No abstract available.
Acidosis* ; Adrenal Insufficiency* ; Child* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Hypoglycemia*

Inherited thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) disorder can be identified incidentally or through neonatal screening test. TBG excess is characterized by high levels of thyroxine (T4) but normal level of free T4 (fT4), while TBG deficiency presents with low T4 levels and normal fT4 levels. A 27-day-old newborn was brought to the hospital because of hyperthyroxinemia detected by neonatal screening. His T4 level was 18.83 µg/dL (normal range, 5.9-16.0 µg/dL). His mother had no history of any thyroid disease. His fT4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were 1.99 ng/dL (normal range, 0.8-2.1 ng/dL) and 4.54 mIU/L (normal range, 0.5-6.5 mIU/L), respectively. His serum total triiodothyronine (T3) level was 322.5 ng/dL (normal range, 105.0-245.0 ng/dL). His TBG level was 68.27 mg/L (normal range, 16.0-36.0 mg/L) at the age of 3 months. At 6 months and 12 months of age, his TBG levels were 48.77 mg/L (normal range, 16.0-36.0 mg/L) and 50.20 mg/L (normal range, 14.0-28.0 mg/L), respectively, which were 2 to 3 times higher than normal values. Hormonal studies showed consistently elevated T3 and T4 levels and upper normal levels of fT4 and free T3 with normal TSH levels. His growth and development were normal. TBG excess should be considered as a potential differential diagnosis for hyperthyroxinemia and especially high T3 levels with normal TSH concentration.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Hyperthyroxinemia ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers ; Neonatal Screening* ; Reference Values ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine* ; Thyroxine-Binding Globulin* ; Triiodothyronine

Severe hypercalcemia in children is a rare medical emergency. We present a case of a 15-year-old boy with hypercalcemia (total calcium level, 14.2 mg/dL) with a normal complete blood count, no circulating blasts in the peripheral blood film, and no other signs of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including no signs of lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly. The hypercalcemia was successfully treated with zoledronic acid. As hypercalcemia can be the only presenting symptom of ALL in children, the diagnosis is often delayed. In children presenting with hypercalcemia, malignancies must be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Adolescent* ; Blood Cell Count ; Calcium ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia* ; Leukemia ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

The incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide, and the greatest increase has been observed in very young children under 4 years of age. A case of infantile diabetic ketoacidosis in a 10-month-old male infant was encountered by these authors. The infant's fasting glucose level was 490 mg/dL, his PH was 7.13, his pCO₂ was 15 mmHg, and his bicarbonate level was 5.0 mmol/L. The glycosylated hemoglobin level had increased to 9.4%. Ketonuria and glucosuria were detected in the urinalysis. The fasting C-peptide and insulin levels had decreased. The infant was positive for anti-insulin and antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies. Immediately after the infant's admission, fluid therapy and intravenous insulin infusion therapy were started. On the second day of the infant's hospitalization and after fluid therapy, he recovered from his lethargic condition, and his general condition improved. Feeding was started on the third day, and he was fed a formula 5 to 7 times a day and ate rice, vegetables, and lean meat. Due to the frequent feeding, the frequency of rapid-acting insulin injection was increased from 3 times before feeding to 5 times, adjusted according to the feeding frequency. The total dose of insulin that was injected was 0.8-1.1 IU/kg/day, and the infant was discharged on the 12th day of his hospitalization. The case is presented herein with a brief review of the relevant literature.
Antibodies ; C-Peptide ; Child ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Fasting ; Fluid Therapy ; Glucose ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Insulin* ; Insulin, Short-Acting ; Ketosis ; Male ; Meat ; Urinalysis ; Vegetables

Graves disease (GD) can lead to complications such as cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure. Although dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) has been occasionally reported in adults with GD, it is rare in children. We present the case of a 32-month-old boy with DCMP due to GD. He presented with irritability, vomiting, and diarrhea. He also had a history of weight loss over the past few months. On physical examination, he had tachycardia without fever, a mild diffuse goiter, and hepatomegaly. The chest radiograph showed cardiomegaly with pulmonary edema, while the echocardiography revealed a dilated left ventricle with an ejection fraction (EF) of 28%. The thyroid function test (TFT) showed elevated serum T3 and decreased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. The TSH receptor autoantibody titer was elevated. He was diagnosed with DCMP with GD; treatment with methylprednisolone, diuretics, inotropics, and methimazole was initiated. The EF improved after the TFT normalized. At follow-up several months later, although the TFT results again showed evidence of hyperthyroidism, his EF had not deteriorated. His cardiac function continues to remain normal 1.5 months after treatment was started, although he still has elevated T3 and high TSH receptor antibody titer levels due to poor compliance with drug therapy. To summarize, we report a young child with GD-induced DCMP who recovered completely with medical therapy and, even though the hyperthyroidism recurred several months later, there was no relapse of the DCMP.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomegaly ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Compliance ; Deoxycytidine Monophosphate ; Diarrhea ; Diuretics ; Drug Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Goiter ; Graves Disease* ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Male ; Methimazole ; Methylprednisolone ; Physical Examination ; Pulmonary Edema ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Recurrence ; Tachycardia ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyrotropin ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: To determine whether serum insulin and glucagon levels of umbilical cord blood correlate with subsequent postnatal hypoglycemia in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) - preterm infants at different gestational ages (GAs). METHODS: The serum insulin and glucagon levels of umbilical cord blood were measured using magnetic bead based multiplex immunoassay in 69 AGA - premature infants, stratified according to GA: GA 23-30 weeks, early preterm (EP, n=31); GA 31-34 weeks, late preterm (LP, n=38). Postnatal hypoglycemia was defined as a capillary glucose level <40 mg/dL within the first 60 minutes of life, regardless of GA. RESULTS: The capillary glucose concentration in EP infants (65.5±21.2 mg/dL) was significantly higher than that of LP infants (55.9±17.3 mg/dL) (P=0.043). The serum glucagon level in EP infants (44.3±28.7 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in LP infants (28.1±13.6 pg/mL) (P=0.006). There was not a significant difference in serum insulin level between EP and LP infants (372.7±254.2 pg/mL vs. 372.4±209.1 pg/mL, P=0.996). There was a significant difference in the serum glucagon level between infants with and without hypoglycemia (27.7±8.9 mg/dL vs. 36.8±24.6 mg/dL, P=0.036), but not in the serum insulin level (451.9±256.9 pg/mL vs. 357.4±222.2 pg/mL, P=0.211). Postnatal glucose concentration within the first 60 minutes of life had a significant positive correlation with serum glucagon levels (r=0.256, P=0.034), but not with serum insulin levels (r=-0.020, P=0.867). CONCLUSION: Lower glucagon levels of cord blood were seen in premature infants with higher GA, which might contribute to the occurrence of postnatal hypoglycemia.
Capillaries ; Fetal Blood* ; Gestational Age* ; Glucagon* ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia* ; Immunoassay ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Insulin* ; Umbilical Cord*

PURPOSE: We studied the changes in subtypes of diabetes mellitus (DM) in children and evaluated the characteristics of each group over the past 20 years. In addition, we also examined the correlation between the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values at the time of diagnosis and lipid profiles. METHODS: The patients were divided into 2 groups: there were a total of 190 patients under 20 years of age firstly diagnosed with DM in Ajou University Hospital. The patients in groups I and II were diagnosed from September 1995 to December 2004 and from January 2005 to April 2014, respectively. RESULTS: The characteristics were compared between the 2 groups of patients. The result showed an increase in percentage of type 2 diabetes and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) patients between the 2 groups. HbA1c and total cholesterol level had statistical significances to explain increasing the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level among age, HbA1c, total cholesterol level, and z-scores of weight and body mass index (BMI) in type 2 diabetes. R-square was 0.074. However, z-score of BMI and total cholesterol level, not HbA1c, had statistical significances in type 1 diabetic patients. R-square was 0.323. CONCLUSION: The increase in the proportions of both type 2 diabetes and MODY in the last 10 years needed to be reminded when diagnosing the subtypes of DM, and the dyslipidemia should be attended more as a common problem of pediatric diabetic patients.
Adolescent ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Cholesterol ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diagnosis ; Dyslipidemias ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Lipoproteins

No abstract available.
Acidosis* ; Adrenal Insufficiency* ; Child* ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Hypoglycemia*

PURPOSE: Abdominal obesity is a fundamental factor underlying the development of metabolic syndrome. Because of radiation exposure and cost, computed tomography or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to evaluate abdominal adiposity are not appropriate in children. Authors evaluated whether ultrasound results could be an indicator of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We enrolled 73 subjects (aged 6-16 years) who were evaluated abdominal adiposity by ultrasound. Subcutaneous fat thickness was defined as the measurement from the skin-fat interface to the linea alba, and visceral fat thickness (VFT) was defined as the thickness from the linea alba to the aorta. Anthropometric and biochemical metabolic parameters were also collected and compared. The subjects who met 2 criteria, radiologic confirmed fatty liver and alanine aminotransferase >40, were diagnosed with NAFLD. RESULTS: There was a strong positive correlation between VFT and obesity. VFT was highly correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance score (r=0.403, P<0.001). The area under the curve for VFT as a predictor of NAFLD was 0.875 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.787-0.964). VFT of 34.3 mm was found to be the discriminating cutoff for NAFLD (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 71.2%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound could be useful in measuring VFT and assessing abdominal adiposity in children. Moreover, increased VFT might be an appropriate prognostic factor for insulin resistance and NAFLD.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adiposity ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aorta ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Liver* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Radiation Exposure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Ultrasonography*

Inherited thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) disorder can be identified incidentally or through neonatal screening test. TBG excess is characterized by high levels of thyroxine (T4) but normal level of free T4 (fT4), while TBG deficiency presents with low T4 levels and normal fT4 levels. A 27-day-old newborn was brought to the hospital because of hyperthyroxinemia detected by neonatal screening. His T4 level was 18.83 µg/dL (normal range, 5.9-16.0 µg/dL). His mother had no history of any thyroid disease. His fT4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were 1.99 ng/dL (normal range, 0.8-2.1 ng/dL) and 4.54 mIU/L (normal range, 0.5-6.5 mIU/L), respectively. His serum total triiodothyronine (T3) level was 322.5 ng/dL (normal range, 105.0-245.0 ng/dL). His TBG level was 68.27 mg/L (normal range, 16.0-36.0 mg/L) at the age of 3 months. At 6 months and 12 months of age, his TBG levels were 48.77 mg/L (normal range, 16.0-36.0 mg/L) and 50.20 mg/L (normal range, 14.0-28.0 mg/L), respectively, which were 2 to 3 times higher than normal values. Hormonal studies showed consistently elevated T3 and T4 levels and upper normal levels of fT4 and free T3 with normal TSH levels. His growth and development were normal. TBG excess should be considered as a potential differential diagnosis for hyperthyroxinemia and especially high T3 levels with normal TSH concentration.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Hyperthyroxinemia ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers ; Neonatal Screening* ; Reference Values ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine* ; Thyroxine-Binding Globulin* ; Triiodothyronine