Background
: Acute appendicitis is one of the common surgical diseases which urgent diagnosis is needed in emergency or primary practice. But its diagnosis can be complicated because acute appendicitis has diverse clinical manifestations. Moreover facilities for accurate diagnosis are limited in most primary practice, so we investigated the usefulness of acupoints in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis as the more accurate, easy and simple method.

Methods : The number of appendicitis patients group were 26, whose diagnosis was confirmed by pathology after operation (appendicitis patients group). For the control groups, we selected 20 patients of acute abdominal pain whose clinical diagnosis were other than acute appendicitis (nonappendicitis patients group). Another 20 persons were selected for healthy control group. The subjects of each group were measured the pressure pain threshold by pressure algometer at four acupoints of right lower leg. The four acupoints were Joksamni, Nanmi, Sangeoher, Jogu. We analysed the mean pressure of pain threshold and the order of pain intensity at each acupoint and group.

Results : There was no statistical difference of age and sex in each group. The mean pressure of pain threshold at the Nanmi acupoint ; in appendicitis patients 2.98±0.93㎏/㎠, in nonappendicitis patients 3.79±1.04㎏/㎠, in healthy control 5.08±1.05㎏/㎠, The appendicitis patients' pressure of pain threshold was lower than other groups(p<0.001). The mean pressure of pain threshold in appendicitis patients at each acupoint were as following : nanmi acupoint 2.98±0.93㎏/㎠, Joksamni 4.08±1.61㎏/㎠, Sangeoher 4.75±1.43㎏/㎠, Jogu 5.58±1.47㎏/㎠. The Nanmi acupoint was lower than other acupoints(p<0.001). The diagnostic values of the Nanmi acupoint by the pressure of pain threshold were as following: if the pressure was lower than 3.0㎏/㎠, the sensitivity of diagnosis was 76.9%, specificity was 82.5%, if the pressure was lower than 3.5㎏/㎠, the sensitivity and specificity was 88.5%, 75.0% respectively. The diagnostic value by the order of pain inthnsity; in the most painful acupoint was the Nanmi, the sensitivity was 92.2% and the specificity was 70.0%. The diagnostic alue by the combination of pressure and order of pain intensity : if the most painful acupoint was the Nanmi and the pressure threshold was lower the 3.5㎏/㎠ at the Nanmai, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.1%, 80.0% respectively.

Conclusion : If the pressure threshold was lower than 3.5㎏/㎠ at the Nanmi acupoint and the most painful acupoint was the Nanmi acupoint, acute appendicitis could be diagnosed in sensitivity 80.1% and specificity 80.0%.

Background
: The colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Korea. But its incidence tends to increase in recent days. The fecal occult blood test which can be used in screening test of colon cancer is simple, specific and low in cost. But the effectiveness of the test for early detection of colon lesion has not been evaluated in Korea. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the detection rate of the fecal occult blood test for colorectal lesions-colon cancer, etc in health examination.

Methods : We reviewed 8,865 medical records of patients who received health examination in Yongdong Sevrance Hospital since November 9th, 1992 until June 20th, 1994 and collected data with positive results in guaiac test to evaluate further diagnostic methods and treatment modalities for the detected lesions.

Results : Four hundred forty nine cases(5.1%) were found to have positive of 8,865 cases. Forty five cases(10.0%) with positive results received further evaluation to see if they have any disease. As a further evaluation method, Ba enema and endoscopy were performed on 84.4% and 26.7% of 45 cases, respectively, 64.4% of these had normal results. The most common diagnosis of the abnormal results were hemorrhoids, followed by polyps, diverticuli and a cancer.

Conclusion : 35.6% of cases had positive guaiac thest had abnormal colorectal lesions, Therefore it is considered the neccessity of the positive cases to get further evaluation in Korea, too.