• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.153-164
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• 2006

Introduction : The Aim of the Study Is to Investigate the Characteristics of Yangdorak m the Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease. Methods : Subjects Were Voluntarily Recruited by Newspapers And Internet. All the Subjects Were Confirmed as Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease by a Neurologist. The Patient's Symptoms Were Assessed by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) Stage, Schwab & England Activity of Daily Living And Freezing of Gait Questionnaire(FOGQ). Sasang Constitution Was Differentiated by QSCCII. Yangdorak Was Measured after 15 minutes' Bed Rest Results : The Results Were as Follows; 1. The Average Value of Yangdorak m 50 Patients with Parkinson's Disease Was $39.01{\pm}17.97$. 2. The Mean Values of Fl, F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6 were under 40. 3. The Number of Pyesaek Was Significantly Increased According to H-Y Stage. 4. The Yangdorak Value Had No Significant Correlation between UPDRS, H-Y Stage and Duration. 5. There Was No Significant Difference in the Value of Yangdorak among Sasang Constitutions. Conclusion : This Study Suggests that Yangdorak Can Be Used as a Assistant Tool to Investigate the Patients of Parkinson's Disease. Further Study on the Yangdorak And Parkinson's Disease Is Recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1667-1670
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• 2014

Background: Calprotectin in feces seems to be a more sensitive marker for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers than fecal occult blood, but its specificity may be too low for screening average risk populations. This study aims at evaluating the diagnostic value of fecal calprotectin as a screening biomarker for GI malignancies. Materials and Methods: In a case-control study, 100 patients with GI malignancies (50 patients with colorectal cancer and 50 patients with gastric cancer) and 50 controls were recruited in Tabriz Imam Reza and Sina hospitals during a 24-month period. One to two weeks after the last endoscopy/colonoscopy, fecal specimens were collected by the patients and examined by ELISA method for quantitative measurement of calprotectin content. The results were compared between the three groups. Results: The mean fecal calprotectin level was $109.1{\pm}105.3$ (2.3-454.3, median:74), $241.1{\pm}205.2$ (3.4-610.0, median:19.3) and $45.9{\pm}55.1{\mu}g/g$ (1.3-257.1, median:19.3) in gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and control group, respectively, the differences being significant (p<0.001) and remaining after adjustment for age. The optimal cut-off point for fecal calprotectin was ${\geq}75.8{\mu}g/g$ for distinguishing colorectal cancer from normal cases (sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 84%, respectively). This value was ${\geq}41.9{\mu}g/g$ for distinguishing gastric cancer from normal cases (sensitivity and specificity of 62%). Conclusions: Our results revealed that fecal calprotectin might be a useful and non-invasive biomarker for distinguishing colorectal cancer from non-malignant GI conditions. However, due to low sensitivity and specificity, this biomarker may not help physicians distinguishing gastric cancer cases from healthy subjects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3289-3292
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• 2013

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to identify clinical profiles of patients with low risk of having bone metastases, for which bone scanning could be safely eliminated. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross sectional study looked at prostate cancer patients seen in the Urology Departments in 2 tertiary centres over the 11 year period starting from January 2000 to May 2011. Patient demographic data, levels of PSA at diagnosis, Gleason score for the biopsy core, T-staging as well as the lymph node status were recorded and analysed. Results: 258 men were included. The mean age of those 90 men (34.9%) with bone metastasis was $69.2{\pm}7.3$ years. Logistic regression found that PSA level (P=0.000) at diagnosis and patient's nodal-stage (P=0.02) were the only two independent variables able to predict the probability of bone metastasis among the newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. Among thowse with a low PSA level less than 20ng/ml, and less than 10ng/ml, bone metastasis were detected in 10.3% (12 out of 117) and 9.7% (7 out of 72), respectively. However, by combining PSA level of 10ng/ml or lower, and nodal negative as the two criteria to predict negative bone scan, a relatively high negative predictive value of 93.8% was obtained. The probability of bone metastasis in prostate cancer can be calculated with this formula: -1.069+0.007(PSA value, ng/ml)+1.021(Nodal status, 0 or 1)=x Probability of bone metastasis=$2.718^x/1+2.718^x$. Conclusion: Newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients with a PSA level of 10ng/ml or lower and negative nodes have a very low risk of bone metastasis (negative predictive value 93.8%) and therefore bone scans may not be necessary.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.528-533
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• 2012

Objective : In the pediatric population the skull has not yet undergone ossification and it is assumed that the diagnostic rate of skull fractures by simple X-rays are lower than that of adults. It has been recently proposed that the diagnostic rates of skull fractures by 3-dimensional computer tomography (3D-CT) are higher than simple X-rays. The authors therefore attempted to compare the diagnostic rates of pediatric skull fractures by simple X-rays and 3D-CTs with respect to the type of fracture. Methods : One-hundred patients aged less than 12 years who visited the Emergency Center for cranial injury were subject to simple X-rays and 3D-CTs. The type and location of the fractures were compared and Kappa statistical analysis and the t-test were conducted. Results : Among the 100 pediatric patients, 65 were male and 35 were female. The mean age was $50{\pm}45$ months. 63 patients had simple skull fractures and 22 had complex fractures, and the types of fractures were linear fractures in 74, diastatic fractures 15, depressed fractures in 10, penetrating fracture in 1, and greenstick fractures in 3 patients. Statistical difference was observed for the predictive value of simple skull fractures' diagnostic rate depending on the method for diagnosis. A significant difference of the Kappa value was noted in the diagnosis of depressed skull fractures and diastatic skull fractures. Conclusion : In the majority of pediatric skull fractures, 3D-CT showed superior diagnosis rates compared to simple skull X-rays and therefore 3D-CT is recommended whenever skull fractures are suspected. This is especially true for depressed skull fractures and diastatic skull fractures.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.717-722
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• 2005

The authors evaluated 14 patients from July 1999 to February 2004 treated with total keloidectomy followed by postoperative radiation treatment, delivered within 24 hours or 24-36 hours after surgery. The total dose of radiation was 1200 cGy in three fractions for 4-5 days. Among the 14 patients treated, 8 patients were evaluated for following-up. The age range of these patients were from 22 to 44 years old, with the average age of 30 years. The site of keloid lesions consisted; 6 on the ear lobe, 5 on the anterior chest and 1 on the upper arm. The mean follow-up period was 29.9 months. The recurrence was evaluated with photogrammetric analysis and skin color analysis. The photogrammetric analysis was performed with planimetry for the comparison of the ratio of the reduced size to the preoperative size. The mean value of the relative size of reduction was 55% and the ratio of the ear lobes were greater than the ratio of the chests. The skin color analysis was performed with chromameter CR-300 for the analysis of color difference (E) between the surrounding normal skin and the lesion. The larger the recurred size was, similar to the original size, the larger the E value was, so the E value posses the probability of predictable objective tool of recurrence. Although verifying the effectiveness of radiation therapy following keloidectomy need more cases and long term follow-up evaluation, this therapeutic modality seems very effective in reducing the keloid size, especially in the ear lobe.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2004

Purpose: There is no established treatment-related prognostic factor for gastric cancer except a curative tumor resection. This study was done to clarify the prognostic value of early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) in patients with serosa-positive gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the postoperative survival data of 209 patients with serosapositive gastric cancer treated by surgery and chemotherapy. The survival period for patients was calculated from the date of resection until cancer-related death or the last date of follow-up; Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted and compared by using the log-rank test. A multivariate analysis was done by using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Statistically significant differences in survival rates were noted based on gender, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, stage, location of tumor, macroscopic type, extent of gastric resection, curability of surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Five-year survival rates of patients who received EPIC and systemic chemotherapy were 49 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively (P=0.009). A multivariate analysis revealed that invasion of an adjacent organ, lymph node metastasis, total gastrectomy, and palliative surgery were poor independent prognostic factors. Also, EPIC had a marginal prognostic value (P=0.056). Conclusion: Perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy can possibly be one of the independent prognostic indicators in case of serosa-positive gastric cancer. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2004;4:89-94)

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.241-249
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• 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the added value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to computed tomography (CT) for detecting pancreatic abnormality in patients with clinically suspected acute pancreatitis (AP). Materials and Methods: 203 patients who underwent abdomen CT and subsequent DWI to do a workup for epigastric pain were analyzed. Two blinded radiologists independently performed an interval reading based on CT image sets first, then based on combined CT and DWI image sets. The diagnostic criterion on DWI was the increased signal intensity in the pancreas to that of the spleen. For quantitative analysis, the third radiologist measured ADC value of the pancreas in each patient. Results: For AP (n = 43), the sensitivity for detecting pancreatic abnormality increased, from 42% to 70% for reader 1 (P < 0.05) and from 44% to 72% for reader 2 (P < 0.05). For borderline pancreatitis (n = 42), the sensitivity also increased, from 10% to 26% for reader 1 (P < 0.05) and from 7% to 29% for reader 2 (P < 0.05). The mean ADC values (unit, ${\times}10^{-3}mm^2/s$) were significantly different among the three groups (for AP, $1.09{\pm}0.16$; for borderline pancreatitis, $1.28{\pm}0.2$; for control, $1.46{\pm}0.15$, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Sensitivity for detecting pancreatic abnormality increased significantly after adding DWI to CT in patients with clinically suspected AP.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2021

Background: Although identifying cases in large administrative databases may aid future research studies, previous reports demonstrated that the use of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code alone for diagnosis leads to disease misclassification. Purpose: We aimed to assess the value of the ICD-10 diagnostic code for identifying potential children with biliary atresia. Methods: Patients aged <18 years assigned the ICD-10 code of biliary atresia (Q44.2) between January 1996 and December 2016 at a quaternary care teaching hospital were identified. We also reviewed patients with other diagnoses of code-defined cirrhosis to identify more potential cases of biliary atresia. A proposed diagnostic algorithm was used to define ICD-10 code accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: We reviewed the medical records of 155 patients with ICD-10 code Q44.2 and 69 patients with other codes for biliary cirrhosis (K74.4, K74.5, K74.6). The accuracy for identifying definite/probable/possible biliary atresia cases was 80%, while the sensitivity was 88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82%-93%). Three independent predictors were associated with algorithm-defined definite/probable/possible cases of biliary atresia: ICD-10 code Q44.2 (odds ratio [OR], 2.90; 95% CI, 1.09-7.71), history of pale stool (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.18-6.60), and a presumed diagnosis of biliary atresia prior to referral to our hospital (OR, 17.49; 95% CI, 7.01-43.64). A significant interaction was noted between ICD-10 code Q44.2 and a history of pale stool (P<0.05). The area under the curve was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.89). Conclusion: ICD-10 code Q44.2 has an acceptable value for diagnosing biliary atresia. Incorporating clinical data improves the case identification. The use of this proposed diagnostic algorithm to examine data from administrative databases may facilitate appropriate health care allocation and aid future research investigations.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 1989

Esophageal transit of radionuclide was quantitatively analyzed in 29 patients with dermatomyositis-polymyositis. Fourteen patients (48.3%) showed retention of tracer in oropharynx. The mean value of percent retention of oropharynx was $15.5{\pm}16.6%$. Esophageal dysfunction was found in 19 patients (65.5%). Among them 4 showed mild, 12 showed moderate and 3 showed severe esophageal dysfunction. Dysphagia was found in 11 patients (37.9%), which was closely related to percent retention of oropharynx.Quantitative analysis of esophageal transit of radionuclide seemed to be a useful technique for evaluation of dysphagia in patients with dermatomyositis-polymyositis.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 1995

In order to study the effects of Aloe vera Linne treatment on the clinical chemistry in patients with liver disease, seven patients were administered orally with 800~1, 600 mg of Aloe vera Linne four times day for six months. The high levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP, ${\gamma}$-GTP and total bilirubin in patients were significantly reduced by adminstration of Aloe vera L. The reduced serum albumin/globulin value was increased by Aloe vera L. treatment. But other blood parameters of clinical chemistry values were not affected by Aloe vera L. treatment. These data suggest that Aloe vera L. can be effective in treatment of the patients with liver disease.