Mechanical ventilation-associated pneumothorax presenting with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in patients with acute respiratory failure / 영남의대학술지

The prevalence of pneumothorax cases among Intensive Care Unit patients who require mechanical ventilation ranges from 4%-15%. A pneumothorax remains one of the most serious complications of positive pressure ventilation. It can be diagnosed in a critically ill patient through a physical examination or radiographic studies that include chest radiographs, ultrasonography, or computed tomography scanning. However, in a critically ill patient, the diagnosis of a pneumothorax is often complicated by other diseases and by difficulties in imaging sick and unconscious patients. Although electrocardiogram changes associated with a pneumothorax have been described for many years, there has been no report of such among patients who require mechanical ventilation. In this paper, we report 2 cases of a spontaneous pneumothorax with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure.

A Case of Successful Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection of Gastric Adenoma in a Patient with Congenital Factor VII Deficiency

Congenital factor VII deficiency is a rare hemorrhagic disorder, and invasive procedures are likely to cause excessive bleeding in these patients. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been accepted as a curative treatment modality for gastric adenoma, early gastric cancer (EGC) and any other mucosal and submucosal tumors. The most important complications of ESD are bleeding and perforation. The use of antiplatelet agents or coagulopathies are risk factors for these complications. There are only few reports of successful ESD with coagulation disorders. We report a case of a 70-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with a gastric adenoma and factor VII deficiency. The patient was successfully treated with ESD. Before ESD, recombinant Coagulation factor VIIa was injected, and the procedure was performed successfully without any complications. In conclusion, ESD can be performed successfully in patients with factor VII deficiency, when recombinant human factor VIIa is administered properly.

A Case of Polymyositis with Normal Creatine Kinase / 대한내과학회지

Proximal muscle weakness can be induced by many diseases, such as muscular dystrophies, inflammatory muscle diseases, and polymyalgia rheumatica. Differential diagnosis of these diseases is important. The patient had proximal muscle weakness with a normal creatine kinase (CK) level. Our initial diagnosis was polymyalgia rheumatica because the CK level was normal. The patient was treated with low-dose corticosteroid. However, the muscle weakness did not improve. The diagnosis of polymyositis was confirmed by a muscle biopsy. We suggest that if the patient has typical symptoms with normal CK, then evaluations for inflammatory muscle diseases are essential.

Adipsic Hypernatremia Associated with Deficiency of Antidiuretic Hormone Release / 대한내과학회지

Adipsic hypernatremia is a rare disorder of hypothalamic osmoreceptor dysfunction for thirst. It is frequently associated with a deficiency in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) release. We report the first case in Korea of adipsic hypernatremia combined with subnormal ADH response to osmotic stimuli without any demonstrable structural lesion. A 69-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with general weakness. In a hypernatremic hyperosmolar state, she denied thirst and did not drink spontaneously. Her plasma ADH level was markedly subnormal but she had no large volume of dilute urine. Investigation of osmoregulation by infusion of hypertonic saline revealed adipsia and an absolute deficiency in antidiuretic hormone release, despite a serum osmolarity in excess of 321 mOsmol/kg. There was no structural lesion of the hypothalamus and no abnormal finding in hypothalamic-pituitary function. After diagnosis, she was treated successfully with intentional water intake alone.