FA=30/6.4/25, matrix $160{\times}512$, FOV $150{\times}200$, 7minutes 42 seconds of scan time, effective thickness of 0.7 mm and an entire thickness of 102. 2mm. The images included structures from foramen magnum to A3 portion of anterior cerebral artery. MIP was used for the image analysis, and multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) technique was used in cases of intracranial aneurysm. Results: A total of 26 intracranial aneurysm lesions from 19 patients with 2 patients having 3 lesion, 3 patients having 2 lesions and the rest of 14 patients having 1 lesion each were examined. Among those, 14 were RA and 12 were UA. Eight lesions were less than 2mm in size, 9 lesions were 3-5mm, 7 were 6-9mm and 2 were larger than IOmm. On initial exams, 25 out of 26 aneurysm lesions were detected in either MRA or DSA showing 96% sensitivity. Specificity cannot be estimated since there was no true negative of false positive findings. When MRA and MPR were used concurrently for the confirmation of size and shape, the results were equivalent to those of DSA, while in the confirmation of aneurysm neck and parent vessels, the concurrent use of MRA and MPR was far superior to the sole use of either MRA or DSA. Conclusion: High resolution MRA using slice interpolation technique showed equal results as those of DSA for the detection of intracranial aneurysm, and may be used as a primary non-invasive screening test in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.316-326
• /
• 1999

Purpose: We evaluated the feasibility of extracting pure left ventricular blood pool and myocardial time-activity curves (TACs) and of generating factor images from human dynamic N-13 ammonia PET using factor analysis. The myocardial blood flow (MBF) estimates obtained with factor analysis were compared with those obtained with the user drawn region-of-interest (ROI) method. Materials and Methods: Stress and rest N-13 ammonia cardiac PET imaging was acquired for 23 min in 5 patients with coronary artery disease using GE Advance tomograph. Factor analysis generated physiological TACs and factor images using the normalized TACs from each dixel. Four steps were involved in this algorithm: (a) data preprocessing; (b) principal component analysis; (c) oblique rotation with positivity constraints; (d) factor image computation. Area under curves and MBF estimated using the two compartment N-13 ammonia model were used to validate the accuracy of the factor analysis generated physiological TACs. The MBF estimated by factor analysis was compared to the values estimated by using the ROI method. Results: MBF values obtained by factor analysis were linearly correlated with MBF obtained by the ROI method (slope = 0.84, r = 0.91), Left ventricular blood pool TACs obtained by the two methods agreed well (Area under curve ratio: 1.02 ($0{\sim}1min$), 0.98 ($0{\sim}2min$), 0.86 ($1{\sim}2min$)). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrates that MBF can be measured accurately and noninvasively with dynamic N-13 ammonia PET imaging and factor analysis. This method is simple and accurate, and can measure MBF without blood sampling, ROI definition or spillover correction.