Two Cases of Phlegmonous Esophagogastritis in New Onset Type 2 Diabetes / 임상당뇨병

Phlegmonous esophagogastritis is a rare bacterial infection that has been reported to result in mortality. The pathophysiology of phlegmonous gastrointestinal infection is unclear, but some predisposing factors are reported. Those include immunocompromised status, alcohol abuse, malignancy and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. We report two cases of phlegmonous esophagogastritis with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. A 26-year-old woman and a 56-year-old woman individually visited our hospital for sore throat, neck pain and fever. The laboratory findings of both patients demonstrated leukocytosis, and elevated serum glucose levels. HbA1c of both patients was above 11%. Enhanced computed tomography of young woman showed submucosal edema with intramural abscess along the esophagus and stomach, and that of older woman showed the same defined to esophagus. In both cases, empirical antibiotic therapy with intravenous third generation cephalosporin and metronidazole were started. Later, we identified Klebsiella pneumonia through pus culture in both cases. The symptoms of case 1 improved with conservative management with antibiotics only. However, case 2 required surgical drainage and esophagectomy. Early radiologic diagnosis of this disease and accurate identification of pathogens are important factors for good prognosis. Therefore, we emphasize suspicion of such a rare disease is needed, especially when the patient has risk factors such as diabetes mellitus.

Effect of Dialysate Sodium Concentration on Sodium Gradient and Hemodialysis Parameters

This retrospective study was performed to determine the ranges of the sodium gradient (SG) between the dialysate sodium concentration (DNa) and serum sodium concentration (SNa) in hemodialysis (HD) patients and to examine the relationships between HD parameters over a 1 year period. Fifty-five clinically stable HD patients, who had been on HD >2 years were enrolled. Monthly HD [ultrafiltration (UF) amount, systolic blood pressure (SBP), frequency of intradialytic hypotension (IDH)] and laboratory data were collected and 12-month means were subjected to analysis. The SG was calculated by subtracting SNa from prescribed DNa. Mean SG values were 1.5+/-3.3 (range -5.6~9.1). SG was positively related to DNa and the frequency of IDH. A higher SG was associated with larger UF amounts and SBP reduction during HD. The percentages of patients with a SG > or =3mEq/L increased as DNa increased. On the other hand, SG was not found to be associated with SNa or pre-HD SBP. DNa appears to cause a significant increase in SG, and this seems to be related to HD parameters, such as, UF amount and IDH.

Pancreaticothoracic Fistula Presenting with Hemoptysis and Pneumothorax in a Chronic Alcoholic Patient / 결핵및호흡기질환

Pancreaticothoracic fistula is a rare complication of acute or chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. It may present with various symptoms, like dyspnea, abdominal pain, cough, chest pain, fever, back pain, hemoptysis, fatigue, or orthopnea. Pancreaticothoracic fistula can be detected by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), or computed tomography. MRCP has high sensitivity and fewer side effects, and thus it has recently been recommended as the first choice for the detection of pancreaticothoracic fistula. On the other hand, ERCP enables the detection and treatment of pancreaticothoracic fistula and allows for stent insertion; for this reason it is a commonly used modality in pancreaticothoracic fistula cases. Herein, the authors describe a case of pancreaticothoracic fistula detected by ERCP and MRCP that manifested only respiratory symptoms, namely hemoptysis and pneumothorax without abdominal pain, which commonly accompanies pancreatitis.

Post-Hepatitic Aplastic Anemia Associated with Hepatitis A Virus

Hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia is a rare disease, but can be fatal if it is diagnosed late or untreated. Despite the previous case report of severe aplastic anemia following hepatitis, hepatitis A virus (HAV)-associated aplastic anemia is very rare, and a case with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has not been reported in the literature. Here, we report the case of a 13-year-old boy, who developed severe aplastic anemia after full recovery of acute HAV infection, and eventually received BMT for aplastic anemia following HAV infection. It is a very rare case and the first case that recovered after BMT. The aim of this case report is to highlight the potential of progression to aplastic anemia after acute HAV infection and the importance of suspicion when pancytopenia is developed.

A Case of Egg-Shell Calcification of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Patient with Sclerosing Encasulating Peritonitis

Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD), a common complication in patients with end-stage renal disease, is characterized by more than three kidney cysts and normal or decreased sizes of both kidneys without any familial history of cystic kidney disease. In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), however, both kidneys are usually enlarged. Extrarenal manifestations are common in ADPKD, including hepatic cysts, seminal vesicle cysts, mitral valve prolapse. A 40-year-old man presented to the emergency clinic at Inha University Hospital with severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 3 days. He had been undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for 15 years, but it was recently changed to hemodialysis owing to sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP). Radiologic imaging studies revealed bilateral enlarged kidneys with multiple eggshell calcified cysts and some hepatic cysts, which suggested ADPKD. He underwent left nephrectomy, and pathological tests revealed ACKD-associated renal cell carcinoma (RCC) confined to the resected kidney. He was treated with steroids for SEP, and the symptoms resolved. We herein report a case of ACKD-resembling ADPKD-that progressed to RCC in a patient with concurrent SEP who had been undergoing CAPD for 15 years.

A Case of Post-radiotherapy Urethral Stricture with Spontaneous Bladder Rupture, Mimicking Obstructive Uropathy due to Cancer Metastasis

Non-traumatic, spontaneous urinary bladder rupture is a rare complication of urethral stricture. Furthermore, its symptoms are often nonspecific, and misdiagnosis is common. The authors experienced a case of urethral stricture with spontaneous bladder rupture and bilateral hydronephrosis, mimicking obstructive uropathy attributed to cancer metastasis. A 55-year-old woman was admitted with abdominal pain and distension, oliguria, and an elevated serum creatinine level. She had undergone radical hysterectomy for uterine cervical cancer and received post-operative concurrent chemoradiation therapy 13 years previously. Non-contrast enhanced computed tomography showed massive ascites and bilateral hydronephrosis. The initial diagnosis was acute kidney injury due to obstructive uropathy caused by malignant disease. After improvement of her renal function by bilateral percutaneous nephrostomy catheterization, contrast-enhanced computed tomography and a cytologic examination of ascites showed no evidence of malignancy. However, during retrograde pyelography, a severe urethral stricture was found, and subsequent cystography showed leakage of contrast into the peritoneal cavity and cystoscopy revealed a defect of the posterior bladder wall. After urethral dilatation and primary closure of the bladder wall, acute kidney injury and ascites were resolved.

A Case of Polypoid Arteriovenous Malformation Treated by Polypectomy with Detachable Snare / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Arteriovenous malformations are degenerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract that occur with a frequency that increases with increasing age. Although the bleeding caused by arteriovenous malformations is typically chronic, slow, intermittent and recurrent, 15% of patients with arteriovenous malformations present with massive bleeding. Any part of the gastrointestinal tract can be involved and arteriovenous malformations usually appear on endoscopy as either flat or elevated discrete bright red mucosal lesions. There are a few cases of colonic arteriovenous venous malformations with a polypoid appearance with some of their endoscopic treatments resulting in profuse bleeding from the remnant stalk. We encountered a case of a polypoid arteriovenous malformation in the colon of a 69-year-old patient with active gastrointestinal bleeding. The patient was treated successfully by an endoscopic polypectomy with a detachable snare.

Progressive Lung Involvement during Steroid Therapy in Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / 결핵및호흡기질환

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is characterized by a sustained eosinophilia of 1,500/mm3 or more in the absence of any known causes or the signs and symptoms of organ involvement. We report a 64-year-old man with HES initially presenting with involvement of the liver and bone marrow. Despite controlling the eosinophilia by corticosteroid, he developed a cerebral infarction and later progressive interstitial pneumonia. Brain angiography revealed a severe stenosis of the proximal right internal carotid artery (ICA) and a complete obstruction of the intracranial ICA. An open lung biopsy revealed fibrosis and lymphoplasma cell infiltration without eosinophils, which were consistent with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Immunodetection of Metalloproteinases(MMP-2 and MMP-9) and Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases(TIMP-2) in Breast Cancer Tissues

The enhanced process of proteolysis of both the basement membrane and the stromal extracelluar matrix (ECM) contributes to the escape of breast cancer cells into the neighboring tissues, eventually leading to the formation of distant metastases. A group of enzymes thought to play a role in tumor cell invasion are the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Much attention has been focused on MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are 2 members of the MMP family active against collagen of the basement membrane. The enzymatic activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 are inhibited by the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). TIMP-2, one member of TIMPs, inhibits MMP-2 and MMP-9. The imbalance between TIMPs and MMPs permits to tumor invasion and metastasis. Theretore, TIMPs constitute promising targets in the developmemt of anticancer terapies. Immunohistological stainings of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-2 were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 31 invasive breast carcinomas. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were associated with neoplastic cell cytoplasms in 65% of the cases and exhibited inter-tumoral variability of the staining intensity. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 stainings did not correlate with presence of metastases at time of diagnosis. TIMP-2 was detected in the peri-tumoral stroma and was present in 81% of the cases. Residual benign breast tissue was negative for TIMP-2 staining. Neoplasms with diffuse TIMP-2 staining (32%) have metastasis significantly more frequently (50% metastasis) than ceses with focal (20% metastasis) or absent (0% metastasis) TIMP-2. We conclude that the clinical outcome such as metastasis is more closely related to the presence of TIMP-2 than the corresponding MMPs. Enhanced TIMP-2 expression, therefore, may denote a stromal response to tumor invasion, indicative of aggressive behavior in the subset breast carcinoma.