Correlations between the CagA Antigen and Serum Levels of Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG and IgA in Children

We tested correlations between anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG and IgA levels and the urease test, anti-CagA protein antibody, degree of gastritis, and age. In total, 509 children (0-15 years) were enrolled. Subjects were stratified as 0-4 years (n = 132), 5-9 years (n = 274), and 10-15 years (n = 103) and subjected to the urease test, histopathology, ELISA, and western blot using whole-cell lysates of H. pylori strain 51. The positivity rate in the urease test (P = 0.003), the degree of chronic gastritis (P = 0.021), and H. pylori infiltration (P < 0.001) increased with age. The median titer for anti-H. pylori IgG was 732.5 IU/mL at 0-4 years, 689.0 IU/mL at 5-9 years, and 966.0 IU/mL at 10-15 years (P < 0.001); the median titer for anti-H. pylori IgA was 61.0 IU/mL at 0-4 years, 63.5 IU/mL at 5-9 years, and 75.0 IU/mL at 10-15 years (P < 0.001). The CagA-positivity rate was 26.5% at 0-4 years, 36.5% at 5-9 years, and 46.6% at 10-15 years for IgG (P = 0.036), and 11.3% at 0-4 years, 18.6% at 5-9 years, and 23.3% at 10-15 years for IgA (P < 0.001). Anti-H. pylori IgG and IgA titers increased with the urease test grade, chronic gastritis degree, active gastritis, and H. pylori infiltration. Presence of CagA-positivity is well correlated with a high urease test grade and high anti-H. pylori IgG/IgA levels.

Factors Associated with Removal of Impactted Fishbone in Children, Suspected Ingestion / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: The management and clinical course in pediatric patients who had ingested foreign body were investigated retrospectively to evaluate the frequency and factor associated with successful removal of fishbone foreign body. METHODS: Based on the medical records of patients younger than 15 years old who visited emergency room because of foreign body ingestion from January 1999 to December 2012, the authors reviewed clinical characteristics including type of ingested foreign bodies, time to visits, managements and complications. RESULTS: Fishbone (50.1%) was the most common ingested foreign body in children. Among 416 patients with ingested fishbone, 245 (58.9%) were identified and removed using laryngoscope, rigid or flexible endoscope from pharynx or upper esophagus by otolaryngologists and pediatric gastroenterologists. The kind of ingested fish bone in children was diverse. The mean age of identified and removed fishbone group was 7.39 years old, and higher than that of unidentified fishbone group (5.81 years old, p<0.001). Identified and removed fishbone group had shorter time until hospital visit than the unidentified fishbone group (2.03 vs. 6.47 hours, p<0.001). No complication due to ingested fishbone or procedure occurred. CONCLUSION: Older age and shorter time from accident to hospital visit were the different factors between success and failure on removal of ingested fish bone in children.

A Natural Course of an Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis without Adequate Surgical Procedure / 소아외과

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is one of the common surgical abdomen in infancy, characterized by progressive non-bilious vomiting. The etiology is unknown, but it likely develops after birth. The pylorus of the stomach becomes thick and triggers progressive vomiting. Abdominal ultrasonography (US) is widely used as a diagnostic tool. Currently, there is a rare IHPS patient with severe metabolic derangement because of general use of abdominal US and its accuracy. We experienced a natural course of a 62- day-old male infant with IHPS who was suffering from intermittent vomiting, loss of weight but had not been properly treated for 1 month. It is needed to make an effort to diagnose differentially in recurrent vomiting infant and check-up regularly, and also educate parents properly.

Suppurative Meckel Diiverticulum in a 3-Year-Old Girl Presenting with Periumbilical Cellulitis / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Meckel diverticulum (MD) is one of the most common congenital gastrointestinal anomalies and occurs in 1.2-2% of the general population. MD usually presents with massive painless rectal bleeding, intestinal obstruction or inflammation in children and adults. Suppurative Meckel diverticulitis is uncommon in children. An experience is described of a 3-year-old girl with suppurative inflammation in a tip of MD. She complained of acute colicky abdominal pain, vomiting and periumbilical erythema. Laparoscopic surgery found a relatively long MD with necrotic and fluid-filled cystic end, which was attatched to abdominal wall caused by inflammation. Herein, we report an interesting and unusual case of a suppurative Meckel diverticulitis presenting as periumbilical cellulitis in a child. Because of its varied presentations, MD might always be considered as one of the differential diagonosis.