The hyperosinophilic syndrome (HES) commonly involves liver and spleen but only a few literature has reported the imaging features. In this article, we present the imaging features of the liver and spleen in HES patients together with clinical and laboratory features. This study included 5 HES patients with hepatic involvement. Extensive laboratory tests including multiple hematologic, serologic, parasitologic, and immunologic examinations were performed. Imaging studies included CT, ultrasound (US) of upper abdomen and hepatosplenic scintigraphy. All patients were periodically examined by laboratory and imaging studies for 4 to 24 months. The common clinical presentations were weakness, mild fever, and dry cough. All patients revealed leukocytosis with eosinophilia of 40 to 80% and benign eosnophilic hyperplasia of the bone marrow. The percutaneous biopsy of the hepatic focal lesions performed in 2 patients showed numerous benign eosinophilic infiltrates and one of them revealed combined centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes. All cases revealed hepatomegaly with multiple focal lesions on at least one of CT, US, or scintigraphy. These findings completely disappeared in 2 To 6 months following medication of corticosteroid or antihistamines. The HES involved the liver and CT, US, or scintigraphy. These findings completelydisappeared in 2 to 6 months following medication of corticosteroid or antihistamines. The HES involved the liver and CT, US, or scintigraphic studies showed hepatic multifocal lesions with hepatomegaly. Differential diagnoses of these findings should include metastatic disease, lymphoma, leukemia. candidiasis or other opportunistic infections.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Candidiasis ; Cough ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Fever ; Hepatocytes ; Hepatomegaly ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Hyperplasia ; Leukemia ; Leukocytosis ; Liver ; Lymphoma ; Necrosis ; Opportunistic Infections ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Spleen ; Ultrasonography

The hyperosinophilic syndrome (HES) commonly involves liver and spleen but only a few literature has reported the imaging features. In this article, we present the imaging features of the liver and spleen in HES patients together with clinical and laboratory features. This study included 5 HES patients with hepatic involvement. Extensive laboratory tests including multiple hematologic, serologic, parasitologic, and immunologic examinations were performed. Imaging studies included CT, ultrasound (US) of upper abdomen and hepatosplenic scintigraphy. All patients were periodically examined by laboratory and imaging studies for 4 to 24 months. The common clinical presentations were weakness, mild fever, and dry cough. All patients revealed leukocytosis with eosinophilia of 40 to 80% and benign eosnophilic hyperplasia of the bone marrow. The percutaneous biopsy of the hepatic focal lesions performed in 2 patients showed numerous benign eosinophilic infiltrates and one of them revealed combined centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes. All cases revealed hepatomegaly with multiple focal lesions on at least one of CT, US, or scintigraphy. These findings completely disappeared in 2 To 6 months following medication of corticosteroid or antihistamines. The HES involved the liver and CT, US, or scintigraphy. These findings completelydisappeared in 2 to 6 months following medication of corticosteroid or antihistamines. The HES involved the liver and CT, US, or scintigraphic studies showed hepatic multifocal lesions with hepatomegaly. Differential diagnoses of these findings should include metastatic disease, lymphoma, leukemia. candidiasis or other opportunistic infections.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Candidiasis ; Cough ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Fever ; Hepatocytes ; Hepatomegaly ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Hyperplasia ; Leukemia ; Leukocytosis ; Liver ; Lymphoma ; Necrosis ; Opportunistic Infections ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Spleen ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Approximately 10–15% of children with Kawasaki disease (KD) do not respond to initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and have higher risk for coronary artery lesion (CAL). The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors from laboratory findings in patients who do not respond to IVIG treatment and develop CAL from KD. METHODS: We retrospectively collected nationwide multicenter data from the Korean Society of Kawasaki Disease and included 5,151 patients with KD between 2012 and 2014 from 38 hospitals. RESULTS: Among 5,151 patients with KD, 524 patients belonged to the IVIG-resistant group. The patients in the IVIG-resistant group had a significantly higher serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level (1,573.91±3,166.46 vs. 940.62±2,326.10 pg/mL; p < 0.001) and a higher percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) (70.89±15.75% vs. 62.38±32.94%; p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that significantly increased PMN, NT-proBNP, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were the predictors of IVIG resistance (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses also showed that only CRP was associated with the risk of CAL (p < 0.01), while PMN, NT-proBNP, AST, and ALT were not. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PMN, serum NT-proBNP, CRP, AST, and ALT levels are significantly associated with IVIG resistance in patients with KD. Moreover, serum CRP is significantly increased in patients with KD with CAL.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Logistic Models ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Neutrophils ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Approximately 10–15% of children with Kawasaki disease (KD) do not respond to initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and have higher risk for coronary artery lesion (CAL). The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors from laboratory findings in patients who do not respond to IVIG treatment and develop CAL from KD. METHODS: We retrospectively collected nationwide multicenter data from the Korean Society of Kawasaki Disease and included 5,151 patients with KD between 2012 and 2014 from 38 hospitals. RESULTS: Among 5,151 patients with KD, 524 patients belonged to the IVIG-resistant group. The patients in the IVIG-resistant group had a significantly higher serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level (1,573.91±3,166.46 vs. 940.62±2,326.10 pg/mL; p < 0.001) and a higher percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) (70.89±15.75% vs. 62.38±32.94%; p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that significantly increased PMN, NT-proBNP, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were the predictors of IVIG resistance (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses also showed that only CRP was associated with the risk of CAL (p < 0.01), while PMN, NT-proBNP, AST, and ALT were not. CONCLUSIONS Elevated PMN, serum NT-proBNP, CRP, AST, and ALT levels are significantly associated with IVIG resistance in patients with KD. Moreover, serum CRP is significantly increased in patients with KD with CAL.

An increase in the number of preterm infants and a decrease in the gestational age at birth have resulted in an increase in the number of patients with significant bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH contributes significantly to the high morbidity and mortality in the BPD patients. Therefore, regular monitoring for PH by using echocardiography and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal-proBNP must be conducted in the BPD patients with greater than moderate degree to prevent PH and to ensure early treatment if PH is present. In the BPD patients with significant PH, multi-modality treatment, including treatment for correcting an underlying disease, oxygen supply, use of diverse selective pulmonary vasodilators (inhaled nitric oxide, inhaled prostacyclins, sildenafil, and endothelin-receptor antagonist) and other methods, is mandatory.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Dietary Sucrose ; Echocardiography ; Epoprostenol ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Nitric Oxide ; Oxygen ; Parturition ; Piperazines ; Prostaglandins I ; Purines ; Sulfones ; Vasodilator Agents ; Sildenafil Citrate

The incidence of people living with congenital heart disease (CHD) has been increasing every year owing to remarkable advances in surgical and catheter intervention techniques and devices, and improved knowledge of critical care for patients with CHD. However, these patients continue to face physical, psychosocial, and environmental challenges, and a number of studies have shown higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders than the general population. To improve psychosocial functioning and quality of life for adults with CHD, health care providers are recommended to inform CHD patients of an accurate diagnosis, and overall treatment process, beginning in adolescence to facilitate a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood. Active cooperation with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, and family members is highly recommended to help CHD patients feel normal and optimistic and to promote good social interactions, close family relationships, and a strong sense of coherence.
Adolescent* ; Adult* ; Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Catheters ; Critical Care ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Family Relations ; Health Personnel ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interpersonal Relations ; Psychiatry ; Psychology ; Quality of Life* ; Sense of Coherence ; Social Workers

The PACS system built and used in hospitals nowadays has quite significant overload on the central server of it because of both treatment of very large data and full management of medical images. We suggest a distributed communication and management methodology using Peer to Peer multicasting strategy for efficient management of medical images produced by DICOM modalities. It is absolutely necessary for reducing strict degradation of PACS system due to large size of medical images and its very high transport rates. DICOM Peer to Peer component is composed a service manager to execute requested queries, a communication manager to take charge of file transmission, and a DICOM manager to manage stored data and system behavior. Each manager itself is a component to search for requested file by interaction or transmit the file to other Peers. Distributed management and transformation of medical information based on Peer to Peer multicasting methodology will enhance performance of central server and network capacity reducing overload on them.

No abstract available.
Sarcoma*

No abstract available.
Cardiac Catheterization* ; Cardiac Catheters* ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Child* ; Cineangiography* ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as an attractive option for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint, due to their marked disease-modifying ability and chondrogenic potential. MSCs can be isolated from various organ tissues, such as bone marrow, adipose tissue, synovium, umbilical cord blood, and articular cartilage with similar phenotypic characteristics but different proliferation and differentiation potentials. They can be differentiated into a variety of connective tissues such as bone, adipose tissue, cartilage, intervertebral discs, ligaments, and muscles. Although several studies have reported on the clinical efficacy of MSCs in knee OA, the results lack consistency. Furthermore, there is no consensus regarding the proper cell dosage and application method to achieve the optimal effect of stem cells. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review the characteristics of various type of stem cells in knee OA, especially MSCs. Moreover, we summarize the clinical issues faced during the application of MSCs.