Pneumocystis carinii is a pulmonary pathogen of immunocompromised humans or other mammals. Its infection results from activation of organisms involved in latent infection or from new infection through the air. Almost all children are known to be infected within 2 to 4 years of birth, though prenatal transplacental transmission has not yet been demonstrated. In this study we observed experimental P. carinii infection in neonatal rats, thus investigating the possibility of transplacental vertical transmission by Diff-Quik staining of the lung impression smears and in-situ hybridization for lung sections. The positive rate of P. carinii infection in immunosuppressed maternal rats was 100%, but that in normal maternal rats was 0%. Cystic forms of P. carinii were observed in three of six 1-week old neonatal rats born of heavily infected mothers, but none of them was positive by in-situ hybridization. Five weeks after birth, cystic forms were detected in four neonatal rats. In the lobes of the lungs, no predilection site of P. carinii was recognized. Counts of cystic forms on smears and the reactivity of in-situ hybridization in the lungs of neonatal rats were significantly lower than in maternal rats. The present findings suggest that P. carinii is rarely transmitted through the placenta and proliferates less successfully in the lungs of neonatal rats than in mothers.
Animal ; Animals, Newborn/microbiology* ; Disease Transmission, Vertical* ; Female ; Immunocompromised Host ; Lung/microbiology ; Male ; Opportunistic Infections/transmission* ; Opportunistic Infections/complications ; Pneumocystis carinii/isolation & purification ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii/transmission* ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis carinii/complications ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Despite the large amount of adipose tissue in bone marrow, intraosseous lipoma is a very rare tumor. Since th first report by Cornil and Renvier in 1868 for a lipoma in the diaphysis of the femur, many cases of intraosseous lipomas of the limbs have been reported. For intraosseous lipoma, Dahlin reported an overall incidence of one per 1,000 bone tumors. Child reported the first case of intraosseous lipoma in the calcaneus. In Korea, a intraosseous lipoma in the fibula was reported only. We reported a case of intraosseous lipoma in the calcaneus.
Adipose Tissue ; Bone Marrow ; Calcaneus ; Child ; Diaphyses ; Extremities ; Femur ; Fibula ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lipoma

MRI has proved to be very reliable in evaluating the menisci and cruciate ligaments. On MRI, several diagnostic criteria of ruptured ACL were reported. Boeree and Ackyroyd reported that when the ACL is ruptured the PCL may appear to be curled up or sigmoid. But these morphologic changes may be shown in the normal ACL, so the quantitative analysis of these morphologic changes in considered as a way to increase the diagnostic sensitivity. We have used 1.0 tesla MRI scanner(SIMENS W. Germany) with a surface coil. We compared two groups of patients; a ruptured ACL group(16 patients) in which had indicated and arthroscopy confirmed rupture of the ACL and control group(46 patients), in which had shown the ACL to be entirely normal. At first, we made a line(basal line) between the femoral attachment and tibial attachment of the PCL and decided the point(apex) which was located far distant from the line. And we made a line(A line) between the femoral attachment and apex of the PCL, another line(B line) between the tibial attachment and apex of the PCL. We divided the basal line into the four areas. We measured the each angle between basal line and A line(angle a), between basal line and B line(angle b). And we measured the entire length of basal line, each height of the PCL previously divided point of the basal line(H1, H2, H3) and the apex of the PCL on the basal line. We compared the control group and ruptured ACL group by t-test from the measured factors angle a, angle b, H1, H2, H3, H4, and length of basal line. We studied factors which were able to decide whether the ACL was ruptured or not in MRI finding by logistic regression. 1. H1, the distance from the basal line to the PCL at 1/4 point on the basal line, were 5.7±1.6 mm in ruptured ACL group, 4.7±1.3 mm in control group, so there was statistically significant increase in ruptured ACL group. 2. The angle a were 56.0±14.4° in ruptured ACL group, 39.7±10.1° in control group, so there was statistically significant increase in ruptured ACL group. 3. From the measured factors angle a was able to decide whether the ACL was ruptured or not in MRI and the slope of angle a in logistic regression was 0.1. In conclusion, when the apex of the PCL is located at proximal 1/4 of the PCL and PCL and greater curve, above signs will be considered to be a sign of ruptured ACL in MRI.
Arthroscopy ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Rupture ; Tears

The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of IOL power calculations using clinical history method in patients who undergo cataract surgery after previous PRK, RK, or LASIK.Five eyes of 3 patients who had previous PRK, RK, or LASIK underwent phacoemulsifications with IOL implantation.We calculated IOL power for target refractive error using clinical history method.We compared postoperative refractive error to target refractive error at 3 months after cataract surgery.In the first case (RK (od)& PRK (os)), there was 3.50 diopter undercorrection on the right eye and IOL was exchanged.And target refractive error was achieved on the left eye.In the second case (LASIK patient)there was 1.00 diopter undercorrection.In the third case (PRK (ou)), right eye achieved 0.75 diopter undercorrection and left eye achieved 0.50 diopter overcorrection.The types of cataract were nuclear sclerotic in 3 cases and anterior subcapsular in 2 cases.To determine the exact IOL power after refractive surgery, using clinical history method would be good alternative in these patients.
Cataract* ; Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Phacoemulsification ; Refractive Errors ; Refractive Surgical Procedures*

Aplastic anemia following acute hepatitis or acute hepatic failure is an uncommon disease and has a poor prognosis. We experienced a case of aplastic anemia following acute hepatic failure in a 10- year-old girl. She was admitted because of jaundice and lethargy for 8 days. Laboratory findings revealed marked elevated serum transaminases and bilirubin levels, prolonged prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time, and massive hepatic necrosis on the pathological study. There was no evidence of metabolic, toxic or autoimmune hepatitis. During the treatment of acute hepatic failure, pancytopenia developed and marked hypocellularity of all hematopoietic elements in bone marrow was revealed. She recovered partially from aplastic anemia after treatment with anti-thymocyte globulin, corticosteroid and cyclosporine.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Antilymphocyte Serum ; Bilirubin ; Bone Marrow ; Cyclosporine ; Female ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Lethargy ; Liver Failure* ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Massive Hepatic Necrosis ; Pancytopenia ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prognosis ; Prothrombin Time ; Transaminases

PURPOSE: Besides interferencence of esophageal motor function by the nasogastric tube, a decline of the positive gastro-esophageal pressure gradient caused by intermittent positive pressure ventilation seems to have a major role in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in mechanically ventilated preterm infants. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of GER and associated risk factors in mechanically ventilated preterm infants. METHODS: Twenty four hour esophageal pH monitorings were performed using a antimony electrode on 11 mechanically ventilated preterm infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Pusan National University Hospital. We evaluated the following reflux parameters; reflux index, reflux episodes/ hour, reflux episodes > or =5 min/hour, duration of longest episode, and percent episodes > or =5 min. Patients were considered to have significant GER if more than 2 among 5 parameters were satisfied. RESULTS: The mean gestational age of the patients was 30.9 weeks, mean birth weight was 1,568 g, and mean age at the time of pH monitoring was 2.8 days. Significant GER was detected in 4 patients (36.4%). There was no relationship between the incidence of GER and gestational age, birth weight, postnatal age, or the ventilator settings. CONCLUSION: The incidence of GER in mechanically ventilated preterm infants was similar, compared with other previous studies. Associated risk factors of GER in these patients were not detected. Therefore, mechanical ventilation in preterm infants does not seem to be the high risk factor of GER.
Antimony ; Birth Weight ; Busan ; Electrodes ; Esophageal pH Monitoring ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation ; Respiration, Artificial ; Risk Factors ; Ventilators, Mechanical

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to find the differences of temperamental characteristics of Korean children according to family environment and developmental history. METHODS: 1) The mothers whose children had been educated at twenty-five Samsung Child Care Centers nationwide participated in the survey using Parent Temperament Questionnaire for Children (PTQ) and the Child Development Questionnaire (CDQ). 2) The temperament of 1,175 children whose mothers completed PTQ were classified into 5 diagnostic clusters (Easy, Intermediate Low, Intermediate High, Difficult, Slow-To-Warm-Up) according to the method proposed by Fullard et al. 3) The results of classification were compared and analysed statistically according to each CDQ parameters. RESULTS: Statistically meaningful difference in the distribution of temperamental clusters were found in the CDQ parameters such as birth order of children, number of intimate friends, children's relationship with their peers, children's relationship with their siblings, children's relationship with their parents, type of milk feeding, motor development of children during 2 years after birth, motor development during from age 2 to 5, stranger anxiety, present health state of children, and relationship between parents. After all, the proportion of Easy type was greater in the children who were first-born, or who had good relationship with their peers or family, fast motor development, mild stranger anxiety, good health condition, or good relationship between each parent. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the distribution of temperamental cluster was significantly different in several parameters of family environment and developmental history of Korean children. The children with fast development, good interpersonal relationship or favorable family environment are more likely to be the Easy type.
Anxiety ; Birth Order ; Child Care ; Child Development ; Child* ; Classification ; Friends ; Humans ; Milk ; Mothers ; Parents ; Parturition ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Siblings ; Temperament*

A total of 542 children under 10 years of age, admitted to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital, was examined for antibody titers of Toxoplasma gondii using indirect latex agglutination (ILA) test. Among them, 7.7% showed positive titers higher than 1:32, without significant difference between males (7.3%) and females (8.5%). The seropositive rate increased with age although the statistical significance was negligible (0.05 < P < 0.1). By residential areas, the prevalence appeared higher among children from southern provinces (Kyongsang-do and Cholla do) than those from other areas, but the statistical significance was also very low (0.05 < P < 0.1). When the seropositive cases were analyzed by coincidental diseases, the prevalence was significantly higher in patients with congenital diseases than in patients with non-congenital diseases (P < 0.05). The results showed that the seropositive rate of toxoplasmosis in children examined was not high compared with other endemic countries. Some correlations are suggested between toxoplasmosis and congenital anomalies in Korea.
Animal ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/immunology* ; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology*

Sebaceoma is a benign neoplasm with sebaceous differentiation, and this is characterized by dermal aggregations of basaloid, immature sebaceous cells and sebaceous duct-like structures. Recently, some cases of sebaceoma that presented as a rippled-pattern resembling the palisading of nuclei of verocay bodies have been reported in the English literature. However, there has been no such report in the Korean dermatologic literature. We report here on a case of rippled-pattern sebaceoma that developed in a 78-year-old Korean man.
Aged ; Humans

In 2019, a child’s death in Korea led to legislation that imposed stricter penalties for school zone traffic violations. We assessed the impact of that legislation using 2017-2022 Traffic Accident Analysis System data. Adjusted analyses revealed a significant decline in severe injuries in school zones, decreasing from 11 cases to 8 cases per month (p=0.017). The legislation correlated with a reduced risk of all child traffic injuries (risk ratio, 0.987; 95% confidence interval, 0.977 to 0.997; p=0.002), indicating its efficacy in curbing accidents.