BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain in children is one of the most common problems encountered in our daily practice. The children often are not able to tell us their exact complain symptoms and differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is difficult in its first encounter. When family physicians encounter patients with acute abdominal pain in the ambulatory care settings, they must make an appropriate decision for proper management such as admission, referral, discharge and follow-up without firm diagnosis. If it is possible to predict the course or prognosis of acute abdominal pain by clinical data concerning patient, it will be helpful to make a decision for the management of acute abdominal pain. So we tested for hypothesis that patients with acute intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdomen X-ray finding is not serious and shows favorable outcome. METHOD: 82 patients with acute abdominal pain were assessed from Oct. in 1996 to Sep. in 1997 at the emergency department of Kyungju Hospital, Dongkuk University. 69 patients among 82 showed normal simple abdomen X-ray findings. 67 patients were discharged and 2 patients were admitted. 64 patients were contacted by phone call after 1 week and reported their outcome of the previous abdominal pain. RESULTS: Among 64 subjects 36 patients were male and 28 patients female. 57 patients complained of intermittent abdominal pain and 7 patients complained continous abdominal pain. Positive predictive value of intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdominal x-ray was 98%. Outcome of patients with intermittent abdominal paln was more favorable than that of continuous pain. CONCLUSIONS: Acute intermittent abdominal pain and normal simple abdomen x-ray findings in children shows favorable outcome and can be managedim ambulatory care settings.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain* ; Ambulatory Care ; Child* ; Decision Making* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Prognosis ; Referral and Consultation

No abstract available.
Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins* ; Prospective Studies*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

The coracoclavicular joint is a rare genetical anatomic variants. The joint occurs at the junction of a bony projection extending inferiorly form the outer third of the clavicle at the site of the conoid tubercle and a bony projection extending superiorly form the coracoid process of the scapula. In our study we reviewed the radiological incidence of the coracoclavicular joint in Korean adults. The materials consist of 4,625 routine chest films, 9,250 sides. Sex distribution were 3,000 males and 1,625 females. The authors observed coracoclavicular joint on 17 persons (0.37%) and 25 sides (0.26%) and among them, 8 persons (47%) were bilateral and in 9 (53%) it was unilateral. The joint when unilateral occures frequently on left side, and there was no significant sex difference. There were statistically significant differences in the incidence of coracoclavicular joints among Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Clavicle ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Male ; Scapula ; Sex Characteristics ; Sex Distribution ; Thorax

PURPOSE: It has been known that there are several areas of T2 hyperintensities in normal white matter of brain, such as terminal zones of myelination, ependymitis granularis, ones of posterior internal capsule, and perivascular space. The aim of our study is to demonstrate another region of T2 hyperintensities in normal pediatric age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have studied brain MR for 10 normal volunteers and 35 patients without having intracranial lesions in pediatric age group(3-19 years). RESULTS: In 5 among 45 cases, focal T2 hyperintensities were seen in the parietal periventricular white matter beneath the postcentral gyri. They were noted as poorly defined, 5--10mm sized areas of increased signal intensities on T2 weighted axial images. They were also characterized by bilateral, posteromedially oriented, short band-like or oval areas. Interestingly, they were directly continuous with the T2 hyperintensity of posterior internal capsule. In spite of the relatively high frequency in the pediatric population as in our study, this finding has not been reported in the asymptomatic adults. CONCLUSION: The results show that the bilateral anterior parietal hyperintense areas may be another terminal zones of delayed myelination affecting the parietopontine tract. They should be differentiated from pathologic T2 hyperintensities by their characteristic findings.
Adult ; Brain ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Internal Capsule ; Myelin Sheath ; Rabeprazole*

Open carpal tunnel release has been the standard method of sumical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Recently endoscopic carpal tunnel release has been introduced and is heing used by many authors. The advantages of this new technique are less postoperative pain, rapid restoration of power and rapid return-to-work. However many considerate authors, in spite of these advantages. insist that the inevitahle risk of neurovascular injury during the endoscopic procedure should not he underestimated. The purpose of our study is to compare the clinical results of endoscopic carpal tunnel release with those of open release. 20 open carpal tunnel releases in 16 patients and 15 endoscopic carpal tunnel reieases (single-portal technique) in 11 patients were performed hy the first author. Preoperative conditions of both groups are not different. Authors compared the clinical results between the two groups with some parameters. The overall clinical results were not different significantly hetween two groups. Rapid return-to-work(36 days in endoscopic group versus 60 days in open group) and less postoperative scar and pillar pain in endoscopic group were demonstrated. However, the major complication of one median nerve injury in endoscopic group seemed to overweigh these some benefits. We suggest that the standard operative technique for carpal tunnel syndrome should be open carpal tunnel release and more considerations should be takcn in choosing endoscopic method because of its inherent risk.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Pain, Postoperative ; Return to Work

No abstract available.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Hydronephrosis* ; Teratoma*

No abstract available.
Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*