A Case of Postoperative Guillain-Barré Syndrome After Nasal Surgery

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disease that is generally preceded by an infection. Its typical symptoms are progressive symmetric paresis and an absence of deep tendon reflexes. GBS could be a life-threatening condition due to the paralysis of respiratory muscles, and admission to the intensive care unit should be considered for close monitoring. Intravenous immunoglobulin can improve the course of the disease. Postoperative GBS is most likely to occur after gastrointestinal, cardiac, thoracic, neurological, or orthopedic surgery, as well as surgery in the female reproductive tract. The duration of surgery, age, infectious diseases, preexisting autoimmune diseases, and malignant diseases are associated with postoperative GBS. Patients with these factors have a higher risk of postoperative GBS and therefore require precautions to be taken after surgery. We report a case of 53-year-old woman who had experienced GBS after Nasal surgery preceded by gastrointestinal infection and treated by intravenous immunoglobulin.

Analysis of Clinical Features of Korean Patients with Adrenocortical Carcinoma / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an extremely rare tumor. Its early detection is difficult and its prognosis is poor. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 13 patients with ACC between 1995 and 2005 at Samsung Medical Center. Their clinical features and prognosis were evaluated. RESULTS: The average age of the patients with ACC was 40 years (2~75 years). Eight patients were men and five were women. On the first visit, eight of 13 patients (62%) complained abdominal pain, and abdominal mass was palpable in five of 13 patients (38%). Urinary concentration of 17-ketosteroid collected for 24 hours was increased in two of eight patients (25%). Three out of 13 patients were identified as having functioning adrenal tumors (1 Cushing's syndrome and 2 androgen-producing tumors), and the other 10 patients had hormonally inactive adrenal tumors. Ten patients had tumors in left adrenal gland, and three had in right adrenal gland. At the time of diagnosis, four patients were classified as having stage II, seven as stage III, and two as stage IV. Twelve patients underwent adrenalectomy. One of them received additional chemotherapy, and two patients were treated with external radiation therapy after surgery. The other one patient was treated only with chemotherapy due to the presence of liver metastasis. It was possible to continue the regular follow-up in eight of 13 patients. The median duration of follow-up was 39 months (7~114 months). Six of them are still alive (three have no evidence of disease, one had persistence of disease, and two had recurrence of disease during follow-up period). Two patients died of multiple metastases and lung metastasis, respectively. CONCLUSION: Radical surgery is the only curative approach and is recommended for all patients with resectable tumors, even though in those patients with recurrent disease. There is no consensus concerning adjuvant therapy.

Efficacy of Octreotide LAR in Acromegalic Patients / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: Octreotide(OC)-LAR is a long-acting preparation of octreotide which has been effectively used to suppress GH/IGF-1 hypersecretion in acromegalic patients. The clinical response, biochemical outcomes, and safety of OC-LAR were evaluated in 27 active acromegalic patients. METHOD: 27patients with an active disease status (according to the clinical picture, GH >5microgram/L and elevated age-matched IGF-1), and previously treated with bromocriptine after surgery, comprised the study population. OC-LAR was given(20mg, i.m., every 4 week for 3 injections, then the doses were titrated individually) and the acromegalic symptoms and adverse reactions recorded. The serum levels of GH and IGF-1 were evaluated every 12 week. The acromegalic symptoms including headache, fatigue and arthralgia, improved in all patients. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal side effects were transient and mild. The levels of GH significantly decreased, from 8.9+/-3.5 to 2.9+/-2.2 microgram/L at 12 weeks(P<0.001, vs. baseline), to 2.9+/-2.1microgram/L after 24 weeks(P<0.001) and to 2.5 +/-1.3microgram/L at 48 weeks(P<0.001). The levels of IGF-1 significantly decreased, from 753.7+/-213.6 to 429.7+/-253.4 microgram/L at 12 weeks(P<0.001, vs. at baseline), to 405.7+/-213.3microgram/L at 24 weeks(P <0.001) and to 348.9+/-144.7microgram/L at 48 weeks(P<0.001). The safelevel of GH is less than 2.5microgram/L and normal age-matched IGF-1 levels were achieved in 63 and 52% of the patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Octreotide-LAR was well tolerated and effective as an adjuvant treatment in lowering the levels of GH and IGF-1 in active acromegalic patients.

Successful Immunosuppression with Cyclosporine after Renal Transplantation in a Patient with Chronic Renal Failure Due to Postpartum Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome / 대한이식학회지

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is characterized by the symptoms of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia and renal failure. The incidence of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with pregnancy is 10 to 25 percent. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is treated with adjunctive therapies, such as anti-platelet agents, glucocorticoid and plasma exchange. However, many patients experience a residual impairment in renal function and some of them progress to end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or renal transplantation. Immunosuppression with cyclosporine has been implicated as a significant risk factor for post- transplant hemolytic uremic syndrome. A number of reports on transplant recipients have recognized cyclosporine-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome as a distinct entity and a potentially serious complication of cyclosporine administration.We report a case of a patient with successful renal transplantation using cyclosporine who had a severe case of post-partum hemolytic uremic syndrome that progressed to end-stage renal disease. After cadaver-donor renal transplantation using cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisolone her graft function at two years is normal with serum creatinine 1.0 mg/dl.