The study of the shunt index of thallium-201 liver scintigraphy and liver biopsy in the patients with chronic liver disease / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: The disturbances of portal circulation in chronic liver disease may cause hepatic failure, hepatic encephalopathy and variceal bleeding. The measure of porto-systemic shunt plays a significant role in the management and prognosis of the patients. So we have evaluated the relationship between the shunt index of thallium-201 liver scan and the histological grade and stage of chronic liver disease. METHODS: The thallium-201 scintigraphy per rectum was evaluated in 159 patients with chronic liver disease, which were proven with percutaneous liver biopsy. We used the heart to liver activity ratio at 20 minute as shunt index, representing portal-systemic shunt. The two pathologists scored independently hepatitis activity (lobular and porto-periportal activity) and stage (fibrosis). RESULTS: A significant difference was noted between the shunt index and the scores of fibrosis (p< 0.001) although this correlation was statistically weak (r=0.26, p=0.008). In cumulative logistic regression test, the shunt index had a effect on the fibrosis (p< 0.001) but not on the lobular and porto-periportal activity. Fibrosis was predicted as less than 2 if shunt index was less than 0.24, 3 if more than 0.24 but less than 0.46, 4 if more than 0.46. CONCLUSION: The shunt index of thallium-201 liver scintigraphy correlated only with fibrosis not with lobular and porto-periportal activity. As the fibrosis progresses in chronic liver disease, portal hypertension becomes more severe and the shunt index increases. Thallium-201 liver scan may be useful for evaluation of hepatic fibrosis instead of invasive liver biopsy in predicting the histological stage (fibrosis) of advanced chronic liver disease.

The study on the histologic findings in the patients of chronic liver disease with normal levels of serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) over 6months / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Although abnormal serum alanine aminotranferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) clearly indicates certain disease in the liver, normal reversion of serum ALT and AST during the disease process, after the histologic diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, does not ensure that the patients liver would be normal. We considered a partial remission of chronic hepatitis as the levels of serum ALT and AST were persistently normal over 6 months or more, and studied how the histologic findings in the partial-remitted patients of chronic hepatitis would change. MATERIALS: Twenty-three agreed to rebiopsy in the patients of chronic hepatitis with normal level of serum ALT and AST over 6 months. The histologic findings between the first and second liver-biopsied specimens were compared, and the classification of their morpholgy was translated with Batts and Ludwigs new scoring system of chronic hepatitis divided into grade and stage. RESULTS: The grading scores of the first and second biopsy were 2.70 +/- 0.16 and 1.48 +/- 0.14, respectively, and the grading scores of the second biopsy decreased significantly than of the first biopsy (p=0.000); 18 cases(78.1%) were improved, but none was aggravated. The staging scores of the first and second biopsy were 1.870.19 and 1.430.22, respectively, and the staging scores of the secand biapsy also decreased significantly than of the first biopsy (p=0,020); 14 cases (61.2%) were unchanged, 8 cases (34.5%) were improved, but 1 case (4.3%) was aggravated. The stage-improved cases were 7 in the patients of chronic viral hepatitis B, and 1 in the patient of chronic viral hepatitis C, and viral loads of them disappeared. Three cases (13.0%) of them changed into no fibrosis, and 2 cases of them (8.7%) with severe fibrosis improved to mild fibrosis. But, although the levels of serum ALT and AST were persistently normal over average 16 months, grading and staging scores decreased over 2 points in 21.0% and 13.0%, respectively, and the case of which both grading and staging scores improved to normal was only 4.3%. CONCLUSION: Serum ALT and AST level were well correlated with grading. However, the correlation between serum ALT and AST level and staging was poor, even though the triggering factors of chronic hepatitis had been disappeared. Then, we recommand close follow-up and treatment to lessen the fibrogenic reaction of the liver in them.

The Immediate Transcompartmental Shifts of Potassium following Hemodialysis in Chronically Hyperkalemic Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis / 대한신장학회잡지

Hernodialysis(HD) patients are continuously exposed to hyperkalemia, the degree of which depends on the amount of dialysate potassium(K) removal and intra- compartmental K shifts besides poor dietary K compli- ance. Chronically hyperkalemic outpatients(n=20) on chronic hernodialysis by routine monthly serum potassium(SK) concentration measurements(SK> or =5.1mEq/L, more than 4 times in 6 months) was looked for the derangements of short-term interval K handling by observing the pattern of change in plasma K(PK) thru HD. In all 20 patients, as expected, the predialysis PK(PKo, 5.3 +/- 0.16mEq/L) were significantly correlated with the end-dialysis PK(PKe, 3.8+/-0.09mEq/l.)(r=0.65, p0.19 mEq/L). Between 2 groups, significant differences were found in plasma Na level(140 +/- 0.8 vs. 1360.7mEq/L, p<0.01) and the percentage of(PKr-PKe) divided by PKe(141.8 vs. 272.5Yo, p<0.01), but no difference in anion gap, pH, albumin, creatinine, and(PKo-PKe) divided by PKO, respectively. Based on this data, we conclude that hyperkalemic hemodialysis patients should be confirmed by plasma K determination to exclude factitious hyperkalemia, and they may have the derangements of internal K balance due to transcompartmental K shifts following HD, which would be partly related to that of Na balance.

A Case of Acute Cortical Necrosis Associated with Uterine Leiomyoma / 대한신장학회잡지

Uterine myoma is the most common neoplasm of women and occurs in up to 20% of reproductive women. Leiomyoma may undergo secondary degeneration such as hyaline degeneration, sarcomatous change, and necrosis. This report presents a case of acute cortical necrosis(ACN) and disseminated intravascular coagulation caused by a uterine myoma necrosis. The uterine myoma of this patient was diagnosed and observed 10 months ago at other hospital. She complained of low abdominal pain with vaginal bleeding and anuria from the previous day. The laboratory findings were as follows:platelets 49,000/ mm3; prothrombin time 38%(normal control, 12 seconds); aPTT 41seconds(normal control, 26seconds); fibrinogen 81mg/dL; FDP<10 microgram/mL; BUN/sCr 23/ 2.9mg/dL. Acute cortical necrosis was diagnosed by radiologic grounds including abdominal computerized tomography(CT), which demonstrated decreased cortical contrast enhancement, normal medullary contrast enhancement, and preserved cortico-medullary differentiation. The patient was treated conservatively and underwent a CAPD operation later in her hospital course. On the 135th day after diagnosis, the ultrasonography, done in outpatient department, revealed the decreased size of both kidneys, respectively 7.5cm and 7.8cm. Urine output was about 800cc/day and the creatinine clearance of this patient was 9.2mL/ min.