• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.28-35
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• 2007

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of ultrasound examination of children performed by a pediatrician. Methods: One thousand children who presented with symptoms of a gastrointestinal disorder and underwent abdominal ultrasound evaluation in the Department of Pediatrics, between January 2003 and June 2006, were included in this study. We analyzed the patient's medical records and ultrasound results retrospectively. Results: Among the 1,000 patients, 58.4% were male and 41.6% were female. The mean age of the patients was $4.7{\pm}4.0$ years. The main reasons for ultrasound were abdominal pain (43.9%), vomiting (17.3%), elevated liver enzymes (11.8%), and jaundice (9.8%). Abnormal ultrasound findings were present in 57.9% of cases. The major abnormal findings were mesenteric lymphadenitis (29.2%), fatty liver (12.1%), hepatitis (6.4%), hepatosplenomegaly (6.2%), and acute appendicitis (4.8%). The time interval between the initial medical evaluation and the ultrasound evaluation was within 24 hours in most cases (78.5%). The main findings in children with abdominal pain were mesenteric lymphadenitis (32.6%), fatty liver (5.9%), intussusception (2.7%), and acute appendicitis (2.7%). The main findings in children with vomiting were mesenteric lymphadenitis (12.7%), hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (10.4%), and acute appendicitis (3.5%). The major ultrasound findings in children with urinary tract diseases were hydronephrosis (45.4%), urolithiasis (21.5%) and cystic renal disease (18.1%). Conclusion: Ultrasound examination played an important role as a non-invasive and prompt screening examination for detection of abdominal diseases. Ultrasound was an important tool for pediatricians to determine timely information for patient management.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.230-234
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• 2008

The incidence of appendiceal metastatic cancer is quite low. In particular, in small cell lung cancer, there is a very low incidence of a metastasis to the appendix. A 75-years old man with right lower quadrant pain, cough and sputum was transferred to our hospital. Abdominal CT revealed acute appendicitis with a perforation. The patient underwent surgery. The frozen sections of the tissue obtained during surgery, indicated a malignancy, but a right hemicolectomy was not performed due to the patient's poor general condition. The histology findings of the appendix were identified as a small cell carcinoma. The abdominal CT scan and chest x-ray at admission day showed a mass in the right lower lobe, and a further evaluation of the lesion was performed including positron emission tomography and flexible bronchoscopy with a biopsy. The pathology findings of the lung mass were also small cell lung cancer. The specimens from both sites stained positive for cytokeratin, cluster designation 56, synaptophysin, chromogranin-A and thyroid transcription factor 1. It was concluded that the appendiceal small cell cancer originated from the lung.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6997-7005
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• 2013

Aim: To present an epidemiological and histological perspective of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (including liver and biliary tract) at the Section of Histopathology, Department of Pathology, AKUH, Karachi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: All consecutive endoscopic biopsies and resections between October 1 and December 31, 2012 were included. Results: A total of 2,323 cases were included. Carcinoma was overwhelmingly the commonest diagnosis on esophageal biopsies (69.1%); chronic helicobacter gastritis (45.6%) followed by adenocarcinoma (23.5%) were the commonest diagnoses on gastric biopsies; adenocarcinoma (27.3%) followed by ulcerative colitis (13.1%) were the commonest diagnoses on colonic biopsies; acute appendicitis (59.1%) was the commonest diagnosis on appendicectomy specimens; chronic viral hepatitis (44.8%) followed by hepatocellular carcinoma (23.4%) were the commonest diagnoses on liver biopsies; chronic cholecystitis was the commonest diagnosis (over 89%) on cholecystectomy specimens. Conclusions: Squamous cell carcinoma comprised 88.8% of esophageal cancers. About 67% were in the lower third and 56.5% were moderately differentiated; mean ages 49.8 years for females and 55.8 years for males; 66% cases were from South West Pakistan. Over 67% patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were males; mean ages 59 and 44 years in males and females respectively, about 74% gastric carcinomas were poorly differentiated; and 62.2% were located in the antropyloric region. About 63% patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma were males; mean ages 46.1 and 50.5 years for males and females respectively; tumor grade was moderately differentiated in 54%; over 80% were located in the left colon. In 21.2% appendicectomies, no acute inflammation was found. Acute appendicitis was most common in young people. Hepatitis C (66.3%) was more common than hepatitis B (33.7%); about 78% cases of hepatocellular carcinoma occurred in males; females comprised 76.7% patients with chronic cholecystitis; and 77.8% patients with gall bladder carcinoma. All resection specimens showed advanced cancers. Most cancers occurred after the age of 50 years.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 2009

An omental infarctions is an uncommon cause of an acute abdomen and a rare entity in children. The etiology is still unclear and the symptoms mimic acute appendicitis. We recently encountered a case of a 10-year-old boy who had a previous surgical history of a manual reduction for intussusception. He complained of abdominal pain and right upper quadrant tenderness without fever or anorexia. An abdominal ultrasonography suggested an omental infarction and computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis. Conservative management was adopted with a rapid and uneventful recovery. Non-operative treatment is a safe and effective treatment of choice for omental infarction.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2004

A 12-year-old boy with severe periumbilical pain visited the emergency room. Physical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, colonoscopy and CT, identified a lesion of sigmoid colon. Endoscopic biopsy showed a signet ring cell carcinoma of the sigmoid colon. On explorative laparotomy, cancer invasions of the adjacent structures and metastases on peritoneal wall were noticed. We performed palliative loop-ileostomy. He underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for 3 months. The second case was a 16-year-old boy with abdominal pain and hematochezia, transferred to our hospital with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis with periappendiceal abscess. Although he underwent appendectomy, the abdominal pain persisted. Digital rectal examination revealed a lumen-obstructing fungating mass in the rectum. Endoscopic biopsy revealed a adenocarcinoma. Cancer invasion of the adjacent structures and metastases involving the mesentery of the small intestine were found at laparotomy. A palliative procedure, a Hartmann's operation and end-colostomy at the sigmoid colon were performed. The patient died 8 month later due to pneumonia and sepsis. Chemotherapy was not applied.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1024-1027
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• 2002

Epiploic appendages are small, 0.5-5 cm long, peritoneal pouches containing small vessels and fat, located on the serous surface of the colon, from the cecum to the rectosigmoid junction. Pathologic states are rare in these appendages, the most frequent being is infarction either due to torsion or spontaneous. As a result of subsequent inflammatory reaction, the condition has been termed primary epiploic appendagitis. The condition is manifested by localized abdominal pain, which is often mistaken for appendicitis or diverticulitis and is usually diagnosed at surgery. With the aid of comtemporary imaging modalities, however, the diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis need no longer hinge on the pathologic specimen but may be established by the clinician. As this disorder recently has been demonstrated to be predominantly self-limited, laparotomy is no longer considered necessary. Conservative management has been shown to be safe. We report a 5-year-old male patient with epiploic appendagitis who presented with acute abdominal pain.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.212-219
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• 2013

Objectives : Cirsium japonicum is a traditional Korean medicine that has been used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as appendicitis, hepatitis, pulmonary abscess and tumor. The aim of study was to elucidate anti-migratory activity of CJP(Cirsium japonicum pharmacopuncture) through regulation of inflammatory mediators in C6 glioma cell. Methods : Nitric oxide(NO) production was determined by using nitrite assay. The cell migration was analyzed by wound-healing assay and Boyden chamber assay. The expression levels of iNOS, and protein kinase C(PKC)-${\alpha}$ were measured by western blotting assay. Results : CJP showed a significant decrease on NO production. Moreover, glioma cell migration was effectively suppressed by CJP. Furthermore, CJP inhibited the expressions of iNOS and PKC-${\alpha}$ in C6 glioma cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that CJP inhibits glioma cell migration and iNOS expression through regulation of PKC-${\alpha}$. Therefore, it is expected that CJP could be an effective agents for blocking malignant progression of glioma.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2008

Colorectal cancer is extremely rare in children. Unlike adult colorectal cancer, the overall prognosis of colorectal cancer in children is poor. Delayed diagnosis, advanced stages of the disease at presentation, and mucinous type of histology are the major determinants of poor outcome in childhood. A 13-year-old boy with abdominal pain visited our hospital. Physical examination andabdominal ultrasonography identified acute appendicitis with perforation. He underwent appendectomy and then the pathologic findings revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma. The cancer was located at the transverse colon and had metastases on peritoneal wall at $2^{nd}$ laparotomy. Extended right hemicolectomy was performed. He underwent palliative chemotherapy. After 4 months later, hepatic metastasis and aggravated peritoneal seedings developed. He died of renal failure and pneumonia 13 months after operation. We need to have a high index of suspicion for the possibility of a malignant colorectal tumor in any childhood case with nonspecific signs and symptoms.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 2002

Primary peritonitis usually refers to a bacterial infection of the peritoneal cavity without a demonstrable intra-abdominal source. Most cases occur in children with ascites resulting from nephrotic syndrome or cirrhosis. Rarely, it may occur in previously healthy children less than 7years of age, usually a girl. Distinguishing primary peritonitis from appendicitis may be impossible in patients without a history of nephrotic syndrome or cirrhosis. Accordingly, the diagnosis of primary peritonitis is made only at laparotomy. We report one case of primary pneumococcal peritonitis in a 27-month-old female who underwent explorative laparotomy to discover the cause of suspicious intestinal perforation and mechanical ileus. Later, pneumococci were cultured in blood and gram-positive diplococci were isolated from the pus of peritoneal cavity.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.181-185
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• 2002

Childhood tuberculous peritonitis is difficult to diagnose especially in cases without pulmonary involvement. It may present as mechanical ileus, perforation, simulating acute appendicitis, enterocolitis or intusussception. Early diagnosis in children may be difficult, largely because of variable vague symptoms and nonspecific signs. Surgery has often been required for pathologic confirmation. We have experienced a case of tuberculous peritonitis presenting with abdominal pain, abdominal distension and persistent high fever in a 10-year-old boy who was diagnosed by explo-laparotomy and pathologic confirmation from biopsy specimen from omentum. The patient was treated with antituberculous drugs and recovered uneventfully.