Simultaneous Occurrence of Cytomegalovirus Pneumonitis and Retinitis in a Patient with Dermatomyositis / 대한류마티스학회지

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection commonly affects patients who are in an immunocompromised state, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and during organ transplantation. Although cytomegalovirus infection does not occur frequently, it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients suffering with connective tissue diseases, including dermatomyositis. Cytomegalovirus pneumonitis and retinitis has been rarely reported in patients with dermatomyositis. We report here on an usual case involving the simultaneous occurrence of cytomegalovirus pneumonitis and retinitis in a 39-year-old female with dermatomyositis, and this woman had been treated with steroids and immunosuppressive agents for the previous 5 months.

Emphysematous Cystitis with Bladder Rupture by Candida albicans / 감염과화학요법

Emphysematous cystitis is an uncommon life-threatening disease, which often occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus or neurogenic bladder. Bacterial etiologies are common, while cases by Candida species have been very rarely reported. To date, only six cases of Candida albicans related emphysematous cystitis have been reported; two cases resulted in bladder repture and the causative organisms were non-albicans Candida species. We report the first case of emphysematous cystitis caused by Candida albicans accompanying a spontaneous bladder rupture with the review of literatures.

Emphysematous Cystitis with Bladder Rupture by Candida albicans / 감염과화학요법

Emphysematous cystitis is an uncommon life-threatening disease, which often occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus or neurogenic bladder. Bacterial etiologies are common, while cases by Candida species have been very rarely reported. To date, only six cases of Candida albicans related emphysematous cystitis have been reported; two cases resulted in bladder repture and the causative organisms were non-albicans Candida species. We report the first case of emphysematous cystitis caused by Candida albicans accompanying a spontaneous bladder rupture with the review of literatures.

Intussusception induced by jejunal metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer / 대한내과학회지

Metastasis to small bowel from non-small cell lung cancer is known to be very rare. Here we report a case of intussusception induced by jejunal metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer. A 47-year old man was admitted to hospital complaining cough and sputum for 3 months. He was diagnosed as squamous cell lung cancer by percutaneous needle biopsy of lung mass detected by chest X-ray and CT. Multiple brain metastatic lesions were detected by brain CT on admission. Systemic chemotherapy with whole brain irradiation was performed. After three cycles of chemotherapy, he was admitted with sudden-onset abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Jejunal intussusception was the diagnosis by abdominal CT and histologic examination of resected jejunum showed it was induced by metastatic mass from the primary lung cancer.(Korean J Med 64:235-239, 2003)

Two Cases of Autoimmnune Hepatitis Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus / 대한간학회지

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic necroinflammatory liver disease of unknown cause associated with circulating autoantibodies and high serum globulin level. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease of unknown etiology in which tissues and cells are damaged by pathogenic autoantibodies and immune complex, affecting multiple organs including the liver, kidney, and CNS. The difference between the hepatic involvement of SLE and autoimmune hepatitis has not been clearly defined in the past due to similarities in clinical and biochemical features. A scoring system for the diagnosis of AIH has been established, and AIH and SLE-associated hepatitis have been defined as two different entities, although both have the same autoimmune features such as polyarthralgia, hypergammaglobulinemia and circulating autoantibodies. AIH has been considered to occur infrequently in SLE. We report two cases of AIH which simultaneously satisfied the criteria of SLE.

The Role of Blind Protected Specimen Brushing (PSB) in Intubated Patients / 결핵

BACKGROUND: In intubated patients, cultures of endotracheal aspirates (EA) are apt to contamination throughout the endotracheal tube. Therefore, the identification of etiologic agents via conventional EA cultures is not always reliable. In order to differentiate a pulmonary infection from a non-infectious disease, and to identify the true etiologic agent of acute pulmonary infection, blinded protected specimen brushing (PSB) was used, and its efficacy evaluated. METHODS: In 51 intubated patients, with suspected pneumonia, blind PSB were performed, and the results compared with blood and EA cultures. A protected specimen brush was introduced through the endotracheal tube, and settled at the affected large bronchus. A specimen brush was introduced to the expected region using the blind method. The tip of the brush was introduced with an aseptic technique after vigorously mixed for 1 minute in 1cm3 of Ringer's lactate solution. The specimens were submitted for quantitative culture within 15 minutes, with a culture being regarded as positive if the colony forming units were above 103/ml. RESULTS: Of the 51 patients, 15 (29.4%) had community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), 27 (52.9%) hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and 9 (17.6%) non-infectious diseases. The sensitivity and specificity of the quantitative PSB culture for the diagnosis of pneumonia were 52.4 and 88.9%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EA were 78.6 and 77.8%, respectively. The blind PSB was superior to the EA for the identification of true etiologic agents. Of 53 episodes of 27 HAP patients, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) (41.5%) was the most common causative agent followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.1%), Klebsiella sp. (7.5%) and Acinetobacter sp. (7.5%). CONCLUSIONS: As a simple, non-invasive diagnostic modality, the blind PSB is a useful method for the differentiation of a pulmonary infection from non-infectious diseases and to identify the etiologic agents in intubated patients. A blind PSB can be performed without bronchoscopy, so is safer, more convenient and cost-effectiveness for patients where bronchoscopy can not be performed.

A Case of Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome Associated with Kimura Disease / 대한신장학회잡지

Kimura disease (KD) is a chronic angiolymphoid proliferative disorder of soft tissue with eosinophilia and elevated IgE levels, with predilection for head and neck in young oriental men. Renal disease is often associated with it. We describe a 16-year-old male with KD and steroid-responsive minimal change nephrotic syndrome. After surgical resection of cervical tumor and steroid therapy, complete remission of nephrotic syndrome and KD was achieved and there has been no relapse of tumor and nephrotic syndrome with normal IgE levels over 12 months.

Comparison analysis of an indirect measurement of friedwal formula method and direct measurment of immunoseparation method on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measurement / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: In 2001, the third report the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has concluded that LDL cholesterol levels should be a major goal for preventing coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic events. Those in the higher risk groups should then have lipoprotein analysis to determine LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol has traditionally been estimated by the Friedwald forrmula : LDL-C=total cholesterol-[high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)+trigryceride/5]. However, when trigryceride level is >400 mg/dL, this formula is inaccurate. Therefore, We have compared the direct LDL cholesterol immunoseparation method with Friedwald formula from both normotriglyceridemic (triglyceride400 mg/dL). METHODS: The direct LDL cholesterol immunoseparation method was performed on 53 sera with triglyceride levels 61 to 1,684 mg/dL (classified as400 mg/dL : 31). Total cholesterol was measured enzymatic colorimetry. HDL cholesterol was measured in the supernatant after precipitating LDL by HDL cholesterol precipitating reagent containing dextran sulfate and magnesium chloride for serum. Direct LDL cholesterol was measured by immunoseparation method (Sigma Diagnostics, St Louis, Mo) that is based on selective absorption of HDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol by polystylene beads coated with goat polyclonal antibodies to human apolipoproteins. The cholesterol was measured by an enzamatic method on Hitachi 747. The linear regression and paird t-test were performed to evaluate the differences of data from Immunoseparation method and Friedwald formula. RESULTS: In triglyceride400 mg/dL, the LDL cholesterol value obtained by the direct LDL-C assay on the 31 frozen sera studied was significantly different from that of Friedwald formula (103+/-38.4; 50.4+/-56.2 mg/dL). Therefore, Friedwald formula is unreliable in triglyceride>400 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: Guidelines for treatment decisions, including diet and drug initiation, and therapeutic goals for high risk groups are based entirely on the LDL cholesterol level. At triglyceride levels >400 mg/dL, Friedwald fomula is inaccurate. Immunoseparation method is more rapid, higher specific, precise and helps monitor LDL lowering drugs and diets in triglyceride level>400 mg/dL.