A Case of Polio-like Encephalomyelitis Associated with Enterovirus 71 Infection

Enterovirus 71(EV71), like polioviruses, invades the central nervous system to give rise to aseptic meningitis, encephalitis or myelitis. EV71 was first isolated in California in 1969 from a 9-month- old infant with encephalitis. Since then it has been isolated from the brain of children who died of encephalitis and from feces of patients with meningitis, encephalitis or paralysis. Related strains have been isolated from outbreaks of similar diseases in Australia, Sweden, Bulgaria and Hungary. We have experienced polio-like encephalomyelitis in a 3-month-old girl. Initial brain MR imaging showed tissue destruction in the bilateral posterior portions of the medulla oblongata and the bilateral anterior horns of cervical spinal cord from C3 to C6 level. Follow-up MR imaging was performed 3 months later, which showed minimal residual change on the anterior horn of the cervical spinal cord at C4 level only. This report deals with rare polio-like encephalomyelitis associated with EV71 and discusses its diagnosis and management. Brain stem and cervical spinal cord involvement are characteristic findings of EV encephalomyelitis.

Results of Balloon Angioplasty in Patients with Coarctation of the Aorta

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to analyze and compare the effects of percutaneous balloon angioplasty(BAP) on postoperative re-coarctation and native coarctation of the aorta(CoA) and to thereby contribute to the development of treatment methods for CoA. METHODS: The subjects in this study were 21 children who had undergone BAP from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 2000 in the Division of Yonsei Pediatric Cardiology. The relation between factors such as pressure and diameter changes across the coarctation segment together with hemodynamic and morphologic variables of children with postoperative re-coarctation and native CoA was analyzed through retrospective study of medical records. RESULTS: Among the 21 cases, 11 children showed a decreased pressure gradient across the coarctation segment of less than 20 mmHg(average : 11+/-5 mmHg) after BAP was performed. In postoperative re-coarctation, the pressure gradient across the coarctation segment significantly fell from 56+/-21(30-90) mmHg to 20+/-13(0-50) mmHg(P<0.001) after BAP, while in native CoA, the pressure gradient decreased from 57+/-13(40-70) mmHg to 22+/-14(10-40) mmHg(P<0.001) after BAP. The diameter of the narrowest coarctation segment was significantly increased in native CoA and postoperative re-coarctation after BAP. The factor that most affected our results was the ratio of isthmic/descending aortic dimension showing an inverse relationship between the ratio of isthmic/descending aortic dimension and pressure gradient after BAP(gamma=-0.473, P=0.030). Complications included one case of femoral artery stenosis, one case of femoral artery interruption, and one case in which seizure occurred two days after BAP due to cerebral thrombosis. CONCLUSION: We conclude that BAP is an effective treatment modality in postoperative re- coarctation and native CoA.

Membranous Glomerulopathy Showing Asymptomatic Isolated Microscopic Hematuria Only

PURPOSE: Membranous glomerulopathy is a glomerular disease characterized by the presence of subepithelial immune deposits with thickening of the capillary wall of the glomerulus without inflammatory change. The pathogenesis of membranous glomerulopathy is still unknown. Its incidence is higher in males, and it is rarely found in infants and adolescents. Among the clinical manifestations proteinuria is most common, while edema and hematuria are present. According to reports from other countries, among few patients diagnosed with membranous glomerulopathy by renal biopsy, show isolated microscopic hematuria without the clinical manifestations. Little research in this area has been performed in Korea, and so we conducted retrograde studies on membranous glomerulopathy associated with isolated microscopic hematuria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed retrogradely 109 cases of asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria that were diagnosed as membranous glomerulopathy by renal biopsy at Yonsei University Severance hospital from January, 1992 to July, 2001. RESULTS: In 87 of the 109 cases patients were over 15 years old while in 22 cases patients were under 15 at the time of dignosis. Only three patients showed isolated microscopic hematuria without the clinical manifestations and abnormal laboratory findings and they were all male patients under 15 years old. CONCLUSION: Few cases of the membranous glomerulopathy show only asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria. However, since membranous glomerulopathy can be found in patients who present with asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria only, if adequate indication for renal biopsy is present, we conclude that renal biopsy must be aggresively pursued in order to find the underlying disease.