A recently recognized connective tissue disorder, Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a genetic aortic aneurysm syndrome caused by mutations in the transforming growth factor-receptor type I or II gene (TGFBR1 or TGFBR2). They have distinctive phenotypic abnormalities including widely spaced eyes (hypertelorism), bifid uvula or cleft palate, and arterial tortuosity with aortic aneurysm or dissection throughout the arterial tree. LDS is...

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a leading cause of invasive infections including bacteremia and meningitis, as well as mucosal infections such as otitis media and pneumonia among children and adults. The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was licensed for use among infants and young children in many countries including Korea. The routine use of PCV7 has resulted in a decreased incidence of...

Compared to that in the Caucasian population, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) incidence rates are very low in Koreans. Therefore, compared to the recent development of pharmacological therapy applicable to Korean children with T1DM, interest in nonpharmacological therapy and psychosocial support systems remains low, as is the development of Korean-style T1DM education programs for therapeutic application. Children who have been...

Asthma in childhood is a heterogeneous disease with different phenotypes and variable clinical manifestations, which depend on the age, gender, genetic background, and environmental influences of the patients. Several longitudinal studies have been conducted to classify the phenotypes of childhood asthma, on the basis of the symptoms, triggers of wheezing illness, or pathophysiological features of the disease. These studies have...