Wheezing is one of the most frequent complaints that lead to the use of medical resources in younger children. Generally, wheezing is caused by bronchiolitis and resolves spontaneously without recurrence, but sometimes, wheezing can progress into asthma. Early data on the natural history of childhood wheezing was mostly obtained from retrospective reviews of medical records or from questionnaires, which made... |
To compare the profiles of the bronchodilator response (BDR) among children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis (AR) and to determine whether BDR in these children is reduced by treatment with inhaled and/or nasal corticosteroid. Sixty-eight children with asthma (mean age, 10.9 years), 45 children with comorbid asthma and AR (mean age, 10.5 years), and 44 children with AR alone (mean age,... |
Purpose : Although Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection can cause wheezing in non-asthmatic children, the mechanisms of this symptom remain unclear. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major mediator of angiogenesis and vascular permeability, and is also known to be elevated in cases of chronic pulmonary disease such as asthma. We hypothesized that VEGF may increase in children with... |
Purpose : We hypothesized that the persisting bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) of adolescents with asthma remission may be controlled mainly by genetic factors, and the BHR of symptomatic asthma by airway inflammation. β2-adrenoceptor gene is considered to be a candidate gene in the development of BHR. Thus, β2-adrenoceptor gene polymorphism may be associated with the BHR of adolescents with asthma remission,... |
Purpose : Though atopic and nonatopic asthma have different clinical manifestations, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and airway inflammations are common characteristics of them. We investigated BHR to both methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), and their relationships with blood eosinophil markers in nonatopic asthma as well as atopic asthma. Methods : We studied 116 children (82 atopics; 34 nonatopics) with mild to moderate... |
Purpose : Bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) is considered a hallmark of asthma. Increased levels of eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) have been identified in serum of asthma patients. Several studies have examined the relationship between serum ECP and bronchial responsiveness, expressed as methacholine PC20 in asthmatic patients, with conflicting results. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between serum ECP and... |
Purpose : This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection during an epidemic period by means of examining the antibody conversion rate and to investigate the association of the antibody conversion with age, initial antibody titer, and atopy. Methods : We chose 191 children whose antibody titer to M. pneumoniae was negative, 1 : 40, or... |
Purpose : It is becoming generally recognized that wheezing in early childhood is a heterogeneous condition and does not always develop into asthma. This study aimed to determine characteristics of wheezing phenotypes in early childhood and investigate their relation to asthma. Methods : Two hundreds and sixty 6-8 year old children with past or present wheezeing were enrolled, and their history... |
Purpose : This study aimed to determine the efficacy and usefulness of chest auscultation and oxygen saturation measurement in the assessment of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine in pre-school wheezing children. Methods : One hundred and four children with histories of wheezing underwent bronchial challenges with nebulized methacholine using chest auscultation and oxygen saturation measurement. The challenge was considered positive when... |
Purpose : Bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) in asthma is thought to be a consequence of underlying airway inflammation. But the mechanism responsible for persistent BHR in adolescents with long-term asthma remission is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine whether BHR in adolescents with asthma remission is associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia and/or increased serum levels of eosinophil cationic... |
Purpose : It has been suggested that the exposure to aeroallergens during early infancy after birth is important in the subsequent development of sensitization and allergic diseases. In Korea, the level of house dust mites as one of the important aeroallergens is known to be the highest in autumn. The aim of this study was to test whether the distribution... |
Purpose : A new airway inflammatory marker, exhaled nitric oxide(ENO) has been reported to correlate with bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) and atopy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of ENO with BHR or atopy in patients with asthma and with allergic rhinitis. Methods : The subjects consisted of 55 children with asthma, 17 with allergic rhinitis, and 14 healthy... |
Purpose : Airway inflammation is considered to be a characteristic feature of asthma, and eosinophils are recognized as the most important inflammatory cells. This study aims to assess the importance of blood eosinophil count and serum eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) levels as a non- invasive marker of bronchial hyperresponsiveness(BHR) in children with suspected asthma. Methods : This study used data from 87... |
Purpose : Several studies have shown that increases of eosinophil markers are common findings of asthma and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, and eosinophil markers reflect the clinical stage of asthma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of eosinophil markers according to the clinical stage of Mycoplasma pneumonia. Methods : The patient group consisted of 33 outpatient children with Mycoplasma pneumonia. Peripheral blood... |
Purpose : Skin reactivity to different allergens may vary with age, since the degree and type of sensitization may be related not only to genetic factors but also to the intensity and duration of exposure to the allergens. The aim of this study was to evaluate profile of sensitization to airborne allergens according to age in children with allergic asthma. Methods... |
Purpose : The purposes of this study were to determine the abnormal high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT) findings of the lung in uncomplicated asthmatic children, to compare the clinical characteristics between normal and abnormal HRCT finding groups and to correlate abnormal HRCT findings with clinical characteristics, especially FEV1 and PC20. Methods : Forty asthmatic children were studied. Inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans were... |
Purpose : Wilson disease is a hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by an accumulation of copper in tissues which sometimes results in renal problems. This study was performed to evaluate the prevalences of the renal problems in Wilson disease and related risk factors. Methods : In 31 patients with Wilson disease, we looked for renal problems by history taking, physical examination... |
Purpose : Skin prick test and determination of allergen-specific IgE antibodies in serum are methods commonly used to diagnose allergies. Several studies indicate that skin test and specific IgE have roughly the same diagnostic precision, although discrepancies exist. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of total serum IgE on the relation between skin prick test and... |
Purpose : Although the diagnosis of foreign bodies in the airway can be made early, retained and neglected foreign bodies are a common occurrence. The objective of this study was to characterize the clinical features of children diagnosed beyond 14 days following inhalation of a foreign body, long-standing foreign body in airway(LFB). Methods : We reviewed the records of 180 cases... |
Purpose : Analyzing of the causes of childhood death will provide us with the basis to understand prevalent diseases and to make the best possible health plan according to the studies. The National Statistical Office(NSO) of Korea has released an annual report of nationwide death. However, it could have underestimated the death toll of children because of delayed or missing... |
Purpose : The release of histamine from human basophils is controlled by an intrinsic, as yet unidentified, cellular property termed “releasability.” We carried out this study to ascertain whether there was any difference in the releasability of basophils from asthmatic children compared to those from normal children. We intended also to clarify the correlation between the releasability and the atopic status of asthma. Methods :... |
Purpose : Many different conditions result in pleural effusions(PEs) and making the differential diagnosis of PE is difficult. The purpose of the present study was to document the change of incidence and compare the etiologies of PEs with regards to age, the sidedness and characteristics of PE. Methods : During the 10-year period from 1986 to 1995, thoracentesis was performed in 197 children with PEs... |
As a preliminary step to determine if we can perform methacholine challenge test in young children, we investigated the feasibility of modified technique of methacholine challenge test in which tidal breathing and chest auscultation were used instead of dosimeter and measurement of lung function in older children. The results are as follows 1) Values of PC20 measured by the tidal breathing... |
In recent years pulmonary function tests have had a wide application in clinical pulmonary diseases. By combining a number of different pulmonary function tests, abnormality present in a particular patient can be defined. This narrows the list of possible diagnosis and allows to determine accurately the degree of impairment and assess the response to therapy. To assess the pulmonary function in... |
Congenital cystic diseases of the lung (CCDL) is a clinical group of disorders characterized by a cystic appearance of pulmonary tissue. It can be classified into four distinct categories: 1) Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE), 2) Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), 3) Pulmonary sequeestration (PS), and ^Bronchogenic cyst (BC). 24 patients with CCDL admitted to the Seoul National University Children’s Hospital from January 1984 to June... |
A clinical observation was made on 14 cases of lipoid pneumonia, who visited department of pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital from August, 1988 to June, 1990. The results were as follows; The ratio of male to female was 10 : 4. Age at diagnosis was 1.1±1. 3 years, and ranged from 3 months to 4.9 years. The age at taking Squalene ranged... |
To determine the frequency, severity, time course and relations of exercise induced changes in lung function, forty-one asthmatic children and fifteen control children were subjected to free running and forced vital capacity (FVC), one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF 25-75%), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were measured before and serially for 60 minutes following exercise. The results were as follows. 1) Significant... |
Fifty.Six cases with infective endocarditis who were admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital from January 1979 to December 1986 were reviewed. All the cases were confirmed bγ clinical findings, blood culture and echocardiographic findings. The incidence of infective endocarditis was 0.25/ 1,000 admissions. Male to female ratio was 1.2:1. All the cases had heart defect that was congenital heart disease in... |
Idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis is an uncommon disease of undetermined cause that is char- acterized by periodic episodes of cough, hemoptysis, widespread pulmonary infiltrates and hypo- chromic anemia. Two cases of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis were diagnosed after open lung biopsy. It revealed hemosiderin and hemosiderin-laden macrophage. There were no specific causes for pulmo- nary hemorrhage. We report 2 cases of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis with brief review... |