A Case of Sacrococcygeal Teratoma Diagnosed by Ultrasonography and MRI at 28 Weeks of Gestation / 대한주산의학회잡지

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is often diagnosed by ultrasound in the prenatal period. The fetus may develop high-output heart failure due to limited cardiac pumping ability and anemia secondary to sequestration of blood volume in the tumor. Eventually, fetal hydrops or placentomegaly may develop and these complications carry a grave prognosis. Therefore, careful monitoring by serial USG is needed, and any evidence of fetal hydrops should trigger prompt delivery or fetal intervention. Recently, fetal MRI may be helpful in assessing the exact tumor size, content, and intraabdominal extent to optimize prenatal and postnatal management. We experienced a case sacrococcygeal teratoma diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography and fetal MRI at 28 weeks of gestation. At 31 weeks of gestation, preterm labor with sudden aggravation of polyhydramnios developed, we delivered the baby by Cesarean section due to concerns about fetal dystocia by the mass. Tumor was removed successfully 6 days after birth, and was diagnosed as immature teratoma. Thirteen months after delivery, the infant is healthy without any evidence of recurrence. So we present this case with a brief review of literatures.

Whole blood and Plasma Vitamin C Concentrations of Elementary School Children in Chinju

PURPOSE: Recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C was determined on the basis of preventing the scurvy without considerations of the important function of the vitamin C as a first line antioxidant. So we measured the whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of the contemporay healthy elementary school children in Chinju for the establishment of the optimal daily vitamin C requirment in the elementary school children. METHODS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were measured by the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method in 338 children from the 1st to the 6th grade of one elementary school in Chinju. RESULTS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were 1.36+/-0.34mg/dL and 1.07+/-0.33mg/dL respectively. There existed an close relationship between whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations (r=0.77, p=0.0001). Whole blood vitamin C concentration decreased as the age became older (r=-0.22 p=0.0001), but plasma vitamin C concentration did not change. There were no sex differences in the whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations except in the 3rd grade (p<0.05). Twenty-three of 338 elementary school children (6.8%) had the plasma vitamin C concentration less than 0.6mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: We produced the blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of the contemporay elementary school children in Chinju. These values were not satisfactory in consideration of the importance of the childhood health.

A Case of Adrenal Aplasia

Major known causes of neonatal adrenal insufficiency are prolonged maternalsteroid use, adrenal hemorrhage from the perinatal stress and adrenogenital syndrome. Theoretically adrenal aplasia might be a cause of neonatal adrenal insufficiency but it has not been reported yet. We had experienced a case of adrenal aplasia in a 5 day-old male neonate whose chief complaint was hyperpigmentation. His laboratory findings were compatible with adrenal insufficiency and adrenal gland was not detected by the ultrasonography and thin section abdominal CT. We reported a case of adrenal aplasia with a brief review of the related literature.

A Case of Infected Urachal Cyst Mimicking Acute Peritonitis

Infected urachal cyst is a rare disorder. While a urachal cyst is usually asymptomatic, the infected cyst may mimic a variety of acute intraabdominal infection. We have experienced a case of infected urachal cyst in a 3 year old boy complaining of high fever and diarrhea. During hospitalization, symptoms and sings of acute peritonitis dominated the clinical feature. Abdominal sonogram, abdominal computerized tomography and cavitogram demonstrated cystic mass posterior to central abdominal wall. Pus was drained from the cystic lesion by ultrasound-guided needle aspiration and indwelling catheter insertion. E.coli was cultured from pus. In the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen ultrasonographic examination of abdomen should be recruited to rule out the infected urachal cyst.