PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the early predictors of neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. METHODS: The medical records of 24 neonates who underwent hypothermia therapy for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy at the neonatal intensive care unit of Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea between August 2013 and May 2016 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to their neurological outcome at the age of 18 to 24 months: a normal group (n=14), which included patients with normal neurological function, and an abnormal group (n=10), which included patients with neurological deficits. The clinical characteristics, clinical outcomes, and laboratory findings before and after hypothermia treatment were compared between the groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics between the two groups. With regard to clinical outcomes, only brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings showed significant differences between the normal and abnormal groups (21.4% vs. 100.0%, P < 0.001). With regard to laboratory findings, there were significant differences in the white blood cell (WBC) count after hypothermia treatment between the normal and abnormal groups (9.78±3.52 vs. 14.90±3.48, P=0.003). However, logistic regression analysis showed that the WBC count was not an independent risk factor for abnormal neurodevelopment (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The presence of abnormal lesions on MRI was the most useful predictor of poor neurodevelopmental outcome in infants treated with therapeutic hypothermia after perinatal asphyxia.
Asphyxia ; Brain ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Hypothermia, Induced ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of abdominal sonography in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 51 neonates who were diagnosed with NEC in the neonatal intensive care unit at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University in Korea between January 2008 and December 2012. The neonates underwent abdominal ultrasonography on the day of their diagnosis and on the third day after diagnosis. Simple abdominal radiography was performed on the same day as the sonography. The neonates were diagnosed with NEC in accordance with the abdominal sonographic findings. Abdominal radiography and sonography were used to assess the NEC stages in the neonates. RESULTS: On the day of NEC diagnosis by abdominal sonography, 50 neonates were diagnosed with stage II NEC and 1 was diagnosed with stage III NEC. However, simple radiography diagnosed 49 neonates with stage I NEC, 1 with stage II NEC, and 1 with stage III NEC. On the third day after NEC diagnosis by abdominal sonography, 48 neonates were diagnosed with stage II NEC and 3 were diagnosed with stage III NEC. On the other hand, simple radiography diagnosed 26 neonates with stage I NEC, 24 with stage II NEC, and 1 with stage III NEC. CONCLUSION: Abdominal sonography can be used as a tool for accurately diagnosing NEC and treating neonates showing ambiguous symptoms during the early stages of NEC.
Diagnosis* ; Early Diagnosis ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing* ; Hand ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Radiography ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: In this single center study, we assessed the timing of presentation of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) diagnosed by sonography according to the gestational age. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 49 newborn patients who were diagnosed with NEC (modified Bell's stage II and higher according to abdominal sonography and simple abdominal radiography) and were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of St. Mary's Hospital between January 2008 and December 2012. Infants were grouped according to their gestational age (GA): Group I (GA <28 weeks), Group II (GA, 28-32 weeks), Group III (GA, 33-36 weeks), and Group IV (GA > or =37 weeks); early-onset NEC was considered when NEC developed at <14 days of age and late-onset NEC was considered when NEC developed at > or =14 days of age. RESULTS: The number of infants in each group were: Group I (n = 16), Group II (n = 20), Group III (n = 11), and Group IV (n = 2). The mean age at diagnosis of NEC was: Group I (31.6 days), Group II (15.9 days), Group III (11.0 days), and Group IV (2.0 days). Early-onset NEC developed at a mean of 5.5 days of age, whereas late-onset NEC developed at a mean of 36.1 days of age. CONCLUSION: Based on early sonographic diagnosis, infants with lower gestational ages developed NEC at a more advanced postnatal age as compared to more mature infants. However, further studies are needed to understand the etiology of this disease process.
Diagnosis ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing* ; Epidemiology ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the radiological and clinical findings of congenital cystic neuroblastomas as compared with those of the cystic presentation of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the US (n = 52), CT (n = 24), and MR (n = 4) images as well as the medical records of 28 patients harboring congenital cystic neuroblastomas (n = 16) and neonatal adrenal hemorrhagic pseudocysts (n = 14). The history of prenatal detection, location, size, presence of outer wall enhancement, internal septations, solid portion, calcification, turbidity, vascular flow on a Doppler examination, and evolution patterns were compared in two groups of cystic lesions, by Fischer's exact test. RESULTS: All (100%) neuroblastomas and three (21%) of the 14 hemorrhagic pseudocysts were detected prenatally. Both groups of cystic lesions occurred more frequently on the right side; 11 of 16 (69%) for neuroblastomas and 11 of 14 (79%) for hemorrhagic pseudocysts. The size, presence of solid portion, septum, enhancement, and turbidity did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between the two groups of cystic lesions. However, tiny calcifications (n = 3) and vascular flow on color Doppler US (n = 3) were noted in only neuroblastomas. The cystic neuroblastomas became complex solid and cystic masses, and did not disappear for up to 90 days in the three following cases, whereas 11 of the 14 (79%) hemorrhagic pseudocysts disappeared completely and the three remaining (27%) evolved to calcifications only. CONCLUSION: Although the imaging findings of two groups of cystic lesions were similar, prenatal detection, the presence of calcification on initial images, vascularity on color Doppler US, and evolution to a more complex mass may all favor neuroblastomas.
Adrenal Gland Diseases/*diagnosis ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms/*congenital/*diagnosis ; Catha ; Cysts/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hemorrhage/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Neuroblastoma/*congenital/*diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: We analyzed pelvic ultrasonography (USG) findings in girls with central precocious puberty (CPP) and assessed the role of uterine and ovarian measurements in discriminating between CPP and other pubertal conditions. METHODS: Seventy-four girls (chronological age 7.8 +/- 0.5 years, bone age 9.9 +/- 0.8 years) with precocious pubertal signs were enrolled. Measurements of uterine and ovarian parameters by pelvic USG included antero-posterior diameters of the uterine fundus and cervix, diameter of each ovary, number of follicles, and maximal diameter of the largest follicle. The pelvic USG parameters were compared between girls with CPP (n = 49) and girls with atypical premature thelarche (PT) (n = 25). RESULTS: Antero-posterior diameter of uterine fundus (1.05 +/- 0.34 vs. 0.74 +/- 0.78 cm, P = 0.001), maximal ovarian diameter (2.13 +/- 0.48 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.74 cm, P = 0.048) and mean ovarian area (2.31 +/- 0.79 vs. 1.69 +/- 0.71 cm, P = 0.002) were significantly greater in girls with CPP than in girls with atypical PT. For the diagnosis of CPP, the sensitivity and specificity of A-P diameter of uterine fundus (> 0.9 cm) was 65.3% and 84.0%, the sensitivity and specificity of maximal ovarian diameter (> 2.0 cm) was 55.1% and 76%, and the sensitivity and specificity of mean ovarian area (> 2.0 cm2) was 62.9% and 80.0%. CONCLUSION: Girls with CPP had significantly higher dimensions of the uterus and ovary measurements compared to girls with atypical PT, but sensitivity and specificity were not high enough to differentiate CPP from atypical PT. Pelvic USG may help the diagnosis of CPP in girls.
Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) refers to dilatation of the colon and decreased bowel motility without evidence of mechanical obstruction. Neostigmine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, has been used in patients in whom supportive therapy failed to resolve ACPO. Here, we report the results of administering neostigmine to treat ACPO in children with hematologic malignancies. METHODS: Between September 2005 and December 2009, 10 patients (8 male and 2 female) were diagnosed with ACPO at the Department of Pediatrics, Catholic University of Korea. Diagnosis of ACPO was based on typical clinical features as well as colonic dilatation found on abdominal CT imaging. Neostigmine was administered subcutaneously at a dosage of 0.01 mg/kg/dose (maximum 0.5 mg) twice daily for a maximum of 5 total doses. ACPO was determined to be responsive to neostigmine if the patient showed both stool passage and improvement of clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The study group included 8 acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients, 1 patient with malignant lymphoma, and 1 patient with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. The median age at ACPO diagnosis was 8.5 years (range, 3-14). Overall, 8 patients (80%) showed therapeutic response to neostigmine at a median of 29 hours after the initial administration (range, 1-70). Two patients (20%) showed side effects of grade 2 or above, but none complained of cardiovascular symptoms that required treatment. CONCLUSION: In this study, ACPO was diagnosed most often in late-childhood ALL patients. Subcutaneous neostigmine can be used to effectively treat ACPO diagnosed in children with hematologic malignancies without major cardiovascular complications.
Acetylcholinesterase ; Child ; Colon ; Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction ; Dilatation ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Juvenile ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Neostigmine ; Pediatrics ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma

Aleukemic leukemia cutis is an extremely rare condition characterized by the infiltration of leukemic cells in skin without blasts in the peripheral blood. Leukemia cutis is considered a grave prognostic sign, thus early diagnosis is important. Leukemia cutis usually occurs in patients with myeloid leukemia. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no report regarding the radiological findings of aleukemic leukemia cutis, which is probably due to the presence of the skin changes in most patients. We report the ultrasound and MR findings of aleukemic leukemia cutis, even without the skin manifestation in patients with a history of complete remission of the acute lymphoblastic leukemia following an allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Previously published studies on Kikuchi disease (KD) have frequently addressed the computed tomography (CT) findings in the adult population, however, only a few studies have been reported for the pediatric age group. The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical characteristics and imaging features of KD in children. Fifteen children (2-14 yr) who had a neck CT and pathology diagnosis of KD were included in this study. Clinical features, including the duration of lymphadenopathy and fever, prognosis, and laboratory values, were evaluated. We analyzed the sites, size, and lymph node pattern as seen on their CT scans. The median duration of fever was 10 days. Fourteen patients experienced improvement in their condition, although four of these patients experienced recurrent episodes of KD. All patients had affected cervical nodes at level V. Perinodal infiltrates were observed in the affected cervical nodes in 14 cases (93%), and non-enhancing necrosis was also noted within the affected cervical nodes in 10 cases (63%). In conclusion, the combination of imaging findings in conjunction with clinical findings of KD may help to determine whether or not to perform pathology analysis and follow-up studies.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fever ; *Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis/pathology/radiography ; Humans ; *Lymph Nodes/pathology/radiography ; Male ; Neck/anatomy & histology/pathology/radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Four trials of external quality assessment in diagnostic hematology were performed in 2008 with average 822 participating laboratories in Korea. We performed quality assessment for white blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, platelet count, blood cell morphology, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. The response rate was more than 96.5%. The coefficients of variation in hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBC was stable but variable in platelet count and WBC count according to measuring cell count. Test results of blood cell morphology showed variation among various cell morphologies.
Blood Cells ; Cell Count ; Erythrocyte Count ; Hematocrit ; Hematology ; Hemoglobins ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time

Gastrointestinal system involvement is one of the principal complications seen in the recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and it is also a major cause of morbidity and death in these patients. The major gastrointestinal complications include typhlitis (neutropenic enterocolitis), pseudomembranous enterocolitis, viral enteritis, graft-versus-host disease, benign pneumatosis intestinalis, intestinal thrombotic microangiopathy, and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease. As these patients present with nonspecific abdominal symptoms, evaluation with using such imaging modalities as ultrasonography and CT is essential in order to assess the extent of gastrointestinal involvement and to diagnose these complications. We present here a pictorial review of the imaging features and other factors involved in the diagnosis of these gastrointestinal complications in pediatric HSCT recipients.
Child ; *Diagnostic Imaging ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/*diagnosis/*etiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Humans