Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2013
Clinical characteristics of pediatric thalassemia in Korea: a single institute experience.
Few literatures have elaborated on the clinical characteristics of children with thalassemia from low-prevalence areas. A retrospective analysis was conducted on children genetically confirmed with thalassemia at Seoul National University Children's Hospital in Korea. Nine children (1α thalassemia trait, 6β thalassemia minor, 2β thalassemia intermedia) were diagnosed with thalassemia at median age of 4.3 yr old with median hemoglobin of 9.7 g/dL. ⋯ He also had splenomegaly, cholelithiasis, and calvarial vault thickening. Pediatricians in Korea must acknowledge thalassemia as a possible diagnosis in children with microcytic hypochromic hemolytic anemia. High level of suspicion will allow timely diagnosis and managements.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2013
Case ReportsANCA-negative Wegener's granulomatosis with multiple lower cranial nerve palsies.
Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic vasculitis affecting small and medium-sized vessels with granulomatous formation. Though it is known for respiratory tract and kidney involvement, neurologic manifestation has been also reported. Herein we report a patient who suffered pansinusitis with multiple lower cranial nerve palsies but reached remission by immunosuppressant after the diagnosis of WG. ⋯ Given cyclophosphamide and prednisolone, her symptoms were prominently improved. WG should be considered in the patient with multiple cranial nerve palsies, especially those with paranasal sinus disease. Because WG can be lethal if delayed in treatment, prompt immunosuppressant is warranted after the diagnostic tissue biopsy.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2013
Decreased renal function is an independent predictor of severity of coronary artery disease: an application of Gensini score.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although many studies have shown a higher prevalence of CAD among these patients, the association between the spectrum of renal dysfunction and severity of CAD remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the association between renal function and the severity of CAD. ⋯ The severity of CAD was evaluated by Gensini score according to the degree of luminal narrowing and location(s) of obstruction in the involved main coronary artery. In all patients, the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was independently associated with Gensini score (β=-0.27, P < 0.001) in addition to diabetes mellitus (β=0.07, P = 0.02), hypertension (β=0.12, P < 0.001), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (β=0.08, P = 0.003), and hemoglobin (β=-0.07, P = 0.03) after controlling for other confounding factors. The result of this study demonstrates that decreased renal function is associated not only with the prevalence, but also the severity, of CAD.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2013
Case ReportsGlufosinate herbicide intoxication causing unconsciousness, convulsion, and 6th cranial nerve palsy.
Although glufosinate ammonium herbicides are considered safe when used properly, ingestion of the undiluted form can cause grave outcomes. Recently, we treated a 34-yr-old man who ingested glufosinate ammonium herbicide. ⋯ This case report describes the clinical features of glufosinate intoxication with a focus on sixth cranial nerve palsy. Our observation suggests that neurologic manifestations after ingestion of a "low-grade toxicity herbicide" are variable and more complex than that was previously considered.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Nov 2013
Comparison of specific IgE antibodies to wheat component allergens in two phenotypes of wheat allergy.
Specific IgE to gliadin was proposed as a marker for wheat dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis, while Tri a 14 was found to induce IgE response in baker's asthma. We evaluated whether these components could be used for discriminating phenotypes of wheat allergy. ⋯ The cutoff value for predicting the baker's asthma using the ratio of serum specific IgE to Tri a 14 to gliadin was 742.8 optical density×1,000/(kU/L) with high sensitivity and specificity. These findings suggest that Tri a 14/gliadin may be a potential marker for predicting baker's asthma.