A case of constrictive pericarditis presenting with protein-losing enteropathy / 소아과

Constrictive pericarditis represents a rare cause of protein-losing enteropathy in children. Reported is an 11-year-old girl with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) as the principal manifestations of constrictive pericarditis. After total pericardiectomy, symptoms and signs of PLE disappeared. Doppler echocardiography including tissue Doppler imaging is a useful noninvasive initial diagnostic tool for differential diagnosis of diastolic heart failure.

The Usefulness of N-terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide in the Diagnosis of the Kawasaki Disease

PURPOSE: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a well-known generalized vasculitis involving cardiovascular system and there is no specific biochemical marker for detecting this disease. We performed a study to investigate the usefulness of plasma NT-proBNP as a biochemical marker for the diagnosis of KD. METHODS: We measured the plasma NT-proBNP concentrations in acute (complete KD, n=48; incomplete KD, n=10) and convalescent (n=31) phases of KD, and in patients with other acute febrile diseases (n=24) associated with rash or cervical lymphadenitis. RESULTS: The plasma NT-proBNP concentrations in patients with both complete and incomplete KD in the acute phase were significantly higher than in those with febrile illness (complete KD, 1211.9+/-1653.7 pg/mL; incomplete KD, 2245.9+/-2720.7 pg/mL versus febrile illness, 138.8+/-104.9 pg/mL; P<0.001). Also, the level of plasma NT-proBNP decreased significantly in the convalescent phase compared with level of NT-proBNP in acute phase (n=31, acute phase, 1390.2+/-1891.8 pg/ml; convalescent phase, 88.3+/-125.3 pg/mL; P<0.001). There were no significant correlations between the plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP and the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic findings of acute phase of KD. The best cut-off level of NT-proBNP for the differential diagnosis of KD with other febrile disease was determined to be 287.0 pg/mL (sensitivity 0.862, specificity 0.917). CONCLUSION: We suggest that the measurement of plasma NT-proBNP level may be helpful for the definite diagnosis of KD, especially incomplete KD. Further studies are needed to investigate the usefulness of the NT-proBNP as a predictive marker for cardiovascular complications.

Study of the Difference in Body Composition, Eating Habits and Dietary Intake in Three Sasang Constitutions among Elementary School Children / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of body composition, eating habits and dietary intake in three Sasang constitutions. This survey was carried out using anthropometry, a questionnaire about eating habits, and 24-hour recall of dietary intake on 45 male and 29 female students of the fifth grade at C elementary school. The results are summarized as follows: A total of 44.6% of the subjects were Taeumin, 35.1% were Soyangin, and 20.3% were Soeumin. The average weight, WHR, Triceps, Rhrer index and BMI in the Taeumin group were significantly higher than those of the Soeumin and Soyangin groups. The body fat mass (kg) and abdominal fat (%) in the Taeumin group were significantly higher than those of the Soeumin and Soyangin groups. The soft body mass (%) in the Soeumin group was significantly higher than that of the Soeumi and Soyangin groups. The Taeumin's energy expenditure in physical activities was little high than that of the Soyangin and Soeumin groups, but the Soyangin's energy expenditure in physical activities per weight was a little higher than that of the Taeumin and Soeumin groups. The calorie and most of the nutrient intake were lower than those of Korean RDA. In the case of males, most nutrient intake, except for fiber, carotene and vitamin C were high in the Taeumin. For females, most nutrient intake, except for calcium and retinol were significantly higher in the Taeumin group. Conclusively, anthropometry characteristics, body composition, energy expenditure in physical activities, eating habits and dietary intake are different among the three Sasang constitutions. This study suggests the possibility of using Sasang consitutions as a basis for providing nutritional education and health guidelines.