• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.142-145
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• 2012

Since urachal abnormalities are uncommon and have various clinical manifestations such as umbilical discharge, periumbilical pain, recurrent urinary tract infection and abdominal mass according to its structure, it is not easy to diagnose. We report our experience of a patient with urachal remnant abscess who presented with gross hematuria initially, and improved after the management with intravenous antibiotics and percutaneous drainage of abscess.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 1995

Abdominal epilepsy is accepted as unusual cause of abdominal pain in children and young adolescents. Although its abdominal symptoms may be similar to those of the irritable bowel syndrome, it may be distinguished from the latter condition by the presence of the altered consciousness during some of attacks, EEG abnormalities, and a good response to anticonvulsant medication. The diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy came into vogue in the 1950s and 1960s as an explanation for childhood abdominal complaints. More recently, it has been recognized that isolated vomiting without loss of consciousness or other more common paroxysmal symtoms is rarely attributable to abdominal epilepsy. We report 4 cases of abdominal epilepsy, whose ages ranged from 8 to 11 years, with paroxysmal abdominal pain or vomiting consistent with a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 2007

Purpose: Ischemic enterocolitis (IEC) is the total or partial infarction of the intestine in the absence of occlusion of a major mesenteric blood vessel. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of IEC in children. Methods: A clinical analysis of 6 patients with IEC who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics at Pusan National University Hospital, between 1996 and 2005 was conducted retrospectively. Patients were diagnosed with IEC based on clinical characteristics, including radiologic, endoscopic, histopathologic, and intraoperative findings. Results: Four boys and 2 girls between the age of 6 weeks and 6 years were included in this study. Most of the patients were born at term and had a birth weight that was appropriate for their gestational age. The major symptoms of IEC observed included hematochezia or hematemesis (5 cases), vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain or irritability (4 cases), as well as abdominal distension and fever (3 cases). IEC occurred in thecolon in 5 cases (2 descending colon, 1 descending and sigmoid colon, 1 sigmoid colon, 1 whole colon) and the duodenal bulb and gastric antrum in 1 case each. The type of the lesions observed includedulcera, which were found in 3 cases, perforation, which was pbserved in 2 cases, necrotic patches, which were observed in 2 cases, stricture, which was observedin 1 cases, and massive membranous desquamation of the epithelium, which was observed in 1 case. Two of the patients received surgical treatment and the remaining four were treated conservatively. None of the patients died. Conclusion: The presentation of IEC varies, and the findings of this study will be helpful in managing patients with IEC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2005

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare clinicopathologic entity of unknown etiology with a variety of digestive symptoms. The pathogenesis is poorly understood. Diagnostic criteria include demonstration of eosinophilic infiltration of the affected bowel wall, lack of evidence of extraintestinal disease, and exclusion of various disorders that could mimic similar conditions. The disease might involve any area of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum, but the stomach and the proximal small bowel are most commonly affected. The clinical features depend on which layer and site are involved. We report the case of a 59-year-old male patient with a 3-week history of post-prandial vomiting with malnutrition and weight loss. An abdominopelvic CT showed a gastric outlet obstruction with diffuse wall thickening, as with linitis plastica. Three gastrofiberscopic biopsies showed chronic gastritis. We carried out a radical total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. The pathologic report revealed a mural type eosinophilic gastritis with a marked hypertrophic scar formation at the proper muscle layer. We report this case with a brief review of the literature. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2005;5:47-51)

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.103-112
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• 2009

Catheter related and perianal problems are common surgical complications encountered during the treatment of pediatric malignancies. However acute surgical abdominal emergencies are rare. The aim of this study is to review acute surgical abdominal complications that occur during the treatment of childhood malignancies. Out of a total of 1,222 patients who were newly diagnosed with malignant disease, between January 2003 and May 2008, there were 10 patients who required surgery because of acute abdominal emergencies. Their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Hematologic malignancies were present in 7 patients (4 leukemia, 2 lymphoma, 1 Langerhans cell histiocytosis) and solid tumors in 3 patients (1 adrenocortical carcinoma, 1 desmoplastic small round cell tumor, 1 rhabdomyosarcoma). Seven patients had intestinal obstruction, two had gastrointestinal perforation and one, typhlitis. Intestinal obstructions were treated with resection of the involved segment with (N=2) or without (N=3) enterostomy. Two patients had enterostomy alone when resection could not be performed. Intestinal perforation was treated with primary repair. Typhlitis of the ascending colon was treated with ileostomy. Right hemicolectomy was necessary the next day because of the rapidly progressing sepsis. Three patients are now alive on chemotherapy and one patient was lost to followed-up. Among six patients who died, five died of their original disease progression and one of uncontrolled sepsis after intestinal perforation. Although rare, acute surgical abdominal complications can occur in childhood malignancies. Rapid and accurate diagnosis and appropriate operation are required for effective treatment of the complications.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.462-465
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• 2001

Severe cough may contribute to serious complications such as pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, rib fracture, subconjunctival hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and cough syncope. However abdominal wall hematoma is a rare complication. Because it usually presents with abdomianal pain, abdominal wall hematoma needs to be differentiated from the acute surgical abdomen. A 78-year old woman was admitted with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and a palpable mass for several days. She experienced abdominal pain after violent coughing associated with an upper respiratory tract infection. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an approximately $7{\times}4cm$ sized, ill-defined, soft tissue density lesion in the right lower posterolateral abdominal wall. An abdominal wall hematoma was diagnosed. After admission, she had persistent right lower abdominal pain and an increasing mass. The mass was surgically removed and she was discharged without complications. In summary, when a patient complains of abdominal pain after severe coughing, an abdominal wall hematoma as a differential diagnosis must be considered.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2007

Purpose: The ultrasonography (USG) and computed tomography (CT) are popular diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children, but there are many debates about their clinical significance. The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical significance of USG, CT and follow-up CT performed subsequently to USG, especially in perforated acute appendicitis in children. Methods: We have reviewed 419 cases of surgically confirmed acute appendicitis in children under the age of sixteen, who had been treated in Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital from March 2002 to February 2006. All the clinical data including the results of USG and CT were collected and analyzed. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of USG were 98.7%, 96.8%, 98.1%, 97.8% in non-perforation group and 90.8%, 100%, 100%, 81.9% in perforation group. Those of CT were 96.4%, 100%, 100%, 96.5% and 86.6%, 100%, 100%, 87.5% respectively. Those of follow-up CT after USG were 100%, 100%, 100%, 100% and 87.5%, 100%, 100%, 92.0% respectively. The duration of using antibiotics in seven patients showed positive correlation with the interval between two imaging studies (r=0.0472, p=0.019). There was no statistical significance of correlation when these imaging studies performed within 30 hours together. Conclusion: In most of the cases, single choice between USG and CT would be enough to diagnose the acute appendicitis in children. But, it may be helpful to perform CT as early as possible subsequently to USG when there is discrepancy between initial USG and clinical impression.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2004

Purpose: Although acute nonspecific mesenteric lymphadenitis (ANML) is probably common cause of abdominal pain in children, which can be severe enough to be an abdominal emergency, the clinical features of mesenteric lymphadenitis are not clear. Also, a differential diagnosis with acute appendicitis (APPE) is indispensable to avoid serious complications. The clinical features of ANML were determined, and the risk factors for differential diagnosis with APPE were analyzed. Methods: Between November 2000 and May 2001, data from 26 patients (aged 1 to 11 years) with ANML and 21 patients (aged 2 to 13 years) with APPE were reviewed. ANML was defined as a cluster of five or more lymph nodes measuring 10 mm or greater in their longitudinal diameter in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) without an identifiable specific inflammatory process on the ultrasonographic examination. There were risk factors on patient's history, physical examination, and laboratory examination; the location of abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, rebound tenderness, fever, nocturnal pain, the vomiting intensity, the diarrhea intensity, the symptom duration, and the peripheral blood leukocytes count. Results: Of the 26 ANML patients and 21 APPE patients, abdominal pain was noted on periumbilical (76.9% vs 14.2%), on RLQ (11.5% vs 71.4%), with abdomen rigidity (7.6% vs 80.9%), with rebound tenderness (0.0% vs 76.1%)(p<0.05), in the lower abdomen (11.5% vs 14.2%), and at night (80.8% vs 100.0%) (p>0.05). The clinical symptoms were vomiting (38.4% vs 90.4%), the vomiting intensity ($1.5{\pm}0.7$ [1~3]/day vs $4.5{\pm}2.9$ [1~10]/day), diarrhea (65.3% vs 28.5%) (p<0.05), and fever (61.5% vs 76.2%)(p>0.05). The period to the subsidence of abdominal pain in the ANMA patients was $2.5{\pm}0.5$ (2~3) days. The laboratory data showed a significant difference in the peripheral blood leukocytes count ($8,403{\pm}1,737[5,900{\sim}12,300]/mm^3\;vs\;15,471{\pm}3,749[5,400{\sim}20,800]/mm^3$)(p<0.05). Discriminant analysis between ANML and APPE showed that the independent discriminant factors were a vomiting intensity and the peripheral blood leukocytes count and the discriminant power was 95.7%. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of ANML were abrupt onset of periumbilical pain without rigidity or rebound tenderness, a mild vomiting intensity, normal peripheral leukocytes count, and relatively short clinical course. If the abdominal pain persist for more than 3 days, and/or the vomiting intensity is more than 3 times/day, and/or the peripheral leukocytes count is over $13,500/mm^3$, abdominal ultrasonography is recommended to rule out APPE.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2007

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of gastrointestinal tract in children. The incidence of complicated Meckel's diverticulum is about 4 %. The major complications of Meckel's diverticulum are bleeding, intussusception, obstruction and perforation. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical manifestations and the role of laparoscopic surgery in complicated Meckel's diverticulum in children. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 patients with complicated Meckel's diverticulum who underwent operation at Asan Medical Center between Jan. 1990 and Apr. 2007. Male to female ratio was 11:8, and median age was 1 year (1 day-13 years). The most frequent symptom was hematochezia (68%), followed by irritability or abdominal pain (16%), vomiting (11%), and abdominal distension (5%). Two operative procedures were performed; small bowel resection with anastomosis (68%) and diverticulectomy (32%). The operation proven complications of the Meckel's diverticulum were bleeding (68%), intussusception (16%), perforation (11%) and obstruction (5%). Ectopic tissues found by postoperative pathologic examination were gastric (84%) and pancreatic (11%). Hospital stay after laparoscopic operation for bleeding Meckel's was 5 days (median) and average first postoperative feeding was 1.5 days. On the contrary, hospital stay for open surgery was 7 days and first feed was 3 days. In summary, the most common compliation of Meckel's diverticulum in children was bleeding and ectopic gastric tissues were present in 84%. Laparoscopic procedure seemed to be useful for diagnosis as well as for definitive treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.466-472
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• 2002

Purpose : The diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum is difficult and delayed because it presents with various clinical symptoms. We evaluated clinical, imaging and pathologic findings of Meckel's diverticulum to facilitate detection of Meckel's diverticulum in children. Methods : Review of clinical, imaging, surgical and pathological findings in 10 children aged 7 days to 14 years with Meckel's diverticulum during an 8-year period, 1993-2001, at Ewha Womans University Hospital was undertaken. Results : The male to female ratio was 2.3 : 1. The chief complaint was painless lower gastrointestinal( GI) bleeding; others were abdominal pain, abdominal distention and vomiting, in order of frequency. The diagonsis before surgery were Meckel's diverticulum in 5 patients, non-reducible intussusception in 3 patients and intestinal obstruction in 2 patients. The diverticulum was located between 35 cm to 70 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve. The length of the diverticulum ranged from 4 cm to 12 cm and 80% of it was within 5 cm. A Meckel scan($^{99m}Tc-pertechnetate$ scintigraphy) after cimetidine administration was done in 6 cases. All 5 cases that presented with lower GI bleeding had ectopic gastric mucosa confirmed on pathology. Out of 5 cases of ectopic gastric mucosa, only 4 cases were positive on the Meckel's scan. Conclusion : In cases of unexplained GI bleeding, obstruction, or inflammation diagnostic workup should be carried out to rule out Meckel's diverticulum. Laparoscopy, high resolution ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen may be indicated in the assessment of pediatric patient with lower GI bleeding, especially in patients with suspected bleeding from Meckel's diverticulum showing negative Meckel's scan.