All issues > Volume 35(6); 1992

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(6):788-794. Published online June 15, 1992.

Clinical Observation on Reye syndrome According to the Onset of Age in Children

Kyung Hee KH Kim¹, Baik Hee BH Lee¹, Myung Ik MI Lee¹, Don Hee DH Ahn¹, Keun Chan KC Sohn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

A clinical observation according to the age of onset was made on 40 children with Reye syndrome who had been admitted to pediatric department of National Medical Center during 11 year period from January 1979 to December 1989. 1) Annual distribution showed the largest number in 1982. There was no significant difference in seasonal distribution. 2) Cases of infant comprised 22 (55.0%) while cases over 1 year were 18 (45.0%). Male to female ratio was 1.7 :1. 3) The time interval between antecedent illness and admission was 5 days in infant and 4 days in older age. 4) As for economic state, low class was 42.1%, middle class was 55.3% and high class was 2.6%. There was no difference between infant and older age groups. 5) Chief clinical findings on admission were mental change, convulsion, palpable liver, tachypnea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal distension. 6) The most common antecedent illness was URI (42.5%) and there was no statistically significant difference between infant and older age group. 7) Clinical stage on admission was milder in infant than older age group. 8) The result of treatment in infant showed recovery in 40.9%, sequale in 13.6%, death in 18.2% and hopeless discharge in 27.3% and that of older age showed recovery in 55.6%, sequale in 11.1%, death in 22.2% and hopeless discharge in 11.1%. Death or hopeless discharge occurred more frequently in infant than older age group. 9) The level of s-GOT and s-GPT were higher in older age group than infant, on the contrary, the level of blood ammonia was higher in infant than older age group.

Keywords :Reye syndrome, Onset of age