Background/Aims: We aimed to compare the differences in pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) at diagnosis in Korea. Methods: This was a multicenter, registry-based, inception cohort study conducted at five centers in Korea between 2013 and 2017. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, and results from laboratory, endoscopic, radiologic examinations were compared between pediatric CD and UC patients who were <19 years old at diagnosis. Results: A total 307 patients were included (227 CD [73.9%] and 80 UC [26.1%]). The male to female ratio was 2.49:1 for CD, and 1.49:1 for UC (p=0.019). Median age at diagnosis was 14.4 years (interquartile range, 12.4 to 16.2) for CD, and 14.4 years (interquartile range, 11.7 to 16.5) for UC (p=0.962). Hematochezia was the only dominant symptom in UC patients compared to CD patients (86.2% vs 30.8%, p<0.001). White blood cell counts, platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly higher, and serum albumin level was significantly lower in CD patients than in UC patient. Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody was positive in 44.5% and 16.2% of CD and UC patients, respectively (p<0.001), and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody was positive in 15.0% and 58.8% of CD and UC patients, respectively (p<0.001). Terminal ileal involvement was prominent in CD, while rectal involvement was more prominent in UC. Small bowel involvement and perianal perforating diseases were also more prominent in CD. Conclusions This is the first a multicenter study in Korea to compare the differences between pediatric CD and UC at diagnosis in Korea. A large-scale, national study is expected to better clarify these findings in the future.

PURPOSE: Testosterone replacement therapy is an effective treatment for late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) despite a few contraindications and side-effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether modified Ojayeonjonghwan (KH-204, Korean herbal formula) improved LOH. KH-204 is a strong antioxidant herbal formula. We evaluated the effect of Korean herbal prescription on androgen receptor (AR) expression in an aged rat model of LOH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen-month-old rats were used as aged LOH rat models. Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups of six animals each and treated with one of the following: 1) normal control group (oral administration with distilled water, n=6), 2) KH-204 200 group (oral administration with 200 mg/kg of KH-204, n=6), and 3) KH-204 400 group (oral administration with 400 mg/kg of KH-204, n=6). After four weeks of treatment (once daily, distilled water or KH-204), serum testosterone levels, changes in testicular and epididymal weight, Western blotting analysis of AR expression and measurement of oxidative stress were examined. RESULTS: Treatment with the herbal formulation KH-204 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (1) increased the weights of testis and epididymis; (2) increased the level of serum testosterone; (3) increased the level of superoxide dismutase and reduced the level of 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine; and (4) upregulated AR expression in testicular tissue. CONCLUSIONS: KH-204 might be an effective alternative for LOH. It improves antioxidant mechanisms and increases testicular AR expression without side-effects.
Aging* ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Epididymis ; Hypogonadism* ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Oxidative Stress ; Phytotherapy ; Prescriptions ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Androgen* ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Testis ; Testosterone ; Water ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial aneurysms are not common in young age patients. We sought to find the characteristics of the intracranial aneurysms in patients under 20 years of age.METHODS: We reviewed 23 consecutive patients ≤20 years of age treated for their intracranial aneurysms during the period from 1995 to 2017. From medical records and imaging studies, we gathered data on age, sex, presentation, associated medical condition, location and characteristics of aneurysms, treatment and clinical outcomes.RESULTS: The patients’ ages ranged from 13 months to 20 years (median, 14 years). There were 16 males and seven females (male to female ratio, 2.3 : 1) with 31 aneurysms. Clinical presentations included sudden severe headache in 61%, followed by altered mentality in 17% and seizure in 17%. More than one-fourth patients had specific medical conditions related to the development of the cerebral aneurysms. The majority of aneurysms occurred in the anterior circulation (71%), and were saccular (71%). There were each three patients with false aneurysms (13%) and giant aneurysms (13%), and only one patient with multiple aneurysms (4%). We treated 22 patients : 21 aneurysms with the endovascular methods, three with open surgery, and one with combined treatment. Good functional outcome could be achieved in 86% during the follow-up period.CONCLUSION: In this series, the young-age patients with intracranial aneurysms were characterized by male predominance, related specific medical conditions, low incidence of multiple aneurysms, high incidence of giant aneurysms and good functional outcome after treatment.
Adolescent ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pediatrics ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Treatment Outcome

We present the case of a 9-year-old boy with a non-germinomatous germ cell tumor (NGGCT) in the pineal gland that exhibited a fulminant course following chemo- and radiotherapy. After the detection of the tiny cerebellar enhancing nodule at the end of chemo- and radiotherapy, tumor seeding progressed rapidly into the entire cisternal space. We herein report a rare case of NGGCT with fulminant clinical course of concomitant cerebellar seeding, with review of literature.
Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Pineal Gland ; Pinealoma ; Radiotherapy ; Biomarkers, Tumor

We present the case of a 9-year-old boy with a non-germinomatous germ cell tumor (NGGCT) in the pineal gland that exhibited a fulminant course following chemo- and radiotherapy. After the detection of the tiny cerebellar enhancing nodule at the end of chemo- and radiotherapy, tumor seeding progressed rapidly into the entire cisternal space. We herein report a rare case of NGGCT with fulminant clinical course of concomitant cerebellar seeding, with review of literature.
Cerebellar Neoplasms ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Pineal Gland ; Pinealoma ; Radiotherapy ; Biomarkers, Tumor

No abstract available.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Doxycycline/therapeutic use ; Female ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency/*diagnosis/pathology ; Scrub Typhus/*diagnosis/pathology

Pediatric patients with dissecting aneurysms usually present with ischemia rather than bleeding. We report a case of a 15-year-old boy with a dissecting aneurysm of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) presenting with hemorrhage. He was first treated with stent-assisted coil embolization, in an attempt to avoid trapping of the PCA and preserve the perforators. After the procedure, he recovered well from general anesthesia, but rebleeding occurred from the same lesion 6 hours after the procedure, therefore endovascular segmental occlusion of the parent artery was performed secondarily. Apparently, a reconstructive method of stent-assisted coiling is worth trying to preserve the parent vessel and perforators, but it is not always efficient and durable for dissecting aneurysms.
Adolescent ; Anesthesia, General ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Arteries ; Child ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Parents ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

The function of inspiratory muscles is crucial for effective cough as well as expiratory muscles in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, there is no report on the correlation between cough and inspiratory muscle strength. To investigate the relationships of voluntary cough capacity, assisted cough techniques, and inspiratory muscle strength as well as expiratory muscle strength in patients with DMD (n=32). The vital capacity (VC), maximum insufflation capacity (MIC), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) were measured. Unassisted peak cough flow (UPCF) and three different techniques of assisted PCF were evaluated. The mean value of MICs (1918 +/- 586 mL) was higher than that of VCs (1474 +/- 632 mL) (p < 0.001). All three assisted cough methods showed significantly higher value than unassisted method (212 +/- 52 L/min) (F = 66.13, p < 0.001). Combined assisted cough technique (both manual and volume assisted PCF; 286 +/- 41 L/min) significantly exceeded manual assisted PCF (MPCF; 246 +/- 49 L/ min) and volume assisted PCF (VPCF; 252 +/- 45 L/min) (F = 66.13, p < 0.001). MIP (34 +/- 13 cmH2O) correlated significantly with both UPCF and all three assisted PCFs as well as MEP (27 +/- 10 cmH2O) (p < 0.001). Both MEP and MIP, which are the markers of respiratory muscle weakness, should be taken into account in the study of cough effectiveness.
Respiratory Muscles/*pathology ; Pressure ; *Oxygen Consumption ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/*genetics ; Muscles/pathology ; Muscle Weakness/pathology ; Models, Statistical ; Male ; Inspiratory Capacity ; Humans ; Cough ; Biopsy ; Adult ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to invent a new communication device by utilizing the function of anal sphincter muscles that was another residual motor function to the last in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. METHOD: We designed a sensor which worked by changing intensity of the contraction and was enable severely paralyzed patients to communicate by means of self-regulation of the anal sphincter contraction. This device made sentences through combination of selected Korean letters deprived from sphincter contractions. RESULTS: This device was composed of three parts. Anal sensor: the head part of the sensor regulated by sphincters was located in the rectum, signal processing module: the raw signal from the sensor was boosted up and set up on the baseline voltage equal to threshold by threshold detector, and device program: the icon mode which was composed of routine questions and requested to their care-givers. And in user-writing mode, patients could choose syllable elements using the sensor operating by sphincter. CONCLUSION: This system was designed for advanced ALS patients with only the available function of sphincter muscles and could give them another new option in selecting communication devices.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Anal Canal* ; Head ; Humans ; Muscles ; Rectum

Lichen planus and vitiligo are common skin disorders, which rarely coexist. We report a case of colocalization of lichen planus and vitiligo in a 42-year-old woman. Furthermore, herein, we discuss the possible mechanism of colocalization of lichen planus and vitiligo, including the role of actinic damage in the initiation of lymphocytic infiltrates of lichen planus in vitiliginous skin.
Actins ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Skin ; Vitiligo*