Intussusception in Taiwanese children: analysis of incidence, length of hospitalization and hospital costs in different age groups.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study investigated the characteristics of intussusception in Taiwanese children of different age groups, including the incidence, length of hospitalization and hospital costs. METHODS: Children with a diagnosis of intussusception who were hospitalized from 1999 through 2001 were identified from a nationwide health insurance claims database. The incidence of intussusception was calculated by age, gender, and season. Length of hospitalization and hospital costs were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 6988 cases of intussusception were identified in Taiwan from 1999 to 2001. Among them, 4859 cases occurred in children below 15 years of age. The average incidence among children below age 15 years was 34.5 per 100,000, with a peak incidence of 118.8 per 100,000 observed among children younger than 24 months old. The highest incidence of intussusception in Taiwanese children occurred between 12 and 24 months of age. According to the data for patients below 15 years of age hospitalized for intussusception in year 2000, males were more likely to be affected than females (61.3% vs 38.7%). Intussusception-related hospitalizations were rare in infants in the first few months of life, increased in those 6 to 12 months old, and peaked among children 1 to 3 years old. Among the 952 patients with intussusception admitted to hospitals in 2000, 297 (31.2%) received surgery, incurring higher median medical costs (New Taiwan Dollars [NT dollars] 42,265 or US dollars 1234) and longer median hospital stay (6.2 days) than the 655 patients who did not require surgery (NT dollars 6290 or US dollars 185 for hospitalization of 2.4 days). CONCLUSIONS: The study found that the incidence of intussusception peaked in the second year of life in Taiwanese children. There was also a male predominance and lack of seasonal variation in incidence.     

Recurrent acalculous cholecystitis and sclerosing cholangitis in a patient with X-linked hyper-immunoglobulin M syndrome.

X-linked hyper-immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome (XHIGM) is a rare genetic primary immunodeficiency disease caused by mutations of the CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene with normal or elevated levels of IgM and markedly decreased serum IgG, IgA, and IgE. Liver disease may occur as a clinical manifestation in XHIGM. This complication appears to increase with age. We report an 18-year-old male patient who had recurrent episodes of acalculous cholecystitis (AC) and sclerosing cholangitis (SC). The diagnosis of XHIGM was confirmed by the finding of CD40L expression < 1% of normal and a tyrosine 169 asparaginase (t526a) mutation in exon 5 (the tumor necrosis factor domain) of the CD40L gene. The patient had direct hyperbilirubinemia (direct bilirubin 5.5 mg/dL, total bilirubin 8.7 mg/dL), cholestasis (alkaline phosphatase 1133 U/L, gamma-glutamyl transferase 1019 U/L) and elevated transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase 70 U/L, alanine aminotransferase 101 U/L). Findings on abdominal ultrasound and abdominal computed tomography were compatible with AC. After the fourth episode of cholecystitis, cholecystectomy and liver biopsy were performed. Operative cholangiography revealed poor opacification of the hepatic duct and proximal common bile duct; the upstream intrahepatic bile ducts were not visualized. The biopsy specimen showed marked fibrosis of the portal areas. Enterococcus species was cultured from the bile. Children or adolescents with recurrent AC and SC should be evaluated for an underlying immunodeficiency syndrome such as XHIGM.     

Acute pancreatitis combined with acute Budd-Chiari syndrome as the initial manifestation of small cell lung cancer.

Tumor metastasis to the pancreas is a rare but recognized cause of acute pancreatitis. Autopsy series have reported a 24-40% of pancreatic involvement in small cell lung cancer. However, only a very few cases of tumor-induced acute pancreatitis have been described. Budd-Chiari syndrome complicating lung cancer is a rarely reported condition. We report a 68-year-old woman with extensive small cell lung cancer with the unusual initial presentation of both acute pancreatitis and acute Budd-Chiari syndrome. This patient suffered from progressive epigastralgia for 3 weeks. Severe epigastralgia with radiation to back and progressive jaundice developed 2 days prior to admission. After admission, the liver enlarged rapidly and the ascites increased markedly. Chest roentgenogram showed a mass lesion over the left lower lung field. Poorly differentiated carcinoma cells were found in ascites and bone marrow. The patient died on the ninth day of hospitalization before chemotherapy was initiated. Prompt diagnosis of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer may allow early chemotherapy treatment which favorably influences recovery when the pancreatitis is mild. Although prolonged survival might have been expected had this patient recovered from pancreatitis and received chemotherapy, diagnosis was delayed due to difficulty in immunohistochemical diagnosis of the tumor and the unusual clinical presentation. The use of stains employing antibodies against neurofilament and neuron-specific enolase cell antigens is important for early diagnosis of poorly differentiated metastatic tumor cells.     

Pneumocephalus after thoracoscopic excision of posterior mediastinal tumor.

Pneumocephalus is a very rare complication of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). A 66-year-old man developed pneumocephalus secondary to thoracoscopic excision of a neurogenic tumor in the posterior mediastinum. Pneumocephalus was diagnosed by brain computed tomography. Neurosurgical intervention was performed after conservative therapy had failed. The patient's condition had resolved without any neurologic sequelae 2 years later. When a patient has a relatively large amount of chest tube drainage and neurologic symptoms after VATS, the possibility of pneumocephalus due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage must be considered.     

硬膜外穿刺针外套管在腹腔镜小儿斜疝高位结扎术中的应用

目的探讨硬膜外穿刺针外套管在腹腔镜小儿斜疝疝囊高位结扎中的应用价值。方法2003年4月-2006年5月,我院对230例小儿斜疝手术应用硬膜外穿刺针外套管代替雪橇钩针实施腹腔镜疝内环口荷包高位结扎术。结果230例手术均获得成功,手术时间：单侧161例8-10 min,嵌顿疝39例15-20 min,双侧30例16-20 min;术后未见有阴囊水肿及睾血疼痛及缺血坏死。术后随访2-6个月111例,6-12个月52例,12-24个月37例,24-36个月30例,无复发。结论硬膜外刺针外套管可替代小儿疝囊结扎专用的雪橇钩针,简便,经济,适合在所有基层医院推广。     

“黄风湿”系列疗法——火针封闭治疗痛风石的疗效观察

痛风是一种由嘌呤代谢紊乱所致的疾病,日久不愈、反复发作则逐渐形成痛风石沉积。常规治疗对痛风石效果不明显。黄再军医院采用火针封闭疗法治疗痛风石36例,经临床观察治愈率为69.4%,显效率为25.0%,有效率为5.6%,总有效率达100%。     

支气管结核纤维支气管镜下局部清理、注药与联合微波治疗的疗效比较

支气管结核患者由于支气管局部的肉芽组织增生、溃疡、干酪性坏死、管腔狭窄阻塞等改变，虽然使用强有力的全身抗痨方案治疗，亦很难将其治愈，常常迁延不愈，局部结构组织破坏明显，引起永久性狭窄、闭塞，导致肺不张、毁损肺等严重的并发症。全身抗痨结合纤维支气管镜清理支气管局部的增生肉芽、坏死组织后注入异烟肼、链霉素的方法可使疗效明显提高。近年来微波技术已逐渐应用于通过纤维支气管镜治疗多种气道疾病。现将我院近5年来确诊的支气管结核用纤支镜局部病灶清理、注抗痨药治疗与同时联合微波热灼治疗的疗效进行分析、报告如下。     

血浆三种维生素检测对急性胰腺炎的临床价值

目的　探讨急性胰腺炎与血浆维生素C、维生素E和 β 胡萝卜素的关系。 方法　采用分光光度比色分析法检测 6 8例急性胰腺炎和 4 0例健康献血员血浆三种维生素含量。结果　急性胰腺炎组维生素C、维生素E、β 胡萝卜素含量较对照组显著降低 (P <0 .0 1) ,且随着禁食时间的延长呈逐渐降低趋势。 结论　急性胰腺炎时患者体内的氧化和抗氧化系统平衡失调 ,补充抗氧化维生素有助于病情的恢复。     

Inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system: a new avenue for atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is thought to be functionally active in atherosclerosis (AS) lesions. Aspirin was found to be a potent inhibitor of the UPS in some tumour studies; however, its effect on AS remains to be demonstrated in vivo. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits were placed on a normal diet (N) or on a normal diet with aspirin (NI) or on an atherogenic diet without (H) or with aspirin (HI) for 12 weeks. Proteasome activity, concentrations of plasma lipids and levels of peroxidation were determined. Ubiquitin/ubiquitin-conjugates (Ub), IkappaBalpha, phosphorylated IkappaB (pIkappaBalpha) and p65 were investigated by Western blotting or immunochemistry. RESULTS: Concentrations of plasma lipids and peroxidation levels were higher in H or HI vs. N or NI. Histological analysis showed that atheroma was increased in H. Ub and IkappaBalpha were mainly localised in subendothelium and media vascular smooth muscle cells. Western blots revealed that Ub, IkappaBalpha, and pIkappaBalpha were increased, whereas p65 was lower in HI vs. H. The activity of the 20S proteasome was functionally active in H vs. N, NI or HI, while the 26S proteasome was not affected in any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin can attenuate the pathogenesis of atheroma formation, the degradation of IkappaBalpha and pIkappaBalpha, and lower the expression of p65, indicating that its therapeutic effects on AS may be via inhibition of the UPS.