No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Hand Deformities* ; Hand*

The hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome is a primary immunodificiency disorder characterized by recurrent staphylococcal infections and markedly elevated serum IgE level. Clinical features are coarse face and severe infections of the skin-furunculosis or chronically pruritic dermatitis and sinopulmonary tract infection from infancy by coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, or Candida albicans etc. The patients's serum IgE level is elevated but the basic immunologic pathogenesis not fully understood. We have experienced a case of hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome in a 26/12-year-old who had suffered from recurrent staphylococcal pneumonias and abscesses and chronically pruritic dermatitis from 1 month of age with elevated serum IgE level. A brief review of the related literature is presented.
Abscess ; Candida albicans ; Coagulase ; Dermatitis ; Immunoglobulin E ; Pneumonia, Staphylococcal ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Staphylococcus aureus

PURPOSE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children is the most common disease during the infantile period, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are important. Pyuria is a useful clinical parameter for the initial diagnosis of a UTI. In this study we aimed to compare the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings in relation to the duration of pyuria in infants with UTIs. METHODS: Three hundred seventy-four infants <12 months of age who were admitted between January 1995 and December 2005 for the first episode of a febrile UTI were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of pyuria as follows: group 1, pyuria resolved <3 days after initial treatment; and group 2, pyuria lasted at least 3 days after initial treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in relation to gender, age, total duration of fever, and organisms in the urine. Group 2 had a significantly higher peripheral blood leukocyte count (14,360.86+/-5,526.16 cells/mm3 vs. 11,822.55+/-5,687.26 cells/mm3, P<0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (32.81+/-19.34 mm/hr vs. 23.74+/-20.43 mm/hr, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein (6.84+/-5.68 mg/dL vs. 3.78+/-3.99 mg/dL, P<0.001) than group 1. There was a significantly higher incidence of hydronephrosis and a higher grade of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in group 2 compared to group 1. CONCLUSION: In infants with UTI, pyuria of longer duration is related to severe UTI and higher grade VUR, therefore aggressive radiologic studies may be necessary.
Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Incidence ; Infant ; Leukocyte Count ; Pyuria ; Retrospective Studies ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain is one of the most common experiences of humans and a typical psychophysiological disorder. The aim of this study was to measure the psychophysiological responses in chronic pain patients using a biofeedback system, and to compare them with the results from normal healthy subjects. METHODS: Forty two patients with chronic pain (17 males and 25 females, average age 44.67+/-11.10 years) and 42 normal healthy controls (17 males and 25 females, average age 45.17+/-10.46 years) participated in this study. Electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and skin temperature (ST) were recorded using biofeedback system during the 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery) of stress reactivity test, and average values of them were calculated. Difference of values between two groups in each corresponding phase was analyzed with independent t-test, and change of values across phases of stress reactivity test was analyzed with paired t-test (all two-tailed, p<0.05). RESULTS: Compared to normal controls, chronic pain patients had higher value of EMG (baseline : 8.10+/-5.97 micronV vs 4.72+/-1.52 micronV, t=-3.56, p<0.01 ; stress : 11.25+/-6.89 micronV vs 8.49+/-4.78 micronV, t=-2.13, p<0.05 ; recovery : 7.12+/-3.77 micronV vs 4.78+/-1.59 micronV, t= -3.70, p<0.01) and SC (baseline : 1.06+/-1.0 micronS vs 0.42+/-0.29 micronS, t=-4.0. p<0.01 ; stress : 1.87+/-2.05 micronS vs 1.03+/-0.86 micronS, t=-2.47, p<0.05 ; recovery : 1.74+/-1.77 micronS vs 0.64+/-0.59 micronS, t=-3.8, p<0.01) in all the 3 phases. But, skin temperature comparison did not reveal significant differences in all the 3 phases between two groups. CONCLUSION: Psychophysiological responses of chronic pain patients in stress reactivity test were different from those of normal healthy controls. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system is more activated in chronic pain patients.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Pain ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; Psychophysiology ; Skin ; Skin Temperature ; Sympathetic Nervous System

No abstract available.
Thumb*

Trichilemmal horn(trichilemmal keratosis) is a rare keratinizing tumor that resembles a cutaneous horn. Histologically, it is characterized by an abrupt maturation of keratinocytes into lamellar keratin without the formation of a granular layer. We describe a case of a trichilemmal horn on the right cheek of a 78-year-old woman.
Aged ; Animals ; Cheek ; Female ; Horns* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes

BACKGROUND: Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (chronic ITP) is the most common autoimmune disease for blood elements. Some patients recovered spontaneously during follow up of disease. We investigated the difference of related clinical parameters between spontaneous remission and no remission.METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively medical records from January 1994 to December 2010. We analyzed clinical parameters such as age, sex, initial platelet count, response to initial treatment, maintenance therapy, and platelet counts at post-diagnosis with regular period in children with or without spontaneous remission.RESULTS: This study was enrolled for 49 children with chronic ITP. Median age was 3.5 years (0.1-17.3). Male to female ratio was 1:1.9. Initial treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin was received in 36 children (73.3%). Spontaneous remission was shown in 23 children (46.9%) during study period with 4.4 year of median follow up. The relevant factors of remission were observed in younger age at diagnosis, maintenance therapy, and platelet counts at post-diagnosis 1 year, 2 years, 3 years (P<0.05). The most significant parameter for spontaneous remission was platelet count at post-diagnosis 6 months in Kaplan-Meier estimate (P=0.047, RR: 3.47, 95% CI: 1.03-24.04).CONCLUSION: Spontaneous remission was shown in about half of patients with chronic ITP. This remission was related with younger age, maintenance therapy, and platelet count at post-diagnosis 6 months. These results suggest that regular follow up with maintenance therapy may be required for management of chronic ITP in children.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Medical Records ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Blister* ; Fibroma*

BACKGROUND: The chronic disease patients have various psychological problems during the treatment. Therefore, it is needed about understanding and support for chronic disease patients. The main purposes of this study are to identify the psychometric characteristics. METHODS: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of chronic disease patients-liver cirrhosis, chronic pulmonary disease, etc. -a questionnaire(SCL-90-R) survey was performed toward 100 chronic disease patients in admission to 2 general hospital. 100 persons without any disease were investigated by the same questionnaire for comparison. The survey was performed from June to August 1996. RESULTS: The disease history among the patients, 31% of patients suffered from liver disease, 19% of patients suffered from chronic respiratory disease. 30% of patients reported that they were not expected a recovery from the disease. The patients have a significant higher score in the somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism than normal control (p<0.05). Most of the psychometric characteristics were associated with expectancy of the recovery, education about the disease, number of admission, duration of admission and type of disease(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The chronic disease patients showed higher score psychological symptoms in various characteristics than normal control. Therefore it will be needed that is an proper treatment and psychological support continuously.
Anxiety ; Chronic Disease* ; Depression ; Education ; Fibrosis ; Hospitals, General ; Hostility ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Psychometrics* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The chronic disease patients have various psychological problems during the treatment. Therefore, it is needed about understanding and support for chronic disease patients. The main purposes of this study are to identify the psychometric characteristics. METHODS: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of chronic disease patients-liver cirrhosis, chronic pulmonary disease, etc. -a questionnaire(SCL-90-R) survey was performed toward 100 chronic disease patients in admission to 2 general hospital. 100 persons without any disease were investigated by the same questionnaire for comparison. The survey was performed from June to August 1996. RESULTS: The disease history among the patients, 31% of patients suffered from liver disease, 19% of patients suffered from chronic respiratory disease. 30% of patients reported that they were not expected a recovery from the disease. The patients have a significant higher score in the somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism than normal control (p<0.05). Most of the psychometric characteristics were associated with expectancy of the recovery, education about the disease, number of admission, duration of admission and type of disease(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The chronic disease patients showed higher score psychological symptoms in various characteristics than normal control. Therefore it will be needed that is an proper treatment and psychological support continuously.
Anxiety ; Chronic Disease* ; Depression ; Education ; Fibrosis ; Hospitals, General ; Hostility ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Psychometrics* ; Surveys and Questionnaires