BioPATH: A Biomarker Study in Asian Patients with HER2+ Advanced Breast Cancer Treated with Lapatinib and Other Anti-HER2 Therapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: BioPATH is a non-interventional study evaluating the relationship of molecular biomarkers (PTEN deletion/downregulation, PIK3CA mutation, truncated HER2 receptor [p95HER2], and tumor HER2 mRNA levels) to treatment responses in Asian patients with HER2+ advanced breast cancer treated with lapatinib and other HER2-targeted agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female Asian HER2+ breast cancer patients (n=154) who were candidates for lapatinib-based treatment following metastasis and having an available primary tumor biopsy specimen were included. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were response rate, overall survival on lapatinib, correlation between biomarker status and PFS for any previous trastuzumab-based treatment, and conversion/conservation rates of the biomarker status between tissue samples collected at primary diagnosis and at recurrence/metastasis. Potential relationships between tumor mRNA levels of HER2 and response to lapatinib-based therapy were also explored. RESULTS: p95HER2, PTEN deletion/downregulation, and PIK3CA mutation did not demonstrate any significant co-occurrence pattern and were not predictive of clinical outcomes on either lapatinib-based treatment or any previous trastuzumab-based therapy in the metastatic setting. Proportions of tumors positive for p95HER2 expression, PIK3CA mutation, and PTEN deletion/down-regulation at primary diagnosis were 32%, 31.2%, and 56.2%, respectively. Despite limited availability of paired samples, biomarker status patterns were conserved in most samples. HER2 mRNA levels were not predictive of PFS on lapatinib. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of p95HER2 expression, PIK3CA mutation, and PTEN deletion/downregulation at primary diagnosis were similar to previous reports. Importantly, no difference was observed in clinical outcome based on the status of these biomarkers, consistent with reports from other studies.

Prognostic Implications of Primary Tumor Resection in Stage IVB Colorectal Cancer in Elderly Patients

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors in stage IVB colorectal cancer in elderly patients, focusing on the influence of treatment modalities, including palliative chemotherapy and primary tumor resection. METHODS: A cohort of 64 patients aged over 65 years who presented with stage IVB colorectal cancer at the Gangneung Asan Hospital between July 1, 2001, and December 31, 2009, was analyzed. Demographics, tumor location, tumor grade, performance status, levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and distant metastatic site at diagnosis were analyzed. Using the treatment histories, we analyzed the prognostic implications of palliative chemotherapy and surgical resection of the primary tumor retrospectively. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 30 male (46.9%) and 34 female patients (53.1%); the median age was 76.5 years. Primary tumor resection was done on 28 patients (43.8%); 36 patients (56.2%) were categorized in the nonresection group. The median survival times were 12.43 months in the resection group and 3.58 months in the nonresection group (P < 0.001). Gender, level of CEA, level of AST, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, tumor location, and presence of liver metastasis also showed significant differences in overall survival. On multivariate analysis, male gender, higher level of CEA, higher AST level, and no primary tumor resection were independent poor prognostic factors. In particular, nonresection of the primary tumor was the most potent/poor prognostic factor in the elderly-patient study group (P = 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 2.33 to 21.99; hazard ratio, 7.16). CONCLUSION: In stage IVB colorectal cancer in elderly patients, resection of the primary tumor may enhance survival.

Advanced Gastric Cancer Associated with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Successfully Treated with 5-fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin

Gastric cancer patients with acute disseminated intravascular coagulation experiences a rare but severe complication resulting in a dismal prognosis. We report a case of advanced gastric cancer complicated with disseminated intravascular coagulation with intractable tumor bleeding which was successfully treated with chemotherapy consisting of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin. The patient was a 63-year-old man who complained of abdominal pain, melena, and dyspnea on 24 November 2010. We diagnosed stage IV gastric cancer complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation. Gastric tumor bleeding was not controlled after procedures were repeated three times using gastrofiberscopy. With the patient's consent, we selected the 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin combination chemotherapy for treatment. After one cycle of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin therapy, symptoms of bleeding improved and the disseminated intravascular coagulation process was successfully controlled. The primary tumor and multiple metastatic bone lesions were remarkably shrunken and metabolically remitted after eight cycles of chemotherapy. In spite of progression, systemic chemotherapy is effective in disease control; further, the patient gained the longest survival time among cases of gastric cancer with disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer / 한양의대학술지

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. and Western Europe and second most common cancer in women in Korea. Targeted therapies for breast cancer are evolving rapidly. Amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu gene occurs in approximately 20% of invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast. Amplification of the HER2/neu gene results in protein overexpression and poor prognosis. The first HER2-targeted approach to reach the clinic was trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the HER2 protein. Trastuzumab therapy prolongs the survival of patients with metastatic HER2 overexpressing breast cancer and shows dramatic improvements in disease-free survival when used in the adjuvant therapy setting. Other targeted therapies, such as lapatinib, a dual HER1 and HER2 inhibitor, bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting angiogenesis, have been developed in phase III clinical trials. The last decade has shown hopeful progress in breast cancer chemotherapy, especially, targeted therapy. Therefore, emphasis of this review has been placed on targeted drugs, mechanism of action and its use in clinical practice.

A Case of Meningeal Carcinomatosis from Prostate Cancer / 대한내과학회지

Meningeal carcinomatosis in patients with prostate cancer is very rare. Recently, we experienced a case of meningeal carcinomatosis in a patient with prostate cancer. He had undergone a radical prostatectomy 11 years before presentation and had undergone chemotherapy 4 years before presentation due to bone metastases. This time, he visited the emergency department because of a seizure. Although cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations did not reveal malignant cells, we diagnosed meningeal carcinomatosis based on positive CSF prostate-specific antigen and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. The diagnosis was confirmed pathologically. We treated the patient with whole brain radiotherapy and intrathecal chemotherapy. We report a case of prostate cancer with meningeal carcinomatosis with a literature review.

A case of primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver / 대한내과학회지

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma is a highly malignant and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. The overall incidence in the United States is approximately 0.1~0.4%. Moreover, small cell carcinoma of the liver is extremely rare and few cases have been reported in the literature. We experienced a 65-year-old woman with a 15 cm hepatic mass, which was localized in the left lobe of a noncirrhotic liver. The mass was confirmed as small cell carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining of a biopsy specimen. Other possible primary sites were excluded by radiologic and endoscopic evaluations. The patient was treated with combination chemotherapy. She was in partial response on the last follow-up visit.

A case of Castleman's disease patient treated successfully with cyclic high-dose steroid therapy / 대한내과학회지

Castleman's disease is rare, and its cause is unknown. Although various treatments have been attempted, no standard treatment has been established for it. A 51-year-old male on hemodialysis with end-stage renal disease was admitted to our hospital with fever and myalgia. He was diagnosed with multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) of the hyaline vascular type. Considering his underlying disease and general condition, cyclic high-dose steroid therapy (prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day for 5 days) was administered every 4 weeks, eight times in total. After this, no symptomatic manifestations of MCD or signs on computed tomography were observed. We report an immunocompromised patient diagnosed with MCD of the hyaline vascular type, who was successfully treated with cyclic high-dose steroid therapy.

The Comparison between 6th and 7th UICC/AJCC N Stage for Prognostic Significance in Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: The 7th edition UICC/AJCC TNM classification for gastric cancer has several changes from the previous edition. Especially, the classification of the number of lymph node metastases (LNM) is reorganized. According to the new TNM system, N stage was categorized to N0 (no LNM), N1 (1~2 LNM), N2 (3~6 LNM), N3 (7 or more LNM). The aim of our study was to compare the prognostic significance of the new (7th) UICC/AJCC N stage with the old (6th). METHODS: From 2000 to 2005 a total of 425 patients who underwent curative resections with D2 and with 15 or more lymph nodes retrieved were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: According to the 7th UICC/AJCC N stage, the 5-year cumulative survival rates (5YSR) of N0, N1, N2, N3 were 96.0%, 79.2%, 58.5% and 24.3%, respectively (P<0.001). Using univariate analysis, the N stage of 7th and 6th UICC/AJCC TNM classification, 7th UICC/AJCC T stage, differentiation of tumor, type of gastrectomy (subtotal and total gastrectomy), size of primary tumor (< or =5, 5<< or =10, 10<) were associated with 5YSR. However, Cox regression multivariate analysis showed the 7th UICC/AJCC N stage to bean independent factor for predicting the 5YSR instead of the 6th UICC/AJCC N stage (P<0.001, hazard ratio (HR) 1.859, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.576~2.194), including depth of tumor invasion (P<0.001, HR 1.673, 95% CI 1.351~2.073). CONCLUSION: The new (7th) UICC/AJCC N stage is a more reliable prognostic factor of gastric cancer than the old (6th) N stage.

Acute Cerebral Infarction Associated With Polycythemia Vera

No abstract available.

Differences in Overall Survival When Colorectal Cancer Patients are Stratified into New TNM Staging Strategy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the prognosis can be more precisely gauged by the revised 6th AJCC staging system and if this is suitable for Korean colorectal cancer patients, and especially for those patients in the Youngdong district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1996 and December 2003, 365 patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare the overall and stage-specific 5-year survival. All the statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival for the entire cohort was 62%. According to the stages defined by the AJCC fifth edition system, the 5-year stage-specific survival was 91% for stage I, 82% for stage II, 51% for stage III and 4% for stage IV. According to the stages defined by the AJCC sixth edition system, the 5-year stage-specific survival was 91% for stage I, 81% forstage IIa, 83% for stage IIb, 100% for stage IIIa, 64% for stage IIIb, 37% for stage IIIc and 4% for stage IV. The 5-year survival was significantly better for the patients with stage IIIb (64%) than those patients with stage IIIc (37%) (p<.001). CONCLUSION: It is widely known that the AJCC sixth edition system for colorectal cancer stratifies survival more distinctly than does the fifth edition system by providing more substages. Our study showed that stage IIIb disease had better survival than stage IIIc disease, but we couldn't confirm that this new staging system is relevant in our Korean clinical practice due to the small study population. Therefore, further study is required in a larger population.

Phase II Study of Oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and Leucovorin in Relapsed or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer as Second Line Therapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of biweekly oxaliplatin in combination with leucovorin (LV)-modulated bolus plus infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) as a second line therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2002 and October 2005, 26 patients with histologically confirmed relapsed or metastatic CRC were enrolled. All patients were previously treated with irinotecan-based combination chemotherapy. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 on day 1; LV 200 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2; and 5-FU 400 mg/m2 bolus IV with 600 mg/m2 with a 22-hour infusion on days 1 and 2 every 2 weeks. RESULTS: The median age of the 26 patients was 50.5 years (range, 31~72). Their metastatic sites included: the liver (42.3%), peritoneum (26.9%), lung (23.1%) and ovary (7.7%). Twenty five patients were evaluated for their response. Four patients achieved partial responses and 15 patients had stable disease. The overall response rate was 16% (95% confidence interval; 1.7~30.3%). The median follow-up duration for the surviving patients was 7.4 months (range, 2.08~21.2). Median overall survival (OS) and 1-year OS rates were 16.7 months and 63.9%, respectively. The most common hematological toxicities were: NCI grade I/II leucopenia (49.3%), grade I/II neutropenia (41%) and grade I/II anemia (65.2%). The main non-hematological toxicities were: grade I/II peripheral neuropathy (16.1% and 21.5%, respectively) and nausea/ vomiting (23.6%/18.5%). There was no life-threatening toxicity. CONCLUSION: The oxaliplatin, 5-FU and LV combination chemotherapy, scheduled as a biweekly protocol, was effective and well tolerated in the treatment of relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer patients as second line chemotherapy.

Clinical Aspects of Pregnancy and Delivery in Patients with Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a condition that often develops in young women and, consequently, physicians should frequently manage and monitor pregnant patients with this disorder. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 30 women with chronic ITP delivered in 31 pregnancies from January 1995 to December 2003. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were diagnosed with ITP before pregnancy and sixteen patients were diagnosed during pregnancy. The mean platelet counts before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and at delivery were 70, 040/mm3, 83, 960/mm3, and 62, 680/mm3, respectively. The symptoms of hemostatic impairment were not noted in most of the pregnancies (77%, 24/31). During pregnancy and at delivery, most of the women (61%, 19/31) received various kinds of treatment to raise platelet counts. At delivery, the most commonly used therapy was platelet transfusion (48.4%, 15/31). Seven pregnancies (22.6%) were treated with corticosteroids during pregnancy and at delivery. Five pregnancies (16.1%) were treated with IV IgG during pregnancy and at delivery. Fifteen deliveries (51.7%) were performed by cesarean section and fourteen (48.3%) with vaginal delivery. Bleeding was uncommon at delivery. There were no cases of infants with any clinical signs of hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: Our current results suggest that ITP in pregnancy can proceed safely with low hemorrhagic risk in both infants and mothers, and that mothers with ITP can deliver healthy infants without serious hemorrhagic complications.

Thymidylate Synthase, Thymidine Phosphorylase, VEGF and p53 Protein Expression in Primary Colorectal Cancer for Predicting Response to 5-fluorouracil-based Chemotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: In the treatment of advanced metastatic colorectal cancer, several new agents, such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin, have been developed, which have improved both disease free and overall survivals. Among these agents, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) still remains one of the most active agents, and the selection of patients who can benefit from 5-FU-based chemotherapy is still important, as those unlikely to benefit could be spared the harmful side effects. The expression levels of thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and p53 have been known to be associated with the clinical response to 5-FU-based therapy as well as the prognosis, and that of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is associated with poor survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relationship between the expressions of TS, TP, VEGF and p53 in primary tumors, using immunohistochemistry, and the response of 45 metastatic colorectal cancer patients (M: F=25: 20, median age 59 yrs) to 5-FU-based chemotherapy were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were treated with 5-FU/ LV/irinotecan (FOLFIRI) and 8 with 5-FU/LV/oxaplatin (FOLFOX). The overall response rate was 28.9% (13/45). When immunohistochemically analyzed with monoclonal antibodies against TS, TP, VEGF and p53, 55.6% of the patients (25/45) were positive for TS, 48.9% (22/45) for TP, 82.2% (37/45) for VEGF, and 80% (36/45) for p53. There was a significant difference in the intensity of TS expression between the clinical responders and non-responders (p=0.036). In terms of the staining pattern of TS expression, diffuse staining was correlated with a poor response (p=0.012) and poor survival (p=0.045). However, there was no correlation between the expressions of TP, VEGF or P53 and the response to chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the expression of TS in primary colorectal cancer might be an important prognostic factor for chemotherapy response and survival, and might be a useful therapeutic marker for the response of chemotherapy.

A Case of Erythema Nodosum and Serositis Associated with Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogenous group of stem cell disorders usually characterized by progressive refractory cytopenias, which could progress to acute myeloid leukemia. MDS may be associated with a wide spectrum of skin lesions, including neoplastic cell infiltration, Sweet's syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum diutinum, vasculitis, and panniculitis. However, erythema nodosum is rarely associated with MDS. Unusual rheumatologic manifestations in patients with MDS also have been reported, which range from asymptomatic serological abnormalities to classic connective tissue disorders such as Sjogren's syndrome, relapsing polychondritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and mixed connective tissue disease. However, concurrent erythema nodosum and serositis has rarely been reported. We describe a case of MDS with erythema nodosum and immune-mediated pericardial effusion in a 34-year-old woman.

A Case of Primary Plasmacytoma of Lymph Nodes

Extramedullary plasmacytoma may originate in any organ, either as a primary tumor or as a facet of systemic multiple myeloma. These solid lesions most commonly affect the upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal and urogenital tract, skin, and lung. Primary plasmacytoma of the lymph node is a rare hematologic neoplasm, which usually manifests as an enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes with no evidence of any other plasma cell dyscrasia. A 56-year-old man was admitted, due to the presence of multiple palpable masses in the right cervical and submandibular areas. Surgical resection revealed plasmacytoma of the lymph nodes. According to our full work-up, no evidence of the systemic involvement of plasma cell dyscrasia was discovered and thus, the diagnosis of primary plasmacytoma of the lymph node was made. Radiotherapy was administered, and the remnant mass was reduced substantially, to 1 x 2 cm in size. The patient was scheduled to be monitored by a PET CT scan, as well as by a neck CT scan.

Phase II Study of Irinotecan, 5-Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin in Relapsed or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer as First-line Therapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity of biweekly irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (LV) in patients with relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2002 and May 2004, 24 patients with histologically confirmed relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled in this study. One chemotherapy cycle consisted of irinotecan 180 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15; 5-FU 400 mg/m2 bolus IV with 600 mg/m2 by a 22 hour intravenous infusion on days 1, 2, 15 and 16; and leucovorin 20 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, 15 and 16, every 4 weeks. RESULTS: The median age of the 24 was 57.5 years (range, 38~69). Their metastatic sites included: the liver (62.5%), lung (20.8%), peritoneum (16.7%), lymph node (12.5%), ovary (8.3%) and pelvis/vagina (8.3%). Twenty- two patients were evaluable for a response. Six and 7 patients achieved partial responses and stable diseases, respectively. The overall response rate was 27.3% (95% Confidence interval; 10.3~44.5%). The median follow-up duration for surviving patients was 14.7 months (range, 1.7~26.5). Median overall survival (OS) and 1-year OS rates were 19 months and 86.3%, respectively. Median response duration and median progression free survival were 7.47 and 5.57 months, respectively. A total of 83 cycles (median 4 cycles) were administered. The main non-hematologic toxicities were nausea/vomiting (44.5%/ 18.1%) and diarrhea (8.4%). The most common hematologic toxicity was NCI grade I/II anemia (31.3%) and grade I/II neutropenia was 10.8%. There was no life-threatening toxicity. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that irinotecan, 5-FU and leucovorin combination chemotherapy in a biweekly schedule is a practical and tolerable treatment option in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Radiofrequency Ablation for Metastatic Hepatic Tumor in Colorectal Carcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat hepatic metastasis in patients with colorectal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 1999 and July 2002, a total of 45 tumors in 24 patients with colorectal cancer were treated with RFA. Thirteen patients received systemic chemotherapy after the RFA procedure. The ablation was performed percutaneously under ultrasound guidance using cool-tip or expandable electrodes and an RF generator. The medical records as well as the CT scan results taken every 3 months were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration of the surviving patients was 11.7 months (4.6~32.2 months). Complete tumor necrosis was achieved in 17 patients (70.8%) on an immediate (<24 hrs) CT scan. The median survival was 17.1 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 80.5 and 25.8%, respectively. In a univariate analysis, complete necrosis, tumor size and post-RFA chemotherapy were significant factors for survival. Nineteen of the 24 patients developed a recurrence or progressed (79.2%). The median progression free survival was 5.5 months. There were no treatment related deaths or serious adverse effects, with the exception of one case of respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RFA is a well-tolerated and effective method to treat hepatic metastasis in colorectal carcinomas.

A case of successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a HBV-positive severe aplastic anemia patient with prophylactic lamivudine treatment / 대한내과학회지

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been known to be a serious complication of immunosuppressive or cytotoxic chemotherapy in HBV carriers or chronic hepatitis B patients. We report here a 25-year-old woman who has severe aplastic anemia and chronic hepatitis B underwent successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with prophylactic lamivudine treatment and showed no evidence of reactivation of hepatitis B, HBV DNA elevation, or liver dysfunction. This result suggests that prophylactic administration of lamivudine to a BMT recipient of chronic hepatitis B might be a safe and promising measure to prevent fatal liver dysfunction.

Gemcitabine and Infusional 5-Fluorouracil in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Clinical Benefit Response-Oriented Phase II Study / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are two compounds with reproducible activity against advanced pancreatic carcinomas. To evaluate the activity and feasibility of this combination chemotherapy, a multi-institutional phase II study was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (male: female 15: 5, median age: 60.5 years), with histologically verified locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic carcinomas, were enrolled between April 2000 and March 2002. Gemcitabine was administered by intravenous injection at the doses of 1, 000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15, and 5-FU 800 mg/m2/day, was given by continuous intravenous infusion on days 1~5. The treatment was repeated every 4 weeks. The clinical benefit response (CBR) was a composite of the pain, Karnofsky performance status and body weight change measurement. RESULTS: Nineteen of the twenty patients were assessable for response. The median follow-up duration was 4.6 months (0.4~15.2 months). Five patients achieved a partial response and eight a stable disease. The overall response rate was 25.0%. The CBR was assessable in 12 patients. The overall CBR was 41.7% (5/12). The median survival of all the patients was 8.0 months. Grade 3~4 toxicities included neutropenia (9.3%) and thrombocytopenia (5.3%). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that gemcitabine, combined with infusional 5-FU, was well tolerated, and produced modest antitumor activity and symptomatic relief in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

A Case of Pseudo-Gitelman's Syndrome Misdiagnosed as Gitelman's Syndrome / 대한신장학회잡지

A 31-year-old woman had a history of fatigue and hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis and hypocalciuria. The patient had a subtotal thyroidectomy and denied ingestion of diuretic medication. Her clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with Gitelman's syndrome. Normal blood pressure, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypocalciuria were present. She confessed to us that she had been taking a pill due to constipation for 7 years. She was afraid that her husband know it. But we don't know the reason why she had concealed it Surreptious ingestion of diuretics must be excluded in any adult patient in whom a diagnosis of Bartter's or Gitelman's syndrome is considered.