• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1000-1006
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• 2002

Purpose : In the course of treatment, patients with hematological or oncological disorders often develop pulmonary complication. The patients who develop a severe pulmonary complication have a poor outlook. The causes of pulmonary complication are either infectious or non-infectious in origin. We have analyzed the etiology and outcome of these patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of Asan Medical Center. Methods : Medical records of 95 patients on Pediatric oncology service who were admitted to pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) of Asan Medical Center from Jan 1997 to May 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Results : The mean age of the patients was 8.5 years(2 months-18 years). The underlying malignancies of these 95 patients were as following; acute lymphoblastic leukemia(31 cases), lymphoma (11 cases), acute myeloid leukemia(nine cases), brain tumor(eight cases) and other solid tumors(25 cases). Pulmonary complications included pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, pneumothorax and pleural effusion. The most common cause of pulmonary complication was infection(88%) in etiology. The overall mortality rate was 56.8%. Pulmonary complications in these patients carried high rates of mortality regardless of whether they were immune compromised(76%) or not(69%). Even without pulmonary complications, the hematological or oncological patients admitted to PICU had high mortality rates of 43%. Conclusion : Pulmonary complications are frequent finding in the hematological or oncological patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit. The main etiology of these pulmonary complications was infection, which carried a high mortality rate regardless of their immune status at the time when they were admitted to PICU.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.178-182
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• 2003

Purpose : Brain tumors are the second most common tumor in childhood, and medulloblastomas comprise 15-25% of brain tumors. The well known prognostic factors are age at diagnosis, stage of disease, and extent of surgical excision. In this study, we analysed the prognostic factors in patients who received chemotherapy after excision. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 61 patients who received chemotherapy among the 94 patients who were diagnosed and treated between Jan 1985 and Sep 2001 in the Department of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery at Severance Hospital. Results : Among the total survival rate of patients who underwent chemotherapy, the 3-yr progression-free survival rate was $66.5{\pm}6.3%$ and the 15-yr progression-free survival rate was $60.3{\pm}6.7%$. The progression-free survival rate for patients with age at diagnosis over 3 yrs old and under 3 yrs old, was $64.5{\pm}7.7%$ and $48.2{\pm}12.9%$ respectively and there was no statistically significant difference. The survival rate of the high vs low risk group by staging was $72.7{\pm}10.5%$ and $54.6{\pm}8.3%$ respectively, and there was no significant difference. The survival rate of patients with total removal vs subtotal removal was $65.8{\pm}11.8%$ and $56.8{\pm}8.2%$ respectively, showing no statistical difference. Conclusion : The reason there is no difference in survival rate according to the traditional prognostic factors is that chemotherapy has improved not only the total survival rate but also the survival rate in patients with poor traditional prognostic factors. So, sufficient removal of tumor followed by proper chemotherapy and radiotherapy is an important factor which influences the survival rate of medulloblastoma patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 1988

The abdominal tumors in children are different from those of adult. These tumors are the third most common one, preceded by leukemia and brain tumors, in children under 15 years. X-ray examination is the most important method among diagnostic approaches. The role of diagnostic imaging is to identify the precise anatomic location and extent of pathologic process with the minimal number of imaging procedures. 23 cases of abdominal tumors were reviewed in respect of age incidence, site of origin, radiologic findings. The results are briefly summarized as follows : 1. Neuroblastoma was the most common(6 cases) and wi1m's tumor(5 cases), choledocal cyst(4 cases), ovarian mass(3 cases), hydronephrosis(2 cases), were descending order in frequency. 2. The most common site was retroperitoneum(60%). Kidney was the single most common site of origin. 3. Radiologic findings. The most common findings of plain radiography was ill defined soft tissue mass and this method was helpful in the presence of calcification especially in neuroblastoma. Ultrasonographic pattern was anechoic(cystic), echoic or mixed pattern, but this method provide less precise anatomical details, nevertheless ultrasonography wes paticullary useful imaging modality for the pediatric abdominal tumors. IVP findings were renal displacement, caliceopelvic system distortion or nonvisualization of kidney, these information was helpful in determining the location of tumors. CT scan showed homogenous or inhomogenous, cystic or solid, mass with their anatomic location. 4. Ultrasonography was the most widely used specific diagnostic method, but had limited value in detecting the anatomic location of tumors. CT scan was superior to ultrasound for determining the extent of tumors.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.262-266
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• 2010

Tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) is a major proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathophysiology of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Etanercept is an effective inhibitor of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and has shown a beneficial effect in patients with JRA. However, the most important cause of concern related to etanercept administration is infection. We report a case of encephalitis in a JRA patient receiving long-term treatment with etanercept. The patient was a 4-year-old boy with refractory JRA, and he received etanercept subcutaneously at a dose of $0.4\;mg\;kg^{-1}\;day^{-1}$ twice a week for 14 months, along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate, oral steroids, and sulfasalazine. The patient presented with sudden fever, headache, vomiting, a generalized tonic seizure, and changes in mental status. We suspected a central nervous system infection, and simultaneously administered antibiotics, an antiviral agent, and steroids. After 2 days of hospitalization, his mental function returned to normal, and he showed no further seizure-like movements. Brain magnetic resonance imaging scan of the patient showed a multifocal cortical lesion on both sides of the temporoparietooccipital lobe, which indicated encephalitis. Although we were unable to identify the causative organism of encephalitis, we think that the encephalitis may be attributed to infection, and the use of etanercept may have increased the risk of severe infection. Therefore, etanercept was discontinued and the patient recovered shortly after. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of encephalitis in a juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patient treated with etanercept.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.84-88
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• 2008

Purpose : Radiotherapy is effective in local treatment for retinoblastoma. However, asymmetric facial hypoplasia after radiation is a serious late effect. This study was performed to investigate the effects of enucleation and chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy in advanced intraocular and intraorbital retinoblastoma. Methods : Between 1985 October and 2006 December, the records of thirty five patients who were diagnosed as retinoblastoma at Yeungnam University Hospital were reviewed. Advanced intraocular and intraorbital retinoblastoma patients classified as Reese-Ellsworth group III, IV, and V and Grabowski- Abramson class II were selected for the study. Results : Eighteen patients were enrolled in this study. All patients were enucleated and had received chemotherapy. Nine patients received radiotherapy and nine patients didn't receive radiotherapy. Tumor cells were found on resection margin of optic nerve in five of nine patients who received radiotherapy, but none of nine who didn't receive radiotherapy. Chemotherapy included vincristine, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, VM-26, cisplatin before 2001, and vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin after 2001. There were no recurrences or metastases in nine patients who didn't receive radiotherapy. But two of nine patients who received radiotherapy had metastases to brain. However, all survivors who received radiotherapy had significant facial asymmetry. Conclusion : In advanced intraocular and intraorbital retinoblastoma without tumor cell on resection margin of optic nerve, enucleation and chemotherapy without local radiotherapy appears to be safe for long-term survival. However, in those with tumor cells on resection margin of optic nerve, enucleation and chemotherapy with local radiotherapy seems to be necessary to improve survival.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.11
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• pp.1097-1103
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• 2007

Purpose : Acute symptomatic seizure is defined as a temporary seizure together with acute systemic, metabolic, or toxic insult in association with an acute central nervous system insult. And unprovoked seizure is defined as seizure without provocating factors. We studied the risk factors of unprovoked seizures after acute symptomatic seizure in children. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the records of one hundred and ten children with acute symptomatic seizures who were admitted to the pediatric department of Chungbuk National University Hospital between January, 1998 and December, 2003. We analyzed overall risk factors of unprovoked seizures after acute symptomatic seizures involving etiology, incidence, type of seizure, duration and neuroimaging. Results : We analyzed records of 110 children with acute symptomatic seizures aged from 1 month to 17 years. 24 children had unprovoked seizures (21.8%) after acute symptomatic seizures. Causes in order of frequency were encephalopathy, central nervous system infection, brain tumor, cerebrovascular disease. The risk of unprovoked seizure was significantly greater for those with status epilepticus (68.4%) than without status epilepticus, with partial seizure (64.7%) than generalized seizure. And the risk of unprovoked seizure was strongly associated with abnormal finding of electroencephalogram (79.1%) and neuroimaging (41.6%). Conclusion : In conclusion, the leading cause of subsequent unprovoked seizure in children with acute symptomatic seizure was encephalopathy and age specific incidence was high in the group aged 24-72 months. The risk for subsequent unprovoked seizure was greater for those with partial seizure, status epilepticus, abnormal finding of neuroimaging and electroencephalography.