• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2007

Background: Toxocariasis is a common cause of eosinophilia and eosinophilic lung disease in Korea. We analyzed the characteristics of eosinophilic lung disease in toxocariasis. Method: One hundred and forty one patients with eosinophilia caused by a toxocara larval infection were evaluated from September 1, 2001 through March 30, 2006. The plain chest x-ray, chest CT(computed tomography), and bronchoalveolar larvage(BAL) were examined. A diagnosis of toxocariasis was made by ELISA using that secretory-excretory antigen from the T. canis larvae. Results: Toxocarial eosinophilic lung diseases was diagnosed in 32 out of 141 patients. Ground glass attenuation was the main feature on the CT scans in 23 out of 141 patients (71.9%). Thirteen patients (40.6%) had a random in zonal distribution on CT. Pleural effusion was observed in 9 patients (28.1%). Twenty eight patients (87.5%) complained of respiratory symptoms. Eleven patients (34.4%) had gastrointestinal symptoms and 12 patients (37.5%) had liver infiltration. Conclusions: The most common findings of the chest CT in patients with toxocariasis was a randomly distributed ground grass attenuation. A toxocara infection should be considered in a differential diagnosis of patients who exhibit pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia in Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1263-1270
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• 1997

Background : Differentiation of malignity and benignity is crucial for management of solitary pulmonary nodule(SPN). Clinical parameters such as patient's age, nodule size, smoking history, doubling time, typical calcification in X-ray and CT findings have been reported as helpful in this purpose. However, in most cases, these parameters are not conclusive. Glucose metabolism is increased in cancer tissues including lung cancer tissues. After uptake of 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose(FDG), the glucose analogue, by cancer cell, FDG is trapped in the cell without further metabolism after phosphorylation. Thus, hypermetabolic focus in FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging suggest malignancy. We evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of FDG-PET imaging in distinguishing malignant and benign SPN. Methods : We evaluated 28 patients with SPN from Jan. 1995 to Jan. 1997. CT scan of chest and whole-body FDG-PET imaging were performed in all patients. Histologic diagnosis was confirmed by transthoracic fine needle aspiration and biopsy, bronchoscopic biopsy and open thoracotomy. Results : Of the 28 SPN's, 22 nodules were malignant and 6 nodules were benign. FDG-PET imaging diagnosed all malignant nodules correctly as positive, and diagnosed 4 of 6 benign nodules correctly as negative. One tuberculous granuloma and one aspergilloma showed hypennetabolic focus and were diagnosed falsely positve with FDG-PET imaging. In the diagnosis of SPN with FDG-PET, sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 66.7%, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 92% and 100%. Conclusion : FDG-PET imaging is highly useful noninvasive diagnostic tool in distinguishing between malignant SPN and benign SPN.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.64-68
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• 2005

Purpose : Renal abscess is very rare in children and its diagnosis is difficult because symptoms are often nonspecific. In previous studies, on]y 15% to 25% of patients were reported to be diagnosed at the time of admission. Early diagnosis and treatment are important be cause mortality rate correlates positively with the time of diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical features of children with renal abscess and to investigate the possible indicators of this disease for early diagnosis and Proper treatment. Methods : Twelve children diagnosed with renal abscess from Jan. 1996 to Jul. 2004 were included. The age of patients ranged from S months to 15 years. We retrospectively analyzed the demographics of patients, their symptoms, predisposing factors, diagnostic methods and causative organisms and the treatment modalities. Results : Fever was the most common manifestation, Five children(42%) had vesicoureteral reflux. Renal ultrasonography and computerized tornography were the most frequently used imaging tools to detect renal abscess. Gram negative bacteria were isolated in 7 patients and Staphylococcus aureus grew in 2 patients. All patients received intravenous antibiotics and 4 patients underwent aspiration or drainage of renal abscess. The average admission duration was 30 days. Conclusion : Renal abscess should be included in the differential diagnosis of prolonged fever in children, especially when flank pain is combined. For early diagnosis and a better prognosis, patients should be promptly investigated with ultrasonography or computerized tomography.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.39
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• pp.243-280
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• 2006

At the Bujang-ri Site, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, around 220 archaeological features, including semi-subterranean houses and pits of Bronze Age and semi-subterranean houses, pits, and burials of Baekje period had been identified and investigated. In Particular, mound burials No. 5 of 13 of Baekje mound burials yielding a gilt-bronze cap along with other valuable artifacts drew international scholarly attention. The gilt-bronze cap from the mound burial No. 5 is a significant archaeological data not only in the study of Baekje archaeology but also in the study of international affairs and exchange at that time. At the time of exposure, the gilt-bronze cap was already broken into a number of pieces and seriously damaged by corrosion, and hardening and urethane foam were necessary in the process of collecting its pieces. Ahead of main conservational treatments on cap, X-ray photograph and CT(computerizes tomography) were taken in order to examine interior structure of the cap and to decide appropriate treatments. In the five layers identified in the profile of cap, a textile layer was set between a metal and a layerof bark of paper birch for avoiding direct contact of the metal and the bark of paper birch. Analyses were executed for examining textile layer and a layer of fibroid material. According to microscopic analysis, while the textile layer consisted of the simplest plain fabric with one fold among three kinds of textile structures, the layer of fibroid material was mixed with two or three kinds of fibers. A comparative analysis with standard sample using FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) announced that both textiles and fabrics were hemp. Analysis of kind of the paper birch resulted in barks of paper birch with 15 fold. A metallographic microscope, SEM, and WDS were used for the analysis of microscopic structures of plated metal pieces. While amalgam plating was treated as a plating method, the thickness of the plated layer, a barometer of plating technique, was ranged from $1.72{\mu}m$ to $8.67{\mu}m$. The degree of purity of gold (Au) used in plating was 98% in average, and less than 1% of silver (Ag) was included.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.24
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• pp.1-16
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• 2020

This paper presents the process of re-conservation and the results of research on the production method of the Iron Sword with Ring Pommel with Three-Pointed Leaf Decoration, one of the excavation findings from Tomb No. 55 in the Dalseong Ancient Tomb Complex in Daegu. This iron sword is a double weapon with two large swords housed within a single sheath. Four smaller swords are attached to the surface of the sheath, two on the upper portion and the other two below. It is the only such two-in-one weapon excavated intact thus far from an ancient Korean tomb. The records show that it underwent conservation treatment twice in the past. In this study, it was subjected to conservation treatment again to replace the stiffener in some cracking areas, and its material, composition, and production method were analyzed by CT, XRF analysis, and stereoscopic microscopy. The sword is mainly made of copper, but the golden component contains both gold and mercury, which suggests that the copper was plated in gold using mercury amalgamation. The examination of the production methods indicates that it was intended more to demonstrate the authority of its owner rather than to serve any practical use. The two upper small swords on the sheath were made in the same manner as the main swords, and the two small lower swords were cut from a single metal sheet. The sheath was made by cutting two metal sheets. Supports were used to attach the two small swords to the upper portion of the sheath, while the lower portion of the sheath was slit to allow the other two small swords to be inserted into it. The ring pommels of the main swords have a three-pointed leaf decoration. As for the other designs, the handle of the main sword features a series of semicircles, the decorative bands on the sheath have waves in dots, and the fish tail of the sheath shows diagonal lines of dots.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2021

Purpose: The clinical outcomes were investigated to determine if arthroscopic management is a useful method for 19 hips with iliopsoas tendon impingement (IPI) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients (19 hips), who complained of groin pain and flexion pain that persisted after THA from September 2013 to December 2019, were the subjects of this investigation. The mean time to manifestation after THA was four months (range, 1-9 months) in patients of an average age of 60 years (range, 50-69 years). Thirteen out of 18 patients underwent THA using the direct anterior approach and five by the lateral approach. IPI was diagnosed by the medical history, physical examination, blood test, radiographic examination using X-ray and computed tomography, and topical injection therapy. All patients underwent arthroscopic treatment and a dynamic arthroscopic physical examination after exposure to the iliopsoas tendon revealed impingement. Tenotomy was then performed on the muscle portion through the total tendon portion. Symptoms and pain levels of preoperative, postoperative and follow-up period were investigated and compared. Results: The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score decreased from an average of 58.4 (range, 40-88) before surgery to an average of 35.0 (range, 15-76) after surgery. Similarly, the visual analogue scale decreased from an average of 4.0 (range, 2-6) before surgery to an average of 1.4 (range, 0-4) after surgery. Sixteen patients (88.9%) showed pain relief and improvement in the straight leg raise test, and two patients showed postoperative muscle weakness and sustained pain. In the follow-up period, muscle weakness improved. One patient underwent arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy at the lesser trochanteric level but the symptoms persisted. The clinical symptoms were improved after one more tenotomy at the joint level. Conclusion: Arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy performed in patients with IPI after THA showed good clinical results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.1
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• pp.166-175
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• 2020

Purpose This study aimed to compare the image quality and adverse events between Iopamidol 250 and Ioversol 320 usage during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods Medical records and hepatic angiography from 113 patients who underwent TACE with Iopamidol 250 (44 patients) and Ioversol 320 (69 patients) were retrospectively reviewed. Vessel perception on hepatic angiography was graded into three categories by two radiologists for hepatic subsegmental arteries, the right gastroepiploic artery, right gastric artery, and pancreaticoduodenal artery. Imaging concordance was assessed by comparing the number of detected HCCs on hepatic angiography and CT. The adverse events before and after hepatic angiography were evaluated. Results The mean vessel perception scores were 2.92 and 2.94 for Iopamidol 250 and Ioversol 320, respectively. The imaging concordance was 31 (70.5%) and 46 (66.7%) patients for Iopamidol 250 and Ioversol 320, respectively. There were no statistical differences in vessel perception or imaging concordance (p > 0.05). One and six patients experienced nausea for Iopamidol 250 and Ioversol 320, respectively. There was no statistical difference in adverse events (p = 0.24). Conclusion Iopamidol 250 can be used in hepatic angiography for TACE without significant difference in image quality or occurrence of adverse events from Ioversol 320.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.669-679
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of pediatric low-dose facial CT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) using adequate kernels. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of children aged < 10 years who underwent facial CT at our emergency department. The patients were divided into two groups: low-dose CT (LDCT; Group A, n = 73) with a fixed 80-kVp tube potential and automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) and standard-dose CT (SDCT; Group B, n = 40) with a fixed 120-kVp tube potential and ATCM. All images were reconstructed with FBP using bone and soft tissue kernels in Group A and only bone kernel in Group B. The groups were compared in terms of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Two radiologists subjectively scored the overall image quality of bony and soft tissue structures. The CT dose index volume and dose-length product were recorded. Results Image noise was higher in Group A than in Group B in bone kernel images (p < 0.001). Group A using a soft tissue kernel showed the highest SNR and CNR for all soft tissue structures (all p < 0.001). In the qualitative analysis of bony structures, Group A scores were found to be similar to or higher than Group B scores on comparing bone kernel images. In the qualitative analysis of soft tissue structures, there was no significant difference between Group A using a soft tissue kernel and Group B using a bone kernel with a soft tissue window setting (p > 0.05). Group A showed a 76.9% reduction in radiation dose compared to Group B (3.2 ± 0.2 mGy vs. 13.9 ± 1.5 mGy; p < 0.001). Conclusion The addition of a soft tissue kernel image to conventional CT reconstructed with FBP enables the use of pediatric low-dose facial CT protocol while maintaining image quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.359-370
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• 2021

Purpose To analyze the findings and serial changes in chest CT lesions in 123 symptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and Methods From February 19 to April 7, 2020, a total of 123 confirmed COVID-19 patients (male, 44; female, 79; mean age, 59.2 ± 18.6) were enrolled in this retrospective study. A total of 234 CT scans were reviewed for the following patterns: acute alveolar insult (AAI) patterns: ground-glass opacity (GGO), crazy-paving appearance, mixed pattern, and consolidation; organizing pneumonia (OP) patterns: perilobular patterns, band opacity, curvilinear opacity, reversed halo opacity, and small nodular consolidation; resolving patterns: pure GGO, remnant curvilinear, small nodular consolidation, and serial changes of lung abnormalities. We compared the proportions of AAI pattern, OP pattern, or resolving pattern with time progression and analyzed the association between the patterns and disease severity using Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results Predominant CT patterns were AAI pattern (87%) in the early hospital period group (0-10 days, after the onset of symptoms), OP pattern (45.7%) in the later hospital period group (after 10 days), and resolving pattern in discharge and follow-up group (47.2% and 84.8%, respectively). The difference in the proportions of predominant CT patterns with time progression was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Pearson's chi-square test). No statistically significant association was observed between the patterns and disease severity (p = 0.055, Fisher's exact test). No fibrous changes in the lesions were observed on follow-up CT scans. Conclusion The serial CT scans of COVID-19 patients showed the spectrum of COVID pneumonia CT manifestations as different phases of lung injury and repair.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.6
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• pp.1342-1353
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• 2022

Purpose We compared the radiation dose and image quality between the 2nd generation and the 3rd generation dual-source single-energy (DSSE) and dual-source dual-energy (DSDE) CT of the abdomen. Materials and Methods We included patients undergoing follow-up abdominal CT after partial or radical nephrectomy in the first 10 months of 2019 (2nd generation DS CT) and the first 10 months of 2020 (3rd generation DS CT). We divided the 320 patients into 4 groups (A, 2nd generation DSSE CT; B, 2nd generation DSDE CT; C, 3rd generation DSSE CT; and D, 3rd generation DSDE CT) (n = 80 each) matched by sex and body mass index. Radiation dose and image quality (objective and subjective qualities) were compared between the groups. Results The mean size-specific dose estimation of 3rd generation DSDE CT group was significantly lower than that of the 2nd generation DSSE CT (42.5%, p = 0.013) and 2nd generation DSDE CT (46.9%, p = 0.015) groups. Interobserver agreement was excellent for the overall image quality (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.8867) and image artifacts (ICC: 0.9423). Conclusion Our results showed a considerable reduction in the radiation dose while maintaining high image quality with 3rd generation DSDE CT as compared to the 2nd generation DSDE CT and 2nd generation DSSE CT.