Statistics of Pediatric Surgical Diseases Published in Journal of the Korean Surgical Society between 1959-1993

Abstract

Statistical data of the disease is an important information for the management of the disease. At present, well-planned nationwide survey has been done at highly deyeloped countries. However, it has not been done in Korea even though pediatric surgery has been active since early 1980's. Aim of this study is a trial of getting data for understanding of pediatric surgical diseaes in Korea from published articles in the Journal of the Korean Surgical Society between 1959 and 1993. One thousand four hundred and eighty two records from 792 articles(544 were clinical analysis, 248 were case reports) were analyzed using Paradox for Windows(Borland, ver. 1.0). Parameters were disease name, number of patient, age, sex, published year. Intussusception was the most commonly reported disease with 5,466 patients, sex ratio of M:F=2.1:1, and acute appendicitis(5,050 patients, 1.4:1), inguinal hernia(4,888 patients, 6.5:1) were followed. Among the congenital anomalis, Hirschsprung's disease was the most commonly reported disease with 1,518 patients, 4.6:` and anorectal malformations(1,272 patients, 2:1), jejunoileal atresia/stenosis (124 patients, 1.6 : 1) were followed. Teratoma was the most commonly reported solid tumor with 171 patients, 1:2.4 and Wilms' tumor(119 patients, 1.1:1), neuroblastoma(63 patients, 1.7:1) were followed. Sex ratio of most diseases was similar to other countries' reports, and it seems to be helpful if total number of disease is more than 100 patients. We concluded that sex ratio was the only information valid, and well-designed nationwide multicenter survey is essential to geta significant statistical data in the future.