No abstract available.
Glaucoma* ; Manometry* ; Mass Screening*

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is an important and fundamental method in the evaluation and treatment of respiratory diseases. Airway responsiveness assessed using histamine or methacholine by PFT is meaningful for the diagnosis of asthma. Spirometry is simple, and has been the most commonly used technique. However, in younger or uncooperative children, other commercially available tools such as impulse oscillometry (IOS), gas dilution, and plethysmography have been used. IOS is a noninvasive method that allows the measurement of airway mechanics (resistance [R] and reactance [X]) with minimal patient cooperation. Functional residual capacity (FRC) is one of the most important measurements obtained by gas dilution. Plethysmography is a gold standard to measure airway resistance and useful for lung function testing in infants. The purpose of this review is to help pediatric physicians being familiar with PFT techniques used in young children by discussing their principles, clinical applications, limitations, and current accessibility in Korea.
Airway Resistance ; Asthma ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Functional Residual Capacity ; Histamine ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Lung* ; Mechanics ; Methacholine Chloride ; Oscillometry ; Patient Compliance ; Plethysmography ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry

PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic panvasculitis that causes coronary artery lesions. KD is accompanied by immunoregulatory abnormalities. Nitric oxide (NO) can induce relaxation of blood vessels by activating guanylate cyclase in smooth muscle cells and high levels of NO may result in coronary artery lesions. We investigated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and NO production before and after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy to study the roles of NO and TNF-alpha in KD with coronary artery lesions. METHODS: Serum levels of NO and TNF-alpha were measured in 24 patients with KD (group I, eight patients with normal coronary artery; group II, 16 patients with coronary artery lesions) and 23 controls (group III, 13 afebrile controls; group IV, 10 febrile controls). Blood samples from each subject were drawn before and after IVIG therapy and in the convalescent stage. Serum concentrations of NO and TNF-alpha were measured by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay. RESULTS: The NO levels before IVIG therapy were significantly higher in group II than in group I, group III and group IV. After IVIG therapy the levels of NO were significantly higher in group I and group II than in group III. The TNF-alpha levels before IVIG therapy were significantly higher in group I and group II than in group III. The serum TNF-alpha and NO levels were higher before IVIG therapy and decreased through the convalescent stage in KD patients. In the acute stage of KD patients with coronary artery lesions, serum NO levels significantly correlated with white blood cells (r=043, P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The serum concentration levels of TNF-alpha and NO were abnormally high in KD patients and NO concentrations were statistically higher in the KD patients with coronary artery abnormalities than those without coronary abnormality during the early stage of the KD. These results suggest NO may be involved in the development of coronary artery lesions.
Blood Vessels ; Coronary Vessels ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Leukocytes ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Nitric Oxide* ; Relaxation ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Malignant struma ovarii is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose histologically, particularly in cases of follicular carcinoma. This case study is intended to describe three cases of follicular proliferative lesion arising in struma ovarii that we experienced. The first case was clearly malignant given the clinical picture of multiple recurrences, but there was little histological evidence of malignancy. Our second case featured architectural and cellular atypia and necrosis and was diagnosed as malignant despite the absence of vascular and stromal invasion. Our third case exhibited solid microfollicular proliferation without any definite evidence of malignancy (even the molecular data was negative); however, we could not completely exclude malignant potential after conducting a literature review. In cases such as our third case, it has been previously suggested that a diagnostic term recognizing the low-grade malignant potential, such as "proliferative stromal ovarii" or "follicular proliferative lesion arising in the stromal ovarii" would be appropriate.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Necrosis ; Recurrence ; Struma Ovarii*

Common cold is a conventional term for a mild upper respiratory illness characterized by symptoms of nasal stuffiness, rhinorrhea, sneezing, sore throat, and cough. Management of the common cold is intended to provide temporary relief of symptoms until the cold completes its natural history, as well as to reduce the risk of complications. However, most studies for cold preparations focus on adults, and there are limited and conflicting evidences for children. Various preparations for cough/cold are available, which include antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, expectorants, analgesics/antipyretics, and some combination products. Nonpharmacologic therapies are also important and it is generally agreed that such supportive cares should form the mainstay of treatment for children with common colds. Adverse effects of the specific types of cold preparations should be considered carefully for very young children. In addition, it is very important to educate parents about the natural course of common cold, along with appropriate use correct dosages and potential adverse effects of cold preparations.
Adult ; Antitussive Agents ; Child ; Cold Temperature ; Common Cold ; Cough ; Expectorants ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Infant ; Nasal Decongestants ; Natural History ; Parents ; Pharyngitis ; Sneezing

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by a disorder of breathing with prolonged partial and/or complete airway obstruction which causes frequent arousal during sleep. The prevalence of OSAS is approximately 2%–3.5% in children. It is mainly caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Obesity, craniofacial abnormality, and neuromuscular disease are also relevant predisposing factors. Snoring is the most common presenting complaint in children with OSA, but the clinical presentation varies according to age. The pathogenesis of OSA is complex and involved in multifactorial, relative roles of anatomic and neurohumoral factors. The role of the nose is considered a component of the pathophysiology of OSA. It is unlikely that the first manifestation of OSA is intermittent snoring with nasal obstruction, often considered a coincidental finding. Childhood OSA should be diagnosed and treated, if clinically suspected, because various symptoms, signs, and consequences can be improved with proper management. Adenotonsillectomy is the first-line treatment modality in pediatric OSA with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. In addition, treatment of allergic rhinitis, nonallergic rhinitis, and other structural problems of the nasal cavity, if it is needed, may be included in the treatment of OSA.
Adenoids ; Airway Obstruction ; Arousal ; Causality ; Child* ; Craniofacial Abnormalities ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Obstruction ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; Nose ; Obesity ; Palatine Tonsil ; Prevalence ; Respiration ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Snoring

Atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life. It is commonly observed in infants or young children but can also occur in adults. Patients with atopic dermatitis are at risk of developing food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and asthma.Current Concepts: Treatment of atopic dermatitis should commence with moisturization of epidermal skin and avoidance of environmental factors that may trigger exacerbation of atopic dermatitis. Topical corticosteroid application remains the gold standard for medical management of atopic dermatitis; however, topical corticosteroids are often avoided owing to concerns regarding the adverse effects of these drugs. Recently, several systemic immunosuppressants and biological agents have been introduced for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. These medications are associated with fewer adverse effects than those observed with previous treatments and have therefore shown positive results for successful management of atopic dermatitis.Discussion and Conclusion: It is expected that new drugs tailored to the disease level of each patient will revolutionize the treatment of atopic dermatitis more effectively in future.

PURPOSE: Little data is currently available on the use of the impulse oscillometry system (IOS) parameter in analyzing the lung function of young children with cough-variant asthma (CVA) and classic asthma. The aims of this study were to evaluate the bronchial responsiveness between patients with CVA and those with classic asthma using dose-response slope and various cutoff values. METHODS: A methacholine challenge test and a pulmonary function test were performed in 43 children with classic asthma and 26 children with CVA using IOS, and the respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) were obtained. The bronchial responsiveness were assessed by provocative concentration causing an 80% fall from baseline in reactance at 5 Hz (PC80_Xrs5) and a 40% increase in resistance at 5 Hz (PC40_Rrs5) and calculating from the degree of dose-response slope (DRS) for airway resistance and reactance. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in base lung function between the two groups. However, the mean DRS_Xrs5 and the number who showed more than an 80% fall in reactance were significantly higher in classic asthma group than those in CVA group (P=0.040 and P=0.040, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of DRS in oscillatory reactance at 5 Hz is useful for the differential diagnosis of classic asthma and CVA based on bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Airway Resistance ; Asthma* ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Child* ; Cough ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Oscillometry ; Respiratory Function Tests

No abstract available.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome* ; Folliculitis ; Skin Manifestations ; Ulcer*