A Case of Unknown Primary Malignant Melanoma with Pulmonary and Endobronchial Metastasis / 결핵

Malignant melanoma is a highly malignant form of cutaneous cancer derived from melanocytes. The lesion frequently metastasizes to the lymph nodes, lung, liver and bone. However, an endobronchial metastasis and a primary malignant melanoma of the lung are quite rare. We report a case of an unknown primary malignant melanoma with a pulmonary and endobronchial metastasis in a 34 years old male. He complained of coughing and black-colored sputum. Abnormal skin and mucosal lesions were not found during a physical examination. A chest X-ray revealed multiple nodular masses in both lung fields. A flexible bronchoscopy showed two yellowish small nodules at the entry of left lower bronchus. Vimentin, the S-100 protein, and HMB-45 stain positive melanoma cells were detected at the bronchoscopic biopsy specimen.

A Case of Unknown Primary Malignant Melanoma with Pulmonary and Endobronchial Metastasis / 결핵

Malignant melanoma is a highly malignant form of cutaneous cancer derived from melanocytes. The lesion frequently metastasizes to the lymph nodes, lung, liver and bone. However, an endobronchial metastasis and a primary malignant melanoma of the lung are quite rare. We report a case of an unknown primary malignant melanoma with a pulmonary and endobronchial metastasis in a 34 years old male. He complained of coughing and black-colored sputum. Abnormal skin and mucosal lesions were not found during a physical examination. A chest X-ray revealed multiple nodular masses in both lung fields. A flexible bronchoscopy showed two yellowish small nodules at the entry of left lower bronchus. Vimentin, the S-100 protein, and HMB-45 stain positive melanoma cells were detected at the bronchoscopic biopsy specimen.

Clinical characteristics of acute renal failure occurring in major burns / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) is not a rare occurrence in severe burns and is an important complication leading to an increase in mortality. This study was undertaken to characterize the ARF occurring in major burn patients and to investigate the impact of burn size and initial serum albumin concentration on the occurrence of ARF and patient survival in major burns. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of 147 adult patients with second- and third-degree burns covering 30% or more of their body surface area were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were admitted over a 1-year period to a single burn intensive care unit in Seoul, Korea. Logistic regression was used to estimate of the relative risks of ARF and mortality associated with the larger burn size and the lower serum albumin level at admission. RESULTS: Mean burned body surface was 60.0+/-21.8% (range, 30 to 100%). Twenty-eight (19.0%) out of 147 patients experienced ARF, defined as a serum creatinine > 2 mg/dL, during the admission. The ARF was preceded by significant hypotension (burn shock), rhabdomyolysis, sepsis or use of aminoglycosides. The occurrence of ARF was not associated with age, sex or burn type. The patients with ARF had larger burn size (79.5+/-15.4% vs. 55.3+/-20.5%, p 65% was associated with a risk of ARF that was 9.9 times and with a risk of death that was 14.2 times as high as that for the burn size 2.5 g/dL. CONCLUSION: When major burns are complicated by ARF, the mortality increases very high. Burn size is an independent predictor of ARF occurring in major burns. Initially depressed serum albumin level is associated with an increase in mortality in the major burn patients.

A Case of Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava and Absent Right Superior Vena Cava Diagnosed During Internal Jugular Venous Catheterization for Acute Hemodialysis / 대한신장학회잡지

Persistent left superior vena cava(PLSVC) derives from abnormally persistent patency of an embryological vessel normally present during the early developmental period. The incidence of PLSVC is 0.3% in healty persons, 4.8% in patients with congenital heart anomaly. Most of the patients with PLSVC have normal right superior vena cava (RSVC), but PLSVC plus absent RSVC is very rare, especially in those without congenital heart anomalies. We experienced a case of PLSVC and absent RSVC during an insertion of internal jugular venous catheter for acute hemodialysis. A 53-year-old female was admitted due to uremia for initiation of dialytic therapy. She had long history of diabetic nephropathy but without congenital heart anomalies. We inserted a dual lumen catheter for acute hemodialysis via right internal jugular vein. On the chest x-ray film taken after the insertion of the catheter, we detected unusual course of the catheter curved to the left. PLSVC and absent RSVC was confirmed by normal saline contrast echocardiography and CT angiograpy.