Result of Surgical Resection for Pulmonary Metastasis from Urothelial Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Treatment of pulmonary metastasis from urothelial cell carcinoma has been mostly palliative chemotherapy and the role of pulmonary metastasectomy has not been investigated much. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective interim review of pulmonary metastasectomy from urothelial carcinoma at single institution between 1998 and 2010. Overall 16 patients underwent pulmonary metastasectomies. RESULTS: There was no postoperative complication or hospital mortality. Mean hospital stay was 6 days. Overall and disease-free 5-year survival were 65.3% and 37.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In selected patients with pulmonary metastasis from urothelial carcinoma, surgical treatment is feasible and could contribute to long-term survival in selected patients.

Acute Postpneumonectomy Empyema with Bronchopleural Fistula Treated with Vacuum-assisted Closure Device

Postpneumonectomy empyema is a life-threatening complication, which is often related with a bronchopleural fistula. After surgical repair of fistula, sterilization of infected pleural cavity is important and usually carried out by long-term cyclic irrigation. We report a case in which vacuum-assisted closure device was successfully applied to sterilize the pleural cavity and obliterate bronchopleural fistula.

Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) Lobectomy for Pathologic Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Comparative Study with Thoracotomy Lobectomy

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be performed either by thoracotomy or by employing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of VATS lobectomy for pathologic stage I NSCLC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between December 2003 and December 2007, 529 patients with pathologic stage I NSCLC underwent lobectomies (373 thoracotomy, 156 VATS). Patients in both groups were selected after being matched by age, gender and pathologic stage using propensity score method, to create two comparable groups: thoracotomy and VATS groups, and the overall survival, recurrence-free survival, complication and length of hospitalization were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: After the patients were matched by age, gender and pathologic stage, 272 patients remained eligible for analysis, 136 in each group (mean age of 59.5 years; 70 men, 66 women; 80 stage IA, 56 stage IB). There was no statistical difference in other preoperative clinical characteristics between the two groups. No hospital mortality was observed in both groups. Overall 3-year survival rate was 97.4% in thoracotomy group and 96.6% in VATS groups (p=0.76). During the follow-up, 20 patients (14.7%) developed recurrence in thoracotomy group, including loco- regional recurrence in 7, distant metastasis in 13. In VATS group, 13 patients (9.6%) developed recurrence, including loco-regional recurrence in 4, distant metastasis in 9. Three-year recurrence-free survival rate was 81.8% in thoracotomy group and 85.3% in VATS groups (p=0.43). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications between thoracotomy and VATS groups (30 cases in 22 patients vs. 19 cases in 17 patients, p=0.65, odds ratio=1.19). The mean hospital stay of VATS group was 2 days shorter than that of thoracotomy group (8.8+/-6.5 days vs. 6.3+/-3.3 days, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: VATS lobectomy for pathologic stage I lung cancer is a feasible operation with shorter hospitalization, while surgical outcome is comparable to thoracotomy lobectomy.

Neo-ostium Formation in Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery

Anomalous origin of a coronary aortic artery is a rare cardiac anomaly. Although it can cause angina, syncope, and palpitations, most patients are asymptomatic. This anomaly requires surgical treatment or intervention because it is associated with sudden death. Several surgical techniques, such as coronary reimplantation, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), unroofing, and neo-ostium formation, have been proposed as treatments. We report a case surgically treated with neo-ostium formation in anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right coronary sinus.

Mass Reduction and Functional Improvement of the Left Ventricle after Aortic Valve Replacement for Degenerative Aortic Stenosis

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy caused by aortic valve stenosis (AS) leads to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine whether aortic valve replacement (AVR) decreases LV mass and improves LV function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review for 358 consecutive patients, who underwent aortic valve replacement for degenerative AS between January 1995 and December 2008, was performed. There were 230 men and 128 women, and their age at operation was 63.2+/-10 years (30~85 years). RESULTS: There was no in-hospital mortality, and mean follow-up duration after discharge was 48.9 months (2~167 months). Immediate postoperative echocardiography revealed that LV mass index and mean gradient across the aortic valve decreased significantly (p7) (p=0.045) were risk factors for late death. CONCLUSION: After AVR for degenerative AS, reduction of left ventricular mass and improvement of left ventricular function continue late after operation.

2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection and necrotizing pneumonia treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation / 소아과

A 3-year-old girl with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to a H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection was complicated by necrotizing pneumonia was successfully treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This is the first reported case in which a pediatric patient was rescued with ECMO during the H1N1 influenza epidemic in Korea in 2009.

Virologic Response at 12 Months of Treatment Predicts Sustained Antiviral Efficacy in Patients with Adefovir-Treated Lamivudine-Resistant Chronic Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of our study was to define the potential role of virologic response at 12 months of treatment (VR12) in predicting subsequent virologic and clinical outcomes in adefovir (ADV)-treated lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: Two hundred and four patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) treated with ADV monotherapy were included. Serum HBV DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reactions. VR12 was defined as a HBV DNA level of less than 4 log10 copies/mL after 12 months of ADV treatment. RESULTS: VR12 was observed in 110 of the 204 patients (54%). The mean HBV DNA reductions from baseline after 12 months of ADV treatment were 3.8 and 1.9 log10 copies/mL in patients with and without VR12, respectively (p<0.001). The hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion rates in patients with and without VR12 were 32% and 14% at 12 months treatment, respectively (p=0.018), and 40% and 27% at 24 months of treatment (p=0.032). The genotypic mutation rates to ADV in patients with and without VR12 were 0% and 6% at 12 months of treatment, respectively (p=0.033), and 21% and 42% at 24 months (p=0.012). The rates of viral breakthrough in patients with and without VR12 were 0% and 7% at 12 months of treatment, respectively (p=0.072), and 9% and 25% at 24 months (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Patients without VR12 may need to switch to or add on other potent antiviral drugs in their medical regimens.

Prevalence of occult HBV infection in alcholic and non-alcoholic subjects lacking the hepatitis B surface antigen / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and chronic alcoholism are major risk factors for chronic liver disease in Korea. METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of occult HBV infection in 198 non-alcoholic (group I) and 85 chronic alcoholic subjects (group II), none of whom showed the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Among chronic alcoholics, 25 patients showed cirrhosis. Using serum samples stored at -70 degrees C, liver enzymes, anti-Hbs, and IgG anti-HBc were measured via EIA and serum HBV DNA was quantified via real time PCR. RESULTS: IgG anti-HBc seropositivity, an indicator of past infection, was higher in group II (64.7%) than in group I (43.4%; p<0.01). Eleven of 283 patients (3.2%) were seropositive for HBV DNA, indicating occult infection, but this value did not differ between groups (group I: 3.5%, 7/198; group II: 4.7%, 4/85; p=0.64). In group II, HBV DNA seropositivity was higher in cirrhotic patients (12%, 3/25) than in non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease (1.7%, 1/60; p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: Past HBV infection was more prevalent in alcoholics than non-alcoholics, but the prevalence of occult HBV infection did not differ between groups. However, alcoholics with cirrhosis tended to show a higher prevalence of occult HBV infection.

Tuberculous Meningitis in a Patient with Crohn's Disease, Which was Treated with Infliximab / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Clinical trials of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor have demonstrated significant efficacy in those patients with Crohn's disease that is not responsive to other anti-inflammatory drug. Infliximab is a human-murine chimeric monoclonal antibody with a high binding affinity and specificity for TNF-alpha. Yet therapy with infliximab is associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection, and especially tuberculosis. Here we reported on a case of tuberculous meningitis in 26-year-old man, and he was treated with infliximab for uncontrolled and fistulous Crohn's disease. We also include a review of the literature.

A Case of Vasculitis in Chronic Hepatitis C Patient Treated with Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a and Ribavirin / 대한간학회지

There has been an increase in the number of patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin due to the better antiviral efficacy. The main serious adverse events of PEG-IFN plus ribavirin combination therapy are bone marrow suppression and hemolytic anemia. However, there are few reports of vasculitis occurring during PEG-IFN therapy. We describe a patient who developed vasculitis during the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with PEG-IFN and ribavirin.

Conscious Sedation with Midazolam Combined with Propofol for Colonoscopy / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is increasing interest in the use of propofol as a sedative agent for colonoscopy. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the synergistic sedation with midazolam combined with low-dose propofol versus that of midazolam alone. METHODS: A total of 56 patients from among those who underwent total colonoscopy between August 2004 and October 2004 were randomly assigned to one of three medication treatment groups. Group A (n=18) received low-dose midazolam (0.03 mg/kg IV) plus propofol, group B (n=19) received high-dose midazolam (0.07 mg/kg IV) plus propofol, and group C (n=19) received high-dose midazolam alone. The patients' vital signs were monitored throughout the course of the study. The recovery time and quality as well as the patients' comfort level were also assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics among the treatment groups. There were also no differences in the duration and insertion time of the colonoscopy among the three groups. The patients' comfort level and cardiorespiratory parameters during colonoscopy were similar among the three groups. The sedation efficacy and recovery times were also similar among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Midazolam combined with low-dose propofol as a sedative for colonoscopy exhibits similar effects on safety, patient' comfort level and recovery time to those of midazolam alone.

A Case of Foreign Body Induced Esophageal Perforation Repaired by Endoscopic Clipping / 대한소화기내시경학회지

An esophageal perforation is a potentially life threatening condition with a high mortality rate. Although primary surgical repair is the mainstay of treatment, non-surgical management can be attempted in selected patients. The successful endoscopic closure of an esophageal perforation with metallic clips was recently reported. We report a case of an esophageal perforation caused by a dog bone and mediastinitis treated by non-surgical management consisting of parenteral nutrition, antibiotics therapy and endoscopic clipping.

Usefulness of Endoscopic Ultrasonography for Diagnosing Choledocholithiasis in Patients with Gallbladder Stones / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: CBD stones (CBDS) are generally thought to originate from the gallbladder. Recently, EUS appears to be the best imaging method for making the diagnosis of CBDS. We conducted this study to evaluate the role of EUS for detecting CBDS in patients with gallbladder stones (GBS) and to determine the parameters for predicting CBDS. METHODS: From April 2003 to March 2005, 117 GBS patients were enrolled. The patients' clinical and laboratory findings and the radiologic findings of US, EUS, CT and ERCP were reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of EUS for detecting CBDS were evaluated by using ERCP and intraoperative CBD exploration as the gold standard for diagnosing CB. RESULTS: A total 117 patients received EUS and no complications were encountered. After performing ERCP and/or intraoperative exploration, 62 of the patients were examined for determining the presence or absence of CBDS. EUS shows 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity for identifying CBDS. The overall agreement between EUS and ERCP was 94.8%. The patients with CBDS were older than those without CBDS. Fever, jaundice and cholangitis were more prevalent in the patients with CBDS. The results of liver function tests were elevated more frequently in the patients with CBDS (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EUS is an accurate and minimally invasive method for diagnosing CBDS. Evaluating CBD in patients with gallstones is selectively recommended according to clinical and laboratory findings.

Comparison of CTP, MELD, and MELD-Na Scores for Predicting Short Term Mortality in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: MELD-Na (model for end-stage liver disease with incorporation of serum sodium) was suggested to provide better survival prediction than MELD alone for patients with end stage liver disease. However, there is no data verifying the usefulness of MELD-Na for predicting short term mortality of cirrhotic patients in Korea. This study was aimed to determine whether MELD-Na would be more accurate in predicting short term mortality than other scoring systems such as Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) or MELD. METHODS: Data from 355 patients admitted due to liver cirrhosis were retrospectively reviewed. The cumulative survival rates were obtained. Prediction of mortality rate for three months and one year were analyzed using the area under the receiver's operating characteristics curve (AUC). RESULTS: One hundred patients (28%) died during the study period. All of the three systems showed significant differences in the cumulative survival rate according to the scores on admission (p0.05), and the AUC of each score system for death within one year were 0.792, 0.800, and 0.831, respectively (p>0.05). The AUC of MELD-Na in predicting short term death were the highest, although it was not statistically significant. Multivariate analysis showed that only MELD-Na was significantly related to three-month mortality (p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: MELD-Na is more appropriate in predicting short term mortality, but larger scale studies are needed to confirm the superiority of MELD-Na to MELD and CTP in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Clinical Features of Pseudoaneurysms Complicating Pancreatitis: Single Center Experience and Review of Korean Literature / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pseudoaneurysm is a life-threatening complication of chronic or acute pancreatitis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical features of pseudoaneurysm complicating pancreatitis. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 7 patients diagnosed as pseudoaneurysms with chronic pancreatitis in Korea University Guro and Anam Hospital from January 1995 to March 2006 and analyzed their demographics, clinical courses and outcomes. RESULTS: All patients were men and mean age was 54.6 years (range, 43-67 years). All the cases occurred in the setting of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis complicated by pseudocyst. Abdominal pain was the unique initial clinical symptom in 5 cases, hematemesis in 1 case, and simultaneous abdominal pain with hematemesis in 1 case. Bleeding into pseudocyst developed in 5 cases, flowing into duodenum through pancreatic duct in 1 case and rupture into the descending colon in 1 case. Mean duration between onset of symptom and diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm was 7.8 days (range, 1-23 days). Six cases were diagnosed by abdominal computed tomography disclosing characteristic finding of focal high density area in the pseudocyst. Pulsed doppler abdominal sonography was performed before computed tomography in 3 cases and results were negative in 2 cases. Transcatheter arterial embolizations were initially performed in 6 cases, and there was no recurrent bleeding except one case of splenic infarction. Distal pancreatectomy was initially performed in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudoaneurysms complicating chronic pancreatitis shows various clinical features. Transcatheter arterial embolization can be recommended as a primary therapeutic modality.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Quadruple Salvage Regimen for Helicobacter pylori Infection according to the Duration of Treatment / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: At present, triple therapy schemes are recommended by national and international consensus conferences for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. However, even with the most effective current treatment regimens, about 10-20% of patients fail to eradicate H. pylori, necessitating alternative strategy to eradicate H. pylori in primary treatment failure. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate the efficacy of quadruple therapy and to compare 1 and 2-week quadruple regimen as a second-line therapy. METHODS: The hospital records of 155 patients who failed to the standard triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, clarithromycin) were reviewed retrospectively, and divided the 1 or 2 weeks OBMT regimen (omeprazole 20 mg bid, bismuth salt 120 mg qid, metronidazole 500 mg tid, tetracycline 500 mg qid). Presence of H. pylori infection and side-effects of the treatment regimen were assessed 4 weeks after the cessation of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred and eight male and 47 female (mean age, 52.2+/-15.4) patients were enrolled. The overall eradication rate of H. pylori with quadruple therapy was 83.9% and the eradication rate was similar between 1 and 2 weeks of OBMT regimen (76.8% in OBMT 1 week, 87.9% in OBMT 2 weeks, respectively p=0.110). CONCLUSIONS: Quadruple therapy is an effective salvage regimen for H. pylori eradication after the failure of standard triple therapy. One week quadruple therapy is not significantly different from 2-weeks regimen as the second-line option for H. pylori eradication.

A Case of Zenker's Diverticulum Treated by Argon Plasma Coagulation / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Zenker's diverticulum occurs mainly in elderly patients with typical symptoms including dysphagia, regurgitation, chronic cough, aspiration, and weight loss. A diagnosis is easily established on upper endoscopy or barium studies. The treatment is surgery or endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy. Endoscopic procedures include staple assisted diverticulostomy, CO2 laser, transparent oblique-endhood attached endoscopic diverticulostomy, and argon plasma coagulation. Minimally invasive endoscopic treatments are associated with a shorter operating time, shorter postoperative hospital stay, quicker resumption of oral intake, and fewer overall complications. Argon plasma coagulation can be performed in any regular endoscopy unit and is less invasive, economical, faster, and well-tolerated. In particular, older patients in a poor general condition, at high surgical risk or with contraindications to general anesthesia can be treated with argon plasma coagulation.

A Case of Peripheral Ischemic Complication after Terlipressin Therapy / 대한소화기학회지

Hepatorenal syndrome is a severe complication of cirrhosis, leading to death in more than 90% of cases in the absence of liver transplantation. Several treatments have been attempted as a bridge to liver transplantation. Among such treatments, terlipressin is a nonselective V1 vasopressin agonist. When comparing with ornipressin, it is known to have a similar vasoconstricting potency, but much less ischemic complication. We report a case of gangrene on toes and necrosis on the infusion site of left hand which developed after the use of terlipressin due to hepatorenal syndrome in a 41-year-old-man with liver cirrhosis. Ischemic complication of terlipressin is rare and there has been no case report in Korea. Although it is rare, we must pay attention to the peripheral ischemic complication of terlipressin.

Spontaneous Resolution of Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome in Hodgkin's Lymphoma / 대한간학회지

Cholestasis in a patient with Hodgkin's disease is uncommon, and the causes of cholestasis are mainly direct tumor involvement of the liver, hepatotoxic effects of drugs, viral hepatitis, sepsis and opportunistic infections. Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) represents a very rare cause for cholestasis in this disease. We report here on a case of a 45-year-old man who developed VBDS during the complete remission stage of Hodgkin's lymphoma. There was no history of hepatitis or intravenous drug abuse, and the patient had negative results for hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, cytomegalovirus, and human immunodeficiency virus. The serological studies for antinuclear antibodies, anti-mitochondrial antibodies and anti-smooth muscle antibodies were also negative. Liver biopsy disclosed the absence of interlobular bile ducts in 9 of 10 portal tracts without any active lymphocyte infiltration and there were no Reed-Sternberg cell in the liver. The patient's cholestasis was in remission and the serum bililrubin level was normalized after two months without treatment, but tumor recurrence was noted at multiple sites of the abdominal lymph nodes on follow-up abdomino-pelvic computed tomogram.

A Case of Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm by Pulmonary Actinomycosis / 결핵

Pulmonary aneurysm is a rare vascular anomaly.Infection is one of major causes of pulmonary aneurysms. Pulmonary aneurysm by pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare case. Our case is maybe the first case in Korea,so far similar case has not been reported Worldwide written in English. We describe a 73-year-old man with aneurysm of pulmonary artery caused by actinomycosis infection on lung. We detected aneurysm by angiography of pulmonary artery, and actinomycosis infection was revealed by confirm sulfur granules on specimens taken by percutaneous needle aspiration(PCNA). Antibiotic therapy was applied to this patient and aneurym was embolized with coils.With this therapy,the patient was successfully managed and improved.