Objective: Menstruation is a great part as the procedure for physiological, psychological development and physical growth, and menstrual disorders are very common problems in adolescence period. these problems can be resolved by interview or appropriate education of normal pubertal development. However unlike other developed countries, systematic report or appropriate education for menstruation may not be performed in our country. Therefore. our pediatric department investigated for menstruation of normal pubertal age women as an information educating adolescence. Methods: In cross-sectional study (ex, questionnaire), 4112 junior high and high school girl students (12~18 years old) in Ansan, Kyungki-do were investigated for menarcheal age, menstrual cycle, duration, amount, premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea and relation to family history. Resulta: 1) Mean Menarcheal age was 12.9+/-1.2 years. According to menarcheal age by present age, menarcheal age was younger when present age was young as menarcheal age 11.8+/-0.6 years at 12 years, 13.3+/-1.1 years at 16 years, and 13.7+/-1.1 years at 18 years, respectively (p<0.001). 2) The month during which menarche occurs most frequently was August (14.7%), followed by July, December and January. 3) Considering menstrual cycle, mixed type (regular and irregular cycle) was most common (39.0%), and menstrual cycle became regular after mean 8.8+/-8.4 months. 4) In women having regular menstrual cycle, most women (53.l0%) had menstrual cycles between 26 and 30 days, next was 21~25 days and 31~35 days according to frequency. 5) Menstrual duration was 5~6 days by 49.6% of the women. 6) Premenstrual syndrome was noted in 56.0% of the women, in that 42.5% experienced occasionally and 13.5% always, respectively. 7) Dysmenorrhea was showed in 85.0% of the women. A total of 63.7% of the respondents suffered from dysmenorrhea was unaffected on daily activity as grade l and was needed no medication to relieve pain. Grade 2 (20.5%) was defined that limited daily activity and was needed medication to relieve pain. Grade 3 (0.9%) was defined that inhibited daily activity seriously, and was unimproved by analgesics. 8) The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 78.0% at 12 years, 85.9% at 15 years and 94.0% at 18 years, respectively. Getting older, frequency of dysmenorrhea was increasing. 9) Dysmenorrhea was experienced for the first time during the first year after the menarche by 65.3% of the women. The amount of menstrual bleeding was significantly correlated to the severity of dysmenorrhea (P<0.001), and dysmenorrhea reported by the women was singificantly correlated to maternal dysmenorrhea (p<0.01) and to sisters with dysmenorrhea (p<0.001). Conclusions: We found that Korean adolescent girls had earlier menarcheal age than past period, and they had many problems for menstruation. This study suggested that it may be needed adolescent education and appropriate treatment of menstrual disorders.
Adolescent ; Analgesics ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Developed Countries ; Dysmenorrhea ; Education ; Female ; Female* ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Menarche ; Menstrual Cycle ; Menstruation* ; Premenstrual Syndrome ; Prevalence ; Siblings

PURPOSE: This study was performed to find out the role of routine lumbar puncture in children presented with their first seizure with Fever. METHODS: This study included 220 children, over a 5 year period, from April 1999 to March 2003, who visited or were admitted at Dae Dong Hospital with their first febrile convulsion. Lumbar puncture was performed in all children. We analyzed their age, family history, type of seizure, duration of seizure, cause of fever, and the results of lumbar puncture. RESULTS: In the sex distribution, males(58.6%) outnumbered females(41.4%) and the ratio was 1.2:1. 81.7% of the patients had febrile convulsion from 6 months- to 3 years of age(P<0.05). 30.5% also had family history of febrile convulsion. The types of seizure were generalized tonic-clonic(72.7%), generalized tonic(17.7%), and generalized clonic(6.4 %). For the duration of seizure, 90.4% of the patients were estimated less than 15 minutes(P<0.05). The causes of fever were pharyngotonsilitis(40.5%), gastroenteritis(19.1 %), pneumonia or bronchitis(13.2%), meningitis(11%), otitis media, urinary tract infection, and exanthem subitum. However, 9.1% of the patients were diagnosed meningitis, with 18 of 20 patients under 3 years of age. CONCLUSION: In the first seizure with fever, lumbar puncture is a useful method for meningitis, especially under 3 years of age.
Child* ; Exanthema ; Fever* ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Otitis Media ; Pneumonia ; Seizures* ; Seizures, Febrile ; Sex Distribution ; Spinal Puncture* ; Urinary Tract Infections

A malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney, an uncommon renal tumor of children, is one of the most lethal neoplasms in early life. It was considered to be a sarcomatous variant of Wilms' tumor; however, further studies of its histological and clinical characteristics have proven it to be a distinct entity. We report a case of malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney in a 3-month-old girl, with a left abdominal palpable mass that had developed over the previous month. A left radical nephrectomy, with a regional lymph node biopsy, and 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, was performed. On the 45th postoperative day, multiple metastasises in liver, contralateral kidney and left upper lobe of lung were found. The patient expired 2 months after the operation.
Biopsy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Infant* ; Kidney* ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Rhabdoid Tumor* ; Wilms Tumor

BACKGROUND: Tracheal intubation and skin incision are potent stimuli that can induce increased sympathetic activity, tachycardia and hypertension. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the epidural clonidine pretreatment reduce the sympathetic activity and cardiovascular response. We compared the hemodynamic changes and catecholamine concentration before, during and after general anesthesia with epidural clonidine pretreatment. METHODS: Forty patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery were randomly allocated into the two groups. In Group 1, 10 ml of 0.9% normal saline was administered epidurally 15 minutes before induction of anesthesia as control. In Group 2, 3 microgram/kg clonidine diluted in 10 ml normal saline was administered epidurally 15 minutes before induction of anesthesia. We measured the blood pressure, heart rate and plasma catecholamine concentration at preinduction, 1 minute after intubation (T1), 1 (T2) and 30 minutes after skin incision (T3), 1 (T4) and 2 (T5) hours after arrival at recovery room and the results were compared between group 1 and group 2. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference in systolic pressure at T1 and T2 between the two groups. Heart rate was statistically significant difference at T1 and T4 between the two groups. There was statistically significant difference in epinephrine and norepinephrine concentration at T1 and T2 between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The elevation of blood pressure, heart rate and plasma catecholamine concentration accompanying tracheal intubation and skin incision may be reduced by administration of epidural clonidine.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General* ; Blood Pressure ; Clonidine* ; Epinephrine ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intubation ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma* ; Recovery Room ; Skin ; Tachycardia

PURPOSE: The selectin family of adhesion molecules plays a role in the initiation of endothelium-leukocyte interaction of inflammation and ischemia-reperfusion. P-selectin, a rapidly expressed endothelial cell adhesion molecule, is essential for both neutrophil rolling after endothelial stimulation and neutrophil transmigration. P-selectins were expressed after brain injury and could play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury in adult animal. However, the mechanisms leading to post-hypoxic-ischemic injury in immature brain are unknown yet. We hypothesize that P-selectin might mediate post-hypoxic-ischemic injury in immature rat brain. We evaluated the expression of mRNA and protein of P-selectin in post-hypoxic-ischemic immature rat brain. METHODS: In isoflurane-anesthetized P7(Postnatal day 7) Sprague-Dawley rats(n=81), the right carotid artery was isolated and coagulated. 1-2 h later animals were exposed to 8% oxygen(balanced with nitrogen) for 2 h in glass chambers, in a warm air incubator (temperature maintained at 36.5 degrees C). Control included carotid artery coagulation alone, hypoxia alone, and normal(neither hypoxia nor coagulation). For RNA extraction, the rats were decapitated at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after hypoxic-ischemic injury. For Western blot analyses with P-selectin, rats were decapitated at 0, 15, 30 min, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after hypoxic-ischemic injury. Control or hypoxia alone rats were sacrificed 8 h after the respective intervention. RESULTS: There was no expression of P-selectin mRNA in control groups(carotid artery coagulation alone, hypoxia alone, or normal). P-selectin mRNA expression in the ipsilateral(right) hemisphere reached a peak at 8 h after hypoxia-ischemia and then barely detected after 24 h. Expression of P-selectin protein was not observed in brain tissue of control rats. P-selectin protein was detected as early as 15 min and 30 min at both hemisphere in experimental rats and decreased at 1 h. P-selectin protein increased in right hemisphere at 4 h post-hypoxia-ischemia, peaked at 8 h and no longer detectable at 24 h. CONCLUSION: Hypoxic-ischemic injury leads to P-selectin expression in neonatal rats brain. The temporal profiles of post-hypoxic-ischemic P-selectin mRNA and protein expression are consistent with a role in the evolution of subsequent brain injury.
Adult ; Animals ; Anoxia ; Arteries ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain* ; Carotid Arteries ; Endothelial Cells ; Glass ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Incubators ; Inflammation ; Neutrophils ; P-Selectin* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger*

Choledochal cyst is a congenital anomaly with classic triad of abdominal pain, jaundice and right upper abdominal mass. Bile peritonitis caused by cyst rupture is relatively not rare in infancy. The mechanism of rupture must be epithelial irritation of the biliary tract by refluxed pancreatic juice caused by pancreatico-biliary malunion associated with mural immaturity in infancy, rather than an abnormal rise in ductal pressure or congenital mural weakness at a certain point. We experienced a case of bile peritonitis caused by spontanenous rupture of choledochal cyst in a 10-month-old girl presented with abdominal distension, persistent fever, diarrhea, irritability and intractable ascites. She was presumed as having bile peritonitis by bile colored ascitic fluid with elevated bilirubin level and diagnosis was made by 99mTc DISIDA hepatobiliary scan showing extrahepatic biliary leak. The perforated cyst was surgically removed and the biliary tree was reconstructed with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy.
Abdominal Pain ; Ascites ; Ascitic Fluid ; Bile* ; Biliary Tract ; Bilirubin ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant* ; Jaundice ; Pancreatic Juice ; Peritonitis* ; Radionuclide Imaging* ; Rupture ; Rupture, Spontaneous* ; Technetium Tc 99m Disofenin

Laryngeal schwannoma is extremely rare. We report the CT and MRI findings of a case occurring in a 65-year-oldwoman, and describe the pathologic correlation. Pre-contrast CT scanning revealed a right supraglot-tic mass witha slightly hyperdense central part and a hypodense peripheral part. Post-contrast CT scanning re-vealed anenhanced hyperdense central part and a rim-like hypodense peripheral part. The density of the pe-ripheral part waslower than that of muscle. The mass showed homogeneous low signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images, homogeneoushigh signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images, and an enhanced high signal intensity central part and a lowsignal intensity peripheral part on gadolinium enhanced T1-weighted images. The enhanced central part correlatedwith Antoni A areas and the peripheral part, showing low attenuation, correlated with Antoni B areas.
Gadolinium ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neurilemmoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Neutrophils found around an infarcted area in the brain was once considered as only the physiologic response following the brain injury, but recent studies have shown that inflammatory responses by neutrophils play an important role in the reperfusion injury. The presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes(PML) is proven by biochemical assay of myeloperoxidase(MPO) secreted in the cytoplasmic granules. We observed the process of PML infiltration on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury of immature rats by the assay of MPO activity and changes of the MPO activity after the administration of fucoidin, inhibitor of P- and L-selectin. METHODS: We used a well characterized model of the brains of 7 day-old-rats, which had unilateral hypoxic and ischemic injuries(HI). Those injuries were induced by unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by timed exposure to hypoxic inspiratory gas mixture(8% O2). MPO activity was measured in the brain tissue homogenates of HI rats(n=18) at 0, 2, 8, 24 and 48 hrs and in rats that received fucoidin immediately before and again after hypoxia(50 mg/kg, n=6) at 8 and 24 hrs. Controls(n=2) were rats with neither hypoxia nor ischemia. The brain samples were homogenized in 20 mM potassium phosphate buffer(pH 7.4) for 50 secs. The homogenate was centrifuged at 14,000 g at 4degrees C for 15 mins and the supernatant was discarded. The tissue was pulverized, weighed, and suspended in 1 mL of 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer solution(pH 6.0) containing 0.5% cetylditrimethylammonium bromide(wt/vol). The tissue was sonicated and centrifuged at 10,000 g for 15 mins. 200 micro L of the supernatant was mixed with 1 mL of 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer solution(pH 6.0) containing 10 micro L of 1.325 mM o-dianisidine hydrochloride and 170 micro L of 3% hydrogen peroxide(vol/vol). Changes in absorbance at 460 nm were measured for 5 mins by using microplate reader. One unit of MPO activity was defined as that degrading 1 micro mol peroxide/min at 25degrees C, and the result was expressed as units of MPO/100 mg tissue. RESULTS: In HI rats, MPO activity increased at 2 hrs after HI and peaked at 24 hrs in the right hemisphere. In rats with fucoidin treatment immediately before and again after hypoxia, the MPO activity significantly decreased in both hemispheres compared with HI rats(P<0.05). MPO activity in the tissue of control rats was insignificant. CONCLUSION: The dynamic changes of the MPO activity suggest the important role of PMN on hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries in immature rats. MPO activity could be used as an index of the severity of injuries of hypoxic-ischemic brains.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Carotid Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cytoplasmic Granules ; Dianisidine ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Infant, Newborn ; Ischemia ; L-Selectin ; Ligation ; Neutrophils ; Peroxidase* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Reperfusion Injury

Carcinoid tumors are low-grade malignant tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells. Primary renal carcinoid tumors are extremely rare, and only 56 cases have been reported in the literature. Because of the rarity of the lesion, its histogenesis and prognosis are unclear. Here we report a case of a primary renal carcinoid tumor in a 51-year-old man that was found incidentally in a medical examination and was treated by transperitoneal radical nephrectomy.
Carcinoid Tumor ; Humans ; Kidney ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Neuroendocrine Cells ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: We studied to investigate the minimum concentration and preservation time of ethanol for sterilization of donor sclera. METHODS: Fresh sclera was inoculated with Staphylococcus epidermidis(ATCC 155), Staphylococcus aureus(ATCC 28213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa(ATCC 27843), and transferred to preservative vials containing the concentration of ethanol(10, 30, 50, 70, and 90%) or trypticase soy broth(TSB, control) and stored at room temperature. The sclera was then homogenized, plated on blood agar, and incubated at 37 degreesC for 24 hours. Colonies were counted at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. RESULTS: Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were recovered from contaminated sclera plates preserved in 10% ethanol until 72 hours and in 30% ethanol until 12 hours, but no bacteria was recovered from the sclera preserved in more than 50% ethanol(P<0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recovered in 10% ethanol until 72 hours but not recovered in more than 30% ethanol until 24 hours(P<0.05). However, all three species were recovered from the control sclera preserved in TSB until 72 hours. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results it is concluded that the concentration of more than 50% ethanol for at least 6 hours is recommendable as human sclera disinfectants.
Agar ; Bacteria ; Disinfectants ; Ethanol* ; Humans ; Pseudomonas ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Sclera* ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Sterilization* ; Tissue Donors*