A case of Castleman disease that improved after kidney transplantation / 대한이식학회지

This is a case of a 56-year-old man with Castleman disease (CD) who improved after kidney transplantation (KTP). CD is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder that was found incidentally on biopsy during dialysis in the current patient and was followed up without further treatment. However, the lesion showed improvement after KTP. Therefore, active KTP can be considered even if CD is one of the lymphoproliferative disorders that can occur as a complication after KTP.

Anisakiasis Induced Segmental Jejunum Obstruction / 대한소화기학회지

Human anisakiasis is a disease caused by an infestation of the third stage larvae of family anisakidae. The ingested larvae invade the gastrointestinal wall, causing clinical symptoms that include abdomen pain, nausea, and vomiting. Although enteric anisakiasis is extremely rare, it can induce intestinal obstruction. We report a case in which emergency surgery was needed due to intestinal obstruction that coincided with symptoms related to anisakiasis, along with a brief literature review.

A Case of Central Pontine Myelinolysis in a Type 2 Diabetic Patient without Electrolyte Changes

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) by complicating rapid correction of severe hyponatremia has been widely reported. Additionally, CPM was occasionally reported among patients with post-liver transplantation, burns, chronic renal failure with dialysis, or other diseases associated with or not associated with other electrolyte changes or hyperosmolarity. However, there have been a few reports of CPM occurring in diabetic patients without documented electrolyte changes. This report is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of CPM in type 2 diabetic patients without electrolyte changes in Korea. A 40-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus with abruptly developed dysarthria and ataxia was admitted to our facility. He suffered from poor glucose control and multiple diabetic complications. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-defined bilateral symmetric hyperintense lesion in the central portion of the pons on T2- and diffusion-weighted images, which was consistent with CPM. After the patient's blood glucose and blood pressure normalized, his dysarthria and ataxia improved. Six months after discharge, follow-up MRI showed a persistent, but greatly reduced symmetric lesion in the central pons. It is certainly possible for CPM to be overlooked clinically in diabetic patients, but more cases could be diagnosed if careful attention was paid to this syndrome.

Magnetic Resonance Arthrographic Findings of the Painful Hemiplegic Shoulder

OBJECTIVE: To identify the etiology of hemiplegic shoulder pain by magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography. METHOD: The study included seventy-four hemiplegic patients with shoulder pain. After several physical examinations, all patients had fluoroscopically guided injection by a physiatrist with a maximum of 12~15 ml of contrast agent. Then T1-weighted, T2-weighted and fat-suppressed T1-weighted images were taken at the oblique coronal plane. In addition, fat-suppressed T1-weighted images were obtained at the oblique sagittal and oblique coronal plane. RESULTS: Except for the 9 patients who did not finish the study, the mean age of the participants was 61.5+/-8.9 years and mean duration of the cerebrovascular accident (CVA) was 15.7+/-9.7 weeks. The findings were as follows: 40% supraspinatus tendinitis, 30.8% superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion, 29.2% adhesive capsulitis, 24.6% supraspinatus partial tear, 23.1% biceps tendinitis, 13.8% supraspinatus full thickness tear, 7.7% infraspinatus partial tear. The SLAP lesion had significant statistic relationship with biceps tendinitis (p<0.05) but not with rotator cuff lesion. CONCLUSION: We found that causes of hemiplegic shoulder pain were various. The prevalence of the SLAP lesion was high (30.8%). We recommend the MR arthrography when the hemiplegic shoulder pain does not improve by conventional therapy or the cause of the pain is uncertain.

Results of Carotid Artery Stenting using Filter Wire in 24 Consecutive Symptomatic Patients with Severe Stenosis

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to analyze the results of carotid artery stenting using distal protection with FilterWire, and evaluate the effectiveness of FilterWire for distal embolic protection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June and December in 2004, elective carotid artery stenting using FilterWire was attempted in 25 lesions of 24 consecutive patients. All patients were symptomatic, with recurrent transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or a stroke. The cerebral ischemic lesions of embolic origin were evaluated before and after the procedure using magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted images. Both pre- and post-procedural 99mcTc-ECD SPECT were performed to assess the cerebral blood flows. Any visible debris within the FilterWire was sent for histological/cytological analyses. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved all 25 cases. The mean pre-procedural stenosis was 89% (range 70-100%), and that immediately after stent placement was nearly 0%. With the exception of only one major stroke (1/25, 4%), no periprocedural complications were encountered. On the diffusion weighted images, new lesions were observed in four patients (4/25, 16%), but these were clinically silent. FilterWire-related transient spasm occurred in eight of the 25 procedures (32%). CONCLUSION: Carotid artery stenting, with FireWire distal protection, seems technically feasible, safe and effective in preventing procedural related embolic complications.

Marrow Conversion Pattern of the Femora and Acetabulum Around Hip Joints According to Age Group : MR Evaluation

PURPOSE : Marrow edema and fatty degeneration of the hip joint bones could be initial and late signs inip joint and its bone diseases respectively, which might be differentiated from age-related marrow conversion pattern. So authors have investigated normal marrow conversion pattern of the femur and acetabulum around the hip joints. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Three coronal MR images of 288 hip joint bones in 144 subjects, aged 2 days to 76 years divided to 8 groups every 10 years, were retrospectively analysed for the location and appearance of the converted yellow marrow. The converted yellow marrow were divided to head, neck, and trochanter in the proximal femur and below and above 50% in acetabulum of the hip. RESULTS : The most common type of marrow conversion is the converted yellow marrow in the entire proximal femur and below 50% of acetabulum of the hip. We observed the start of marrow conversion in just before and after 2 years old and stopped at just before and after 20 years old. CONCLUSION : The understanding of age-related marrow conversion pattern of the hip joint bones would provide some information for differentiation from pathologic condition of them such as edema, fatty degeneration, metastasis, or leukemia.

New Techniques for Intracranial Stent Navigation in Patients with Tortuous Arteries

PURPOSE: We wanted to describe several new techniques of intracranial stenting that are helpful for navigating the stent delivery system in the tortuous carotid or vertebral arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 1998 and June 2004, 65 patients with 73 symptomatic, stenotic intracranial arteries (more than 50%) were successfully treated with stent-assisted angioplasty. In eleven of the total cases, the standard technique failed to navigate the stent delivery system into the objective lesion because of the tortuous path of the carotid or vertebral arteries. In these cases, several new techniques were used to overcome the vessels' tortuous path. The several new techniques were 1) the waiting method (20-30 minutes) after advancement of microwire across the lesion; 2) the double wires technique using an additional microwire; and 3) the coaxial double guiding catheters technique using an additional smaller guiding catheter. Five lesions were located in the middle cerebral arteries, four were in the supraclinoid internal carotid arteries, and two were in the distal vertebral arteries. RESULTS: In all difficult cases, intracranial artery stenting was performed successfully by using the several new techniques. The waiting method made smooth stent navigation possible in 5 cases, the double wire technique was successful in 4 cases and the coaxial double guiding catheter technique was successful in 2 case. There was no complication related to the new techniques. CONCLUSION: In difficult cases where the standard technique failed to navigate the stent delivery system into the objective lesion because of the vessels' tortuous path, these new techniques for intracranial stent navigation were usefully implemented.