No abstract available.
Radiation, Ionizing

Graves' disease, the main cause of hyperthyroidism in the pediatric age group, is very rare in children younger than 4 years old but can seriously interfere with growth and development if not recognized and treated. Here we report a case of a 3-year-old girl with Graves' disease who presented with goiter, exophthalmos, heat intolerance, and hyperactivity. At her first visit, her serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine (free T4) were normal, whereas that of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was decreased. Antimicrosomal antibody was 7,053.94 IU/mL, and TSH-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin was 31.62%. A thyroid scan showed diffuse enlargement with markedly increased uptake of both thyroid glands. Although T3 and free T4 levels were initially normal, she developed hyperthyroidism 3 months later. She was finally diagnosed with Graves' disease and treated with methimazole for 6 months. This is the first report of Graves' disease in children younger than 4 years old in Korea.
Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Exophthalmos ; Female ; Goiter ; Graves Disease* ; Growth and Development ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Methimazole ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

Currently-available imaging techniques provide accurate localization of a tumor in patients with pheochromocytoma. The precision of this information allows the use of a more selective surgical approach to the tumor, such as by laparoscopy. We describe a case of a 54-year-old female who underwent resection of pheochromocytoma by a laparoscopic approach. Two events resulted in significant hemodynamic changes; the creation of the pneumoperitoneum and adrenal gland manupulation. Preoperative preparation with alpha-adrenergic blocking agents and adequate fluid loading before insufflation attenuated intraoperative cardiovascular changes, while titration of sodium nitroprusside and phentolamine allowed easy and quick control of the hemodynamic aberrances related to these processes. As a result, the operation was carried out safely, and the postoperative course was unremarkable.
Adrenal Glands ; Adrenalectomy* ; Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Nitroprusside ; Phentolamine ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Pneumoperitoneum

Purpose: Gait evaluation in patients with dizziness is essential during both initial evaluation and vestibular rehabilitation. Inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based gait analysis systems are clinically applicable in patients with dizziness. Since dizzy patients can utilize visual inputs to compensate for vestibular deficits, it is more difficult for them to walk with their eyes closed (EC). In this study, we compared gait characteristics during forward walking with both eyes open (EO) and EC between healthy subjects and dizzy patients. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine healthy controls (mean age 37.18±10.71 years) and 23 patients with dizziness (mean age 49.25± 15.16 years) were subjected to vestibular and gait analyses. Medical histories, physical examinations, and vestibular function tests ruled out possible vestibular deficits in the controls. Subjects were instructed to walk at a comfortable pace for 10 m under two conditions (EO or EC). Spatiotemporal parameters, kinematics, and simulated kinetics of each gait recording were recorded using a shoe-type IMU system and analyzed. Results: Although gait speeds were slower, stride lengths were smaller, and double support times were increased under the EC, compared to the EO condition, in both healthy subjects and dizzy patients, the difference was more prominent in dizzy patients.Phase coordination index values did not differ significantly in either group. Gait asymmetry (GA) increased significantly under the EC condition, compared to the EO condition, in dizzy patients. Conclusion GA during forward walking was greater in dizzy patients under an EC condition than under an EO condition.

No abstract available in English.
Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar* ; Pathology*

Cytogenetic dosimetry is useful for evaluating the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation based on analysis of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations. We created two types of in vitro dose-response calibration curves for dicentric chromosomes (DC) and translocations (TR) induced by X-ray irradiation, using an electron linear accelerator, which is the most frequently used medical device in radiotherapy. We irradiated samples from four healthy Korean individuals and compared the resultant curves between individuals. Aberration yields were studied in a total of 31,800 and 31,725 metaphases for DC and TR, respectively, obtained from 11 X-ray irradiation dose-points (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Gy). The dose-response relationship followed a linear-quadratic equation, Y=C+αD+βD², with the coefficients C=0.0011 for DC and 0.0015 for TR, α=0.0119 for DC and 0.0048 for TR, and β=0.0617 for DC and 0.0237 for TR. Correlation coefficients between irradiation doses and chromosomal aberrations were 0.971 for DC and 0.6 for TR, indicating a very strong and a moderate correlation, respectively. This is the first study implementing cytogenetic dosimetry following exposure to ionizing X-radiation.
Calibration ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytogenetics ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Radiotherapy

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in comparison with the specific antibody test. METHODS: Five hundred and ten patients with pneumonia, ranging from the ages of 8 months to 15 years who were admitted in Sung-Ae and Kwangmyung Sung-Ae general hospitals from Nov. 1996 to Oct. 1997, were enrolled in this study. Specific antibody test of the serum using Serodia Myco II kit and PCR of the sputum or throat swab were performed on admission simultaneously, and follow-up antibody test was done during the convalescent stage if they showed sero-negative at first. Among the PCR positive patients, 40 were treated with erythromycin initially, and were followed with PCR on the 7th day of treatment. RESULTS: The sensitivity of PCR to the specific antibody test was 82.5%, and the specificity, 98.4%. The false positive and negative rates of PCR to the specific antibody test were 1.6% and 17.5%, respectively. Fifty-six (91.8%) of the 61 patients who showed sero-negative and PCR positive on admission were determined as sero-positive at the convalescent stage. Negative conversion of PCR at the convalescent stage was noted for 32 (80%) of 40 patients who were treated with erythromycin. CONCLUSION: The PCR was considered to be valuable due to its high sensitivity and specificity as a diagnostic method of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. The effect of the method was more apparent than the specific antibody test in early diagnosis which is clinically important. In addition, it seems to be more useful in the appreciation of treatment and epidemiologic study than the culture method that shows low sensitivity and takes too much time.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Erythromycin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pharynx ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum

Poland syndrome is characterized by unilateral absence or hypoplasia of the pectoralis muscle and variable degree of ipsilateral hand anomalies. Mobius syndrome is a congenital neurological disorder characterized by complete or partial facial paralysis. Although the pathogeneses of these diseases are not well-characterized, diminished blood flow to the affected side is thought to play a role. A male infant weighing 2.670 g was born at 38+3 weeks of gestation with left facial paralysis, left chest wall defect with dextrocardia, and symbrachydactyly between the second and third fingers. The combination of Poland-Mobius syndrome is rare, and only 2 cases associated with dextrocardia have been reported worldwide. Here, we report the first case of Poland-Mobius syndrome associated with dextrocardia in Korea.
Dextrocardia ; Facial Paralysis ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Male ; Mobius Syndrome ; Nervous System Diseases ; Pectoralis Muscles ; Poland Syndrome ; Pregnancy ; Thoracic Wall

PURPOSE: Procalcitonin (PCT), a precursor of calcitonin, has been described as a biomarker of bacterial infection and inflammation. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of PCT levels and to reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics in children with lower respiratory tract infection (RTI). METHODS: Eighty-eight children, with lower RTI, under the age of 5 years, who were admitted to Chungnam National University Hospital, between May 2010 and December 2010, were enrolled. White blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and PCT were measured. Blood and sputum cultures were performed to identify the causative bacteria and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the viruses. Clinical features were reviewed, retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean participant age was 1.9+/-1.5 years. The cut-off value for serum PCT levels, which was derived from the receiver-operator characteristic curve, was 0.11 ng/mL. In 29 patients (33.0%) with low PCT levels (<0.11 ng/mL), antibiotic therapy showed no benefit for clinical and laboratory findings. However, in 59 patients (67.1%) with high PCT levels (> or =0.11 ng/mL), hospitalization (P=0.005) and fever (P=0.054) exhibited a shorter duration, after antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: A single initial serum PCT levels (> or =0.11 ng/mL) may be clinically useful to give a guideline for antibiotic treatment in children with lower respiratory tract infection and to reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Calcitonin ; Child ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Protein Precursors ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Sputum