SIADH and Guillain-Barre Syndrome Associated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis / 대한신장학회지

Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disturbances in nephrologic clinical setting. SIADH is one of the causes of hyponatremia and can be accompanied with various conditions such as malignancies, infections and nervous system diseases. Guillain-Barre syndrome is an acute inflammatory polyneuropathy. It is reported that SIADH can be accompanied with Guillain-Barre syndrome although the mechanism is unclear. Symptoms of Guillain- Barre syndrome such as general weakness, decreased consciousness, and seizure are similar to those of hyponatremia. Thus the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome can be delayed if they coexist. Because Guillain-Barre syndrome leads to severe respiratory failure in its disease course and mechanical ventilatory assistance is mandatory for such cases, early diagnosis and treatment is critical. Korea is still endemic area for tuberculosis and clinicians often experience pulmonary tuberculosis in practice. But pulmonary tuberculosis-associated SIADH and Guillain-Barre syndrome were not reported in Korea. So far, 2 cases of gastrointestinal infection-associated SIADH and Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported. Hence, authors report here the case of SIADH associated Guillain-Barre syndrome associated with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Nine Cases of Sporadic Acute Hepatitis E in Korea / 대한간학회지

Hepatitis E virus is an enterically transmitted virus that causes endemic cases of acute hepatitis in many countries in Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia. Sporadic cases of acute hepatitis E also have been reported in developed countries. In non-endemic areas, most of the sporadic cases of hepatitis E are introduced from the endemic areas. Until now, only three cases of acute hepatitis E have been reported in Korea. Recently, we experienced nine cases of acute hepatitis, in which serologic studies showed positive of IgM anti-HEV. We report these as cases of acute hepatitis E. These cases suggest that HEV infection occurs sporadically in Korea and should be considered as a cause of cryptogenic acute hepatitis.

A Case of Multiple Myeloma Presenting as Non-obstructive Jaundice Due to Plasma Cell Infiltration of the Liver

Extraosseous manifestations are found in less than 5% of the patients with multiple myeloma. We reported here on a rare case of multiple myeloma presenting as non-obstructive jaundice due to diffuse plasma cell infiltration of the liver. A 70-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of general weakness, weight loss, jaundice, anemia and proteinuria. The laboratory studies showed: hemoglobin 8.5g/dL, calcium 10.3mg/dL, creatinine 1.3mg/dL, AST 41IU/L, ALT 26IU/L, alkaline phosphatase 304IU/L, total bilirubin 4.0mg/dL, direct bilirubin 2.3mg/dL and 24 hour urinary protein 1,120mg. The serologic tests for hepatitis B and C virus were negative. The abdominal CT scans were normal. The urinary protein studies revealed a M component of the lamda type light chain. The bone marrow biopsy showed atypical plasma cells, and the liver biopsy showed a diffuse sinusoidal infiltration of plasma cells.

The Central Venous Catheter-related Infection of Chlorhexidine-silver Sulfadiazine Coated Catheters in Medical ICU / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheters(CVCs) area major source of nosocomial infection. Chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine coated catheters (CHSS) were developed to reduce the rate of CVC infection. However, the clinical effectiveness of CHSS in comparison wth non-coated catheter (NCC) remains to be evaluated. METHOD: From January 2004 to December 2004 in medical intensive care unit (ICU) of Asan Medical Center, CVCs were inserted in 446 cases. We retrospectively analyzed characteristics of patients and catheterization,the catheter- related infection rate and colonization, microbiologic findings, and insertion sites (subclavian, jugular, femoral) according to the type of inserted CVCs (NCC: 187 cases, CHSS: 259 cases). Catheter related infection is defined as catheter related bacteremia and catheter related non-bacteremic sepsis. RESULTS: 1) The mean age of the patients in each group was 62+/-16 years, 63+/-15 years (p=0.42), and sex ratio 94:50, 141:69 (p=0.9) in NCC and CHSS. Duration of ICU admission (29+/-37, 26+/-44 p=0.42), duration of mechanical ventilation (17+/-22, 15+/-19 p=0.17), and APACHE III score at the time of CVC insertion (81+/-34, 82+/-37 p=0.61) were not different between both groups. 2) Mean duration of catheterization was 118 in NCC and 119 in CHSS (p=0.98). Number of catheter-days was 2176 days in NCC and 3035 days in CHSS. Catheter-related infection occurred in 9 (4.8%) cases receiving NCC and 4 cases (1.5%) receiving CHSS. Catheterrelated infection incidence per 1000 catheter-days was 4.1 and 1.3, respectively (p=0.04). CHSS was associated with a significant reduction of infection in jugular catheters regarding to insertion sites (p=0.01). 3) Microorganisms causing infection were Staphylococcus aureus (n=3), Candida (n=3), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (n=2), and Klebsiella (n=1) in NCC, and Candida species (n=2), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (n=2), Proteus (n=1) in CHSS. CONCLUSION: CHSS has significantly reduced the episodes of infection compared to NCC in jugular catheterization in medical ICU.

A Case of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Complicated by HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, and Low Platelets) Syndrome / 결핵및호흡기질환

A diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a distinct form of pulmonary hemorrhage that originates from the pulmonary microcirculation. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is one cause of DAH. Although HELLP syndrome associated with DIC can cause DAH, there are no published case reports that the authors are aware of. We report the case of a pregnant woman with HELLP syndrome who developed DAH. Because pregnant women with HELLP syndrome can develop DAH as a form of ARDS, a bronchoalveolar lavage may be used to make a differential diagnosis of this lung manifestation.

A Case of Pancreaticoportal Fistula Associated with Acute Severe Pancreatitis / 대한소화기학회지

Pancreatic fistulas are usually caused by the disruption of pancreatic duct. The majority of pancreatic fistulas are external fistulas and common causes of external and internal pancreatic fistulas are trauma and surgery. Internal pancreatic fistulas due to pancreatitis are rare. Internal pancreatic fistulas may communicate with peritoneal cavity, colon, small bowel, biliary system or pleural cavity. Among them, fistula between pancreatic duct and portal vein due to acute pancreatitis is rare. We report a case of 32-year-old male with fistula between pancreatic duct and portal vein as a complication of acute pancreatitis. Pancreaticoportal fistula was diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. He recovered after distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy and supportive care.