Objective To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma in children. Methods Eighteen children with pheochromocytoma were diagnosed and treated from 1980 to 2000.The primary clinical manifestations included severe headache,blurring of vision,palpitation,excessive perspiration.Sustained hypertension occurred in 10 cases,sustained hypertension accompanied by episodic exacerbation in 7 and episodic hypertension in 1.The mean blood pressure was 185/130 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),with the highest up to 260/190 mmHg.VMA was increased in 89% (16/18) of the cases,and blood and urinary catecholamine was increased in 92% (12/13).Retroperitoneal pneumography was performed in 3 cases,CT in 14 cases and MRI in 2 cases,with all positive findings.B-ultrasonography showed positive in 94%(15/16). Results This series of 18 cases accounted for 11.6% of the pheochromocytoma cases admitted homochronously (18/155).All the 18 cases underwent surgery with the help of proper peir-operative management.The pheochromocytomas (comfired by pathology) were successfully extirpated with the tumor weight ranging from 40 to 150 g.All the cases were followed up for 1 to 20 years.Their blood pressure returned to normal in 94%(17/18).Only 1 case had relapse 2 years later with diagnosis of malignancy,and died in the following year. Conclusions Since the clinical manifestations of pheochromocytoma in children are atypical,endocrinological and imaging examinations are necessary to children with hypertension.Surgical excision is the best option,and oppropriate perioperative management is extremely important.The outcome of surgical management in children is better than that in the adults.

Kenaf stalk was pretreated by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus sajor-caju incubated in solid-state kenaf stalk cultivation medium. Delignification and subsequent enzymatic saccharification and fermentation of kenaf stalk were investigated in order to evaluate effects of microbial pretreatment on bioconversion of kenaf lignocellulose to fuel ethanol production. The highest delignification rate of 50.20% was obtained after 25-35 days cultivation by P. sajor-caju, which could improve subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of kenaf cellulose. And the saccharification rate of pretreated kenaf stalk reached 69.33 to 78.64%, 4.5-5.1 times higher than the control. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with microbial-pretreatment kenaf stalk as substrate was performed. The highest overall ethanol yield of 68.31% with 18.35 to 18.90 mg/mL was achieved after 72 h of SSF.
Biofuels ; Ethanol ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Hibiscus ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Lignin ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; metabolism ; Pleurotus ; metabolism