Epidemiology and Clincal Analysis of Acute Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in Children(September, 1998-May, 2003) / 소아과

PURPOSE: Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common illnesses in children. The great majority of these infections involving lower respiratory tracts infections(LRTIs) are caused by respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), parainfluenza virus(PIV), influenza virus (Flu), and adenovirus(ADV), etc. Our purpose was to determine seasonal epidemiology and clinical characteristic features of each viral infection. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal aspirate(NPA)s were collected from 4,554 hospitalized children diagnosed as LRTIs on the first day of admission. The study period was from September 1998(Autumn) through May 2003(Spring). Respiratory viruses were detected in 881(19 percent) cases by isolation of the virus or by antigen detection method using indirect immunofluorescent staining. We reviewed the medical records of 837 cases retrospectively. RESULTS: The identified pathogens were RSV in 485 cases(55 percent), PIV in 152 cases(17 percent), FluA in 114 cases(13 percent), ADV in 79 cases(9 percent) and FluB in 51 cases(6 percent). Outbreaks of RSV occurred every year, mostly in the November through December period and of PIV in the April through June period. LRTIs by FluA reached the highest level in January, 2002. FluB infection showed an outbreak in April, 2002. The clinical diagnoses of viral LRTIs were bronchiolitis in 395 cases(47 percent), pneumonia in 305 cases(36 percent), croup in 73 cases(9 percent) and tracheobronchitis in 64 cases(8 percent). CONCLUSION: Viruses are one of the major etiologic agents of acute LRTIs in chidren. Therefore, we must continue to study their seasonal occurrence and clinical features to focus on management, and also for reasons of prevention.

A Case of Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia in Childhood / 소아과

Interstitial lung disease refers to a group of pulmonary disorders characterized by inflammation of the interstitium, derangements and loss of alveolar capillary units leading to disruption of alveolar gas exchange, which induces symptoms of restrictive lung disease. Cases of interstitial pneumonia in children are uncommon and mostly have unknown causes. We have experienced an 8-year old boy who had symptoms of cyanosis, dry cough, dyspnea and abrupt weight loss. He had not been exposed to organic dusts, allergens or any other systemic disease infections. Chest radiology showed diffuse ground glass opacity in both lung fields. High resolution computed tomography(HRCT) showed multiple small patchy areas of consolidation with an underlying ground glass appearance in both lungs. The pathologic findings of lung biopsy tissue showed patchy areas of interstitial fibrosis, alveolar obliteration and nodular fibrotic areas, strongly suggesting interstitial pneumonia. No specific finding of viral inclusion or any other evidence of infection was found under electromicroscopy. We used peak flow meters to compare functional improvement. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was decreased to 25 percent of predicted value. The boy was given treatment with prednisone and showed improvements in HRCT findings after two months. He was able to tolerate easy exercise in school and showed clinical improvements after one year of follow up.

Two Cases of Transient Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus in Twin Brothers / 대한소아내분비학회지

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is defined as hyperglycemia that presents clinical symptoms within the first month of life and requires insulin therapy to maintain euglycemia. The diabetic condition may be transient, permanent, or transient with recurrence later in life. NDM is a rare clinical disorder. Three cases of NDM have been reported in Korea so far. We experienced two cases of NDM in twin brothers who were born with small for gestational ages. Their HLA typings were DR9 and DR14, and insulin autoantibody, islet cell antibody, GAD-reactive autoantibody, and insulin receptor antibody were not found. The genetic analysis with polymorphic DNA markers for chromosome 6 indicated paternal uniparental isodisomy.

A Case of Mesenchymal Hamartoma Associated with Biliary Atresia / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Mesenchymal hamartoma is an uncommon benign tumor usually found in childhood, especially during the first two years of life. The tumor consists of a solid component and multiple cyst. Without treatment, these lesions can grow to an enormous size. We experienced a case of mesenchymal hamartoma which was found incidentally, in a 8 month old girl who had ascending cholangitis after Kasai operation due to biliary atresia. On abdominal ultrasonography and CT, there was a well-defined homogeneous small echogenic mass in the right lobe of the liver with cirrhosis. Five months later, she underwent liver transplantation. Gross picture of the resected liver showed a dark greenish pigmented solid mass in the right lobe of the cirrhotic liver. Microscopic findings showed reactive mesenchyma and epithelial overgrowth.

A Case of Salmonella-triggered Reactive Arthritis in a Child, Initially Presented as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

Salmonella-triggered reactive arthritis appears one to three weeks after the onset of salmonella infection and presents with asymmetric, usually migratory, oligo- or polyarthritis. The course is usually self-limiting and symptoms last two to six months. We experienced a 10-year-old male patient who presented to a local pediatric center with long-lasting fever and right ankle joint pain. The pain migrated to the left ankle joint, both wrists, and both knees and he was diagnosed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and was medicated with NSAIDs and corticosteroid. In the meantime, 20 days prior to the transfer to our hospital he was febrile with nausea and abdominal pain and the antibody titer of S. typhi O Ag by Widal test was 1 : 320, and an antibiotic therapy was followed. Soon after, the fever subsided but the migrating joint symptoms continued and he was transferred to our hospital. Widal tests were weekly checked and the antibody titers of S. typhi O Ag were 1 : 160, 1 : 320, 1 : 320, 1 : 160, 1 : 160, respectively. ESR was 55 mm/hr, CRP 9.18 mg/dl, HLA-B27 positive and his endoscopic findings of the colon showed mild lymphoid hyperplasia and mucosal nodularities in the cecum and ileocecal area. Stool cultures and duodenal juice culture for Salmonella and Shigella were all negative. He was treated with ibuprofen and bactrim and the joint symptoms were gradually mitigated. After discharge, he maintained mildly elevated CRP levels and antibody levels by Widal tests, but was free from symptoms except for several episodes of finger pains for 11 months.

A Case of Choledochal Cyst Type IVa Complicated by Multiple Choledocholithiasis and Recurrent Cholangitis: Therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and Endoscopic Nasobiliary Drainage

A 5-year-old male patient was admitted due to fever, and right upper abdominal pain for 2 weeks. He showed severe right upper quadrant tenderness on palpation, hepatomegaly 5 cm below the right costal margin, no mass, and no splenomegaly. On biochemical studies, ALT was 380IU/ml, AST 462IU/ml, alkaline phosphatase 1,069IU/ml, GTP 239IU/ml, and total bilirubin 2.1mg/dl. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed cylindrical dilatations of CBD and cystic dilatations with strictures of extrahepatic and both bilateral intrahepatic bile ducts (choledochal cyst type IVa) with multiple stones in the CBD and extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts. Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) and stone extraction with basket and balloon were performed successfully. The bile was severely purulent and the stones were pigment stones. Klebsiella pneumoniae were dominantly grown on bile culture. An endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) tube was inserted to treat biliary sepsis. The bile ducts were irrigated with tobramycin-mixed normal saline twice a day for 2 week, when ALT, AST, total bilirubin and liver size were normalized and no more bacteria was grown on bile culture. The clinical symptoms were improved just after the therapeutic ERCP. There was no side effect by ERCP, EST and ENBD.