ABSTRACT
Familial male-limited precocious puberty (FMPP) is a rare form of gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty that is caused by an activating mutation of the LHCGR gene. Herein, we report a case of FMPP with a mutation of the LHCGR gene in a Korean boy with familial history of precocious puberty through 3 generations. A 16-month-old boy presented with signs of precocious puberty, including pubic hair, acne, and increased growth velocity. The patient's grandfather and father had a history of precocious puberty and profound short stature. On physical examination, the patient had prepubertal testes with pubic hair development appropriate for Tanner stage II. The stretched penile length was 7 cm (>2 standard deviation score), and observed bone age was that of a 4-year-old boy. Laboratory findings showed high serum testosterone (5.74 ng/mL [appropriate for Tanner IV-V]; normal range, <0.05 ng/mL) with suppressed luteinizing hormone (<0.07 mIU/mL) and normal serum level of follicular stimulating hormone (0.56 mIU/mL; normal range, 0.38-1.11 mIU/mL). Genetic testing revealed a pathogenic variant of LHCGR (c.1730 C>T (p.Thr577Ileu)), confirming FMPP. Bicalutamide and anastrozole were administered, and pubertal progression was sufficiently suppressed without any specific side effects. To our knowledge, this is the first case of genetically confirmed FMPP in Korea.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Major questions remain regarding the age-stratified trends of allergic diseases and asthma in Korea. PURPOSE: To identify the estimated recent prevalence and 10- year trends in asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis among the Korean population from 2008 to 2017. METHODS: This nationwide cross-sectional survey (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) over 10 years (2008-2017) examined representative samples of the Korean population (n=85,006) including 2,131 infants, 4,352 preschool children, 12,919 school-age children, 44,200 adults, and 21,404 elderly adults. RESULTS: In the 2016 to 2017 population, the estimated prevalence of asthma was 0.9% in infants, 2.3% in preschool children, 4.1% in school-age children, 2.3% in adults, and 4.1% in the elderly. The estimated prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 9.0%, 20.2%, 27.6%, 17.1%, and 6.9%, respectively. The estimated prevalence of atopic dermatitis was 5.9%, 11.3%, 14.6%, 3.9%, and 1.6%, respectively. Ten-year trends revealed a significant decrease in asthma prevalence in infants, preschool children, and the elderly. and in atopic dermatitis prevalence in infants and preschool children (P<0.05 for all trends). Furthermore, 10-year trends demonstrated a significant increase in allergic rhinitis prevalence in school-age children, adults, and the elderly, and in atopic dermatitis prevalence in school-age children and the elderly (P<0.05 for all trends). CONCLUSION: These results improve our understanding of the age-stratified epidemiology of allergic diseases in Korea and suggest the need for the development of tailored and precise strategies to prevent allergic diseases in different age groups.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Decreased left atrial (LA) reservoir function is reported to be associated with elevated left ventricular (LV) end diastolic pressure and LV diastolic dysfunction. Echocardiographic parameters that reflect LA reservoir function include LA total emptying fraction [(maximum LA volume - minimum LA volume) / maximum LA volume], peak LA longitudinal strain (PLALS) at systole, and LA stiffness index (E/E´/PLALS). We aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of LV diastolic function in children with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) (KDHx group) by assessing LA reservoir function. METHODS: Retrospectively, echocardiograms performed at a mean follow-up period of 5 years after the acute phase of KD in 24 children in the KDHx group were compared to those from 20 normal control subjects. LA total emptying fraction, PLALS, LA stiffness index, LV peak longitudinal systolic strain (ε), and strain rate (SR) were evaluated with conventional echocardiographic parameters. RESULTS: The mean age at long term follow-up echocardiography in children in the KDHx group was 6.8 years. Five children (20.8%) had coronary artery lesions (CALs) in the acute stage of KD. No children showed CALs at a mean follow-up period of 5 years after the acute phase of KD. There were no significant differences in the conventional echocardiographic parameters and in LA total emptying fraction, PLALS, LA stiffness index, LV peak longitudinal systolic ε, and SR, between the children in the KDHx and control group. CONCLUSION: LV diastolic function assessed by LA reservoir function parameters at long-term follow-up in children in the KDHx group appears to be favorable.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between attention deficit-hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and Internet addiction. In total, 535 elementary school students (264 boys, 271 girls; mean age, 11.0 +/- 1.0 years) were recruited. The presence or severity of Internet addiction was assessed by the Young's Internet Addiction test. Parents and teachers of the children completed the DuPaul's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rating scale (ARS; Korean version, K-ARS) and Child Behavior Checklists. Children with the highest and lowest quartiles in K-ARS scores were defined to be in ADHD and non-ADHD groups, respectively. Five children (0.9%) met criteria for a definite Internet addiction and 75 children (14.0%) met criteria for a probable Internet addiction. K-ARS scores had significant positive correlations with Young's Internet Addiction test scores. The Internet addiction group had higher total scores of K-ARS and ADHD-related subcategories in the Child Behavior Checklists than the non-addiction group. The ADHD group had higher Internet addiction scores compared with the non-ADHD group. Therefore, significant associations have been found between the level of ADHD symptoms and the severity of Internet addiction in children. In addition, current findings suggest that the presence of ADHD symptoms, both in inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity domains, may be one of the important risk factors for Internet addiction.
