BACKGROUND: Bone age measurements have clinical significance in estimation of growth status and prediction of final adult height. Mostly used methods of bone age measurements are Tanner Whitehouse method(TW2) and Greulich-Pyle method(OP). TW2 is known to be more accurate method in determining the bone age, compared to GP. But GP is being used more widely despite some shortcomings, because TW2 is time consuming and need special training. In this study, we observed the correlation between GP and TW2 to evaluate which bone age among three portions of hand and wrist[metacarpals and phalanges(GP1), carpal bones(GP2), distai radius and ulna (GP3)], measured by GP, was more correlated with the bone age, measured by TW2. METHODS: Left hand/wrist radiographs were taken from 100 prepubertal children with normal growth. These radiogrphs were reviewed by two pediatric endocrinologists independently. Bone ages using TW2 were measured at first, and then GP1, GP2, and GP3 were measured. These bone ages had been compared with TW2, using SAS computer program. RESULTS: The mean chronological age of 100 children was 10.0+/-2.5 years(5 years to 14.7 years range, 63 males and 37 females). The bone age by TW2 was 9.0+/- 2.6 years(2.3 to 13.6 years). The bone age by GP1, GP2, and GP3 were 8.8+/-2.5 years, 8.7+/-2.9 years, and 8.3+/-2.8 years, respectively. Bone ages by TW2 were significantly closer to the chronological age than those by GP. The Pea~rson correlation coefficients of GP1, GP2, and GP3 in eomparison to TW2 were 0,87(p=0.0001), 0.94(p=0.0001), and 0.91(p=0.0001), respectively, There are significant correlatkm between bone ages by TW2 and GP. Bone ages by GP2 and GP3 were statistically significantly different from those by TW2(P<0.01). Bone ages by GP1 has no statistical difference with that by TW2(P=0.64). CONCLUSION: TW2 method is more accurate than GP method in determining the bone age, but it needs time-consuming and laborious efforts. We suggest that the use of GP method for the metacarpals and phalanges can result in a considerable saving of time with no significant loss of accuracy and reproducibility.
Adult ; Age Determination by Skeleton ; Child ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Metacarpal Bones ; Radius ; Ulna

The tongue is located inside the oral cavity at rest, and the structural interrelations between the tongue and the oral cavity is essentially important for normal tongue function. Macroglossia is clinically diagnosed whenever the tongue does not fit the oral cavity, thus patients complain of noisy breathing, drooling, speech and swallowing dysfunction, malocclusion, and social ridicule. Partial glossectomy for macroglossia volume has been assumed to be difficult. In this study, we attempted to measure the tongue volume with the plaster tongue model in a 7-year-old macroglossia patient. This method is reliable and simple for measuring the tongue volume in macroglossia.
Child ; Deglutition ; Glossectomy* ; Humans ; Macroglossia* ; Malocclusion ; Mouth ; Respiration ; Sialorrhea ; Tongue*

PURPOSE: Congenital hypothyroidism(CH) is not uncommon disorder, leading to retardation of mental development and growth, if not treated early. The aim of this study is to determine the factors influencing IQ of children with CH, diagnosed after 1 month of life. METHODS : Thirteen children with CH were included. They had intelligence test by KEDI-WISC(Korean Educational Development Institute-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and their medical records were reviewed. Their T4, TSH, height, age at diagnosis were investigated retrospectively. To evaluate the influence of T4, TSH, height, age at diagnosis on IQ, children were divided into three groups ; athyroid(n=8), sublingual(n=3), inborn errors of thyroid hormone synthesis(n=2) according to the result of thyroid scan. Results : In athyroid group, IQ closely correlated to VIQ and PIQ and had close relationship to T4 at diagnosis(.p=0.0086, r=0.8427), but no relation to TSH. There was no difference in height, T4 TSH, and IQ between athyroid and sublingual group. CONCLUSION : The results suggest that intellectual function in children with CH, diagnosed after 1 month of life depends on serum level of T4 at diagnosis. Further study is mandatory to elucidate the relationship between final IQ and factors, including thyroid function, age at diagnosis, adequacy of treatment, etc.
Child* ; Congenital Hypothyroidism* ; Diagnosis ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Intelligence Tests ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Pheochromocytoma*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to find what medical students think the reward for their future work should be and whether they would keep their ideals or abandon them for prestige and wealth by analyzing the book reports of Cronin's The Citadel. METHODS: Participants were 50 medical students of junior class. A month before the classroom lecture, the book and digital video disk were provided. Students had discussions in groups of seven and wrote book reports which include answers of three questions. RESULTS: Regarding what should be the reward for the medical doctor, two-thirds of students (66.7%) answered with spiritual compensation, while one-third (33.3%) chose material reward. In the situation presented to Manson, three-fifths (60.0%) answered they would keep their ideals (idealist), while the remaining two-fifths (40.0%) decided they would abandon them. Less than one-third of students (30.0%) answered they would reveal the corruptions of the doctor's society, while two-thirds (64.0%) would not. CONCLUSION: The larger number of idealists who prefer spiritual reward rather than a material reward represents the innocence of youth as in portrayed in The Citadel.
Adolescent ; Compensation and Redress ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Reward ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: It is known that insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia from pancreatic islet cells to overcome insulin resistance could develop in children with simple obesity. When insulin resistance is aggravated by decompensation of high insulin secretion, obese children frequently progress to overt type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM). The purpose of the present study was to measure insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and insulin secretory capacity in children with simple obesity(n=15, 10.77+/-2.62 yr) and type 2 DM(n=10, 14.22+/-1.76yr) by frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. METHODS: The data was analyzed as SI(insulin sensitivity), SG(glucose effectiveness) by Bergman's modified minimal model. Insulin secretory capacity was calculated as the area under the insulin curve between 0 and 19 minutes after administration of glucose(AUC, Insulin). RESULTS: SI, KG, and insulin secretory capacity were significantly lower in children with type 2 DM than those in children with simple obesity(P<0.05). SG was not significantly different in both groups. There is a significant correlation between fasting glucose/insulin ratio and SI in the children with simple obesity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that higher insulin resistance and lower insulin secretory capacity tend to progress to overt type 2 DM in obese children. Frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test might be useful in predicting to progress to overt type 2 DM by serial follow up of SI in children with simple obesity. Fasting glucose/insulin can be used as a screening test to evaluate insulin resistance in children with simple obesity.
Child* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Islets of Langerhans* ; Mass Screening ; Obesity*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to see what medical students think about the role of spouse of a devoted medical doctor through the book reports of The Painted Veil (1925). METHODS: The 53 medical students were asked to read Maugham's The Painted Veil and to have a discussion. In their book reports, following questions were asked to be included: What it is like to be married a devoted medical doctor? Do you think that patients realize, value, and respect the importance of doctor's work? In the outbreak of highly infectious and fatal disease, can you carry out a heroic fight to control it? RESULTS: Among the 53 respondents, seven students (13%) answered that they would be happy if they marry a devoted doctor and scientist and 34 (64%) unhappy. The remaining 12 (23%) could not make a decision. The six students (11%) answered that doctor is valued and respected by patients while 46 (87%) answered doctor is neither valued nor respected. The remaining one (2%) could not decide. The 20 students (38%) answered that they would fight for the infectious disease and the remaining 30 (57%) answered that they would not. The remaining three (5%) could not determine their mind. CONCLUSION: The Painted Veil induced a virtue of "life of balance and harmony" and "attitude of doctor who give superiority to responsibility and duty over prestige and wealth" from the medical students. It could be a good teaching material for medical humanity.
Adult ; Attitude ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Disease Outbreaks ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; Famous Persons ; Female ; Happiness ; Humans ; Literature, Modern ; Male ; *Marriage ; *Medicine in Literature ; *Physicians ; *Social Responsibility ; Social Values ; *Spouses ; *Students, Medical

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of a combined high saphenous vein division and sclerotherapy without sacrificing saphenous vein for varicose vein. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between August 2004 and October 2005, 70 limbs in 50 patients were treated by a combined high saphenous vein division and sclerotherapy. The operative indication is valvular incompetence of femoral-saphenous or popliteal-saphenous junction. Patients received local anesthesia and were treated by a combined high saphenous vein division, ligation of incompetent perforating vein and 1~3% sclerosant. Patients received 1 day hospitalization and applied in compression stocking for 6 weeks. Patients followed after 1 week, 1 and 3 months. RESULT: Mean age of patients was 50+/-11. The female was more common. 8 patients was no symptom, another 42 patients complained of pain, heaviness and fatigue of limbs. The symptoms of varicose vein disappeared 1 month after the procedure in all symptomatic patients. 8 patients needed a adjuvant sclerotherapy for residual varicose vein on 1 week after the procedure. There were only minor complications such as hematoma (1), wound infection (1), thrombophlebitis (20), skin blister (10), hyper-pigmentation (1), and skin ulcer (1). CONCLUSION: We concluded that a combined high saphenous vein division and sclerotherapy without sacrificing saphenous vein for varicose vein is simple, less invasive, economical, and effective treatment for primary varicose vein, and it has a special advantage that saphenous vein can be used as a bypass conduit later. The method was selective in old aged patients.
Anesthesia, Local ; Blister ; Extremities ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Ligation ; Saphenous Vein ; Sclerotherapy* ; Skin ; Skin Ulcer ; Stockings, Compression ; Thrombophlebitis ; Varicose Veins* ; Veins ; Wound Infection

PURPOSE: Whereas cyclosporine is increasingly used not only in transplantation but also in autoimmune disorders, it may be associated with several side effects. Gingival hyperpalsia is one of the most frequent side effects and has been estimated to occur in 21-30% of all patients receiving the drug and may require surgical correction. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotics reported to coincidentally reduce gingival hyperplasia in renal transplant recipients treated for respiratory infections. To confirm the effect of azithromycin in cyclosporine induced gingival hyperplasia we tried clinical use of azithromycin in renal transplant patients with severe gingival hyperplasia. METHODS: Patients (n=9) with cyclosporine induced gingival hyperplasia were selected and took azithromycin for 5 days. Follow-up visits were conducted at week 4 and week 8. Changes in gingival hyperplasia were evaluated by measuring the ratio of clinical crown height and width in each of the four central incisors. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in periodontal measurement. The pre-treatment ratio of clinical crown height and width was 1.04+/-0.14 and it was increased to 1.17+/-0.16 in 4 weeks and 1.22+/-0.15 in 8 weeks. 88.9% (8/9) of patients reported an improvement in clinical symptoms. Azithromycin was tolerated and 77.8% (7/9) of patients reported that the treatment was at least somewhat useful. CONCLUSION: Azithromycin treatment for cyclosporine induced gingival hyperplasia is efficacious, cost effective, and has less morbidity compared with gingivectomy.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Azithromycin* ; Crowns ; Cyclosporine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingival Hyperplasia* ; Gingivectomy ; Humans ; Incisor ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Transplantation*

No abstract available.
Neural Tube Defects* ; Neural Tube* ; Prenatal Diagnosis*