A Case of Superior Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis Due to Protein C Deficiency in a Patient with Duodenal Ulcer Bleeding / 대한소화기학회지

Mesenteric venous thrombosis is a clinically very rare disease, and may cause bowel infarction and gangrene. Difficulty in the dignosis the disease due to its non-specific symptoms and low prevalence can cause a clinically fatal situation. Mesenteric venous thrombosis may be caused by both congenital and acquired factors, and protein C deficiency, which is a very rare genetic disorder, is one of many causes of mesenteric thrombosis. The authors experienced a case of mesenteric venous thrombosis caused by protein C deficiency in a patient with duodenal ulcer bleeding, so here we report a case together with literature review.

A Comparative Study of Complications after Endoscopic Sphincterotomy according to the Types of Electrosurgical Current / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (EST) has a very important role in the treatment of pancreatico-biliary diseases, but it has complications. We retrospectively investigated whether the types of electrosurgical currents affect occurence of complications. MEHTODS: In pancreatico-biliary diseases, consecutive 150 patients undergoing EST with pure cutting current (cutting group) and then consecutive 150 patient with blend current (blended group) were studied in respect to post-EST complications and the presence of periampullary diverticulum and papillitis in major papilla. Major bleeding was defined as a decrease in hemoglobin of at least 2 g/dL. Clinical pancreatitis was defined as abdominal pain with elevated serum amylase above three times about the upper normal limit after 48 hour. RESULTS: Major bleeding has not occurred. Minor bleeding occurred in 25/300 patients (8.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=150) and blended group (n=150). Except 54 patients with elevated amylase before procedure, pancreatitis occurred in 13/246 patients (5.3%), but was not different in cutting group (n=122) and blended group (n=124). Two cases in blended group had moderate pancreatitis. There was no differences of bleeding, pancreatitis, in patients with diverticulum (n=112) and without diverticulum (n=188). Minor bleeding was more common in patients with papillitis (n=24) than without papillitis (n=276) (p=0.000), but the incidence of post EST pancreatitis was similar. In 235 patients with choledocholithiasis, there was no difference in terms of bleeding, pancreatitis in cutting group (n=120) and blended group (n=115). CONCLUSIONS: Post- EST bleeding and pancreatitis were not affected by the types of electrosurgical current used. When EST was performed in patient with papillitis, minor bleeding was observed commonly.

Lack of Association Between Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Gene Polymorphisms of VDR in Korean Postmenopausal Women / 대한류마티스학회지

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether polymorphisms of the Vitamin D receptor (VDR)gene,known to be associated with osteoporosis and/or osteoarthritis (OA) in Caucasians,might also relate to the risk of OA and osteoporosis in Korean postmenopausal women METHODS: A population of 130 postmenopausal women,including 76 healthy controls and 54 knee OA patients,were studied using anteroposterior radiographs of the knee,which were graded for OA according to the Kellgren classification system.The VDR genotype was determined by using polymerase chain reaction and by digestion with the three restriction enzymes Taq I,Bsm I,and Apa I.Femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD)was assessed in all participants by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry . RESULTS: VDR genotype frequency distributions in Koreans were much different from Caucasian's both in the OA group and the control group.Especially, "t t", "B B" and "A A" genotype were very rare,prominently differentiating from Caucasians.But within Koreans,no significant differences in VDR genotype frequencies were observed between OA cases and controls.VDR genotype was not significantly associated with the radiographic grades of OA.And there were no significant relationships of VDR genotype with BMD scores in each group. CONCLUSION: In Korean postmenoposal women,the VDR gene polymorphisms do not significantly contribute to an increased prevalence of knee OA or to differences in BMD.VDR genotype analysis would not be helpful for assessing the risk of knee OA in Koreans because :(1)there is no correlation of VDR genotypes with the radiographic severity of OA ;and (2)there is a more skewed distribution of VDR genotypes in Korean population compared to the Caucasian's .

A Case of Primary Benign Histiocytosis X of the Stomach / 대한소화기내시경학회지

To our knowledge, there are only six cases of histiocytosis X confined to the stomach. A rare case of gastric polyposis caused by infiltration of histiocytes is reported. A 35-year-old Korean woman with no particular complaints was found to have numerous polyps all over the gastric wall revealed by radiographic and endoscopic examination. Endoscopic biopsy of polyps showed that there were diffuse solid infiltration of hidstiocytes with indistinct cytoplasmic membrane and an absence of phagocytosis in laminar propria mucosae. Immunohistiochemical stain showed positive reaction for S-100 and CD68 and a negative reaction for cytokeratin in the infiltrating histiocytes. Electron microscopic examination showed foamy vacuoles with digested debris around nucleus and displaced cellular organelles to periphery. Systemic examination showed no abonormalities outside the stomach.

A Case of Adult Onset Still's Disease Associated with Epstein-Barr Virus / 대한류마티스학회지

Adult onset Still 's disease (AOSD)is a rare,distinct clinical entity which affects predominantly young adults aged 16-35.It affects multiple organs,and at present,the etiology is still unclear.Because this disease has few diagnostic or confirmative test,the diagnosis is made by the differential diagnosis and by excluding other diseases.Several reports have suggested a viral trigger in the pathogenesis of this disease.It has some common clinical features ;abrupt onset, high fever,sore throat,transient maculopapular rash,lymphadenopathy,and hepatosplenomegaly.We describe a 17-year-old man who fulfilled the proposed diagnostic criteria of AOSD and had evidence of acute Epstein-Barr virus infection.He complained of intermittent high fever and myalgia for a week.He also had maculopapular rash,sore throat,multiple right cervical lymphadenopahty, and right ankle pain and swelling.After admission,intermittent fever persisted for a month,but diffuse myalgia and migrating arthralgia fluctuated.

A Case of Collapsing Glomerulopathy Discovered in End Stage Renal Disease(ESRD) with Normal Sized Kidney / 대한신장학회잡지

Collapsing glomerulopathy is recently described as the disease which causes rapidly progressive renal failure. Clinically, the disease starts with constitutional symptoms, and then nephrotic syndrome with marked proteinuria and hypertension follows. Eventually the disease rapidly progresses to the ESRD within several weeks to months. Its typical renal biopsy findings are extensive glomerular capillary collapse, visceral epithelial cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and variable degree of tubulointerstitial inflammation. Such findings closely resemble those of HIV associated nephropathy(HIVAN) except endothelial inclusion body in HIVAN. Here we present, for the first time in Korea, a 16 yrs-old female patient with ESRD in a normal sized kidney. Nephrotic syndrome and hypertension were also accompanied. Serologically, she had no evidence of HIV infection. Though her symptom duration was somewhat shorter than that previously reported, her renal biopsy findings were those of collapsing glomerulopathy as previously described. Her renal function did not return to normal, and now she is on regular hemodialysis, waiting for renal transplantation.

Value of Dynamic MR Imaging in the Detection of Pituitary Microadenoma

PURPOSE: To determine whether dynamic or conventional MR imaging is most useful for the detection of pituitary microadenoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 20 patients (M:F=1:19, mean age=37 years) in whom a pituitary microadenoma had been identified. Routine unenhanced coronal T1-weighted MR imaging was followed by dynamic imaging (repetition time/echo time/excitation=200/10/1, 3-mm-thick sections, 256X128 or 256 ma-trix,14X14-cm field of view, scan time=30 or 60 seconds, spin-echo pulse sequence), and contrast-enhanced coronal T1-weighted imaging was then immediately performed. Temporal changes in signal intensity were quantified with manually placed ROIs (regions of interest, circular, 3 mm 2), and tissue contrast between the pituitary gland and microadenoma was calculated. Conspicuity of the tumor margin was graded by three radiologists working independently as either 4 (excellent clear margin), 3 (good clear margin), 2 (relatively clear mar-gin), or 1 (unclear margin). RESULTS: Average peak enhancement of the pituitary gland and microadenoma occurred at 58.5 and 91.5 seconds, respectively. Maximum enhancement of the pituitary gland occurred within 30 to 60 seconds of contrast infusion (signal intensity range: 426-442), but during dynamic MR imaging, the microadenoma showed rela-tively constant enhancement (signal intensity range: 230 -250). Maximal contrast between normal pituitary gland and the microadenoma was seen at 60 seconds or in the first three sequential images. Dynamic MR images were superior to conventional T1-weighted images, with or without contrast infusion, not only in terms of tissue contrast between the pituitary gland and the microadenoma (p=0.0048), but also as regards tumor margin conspicuity (p=0.0035). CONCLUSION: Dynamic MR imaging is a useful technique in the detection of pituitary microadenoma.