No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Scrub Typhus*

No abstract available.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Neurologic Manifestations* ; Spinal Canal*

No abstract available.
Cholesteatoma*

No abstract available.
Dyskeratosis Congenita*

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: High dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is effective in reducing the incidence of coronary artery aneurysm in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients, however, the precise mechanisms by which IVIG reverses the immune activation is unknown. METHODS: The sera and peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 10 KD patients in the acute stage (24 hrs before) and 24 hrs after one dose of IVIG (2g/kg) treatment. We measured serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and compared them to the messenger RNA expression of the PBMCs by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We also investigated the cytokines' or immunoglobulins' production of PBMCs which were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM, without in vitro IVIG treatment) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha decreased significantly after IVIG treatment. However, the gene expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha showed no significant difference after IVIG treatment. IL-6 and TNF-alpha productions of PBMCs stimulated with PHA-P decreased significantly after IVIG treatment, however, IL-4 and IFN-gamma production showed no significant differences. IL-6 production of PBMCs stimulated with PWM also decreased significantly after IVIG treatment, but TNF-alpha did not change significantly. The synthesis of IgG, IgM, IgA and IgG1 after IVIG treatment showed a significant decrease, and that of IgG2 showed a slight decrease, but was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that the administration of IVIG in the acute stage of KD resulted in the alterations of activated immunologic abnormalities, especially in monocytes and B cells.
Aneurysm ; B-Lymphocytes ; Coronary Vessels ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Incidence ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-6 ; Monocytes ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Phytolacca americana ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: The role of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in renal cell carcinoma remains to be clearly defined. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG-PET to detect renal cell carcinomas and a distant metastatic disease were compared with other established imaging modalities, including computerized tomography (CT), chest PA and bone scan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FDG-PET and conventional imaging techniques, including CT, chest PA and bone scan, were performed in 43 patients with primary renal tumors and/or metastatic diseases. Radical nephrectomy and metastatectomy were then performed. The results of FDG-PET were compared with the conventional imaging techniques and postoperative histopathological diagnoses. RESULTS: The postoperative histopathological diagnoses of the 43 patients were renal cell carcinomas in 41 and benign renal tumors in 2. The results of FDG-PET were true positive, equivocal and false negative in 26, 8 and 9 of the 41 patients with renal cell carcinomas, respectively. The results of the CT were true positive in all patients. The results of FDG-PET were true negative in 2 patients, but those of CT were false positive in 2 patients with benign renal leiomyoma and angiomyolipoma. Therefore, FDG-PET was less sensitive, but more specific and accurate, than CT for the evaluation of primary renal tumors. CT was false positive for retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis and at the ascending colon in each of 1 patient, but FDG-PET was true negative. FDG-PET detected unsuspected pulmonary metastatic diseases that were not detected on chest PA in 4 patients. FDG-PET was more sensitive, specific and accurate than CT in the evaluation of metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: FDG-PET was complementary to conventional imaging in the initial staging of renal cell carcinomas, but superior in evaluating the metastasis.
Angiomyolipoma ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Colon, Ascending ; Diagnosis* ; Electrons* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nephrectomy ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in children. METHODS: The medical records of 29 children (30 eyes, younger than 15 years of age) who underwent the surgery for retinal detachment at our hospital were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty-six (90%) of the 29 patients were male, and three (10%) were female. Their average age was 11 years old (range 4years~15years). Retinal detachment was caused by, in order of frequency, trauma, high myopia, Morning glory disc anomaly, previous intraocular surgery and had an unknown cause in 6 eyes. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was involved in eleven (37%) of the 30 eyes at presentation. The overall reattachment rate was 73% after the first operation and 93% after the second operation. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal detachments in children have poor surgical outcomes than that in adults due to delayed diagnosis, frequent macular involvement and presence of PVR. For the children with certain diseases, we should exam carefully and regularly for the subtle changes even in the absence of specific complaints.
Adult ; Child* ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Myopia ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

No abstract available.
Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

A 43-year-old female patient with a congenital right coronary artery to right atrial fistula presented as congestive heart failure and aortic valve infective endocarditis. The diagnosis was made on the basis of echocardiography, especially TEE and confirmed by tight heart catheterization & aortography. She underwent aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic valve regurgitation with vegetations, fistulectomy and coronary aneurysmorrhaphy. The postoperative course was uneventful. She was treated with antibiotics because of infective endocarditis for 6 weeks. At present she remains well and visits out patient clinic regularly for oral anticoagulation without problem.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aortic Valve* ; Aortography ; Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Female ; Fistula ; Heart Failure* ; Humans