ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Several studies have found a significant association between the presence of earlobe crease (ELC) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV) is a non-invasive and useful measure of arterial stiffness predicting cardiovascular events and mortality. However, few studies have reported the relationship between ELC and baPWV as a new measure of arterial stiffness. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ELC is related to baPWV in non-diabetic, non-hypertensive, and apparently healthy Korean adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 573 non-hypertensive, non-diabetic Korean adults aged 20-80 yr. Subjects were stratified into three groups according to gender and menopausal status. baPWV was measured by an automatic waveform analyser. The association between ELC and baPWV was assessed by multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting for conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors including age, gender, blood pressure, lipid profile, and smoking status etc. RESULTS: The overall frequency of ELC was 19.02% and the subjects with ELC showed significantly higher mean baPWV (p<0.0001). Multiple linear regression of subjects revealed that the presence of ELC was independently associated with baPWV (male, p<0.0001; premenopausal female p=0.0162; postmenopausal female p=0.0208). CONCLUSION: ELC had a significant correlation with baPWV, independently controlling for other classical cardiovascular risk factors in adults aged 20 yr or older. ELC is an important surrogate marker of increased arterial stiffness as measured by baPWV in Korean adults.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Blood Pressure , Cardiovascular Diseases , Cross-Sectional Studies , Korea , Linear Models , Pulse Wave Analysis , Risk Factors , Smoke , Smoking , Vascular Stiffness , BiomarkersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Incidentally discovered gallbladder polyp in a health check-up has been increasing in numbers due to the extended use of ultrasonography. Past research has reported on the relationship between body mass index and gallbladder (GB) polyp. As there has been a recent rise in the prevalence of obesity, this research attempted to study GB polyp prevalence and the trend according to time elapse in Korea. METHODS: Retrospective cross sectional research was carried out from the data of Korean Association of Health Promotion, between January 2, 2003 to August 3, 2007 in the subjects who received abdominal ultrasonography. The subjectrs excluded were those below 20 years of age, non-Asian and those who have received cholecystectomy. The number of eligible subjects were 137,135, where 69,493 were males and 67,642 were females. RESULTS: Out of 137,135 subjects, the number of subjects with GB polyp were 5,278, where 3,163 were males and 2,115 were females. According to 2005 census, the age adjusted prevalence was 3.7% (3,656 per 100,000). The prevalence for males was 4,403 per 100,000 (4.4%) and for females 2,943 per 100,000 (2.9%). The prevalence has been increasing for the past five years. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of GB polyp in Korea was found to be higher than the pre-existing reports and the prevalence was higher in males than females. The prevalence is on the increase and there is a need to be more attentive to this issue in the future.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Body Mass Index , Censuses , Cholecystectomy , Gallbladder , Health Promotion , Korea , Obesity , Polyps , Prevalence , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
A benign metastasizing pulmonary leiomyoma (BMPL) is a rare disease that usually occurs in women with a prior or coincident history of uterine leiomyoma. Although leiomyoma is histologically benign, it has the potential to metastasize to a distant site such as the lung. A 35 year old woman who had undergone a hysterectomy due to uterine leiomyoma 5 years prior was admitted for an investigation of multiple pulmonary nodules on a routine chest roentgenogram. An open lung biopsy was taken to make a pathological diagnosis. The microscopic finding of the nodules was leiomyoma and was similar to those of the uterine leiomyoma that had been resected 5 years ago. The woman underwent wedge resections of all pulmonary nodules. This is the first case of BMPL in Korea, which was treated with wedge resections of all multiple pulmonary nodules.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Biopsy , Diagnosis , Hysterectomy , Korea , Leiomyoma , Lung , Multiple Pulmonary Nodules , Rare Diseases , ThoraxABSTRACT
Thrombosis of one or both renal veins occurs in a variety of settings such as trauma, dehydration, extrinsic compression, nephrotic syndrome, pregnancy, oral contraceptives or invasion by tumor. Nephrotic syndrome and certain carcinomas seem to predispose to the development of renal vein thrombosis. The most common carcinoma which is associated with renal vein thrombosis is the renal cell carcinoma. But, renal vein thrombosis associated with tumor other than renal cell carcinoma is extremely rare. Our patient was diagnosed as lung and uterine cervical cancer by histologic examination. The patient complained of left flank pain. Abdominal CT scan shows the dilated left renal vein filled with hypodense material and parenchymal infarction on the left kidney. Renal arteriography shows cut-off sign on a branch of the left renal artery. Inferior venacavography revealed contrast-filling defect in the left renal vein. To our knowledge, renal vein thrombosis with lung and uterine cervical carcinoma is the first report in English literature. So, we have presented a rare case of a renal vein thrombosis in a patient with lung and uterine cervical cancer.
Subject(s)
Humans , Pregnancy , Angiography , Carcinoma, Renal Cell , Contraceptives, Oral , Dehydration , Flank Pain , Infarction , Kidney , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Nephrotic Syndrome , Renal Artery , Renal Veins , Thrombosis , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Uterine Cervical NeoplasmsABSTRACT
A 27-year-old woman developed Wemicke's encephalopathy in the 16th week of her first pregnaney. She had thyroid storm and abnormal liver function. Her thyrotoxic symptom and abncemal liver function was recovered after medication of antithyroid drug, steroid, hepatotonic drug and administration of thiamine(fursulthiamin), but the fetus was lost, Thereafter her thyroid function returned to normal and euthyroid state was maintained without medication of antithyroid drug, but her neurological defect was remained. We suggest that severe hyperemesis gravidarum is a possible risk factor of the thyroid storm and Wemicke's encephalopathy in patients with hyperthyroidism, and consider the check of the thyroid function. The need for parenteral thiamine supplementation and medication of antithyroid drug is warranted in patients with severe hyperemesis gravidarum which lasts longer than 3 weeks and abnormal thyroid function.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Fetus , Hyperemesis Gravidarum , Hyperthyroidism , Liver , Risk Factors , Thiamine , Thyroid Crisis , Thyroid Gland , Wernicke EncephalopathyABSTRACT
Since Virchow first introduced the term myxoma to describe a tumor that recapitulates the structure of the umbilical cord, it has been increasingly recognized that many diverse neoplasms may acquire a similar myxoid appearance. Myxoma have evolved within the pathology literature from tumors often described in practically all sites to the currently recognized subtypes restricted to the heart, skin, soft tissue, and bone. Pulmonary myxoma is extraordinary rare. We experienced pulmonary myxoma in a 63 year old man. The pulmonary radiology showed mass in right upper lung field, and percutaneous transthoracic needle lung biopsy was performed to confirm the myxoma.
Subject(s)
Humans , Middle Aged , Biopsy , Heart , Lung , Myxoma , Needles , Pathology , Skin , Umbilical CordABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Leukocyte-endothelial adhesion molecules have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease. ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin are cell surface adhesion molecule on vascular endothelial cells. They are up-regulated by inflammatory cytokines and regulate the adhesion and migration of leukocytes across the endothelium. Tuberculosis, a granulomatous disorder is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The clinical manifestations of tuberculosis are dependent on the cellular immune response to tubercule bacilli. Circulating adhesion molecules are probably formed by cleavage and release into the circulation of the extracellular domain of the membrane bound form. The elevated levels of circulating adhesion molecules have been reported in numerous disease state. To evaluate their role as markers of disease activity in tuberculosis, we measured a sE-selectin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 levels in the serum with seventies of mild, moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: The control and test groups were divided as follows. Group I: control(n=5), Group II: atients with mild pulmonary tuberculosis(n=12), Group III: patients with moderate pulmonary tuberculosis(n=20), Group IV patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis(n=19). Serum sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin were measured by ELISA kit. RESULTS: Serum soluble adhesion molecules are elevated in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Circulating ICAM-1 levels were significantly elevated in patients with moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis when compared with control group. When compared with control group, serum sVCAM-1 levels showed significant elevation in patients with mild, moderate and far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Serum sE-selectin levels were significantly elevated in patients with far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis when compared with control group. CONCLUISON: These results suggest that sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin may be invloved lix the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. And, particularly, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 may be useful markers of the disease activity.