The most common causes of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia after the first or second week of life are neonatal hepatitis and biliary atresia. Since these entities represent variable expressions of same pathologic process and have similar clinical, biochemical, and histologic features, differential diagnosis is extremely difficult. We prospectively studied 28 jaundiced infants by sonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy. Final diagnoses included 12 biliary atresia and 16 neonatal hepatitis. Visualization of a normal-sized common bile duct or gallbladder was compatible with the diagnosis of neonatal hepatitis. Non-visualized or atrophic gallbladder no sonography coupled with non-visualization of bowel activity on scintigraphy was highly suggestive of biliary atresia. We believe that sonography plays valuable role in the initial evaluation of the infants with persistent neonatal jaundice. The combined use of sonography and hepatobiliary scintigraphy provides the most valuable in formation in suspected biliary atresia for prompt surgical treatment.
Biliary Atresia ; Common Bile Duct ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gallbladder ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal* ; Prospective Studies ; Radionuclide Imaging*

Congenital subglottic stenosis of the larynx is one of the most common cause of chronic airway obstruction im infancy and childhood. It is defined as narrowing of the space bounded inferiorly by the inferior margin of the cricoid cartilage amd superiorly by the insertion of the fibers of the conus elasticus into the true vocal cords. In case we experienced was a female full-term baby delivered by Cesarean section. The stenosis was believed by hypertrophy of stromal soft tissue and cricoid cartilage in the subglottic area. The lesion was associated with tracheoesophageal fistula of H1 type. A brief review of the literature was done.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Cholangitis, Sclerosing*

Because neuroblastoma is predominantly a tumor of childhood, patholgists and clinicians tend to exclude it from differential diagnosis when the patient is an adult. The diagnosis of neuroblastoma by light microscopy can be difficult because of similarities between neuroblasts and cells of other round cell neoplasms. The fine structural features of neuroblastoma is distinctive and is valuable in its diagnosis. We present 2 cases of neuroblastoma and a case of ganglioneuroblastoma arising in adults with their ultrastructural findings.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Neuroblastoma

Malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT) of the ovary is endometrioid tumor containing epithelial and mesenchymal components. The mesenchymal component may be homologous, in which case the term carcinosarcoma is often used, or heterologous, containing cartilage, striated muscle, osteoid, bone, or fat, or combination of these elements. MMMT usually afflicts the postmenopausal woman and occurs more often in the nulliparous female. The disease is usually advanced (stage III) when diagnosed. Cliniopathologic data were presented for 3 cases of MMMT of the ovary with review of literatures. Clinical history substantiated previous reports in postmenopausal women wit this tumor. Symptoms were the same as for ovarian malignancy in general. All the patients presented wit stage II disease, according to the International Federation fo Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification. Two patients died of tumor 4 and 10 months after operation, respectively. One patient had been alive at 2 months after operation. None of 3 cases demonstrate evidence of endometriosis in the remaining ovaries. Microscopically, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, diastase-resistant hyaline droplets were found frequently in undifferentiated mesenchymal stroma and epithelial structures. The clinical significance and origin of the hyaline droplets in MMMT should be further explored.
Female ; Humans

A case of desmoplastic fibroma of mandible in a 18 years old woman is presented. She had complained progressive swelling of right mandible for 4 years. Radiographically, a multilocular radiolucent of right hemimandibulectomy showed multinodular external surface without cortical destruction. Cut surfaces revealed grayish white, fibrous homogeneous appearance with firm consistency, sparing head portion. The maximum diameter of the tumor was 13 cm. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of interlacing bundles of monomorphic spindle-shaped cells with abundant intercellular collagen. Ultrastructurally, most tumor cells were fibroblastic-like cells with abundant RER and cytoplasmic fibrils, but a few disclosed transition to myofibroblasts. However, no fully developed myofibroblasts were seen.
Female ; Humans

A case of desmoplastic fibroma of mandible in a 18 years old woman is presented. She had complained progressive swelling of right mandible for 4 years. Radiographically, a multilocular radiolucent of right hemimandibulectomy showed multinodular external surface without cortical destruction. Cut surfaces revealed grayish white, fibrous homogeneous appearance with firm consistency, sparing head portion. The maximum diameter of the tumor was 13 cm. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of interlacing bundles of monomorphic spindle-shaped cells with abundant intercellular collagen. Ultrastructurally, most tumor cells were fibroblastic-like cells with abundant RER and cytoplasmic fibrils, but a few disclosed transition to myofibroblasts. However, no fully developed myofibroblasts were seen.
Female ; Humans

Electron microscopic study of two malignant fibrous histiocytomas confirmed the presence of previously described tumor cells in the literature. In addition, there existed intermediate cells with morphologic features of both myofibroblasts and histiocytes, or both histiocytes and smooth muscle cells. Our result supported the idea that malignant fibrous histiocytoma may be derived from the undifferentiated mesenchymal cells that differentiate primarily along a fibroblastic and histiocytic cells.

No abstract available.
Intussusception*

As cost pressures have escalated, policy makers, politicians, health care providers and families have tried to devise ways to reduce health care costs. While originally developed to enhance patient control and to provide better care at the end of life, hospice care has recently received significant attention as a mean of reducing health care costs. As a program providing care for patients who are dying at their homes, hospice has expanded slowly since the opening of the first hospice in Korea in 1963. Therefore, a variety of services that responds to the needs and concerns of many dying people and their families is limited The purpose of this study was to determine the potential cost savings at the end of life among patients who used home hospice compared with the patients who received institutional care in Korea. This study used a retrospective, descriptive design. The sample for this study included 46 patients who died of lung cancer: 25 patients who received home hospice care and 21 patients who received institutional care. Data on patient characteristics, kinds and frequencies of provided treatment and nursing services, and hospice and hospital charges during the last month before death were collected. Cost of care was measured by the average cost per patient per day in the last month of life. The results of the study indicated that there were significant differences in average cost of care between home hospice sample and institutional care sample (t=9.956, p<.001; home hospice sample: M=18,102 won, institutional care sample: M=317,578 won). The cost of the home hospice sample was approximately 6% of the cost of institutional care. The majority of the home hospice nursing services were education (35.7%) and supportive counseling (25.2%), followed by medication management (13.6%), assessment (12.1%), basic nursing (7.2%), treatment (5.5%) and others. In institutional care sample, basic nursing and treatment were more emphasized than education or supportive counseling among the nursing services provided. The results of this study showed the potential for hospice to reduce costs and implications for policymakers and clinicians to incorporate hospice program into the formal health care delivery system in Korea.
Administrative Personnel ; Cost Savings ; Counseling ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Health Care Costs ; Health Personnel ; Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing ; Hospice Care* ; Hospices* ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms ; Nursing Services* ; Nursing* ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminally Ill*