• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2021

Ciguatera is the commonest syndrome of marine poisoning that is caused by the ingestion of ciguatoxins that accumulate in certain tropical and subtropical finfish. It is endemic throughout the subtropical and tropical regions of the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean and has been rarely reported in Korea. With the expansion of travel, tourism, and the import of fish from the tropics, ciguatera poisoning now affects a diverse population. We report a case of ciguatera in a 70-year-old woman, presenting with general paralysis and coma, which developed after consuming codfish and mackerel in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.429-434
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• 2019

A complicated case of echinococcosis with multiple organ involvement is reported in a 53-year-old businessman who frequently traveled overseas, including China, Russia, and Kazakhstan from 2001 to 2007. The patient was first diagnosed with a large liver cyst during a screening abdomen ultrasonography in 2011, but he did not follow up on the lesion afterwards. Six years later, dizziness, dysarthria, and cough developed, and cystic lesions were found in the brain, liver and lungs. The clinical course was complicated when the patient went through multiple surgeries and inadequate treatment with a short duration of albendazole without a definite diagnosis. The patient visited our hospital for the first time in August 2018 due to worsening symptoms; he was finally diagnosed with echinococcosis using imaging and serologic criteria. He is now on prolonged albendazole treatment (400 mg twice a day) with gradual clinical and radiological improvement. A high index of suspicion is warranted to early diagnose echinococcosis in a patient with a travel history to endemic areas of echinococcosis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2002

Objective : Oriental medical treatment may be possibility or effect in patients with facial nerve paralysis caused by traumatic temporal bone fracture. Methods : The authors compared objectively improvement state of patient that operated acupuncture, herbal medicine and herbal acupuncture. Results : 1. A Facial nerve travel long and pass by narrow bone canal in temporal bone. so slow progressive paralysis is caused by nerve swelling and impedimental blood circulation in bone canal, if bruise happens. 2. At patients with traumatic facial nerve paralysis, acupuncture(LI TE centered operation), herbal medicine(理氣祛風散, 加味補益湯加滅 etc..) and herbal acupucture(SY-消炎, Hominis Placenta-紫河車, JGH-中氣下陷) are effective to improving symptoms. 3. In general, everyone consider surgical operation first of all, in the case of having traumatic facial nerve paralysis. Through this case, the authors are thought that can attempt access of Oriental medical treatment without doing surgical operation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.223-226
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• 2020

Cytauxzoonosis is caused by Cytauxzoon felis (C. felis) in wild and domestic cats. However, cytauxzoonosis is uncommon in Asia. Additionally, clinical reports of C. felis infection along with associated complications are rare. A seven-year-old neutered male Maine Coon cat was presented with acute dyspnea and lethargy despite the absence of a history of overseas travel. Mild regenerative anemia and autoagglutination were detected in hematological investigations. The parasitic and viral PCR assays revealed infection with C. felis and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Thoracic radiographs showed pleural effusion with secondary bacterial infection. Ultimately, a diagnosis of infection-induced secondary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and pyothorax was established. The cat was treated with a combination of atovaquone, prednisolone, and cyclosporine over 6 months and the final treatment was completed 8 months after initiation of therapy. This is the first report of its kind demonstrating successful management of feline IMHA and fatal pyothorax induced by FIV and C. felis in South Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.363-370
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• 2017

Background: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is widely used in refractory heart or lung failure, and the demand for inter-facility transportation on ECLS is expanding. However, little is known about post-transportation outcomes, the clinical safety of such transportation, or the characteristics of the transported patients. Methods: This was a retrospective review of a 3-year, single-institution experience with inter-facility ECLS transport, as well as a comparative analysis of clinical outcomes with those of in-house patients. We also analyzed the risk factors for hospital mortality in the entire ECLS population using univariate and multivariate analyses to investigate the effects of transport. Results: All 44 patients were safely transported without adverse events. The average travel distance was 178.7 km, with an average travel time of 74.0 minutes. Early survival of the transported group seemed to be better than that of the in-house group, but the difference was not statistically significant (70.5% vs. 56.6%, p=0.096). The incidence of complications was similar between the 2 groups, except for critical limb ischemia, which was significantly more common in the transported group than in the in-house group (25.0% vs. 8.1%, p=0.017). After adjusting for confounders, being part of the transported group was not a predictor of early death (adjusted odds ratio, 0.689; p=0.397). Conclusion: Transportation of patients on ECLS is relatively safe, and the clinical outcomes of transported patients are comparable to those of in-house ECLS patients. Although matched studies are required, our study demonstrates that transporting patients on ECLS did not increase their risk of hospital mortality after adjustment for other factors.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.199-203
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• 2018

The cutaneous myiasis has been rarely reported in the Republic of Korea. We intended to describe here a case of furuncular cutaneous myiasis caused by Cordylobia anthropophaga larvae in a Korean traveler returned from Central Africa. A patient, 55-year-old man, had traveled to Equatorial Guinea, in Central Africa for a month and just returned to Korea. Physical examinations showed 2 tender erythematous nodules with small central ulceration on the left buttock and thigh. During skin biopsy, 2 larvae came out from the lesion. C. anthropophaga was identified by paired mouth hooks (toothed, spade-like, oral hooklets) and 2 posterior spiracles, which lack a distinct chitinous rim. Although rarely described in Korea until now, cutaneous myiasis may be encountered more frequently with increasing international travel and exchange workers to tropical areas.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.313-317
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• 2013

According to increase of travel, the cases of imported echinococcosis have been increasing in Korea. The present study was undertaken to develop a serodiagnostic system for echinococcosis in Korea. For diagnosis of echinococcosis, the fluid of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts was collected from naturally infected sheep in Uzbekistan. Also serum samples of infected patients who were surgically confirmed were collected in a hospital in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. According to the absorbance of 59 echinococcosis positive and 39 negative control serum samples, the cut-off value was determined as 0.27. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA with hydatid fluid antigen were 91.5% and 96%, respectively. The antigen cross-reacted with the serum of some cysticercosis or clonorchiasis patients. However, immunoblot analysis on the cystic fluid recognized antigenic proteins of 7-, 16-, and 24-kDa bands in their dominant protein quantity and strong blotting reactivity. In conclusion, the present ELISA system using hydatid cyst fluid antigen from Uzbekistan sheep is sensitive and specific for diagnosis of echinococcosis cases.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.99-111
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• 2022

Objectives: Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (RRP) has been used as a traditional remedy to treat gynecology and endocrine diseases. Recently, studies on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of RRP have been reported, so it was judged that RRP extracts would have an anti-depressive effect. Methods: We investigated the anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-depressive effect of RRP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression and LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia. RRP inhibited the LPS-stimulated excessive release of nitrite in the BV2 cells. RRP also significantly inhibited the inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Results: RRP significantly suppressed the LPS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) and nuclear factor (NF)-𝜅B activation. In addition, administration of RRP not only inhibited the immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST) but also increased the total travel distance in the open field test (OFT). Also, RRP inhibited the elevation of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 in brain of LPS-injected mice. Conclusions: Considering the overall results, our study showed that RRP exhibited the anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-depressive activities via deactivation of MAPKs and NF-𝜅B.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2003

Objective : Oriental medical treatment may be possible or effective in patients with facial palsy and hearing disturbance caused by traumatic disorder Methods : The authors observed objectively improvement state of patient that treated by acupuncture, herbal medicine Results : 1. A Facial nerve travel long and narrow bone canal in temporal bone. so slow progressive palsy is caused by nerve swelling and impedimental blood circulation in bone canal, if bruise happens. 2. A patient with traumatic facial palsy, acupuncture, herbal medicine(Igigeopung-tang, Boicyangwitang etc.), electro acupuncture are effective to improving symptoms. 3. Despite acupuncture treatment is taken, hearing disturbance is not improved. 4. In general, everyone consider surgical operation first of all, in the case of having traumatic facial palsy. Though this case, the author are thought that can attempt access of Oriental medical treatment without doing surgical operation.

• CELLMED
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.17.1-17.1
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• 2022

PoongLyuYak exists everywhere. If you read the poem and get inspired, it becomes poem Yak (詩藥, poem medicine). If you look at the picture and fall it, it becomes picture Yak. When you feel refreshed by travelling, it becomes travel Yak. Music, dance, movie, nature, etc. are very nice examples. Even a leisurely life of driving, eating out, and drinking coffee is good PoongLyuYak for the body. Whether you're alone or in a group, if you can enjoy it, it's good medicine. According to the logic of the windy and flowing world, anything that can transform one's emotions, whether happy, sad, or trivial, can be a PoongLyuYak. This PoongLyuYak may be more effective than oral medications, inhalants, ointments, or injections. Rather than simply watching, listening, or imitating others, the effect is enormous when participating directly and performing and creative activities. The pleasure of seeing Heung-min Son playing soccer is also a PoongLyuYak, but it can be more enjoyable and the medicinal effect is much greater if you enjoy soccer yourself. Here are some examples of PoongLyu medicines the authors took with the joy of creation.