No abstract available.
Paranasal Sinuses*

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare and potentially fatal condition characterized by skin rash, fever, eosinophilia, and multiorgan involvement. Various drugs may be associated with this syndrome including carbamazepine, allopurinol, and sulfasalazine. Renal involvement in DRESS syndrome most commonly presents as acute kidney injury due to interstitial nephritis. An 11-year-old boy was referred to the Children's Hospital of Pusan National University because of persistent fever, rash, abdominal distension, generalized edema, lymphadenopathy, and eosinophilia. He previously received vancomycin and ceftriaxone for 10 days at another hospital. He developed acute kidney injury with nephrotic range proteinuria and hypocomplementemia. A subsequent renal biopsy indicated the presence of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and late exudative phase of postinfectious glomerulonephritis (PIGN). Systemic symptoms and renal function improved with corticosteroid therapy after the discontinuation of vancomycin. Here, we describe a biopsy-proven case of severe ATN that manifested as a part of vancomycin-induced DRESS syndrome with coincident PIGN. It is important for clinicians to be aware of this syndrome due to its severity and potentially fatal nature.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Allopurinol ; Biopsy ; Busan ; Carbamazepine ; Ceftriaxone ; Child ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome ; Edema ; Eosinophilia* ; Exanthema* ; Fever ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Humans ; Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Necrosis* ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; Proteinuria ; Sulfasalazine ; Vancomycin*

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a rare and potentially fatal condition characterized by skin rash, fever, eosinophilia, and multiorgan involvement. Various drugs may be associated with this syndrome including carbamazepine, allopurinol, and sulfasalazine. Renal involvement in DRESS syndrome most commonly presents as acute kidney injury due to interstitial nephritis. An 11-year-old boy was referred to the Children's Hospital of Pusan National University because of persistent fever, rash, abdominal distension, generalized edema, lymphadenopathy, and eosinophilia. He previously received vancomycin and ceftriaxone for 10 days at another hospital. He developed acute kidney injury with nephrotic range proteinuria and hypocomplementemia. A subsequent renal biopsy indicated the presence of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and late exudative phase of postinfectious glomerulonephritis (PIGN). Systemic symptoms and renal function improved with corticosteroid therapy after the discontinuation of vancomycin. Here, we describe a biopsy-proven case of severe ATN that manifested as a part of vancomycin-induced DRESS syndrome with coincident PIGN. It is important for clinicians to be aware of this syndrome due to its severity and potentially fatal nature.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Allopurinol ; Biopsy ; Busan ; Carbamazepine ; Ceftriaxone ; Child ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome ; Edema ; Eosinophilia* ; Exanthema* ; Fever ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Humans ; Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Necrosis* ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; Proteinuria ; Sulfasalazine ; Vancomycin*

Toxic megacolon is a rare clinical complication of fulminant Clostridium difficile infection. The mortality rate of fulminant C. difficile infection is reported to be as high as 50%. Fecal microbiota transplantation is a highly effective treatment in patients with recurrent or refractory C. difficile infection. However, there are few published articles on the use of such transplantation for fulminant C. difficile infection. Here, we report on a patient with toxic megacolon complicated by C. difficile infection who was treated successfully with fecal microbiota transplantation.
Aged ; *Clostridium difficile ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous/*complications ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation/*methods ; Feces/*microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Megacolon, Toxic/*microbiology/*therapy

Pulmonary hypertension is a frequent complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and associated with a worse survival and increased risk of hospitalization for exacerbation of COPD. However, little information exists regarding the potential role of systemic inflammation in pulmonary hypertension of COPD. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the degree of C-reactive protein (CRP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in COPD patient with and without pulmonary hypertension. The levels of CRP and ET-1 were investigated in 58 COPD patient with pulmonary hypertension and 50 patients without pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as a systolic pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) > or =35 mmHg assessed by Doppler echocardiography. Plasma CRP and ET-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with pulmonary hypertension than in patients without hypertension. There were significant positive correlations between the plasma ET-1 level and CRP level in the whole study groups. For COPD patients, systolic Ppa correlated significantly with plasma CRP levels and plasma ET-1 levels. These findings support a possibility that CRP and ET-1 correlate to pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; C-Reactive Protein/*analysis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Endothelin-1/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/*blood/complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*blood/complications

PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways and progressive destruction of lung parenchyma. Apoptosis is critical for the maintenance of normal tissue homeostasis and is in equilibrium with proliferation and differentiation. This study was undertaken to investigate relationship between apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes during exacerbation of COPD and inflammatory response that characterizes this condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with COPD exacerbation, 21 stable COPD, and 12 control subjects were included. T lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood using MACS. Apoptosis of T lymphocytes was assessed with FACS using annexin V and 7-aminoactinomycin. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were determined by an immunoassay technique. RESULTS: There was significantly increased percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes, CD 4+, and CD 8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with exacerbation of COPD compared with stable COPD. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly increased in patients with exacerbation of COPD compared with stable COPD. Only TNF-alpha presented a positive correlation with apoptotic lymphocytes in patients with exacerbation of COPD. CONCLUSION: Increased apoptotic lymphocytes may be associated with upregulation of TNF-alpha in the peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.
*Apoptosis ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-6/blood ; Interleukin-8/blood ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/blood/*pathology ; T-Lymphocytes/*pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood

PURPOSE: Both atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) are characteristic features of asthma. Several BHR studies comparing groups of atopic and nonatopic asthmatics have reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to compare BHR to indirect stimuli, such as mannitol or exercise, between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics in children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 110 children with asthma, aged 6–18 years using skin prick tests, and serum total and specific IgE levels. Atopy degree was measured using the sum of graded wheal size or the sum of the allergen-specific IgE. Bronchial provocation tests (BPTs) using methacholine were performed on all subjects. BPTs using indirect simuli, including exercise and mannitol, were also performed. RESULTS: Asthma cases were classified as atopic asthma (n=83) or nonatopic asthma (n=27) from skin prick or allergen-specific IgE test results. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of BHR to mannitol or exercise between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics. Atopic asthma had a significantly lower postexercise maximum decrease in % forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 31.9 [22.9–40.9] vs. 14.0 [9.4–18.6], P=0.015) and a methacholine PC20 (provocative concentration of methacholine inducing a 20% fall in FEV1) than nonatopic asthmatics (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 1.24 [0.60–1.87] ng/mL vs. 4.97 [3.47–6.47]) ng/mL, P=0.001), whereas mannitol PD15 (cumulative provocative dose causing a 15% fall in FEV1) was not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of BHR to mannitol or exercise between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics in children.
Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mannitol ; Methacholine Chloride ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin

PURPOSE: It was found that periostin and squamous cell carcinoma-related antigens (SCCAs) were strongly interleukin-13-inducible gene products. This study measures the serum periostin and SCCA levels in children suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD) and to evaluate the association between the severity of AD and their values. METHODS: Seventy AD children aged 1 month to 10 years were included in our study. Subjects were characterized as having atopic eczema (AE; n=55) or non-AE (NAE; n=15) by atopic sensitization. Serum SCCA and periostin levels were measured. RESULTS: The serum periostin levels were significantly higher in children with AE than in those with NAE (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 80.47 ng/mL [75.06–85.93 ng/mL] vs. 67.45 ng/mL [59.99–75.64] ng/mL, P=0.020). The serum concentrations of both SCCA1 and SCCA2 were significantly higher in children with AE than in those with NAE (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 1.401 [1.198–1.643] ng/mL vs. 0.969 [0.723–1.268] ng/mL, P=0.039 for SCCA1) (1.178 [0.974–1.455] ng/mL vs. 0.711 [0.540–0.994] ng/mL, P=0.025 for SCCA2). The serum periostin levels were significantly correlated with disease severity and with peripheral blood eosinophil counts. The SCCA levels were not significantly correlated with disease severity. Both SCCA1 and SCCA2 were significantly correlated with serum periostin levels and blood eosinophil counts. CONCLUSION: Serum periostin levels may be significantly correlated with disease severity and blood eosinophil counts in children with AD. Serum SCCA levels can be significantly correlated with serum periostin levels and blood eosinophil counts in children with AD.
Child* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans

Tracheal bronchus is an uncommon anomaly in which an ectopic bronchus originates directly from the supracarinal trachea. It is usually an asymptomatic anatomical variant incidentally found on computed tomography or bronchoscopy. However, it can present with symptoms, such as chronic cough, wheezing, atelectasis, and recurrent pneumonia. We report a case of tracheal bronchus diagnosed in the neonatal period, in which the term baby presented with respiratory distress and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn after birth, but no other congenital anomaly was found on further evaluation.
Bronchi* ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Parturition ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Respiratory Sounds ; Trachea

BACKGROUND: Reoperation is usually required for a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit obstruction caused by valve degeneration, conduit peel formation or somatic growth of the patient. An autologous tissue reconstruction (peel operation), where a prosthetic roof is placed over the fibrotic tissue bed of the explanted conduit, has been used to manage conduit obstructions at our institute since May 2002. Herein, the early and midterm results are evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between May 2002 and July 2006, 9 patients underwent obstructed extracardiac conduit replacement with an autologous tissue reconstruction, at a mean of 5.1 years after a Rastelli operation. The mean age at reoperation was 7.5+/-2.4 years, ranging from 2.9 to 10.1 years. The diagnoses included 6 pulmonary atresia with VSD, 2 truncus arteriosus and 1 transposition of the great arteries. The preoperative mean systolic gradient was 88.3+/-22.2 mmHg, ranging from 58 to 125 mmHg. The explanted conduits were all Polystan valved pulmonary conduit (Polystan, Denmark). A bioprosthetic valve was inserted in 8 patients, and a monocusp ventricular outflow patch (MVOP) was used in 1 patient. The anterior wall was constructed with a Gore-Tex patch (n=7), MVOP (n=1) and bovine pericardium (n=1). Pulmonary artery angioplasty was required in 5 patients and anterior aortopexy in 2. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 154 minutes, ranging from 133 to 181 minutes; an aortic crossclamp was not performed in all patients. The mean follow-up duration was 20 months, ranging from 1 to 51 months. All patients were evaluated for their right ventricular outflow pathway using a 3-D CT scan. RESULT: There was no operative mortality or late death. The mean pressure gradient, assessed by echocardiography through the right ventricular outflow tract, was 20.4 mmHg, ranging from 0 to 29.6 mmHg, at discharge and 26 mmHg, ranging from 13 to 36 mmHg, at the latest follow-up (n=7, follow-up duration >1 year). There were no pseudoaneurysms, strictures or thrombotic occlusions. CONCLUSION: A peel operation was concluded to be a safe and effective re-operative option for an obstructed extracardiac conduit following a Rastelli operation.
Aneurysm, False ; Angioplasty ; Arteries ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pericardium ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Atresia ; Reoperation ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Truncus Arteriosus