• Korean Journal of Audiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2021

Background and Objectives: Conflicting mechanisms have been reported about spontaneous reversal of positional nystagmus during head-roll maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The objective of this study is to review the reports about the characteristics and possible mechanisms of reversing positional nystagmus and to present seven new cases. Subjects and Methods: Seven cases (5 males, 2 females; 4 left-sided, 3 right-sided) were recruited among 732 patients with BPPV seen outpatient clinic between 2009 and 2019. Diagnosis of lateral canal canalolithiasis was confirmed when transient geotropic nystagmus was documented during head-roll test. Reversing positional nystagmus was analyzed in each case and clinical characteristics of the patients were documented. Results: The age of patients was ranging between 30 to 64 years (46.44±10.91). Duration of symptoms was short (21.34±19.74). Six of them had a story of head trauma. Initial latency was short. First, intense geotropic nystagmus was observed following provocative head-roll position on the affected side. There was short "silent phase". Then, a longer second-phase of reversed nystagmus was noted. Total duration of nystagmus was 78.40±6.82 seconds. Maximal slow phase velocity was 24.05±6.34 deg/sec. All patients were cured with barbeque maneuver. Conclusions: Ipsilateral reversing positional nystagmus during head-roll maneuver is due to lateral canal canalolithiasis. Mechanism is likely to be due to endolymphatic double flow. Bilateral cases may be due to simultaneous co-existence of canalolithiasis and cupulolithiasis. Longer recording of nystagmus is recommended not to miss the cases with spontaneous direction-changing positional nystagmus.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2023

Background: Commensal bacteria play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and probiotics have been used as treatment options. We aimed to explore the current use of probiotics and factors associated with their prescription in patients with IBD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a single hospital-based cohort. Patients were eligible if they were ≥18 years old, visited the IBD clinic as an outpatient more than twice during the study period, and had a confirmed diagnosis of IBD. Patients were divided into two groups based on the prescription of probiotics. Clinical assessments were compared between the two groups. Results: In total, 217 patients were enrolled in this study. In patients with Crohn disease (CD), moderate or severe abdominal pain; prior use of methotrexate (MTX), iron, thiopurines, or biologics; history of IBD-related surgery; and stool frequency were independently associated with the prescription of probiotics. In patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), moderate or severe abdominal pain, hematochezia, stool frequency, and moderate or severe physician global assessment score were independently associated with the prescription of probiotics. Conclusion: Increased disease activity may be associated with fewer prescriptions of probiotics in patients with IBD. However, physicians prescribed probiotics to control symptoms, such as abdominal pain and increased stool frequency in patients with UC and CD, and hematochezia in patients with UC. Additionally, the use of MTX and iron, and a history of IBD-related surgeries were associated with more frequent probiotic prescriptions in patients with CD.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.814-822
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• 2023

Objective: This case report details the successful management of bowel perforation through traditional Korean medicine. Often, emergency surgery is required due to potential complications, such as peritonitis. In this case, the patient had previously undergone a total colectomy, making surgical treatment complicated. Methods: The patient revealed persistent abdominal pain and over 20 instances of diarrhea per day. During the course of treatment, which included two hospitalizations and one outpatient visit, acupuncture treatment and herbal medicine were administered. Throughout the treatment period, the intensity of abdominal pain and the frequency of diarrhea gradually decreased. Results: At the end of treatment, a follow-up abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed no evidence of perforation. Additionally, blood tests revealed no abnormalities in liver or kidney function, confirming the safety of the treatments.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.312-317
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• 2024

Plexiform schwannomas representing a rare subset, comprise 5% of all schwannomas. However, their occurrence in the thyroid gland is exceptionally rare. A 32-year-old male presented with an incidentally discovered, asymptomatic thyroid mass. Imaging revealed an approximately 5 cm heterogeneous solid mass on the right thyroid lobe extending to the upper mediastinum and directly invading the upper trachea. Under the suspicion of thyroid malignancy, the patient underwent right thyroidectomy. Histological examination confirmed a plexiform schwannoma with S100-positive spindle cells. Currently, the patient is undergoing outpatient follow-up, with no reported complications. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of plexiform schwannoma of the thyroid gland within the English literature. This case highlights the diverse and unpredictable clinical manifestations of thyroid masses, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosing and managing rare entities, such as thyroid gland schwannomas.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2023

Background: This study focuses on the establishment and operation of a stroke patient hotline program to help patients and their caregivers determine when acute neurological changes require emergency attention. Method: The stroke hotline was established at the Gyeonggi Regional Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in June 2016. Patients diagnosed with stroke during admission or in outpatient clinics were registered and provided with stroke education. Consulting nurses managed hotline calls and made decisions about outpatient schedules or emergency room referrals, consulting physicians when necessary. The study analyzed consultation records from June 2016 to December 2020, assessing consultation volumes and types. Outcomes and hotline satisfaction were also evaluated. Results: Over this period, 6,851 patients were registered, with 1,173 patients (18%) undergoing 3,356 hotline consultations. The average monthly consultation volume increased from 29.2 cases in 2016 to 92.3 cases in 2020. Common consultation types included stroke symptoms (22.3%), blood pressure/glucose inquiries (12.8%), and surgery/procedure questions (12.6%). Unexpected outpatient visits decreased from 103 cases before the hotline to 81 cases after. Among the 2,244 consultations between January 2019 and December 2020, 9.6% were recommended hospital visits, with two cases requiring intra-arterial thrombectomy. Patient satisfaction ratings of 9-10 points increased from 64% in 2019 to 69% in 2020. Conclusion: The stroke hotline program effectively reduced unexpected outpatient visits and achieved high patient satisfaction. Expanding the program could enhance the management of stroke-related neurological symptoms and minimize unnecessary healthcare resource utilization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.627-634
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• 2010

Background: The durability of the tissue valve is important in choice between a mechanical valve and a tissue valve in cardiac surgery. We studied the mid-term results of tissue valve in the aortic position. Material and Method: The subjects were 380 patients who had undergone aortic prosthesis replacement between May 1990 and March 2009. We retrospectively analyzed hospital and outpatient records: the mean age was $69{\pm}9$ years; the male to female ratio was 227 : 162; and the mean follow-up duration was $46.7{\pm}40.8$ months (range 0~196 months). Result: 389 surgical cases in total had been taken with 380 patients. Early death occurred in 15 patients (3.9%). Overall survival rate at 1, 5 and 10 years were 92.3%, 78.1% and 54.2% respectively. Freedom from reoperation at 1, 5 and 10 years were 98.4%, 97.1% and 91.7% respectively. Freedom from structural valvular deterioration at 1, 5 and 10 years were 96.1%, 92.3% and 88.0% respectively. In the multivariate analysis of preoperative risk factors, young age (p<0.001) was significant risk factor for reoperation. High peak velocity in the postoperative period (p=0.034) and young age (p=0.029) were significant risk factors for structural valvular deterioration. Old age (p=0.001), long bypass time (p=0.035), concomitant coronary artery bypass graft surgery (p=0.003) and preoperative low left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.003) were significant factors for early mortality. Preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (< 60 mL/min) (p=0.025) and persistent left ventricular hypertrophy (p=0.032) were the risk factors for late mortality. Conclusion: This study showed that the freedom from reoperation and the freedom from structural valvular deterioration in aortic tissue valve replacement were acceptable. It will be necessary to conduct further studies with long-term follow-up and more patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2003

Primary chest wall tumors originate from soft tissue, bone or cartilage of the chest wall and it comprises 1∼2% of all primary tumors. Resection of tumor is often indicated for chronic ulceration or pain, and long-term survival might be achieved after surgery depending on the histology and the surgical procedure. Material and Method: Retrospective study of 125 primary chest wall tumors (86 benign, 39 malignant) operated between Sep. 1976 to Mar 2001 were reviewed and their clinical outcomes were analyzed. Follow-up data were collected at the outpatient clinic. Result: All patients with benign tumors were treated by excision without recurrence or death, and most malignancies were treated by wide resection. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosarcoma constituted 46.2% of the malignant neoplasm. There was no operative death. The overall 3-year survival for patients with primary malignant neoplasm was 76.0%, and the 10-year survival was 60.5%. All deaths were disease-related and the tumor recurred in 11 patients. There was no significant difference in survival between patients with resection margins less than 4 cm and those with resection margins greater than 4 cm. Conclusion: Chest wall resection offers excellent results for benign chest wall tumors and substantial long-term survival for malignant diseases. Safe resection margin of 4 cm or more did not correlate with the survival rate although the tumor recurrence correlated with poor survival.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.112-118
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• 1992

Neck mass as a primary presenting sign is a common problem that physicians and surgeons alike have to face but conclusive diagnosis cna be made only by histopathological examination. During the period of four years from January 1988 to December 1991, three hundred sixteen diagnostic incisional or excisional biopsies of the neck masses were performed at the outpatient department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital and tissue diagnoses were confirmed by histopatholotical examination. On which a clinical analysis was performed and its results were compared with the results of one hundred fifteen Fine Needle Aspiration Cytologic examinations on neck masses during the same period. The results were as follows: In the histologic types of neck masses. inflammatory disease was the most common (58.2%), metastatic malignant tumor(22.5%), benign tumor(15.2%). primary malignant tumor(0.4%) in decreasing order. Among the individual lesions. tuberculous lymphadenitis was the most common(29.4%) and nonspecific lymphadenitis was the next. Of overall sexual distribution, female preponderated by a ratio of 1.15:1, but in the primary and metastatic malignancies, male did by a ratio of 1.60:1 and 1.53:1, respectively. The most common age group was third decade(26.8%), and fourth decade was the next(20.9%) but in malignant tumors. sixth decade was the most commom. The duration of symptom between one and three months(33.8%), was the most common and between three and six month was the next but the difference between the individual diseases was not significant. Of the metastatic tumor of seventy one cases, primary site was found in fifty cases(84.2%) and stomach cancer was the most comon primary site. In the result of the Fine Needle Aspiration Cytologic(FNAC) examinations, positive for mlignant cells was the most common(33.1%), following the frequencies with tuberculosis(22.6%), and nonspecific lymphadenitis(16.5%) in decreasing order. Eleven cases of FNAC underwent diagnostic biopsies and the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC was 83.3%. Conclusively, in our study, tuberculous lymphadenitis was the most common histologic type, female was predominant third decade was the most common age group. the duration of symptom between one and three month was the most common and in the metastatic tumors, stomach cancer was the most common primary site.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.275-282
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• 2015

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most-common malignancy of women worldwide. Though there are differences among developed and developing countries, BC remains the most common cancer type of women in Turkey. Objective: This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge, awareness, and their potential predictors towards BC in Ankara, Turkey. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted on 376 females attending a breast health outpatient clinic. A self-administered questionnaire was designed to evaluate knowledge level about BC and predictors effecting its level. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean age of the participants was $46.2{\pm}9.93$ (22-75). The majority (92.6 %) were married; 41.5% were educated less than nine years. Most of the women were housewives (82.7%) and, were living in an urban region (86.4%). Predictors of effecting responses to seven knowledge and awareness questions about BC varied from demographic features including older age groups, higher educational levels, being married, living in an urban area, being employee, smoking, having greater BMI to additional attributes associated breast health such as the increased number of births, applying for the purpose of control, positive family history of breast diseases, any diagnoses of breast diseases and performing BSE practice. Conclusions: It was determined that females in Turkey have better knowledge of BC than other developing countries even though it is not at the desired level. These findings revealed that females should be more informed about BC risk factors, prognosis and treatments by primary health-care providers to counteract the ascending burden of this disease.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to know the cause of the tenderness at pes anserinus. Materials and Methods: Out of 24 patients with tenderness at pes anserinus, 23 patients were female and 1 patient was male, and their average age was 65.9 years old. We checked the tenderness at pes anserinus by history taking & physical examniation and then, checked the pes anserinus for the presence of bursitis by US in outpatient clinic. With no evidence of bursitis by US, we injected steroid-lidocaine mixture intraarticularly and checked whether the tenderness disappeared after 2~3 minutes. Results: There was no case with bursitis at pes anserinus by US. The tenderness at pes anserinus diminished in 2-3 minutes after the intraarticular injection of the steroid-lidocaine mixture. After 6 weeks follow up, 16 patients(66.7%) had little or no tenderness at pes anserinus. 8 cases had the recurrence of tenderness recurred, 4 cases underwent arthroscopic operation on the meniscal tear, and 1 case underwent total knee arthroplasty. All cases underwent any operations had the tenderness at pes anserinus disappeared. The others 3 cases did not undergo total knee arthroplasty despite of radiologic obliteration of knee joint adequate for Kellgren-Lawrence grade IV. Conclusion: Without the bursitis at Pes Anserinus, patients the osteoarthritis may have the tenderness due to the referred pain.