Prediction of vesicoureteral reflux in children with febrile urinary tract infection using relative uptake and cortical defect in DMSA scan.

Background: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is an important urologic anomaly that causes renal injury in children with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). The present study aimed to evaluate the associations of abnormalities detected on technetium-99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scans, focusing on the association with VUR of the levels of relative decrease in kidney function and cortical defects after a first febrile UTI in children.

Methods: All 171 children underwent ultrasonography, DMSA scan and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG).

Horizontal Stent Assisted Coiling of Wide Neck Basilar Tip Aneurysm: Comparison of Two Cases.

Currently, endovascular coiling is a popular treatment for basilar tip aneurysms, which usually involve a wide neck. Serious complications can occur when the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) originating from a wide neck is not properly preserved. Accordingly, various adjunctive procedures using stents or a balloon have been introduced.

Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase splicing variants in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

To investigate the expression patterns of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) variants in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and examine their clinical implications, we isolated PBMCs from healthy controls (HC, n = 33) and patients with AS (n = 62), and measured mRNA expression of AID variants and translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The proportion of patients with AS in whom AID splicing variant (sv) 2 was expressed was significantly higher than that of HC (p = .031).

The Ability of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) IV Score to Predict Mortality in a Single Tertiary Hospital.

Background: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II model has been widely used in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the APACHE IV model in Korean intensive care units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to compare the ability of APACHE IV and APACHE II in predicting hospital mortality, and to investigate the ability of APACHE IV as a critical care triage criterion.

A case of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma of lung presenting with progressive multiple nodules on chest computed tomography.

A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for dyspnea, which had worsened over a period of more than six months. He was previously diagnosed as having cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, and was treated with steroids in another hospital. He had complained of worsening dyspnea, despite the treatment.

Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Piperacillin/Tazobactam in Korean Patients with Acute Infections.

Background: For more effective and safer usage of antibiotics, the dosing strategy should be individualized based on the patients' characteristics, including race. The aim of this study was to investigate the population pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of piperacillin and tazobactam in Korean patients with acute infections.

Materials And Methods: At least four consecutive 2/0.

Myometrial relaxation of mice via expression of two pore domain acid sensitive K(+) (TASK-2) channels.

Myometrial relaxation of mouse via expression of two-pore domain acid sensitive (TASK) channels was studied. In our previous report, we suggested that two-pore domain acid-sensing K(+) channels (TASK-2) might be one of the candidates for the regulation of uterine circular smooth muscles in mice. In this study, we tried to show the mechanisms of relaxation via TASK-2 channels in marine myometrium.

[A Case of Pylephlebitis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Sepsis and Liver Abscess Secondary to Diverticulitis].

Pylephlebitis, or suppurative thrombophlebitis of the portal venous system, is a rare condition occurring secondary to abdominal infections such as diverticulitis. Pylephlebitis can be diagnosed via ultrasonography or CT scan, and is characterized by the presence of a thrombus in the portal vein and bacteremia. However, the diagnosis may be delayed due to the vague nature of the clinical symptoms, causing morbidity and mortality due to pylephlebitis to remain high.

Emergence of Panton-Valentine leucocidin-positive ST8-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (USA300 clone) in Korea causing healthcare-associated and hospital-acquired bacteraemia.

Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-positive sequence type (ST)8-MRSA-SCCmec IVa (USA300) is the epidemic strain of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in North America. USA300 is extremely rare in South Korea, and PVL-negative ST72 SCCmec type IVc is the predominant CA-MRSA clone. In a multicentre, prospective cohort study of S.

The effects of Dying Well Education Program on Korean women with breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer patients fear the relapse of their disease and subsequent death the most. Dying Well Education Program, a death education program, was offered for breast cancer patients to help them to reflect on the meanings of life and death.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of a death education on fear of death, anxiety and depression, hope, and spiritual well-being among breast cancer patients.

[Successful Management of Periampullary Diverticular Bleeding with Hemoclipping Using Side-viewing Endoscope during Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography].

Periampullary diverticulum is commonly found during endoscopy and can occur at any age although its prevalence increases with age. Periampullary diverticular bleeding is a rare and difficult to diagnose during clinical practice because of its unique appearance and location. This often can lead to massive bleeding and interfere with adequate bleeding control.

Post-Traumatic Arteriovenous Fistula of the Scalp.

Arteriovenous fistula of the scalp is relatively rare disease. We report a traumatic arteriovenous fistula of the scalp treated with complete surgical excision and review the literature with regard to etiology, pathogenesis, and management of these unusual lesions.

Comparative effect on platelet function of a fixed-dose aspirin and clopidogrel combination versus separate formulations in patients with coronary artery disease: A phase IV, multicenter, prospective, 4-week non-inferiority trial.

Background/objectives: The effect of aspirin and clopidogrel in a fixed-dose combination (FDC) on platelet function was compared with separate formulations in patients that had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES).

Methods: This was a phase IV, prospective, multicenter, single-arm, non-inferiority study. Patients that had taken aspirin 100 mg and clopidogrel 75 mg once daily as separate formulations for >6 months after PCI with DES were enrolled, and then switched to an aspirin/clopidogrel FDC once-daily for 4 weeks.

The incidence and histological characteristics of intratubular germ cell neoplasia in postpubertal cryptorchid testis.

Purpose: It is well known that testicular germ cell tumors arise with increased frequency in patients with cryptorchidism. In addition, intratubular germ cell neoplasia (ITGCN) is a precursor lesion to testicular germ cell tumor. Approximately 50% of patients with ITGCN will develop an invasive of testicular germ cell tumors within 5 years.

Clinical and economic consequences of failure of initial antibiotic therapy for patients with community-onset complicated intra-abdominal infections.

Objectives: Complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) is infection that extends beyond the hollow viscus of origin into the peritoneal space, and is associated with either abscess formation or peritonitis. There are few studies that have assessed the actual costs and outcomes associated with failure of initial antibiotic therapy for cIAI. The aims of this study were to evaluate risk factors and impact on costs and outcomes of failure of initial antibiotic therapy for community-onset cIAI.

Vertebral compression fractures may increase mortality in male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is frequent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, little is known about whether VCF affects mortality in COPD patients.

Objective: To investigate whether VCFs might increase death in COPD patients.

Quantification of pediatric cervical growth: anatomical changes in the sub-axial spine.

Objective: In order to provide normal values of the pediatric sub-axial cervical spinal canal and vertebral body growth pattern using computed tomographic scans, a total of 318 patients less than 10 years old were included.

Methods: The growth of the vertebral body and canal space was investigated using four different age groups. The Torg ratio (TR) was calculated and all patients were classified into a low TR group and a high TR group according to a cutoff value of 1.

Belching during gastroscopy and its association with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Belching may result from transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation; therefore, it has been proposed that belching may be a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of belching during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and its association with GERD. A retrospective review was performed on prospectively collected clinical and endoscopic data from 404 subjects who underwent EGD without sedation from December 2012 to May 2013 in a training hospital in Korea.

Clinical application of computed tomography on prostate volume estimation in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Purpose: To compare estimated prostate volume (PV) based on computed tomography (CT) scan and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Materials And Methods: Between January 2010 and October 2012, 107 consecutive patients with LUTS were analyzed, retrospectively. PV measures were performed by the means of ellipsoid formula (PV = π/6 [width (cm) thick­ness (cm) length (cm)]) from TRUS (PVTRUS) and CT (PVCT ellipsoid).

Anomalous arterial supply to normal Basal segment of the right lower lobe: endovascular treatment with the amplatzer vascular plug.

Pulmonary systemic arterialization to normal basal lung without sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly. In this rare abnormality, arterialization of the left lower lobe is the most common type. In general, surgical treatments have been performed.

Non-surgical treatment of post-surgical bile duct injury: clinical implications and outcomes.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic factors determining the success rate of non-surgical treatment in the management of post-operative bile duct injuries (BDIs).

Methods: The study patients were enrolled from the pancreatobiliary units of a tertiary teaching hospital for the treatment of BDIs after hepatobiliary tract surgeries, excluding operations for liver transplantation and malignancies, from January 1999 to August 2010. A total of 5167 patients underwent operations, and 77 patients had BDIs following surgery.

The efficacy and perioperative complications associated with lumbar spinal fusion surgery, focusing on geriatric patients in the republic of Korea.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and perioperative complications associated with lumbar spinal fusion surgery, focusing on geriatric patients in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 485 patients with degenerative spinal diseases who had lumbar spinal fusion surgeries between March 2006 and December 2010 at our institution. Age, sex, comorbidity, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, fusion segments, perioperative complications, and outcomes were analyzed in this study.

Trichinosis caused by ingestion of raw soft-shelled turtle meat in Korea.

Reptiles, unlike mammals, have been considered to be unsuitable hosts of Trichinella spp., though larvae have been detected in their muscles and human outbreaks related to their consumption have, in fact, occurred. Herein we report 2 Korean cases of trichinosis, possibly transmitted via consumption of reptile meat.

The effect of rifaximin on gut flora and Staphylococcus resistance.

Aim: Rifaximin is a non-absorbed antibiotic relative of rifampicin. The location of effect and staphylococcal resistance are two recent potential concerns with rifaximin. In this study we evaluate the location of effect of rifaximin as well as the development of staphylococcal rifampicin resistance.