PURPOSE: There has been little research regarding the effectiveness of oseltamivir for influenza B infections. We sought to identify the different clinical manifestations between patients treated with and without oseltamivir. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the medical records of 72 inpatients or outpatients from two medical centers diagnosed with influenza B infections by either a rapid antigen test or multiplex reverse transcriptase PCR between January 2012 and July 2012. We compared gender, age, past medical history, admission period, total fever duration, fever duration after hospitalization, post-oseltamivir medication peak temperature, laboratory test, chest X-ray, antibiotic medication, and the presence of concomitant viral or bacterial infections. RESULTS: The number of subjects in our study was 72 who were diagnosed with influenza B pneumonia, acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, croup, and mean age was 3.6+/-2.8 year old. The demographic characteristics and clinical manifestations of oseltamivir and the non-oseltamivir groups, including hospitalization period (4.18+/-2.10 vs 4.79+/-1.49 days, P=.17) and total fever duration (5.32+/-2.07 vs 6.41+/-3.25 days, P=.09), demonstrated no significant differences. Notably, the oseltamivir group did have significantly reduced usage of antibiotic treatment than the non-oseltamivir group (P=.04). When we limited our patient group to patients under the age of three, similar results were seen. The group prescribed oseltamivir within 48 hours of fever onset had less antibiotic usage, in addition to a shorter fever duration. CONCLUSION: Oseltamivir appeared to have no benefit in improving the clinical course. However, if it is prescribed within the first 48 hours of symptoms, it may be more effective.
Bacterial Infections ; Bronchiolitis ; Bronchitis ; Child* ; Croup ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, University* ; Humans ; Influenza B virus* ; Influenza, Human ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Oseltamivir* ; Outpatients ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thorax

Contact urticaria refers to a wheal-and-flare response occurring on the application of chemicals to intact skin. When contact urticaria is accompanied by systemic symptoms, it is known as the urticaria syndrome. Fourteen cases of cefotiam-induced contact urticaria have been reported in the foreign literature, but no such case, as far as we know, has been described in the Korean dermatology literature. We report a case of contact urticaria syndrome occurring in a 23-year-old nurse due to occupational contact exposure to cefotiam. She experienced generalized urticaria, itching of the skin, difficulty in breathing, and abdominal pain, when she was preparing an injection of cefotiam. An open patch test showed positive reactions to cefotiam, cefmetazole, and ceftriaxone. Since avoiding cefotiam, the symptoms disappeared and did not recurred.
Abdominal Pain ; Cefmetazole ; Cefotiam ; Ceftriaxone ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Patch Tests ; Pruritus ; Respiration ; Skin ; Urticaria* ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of recurrences after their first febrile convulsions in infants and young children. Dlinical studies were made on 187 cases of febrile convulsions who were admitted to the Department of pediatrics of wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital from March, 1990 to December, 1992. 1) 63 cases of 187 cases had recurrences after their febrile convulsions. Thus, the recurrence rate was 33.7%. 2) The male to female ratio was 2.1:1. And there were no significant differences in recurrence rates between sexes. 3) The recurrence rate was significantly higher in those whose initial febrile convulsions were developed before first 18 months of life than those whose initial convulsions were after 18 months of age (49.5% vs. 12.5%). 4) The time interval from initial attack to recurrence was within 12 months in 80% of cases. 5) Our study revealed that the seizure characteristics of the initial febrile convulsion are not important as predictive factors about the probability of recurrences. 6) Among the total 187 cases, family history were present in 52 cases (27.8%). And there were significantly higher recurrence rates if their families show the same history of febrile convulsion (63.5% vs. 22.2%). 7) The risk of recurrence was much higher in patients whose first febrile history of febrile convulsion at the same time.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Protestantism ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile*

Neomycin is one of the aminoglycoside antibiotics and not uncommonly causes allergic contact dermatitis. Wool alcohol is one of the most widely used lanolin bases and rarely has been reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis. A 63-year-old male presented with a pruritic, erythematous swelling on the right periorbital area. He had a cataract operation on his right eye 10 days ago and has applied several eye drops and topical antibacterial agents. Patch test with Korean standard antigens and ophthalmic preparations revealed strong positive reactions to neomycin sulfate and the Maxitrol ointment composed of dexamethasone, neomycin sulfate and polymyxin B, and positive reaction to wool alcohol. Neomycin may be the major causative agent to produce allergic contact dermatitis, and wool alcohol also has some relation to it.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cataract ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Lanolin ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neomycin ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Patch Tests ; Polymyxin B ; Wool

PURPOSE: The Purposes of this study are to identify the circulating etiologic viruses of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children and to understand the relation with clinical diagnosis. METHODS: We obtained a total of 418 nasopharyngeal aspirates from children admitted for their acute lower respiratory tract infections at three tertiary hospitals in Seoul from September 2008 to March 2009. We performed multiplex RT-PCR to identify 14 etiologic viruses and analyzed their emerging patterns and clinical features. RESULTS: Average age of patients was 16.4 months old and the ratio of male to female was 1.36. Viruses were detected in 56.2% of a total of 418 samples. Respiratory syncytial virus (35%) was the most frequently detected and followed by human rhinovirus (22%), human bocavirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and human coronavirus. Co-infection reached 21.9% of positive patients. CONCLUSION: When we manage the patients with acute lower respiratory infectious diseases, we should remind the role of various viral pathogens, which might be circulating by seasons and by local areas.
Adenoviruses, Human ; Child ; Coinfection ; Communicable Diseases ; Coronavirus ; Female ; Human bocavirus ; Humans ; Male ; Metapneumovirus ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Rhinovirus ; Seasons ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Viruses

PURPOSE: Chest pain is common in children and adolescents and is a reason for referral to pediatric cardiologists. Although most cases of chest pain in these age groups are benign and do not require treatment, timely diagnosis is important not to miss life-threatening diseases requiring prompt treatment. We investigated certain clinical characteristics that may be useful in the diagnosis of such critical diseases. METHODS: Patient medical records between July 2006 and September 2013 were retrospectively examined. We included 517 patients who presented with chest pain to the Department of Pediatrics at Kyung Hee University Hospital in Gangdong. RESULTS: Most cases of chest pain were idiopathic in origin (73.6%), followed by cases with respiratory (9.3%), musculoskeletal (8.8%), cardiac (3.8%), gastrointestinal (2.9%), and psychiatric (1.4%) causes. In 6 patients (1.2%) with air-leak syndrome including pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum, the pain was abrupt, continuous, and lasted for a short period of 1-2 days after onset in the older adolescents. Of the patients with cardiac pain, 13 had cardiac arrhythmias (65.0%), 6 had congenital heart diseases (30%), and 1 had coronary aneurysms caused by Kawasaki disease (5.0%). One patient with atrial flutter had only symptoms of syncope and chest pain. CONCLUSION: The abrupt, continuous chest pain of a short duration in the older children was characteristic of air-leak syndrome. In patients with pneumomediastinum, radiological diagnosis was difficult without careful examination. Combined syncope should not be neglected and further cardiac workup is essential in such patients.
Adolescent* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrial Flutter ; Chest Pain* ; Child* ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Diagnosis ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Medical Records ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Pediatrics ; Pneumothorax ; Referral and Consultation ; Retrospective Studies ; Syncope ; Thorax*

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune- mediated skin disease. Recently, several psoriasis-linked genetic loci have been reported; PSORS4 contains S100A8 (calgranulin A), and PSOR6 (19p13) locus harbors JunB (19p13.2). S100A8 is considered to be a marker of inflammation in a variety of diseases. The expression of JunB and c-Jun have been reported to be reduced in psoriatic lesions. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to assess the role and correlation of S100A8, JunB, and c-Jun in the pathogenesis of guttate psoriasis and psoriasis vulgaris by studying whether any difference of immunohistochemical expression existed. METHODS: Skin biopsy specimens from patients with psoriasis vulgaris (n=37) and guttate psoriasis (n=17), and a normal skin controls (n=9) were utilized in the study. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections were prepared and JunB, c-Jun, and calgranulin A were immunohistochemically stained in order to compare the expression of those three proteins in each group. RESULTS: Reduced JunB expression was observed in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and guttate psoriasis, as compared to patients in the control group; however, c-Jun expression was reduced only in the psoriasis vulgaris group. The expression of S100A8 increased in the psoriasis groups as compared to the control group. In addition, the expression of S100A8 was different between the psoriasis vulgaris and guttate psoriasis groups; S100A8 was expressed more profoundly in the guttate psoriasis group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that S100A8 contributes to the pathogenesis of guttate psoriasis, and it may be a good target for therapy for guttate psoriasis provoked by microorganisms.
Biopsy ; Calgranulin A ; Genetic Loci ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Proteins ; Psoriasis ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency of posterior element injury in patients with traumatic thoraco-lumbar burst fractures and to evaluate the correlation between the MR imaging and CT findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MR images of 38 patients with 39 thoraco-lumbar burst fractures and the results of the CT examinations of 28 patients with 29 fractures were retrospectively analyzed. Both procedures were performed within two weeks of injury. Twenty-one males and 17 females were included ; their average age was 51.3 (range, 11-75) years. MR images were evaluated for injury to the posterior ligamentous complex, comprising the supraspinous ligament(SSL), the interspinous ligament(ISL), the flaval ligament(FL), and the capsule of facets. Analysis of the CT findings focused on the posterior bony elements of the lamina, pedicle, spinous process, and facet joint. RESULTS: MR imaging revealed posterior ligamentous injuries in 18(46.2%) of 39 burst fractures ; there was tearing of the ISL in 15 cases(38.5%), of the SSL in 11(28.2%), of the capsule of facets in 11(28.2%), and of the FL in nine(23.1%). Among the 29 burst fracture cases examined by CT, posterior bony injuries were detected in 13(44.8%). Lamina and facet joint fractures were detected in six cases(20.7%), facet separation or dislocation in six(20.7%), and spinous process and pedicle fracture in one(3.4%). In 29 burst fracture cases, both MRI and CT were performed. Among the 18 cases in which MR imaging revealed posterior ligamentous injuries, CT failed to demonstrate posterior element fractures in seven. On the other hand, among the 13 cases in which CT indicated posterior bony fractures, MR failed to reveal posterior ligamentous injuries in two. CONCLUSION: Posterior element injury is frequently found in patients with traumatic thoraco-lumbar burst fractures demonstrated by MR imaging(46.2%) and CT(44.8%). Both MRI and CT are useful tools for the evaluation of posterior element injury, which determines the degree of instability of traumatic burst fracture.
Dislocations ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Zygapophyseal Joint

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the clinical features and outcome of neonatal gastrointestinal perforation due to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and other etiologic diseases (non-NEC). METHODS: The medical records of neonates, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Dongsan Medical Center for gastrointestinal perforation between January 1999 and December 2009, were reviewed retrospectively. The admission records for clinical findings and mortality were reviewed and statistically analyzed for both groups. RESULTS: Among 28 neonates, NEC group was 35.7% and the other group (intestinal atresia, malrotation, meconium peritonitis, etc) was 64.3%. The mean gestational age was significantly shorter (32.8+/-4.6 weeks vs. 36.8+/-2.7 weeks, P=0.028) and the mean diagnostic day was significantly later (16.3+/-9.7 days vs. 2.2+/-1.8 days, P=0.001) in the NEC group than that of the non-NEC group. The mortality rate was markedly higher in the NEC group (50%) than that of the non-NEC group (5.6%)(P=0.013). By simple logistic regression analysis, gestational age (OR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51-0.95, P=0.022) and NEC (OR 17.00, 95% CI: 1.60-181.36, P=0.019) were the significant risk factors to increase the mortality rate. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed NEC (OR 7.70, 95% CI: 0.55-108.06, P=0.130) and gestational age (OR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.58-1.09, P=0.151) were not the significant independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that gestational age was shorter and mortality rate was higher in the NEC group than the non-NEC group. However, after multiple logistic regression analysis, NEC or lower gestational age itself did not increase the mortality rate significantly.
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Logistic Models ; Meconium ; Medical Records ; Peritonitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Neurofibromas are spindle cell tumors of peripheral nerves that may be solitary or multiple. Usually neurofibromas may occur on any part of the body, but seldom involve the palms and soles. There have been no reports of neurofibromas developing on the sole in the Korean dermatologic literature. We report a 34-year-old woman with neurofibromas occurring on both soles.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Neurofibroma ; Peripheral Nerves