Art therapy using famous painting appreciation maintains fatigue levels during radiotherapy in cancer patients

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of art therapy to control fatigue in cancer patients during course of radiotherapy and its impact on quality of life (QoL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty cancer patients receiving radiotherapy received weekly art therapy sessions using famous painting appreciation. Fatigue and QoL were assessed using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) Scale and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) at baseline before starting radiotherapy, every week for 4 weeks during radiotherapy, and at the end of radiotherapy. Mean changes of scores over time were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, 34 (68%) participated in 4 sessions of art therapy. Generalized linear mixed models testing for the effect of time on mean score changes showed no significant changes in scores from baseline for the BFI and FACIT-F. The mean BFI score and FACIT-F total score changed from 3.1 to 2.7 and from 110.7 to 109.2, respectively. Art therapy based on the appreciation of famous paintings led to increases in self-esteem by increasing self-realization and forming social relationships. CONCLUSION: Fatigue and QoL in cancer patients with art therapy do not deteriorate during a period of radiotherapy. Despite the single-arm small number of participants and pilot design, this study provides a strong initial demonstration that art therapy of appreciation for famous painting is worthy of further study for fatigue and QoL improvement. Further, it can play an important role in routine practice in cancer patients during radiotherapy.

A Case of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia which was Diagnosed with the Help of the Radiologic Study / 대한임상병리학회지

We report a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a 7-year-old female patient who had complained of limitation of motion and pain on knee and ankle joints 5 months ago. She had been initially diagnosed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and received prednisone (PDS), which delayed the accurate diagnosis of the disease. But finally she has been diagnosed with ALL by the bone marrow aspiration and biopsy being done after the discontinuation of PDS with the help of leukemic suspicion of radiologic study.

A Report of Pseudomembranous Colitis caused by Clostridium glycolicum / 대한임상미생물학회지

The major cause of pseudomembranous colitis is known to be Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). There are few reports that Clostridium species other than C. difficile has caused pseudomembranous colitis. We report a case of pseudomembranous colitis caused by clostridium glycolicum(C. glycolicum). A 47-year-old woman who had operational history for rectal cancer 3 months ago, was readmitted with diarrhea of 3 days duration. Seven weeks before admission, she had received ornidazole and ceftriaxone due to diarrhea and abdominal pain, and her symptoms were improved. She had received additional radiation therapy for rectal cancer during six weeks before the recent onset of diarrhea. On admission, she complained of watery diarrhea ten times a day and abdominal pain. She had tenderness on both lower abdomen. Pseudomembrane was observed by colonoscopic and histologic examination. VIDAS C. difficile toxin A II assay was positive and C. glycolicum was isolated in the stool. She recovered after receiving oral metronidazole treatment.

A Case of Hypocortisolemia Presented by Short Stature / 대한소아내분비학회지

Isolated ACTH deficiency is a rare cause of secondary adrenocortical insufficiency. The clinical presentation can be similar to that of primary adrenal insufficiency, but most of them may be nonspecific. A female patient of 25 months of age, complainig short stature, showed hypocortisolemia without ACTH & cortisol stimulation by insulin-induced hypoglycemia test. All the other hormone state was normal. Left hand AP view revealed delayed bone age(3 month) compared with chronological age. No radiologic abnormality was found in sella MRI and adrenal CT. Here we report a case of isolated ACTH deficiency presented by short stature.

The Role of CD34 in the Immunophenotyping Panel of Leukemia / 대한임상병리학회지

BACKGROUND: CD34 is expressed by early hematopoietic (myeloid & lymphoid) progenitor cells, endothelial cells, and bone marrow stromal cells. Recent studies have suggested that the expression of the hematopoietic antigen CD34 is predictive of outcome. But the functional importance of CD34 antigen has not yet been fully elucidated, and CD34 antigen has not yet been included in the routine immunophenotyping panel. We designed this experiment to evaluate the significance of including CD34 antigen in the routine immunophenotyping panel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have included CD34 antigen in the immunophenotyping panel from 1994 to 1997. Seventy eight patients with acute leukemia and 7 patients with chronic leukemia and CML-blast crisis were analyzed by direct immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: CD34 was positive in 64% (50/78) of cases with acute leukemia and 100% (3/3) of cases with CML-blast crisis, but negative in 100% (4/4) of cases with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Seventeen (63%) of 27 patients that belonged to AML FAB subtype M0, M1, M2, M4, M5, M7 were CD34-positive, but all of the 9 patients (100%) that belonged to AML FAB M3 were CD34-negative. Thirty-one patients of CD34-positive non-T-ALL belonged to immunologic group II, III, or IV, and all 2 patients of CD34-positive T-ALL belonged to immunologic group I. There are no significant correlations of CD34 with the remission rate and the survival rate of acute leukemia. CONCLUSIONS: CD34 facilitates the rapid diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) different from the other AML subtypes in clinical course and therapeutic plan. It is also helpful for the immunologic grouping of ALL, and differentiation of chronic leukemia from CML-blast crisis or acute leukemia. We concluded that it is desirable to include CD34 in the routine immunophenotyping panel.

A Clinical Study of Single Umbilical Artery

PURPOSE: Single umbilical artery (SUA), the most common malformation of the umbilical cord, has long been of interest because of its association with congenital malformations. This retrospective study was aimed to evaluate the incidence of SUA and its associated malformations. METHOD: The study population was inborn neonates of Kang-Nam Sacred Heart Hospital of Hallym University. We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 15 infants with SUA, including 1 infant identified in prenatal ultrasonography. RESULTS: The incidence of SUA was 0.2% (15/9,351 cases). The mean birth weight was 2,658 gram (ranged from 1,060 to 3,700gram), and the mean gestational age was 38 weeks (ranged from 32 to 40 + 3weeks). Six cases (40%) of 15 cases with SUA were associated with congenital malformations : urogenital malformations in 4 cases, cardiovascular malformations in 3 cases, and musculoskeletal malformations in 3 cases. Only 1 case had abmormal karyotype, trisomy 18. CONCLUSION: Because SUA is highly associated with congenital malformations newborns with SUA should have a thorough and complete physical examination at birth and physicians should also be alert to the possibility of congenital malformations not evident at initial examination. Furthermore, prenatal detection of SUA has potential importance, since it may indicate that further work is necessary to rule out associated malformations and to help determine whether management should beltered.

A Study on the Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus using Nested PCR / 대한임상병리학회지

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is associated with a insignificant skin lesion, keratitis, encephalitis, congenital infection, sexually transmitted disease, or cervix cancer. There are two types of serogroup, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 makes the lesion mainly on the above-waist area and HSV-2 makes the lesion mainly on the below-waist area. To diagnose the HSV infection, immunological or cultural methods usually have been used until now. But they are not satisfactory in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and ease of application. Recently the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed. Because of the exponential nature of the amplification, this method can detect extremely small amount of DNA. We compared nested PCR with cultural method for HSV detection. METHODS: We obtained 61 specimens from the lesions of oral mucosa, face, and genital area. Samples were inoculated into the monolayer from the African green monkey kidney cell(Vero). When the slide showed cytopathic effect(CPE), HSV infection was confirmed, After extracting DNA from 61 samples, we amplified HSV DNA using nested PCR with the primers against the gene encoding glycoprotein (gD) of HSV-1 and HSV-2. RESULTS: We found 632 bp band after the 1st PCR round and 271 bp band after the 2nd PCR round with HSV-1 specific primers. HSV-2 revealed 428 bp band after the 1st PCR round and 231 bp band after the 2nd PCR round. Nested PCR showed analytical sensitivity at 10(-9) g of DNA in HSV-1 and 10(-10) g of DNA in HSV-2. Viral culture was positive in 36%, nested PCR detected HSV DNA sequence in 54% of samples. Nested PCR typed HSV, HSV-1 in 67%, HSV-2 in 39%, and mixed type in 6% of PCR-positive samples. All isolates from above-waist area were HSV-1. Seventy seven percent of 13 isolates from below-waist area were HSV-2 and 38% were HSV-1. CONCLUSIONS: Nested PCR offers a rapid, simple, and sensitive test for HSV infections of skin and mucosa.

A Study on the Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus using Nested PCR / 대한임상병리학회지

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is associated with a insignificant skin lesion, keratitis, encephalitis, congenital infection, sexually transmitted disease, or cervix cancer. There are two types of serogroup, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 makes the lesion mainly on the above-waist area and HSV-2 makes the lesion mainly on the below-waist area. To diagnose the HSV infection, immunological or cultural methods usually have been used until now. But they are not satisfactory in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and ease of application. Recently the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed. Because of the exponential nature of the amplification, this method can detect extremely small amount of DNA. We compared nested PCR with cultural method for HSV detection. METHODS: We obtained 61 specimens from the lesions of oral mucosa, face, and genital area. Samples were inoculated into the monolayer from the African green monkey kidney cell(Vero). When the slide showed cytopathic effect(CPE), HSV infection was confirmed, After extracting DNA from 61 samples, we amplified HSV DNA using nested PCR with the primers against the gene encoding glycoprotein (gD) of HSV-1 and HSV-2. RESULTS: We found 632 bp band after the 1st PCR round and 271 bp band after the 2nd PCR round with HSV-1 specific primers. HSV-2 revealed 428 bp band after the 1st PCR round and 231 bp band after the 2nd PCR round. Nested PCR showed analytical sensitivity at 10(-9) g of DNA in HSV-1 and 10(-10) g of DNA in HSV-2. Viral culture was positive in 36%, nested PCR detected HSV DNA sequence in 54% of samples. Nested PCR typed HSV, HSV-1 in 67%, HSV-2 in 39%, and mixed type in 6% of PCR-positive samples. All isolates from above-waist area were HSV-1. Seventy seven percent of 13 isolates from below-waist area were HSV-2 and 38% were HSV-1. CONCLUSIONS: Nested PCR offers a rapid, simple, and sensitive test for HSV infections of skin and mucosa.

A Case of Dup (3q) Syndrome

We have experienced a case of dup (3q) syndrome in the neonate who had a multiple congenital anomalies of hypertrichosis, hypertelorism, upslanting palpaberal fissures, anteverted nostrils, long philtrum, micrognathia, downturned corners of the mouth, highly arched palate, short, webbed neck, clinodactyly, rocker-bottom feet, dermal sinus. Cytogenetic studies showed a duplication 3q21-->qter regions. Chromosome study of relatives is extremely important for counseling because only 25% of cases represented de novo duplications. We reported the case with the review of the associated literatures.