• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.882-893
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• 1996

Background : Over one-third of solitary pulmonary nodules are malignant, but most malignant SPNs are in the early stages at diagnosis and can be cured by surgical removal. Therefore, early diagnosis of malignant SPN is essential for the lifesaving of the patient. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Korea is somewhat higher than those of other countries and a large number of SPNs are found to be tuberculoma. Most primary physicians tend to regard newly detected solitary pulmonary nodule as tuberculoma with only noninvasive imaging such as CT and they prefer clinical observation if the findings suggest benignancy without further invasive procedures. Many kinds of noninvasive procedures for confirmatory diagnosis have been introduced to differentiate malignant SPNs from benign ones, but none of them has been satisfactory. FOG-PET is a unique tool for imaging and quantifying the status of glucose metabolism. On the basis that glucose metabolism is increased in the malignant transfomled cells compared with normal cells, FDG-PET is considered to be the satisfactory noninvasive procedure which can differentiate malignant SPNs from benign SPNs. So we performed FOG-PET in patients with solitary pulmonary nodule and evaluated the diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of malignant SPNs. Method : 34 patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule less than 6 cm of irs diameter who visited Samsung Medical Center from Semptember, 1994 to Semptember, 1995 were evaluated prospectively. Simple chest roentgenography, chest computer tomography, FOG-PET scan were performed for all patients. The results of FOG-PET were evaluated comparing with the results of final diagnosis confirmed by sputum study, PCNA, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, or thoracotomy. Results : (I) There was no significant difference in nodule size between malignant (3.1 1.5cm) and benign nodule(2.81.0cm)(p>0.05). (2) Peal SUV(standardized uptake value) of malignant nodules (6.93.7) was significantly higher than peak SUV of benign nodules(2.71.7) and time-activity curves showed continuous increase in malignant nodules. (3) Three false negative cases were found among eighteen malignant nodule by the FDG-PET imaging study and all three cases were nonmucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma less than 2 em diameter. (4) FOG-PET imaging resulted in 83% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 84% negative predictive value. Conclusion: FOG-PET imaging is a new noninvasive diagnostic method of solitary pulmonary nodule thai has a high accuracy of differential diagnosis between malignant and benign nodule. FDG-PET imaging could be used for the differential diagnosis of SPN which is not properly diagnosed with conventional methods before thoracotomy. Considering the high accuracy of FDG-PET imaging, this procedure may play an important role in making the dicision to perform thoracotomy in diffcult cases.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.59-77
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• 2000

This study was carried out to investigate on several factors, which contaminative the water quality through the water pipe during feeding water, in 42 largescaled apart-ments(total 84 cases) and assayed the Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) and concen-tration of heavy metals that inflow and outflow in reservior water in Jeonnam area(Mokpo, Suncheon, Yeosu) from January 1999 to December 1999. The results obtained were summarized as follows ; 1. The quality of the water pipe composition in the order of frequency in the quality of water pipes were Copper(45.2%)> Zinc(38.9%)> Stainless steel(9.5%)> PVC(4.8%)> PM(2.4%) in observing 42 sites. All of the drain pipes were used the cast iron quality. 2. The result of certification curve from 12 items(17kind) of VOCs was $1.0-4.0{\mu{g}}/{\ell}$ range, a coefficient of correlation was shown 0.99 over. A MDL of each substance range was within $0.1-1.0{\mu{g}}/{\ell}$. 3. The result of the assay, 5 kinds(Viny chloride, Dichloromethane, Ethylbenzene, M,P-xylene, Styrene) of the VOCs of 14 kinds was not detected and the other items were detected slightly. The detection rate of one item and over in total VOCs samples, were 25.9% in inflow and 27.9% in outflow. And frequency of detect in inflow/outflow of THM(Chloroform, Bromodichloro-methane, Dibromochloromethane, Bromoform) were shown higher than 94.1%, 97.0% each stages. It comes to the conclusion that all of the samples were reason able for drinking water standards. 4. The coefficient of correlation were reasonable, it shown 0.999 over in $0.1-1.0{\mu{g}}/{\ell}$ of a measuring range conditions of 4kinds in organic substance(Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn). 5. The results were showed suitability in 78 cases(92.9%) and unsuitability in 6 cases (7.1%), in 84 cases of in organic substances. Compare to inflow stage, mean concentrations of heavy metal, were increased slightly in Zn, Cu, Fe except Mn than outflow stage. The result of the mean concentration in organic substance inflow and outflow in the apartment water tank using Pair-compared T-test, in 95% reliance index, were $0.179mg/{\ell}(0.151-0.307mg/{\ell})$ in Zinc, $0.136mg/{\ell}(0.113-0.230mg/{\ell})$ in Copper, $0.052mg/{\ell}(0.048-0.098mg/{\ell})$ in Fe, and there was a bit growing tendency but there was no differece in Mn. 6. The mean concentration of Copper which used Cu pipe as a water supply pipe in apartment were $0.216mg/{\ell}(0.161-0.338mg/{\ell})$ in case of the Zine pipe were $0.286mg/{\ell}(0.204-0.435mg/{\ell})$. It shows that the detection rate was more higher than the other material used in Cu or Zn as the water supply pipe. We supposed to Cu and Zn substance were gushing out water supply pipe.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 1994

The need for assessment of ureteric function in the patient with an obviousely dilated ureter has increased particularly with the added spectrum of asymptomatic patients presenting with hydrone-phrosis and hydroureter on antenatal and perinatal ultrasound. To assess the influence of ureteral status on kidney washout during $^{99m}Tc$-DTPA diuretic renography, ureteral images were reviewed in 80 children referred for hydronephrosis. A scintigraphically abnormal ureter was defined as an intense and continuous image of > 10 min during diuretic renography. Out of them, a total of 16 nephroureteral systems in 12 children with scintigraphically abnormal ureter were analyzed. A diuretic washout index using response half time (t1/2) by linear fitting after lasix injection, was determined on renal (Kt1/2) and ureteral (Ut1/2) curves (diuretic renogram vs. diuretic ureterogram). Diuretic ureterogram curve patterns corresponding to normal (type I), obstructive (II) and non-obstructive (III) cases were described. Compared with X-ray data, diuretic renography was highly sensitive (88%) and specific (99%) for detecting any ureteral abnormality. Despite an obstructive Kt1/2 (>20 min), no patient with an abnormal ureter underwent therapy at the ureteropelvic junction because the hydronephrosis regressed after surgery at the lower level. Our data indicate that the abnormal ureter findings during diuretic renography have to be recognized before therapy for children with hydeonephrosis.