PURPOSE:Craniopharyngioma is one of the most common causes of organic growth hormone deficiency leading to pituitary hormonal insufficiency. However, some growth hormone(GH)-deficient children with craniopharyngioma may grow normally or even show accelerated growth. This study was designed to evaluate several factors associated with growth of patients with craniopharyngioma. METHODS:Forty children operated on for craniopharyngioma were evaluated for their pituitary function, serum insulin like growth factor-I(IGF-I), serum insulin like growth factor binding protein-3(IGFBP-3) and serum prolactin levels. We also observed their growth status and corresponding changes with or without GH treatment. RESULTS:Among 40 patients, one had normal pituitary hormonal status and one had isolated GHD(GH deficiency). The other patients showed multiple pituitary hormone deficiency including GH(98%), LH, FSH(75%), TSH(65%), ACTH(62%), and ADH(38%) deficiencies. Patients with GHD were categorized into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of children who showed normal growth, thus had not received GH treatment(n=14) and Group 2, those who showed subnormal growth(n=25). Patients in Group 2 were subdivided into Group 2A, when the patients had not received GH treatment in spite of subnormal growth(n=9) and Group 2B, when GH treatment had been added later on(n=16). There were no differences in the age at diagnosis of GHD, initial height standard deviation score(Ht SDS), body mass index(BMI), peak GH concentration between Group 1 and Group 2. Height velocities in Group 1, 2A, and 2B were 8.1+/-.2 cm/yr, 2.4+/-.2 cm/yr, 2.7+/-.2 cm/yr during the first year of endocrinologic follow-up, 7.1+/-.8 cm/yr, 1.2+/-.1 cm/yr, 7.6+/-.7 cm/yr during the second year, 5.9+/-.0 cm/yr, 2.8+/-.9 cm/yr, 7.3+/-.7 cm/yr during the third year, respectively. BMI changes during the first year of endocrinologic follow-up and postoperative prolactin levels were not significantly different between Group 1 and Group 2A. Postoperative IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in Group 1 were significantly higher than those in Group 2A(P<0.05). Both IGFBP-3 and prolactin levels correlated significantly with height velocity in Group 1 and 2A(P=0.004 r=0.64 and P= 0.035 r=0.74 , respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, growth in children with craniopharyngioma was likely to be associated with IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and prolactin levels. Further studies are needed to unravel other growth promoting factors related to GH independent growth.
Child* ; Craniopharyngioma* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Prolactin

No abstract available.
Humans ; Urinary Retention*

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HIFRS), scrub typhus, murine typhus and leptospirosis have been the principal acute febrile diseases in Korea. To evaluate the seroepidemiologic patterns of acute febrile illness, sera collected from 2,423 patients in 1996 were examined for antibodies against Hantaan virus, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, and Borrelia burgdorferi by indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique (IFA) and macroscopic agglutination test for Leptospira interogans. Seropositive cases against O. tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, Leptispira interogans and Hantaan virus were 192 (7.9%), 193 (8.0%), 12 (0.5%) and 324 (13.4%), respectively. Male was more affected in HFRS and murine typhus contrasting to scrub typhus and leptospirosis in female. Most positive cases occurred during October and November for scrub typhus, and during November and December for HFRS. These results showed similar patterns with previous epidemical data for recent couple of years, and possibly implied no significant changes occurred in ecologic situations for acute febrile diseases in Korea.
Agglutination Tests ; Antibodies ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; Female ; Hantaan virus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leptospira ; Leptospirosis ; Male ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Rickettsia typhi ; Scrub Typhus ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic disease that can involve the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and biliary system. Symptomatic pancreatic involvement, however, has rarely been reported. It may be part of the primary disease process, such as vasculitic or autoimmune etiology, or associated with drug therapy, in particular corticosteroid. We report here a lupus patient who developed severe pancreatitis within 30 hours of initiation of corticosteroid therapy; we also discuss the relation between pancreatitis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Biliary Tract ; Drug Therapy ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Liver ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Pancreatitis*

BACKGROUND: A fully automated enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) analyzer, Enzymun System, ES-300 (Boehringer Mannheim, Germany) uses streptavidin technology and performs single test or panels of up to 12 tests per run. We evaluated the results of ES-300 for anti-HCV by comparing the results with microplate-EIA, radioimmunoassay (RIA), and confirmatory test. METHODS: Total 79 sera (51 positive, 24 negative, 4 indeterminate results confirmed by Lucky HCD Confirm) were analysed. ES-300 with Enzymun-Test(R) Anti-HCV (Boehringer Mannheim, Germany) and microplate-EIA (Green Cross Center Innotest HCV 3.0(R)) were used. Fifty one sera were examined additionally by 2nd-generation RIA method, NANBDINE 125C(General Biologicals Corp., R.O.C.). And all results were compared to the results of Lucky HCD Confirm. RESULTS: The overall concordance rate of ES-300 and Innotest(R) was 72/79 (91.1%). The results of Lucky HCD Confirm on seven discrepant samples were five negative and two indeterminate. The results of ES-300 and NANBDINE 125C showed concordance rate of 90.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of ES-300 with regard to Lucky HCD Confirm were 94.5%, and 87.5%, respectively, and that of Innotest(R) were 98.2% and 66.7%, respectively. Clear distinction of positive and negative results by signal/cut off ratio was available in both EIAs. The positive predictive values of ES-300 and Innotest(R) were 94.5%, and 87.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ES-300 showed relatively good results in sensitivity and positive predictive value with regard to confirmatory test. In EIA-positive persons, however, follow-up study would be necessary for reliable evaluation of HCV infection.
Humans ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Streptavidin

Patients with spinal cord injury are prone to the development of bladder calculi. Although bladder stones can by managed effectively, predictive and preventive measures remain a significant challenge for clinicians. We reviewed the medical records of the bladder stone formation group (81 patients) and the control group (153 patients) in the course of follow-up check after spinal cord injury. We analysed the risk factors of the Bladder stone formation including neurologic level and extent (completeness) of injury. method of bladder drainage management, presence of pyuria, specific organisms infecting the urinary tract, urine pH, residual and 24-hour urine volume, serum and 24-hour urine Ca, P, urio acid levels, renal function (BUN/cr./Ccr), and frequency of bladder irrigation. In Was found that most of the patients developing bladder calculi had neurologically complete lesions, indwelling catheters (suprapubic or urethral), large amount of residual urine, high urine pH, pyuria and bacteriuria.
Bacteriuria ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Medical Records ; Pyuria ; Risk Factors* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Bladder Calculi* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Tract

The Foster Kennedy syndrome is ipsilateral optic disc atrophy and contralateral optic disc edema that is caused not only frontal lobe tumor but also another intracranial tumors and non tumorous conditions. In this case, suspected neurofibromatosis by the skin and ocular manifestations, there are glioblastoma multiforme in left temporoparietal lobe and undefined mass with bony destruction of the ipsilateral sphenoidal wing ridge. Authors asserted that ipsilateral optic atrophy was caused by direct compression of the undefined mass on sphenoidal wing ridge to the optic nerve and the contralateral disc edema was result from high intracranial pressure caused by glioblastoma multiforme.
Adult ; Anterior Chamber ; Atrophy ; Edema ; Female ; Filtering Surgery ; Frontal Lobe ; Glaucoma* ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Iris ; Neurofibromatoses ; Optic Atrophy ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Nerve Diseases* ; Parturition ; Skin

Fibrous dysplasia is a common benign disorder of bone in which normal bone marrow is replaced with fibro-osseous tissue. As PET/CT is increasingly used for the staging of different malignant disease, incidentally found fibrous dysplasia with increased FDG uptake may mimic metastasis. We report on a 46-year-old woman with fibrous dysplasia who underwent PET/CT because of suspected recurrence of breast cancer and was misdiagnosed as a bony metastasis with a focal FDG uptake on left proximal femur. This lesion was interpreted as fibrous dysplasia based on MRI in addition to the plain radiographs. We conclude that MRI in addition to radiography may help to differentiate fibrous dysplasia mimicking metastasis on PET/CT in the patients with malignancy.
Bone Marrow ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Hydrazines ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

The association of abnormalities of the optic nerves, optic chiasm, and optic tracts with anomalies of the midline structures in the brain-an absent septum pellucidum etc was reported and called "septo-optic dysplasia". Also, it was noted that septo-optic dysplasia could be associated with hypopituitary dwarfism. It occurs more commonly in first born children and children born to young or diabetic mothers. We report a case of septo-optic dysplasia with literature, who had complained of severe visual impairment associated with nystagmus, bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, absent septum pellucidum, and normal range of hormone studies.
Child ; Dwarfism ; Humans ; Mothers ; Optic Chiasm ; Optic Nerve ; Reference Values ; Septo-Optic Dysplasia* ; Septum Pellucidum ; Vision Disorders ; Visual Pathways