A case of a fractured and impacted central venous chemoport in a patient with stomach cancer / 대한내과학회지

A central venous port catheter is widely used to administer fluids, chemotherapeutic agents, and parenteral nutrition; however, similar to other invasive procedures, it has numerous potential complications. Among them, distal migration of a fractured central venous port catheter is a rare complication. A 66-year-old man had a central venous port catheter implanted into the right subclavian vein for adjuvant stomach cancer chemotherapy and presented with an ulceration at the chemoport insertion site. While removing the port catheter, it fractured and the distal tip and migrated and impacted the annulus of the right atrium. The impacted port catheter was successfully removed through a femoral vein approach using a radiofrequency ablation catheter and a multi snare.

Three Cases of Non-Surgical Treatment of Stent Loss During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting is widely used for ischemic heart disease. Because stent loss, which occurs rarely during the procedure, might have dire consequences, such as bleeding, stent embolism, acute myocardial infarction, emergency coronary artery bypass graft, and death, appropriate treatment is needed as soon as stent loss occurs. We report three cases of stent loss which were successfully treated with three different non-surgical methods.

Lymphocele Presenting by Scrotal Swelling after Kidney Transplantation / 대한신장학회지

The lymphocele after renal transplantation is usually observed around the graft. We here report an unusual case of lymphocele mimicking hydrocele. The patient was admitted due to scrotal edema. We initially diagnosed this patient as a case of hydrocele, but biochemical data of aspirated fluid was consistent with lymphatic fluid, and abdominal CT revealed fistula between scrotum and graft. This finding suggests that the lymphatic fluid accumulated around the transplant kidney has migrated to the scrotum to form a lymphocele. In conclusion, lymphocele is a rare cause of scrotal swelling but should be considered as a possibility when a transplant patient develops scrotal swelling.

Renal Biopsy Findings of Prospective Kidney Donors and Clinical Course of Renal Allografts / 대한이식학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pathology of prospective kidney donors and assess the clinical outcomes of the renal allografts. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 12 prospective kidney donors who underwent kidney biopsy. The indications of kidney biopsy were asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (n=88, 66.7%), decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR, n=22, 16.7%), mild proteinuria (n=11, 8.3%), history of gross hematuria (n=11, 8.3%). RESULTS: Kidney biopsy in 8 prospective donors with asymptomatic microscopic hematuria showed: 5 (62.5%) thin basement membrane disease (TBMD); 1 IgA nephropathy; 1 Alport's syndrome; 1 mild mesangial widening. Two prospective donors with decreased GFR showed IgA nephropathy and tubulointerstitial lesion. The one with mild proteinuria showed arterionephrosclerosis and the one with a history of gross hematuria showed tubulointerstitial lesion. 4 (33.3%) of the 12 who underwent kidney biopsy were accepted as kidney donors.; 3 donors with TBMD and the donor with mild mesangial widening, who all had microscopic hematuria. Among the 4 donations, there was 1 graft failure and 3 allografts (1 mild mesangial widening, 2 TBMD) have maintained graft function at latest follow up. CONCLUSION: The most common cause of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria in prospective kidney donors was TBMD. Long-term follow up is needed to assess the clinical outcomes of these allografts.

Spontaneous Cauda Equina Syndrome in a Renal Transplant Patient with Long-term Azathioprine Treatment / 대한이식학회지

Azathioprine is a conventional immunosuppressant in renal transplantation but long-term administration may lead to hematologic complications. We here report a cauda equina syndrome caused by spontaneous epidural hematoma in a renal transplant recipient who had undergone long-term azathioprine treatment. A 34 year-old male was admitted to our hospital with complaints of numbness of the lower extremities and back pain. He had received renal transplantation 14 years ago and had been on sole therapy with azathioprine for 11 years. Three months before admission, the patient developed pancytopenia, and a subsequent bone marrow biopsy revealed hypocellularity. Azathioprine was replaced by tacrolimus and steroids thereafter. After a three months discontinuation of azathioprine, an epidural hematoma developed and resulted in cauda equina syndrome. Regular follow-up of complete blood count and change of immunosuppressants with less bone marrow toxicity should be considered in patients receiving azathioprine for long-term period.

Spontaneous Subcapsular Hematoma of the Liver in a Patient on Maintenance Hemodialysis / 대한신장학회지

Spontaneous bleeding in various parts of the body has been reported in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis, but reports on spontaneous subcapsular hematoma of the liver are scarce. We present a case of spontaneous subcapsular hematoma of the liver which developed in a 53-year-old man with maintenance hemodialysis. He was admitted to our hospital with epigastric pain and abnormal liver function test. On abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan, a large, well-defined subcapsular mass of the liver with a density consistent with blood was observed. We performed embolization of the bleeding vessel and percutaneous drainage of the hematoma. Five months later, follow up abdominal CT scan revealed a moderate reduction of the subcapsular hematoma. In conclusion, the possibility of spontaneous hematoma of the liver should be considered in hemodialysis patients with epigastric pain, unexplained anemia and abnormal liver function.