PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestations, contact history, and status of tuberculosis contact investigations in school-age children and adolescents with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) at two centers. METHODS: This study was conducted with 54 patients in the age ranging from 10 to 18 years, who were diagnosed with pulmonary TB at the Pusan National University Hospital and Pusan National University Children's Hospital, January 2008 to December 2012. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 16 years old; 11 patients were aged 10 to 14 and 43 patients were aged 15 to 18. Among 54 patients, 19 had history of contact with pulmonary TB, 10 had contact with house members (household), and remaining 9 had contact with classmates (non-household). One out of 10 patients who had household contacts and 6 out of 9 patients who had non-household contacts were evaluated with contact investigation after the exposure to pulmonary TB. Among 7 patients who were evaluated with contact investigation, 3 were diagnosed with active pulmonary TB, 1 had latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and 3 had no evidence of TB or LTBI. The median period of diagnosis after the exposure to active pulmonary TB was 2 years in patients with household contacts and 0.23 years in patients with non-household contacts. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that if the contact investigation conducted properly, it would be helpful for early diagnosis and prevention of pulmonary TB.
Adolescent* ; Busan ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Latent Tuberculosis ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of nutrition education program and pamphlet for the lower grades elementary students focused on individual daily needed food exchange units using Food Exchange System. Program consisted of four lessons (40 min/lesson), "5 major nutrients & function", "6 food group and sources", "daily needed food exchange units for normal body weight", and "smart snack choice and exercise". Pamphlet as activity book was developed for the program. The subjects were 3rd grade elementary students (educated group, 31 vs. non-educated group, 31). Educated group were lessoned as group and/or individual. We examined the differences in nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, dietary intakes and satisfaction of the program and pamphlet. In educated group, there were positive improvements on nutrition knowledge score "function and foods of 5 nutrients" and on dietary attitudes "type of breakfast and snacks". In the evaluation of dietary intakes according to KDRI, there were positive improvements on intakes level of riboflavin, vit. C, folate, Ca, P, Fe and Zn in educated group. In satisfaction with the program and pamphlet, contents, font size, visual, figure, difficulty and program curriculum were over 2.90/3.0. It showed that the developed nutrition education program and pamphlet focused on individual daily needed food exchange units using Food Exchange System improved nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes and nutrients intake level in the lower grades elementary students.
Breakfast ; Curriculum ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Pamphlets ; Riboflavin ; Snacks

No abstract available.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma*

PURPOSE: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is considered a potential therapeutic target for anti-EGFR therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the frequency of EGFR gene mutation in TNBC is low and varies with ethnicity. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of EGFR gene mutation in TNBC. METHODS: EGFR protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays of 493 TNBC cases using four different primary antibodies, which included mutation-specific antibodies. For cases with an immunoreactivity level ≥1+, we performed pyrosequencing analysis for EGFR gene mutation. A case was considered mutation-positive when its mutation frequency minus its limit of detection (LOD) was >10%. Cases with mutation frequency higher than LOD were assessed for EGFR gene mutation status using the Cobas assay and by peptide nucleic acid-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PNA-clamping). RESULTS: Among 493 TNBCs, 148 (30.0%) exhibited staining ≥1+ for EGFR, including 78 with 1+, 49 with 2+, and 21 with 3+. Positive EGFR expression (≥2+) was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (p=0.010), but not with overall survival (p=0.444) or disease-free survival (p=0.388). None of the 493 TNBCs harbored an EGFR gene mutation. Among 148 cases with an EGFR staining result ≥1+, five (3.4%) showed mutation frequencies (4.4%–10.9%) higher than LOD (2.6%–4.3%) in exons 19 (L747_P753>Q) or 21 (L858R and L861Q) as determined by pyrosequencing. However, Cobas and PNA-clamping failed to detect the presence of EGFR gene mutation in these five cases. CONCLUSION: No activating mutation of EGFR gene of clinical significance was observed in 148 TNBC cases using three commercially available methods. Thus, EGFR gene mutation appears to be an extremely rare event in patients with TNBC.
Antibodies ; Breast Neoplasms ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Exons ; Genes, erbB-1 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Limit of Detection ; Mutation Rate ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms*

Two patients with stage three secondary lymphedema of the upper extremities underwent treatment for breast cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. They were examined with computed tomography (CT) before and after extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). We used a manual tracing method using PiViewSTAR software to calculate the volume of the upper extremities. There was a decrease in the volume of the subcutaneous compartment measured by CT before and after ESWT. CT may be helpful in determining the treatment target area of ESWT and to monitor the effect of treatment by measuring the changes in volume before and after ESWT in patients with lymphedema. Therefore, CT may have good clinical potential for treatment and follow-up in the management of lymphedema.
Breast Neoplasms ; Drug Therapy ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; Humans ; Lymphedema* ; Radiotherapy ; Shock* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Upper Extremity

Transfer of large quantities of fetal blood across the placental barrier to the maternal circulation is a rare occurrence which results in severe anemia in the newborn infants. This phenomenon is believed to occur most often during labor and delivery and apparently, is more frequent when abnormal obstetric conditions are present. However, fetal erythrocytes have been identified in the naternal circulation throughout most of pregnancy indicating some degree of constant or intermittent transplacental transfusion. We experienced a case of stillbirth due to large amount of fetomaternal transfusion. Acid elutionl test of maternal blood was positive and direct and indirect Coombs test was negative. Ultrasonographic finding on abdomen and cranium to rule out the internal hemorrhage was normal. We report a case of stillbirth due to fetomaternal transfusion with a brief review of related literatures.
Abdomen ; Anemia ; Coombs Test ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Fetomaternal Transfusion* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Skull ; Stillbirth*

PURPOSE: Eosinophilia may be associated with various primary and reactive conditions. However, studies on the cause and incidence of eosinophilia in Korean children are rare. This study aimed to evaluate the cause and incidence of eosinophilia in patients at a single university hospital. METHODS: We studied 8,285 pediatric patients under the age of 18 years who had eosinophilia at Pusan National University Hospital. Premature and newborn infants were excluded. Eosinophilia was defined as an absolute eosinophil count greater than 450/microL. Eosinophilia was categorized as mild (450-1,500/microL), moderate (1,500-5,000/microL), and severe (>5,000/microL). The underlying conditions of eosinophilia were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Of 8,285 patients who had a hematology profile, 497 (5.9%) were found to have eosinophilia. Of patients with eosinophilia, 333 patients (67.0%) had identifiable and possible causes. The major causes of eosinophilia were allergic diseases (61.3%), infectious diseases (19.8%), immunologic diseases (9.0%) and hemato-oncologic disease (5.1%). Immunological disease such as Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome and Graft-versus-host disease was the common condition with moderate to severe eosinophilia in which eosinophil count in peripheral blood was more than 1,500/microL. CONCLUSION: The most common cause of eosinophilia was allergic disease. Immunological disease was the common condition with moderate to severe eosinophilia.
Busan ; Child* ; Communicable Diseases ; Eosinophilia* ; Eosinophils ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematology ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Hypersensitivity ; Immune System Diseases ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and causes of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) infeasibility in cases of metastatic colorectal cancer and to evaluate factors affecting the invisibility of the tumor on planning ultrasonography (US). Methods: This study screened 386 patients who underwent planning US using fusion imaging and/or contrast-enhanced US for percutaneous RFA for suspected metastatic colorectal cancer between January 2013 and December 2020, from whom 136 patients with a single hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer measuring <3 cm were included. The factors related to the infeasibility of percutaneous RFA were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with tumor invisibility on planning US. Results: Among the 136 patients, percutaneous RFA was considered infeasible in 24.3% (33/136) due to a high risk of the heat-sink effect caused by the abutment of a large vessel (n=12), an inconspicuous tumor on planning US (n=11), a high risk of collateral thermal damage to an adjacent organ (n=8), and the absence of a safe electrode path (n=2). In univariate and multivariate analyses, tumor size was a statistically significant factor affecting invisibility on planning US (P=0.003 and P=0.018, respectively). Conclusion Percutaneous RFA was infeasible in approximately one-fourth of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The reason for the infeasibility was mainly an unfavorable tumor location and invisibility on planning US. Small tumor size was the sole significant factor affecting the invisibility of hepatic metastases on planning US.

Paraganglioma is an extraadrenal pheochromocytoma originating from chromaffin ceIls distributed in sympathetic nervous systems. This tumor often can produce catecholamines and induce sustained or paroxysmal hypertension, with or without the typical symptams of headache, palpitation and sweating. Paraganglioma without the usual clinical manifestations is not easy to suspect and diagnose. Herein, we report a case of atypical retroperitoneal paraganglioma which was thought to be the pancreas tail mass and result in a paroxysmal adrenergic crisis and fatal dilated cardiomyopathy after the sonographically guided percutaneous biopsy. This rare case warns against the usual practice of percutaneous biopsy for the preoperative diagnosis of intraabdominal or retmperitoneal tumors.
Biopsy* ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Catecholamines ; Diagnosis ; Headache ; Hypertension ; Pancreas ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Sympathetic Nervous System

BACKGROUND: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) shows a very good prognosis, but older patients have a higher recurrence rate and those show poor prognosis than younger patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of thyroid cancer patients who experienced recurrence in old age according to the treatment strategy used. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Among DTC patients with no evidence of disease after initial treatment, we enrolled 86 patients who experienced recurrence at an age >65 years from 1994 to 2012. Sixty-nine patients had local recurrence and 17 patients showed distant metastasis. RESULTS: The mean age of patients at recurrence was 72 years. Patients were followed up for a median of 4.1 years after recurrence. Sixty-three of the 69 patients with local recurrence received additional treatment, while the other six received conservative care. The cancer-specific mortality rate was 15.5% in the local recurrence group. Airway problems were the main cause of death in patients who did not receive further treatment for local recurrence. Among the 17 patients with distant metastasis, 10 underwent specific treatment for metastasis and seven received only supportive management. Seven of those 17 patients died, and the cancer-specific mortality rate was 35% in the distant metastasis group. CONCLUSION: The overall cancer-specific mortality rate was 20% in DTC patients in whom recurrence was first detected at an age >65 years. Mortality due to uncontrolled local disease occurred frequently in patients who did not receive definitive management for recurrence.
Cause of Death ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prognosis ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*