The major complications of Meckel's diverticulum(MD) are bleeding, intestinal obstruction, infection, umbilical fistula and perforation. Although the relative incidences vary between authors, bleeding is the most common complication in children. The aim of our study is to show the symptomatic guideline for the diagnosis of the bleeding MD. Eight cases with bleeding MD which were operated upon at the department of Pediatric Surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital from April 1985 to April 2001 were reviewed. Half of the patients were under 2 years of age and all patients were male. All patients were preoperatively diagnosed by previous history of intestinal bleeding (melena, hematochezia) and 99mTc pertechnetate MD scan. Segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis was performed in 6 patients and diverticulectomy in 2 patients. Heterotropic gastric mucosa was found in 6 patients. Postoperative complication was not observed in any cases. In conclusion, in any male children with obscure intestinal bleeding, especially less than 2 years of age, bleeding MD must be suspected. It seems to us that 99mTc pertechnetate MD scan is a useful tool to diagnose bleeding MD.
Child ; Diagnosis* ; Fistula ; Gastric Mucosa ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Male ; Meckel Diverticulum* ; Postoperative Complications ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m

PURPOSE: Effective management of pediatric hand burn is a considerable challenge for clinicians. Traditional dressings may result in significant pain, wound dryness, weak adhesive strength, and increase necessity for dressing change. Versiva(R)XC is combined dressing materials of hydrocolloid, hydrofiber, a polyurethane foam. Authors have used Versiva(R)XC in treatment of pediatric hand burns, and we experienced that maintenance of dressing is comfortable and decrease patient's discomfort. METHODS: Study enrolled 9 patients of mean age 3.6 years with second degree pediatric hand burn, Versiva(R)XC dressing initially applied after bullae aspiration and saline gauze dressing. After admission, we daily changed the dressing in first two or three days and had an interval of two or three days depending on the degree of exudate from the wound. RESULTS: The mean day of application was 6.3 days. None of patients required surgery and healed with no other complication of scar contracture and hypertrophic scar formation. CONCLUSION: The dressing with Versiva(R)XC was effective method because of decreased pain, easy dressing change, more comfort, and decreased hospital day.
Adhesives ; Bandages ; Blister ; Burns ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Colloids ; Contracture ; Exudates and Transudates ; Hand ; Humans ; Polyurethanes

No abstract available.
Phlebography*

Secondary osteosarcoma has a relatively higher incidence in middle aged persons than in children. Radiation-induced osteosarcoma occurs in approximately 1% of patients who have been treated with more than 2,500 cGy. The time interval from radiation to onset of secondary osteosarcoma is approximately 10 to 15 years. A 51-year-old female who have been treated with radiation for angiomyxoma was hospitalized due to right hip pain. She had a minor trauma 2 weeks prior to hospitalization. A day before hospitalization, she experienced a second trauma by fall, and then, severe hip pain developed. A radiograph of the patient showed femoral neck fracture with sclerotic change of fractured margin. We diagnosed the patient as having a neglected femoral neck fracture and treated it with closed reduction using cannulated screw fixation. At 6 months post-surgery, the patient had residual pain of the right hip and we could find overproduced callus at the fracture site. Through further evaluation, we diagnosed this as secondary osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastasis. We report this case to make a warning about a misdiagnosed osteosarcoma as a simple femoral neck fracture.
Bony Callus ; Child ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur Neck ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Hip ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteosarcoma

Background: Opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS) may occur following the reduction or discontinuation of opioid analgesics. In critically ill pediatric patients, OWS is a common and clinically significant condition. However, OWS in adult patients has not been assessed in detail. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and clinical features of OWS in mechanically ventilated patients treated in an adult intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This study was a retrospective evaluation of data from patients treated in the medical ICU for > 3 days and who received only one type of opioid analgesic. OWS was assessed over a 24 hours period from discontinuation or reduction (by > 50%) of continuous opioid infusion. OWS was defined as the presence of ≥ 3 central nervous system or autonomic nervous system symptoms. Results: In 126 patients treated with remifentanil (n = 58), fentanyl (n = 47), or morphine (n = 21), OWS was seen in 31.0%, 36.2%, and 9.5% of patients, respectively (P = 0.078). The most common symptom was a change in respiratory rate (remifentanil, 94.4%; fentanyl, 76.5%; morphine, 100%). Multivariate Cox-proportional hazards model showed that OWS was negatively associated with morphine treatment (hazard ratio [HR], 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.037–0.743) and duration of opioid infusion (HR, 0.566; 95% CI, 0.451–0.712). Conclusion OWS is not uncommon in mechanically ventilated adult patients who received continuous infusion of opioids for > 3 days. The use of morphine may be associated with a decreased risk of OWS.

Desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy is a massive cystic tumor, typically occurring in the cerebral hemisphere and a rare intracranial tumor that arises in subjects usually below the age of 18 months and shows a favorable prognosis. A 5.5-month-old boy was presented with a rapidly increasing head circumference and lethargy. A computerized tomography scan revealed a large, multicystic, partially enhancing right parieto-occipital mass with hydrocephalus. This patient was treated with a surgery and a firm plaque-like tumor along withmulticystic component was gross totally removed. The tumor mass was firmly attached to the dura and extended in fingerlike projections onto the cortical surface. The infant underwent no further therapy and has developed normally during 6 months after surgery. Desmoplastic cerebral astrocytoma of infancy is a rare intracranial tumor but recognition of this tumor should be appreciated because, despite its massive size and rapidly growing characterstics, this tumor often has a relatively benign clinical course.
Astrocytoma* ; Cerebrum ; Head ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Lethargy ; Male ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Paraquat is known to induce oxidant injury that results in multiorgan failure and lung fibrosis. Iron has been considered to play a key role in paraquat-induced oxidant lung injury. This study examined the effect of deferoxamine, an iron-chelating agent, in the treatment of paraquat poisoning. METHODS: From September, 2001 to April, 2005, 28 patients with paraquat poisoning who were admitted at a medical intensive care unit of a University-affiliated hospital, were enrolled in this study. Sixteen patients were treated according to the paraquat poisoning treatment guidelines and 12 received an intravenous infusion of deferoxamine in addition to the treatment guidelines. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, severity of paraquat poisoning, and the time elapsed from ingestion to presentation at hospital. There was no difference in overall mortality between the two groups but the incidence of respiratory failure in the deferoxamine group was higher than in the conventional group(4/7 versus 0/9, p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Deferoxamine seems to have no clinical benefit compared with the conventional treatment.
Deferoxamine* ; Eating ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Intensive Care Units ; Iron ; Lung ; Lung Injury ; Mortality ; Paraquat* ; Poisoning* ; Respiratory Insufficiency

To compare the effect of intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment with that of estrogen treatment on epiphyseal growth in ovariectomized rats, 46 Sprague-Dawley female rats aged 9-10 weeks (about 200-220 g) were either ovariectomized or sham operated. From 6 weeks after ovariectomy (ovx), rats were daily injected with subcutaneous human recombinant PTH (1-84)-dosed 30 micrograms/kg (the low dose PTH-treated group) or 300 micrograms/kg (the high dose PTH-treated group), 17 beta-estradiol (the 17 beta-estradiol-treated group, 30 micrograms/kg) or vehicle (the ovx-alone group), 5 times a week for 4 weeks. The decalcified sections of the distal femoral epiphyseal plate were analyzed on light microscopy after H&E stain, and the lengths of the zones of proliferation, maturing and hypertrophic chondrocytes were measured. The length of the growth plate, the zone of proliferation and the zone of hypertrophic chondrocyte in the ovx-alone group were significantly shorter than those of the sham-operated group. The treatment of 17 beta-estradiol speeded up the differentiation of cells from proliferating chondrocytes to maturing and hypertrophic chondrocytes even though the length of the growth plate was comparable to that of the sham-operated group. Both low and high dose PTH treatments increased the length of the growth plate, and those lengths were comparable to that of the sham-operated group. The fractions of proliferating, maturing and hypertrophic zone in the low dose PTH-treated group were also comparable to those of the sham-operated group. However, high dose PTH treatment slowed down the differentiation of cells from proliferating chondrocytes to maturing and hypertrophic chondrocytes to a greater extent, and therefore the fraction of proliferating chondrocytes of the high dose PTH-treated group was larger than that of the low dose PTH-treated group (73.8 +/- 1.8 Vs 63.3 +/- 1.3%, p < 0.005). From these results, we showed that intermittent PTH treatment could promote linear growth in the ovariectomized growing rat. We propose that PTH may be an alternative drug candidate for promoting linear growth of long bones without the risk for early closure of the growth plate.
Animal ; Bone Development/drug effects* ; Female ; Human ; Ovariectomy* ; Parathyroid Hormones/pharmacology ; Parathyroid Hormones/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of individualized diabetes nutrition education. The nutrition education program was open to all type 2 diabetes patients visiting the clinic center and finally 67 patients agreed to join the program. To compare with 67 education group subjects, 34 subjects were selected by medical record review. The education program consisted of one class session for 1-2 hours long in a small group of 4~5 patients. A meal planning using the food exchange system was provided according to the diet prescription and food habits of each subject. Measurements of clinical outcomes and dietary intakes were performed at baseline and 3 months after the education session. After 3 months, subjects in education group showed improvement in dietary behavior and food exchange knowledge. In education group, intakes of protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B2, and folate per 1,000 kcal/day were significantly increased and cholesterol intake was significantly decreased. They also showed significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and fasting blood concentrations of glucose (FBS), HbA1c, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. However, no such improvements were observed in control group. To evaluate telephone consultation effect, after the nutrition education session, 34 subjects of the 67 education group received telephone follow-up consultation once a month for 3 months. The others (33 subjects) had no further contact after the nutrition education session. Subjects in the telephone follow-up group showed a decrease in BMI, FBS, and HbA1c. Moreover, the subjects who did not receive telephone follow-up also showed significant decreases in BMI and FBS. These results indicated that our individually planned education program for one session was effective in rectifying dietary behavior problems and improving food exchange knowledge, and quality of diet, leading to an improvement in the clinical outcomes. In conclusion, our individualized nutrition education was effective in adherence to diet recommendation and in improving glycemic control and lipid concentrations, while follow-up by telephone helped to encourage the adherence to diet prescription.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Compliance ; Diet ; Fasting ; Folic Acid ; Follow-Up Studies ; Food Habits ; Glucose ; Humans ; Meals ; Medical Records ; Phosphorus ; Prescriptions ; Riboflavin ; Telephone

The Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, characterized by mucocutaneous pigmentation and gastrointestinal polyposis, appeares to be transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion. This syndrome is clinically important because of complications caused by gastrointestinal polyps, such as abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding and intussusception often leading to intestinal obstruction. The possibility of malignany change in the polyp has been a controversial issue. The hamatomatous polyps is not regarded to be premalignanct lesion, generally. But in patients with this syndrome, increased rates of both intestinal and extraintestinal malignancies has been reported. This report is concerned with our experience with a case of 46-year old male patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome who had an metastatic adenocarcinoma with unknown primary origin.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intussusception ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome* ; Pigmentation ; Polyps