• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.53-65
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the prenatal heath care utilization and expenditure among pregnant women. Method: This was a 5-month follow-up study using a stratified sampling and the data were drawn from the "nationwide claim database of Korean National Health Insurance Corporation". Result: This study found that pregnant women were first diagnosed with pregnancy when they were 7.1 weeks pregnant, received 12.7 times of prenatal examinations and 10.6 times of ultrasonogram. It was revealed that 67.5% of the subjects continued to receive prenatal care at the same medical institutions from the diagnosis of pregnancy to the delivery. The study also showed that the total expenditure of prenatal care per pregnant woman was 700,000 Korean Won (KRW) on average and the insurance coverage rate stood at only 20%. Pregnant women living in metropolitan area spent more on prenatal healthcare expenditure than those who living in medium-sized city or rural area. Conclusion: The results of this study implies that the government needs to provide pregnant women with continuous support by increasing health insurance coverage for prenatal care. Especially, it is considered to provide more support to the pregnant women residing in medically underserved areas.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.249-251
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• 2006

Human cysticercosis is an infestation with C. cellulosae, the larval stage of the tapeworm T. solium. It prevails in regions of poverty and where personal hygiene is poor. They can lodge in almost any tissue, but cysticerci are most frequently found in brain, skeletal muscle, subcutaneous tissues. We experienced a 41-year old male with $5{\times}12cm$ sized movable non tender brownish hard mass at lateral abdominal wall. The laboratory study didn't show any specific symptoms except peripheral blood eosinophilia and positive parasite ELISA screen for cysticercosis. The ultrasonogram revealed multiple ill-defined mixed echoic inflamatory lesion. Excisied cyst showed multiple severe foul-odor gelatinous subcutaneous mass. Microscopic examination disclosed necrotic body with foreign body reaction, massive eosinophilia and dead parasitic organism, compatible with cysticercosis. There was no evidence of recurrence during 12 months follow-up.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.263-268
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• 2005

Erythropoietic protoporphyria is a genetic disorder due to a deficiency of ferrochelatase resulting in excessive accumulation and excretion of protoporphyrin. The predominant clinical feature is photosensitivity. Severe hepatic failure occurs in a small percentage of patients, and neurological symptoms are very rare. We report a case of erythropoietic protoporphyria associated with severe hepatic dysfunction and neurological symptoms. A 9-year-old girl presented with severe abdominal pain, nausea, weakness and pain of extremities, and urinary retention. Ultrasonogram and abdominal CT scanning revealed a diffuse infiltrated and enlarged liver. Liver biopsy showed deposition of dense dark brown pigment within the bile, hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Plus, dense dark brown deposits gave a red birefringent under polarize light. Porphyrin studies demonstrated markedly elevated serum free erythrocyte protoporphyrin. This girl was diagnosed as erythropoietic protoporphyria with severe liver dysfunction and neurological symptoms.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.229-235
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• 1992

The usefulness of a portable linear electronic scanner. B-mode ultrasonic machine, was evaluated for estimating the longissimus muscle area from ultrasonic measurement of the muscle depth in 22 live pigs. The electronic scanner was easy to operate for muscle measurements in live pigs, which did not have to be held but were caged. The cross-sectional images of longissimus muscle and covering muscles and fat appeared on the monitor with grey scale in real time. It was easy to identify the ultrasonograms of fat and muscular tissues because the images differed in the degree of the grey scale. The longissimus muscle had less echogenic image than the other muscles. The boundary lines between first, second or third layers of backfat and the longissimus muscle were distinct on the ultrasonogram. The ultrasonic measurement at the shoulder was not acceptable because of the unstable measurements and the complex tissue structure. The repeatabilities for the measurements of longissimus muscle depth at one-half body length and last rib were acceptable. The simple correlation coefficients between ultrasonic estimates of the muscle depth in live pigs and the actual areas in the carcass, were 0.50 and 0.55 at the last rib and the one-half body length, respectively. Therefore, those positions were similarly suitable to measure. The method of electronic scanner for determining longissimus muscle area from the muscle depth was suitable for practical use in the field because of the simple and inexpensive technique.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.13 no.1_2
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• pp.73-76
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• 1979

A case of hepatic hemangioma is presented in which blood pool imaging by $^{99m}Tc$-HSA provided a definite diagnostic clue. Cavernous hemangiomas are the most common benign tumor of the liver. But the majority of them are asymptomatic and are found incidentally at laparotomy or autopsy. Selective hepatic arteriogrophy has been the most helpful technique for the preoperative diagnosis. Recently radioisotope scan and ultrasonogram proved to be a new, definite and non-invasive diagnostic procedure.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.332-336
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• 1990

Pheochromocytoma occurs at all ages but is most common in young to midadult life. In adults 10 percent of pheochronocytoma are bilateral. And bilateral lesions are common in the familial syndromes; within Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) kindreds over half with pheochromocytomas have bilateral lesions. We report a case of bilateral pheochromocytoma firstly detected by ultrasonogram. This 24-year-old male was normotensive and had symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy and elevated VMA level. CT and MRI were performed to evaluate the tissue nature and associated abnormalities. $^{131}I-MIBG$ scan seems to be the imaging of choice in patients with suspected multicentric/bilateral or recurrent or metastatic pheochromocytomas.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-55
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• 2001

We present a case of a mixed papillary and follicular thyroid cancer in a 45-year-old female presented with palpable mass on anterior neck area for 1 week ago. Neck CT and ultrasonogram revealed small solid masses in the both lobes of the thyroid gland. Thyroid scintigraphy presents as a cold nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid gland and FNA cytology demonstrated papillary thyroid cancer. At the time of operation, small sized solid masses were detected in the both lobes, and no cervical lymph nodes enlargement along the mass. Biopsies of the both mass demonstrated papillary cancer on right lobe and follicular cancer on left lobe. Simultaneous papillary and follicular thyroid cancer is an extremely rare clinical entity. We experienced a case of simultaneous papillary and follicular thyroid cancer, so we report it with a review of some articles.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.83-86
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• 2006

About 8 year-old castrated male Yorkshire terrier was presented for evaluation of dysuria, stranguria, hemtauria, and pollakiuria. On history taking, dysuria first was observed three months ago and these signs were waxed and waned. Physical examination revealed mild left perineal swelling. On routine laboratory examination, no significant findings were identified. Positive contrast urogram identified peritoneal herniation of urinary bladder. Urinalysis showed proteinuria and hematuria. Urine sediment revealed epithelial cells, white blood cells and rod-shaped bacteria. Pseudomonas aeroginosa was isolated from urine obtained through cystocentesis, and had resistance against fourteen antibiotics. Cystitis caused by P. aeruginosa concurrent with cystolithiasis and perineal hernia was diagnosed. Cystotomy, herniorrhaphy and EDTA-Tris solution lavage of bladder were performed. The patient was recovered to normal condition 2 days after treatment. Two weeks later, bacterial culture of urine was negative and any abnormality in ultrasonogram and urinalysis was not observed except calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 1991

We experienced a case of sarcoidosis accompanied with azoospermia due to the involovement of epididymis, besides the generalized involvement of the para tracheal and hilar lymph nodes, skin and lung. Final diagnosis of sarcoidosis was established by pathological evidence of noncaseating granuloma from the involved organs, typical radiological findings and consistent clinical features. A movable, nontender $1.5{\times}0.8\;cm$ sized nodule was palpated on epididymis, and multiple small nodules were noticed in both testis and epididymis by scrotal ultrasonogram. Semen analysis showed azoospermia initially. After treatment with prednisolone for 12 months, sperm was increased to 64,800,000/ml, and 70% of them were motile when they were measured at 15 minutes after ejaculation. The patient's condition became better and the typical radiological findings of involved organs were improved as well. As far as we studied, sarcoidosis is known to involve multiple organs, but epididymal sarcoidosis is very rare. So we report a case of sarcoidosis involving epididymis which caused azoospermia.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.104-109
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• 2002

Ecthyma gangrenosum is usually seen in immunocompromised patients, particularly in those with underlying malignant disease. Ecthyma gangrenosum is rapidly progressing skin infection characterized by edema, hemorrhage, bullae and necrosis. We experienced the case of a 13-month-old male who had Ecthyma gangrenosum associated with liver abscess and renal abscess. The patient initially presented with skin lesions of multiple well defined central necrotic black colored large erythematous bullae. The multiple liver abscess with hepatomegaly and multifocal pyelonephritis with focal renal abscess revealed by abdominal ultrasonogram and computed tomogram. In the bacterial cultures of skin, urine and liver aspiration fluid, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was grown. The patient had no immune deficiency disease. We report this case with a review of related literatures.