• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.667-682
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the changes in health behavior, mental health, and nutritional status of Korean adolescents before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. Methods: A total of 800 adolescents (12~18 years old) who participated in the 2019-2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were included as study subjects and divided into four groups (204 middle school boys, 172 middle school girls, 219 high school boys, and 205 high school girls). The 2019 and 2020 KNHANES data were classified into data collected before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Results: After the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, middle school boys showed an increased tendency toward becoming overweight and obese, with significantly increased levels of diastolic blood pressure and insulin. While there was no major change in the subjective health status among adolescents, the high school boys showed a significantly decreased physical activity after COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, the proportion of middle school students feeling a little stressed significantly increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. The rate of skipping breakfast significantly increased in middle school girls, but the rate of having lunch with companions significantly increased among all adolescents after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the intake of milk, vegetables, fruits, seaweeds, and pulses significantly decreased, although the intake of sugars, beverages, and seasonings significantly decreased as well, during this period. These changes may lead to an increased proportion of adolescents with insufficient intake of nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and riboflavin. Conclusion: These results highlight the impact of COVID-19 on comprehensive changes in physical and mental health status, lifestyle behavior, and nutritional status in adolescents, suggesting the need for targeted prevention and intervention for physical and mental well-being during the pandemic.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1493-1504
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• 2021

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the utility of the 16-cm axial volume scan technique for calculating the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) using non-enhanced chest CT. Materials and Methods This study prospectively enrolled 20 participants who underwent both, non-enhanced chest CT (16-cm-coverage axial volume scan technique) and calcium-score CT, with the same parameters, differing only in slice thickness (in non-enhanced chest CT = 0.625, 1.25, 2.5 mm; in calcium score CT = 2.5 mm). The CACS was calculated using the conventional Agatston method. The difference between the CACS obtained from the two CT scans was compared, and the degree of agreement for the clinical significance of the CACS was confirmed through sectional analysis. Each calcified lesion was classified by location and size, and a one-to-one comparison of non-contrast-enhanced chest CT and calcium score CT was performed. Results The correlation coefficients of the CACS obtained from the two CT scans for slice thickness of 2.5, 1.25, and 0.625 mm were 0.9850, 0.9688, and 0.9834, respectively. The mean differences between the CACS were -21.4% at 0.625 mm, -39.4% at 1.25 mm, and -76.2% at 2.5 mm slice thicknesses. Sectional analysis revealed that 16 (80%), 16 (80%), and 13 (65%) patients showed agreement for the degree of coronary artery disease at each slice interval, respectively. Inter-reader agreement was high for each slice interval. The 0.625 mm CT showed the highest sensitivity for detecting calcified lesions. Conclusion The values in the non-contrast-enhanced chest CT, using the 16-cm axial volume scan technique, were similar to those obtained using the CACS in the calcium score CT, at 0.625 mm slice thickness without electrocardiogram gating. This can ultimately help predict cardiovascular risk without additional radiation exposure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1505-1523
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• 2021

Purpose Although chest CT has been discussed as a first-line test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), little research has explored the implications of CT exposure in the population. To review chest CT protocols and radiation doses in COVID-19 publications and explore the number needed to diagnose (NND) and the number needed to predict (NNP) if CT is used as a first-line test. Materials and Methods We searched nine highly cited radiology journals to identify studies discussing the CT-based diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Study-level information on the CT protocol and radiation dose was collected, and the doses were compared with each national diagnostic reference level (DRL). The NND and NNP, which depends on the test positive rate (TPR), were calculated, given a CT sensitivity of 94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91%-96%) and specificity of 37% (95% CI: 26%-50%), and applied to the early outbreak in Wuhan, New York, and Italy. Results From 86 studies, the CT protocol and radiation dose were reported in 81 (94.2%) and 17 studies (19.8%), respectively. Low-dose chest CT was used more than twice as often as standard-dose chest CT (39.5% vs.18.6%), while the remaining studies (44.2%) did not provide relevant information. The radiation doses were lower than the national DRLs in 15 of the 17 studies (88.2%) that reported doses. The NND was 3.2 scans (95% CI: 2.2-6.0). The NNPs at TPRs of 50%, 25%, 10%, and 5% were 2.2, 3.6, 8.0, 15.5 scans, respectively. In Wuhan, 35418 (TPR, 58%; 95% CI: 27710-56755) to 44840 (TPR, 38%; 95% CI: 35161-68164) individuals were estimated to have undergone CT examinations to diagnose 17365 patients. During the early surge in New York and Italy, daily NNDs changed up to 5.4 and 10.9 times, respectively, within 10 weeks. Conclusion Low-dose CT protocols were described in less than half of COVID-19 publications, and radiation doses were frequently lacking. The number of populations involved in a first-line diagnostic CT test could vary dynamically according to daily TPR; therefore, caution is required in future planning.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2024

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is an Clinical symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on residual enzyme activity and genetic mutations. In Korea, 27 cases of LNS have been reported. We report the results of an 11-year comparative follow-up of two cases of children who visited because of pink diapers, one who died from LNS with no residual enzymes and one case with partial residual enzymes. Case 1: During follow-up, seizures, developmental delay, and regression were observed. The boy experienced insomnia and severe constipation. He exhibited self-mutilating behavior, a grand mal seizure, scoliosis with severe spasticity, truncal hypotonia, choreoathetoid movement, and ataxia. After prolonged emaciation, staghorn calculi, and recurrent pneumonia, the patient died suddenly at the age of 11 years. Genetic testing revealed a hemizygous HPRT1 variant (c.151C>T (p.Arg51Ter)). Uric acid level was 10.5 mg/dL (normal range: ~3.5-7.9) and HPRT activity 0.02 nmol/hr/spot (10-23.8 nmol/hr/spot). Case 2: During follow-up, the patient remained underweight. He has normal intelligence attending primary school. Self-mutilation symptoms were not observed. Regular renal ultrasonography did not reveal urolithiasis. The patient had a hemizygous HPRT1 variant (c.35A>C (p.Asp12Ala)). Uric acid level and HPRT activity were 11 mg/dL and 0.56 nmol/hr/spot. Pink diapers after the neonatal period and severe protein aversion, neurological problems, and kidney stones, differentiation for LNS is necessary. When suspected, serum uric acid levels, HPRT enzyme activity, and molecular biological tests may be helpful in predicting the prognosis of LNS.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1308-1317
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• 1997

Background : Pulmonary aspergillomas usually arise from colonization and proliferation of Aspergillus in preexisting cavitary lung disease of any cause. About 15% of patients with tuberculous pulmonary cavities were found to have aspergilloma. We analyzed the clinical features and course of 91 patients with pulmonary aspergilloma. Method : During the ten-year period from June 1986 to May 1996, 91 patients whose condition was diagnosed as pulmonary aspergilloma at 4 university hospitals in Taegu city were reviewed. All patients fulfilled one of the following criteria : 1) histologic evidence of aspergilloma within abnormal air space in tissue sections, or 2) a positive Aspergillus serum precipitin test with the radiologic finding of a fungus ball. The histological diagno-sis was established in 81 patients(89.0%) and clinical diagnosis in 10 patients(11.0%). Results : 1) The age range was 22 to 65 years, with an average of 45 years. A male and female ratio was 1.7 : 1 (57 men and 34 women). 2) Hemoptysis was far the most frequent symptom(89%), followed by cough, dyspnea, weakness, weight loss, fever, chest pain. 3) In all but 14 cases(15.4%) there had been associated conditions. Pulmonary tuberculosis was far the most frequent underlying condition found(74.7%), followed by bronchiectasis (6.6%), cavitary neoplasm(2.2%), pulmonary sequestration(1.1%). 4) The involved area was usually in the upper lobes; the right upper lobe was involved in 39(42.9%), the left upper lobe in 31(34.1%), the left lower lobe in 13(14.3%), the right lower lobe in 7(7.7%), and the right middle lobe in 1(1.1%). 5) On standard chest roent geno gram the classic "bell-like" image of a fungus ball was found in 62.6% of the subjects. On CT scan, 88.1% of the subjects in which they were done. 6) The surgical therapy was undertaken in 76 patients, and medical therapy in 15 patients, including 4 patients with intracavitary instillation of amphotericin B. 7) The surgical modality was lobectomy in 55 patients(72.4%), segmentectomy in 16 patients(21.1%), pneumonectomy in 4 patients(5.3%), wedge resection in 1 patient(1.3%). The mortality rate was 3.9% (3 patients) ; 2 patients died of sepsis and 1 died of hemoptysis. The postoperative complications were encountered in 6 patients (7.9%), including each one patient with respiratory failure, bleeding, bronchopleural fistula, empyema, and vocal cord paralysis. 8) In the follow-up cases, each 2 patients of 71 patients with surgical treatment and 10 patients with medical treatment had recurrent hemoptysis. Conclusion : During follow-up of the chronic pulmonary disease with abnormal air space, if the standard chest roentgenograms are insufficient to detect a fungus ball, computed tomographic scan and serum precipitin test are likely to aid the diagnosis of patients with suspected pulmonary aspergilloma. A reasonable recommendation for management of a patient with aspergilloma would be to reserve surgical resection for those patients who have had severe, recurrent hemoptysis. And a well controlled cooperative study to the medical treatment such as intracavitary antifungal therapy is further needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.335-342
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• 2008

Background: Congenital cystic diseases of the lung are uncommon, and they share similar embryogenic and clinical characteristics. But they are sometimes vary widely in their presentation and severity. Therefore they are often difficult to make different diagnosis each other, and all require surgical treatment. Material and Method: From 1993 to 2006, 38 patients underwent surgical procedures under these diagnostic categories in the Depart. of Thoracic and. Cardiovascular Surgery, Busan-Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University. And we retrospectively reviewed these patients' charts for clinical presentations, surgical procedures, pathologic findings and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Result: There were 22 males and 16 females, ages ranged from 1 month after birth to 51 years and mean age was 20.8 years. The main symptoms were 19 fever, cough, sputum production due to recurrent infection, 7 dyspnea, 8 chest discomfort, 4 hemoptysis, but eight patients were asymptomatic. Computed tomography was chosen as diagnostic modalities and available for operation plan for all of patients. For all the cases, surgical resection were performed. Lobectomy was performed in 28 patients, simple excision (resection) in 8 patients, segmentectomy or wedge resection in 2 patients. There were 10 pulmonary sequestrations, 15 congenital cystic adenomatoid malformations (CCAM), 11 bronchogenic cysts, and 2 congenital lobar emphysemas. They all were confirmed by pathologic exams. The complications were 6 wound disruption or infection, 2 chylothorax, 1 ulnar neuropathy, but all of them were resolved uneventful. There was no persistent air leakage, respiratory failure, operative mortality and recurrence. Conclusion: We performed immediate surgical removal of congenital cystic lung lesions after diagnosis and obtained good results, so reported them with literature review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.12 s.257
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• pp.835-843
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• 2005

Background: Cancer of the esophagus is one of the most malignant tumors with poor prognosis. The p53 gene alteration, over expression of Cyclin D1, and Ki67 index were thought to be the prognostic factors. However, their clinical significances in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma are controversial and p53 accumulation may not correlate with genetic mutation. The current study investigates their prognostic significance in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Material and Method: The Subjects studied were 124 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent esophagectomy. The mutation of p53, over expression of Cyclin D1, Ki67 labelling index, mitotic index were examined by using an immunohistochemical staining. We compared the results and investigated the correlation with the mutation of p53, overexpression of Cyclin D1, Ki67 labelling index, mitotic index and tumor size, and duration of survival. Result: There was no correlation between the results in immunohistochemical staining according to age, sex, tumor size, Iymph node status, and clinical stage of the disease. Mutant p53 protein was found in 69 cases (55.6$\%$). Median survival time was 21 months in cases with negative for mutant p53 protein and 22 months in positive cases. There was no significant difference in survival (p=0.46). Median survival time was 22 months in cases with negative for Cyclin D1 and 16 months in positive cases (p=0.18). Median and mean survival time was 22 months and 36 months when Ki67 labeling index was 40 or less (102 cases). Median and mean survival was 16 months and 23 months, when Ki67 labeling index was more than 40 (22 cases). There was significant difference in survival rate (p=0.011). Conciusion: Positivity of p53 and cyclin D1 was not useful in predicting the prognosis in our study. There was no significant correlation among mutant p53 protein accumulation, Cyclin D1 over expression, and Ki67 labeling index. However, in several studies, PCR single strand conformational polymorphism analysis of p53 showed a correlation to the prognosis. We thought that there was a significant discordance between p53 gene mutation and mutant p53 protein accumulation. When Ki67 labeling index was more than 40, prognosis was poorer, Ki67 seems to be a prognostic factor in our study. Therefore, we confirmed the possibility of using molecular markers as prognostic factors.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.135-143
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• 2009

Objectives : Low back pain(LBP) is a common disabling disease in clinical practice and loss of working hours due to this condition is huge. The aim of this study was to determine if there was an association between fat deposit of paraspinal muscles as observed on MRI scans in patients presenting with unilateral LBP. Methods : 24 patients who visiting our hospital with a clinical presentation of unilateral LBP were recruited to the study. Patients were between 20 and 30 years and had a history of unilateral LBP within 12 months. After MRI scaning, the images were saved in DICOM file format for Picture Archiving and Communication System(PACS). The percentage of fat infiltrated area was measured using a pseudocoloring technique. Data were analyzed comparing the fat deposits of the muscles on the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. Paired t-test was used to find the difference between the measurements of fat tissue in individual patients. Results : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side was $7.6{\pm}4.51%$, asymptomatic side was $6.7{\pm}4.29%$. There were increases, statistically significant, in the fat changes of the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level(P <0.05). Also, men were likely than women to have more fat deposit in symptomatic side(men $8.5{\pm}5.1%$, women $6.5{\pm}3.6%$). Conclusions : The amount of fat in the symptomatic side shows significantly increased than asymptomatic side in the paraspinal muscles at the L4-5 disc level. It suggested that fat infiltration in the muscles associated with LBP. Further studies will be needed to confirm the relationship between the muscle fatty changes and LBP in the large sample size. In addition, the correlation of pain severity with fat infiltration needs to be addressed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.635-641
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• 2010

Background: Radiofrequency endovenous ablation of incompetent saphenous vein has gaining popularity over the conventional ligation and stripping as a minimally invasive technique. The latest version of radiofrequency endovenous catheter, $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast VNUS medical Technologies, San Jose, CA, adopted a segmental ablation system, instead of continous pullback, is designed to reduce treatment time in comparison with the previous model $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus VNUS medical Technologies, San Jose, CA. The purpose of this study is to compare the difference between two endovenous radiofrequency ablation systems in terms of treatment efficacy and complication rates. We analyze the initial efficacy and complication rates of $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast with $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus. Material and Method: Between June 2006 and August 2009, $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus was performed to treat varicose vein on 59 limbs in 41. patients and $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast was performed on 76 limbs in 67 patients. We retrospectively compared in both group with sex, mean treatment time, mean treatment diameter, conjugated treatment, and complications after the procedure. Result: All patient were symptomatic and diagnosed as varicose vein and underwent level 2 clinical classification with color duplex scan. The mean treatment time for the great saphenous vein was significantly less with $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast ($17.0{\pm}6.5min$) than $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus ($62.7{\pm}9.8min$). There was no significant difference in 1 yr closure rate between groups (p=0.32). Minor complications such as skin burn, thrombophlebitis, ecchymosis, hematoma, cellulitis, tenderness, and there were not different between the groups. Conclusion: Both $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast and $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ plus are effective methods of endovenous saphenous ablation. $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast is superior to the previous model with less treatment time preserving compatible efficacy and complications. The efficacy of $VNUS^{\circledR}Colosure$ fast for long term closure rate remains to be established.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of our new video-assisted asthma education program on patients' knowledge regarding asthma and asthma control. Methods: Adult asthmatics who were diagnosed by primary care physicians and followed for at least 1 year were educated via smart devices and pamphlets. The education sessions were carried out three times at 2-week intervals. Each education period lasted at most 5 minutes. The effectiveness was then evaluated using questionnaires and an asthma control test (ACT). Results: The study enrolled 144 patients (mean age, $56.7{\pm}16.7years$). Half of the patients had not been taught how to use their inhalers. After participating in the education program, the participants' understanding of asthma improved significantly across all six items of a questionnaire assessing their general knowledge of asthma. The proportion of patients who made errors while manipulating their inhalers was reduced to less than 10%. The ACT score increased from $16.6{\pm}4.6$ to $20.0{\pm}3.9$ (p<0.001). The number of asthmatics whose ACT score was at least 20 increased from 45 (33.3%) to 93 (65.3%) (p<0.001). The magnitude of improvement in the ACT score did not differ between patients who received an education session at least three times within 1 year and those who had not. The majority of patients agreed to the need for an education program (95.8%) and showed a willingness to pay an additional cost for the education (81.9%). Conclusion: This study indicated that our newly developed education program would become an effective component of asthma management in primary care clinics.