The influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist treatment on the body weight and body mass index in girls with idiopathic precocious puberty and early puberty

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) treatment on the weight and body mass index (BMI) of girls who were diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty (CPP) or early puberty (EP). METHODS: Patients who were younger than 8 years of age at diagnosis were classified as CPP and patients aged between 8 and 9 years at diagnosis were classified as EP. Of 129 patients, 34 were diagnosed with CPP and 95 were diagnosed with EP. The patients were divided according to pretreatment weight status into normal weight group, an overweight group, or an obese group. RESULTS: No significant changes were observed with respect to the weight standard deviation score (SDS) before and after 1 year, 2 years of treatment, respectively (P>0.05, P>0.05) in all patient groups. No significant changes were observed in relation to the BMI SDS before and after 1 year, 2 years of treatment, respectively (P>0.05, P>0.05) in all patient group. Depending on the degree of obesity, differences with respect to the weight SDS and BMI SDS were observed. CONCLUSION: BMI SDS increased in the GnRHa-treated patients as a whole group, but was not statistically significant. But BMI SDS increased significantly in the normal weight group after 2 years of GnRHa treatment. So, GnRHa treatment may affect the change of BMI SDS depending on degree of obesity.

Clinical Characteristics of Enteroviral Meningitis without Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis in Children

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and laboratory findings of enteroviral meningitis according to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis, and to investigate the factors influencing pleocytosis in children. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 300 children with enteroviral meningitis confirmed by CSF reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between 2012 and 2016. Electronic medical records including clinical and laboratory data were assessed. Clinical factors were compared between patients with and without pleocytosis. RESULTS: Of the total 300 children with enteroviral meningitis, 73 had no pleocytosis. The proportion of infants under the age of two years was higher in patients without pleocytosis than in patients with pleocytosis (39.7% vs 14.5%, P<0.001). Patients without pleocytosis were younger (43.4 months vs 66.2 months, P<0.001), had less prevalence of headache and vomiting, lower peripheral white blood cell count (9,740±3,555/mm³ vs 11,632±3,872/mm³) and a shorter interval between the onset and lumbar puncture than those with pleocytosis. In multiple regression analysis, younger age, vomiting, lower white blood cell count, and interval less than 24 hours from onset to spinal tap were associated with the absence of pleocytosis. CONCLUSION: This study showed that children younger than two years of age had high proportion of absence of pleocytosis and some of the factors analyzed correlated with CSF inflammation. Therefore, absence of pleocytosis in the initial CSF sample cannot exclude meningitis, and rapid RT-PCR testing should be performed with high suspicion in young infants.

Renal Problems in Early Adult Patients with Turner Syndrome

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the status of renal function and the presence of urinary abnormalities in early adult patients with Turner syndrome (TS). METHODS: Sixty-three girls with TS, who are attending pediatric endocrine clinics in Busan Paik Hosp., were studied. Urine and blood chemistry tests were performed in every visiting times. Renal ultrasonography was performed in all patients at the initial diagnosis, and intravenous pyelography, DMSA renal scan and renal CT were also performed, if necessary. RESULTS: Of the 63 patients, the karyotype showed 45,X in 32 (50.8%) , mosaicism in 22 (34.9%) and structural aberration in 9 (14.3%). The renal function at the latest visit was shown as normal in all patients. Nephrotic syndrome had developed in one patient. Hematuria was observed in seven patients. Renal anomalies were observed in 20 of the 63 TS (31.7%). Of the 32 TS patients with 45,X karyotype, 13 (40.6%) had renal anomalies, while these were found in 7 (22.6%) of 31 TS patients with mosaicism/structural aberration. But there was no significant statistical difference between two karyotype groups. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, most of the patients with TS do not have any significant problems related to renal function until early adulthood, regardless of renal malformation or hematuria.