Robot-assisted submandibular gland excision via modified facelift incision / 대한악안면성형재건외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The conventional transcervical resection for submandibular gland disease has some risks and an unsatisfactory cosmetic result. Recently, robot-assisted surgery has been developed as a plausible substitute for conventional surgery which provides an excellent cosmetic outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors performed robot-assisted sialadenectomy via modified facelift incision using the da Vinci Xi surgical system (Intuitive Surgical Inc., CA, USA) with two endowrist arms (monopolar curved scissors and Maryland bipolar forceps) successfully in a 44-year-old female patient who suffered from sialolith and severe atrophic submandibular gland. CONCLUSIONS: If similar studies are done in the future, this robot-assisted sialadenectomy may become established as an alternative to existing disadvantageous surgical methods.

A Case of Pentastomiasis at the Left Maxilla Bone in a Patient with Thyroid Cancer

Pentastomiasis, a zoonotic parasite infection, is typically found in the respiratory tract and viscera of the host, including humans. Here, we report for the first time an extremely rare case of intraosseous pentastomiasis in the human maxilla suffering from medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). A 55-year-old male had continuously visited the hospital for MRONJ which had primarily developed after bisphosphonate and anti-neoplastic administration for previous bone metastasis of medullary thyroid cancer. Pain, bone exposure, and pus discharge in the right mandible and left maxilla were seen. Osteolysis with maxillary cortical bone perforation at the left buccal vestibule, palate, nasal cavity, and maxillary sinus was observed by radiologic images. A biopsy was done at the left maxilla and through pathological evaluation, a parasite with features of pentastome was revealed within the necrotic bone tissue. Further history taking and laboratory evaluation was done. The parasite was suspected to be infected through maxillary open wounds caused by MRONJ. Awareness of intraosseous pentastomiasis should be emphasized not to be missed behind the MRONJ. Proper evaluation and interpretation for past medical history may lead to correct differential diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for parasite infections.

Relationship between bronchial anthracofibrosis and endobronchial tuberculosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Various pulmonary diseases may be associated with bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF). Our aim was to identify a relationship between BAF and endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB). METHODS: In total, 156 patients, diagnosed with EBTB using bronchoscopy, between June 1999 and May 2008, were included. Clinical and bronchoscopic findings between patients with BAF (n = 72, BAF group) and without BAF (n = 84, non-BAF) were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The crude odds ratio (OR) of BAF for EBTB was 8.88 (95% confidence interval, 6.37 to 12.37). On multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, history of biomass smoke exposure, and comorbidities, the most significant independent factor for EBTB was a history of biomass smoke exposure (adjusted OR, 17.471; adjusted p < 0.001). EBTB was more frequent in the right lung, particularly the right middle lobar bronchus, in the BAF group. Actively caseating, edematous-hyperemic, and ulcerative were the major types, with 77 (49%), 33 (21%), and 31 cases (20%), respectively. The BAF group had more ulcerative type, while the non-BAF group had more actively caseating type. The duration of EBTB treatment was similar between the groups. No significant difference was observed in the development of complications during treatment and posttreatment bronchostenosis between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that BAF may be a risk factor for EBTB and affect the location and morphological type at the time of EBTB development.

The clinical and microbial characteristics of healthcare-associated pneumonia / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) occurs outside hospitals, but its characteristics are similar to those of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). We evaluated the clinical and microbial characteristics of HCAP in Korea. METHODS: Of 130 subjects with suspected pneumonia, 49 were classified as HCAP and 81 as HAP. We retrospectively examined the clinical presentations, outcomes, pathogens, and drug resistance rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosae in both groups. RESULTS: The clinical presentations, including the symptoms and laboratory findings, at the time of hospitalization were comparable in both groups. The hospital mortalities of HCAP (28.6%) and HAP (34.6%) did not differ significantly; the length of the hospital stay was similar for all of the survivors (14 vs. 17 days, respectively). Of the identified pathogens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was significantly less common in HCAP than in HAP (two vs. 18 cases, respectively, p<0.01), whereas Klebsiella pneumoniae was more common in HCAP (five vs. zero cases, respectively, p<0.01). The frequency of other Gram-negative rods was similar in both groups. The rate of resistance to antibiotics in P. aeruginosae in both groups was substantial, with the highest resistant rate to ciprofloxacin (50% and 61.5% in HCAP and HAP, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical features and outcomes of HCAP were comparable to those of HAP in the study population, the frequency of methicillin-resistant S. aureus was significantly lower in HCAP compared to HAP.

A Case of Pulmonary and Endobronchial Mycobacterium avium Infection Presenting as an Acute Pneumonia in an Immunocompetent Patient / 결핵및호흡기질환

The global number of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) pulmonary infection is increasing. Patients with preexisting lung disease or who are immunodeficient are at the greatest risk for developing MAC infection. Endobronchial lesions with MAC infection are rare in the immunocompetent host. However, there have been an increasing number of reports of an immunocompetent host being afflicted with various manifestations of MAC infection. We report a case of pulmonary and endobronchial MAC infection presenting as an acute pneumonia in a 59-year-old female without preexisting lung disease or immunodeficiency.

The 3 cases of colonic diverticular bleeding treated by colonoscopic hemostatic procedures / 대한내과학회지

Recently, aging process and westernization of life style are increasing the incidence of colonic diverticulum. About 30% of colonic diverticulm result in diverticular bleeding, which often causes acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. In most cases, the bleeding stops spontaneously. But when relapsing or causing massive bleeding, it sometimes needs emergent surgery. Generally, treatments for colonic diverticular bleeding consist of conservative ones. But recently, urgent colonoscopy is important procedure since it estimates the needs for surgery, or when bleeding foci being identified, endoscopists frequently can stop the bleeding by only colonoscopic procedures such as injection therapy, band ligation, hemoclipping and argon plasma coagulation, etc. In patients with hematochezia, we made early detection of diverticular bleeding foci by urgent colonoscopy, and then we were able to treat them successfully by argon plasma coagulation and hemoclipping. Thus we report these with literature review.

A Case of Inflammatory Fibroid Polyp in the Duodenum / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Inflammatory fibroid polyp is a relatively uncommon, localized benign lesion of the gastrointestinal wall. It is seen mostly as a single entity and the majority of inflammatory fibroid polyps have been reported with pathologic examination in the stomach but rarely in small intestines. A 70-year-old woman was presented with intermittent epigatric discomfort and gastroduodenoscopy showed a polypoid lesion with oval shaped, central depression, and normal mucosal covering. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed 8x6 mm sized hypoechoic tumor which was located mainly in the third layer of the duodenal wall with indistinct margin. The tumor was successfully removed by endoscopic resection after the injection of hypertonic saline solution with epinephrine and banding. The tumor consisted of loose fibrous stroma, small blood vessels and inflammatory cells. We present a case of inflammatory fibroid polyp of the duodenum with review of the literatures.

Ventilatory Dynamics according to Bronchial Stenosis in Bronchial Anthracofibrosis / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Bronchial anthracofibrosis usually manifest as a form of obstructive airway disease, and can be accompanied by parenchymal diseases such as pneumonia, and pulmonary tuberculosis. This study investigated the ventilatory dynamics according to the severity of bronchial stenosis in patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis. Method : One hundred and thirteen patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis that was confirmed by bronchoscopy and who had undergone a pulmonary function test were enrolled in this study group. The correlation coefficients between the pulmonary functional parameters and the number of lobes with bronchial stenosis were investigated. RESULTS: The incidence of ventilatory dysfunction was 56(49.6%) for obstructive, 8(7.1%) for restrictive, 2(1.8%) for mixed, and 47(41.6%) for a normal pattern. The FEV1/FVC, FEF25~75%, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, and PEF showed a significant negative correlation (p<0.05) and the Raw had a significant positive correlation with the number of lobes with bronchial stenosis(p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the most common abnormality of the ventilatory function in bronchial anthracofibrosis is an obstructive pattern with a small airway dysfunction according to the severity of bronchial stenosis.

The Clinical Significances of Bronchial Anthracofibrosis in the Patients with Endobronchial Tuberculosis / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Bronchial anthracofibrosis is one of the main manifestations of lung disease that is related to woodsmoke inhalation, and it is frequently associated with various pulmonary diseases, such as tuberculosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of bronchial anthracofibrosis in patients with endobronchial tuberculosis. METHODS: 63 patients, who were diagnosed with endobronchial tuberculosis using bronchoscopy, were included in this study. The patients consisted of 12 males and 51 females, having mean age of 59.5 years. The clinical features, radiologic and bronchoscopic findings between the patients with (37) and without (26) bronchial anthracofibrosis were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: When the patients were older, bronchial anthracofibrosis was more frequent. The endobronchial tuberculosis, which was located at the right middle lobal bronchus, was more frequent in the patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis than in the patients without bronchial anthracofibrosis. In the morphologic types of endobronchial tuberculosis, patients with bronchial anthracofibrosis had more edematous-hyperemic and ulcerative types, while patients without bronchial anthracofibrosis had more active caseating. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the presence of bronchial anthracofibrosis can possibly influence the locations and morphologic types of endobronchial tuberculosis.

Massive bleeding caused by bronchoscopic biopsy of an abnormal bronchial artery / 대한내과학회지

A 39 years old woman was admitted to the hospital because of recurrent hemoptysis. On a bronchoscopic inspection, nodular shaped mass-like lesions were found on the orifice of right middle and lower lobar bronchus and a biopsy was performed. This was immediately followed by massive bleeding into the airways. The bleeding could not be controlled by nonsurgical treatment. Immediately she underwent a right middle and lower bilobectomy in order to control of bleeding. Biopsy revealed the bleeding to have been caused by a biopsy injury of an abnormal artery that had run superficially in the bronchial mucosa.

Massive bleeding caused by bronchoscopic biopsy of an abnormal bronchial artery / 대한내과학회지

A 39 years old woman was admitted to the hospital because of recurrent hemoptysis. On a bronchoscopic inspection, nodular shaped mass-like lesions were found on the orifice of right middle and lower lobar bronchus and a biopsy was performed. This was immediately followed by massive bleeding into the airways. The bleeding could not be controlled by nonsurgical treatment. Immediately she underwent a right middle and lower bilobectomy in order to control of bleeding. Biopsy revealed the bleeding to have been caused by a biopsy injury of an abnormal artery that had run superficially in the bronchial mucosa.

The Incidence of the Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas of the Gastrointestinal Tract

The Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) is known to play a causal role in oncogenesis and to be associated with endemic Burkitt's lymphomas, B cell lymphomas in immunocompromised patients, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas. More recently, EBV has also associated with Hodgkin's disease, B cell lymphomas in non-immunocompromised patients, and T-cell lymphomas. Twenty eight cases of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of gastrointestinal tract were investigated to determine both the immunophenotype by using immunohistochemical staining and the incidence of the EBV nuclear antigen by using the polymerase chain reaction. Twenty-four of the 28 cases(85.7%) were B-cell type, and 4 of the 28 cases(14.3%) are of T-cell type. The EBV nuclear antigen was detected in three of the 28 cases(10.7%), including two cases of B-cell lymphoma of the stomach and one case of T-cell lymphoma of the small bowel. The EBV nuclear antigen was more frequently found in malignant lymphomas arising in the intestine(1/4) than in stomach(2/16). EBV positivity (25%) in T-cell NHLs was rather higher than EBV positivity (8.3%) in B-cell NHLs. Further expanded evaluations on the role of EBV in the tumorigenesis of a gastrointestinal malignant lymphomas are necessary because the cases of gastrointestinal lymphomas examined were very limited.