Tuberculosis of Cystic Duct Lymph Node Associated with Cholecystitis / 대한소화기학회지

Tuberculosis of the cystic duct lymph node is very rare. Only four cases have been reported in the literature. This paper presents the case of a young male patient with a tuberculous cystic duct lymph node and chronic cholecystitis, who was diagnosed with cystic duct stones and a gall bladder polyp preoperatively.

Successful Conservative Management of Hepatic Portal Venous Gas due to Anastomosis Leakage After a Sigmoidectomy

In past decades, hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) has rarely been reported, and the mortality rate has been very high. In most cases, surgical intervention was needed. Presently, abdominal computed tomography can be conveniently used to diagnose HPVG, which has various underlying causes and benign courses. We present the case of a patient with HPVG due to anastomosis leakage after a sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis; the patient was cured with conservative management.

Spontaneous Bleeding from a Short Gastric Artery after Vomiting Successfully Treated without Surgery / 대한소화기학회지

Spontaneous bleeding from a short gastric artery in the absence of pre-disposing trauma is reported very rarely. To the best of our knowledge, the published literature includes only 14 cases. Young men comprise almost all of the patients, and were induced by vomiting or gagging. The patients usually required emergent surgery. Our patient, a 32-year-old man, was diagnosed with spontaneous hemoperitoneum due to short gastric artery tearing after a few instances of vomiting. We managed him conservatively including fluid, vitamin K and antifibrinolytic agent without surgery.

Expression of the Cancer Stem Cell Markers CD44 and CD133 in Colorectal Cancer: An Immunohistochemical Staining Analysis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the expressions of CD44 and CD133 in colorectal cancer tissue by using immunohistochemical staining and to analyze the clinical significance of the expressions related to other clinicopathological data and survival results. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients with a biopsy-proven colorectal adenocarcinoma who were operated on between January 1998 and August 2004 were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical staining for CD44 and CD133 was performed on primary colorectal cancer tissue, metastatic lymph nodes, and synchronous and metachronous metastatic tumor tissues if available. RESULTS: CD44 expression was stronger in the primary tumor than in metastatic lymph nodes (P < 0.001), and CD133 expression tended to be stronger in primary tumor than in metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.057). No significant correlation was found between the CD44 and the CD133 expressions. The cases with recurrence showed low expression of CD44 (P = 0.017). CD133 expression was lower in cases with elevated CA 19-9 serum levels (P = 0.028) and advanced T stage (P = 0.038). Multivariate analysis proved that low expression of CD44 was an independent prognosis factor for short disease-free survival (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Low CD44 expression was correlated with increased tumor recurrence and short disease-free survival, and low CD133 expression was associated with advanced tumor stage. We suggest that further studies be performed to evaluate whether the immunohistochemical method for determining the CD44 and the CD133 expressions is appropriate for exploring cancer stem-cell biology in patients with colorectal cancer.

Inflammation-based score (Glasgow prognostic score) as an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer patients

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response in colorectal cancer patients, and to estimate the usefulness of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) as a prognostic factor. METHODS: Patients with biopsy-proven colorectal adenocarcinoma who were operated between April 2005 and December 2008 were enrolled in this study. The GPS was estimated based on the measurement of CRP and serum albumin level. The GPS was compared with other clinicopathological factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the factors affecting cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: GPS was significantly higher in patients with anemia, thrombocytosis, a high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, tumor of the colon, and large tumor. Patient age, gender, serum CEA level, tumor gross appearance, TNM stage, and tumor differentiation were not related with the GPS. In univariate analysis, hemoglobin, CEA, gross appearance of tumor, TNM stage, tumor differentiation, and GPS were associated with cancer-specific survival. In multivariate analysis, TNM stage (III or IV : I or II; hazard ratio [HR], 12.322; P = 0.015), tumor differentiation (poorly differentiated : well or moderately differentiated; HR, 3.112; P = 0.021), and GPS (GPS 2 : GPS 0 or 1; HR, 5.168; P = 0.003) were identified as independent prognostic factors in colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the GPS was an independent variable from tumor stage and a good and convenient prognostic factor in colorectal cancer patients.

The Clinical Significance of Preoperative Serum Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is known to have a favorable prognosis and low mortality. However, some PTC has aggressive propensity with loco-regional recurrence or distant metastasis, and it could cause poor quality of life. Many studies for predicting high-risk group in papillary thyroid cancer have been reported, however, more study is needed. The objective of this study is to assess the efficiency of inflammation indices including the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) as a predictor for high-risk group in papillary thyroid cancer patients. METHODS: From January 2006 to November 2012, this study enrolled consecutive 164 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and were confirmed with papillary thyroid cancer by histopathology. Among 164 patients, 23 were excluded because they had co-morbidities which could confound the inflammation related variables. We reviewed the medical records of 141 patients and assessed the correlation between inflammation indices including preoperative serum NLR and clinical prognostic parameters, including age at presentation, tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and MACIS score. RESULTS: In the papillary thyroid cancer patients, preoperative value of NLR, ESR, CRP, platelet, and albumin showed no significant correlation with the risk factors. CONCLUSION: In this study, preoperative inflammatory parameters such as NLR had uncertain efficacy as risk factors for papillary thyroid cancer.

Long-Term Clinical Outcome of Clostridium difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients: A Single Center Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Antibiotic usage and increasingly aging populations have led to increased incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in worldwide. Recent studies in Korea have also reported increasing CDI incidence; however, there have been no reports on the long-term outcomes of CDI. We therefore investigated the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with CDI, including delayed recurrence, associated risk factors and mortality. METHODS: Hospitalized patients diagnosed with CDI at Seoul Paik Hospital between January 2007 and December 2008 were included. Their medical records were retrospectively investigated. 'Delayed recurrence' was defined as a relapse 8 weeks after a successful initial treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for the delayed recurrence. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze mortality rates. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients were enrolled; among them, 87 were followed-up for at least 1 year, with a mean follow-up period of 34.1+/-25.1 months. Delayed recurrence was observed in 17 patients (19.5%), and significant risk factors were age (over 70 years, P=0.049), nasogastric tube insertion (P=0.008), and proton pump inhibitor or H2-blocker treatments (P=0.028). The 12- and 24-month mortality rates were 24.6% and 32.5%, respectively. No deaths were directly attributed to CDI. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed recurrence of CDI was not rare, occurring in 19.5% of the study population. Although CDI-related mortality was not reported, 2-year (32.5%) mortality rate of CDI patients implies that a CDI diagnosis may predict severe morbidity and poor prognosis of the underlying disease.

Prognostic Significance of Ki-67 Expression in Patients Undergoing Surgical Resection for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Assessment of malignant potential in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is still problematic. The maximum tumor diameter and the mitotic index are generally used as an index of malignancy of GISTs. The Ki-67 labeling index has recently been used as an index of cell growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of Ki-67 in GIST. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 32 patients with GIST who underwent surgical resection at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. We analyzed their Ki-67 expression, histologic finding, and prognosis. RESULTS: According to the tumor size and mitotic count, 4 patients were classified as very low risk, 9 patients as low risk, 14 patients as intermediate risk and 5 patients as high risk. The average Ki-67 index was 5.56+/-4.48%. The median follow-up duration was 35.72+/-29.04 months, and local/distant recurrences were observed in 6 (18.7%) patients. The overall cumulative disease free survival rates in patients with Ki-67 index 5% were at 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years were 82.1%, 70.3%, and 46.9%, respectively. There was significant relationship between elevated Ki-67 and disease free survival rate (p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that Ki-67 index >5% confers a higher risk of relapse in patients with GIST. Future work should focus on standardization of Ki-67 assessment and specification of its role in making treatment decisions.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Inflammatory Parameters in Gastric Cancer Patients

PURPOSE: Chronic inflammation induces cancer and cancer induces local tissue damage with systemic inflammation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between the severity of inflammation and prognosis in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 220 patients from January 2002 to December 2006 who underwent gastric surgery. We evaluated the relationship between preoperative inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) and other clinicopathological factors. Survival outcomes were compared according to the extent of inflammation. RESULTS: Significant elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate was related with old age, increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, decreased hemoglobin, increased carcinoembryonic antigen, increased tumor size and advanced TNM stage. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly correlated with old age, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and advanced TNM stage. In the univariate analysis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio had significantly poorer survival than those without elevation (all P<0.05). However, the multivariate analysis failed to prove erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were correlated with poor prognosis in the univariate analysis and there was a strong correlation between inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) and tumor progression. Thus, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are considered useful as follow-up factors.

Ileo-Pelvic Anastomosis and Augmentation Cystoplasty for Treatment of Encrusted Pyelitis in a Transplanted Kidney

Infection stones are more likely to form after urinary diversion as the result of urinary stasis. To prevent urinary stasis due to encrusted pyelitis in a transplanted kidney, we describe an alternative a surgical treatment: ileo-pelvic anastomosis. In our patient with a transplanted kidney, the ileal conduit had previously been anastomosed end-to-side owing to renal tuberculosis with an atrophied bladder; the transplanted ureter was anastomosed to the ileum in the left lower abdomen with an ileal conduit on the opposite side. Routine check-up revealed hydronephrosis with infected pyelitis and ureteritis in the transplanted kidney. We performed ileo-pelvic end-to-end anastomosis to prevent urinary stasis by lengthening the ileal conduit and performed augmentation cystoplasty to support the atrophied bladder following tuberculosis. We suggest that this approach may be useful in similar cases.

A Study of Impact on Head and Neck Using Human Volunteer Low-Speed Rear Impact Tests / 대한법의학회지

Whiplash injury in low-speed traffic accidents are not objectively verified by medical equipment, thereby creating scope for misuse, which has resulted in huge social losses worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of low-speed vehicular rear-impact collisions on middle-aged men, and to analyze the head and neck injury criteria for the symptomatic human volunteers. Data was examined from the results of 50 dynamic sled tests, originally performed by Hong et al. (2012). In the previous tests, 50 men aged 30~50 years were exposed to an impulse equivalent to a bumper-to-bumper rear collision under medical supervision, and no resulting whiplash injury was identified. In this study, for 6 subjects who experienced dull aches over their bodies, head injury criteria (HIC15) and neck injury criteria (N(km)) were calculated according to the accelerations, forces, and moments at the occipital condyle measured by motion capture system. Although there were no changes in magnetic resonance imaging findings in all subjects at the pre-/post-test orthopedic examination, 6 subjects revealed mild aches around the shoulder, back, or lumbar area, and their symptoms disappeared within 2 days. The head and neck injury criteria, HIC15 (3.086 +/- 2.942) and N(km) (0.077 +/- 0.064) were obtained, and the maximum HIC15 and N(km) were found to be significantly lower than the critical injury assessment reference values (HIC15: 700, N(km): 0.3). Moreover, even though 2 subjects were exposed to the same level of change of velocity (7.9 km/h), each N(km) was significantly different (0.179, 0.057). One can therefore conclude that N(km) can vary according to voluntary movements in the human subject.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma with dense lipiodol uptake / 대한외과학회지

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the liver is a very rare lesion that has radiologic similarity with malignant liver tumor. Differential diagnosis of IMT from a malignant lesion of the liver is very important because surgical resection is not mandatory for IMT. Lipiodol computed tomography is a very sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Herein, we describe a case of IMT that had dense lipiodol uptake in the tumor and mimicked HCC. To our knowledge, previously, only one case of IMT with dense lipiodol retention has been reported.

Carcinosarcoma of the Stomach: A Case Report

Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant, biphasic tumor comprised of carcinoma and sarcoma components. In the gastrointestinal tract, carcinosarcoma is most frequently seen in the esophagus and rarely in the stomach. We report a 51-year-old female patient with 2-month-history of epigastric pain and dyspepsia. Endoscopic finding revealed a huge ulcerative lesion that infiltrated from the antrum to the mid-body. An endoscopically taken biopsy revealed poorly differentiated malignant round cell neoplasm. After the palliative subtotal gastrectomy, immunohistochemical studies showed two positive reactions for the epithelial marker and mesenchymal marker. Based on the above findings, the patient was diagnosed with gastric carcinosarcoma. The immunohistochemical analysis is a critical method in making an accurate diagnosis of carcinosarcoma.

Severe Mesenteric Hemorrhagic Infarction by Superior Mesenteric Arterial Occlusion in a Patient with Buerger's Disease / 대한소화기학회지

No abstract available.

Prognostic Significance of Ki-67 Expression in Rectal Carcinoid Tumors / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Rectal carcinoid tumors can be resected with endoscopy, and it is important to assess their prognostic factors. We evaluated the potential of Ki-67 expression as a prognostic factor in rectal carcinoid tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 37 patients with rectal carcinoid tumors who got endoscopic resection from January 2001 to January 2011 at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. We analyzed their endoscopic and histologic findings, Ki-67 expression, clinical outcome, and prognosis. RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of the patients was 56.3+/-10.7 years, and the male : female ratio was 3.6:1. The mean tumor size was 0.5+/-0.4 cm, 33 patients showed grade 1 tumors (89.2%) and the average Ki-67 expression was 0.7+/-1.2%. Thirty five patients underwent endoscopic mucosal resection, and two required endoscopic submucosal dissection. Eight patients had positive margins after resection, but no cases of lymphovascular invasion were identified. The median follow-up duration was 21.4+/-25.4 months, and no recurrences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In low grade rectal carcinoid tumors which are lack of central depression on colonoscopy, the expression of a molecular marker of malignant potential, Ki-67, was low. Therefore, endoscopic resection seemed to be a safe and effective treatment for these tumors.

A Case of Ulcerative Colitis Patient with Colonic Stenosis and Enterocutaneous Fistula

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), characterized by a diffuse mucosal inflammation limited to the colon. Complications of UC include stricture, colorectal cancer, and toxic colitis. UC patients rarely present with a stenosis or fistula, and strictures develop in less than 5% of patients with UC. We present a patient with UC, accompanied by unusual complications that involved not only a stricture but also a fistula and abscess. A 49-year-old female was presented with a left flank pain and fever that had begun two weeks before admission. She had received a diagnosis of UC 20 years ago and had it treated for 2 years in a local hospital. However, she arbitrarily stopped visiting the hospital and relied on home remedies. An abdominopelvic CT scan revealed luminal narrowing and extra-peritoneal fistula formation in the descending colon. Fistula was connected with a subcutaneous abscess in the left flank. She had undergone total colectomy and ileo-anal anastomosis. On the pathologic exam, the long standing UC with severe stenosis was observed without malignant change. It cannot be emphasized enough that a correct therapeutic approach and an appropriate follow-up schedule are very important for patients with UC.

Synchronous T-cell lymphoma in patient with colon cancer: a case report / 대한외과학회지

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Korea. In contrast, pericolic or mesenteric lymphoma is relatively rare. We experienced an extremely rare case of synchronous primary colon cancer in the ascending colon with T-cell lymphoma in the pericolic lymph node. A 79-year-old woman presented with complaints of epigastric and right lower abdominal pain combined with anorexia and nausea. Colonoscopic evaluation and biopsy were performed, and the diagnosis was cecal adenocarcinoma. She underwent right hemicolectomy with lymph node dissection. The pathology report revealed adenocarcinoma in cecum with metastasis to 1 regional lymph node out of 37 lymph nodes. In addition, there was malignant angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 1 pericolic lymph node. There was no evidence of lymphoma in ileum, cecum and ascending colon, so the possibility of early phase of lymphoma was suggested.

Adrenal Medullary Hyperplasia with Coexisting Adrenal Cortical Adenoma / 대한내분비외과학회지

Adrenal medullary hyperplasia is an increase in the mass of the adrenal medullary cells. We report a case of a 38-year-old man presenting with pheochromocytoma-like symptoms who was preoperatively misdiagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Hypertension was associated with an intracranial hemorrhage evident in a brain computed tomography scan, in which no obvious pituitary gland enlargement was detected. An abdominopelvic CT revealed a solitary tumor in the right adrenal gland with no obvious enlargement of the contralateral adrenal gland or sympathetic chains. Lab results showed increased levels of urinary metanephrines. Based on clinical data, the patient underwent a laparoscopic right adrenalectomy bases on a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. The patient was finally diagnosed with adrenal medullary hyperplasia with coexisting ipsilateral non-functioning adrenal cortical adenoma. Postoperatively, blood pressure and lab results were maintained in the normal range and the patient was symptomatically free during the follow-up period.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -7 Expression in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-7 have been implicated in tumor growth and metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the expressions of MMP-2 and -7 in colorectal cancer and to evaluate their values as prognostic markers. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for MMP-2 and -7 was done in 144 resected colorectal cancer specimens. Clinicopathological data and survival results were compared with regard to the expression results. RESULTS: The expression rates of MMP-2 in tumor cells in the tumor center and the tumor border were 16.7% and 38.9%, respectively. That of MMP-2 in stromal cells was 27.8%. MMP-7 immunoreactivities of tumor cells in the tumor center and the tumor border were 6.9% and 23.6%. The expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-7 were correlated. MMP-2 expression in stromal cells was more increased in the distal part of the colorectum: 8.8% in right colon cancer, 29.5% in left colon cancer and 36.4% in rectal cancer. MMP-2 expression of tumor cells in the tumor border was correlated with T-stage. MMP-7 expression of tumor cells in the tumor border was increased in case of infiltrative cancer compared with fungating tumor. The expression patterns of MMP-2 and -7 were not correlated with other clinicopathological factors, including tumor markers, node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, tumor differentiation, and recurrence. No significant associations between the overall and disease-free survival rates and the MMP-2 and -7 expression patterns were noted. CONCLUSION: The high expression rates of MMP-2 and -7 in tumor borders suggest that MMP-2 and -7 have some role in tumor invasion, but in this study, MMP-2 and -7 did not appear to be significant predictors of prognosis in colorectal cancer.

A Case of Lupus-Like Syndrome after Kidney Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

Systemic erythematous lupus is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease that develops from drug, viral, or chemical irritants. We report a case of lupus-like syndrome after kidney transplantation with an unknown cause. A 55-year-old woman was admitted with severe myalgia, fever, and arthralgia 2 days previously. She had received a kidney transplantation 8 years ago, because an acute kidney injury had progressed to chronic kidney disease. After transplantation, she had no problems. We performed blood, urine, and sputum cultures but could found no microorganisms. We suspected a connective tissue disease, such as adult Still's disease, and performed autoantibody testing. As a result, antinuclear antibody was positive, and we diagnosed her with lupus-like syndrome due to an unknown cause. We increased the prednisolone dose and her symptoms improved.