Fatal Breakthrough Mucormycosis in an Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Patient while on Posaconazole Prophylaxis

Posaconazole is a new oral triazole with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Posaconazole has also shown a significant advantage of preventing invasive fungal infection compared to fluconazole or itraconazole in patients with prolonged neutropenia. Indeed, posaconazole has been commonly used for antifungal prophylaxis in patients undergoing remission induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. We experienced a case of fatal mucormycosis despite posaconazole prophylaxis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of fatal breakthrough mucormycosis in a patient receiving posaconazole prophylaxis during remission induction chemotherapy in Korea. This case demonstrated that breakthrough fungal infection can occurs in patients receiving posaconazole prophylaxis because of its limited activity against some mucorales.

Patient's Factors at Entering Hospice Affecting Length of Survival in a Hospice Center / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: In order to provide effective hospice care, adequate length of survival (LOS) in hospice is necessary. However the reported average LOS is much shorter. Analysis of LOS in hospice has not been reported from Korea. We evaluated the duration of LOS and the factors associated with LOS at our hospice center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined 446 patients who were admitted to our hospice unit between January 2010 and December 2012. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis for analysis of factors associated with LOS. RESULTS: The median LOS was 9.5 days (range, 1 to 186 days). The LOS of 389 patients (86.8%) was< 1 month. At the time of admission to hospice, 112 patients (25.2%) were completely bedridden, 110 patients (24.8%) had mouth care only without intake, and 134 patients (30.1%) had decreased consciousness, from confusion to coma. The median time interval between the day of the last anticancer treatment and the day of hospice admission was 75 days. By analysis of the results of multivariate analysis, decreased intake and laboratory results showing increased total white blood cell (WBC), decreased platelet count, increased serum creatinine, increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level were poor prognostic factors for survival in hospice. CONCLUSION: Before hospice admission, careful evaluation of the patient's performance, particularly the oral intake, and total WBC, platelet, creatinine, AST, ALT, and LDH level is essential, because these were strong predictors of shorter LOS. In the future, conduct of prospective controlled studies is warranted in order to confirm the relationship between potential prognostic factors and LOS in hospice.

An Unusual Cause of Left Brachiocephalic Vein Occlusion: Extrinsic Compression by the Aortic Arch in a Hemodialysis Patient / 대한내과학회지

The most common cause of central venous obstruction including left braciocephalic vein is intrinsic stenosis associated with a previous central venous catheter or other devices. Occasionally, patients with no history of central venous catheterization present with left brachiocephalic vein occlusion. This occurs as a result of extrinsic compression of the brachiocephalic vein by adjacent vascular structures, especially the aortic arch and its branches. Here, we report a case of left brachiocephalic vein compression caused by a tortuous, ectatic aortic arch in a patient with no history of central vein catheterization. To our knowledge, this is the first report of extrinsic compression of the brachiocephalic vein by the aortic arch in Korea.

A Case of Chylothorax in an Adult Patient with Down Syndrome Developed after Mechanical Ventilation / 대한내과학회지

Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle-containing lymphatic fluid within the pleural space. It is mainly caused by injury or obstruction of the thoracic duct due to neoplasm or trauma. There have been several reports of chylothorax associated with chromosomal anomaly such as Down syndrome. Most cases are congenital, and development of chylothorax in an adult with Down syndrome is rare. Here, we report a case of chylothorax in an adult with Down syndrome who had been treated with mechanical ventilation. A 31-year-old woman with Down syndrome was admitted with urosepsis. She was treated with mechanical ventilation due to severe respiratory acidosis. Four days after mechanical ventilation, she developed unilateral pleural effusion, and analysis indicated chylothorax. After conservative treatment, including fasting and total parenteral nutritional support, the chylous formation completely disappeared.

Successful Retrieval of a Fractured and Entrapped 0.035-Inch Terumo Wire in the Femoral Artery Using Biopsy Forceps

A 0.035-inch guide wire fracture and entrapment in a peripheral artery is a very rare complication, but when it does occur it may lead to life-threatening complications, such as perforation, thrombus formation, embolization, and subsequent limb ischemia. We describe our experience of successfully retrieving a fractured 0.035-inch Terumo guide wire in the external iliac artery using a biopsy forcep.

A Case of Severe Cholangitis Caused by Raoultella planticola in a Patient with Pancreatic Cancer

While Raoultella planticola is a rare cause of human infection, we experienced a case of severe cholangitis caused by R. planticola. A 75-year-old male patient with cancer of the pancreatic head was admitted and found to have cholangitis. Following performance of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage for decompression and initiation of empirical antibiotics with cefotaxime and metronidazole. R. planticola, which was susceptible to cefotaxime, was isolated from both bile and blood. Despite administration of prompt and appropriate antibiotic therapy, the patient died 10 days after admission. We herein describe the first case of cholangitis caused by infection with R. planticola.

A Case of Secondary Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome with Thyroid Cancer

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is defined as the presence of lupus anticoagulant antibody or anticardiolipin antibody with vascular thrombosis or pregnancy complications. APS can be associated with autoimmune disease or infectious disease. APS has also been reported in conjunction with variety of solid and hematologic malignancies. There were some reports on APS which were accompanied by hematologic malignancy, but there was no report with solid malignancy in Korea. We experienced one case of secondary APS, which was diagnosed during pre-operative evaluation of thyroid cancer. This patient had prolonged aPTT (activate partial thromboplastin time) and decreased coagulation factors which were regarded as hemophilia at first. Although the precise mechanism of the relationship between APS and cancer has not been proven thoroughly, APS can be accompanied by various malignancies. So proper screening and early detection of malignancies in APS patients are recommended.

Hyperprolactinemia-Associated Breast Uptake of Radioiodine Following 131I Postablation Scan in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Scanning with whole-body 131I scintigraphy after surgery has been a valuable diagnostic modality in the surveillance of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Radioiodine uptake is rarely observed in non-lactating breast tissue, which mimics thyroid cancer metastasis. We now report a case of a 45-year-old female thyroid cancer patient who underwent radioiodine therapy, and in whom breast uptake of radioiodine was observed on a post-therapy whole body scan. Her serum prolactin level was elevated to 328 ng/mL at the time of the radioiodine uptake, and the hyperprolactinemia was induced by her antipsychotic medications. Six months after she discontinued that medication, her serum prolactin level was normalized to 12.6 ng/mL and breast uptake of iodine was no longer present in a follow-up whole body scan.

Roles of ERK and NF-kappa B in Interleukin-8 Expression in Response to Heat Shock Protein 22 in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) serve as molecular chaperones and play a role in cell protection from damage in response to stress stimuli. The aim of this article is to investigate whether HSP22 affects IL-8 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and which cellular factors are involved in the HSP-mediated IL-8 induction in that cell type in terms of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and transcription element. Exposure of aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs) to HSP22 not only enhanced IL-8 release but also induced IL-8 transcript via promoter activation. HSP22 activated ERK and p38 MAPK in AoSMCs. HSP22-induced IL-8 release was inhibited by U0126, but not by SB202190. A mutation in the IL-8 promoter region at the binding site of NF-kappa B, but not AP-1 or C/EBP, impaired promoter activation in response to HSP22. Delivery of I kappa B, but not dominant negative c-Jun, lowered HSP22-induced IL-8 release from AoSMCs. These results suggest that HSP22 induces IL-8 in VSMCs via ERK1/2, and that transcription factor NF-kB may be required for the HSP22-induced IL-8 up-regulation.