• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2009

Background: The principal surgical technique for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm since the 1960s has been the transperitoneal approach, yet there have been some recent studies that have reported improved surgical results with using the retroperitoneal approach. However, there are only limited clinical Korean studies that have, compared between the transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches. Material and Method: This study included 36 patients who had been diagnosed as having an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta and they were surgically treated between January 2001 and July 2007. The patients were subdivided into the retroperitoneal approach group (n=17) and the transperitoneal approach group (n=19), and they were compared in terms of the preoperative risk factors, the postoperative complications and the operative mortality. The risk factors of operative mortality risk and long-term survival for the 36 patients were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Result: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of gender, age, the underlying disease, a history of smoking, rupture of aneurysm, the preoperative symptoms, the operation time and the incidence of postoperative complications. However, the duration of postoperative fasting, the number of days of having an indwelling nasogastric tube and the length of the stay in the intensive care unit were significantly short for the retroperitoneal approach group (p<0.05). There was a 16.7% rate of operative mortality (6/36) and five of the deaths were attributed to preoperative ruptured aneurysm. On univariate analysis, a higher preoperative serum creatinine level (SCr ${\geq}$1.8 mg/dL, p=0.016) and ruptured aneurysm (p<0.001) were the significant risk factors of operative mortality. As assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, the long-term survival was comparable between the groups and the five-year survival rate of all the patients was 57.5%. Conclusion: In the present study, a retroperitoneal approach has several advantages such as a shorter intensive care unit stay, a shorter duration of postoperative fasting and a shorter duration of an indwelling nasogastric tube. Therefore, unless there is any contraindication for a retroperitoneal approach, it could be considered as a primary surgical access for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.241-247
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• 1993

Between July 1988 and December 1992, we treated 45 patients who had deep seated inoperable or residual and/or recurrent intracranial tumors using LINAC based stereotactic radiosurgery at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. Treated intracranial tumors included pituitary tumors (n=15), acoustic neurinomas (n=8), meningiomas (n=7), gliomas (n=6), craniopharyngiomas (n=4), pinealomas (n=3), hemangioblastomas (n=2), and solitary metastatic tumor from lung cancer (n=1). The dimension of treatment field varied from 0.23 to 42.88 $cm^3\;(mean;\;7.26\;cm^3)$. The maximum tumor doses ranging from 5 to 35.5 Gy (mean; 29.9 Gy) were given, and depended on patients' age, target volume, location of lesion and previous history of irradiation. There were 22 male and 23 female patients. The age was varied from 5 to 74 years of age (a median age; 43 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 35 months (2~55 months). To date, 18 $(39.1\%)$ of 46 intracranial tumors treated with SRS showed absent or decrease of the tumor by serial follow-up CT and/or MRI and 16 $(34.8\%)$ were stationary, e.g. growth arrest. From the view point of the clinical aspects, 34 $(73.9\%)$ of 46 tumors were considered improved status, that is, alive with no evidence of active tumor and 8 $(17.4\%)$ of them were stable, alive with disease but no deterioration as compared with before SRS. Although there showed slight increase of the tumor in size according to follow-up imagings of 4 cases (pituitary tumor 1, acoustic neurinomas 2, pinealoma 1), they still represented clinically stable status. Clinically, two $(4.4\%)$ Patients who were anaplastic astrocytoma (n=1) and metastatic brain tumor (n=1) were worsened following SRS treatment. So far, no serious complications were found after treatment. The minor degree headache which could be relieved by steroid or analgesics and transient focal hair loss were observed in a few cases. There should be meticulous long term follow-up inall cases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 2002

Background : Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have usually been considered to be contaminants of colonizers when isolated from respiratory specimens in Korea, where there is a high prevalence of tuberculosis and a low rate of HIV infections. Therefore, there has been few studies on the clinical significance of NTM species in immunocompetent patients were investigated. Methods : Thirty-five NTM isolates, for which species identification was requested by the treating physicians during 1999 at the Asan Medical Center, were retrospectively analyzed. They were identified to the species level by mycolic acid analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography. The medical records of the patients with the NTM isolates were reviewed to identify those patients who met the American Thoracic Society (ATS)'s criteria for mycobacterial pulmonary infection. Their antimicrobial susceptibility data were compared with the clinical outcomes. Results : The NTM were identified as M. intracellulare (6 isolates), M. avium (5), M. abscessus (5), M. gordonae (5), M. terrae complex (4), M. szulgai (2), M. kansasii (2), M. fortuitum (2), M. peregrinum (1), M. mucogenicum (1), M. celatum (1), and M. chelonae (1). All 35 patients showed clinical symptoms and signs of chronic lung disease, but none had a HIV infections; 16 (45.7%) patients were found to be compatible with a NTM pulmonary infection according to the ATS criteria, 5 and 4 cases were affected with M. intracellulare and M. abscessus, respectively; 8 patients had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. 13 patients received antimycobacterial therapy for an average of 21 months and 9 patients were treated with second-line drugs. Only 4 patients had improved radiologically. Conclusion : A NTM should be considered a potential pathogen of pulmonary infections in immunocompetent patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Most NTM infections were left untreated for a prolonged period and showed a poor outcome as a result, M. intracellulare and M. abscessus were the two most frequent causes of NTM pulmonary infections in this study. Species identification and antimycobacterial susceptibility tests based on the species are needed for the optimum management of a NTM pulmonary infection in patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.592-597
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• 2010

Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) is a rare immunodeficiency disease which is characterized by high serum IgE levels, eczema, and recurrent infections. Herein we present the case of a patient with HIES associated with STAT3 gene ($stat3$) mutation. A 16 year-old girl was admitted to our hospital due to hemoptysis caused by pneumonia with bronchiectasis. She had a history of recurrent skin and respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia caused by MRSA (methicillin-resistant $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$) and $Pseudomonas$ $aeruginosa$. On physical examination, a broad round shaped nose, oral thrush, and chronic eczematous skin rash over her whole body were found. Laboratory data showed an elevated eosinophil count ($750/{\mu}L$) and total IgE level (5,001 U/mL). The patient's National Institutes of Health (NIH) score for HIES was 44. Direct sequencing of the STAT3 gene revealed that the patient was heterozygous for a missense mutation in the DNA binding domain of the STAT3 protein (c.1144C>T, p. Arg382Trp). HIES should be suspected in patients with recurrent infections and can be confirmed by clinical scoring and genetic analysis.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was performed to determine the natural history of histologically confirmed IgA nephropathy in pediatric patients who presented with hematuria and proteinuria. Patients and Methods : We reviewed the clinical course of 57 patients diagnosed with IgA nephropathy at the age of 15 years or younger from 1981 to 2000. All patients presented with hematuria or minimal proteinuria($<40\;mg/m^2/day$) and had normal renal function and blood pressure at the time of renal biopsy. Based on the clinical and pathological findings at the time of diagnosis, we sought for complications of IgA nephropathy such as heavy proteinuria(${\ge}40\;mg/m^2/day$), hypertension, and chronic renal failure. Results : The mean age at presentation was $9.5{\pm}2.8$ years(4 to 15 years) and 42(74%) were male. Isolated gross hematuria was observed in 20 patients(35%), microscopic hematuria in 3(5%), minimal proteinuria in 4(7%), both gross hematuria and minimal proteinuria in 15(26%), and both microscopic hematuria and minimal proteinuria in 15(26%). During a median follow-up of $7.0{\pm}3.5$ years, 38(67%) had complete resolution of hematuria and proteinuria, 12(21%) had persistently abnormal urinalysis without development of adverse events. Only 7(12%) developed adverse events : 4(7%) developed severe proteinuria, 1(2%) became hypertensive, and 2(3%) developed Impaired renal function. By univariate analysis using the chisquare test, the age at presentation(>10 years)(P<0.01) and poor histological classes of the Lee or Haas classification at onset(P<0.05) were significantly correlated with adverse events, whereas sex and clinical signs at onset were less concordant. Conclusion : We can conclude that the prognosis of IgA nephropathy diagnosed in early childhood is better and a good correlation exists between the clinical manifestations of this disease and the histological classes.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 1979

A study on analysis of daily activities and time allocations of Community health Practitioners(CHP) and Community Health Aids(CHA) who assigned to Ocku Demonstration Health Project of the Korean Health Development Institute was conducted for one week from 3rd through 8th December 1979. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy including productivity of the community Health Workers developed by KHDI for rural areas. Five Community Health Practitioners and eight Community Health Aids were selected for the studies and their activities and time allocations were measured by designed format for one week. The following are the summary of the findings. 1. The mean age of the CHPs was 34.4 years with standard deviation 4.8 years, while that of CHAs was 26.9 years with standard deviation 3.1 years. 2. On educational background, all of the CHPs were graduated from Junior Nursing College, six CHAs were from high school and the rest of them from middle school. 3. On marital status, all CHPs were married, meanwhile four CHAs were married and the rest of them were single. 4. On service duration in public health fields, all of the CHPs have worked for less than three years, meanwhile five CHAs for 5 to 9 years and one CHA for more than 10 years. 5. Only one CHP lives in the myon where she works, and the rest of them live in other areas. Three CHAs live in the same myon where they work, and five live in other areas. 6. On types of work, the CHPs have worked on technical areas for 3.6 hours per day and on supportive and administrative activities for 2.7 hours and other activities for 1.8 hours on average. 7. The CHAs have spent 2.9 hours a day on technical activities, 4.2 hours on supportive and administrative activities and 1.6 hours on other activities in terms of time spent on average. 8. The average hours per day spent by CHPs on functional areas were 2.2 hours for clinic activities, 13.7 minutes for maternal health, 30.1 minutes for infant and child health, 13.4 minutes for family planning, 1.1 hours for supporting activities and 1.7 hours for administrative affairs. 9. The average hours per day spent by CHAs on functional areas were 4.1 hours for administrative affairs, 2.6 hours for supportive activities and only 2.9 for maternal health, infant and child health an family planning, and other technical works. 10. The average time spent by CHPs on clinical works were 1.0 minutes for history takings on disease, 2.6 minutes for physical examinations, 1.1 minutes for measurements, 3.8 minutes for administration of medications, 1.5 minutes for educations and 0.9 minutes for others. 11. On the average 92.8 percent of whole working hours of CHPs were spent in the substations, meanwhile 70.4 percent of CHAs were spent in the substations. 12. 17.8 percent of field working hours of CHAs were spent on the roal for their transportations. 13. The average time for unit service performance by CHPs were 10.9 minutes on clinical case, 18.1 minutes on maternal health, 14.8 minutes on infant and child health, 20.5 minutes on family planning and 29.9 minutes on tuberculosis control. 14. The average time for unit service performance by CHAs were 19.4 minutes on clinical work, 19.9 minutes on maternal health, 20.1 minutes on infant and child health, 17.2 minutes on family planning, 22.2 minutes on tuberculosis control.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2014

Purpose: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of the physical properties of RGP lens induced by lens polishing on the actual wearer's subjective comfort, the tear film break-up time and the blinking rate as a follow-up study that revealed the relationship between the lens physical properties during lens manufacturing and lens wearer's factors. Methods: RGP lenses made from the three different polishing conditions (25, 50 and 100 seconds) were applied on 28 eyes of 17 subjects, aged 20 to 29 years, without any known disease and surgical history in the eyes. While the subjects were asked to wear the RGP lenses longer than a week, the questionnaire for the comfortability was administered everyday. Subjective and objective tear break-up time and blinking rate of the wearers were further measured. Results: The wearer's subjective comfortability showed some difference in the type of discomfort and satisfaction score according to the polishing status when wearing RGP lenses made from different polishing conditions longer than a week, and a bigger difference in satisfaction score induced by polishing condition was especially shown in experienced RGP lens wearer rather than un-experienced wearer. In the case of RGP lens wearer compared with the ones without the wearing experience, as the wearing time increased subjective and objective tear break-up time were increased and the blinking rate was decreased. However, subjective and objective tear break-up time were tended to decrease with even longer wearing time when wearing the RGP lens made from the polishment for 100 seconds. Conclusions: These results confirmed that the optimization of physical properties of the lens may not give the same effect on the wearer's subjective and objective symptoms and other factors when actual wearing. From the results, it can suggest that the success rate of RGP lens wear may be changed by physiological factors such as the stabilization of wearer's tear film, comfortability and lens wearing experience when wearing RGP lens based on 'The manufacturing standard for soft contact lens/hard contact lens' provided by Korea Food and Drug Administration.

• 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.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.34
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• pp.233-258
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• 2013

In the early days of the Goryeo Dynasty, the royal guard was comprised of the central regular army in the 2-gun-6-wi system, and Nasungeomgun was in charge of the security inside the palace. However, the military system became disorganized during the period of military rule and the royal guard had to rely on military subjects. The military officials suppressed the civil ministers centering on Jungbang, the guarding organization close to the King to incapacitate the royal authority and control the state affairs. When the rule of the three leaders of the military rule became short-lived and Dae-seung Gyeong is raised to the ruler, he organized a do-or-die squad comprised of a hundred and more people for his personal safety, and this became the first dobang. Dobang was disassembled after Dae-seung Gyeong died of disease, but under the rule of Chung-heon Choe, Dae-seung Gyeong's dobang was revived and reinforced into 'Yukbeon Dobang' to provide the ruler with personal protection and intensify the ruling system, and it was quite a large organization with more refined system. Yukbeon Dobang was expanded and reinforced into Naeoedobang under the rule of Woo Choe, the son of Chung-heon Choe, and it was enhanced even more into Dobang Samsipyukbeon System under the rule of the grandson, Hang Choe. Dobang can be considered as the guard organization in modern sense, and it collected information and surveyed the area where guarding is required and house troops that belonged to Naedobang eliminated the risks that may follow afterwards to make assurance doubly sure for guarding. The Choe's regime established Mabyeolcho as a private guard organization in addition to dobang, and this formed the cavalry and infantry units with dobang. Yabyeolcho organized by Woo Choe in the reign of King Gojong was divided into Joabyeolcho and Ubyeolcho, and later Sineuigun was integrated with them to form Sambyeolcho. Originally, Yabyeolcho was established under the rule of Woo Choe to prevent crime in the evening, but after Sineuigun was organized with the ones who were captured by Mongolian army but escaped, in other words when Sambyeolcho was organized, the organization displayed much broader influence by covering military and police affairs as well as punishment and imprisonment. The guarding organization during the Period of Military Rule in the Goryeo Dynasty did not have strict distinction between official guard and personal guard. The private guard in modern days which is the equivalent of personal guard is characterized by its commerciality, however, house troops and the members of dobang did not seem to pursued profit. The guard organization during the period of military rule started from dobang which was organized for personal safety but gradually developed publicness through the participation of civil ministers and expansion, and later it played the pivotal role for social security serving official purpose up to the level where the distinction between official and private activities was blurred during the period of Sambyeolcho.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.646-653
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• 2002

Purpose : The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children has been increasing worldwide recently, which is thought to be related to the increasing prevalence of obesity. We investigated to evaluate the incidence and the characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and also analysed the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods : We investigated 25 children diagnosed as type 2 diabetes mellitus between March 1990 and December 2000. The analysis was performed retrospectively with medical records based on the clinical characteristics and laborotory findings. Results : Incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in children has been increasing since 1990. We demonstrated an increase in the percentage of type 2 diabetes mellitus children from 5.3% in 1990 to 21.0% in 2000. Sixty eight percent of patients(17/25) were classified as obese group. Initial symptoms at first visit were polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia 48%(12/25), asymptomatic glycosuria 40% (10/25), weight loss 8%(2/25) and obesity 4%(1/25). The mean age at diagnosis was $12.9{\pm}1.8$ years. 64%(16/25) of patients had positive family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Autoanti-bodies were positive in 18.1%(4/22) of patients. Twenty eight percent (7/25) of patients had an associated disease and two patients had fatty liver in association with obesity. Treatment consisted of diet, exercise, education and oral hypoglycemic agents. Three patients were treated with insulin as well as oral hypoglycemic agents because of poor blood glucose control. Long-term diabetic complications occurred in 4 patients. Intrauterine growth retardtion was found in 34.6%(9/25); 88.9% (8/9) of these patients were non-obese group. Conclusion : The increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children is thought to be related to the increasing prevalence of obesity. The non-obese group of patients might be associated with intrauterine growth retardation.