Although neuroblastoma is a relatively common malignancy of childhood, it is rare in the head and neck area. While less than 5% of neuroblastoma arise from the cervical sympathetic chain, the head and neck is mostly manifested with a metastatic disease. We encountered a case of primary neuroblastoma arising in the parapharyngeal space in an infant. The patient, a 7-month-old male, presented with multiple neck masses without any other symptoms. Urine VMA and HVA, the magnetic resonance image, an abdominal and chest computed tomogram, and a Tc(99m) MIBI tumor scan were performed. The diagnosis of differentiating neuroblastoma was made by a fine needle aspiration cytology. Complete surgical excision was performed at the expense of sacrificing the sympathetic nerve trunk. No recurrence was noted during the 1-year follow-up period, although the right-sided Horner's syndrome persisted. An accurate preoperative cytologic diagnosis and proper surgical intervention can result in a good prognosis for a low stage cervical neruoblastoma; however, a long term follow-up is indicated.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Horner Syndrome ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neck ; Neuroblastoma* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Underweight refers to the weight range in which health risk can increase, since the weight is lower than a healthy weight. Negative attitudes towards obesity and socio-cultural preference for thinness could induce even underweight persons to attempt weight control. This study was conducted to investigate factors related to weight control attempts in underweight Korean adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study on 690 underweight adults aged 25 to 69 years using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2010. Body image perception, weight control attempts during the past one year, various health behaviors, history of chronic diseases, and socioeconomic status were surveyed. RESULTS: Underweight women had a higher rate of weight control attempts than underweight men (25.4% vs. 8.1%, P < 0.001). Among underweight men, subjects with the highest physical activity level (odds ratio [OR], 7.75), subjects with physician-diagnosed history of chronic diseases (OR, 7.70), and subjects with non-manual jobs or other jobs (OR, 6.22; 12.39 with reference to manual workers) had a higher likelihood of weight control attempts. Among underweight women, subjects who did not perceive themselves as thin (OR, 4.71), subjects with the highest household income level (OR, 2.61), and unmarried subjects (OR, 2.08) had a higher likelihood of weight control attempts. CONCLUSION: This study shows that numbers of underweight Korean adults have tried to control weight, especially women. Seeing that there are gender differences in factors related to weight control attempts in underweight adults, gender should be considered in helping underweight adults to maintain a healthy weight.
Adult* ; Body Image ; Body Weight ; Chronic Disease ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Obesity ; Single Person ; Social Class ; Thinness* ; Weight Loss ; Weight Perception

BACKGROUND: Marital status is as an important sociodemographic variable for health studies. We assessed the association between marital status and health behavior in middle-aged Korean adults. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 2,522 Korean middle-aged adults (1,049 men, 1,473 women) from the 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were classified as living with a partner or living without a partner (never married, separated, widowed, and divorced). We assessed the relationship between marital status and five health behaviors (smoking, high-risk alcohol intake, regular exercise, regular breakfast consumption, and undergoing periodic health screening). RESULTS: Age, income level, educational level, and occupational classification were all significantly associated with marital status. The risk of undergoing health screening (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 0.90) and having regular breakfast (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.92) were significantly lower in men living without a partner than with a partner. Women living without a partner had a higher smoking risk (OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.09 to 4.73) and a higher risk of high-risk alcohol consumption (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.65 to 17.24) than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Korean middle-aged adults living with partners are more likely to have healthier behavior than living without a partner. The association between marital status and health behaviors differed by sex.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Breakfast ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gender Identity ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Surveys ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Widowhood