Hepatic Zinc Concentration in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Zinc is an essential, mostly intracellular, trace element which participates in many oxidative or deoxidative reactions and in a protective action on liver cell activity. Plasma zinc levels are known to decrease in patients with liver disease including chronic viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to reveal whether hepatic zinc concentrations have a correlation with grades of necroinflammation or stages of fibrosis in the patients with chronic viral hepatitis. METHODS: This study consisted of 50 subjects (43 chronic hepatitis B, 4 chronic hapatitis C, and 3 cirrhosis). Each specimen of liver tissue was classified with the grade of lobular inflammation, portal/periportal inflammation, and stage of fibrosis according to Scheuer's method. Hepatic zinc concentration was determined by ICP-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. RESULTS: The mean hepatic zinc concentration in the 50 chronic viral hepatitis patients was 233.66 g/g dry weight of liver tissue. The hepatic zinc levels were significantly correlated with the grades of portal/periportal inflammation (rs=-0.385, p=0.006), and grades of lobular inflammation(rs=-0.342, p=0.015). The stages of fibrosis were also negatively related (rs=-0.423, p=0.002). The zinc concentrations differed significantly among grades of lobular inflammation (p=0.013) and among stages of fibrosis (p=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic zinc concentrations showed negative correlation with grades of portal/periportal inflammation, lobular inflammation, and stage of fibrosis in the patients of chronic viral hepatitis. These results suggest that decreased hepatic zinc concentration might be associated with severe hepatic injury and reflect decreased protective activity on liver cell injury.

A Peculiar Type of Anomalous Pancreaticobiliary Ductal Union / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union (APBDU) is an uncommon anomaly, defined as the junction between the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct outside the duodenal wall and beyond the influence of the sphincter of Oddi. This anomaly, which has been recognized frequently since the introduction of ERCP, is believed to be associated with biliary tract lesions such as congenital biliary dilatation, biliary tract carcinoma, and pancreatic lesions such as pancreatitis new paragraph. A 28-year-old male was admitted due to sudden abdominal pain and vomiting. An ERCP revealed a peculiar type of APBDU; the duct of Wirsung and CBD fused and formed a long common channel before entering the major papilla, and the duct of Santorini connected to the duct of Wirsung is patent. So, when contrast dye was inserted into the minor papilla, both the CBD and the duct of Wirsung were made visible. This case of the peculiar type of APBDU which showed characteristic ERCP findings are herein reported.

A case of Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura - hemolytic uremic syndrome presenting with cortical blindness confirmed by MRI / 대한내과학회지

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and the related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) are disorders characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, a variable degree of impairment of renal function and fluctuating neurological symptoms, which are thought to be due to platelet activation and subsequent formation of thrombi in the microcirculation. The fact that there was no clear-cut clinical and laboratory features that differentiate HUS from TTP has lead to view these two syndromes as a clinical continuum. Microvascular thrombosis is the typical lesion and closely related with endothelial injury and platelet activation. Pathologic alterations of the brain parenchyma are mainly manifested by small multiple infarcts. Numerous cases of CNS complications of these syndromes have been evaluated by using CT, but few reports have mentioned the MR findings. We experienced a case of TTP-HUS that had clinical features of cortical blindness and the brain lesion was confirmed by MRI showing cerebral infarct at the occipital area but it was reversible course. So we report this case with a brief review of literature.

A Case of Lipoid Pneumonia after Ingestion of Green Perilla Oil / 결핵

We report a case of lipoid pneumo nia in a 57-year-old man who had a history of ingestion of green perilla oil and residual neurologic deficit of cerebral infarction with right hemiparesis. Lipoid pneumonia was diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage.

A Case of Gastritis Cystica Profunda / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Gastritis Cystica Profunda is a rare condition showing multiple small cysts in the mucosa and submucosa of the stomach. These lesions have been found not only at the site of a gastroenterostomy but also in tbe stomchs of patients without any previous surgery. Recently, We witnessed a 56-year old e wale gastritis cystica profunda who had not undergone previous gastric surgery. The UGI and EGD revealed a 3.0 * 4.5 cm sized submucosal mass on the posterior wall of the antrum, and endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS) discovered a thickening of the third layer in which well-defined, round and nearly anechoic areas with posterior enhancement were gathered. They were thought to be cystic lesions. We report a case of gastritis cystica profunda without having had any previous surgery, the diagnosis was made based on findings from the EUS and histologic findings through surgery.

The Prediction of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in the Elderly Patients / 결핵

BACKGROUND: we have evaluated the association of age, smoking, type of anesthesia, type of operation, duration of surgery, previous history of chronic pulmonary diseases with postoperative pulmonary complications and identified which parameter of preoperative spirometry was a predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications. METHOD: In 270 patients older than 60 years, the postoperative pulmonary complications were evaluated according to age, smoking, type of anesthesia, type of operation, duration of surgery, previous history of chronic pulmonary diseases and the parameters of preoperative spirometry were analyzed. RESULTS: The postoperative pulmonary complications rates were significant higher among patients older than 70 years, and among those with previous chronic pulmonary diseases or their smoking history. The pulmonary complications were increased among patients with general anesthesia or duration of surgery more than 2 hours. The pulmonary complications rates did not differ according to sex, type of operation. The patients with hypercarbia(PaCO2> 45mmHg) have more increased postoperative complications. The preoperative FEVl less than 1 liter, FVC, MMEFR & MVV less than 50% of predicted respectively were predictive of complications. CONCLUSION: Age 70, history of smoking,duration of operation more than 2 hours, general anesthesia, previous chronic pulmonary disease and hypercarbia (> or=45mmHg) on preoperative arterial blood gas analysis were predictivd of pulmonary complications. Among the parameters of spirometry, FEV1, FVC, MMEFR and MVV were indicator of predicting postoperative pulmonary complications.