BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested an association between chronic cough and gastroesophageal reflux. Our study aimed to assess the utility of a proton-pump inhibitor in unexplained chronic cough patients. METHODS: Patients with chronic cough of unknown etiology were evaluated using a chest x-ray, methacholine challenge test, and an empirical trial of postnasal drip therapy. After excluding other potential causes of the cough, forty patients were included in the study and treated for 8 weeks with a proton-pump inhibitor. RESULTS: Eleven and three patients in the first and second 4 weeks were lost to follow-up, leaving twenty-six patients finally included in the study. Of these patients, two were unimproved, eight partially responded to the proton-pump inhibitor and sixteen responded completely after the 8 week treatment. CONCLUSION: We suggest that empirical treatment with a proton pump inhibitor in all patients with persistent cough, which is not secondary to asthma or postnasal drip syndrome, represents a practical and simple approach to this ailment.
Asthma ; Cough* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Methacholine Chloride ; Proton Pumps ; Thorax

Therapeutic irradiation can induce angiosarcoma. Radiation-induced angiosarcoma constitutes 20% of all angiosarcomas. Although its common site of origin is the skin and subcutaneous tissue, it rarely arises in small or large bowels with a presentation as multifocal abdominal angiosarcomatosis. We report a case of intra-abdominal angiosarcomatosis involving the jejunum, ileum, transverse colon, mesentery and right ovary in a 63-year-old female. It developed 10 years after therapeutic irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix. She developed panperitonitis due to intestinal perforation. She died from sepsis 3 days after segmental resection of the small bowel and right oophorectomy. We reviewed the previously reported cases and describe the clinicopathologic features of this tumor.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Colon, Transverse ; Female ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Perforation ; Jejunum ; Mesentery ; Middle Aged ; Ovariectomy ; Ovary ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

No abstract available.
Heart Valve Prosthesis* ; Heart Valves*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Humans ; Leprosy*

Juvenile granulosa cell tumor is rare but one of the common congenital testicular neoplasms. Although histological features are typical of its ovarian counterpart, testicular juvenile granulosa cell tumor has a distinctly different clinical presentation. We report a case of juvenile granulosa cell tumor arising in the cryptochid testis of a 4-day-old newborn. A 6 5 5 cm sized multilocular cyst containing thick, mucinous fluid was found in the peritoneal cavity. The external surface of the cyst was smooth and the septae were relatively thin. The cyst consisted of numerous mucin-filled, cystic follicles lined by cells having vacuolated cytoplasm and round to oval dark nuclei without grooves. Cells resembling granulosa cells of an ovarian follicle were also observed in the intervening stroma forming irregular solid nests.
Cryptorchidism* ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Granulosa Cell Tumor* ; Granulosa Cells* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mucins ; Ovarian Follicle ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Testicular Neoplasms ; Testis

No abstract available.
Tetralogy of Fallot*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Plasma* ; Tranexamic Acid* ; Urticaria*

No abstract available.
Heart* ; Thoracic Surgery*

Mycosis fungoides is the most common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Patients with early stage disease usually respond well to conventional therapies, with a relatively favorable prognosis. However, a few patients are refractory to treatment and need alternative strategies, even at the patch and plaque stages. We report the case of a middle-aged woman with long-standing and refractory mycosis fungoides that responded to combination therapy with the 308-nm excimer laser and oral alitretinoin.
Female ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Phototherapy* ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was the most common disease of thrombocytopenic purpura in children, chronic course was shown in 10%. Splenectomy had been used in chronic thrombocytopenic purpura as classic therapy, and many therapeutic method had been tried. We define response to therapy and long-term outcome of chronic childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 41 patients that treated and diagnosed as chronic thrombocytopenic purpura at the Department of Pediatrics, Severance Hospital between Aug. 1981 and Aug. 1999 and followed for mean 8.2 years. The mean age was 6.2 years (range from 1month to 12.3 years) and sex-ratio of male to female was 1:2. According to therapeutic methods, they were divided into splenectomy group, spleen irradiation group, azathioprine group, interferon group, high-dose oral dexamethasone group, vincristine group, intravenous gammaglobulin group, low-dose prednisone group, and low-dose prednisone with intermittent intravenous gammaglobulin group. The results were classified into complete response (CR: platelets> 100,000/mm3), partial response (PR: platelets> 50,000/mm3), no response (NR: platelets <50,000/mm3). RESULTS: The treatment response and number of patients according to therapeutic methods were as follows; splenectomy group, 12 cases (CR-9 cases, PR-1 case, NR-2 cases), spleen irradiation group, 1 case (CR), azathioprine group, 6 cases (CR-1 case, NR-5 cases), interferon group, 3 cases (CR-1 case, PR-1 case, NR-1 case), high-dose oral dexamethasone group, 4 cases (CR-2 cases, PR-1 case, NR-1 case), vincristine group, 2 cases (NR), intravenous gammaglobulin group, 35 cases (CR-5 cases, PR-5 cases, NR-25 cases), low-dose prednisone group, 5 cases (NR), and low-dose prednisone with intermittent intravenous gammaglobulin group, 30 cases (CR-7 cases, PR-3 cases, NR-20 cases). CONCLUSION: The results of therapeutic method in splenectomy group were the most highest score (12 cases: CR-9 cases, PR-1 case, NR-2 cases), high-dose oral dexamethasone group, interferon group, and low-dose prednisone with intermittent intravenous gammaglobulin group in high incidence order. Spleen irradiation was supposed to trial method of treatment before splenectomy, because the risk was lower than splenectomy, although they had 1 case.
Azathioprine ; Child ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interferons ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Prednisone ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Vincristine