Biomedical subjects

K M Konzen

Publications and source records attributed to K M Konzen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

Juvenile temporal arteritis revisited.

We describe a case of arteritis involving the superficial temporal artery in an 8-year-old boy. After a 2-week prodrome of headache in the right temporal region, a painful pulsatile 6-mm nodule developed. No history of trauma or systemic disease was noted. The differential diagnosis included vasculitis or thrombosis of a vascular malformation of the temporal artery. The lesion was surgically excised for both diagnostic and cosmetic reasons. Histologic features of the nodule were diagnostic of juvenile temporal arteritis and characterized by non-giant cell granulomatous inflammation of the temporal artery, occlusive fibrous intimal proliferation, and microaneurysmal disruption of the media. At 12-month follow-up, the patient was well; no recurrent lesions or systemic disease was noted. Although rare, this disease should be recognized as arteritis that affects the external carotid circulation and should not be confused with classic giant cell temporal arteritis. If physicians are aware of this benign inflammatory disease of the temporal artery in children and young adults, unnecessary treatment will not be administered.

Child↗

PubMed1993

Long-term follow-up of young patients with chronic hereditary or idiopathic pancreatitis.

We conducted a retrospective study of patients younger than 20 years of age who had a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and underwent assessment at the Mayo Clinic between 1960 and 1990. Those with a known etiologic factor for the pancreatitis (such as a virus, trauma, alcohol, or hyperlipidemia) were excluded from the study. We compared the clinical course of the 42 patients who had hereditary pancreatitis (HP)--defined as at least two family members affected by the condition--with that of the 28 patients who had idiopathic pancreatitis (IP). The mean age at initial assessment was 7 years for those with HP and 12 years for those with IP. All patients in both groups had abdominal pain. Vomiting was more frequent in patients with HP than in those with IP; otherwise the initial symptoms were similar in both groups. Patients with HP, however, had more complications, including pseudocysts (seven patients), steatorrhea (four), ascites (three), portal hypertension (two), and diabetes (one), than did patients with IP (one each had diabetes, steatorrhea, and a pseudocyst). Complications or pain necessitated surgical intervention in 23 of 42 patients with HP versus 4 of 28 patients with IP. Overall in comparison with IP, HP seems to be a more severe variant of chronic pancreatitis, inasmuch as it is associated with more frequent complications and need for surgical intervention.

Celiac Disease↗

PubMed1992

Surgical therapy and long-term follow-up of childhood hereditary pancreatitis.

Treatment and a 15-year follow-up survey of 42 patients with hereditary pancreatitis (HP) were compared with 28 patients with idiopathic recurrent pancreatitis (RP) of childhood. There was no difference between the two groups except for pancreatic ductal dilatation and stones in patients with HP. Longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy (20) or resection and drainage procedures (7) were more commonly required in patients with HP than RP (55% v 14%). There was no surgical mortality. Postoperatively, immediate and complete relief of symptoms was obtained in 43% of patients with HP and 25% of patients with RP. In the remainder, recurrent attacks of pancreatitis abated over 2 years such that 81% of the surgical patients were in good or excellent health. Occasional symptoms persisted in 52% of HP patients and 25% of RP patients. Of the 20 patients with HP or RP undergoing longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy extending from the head to the tail, 75% were symptom-free on follow-up. However, 3 of 6 patients with poor results had also undergone this procedure. At long-term follow-up of patients who did not undergo operation, 75% of HP patients and 90% of RP patients reported excellent or good health despite the persistent symptoms in 68% and 42%, respectively. Surgery for childhood HP is dependent on the complications present. Longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy is beneficial for ductal dilatation and associated pseudocysts or pancreatic ascites. The performance of this procedure in the absence of consistent pancreatic duct dilatation will give poor results. Patients without ductal dilatation and the majority of patients with RP may eventually lead near normal lives without resorting to surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗