Effect on Glycemic, Blood Pressure, and Lipid Control according to Education Types

BACKGROUND: Diabetes self-management education and reinforcement are important for effective management of the disease. We investigated the effectiveness of interactive small-group education on glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid levels. METHODS: For this study, 207 type 2 diabetes patients with suboptimal glycemic control (HbA1c levels >6.5%) were enrolled. The conventional education group received an existing education program from April to November in 2006, and the interactive education group received a new small-group education program from December 2006 to July 2007. The two groups were comparatively analyzed for changes in blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, lipid, and blood pressure at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months and the proportion of patients achieving target goals at 12 months. RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, HbA1c levels in the interactive education group were significantly lower than in the conventional education group (6.7% vs. 6.4%, P<0.001). Fasting and 2 hour postprandial glucose concentrations, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower in the interactive education group than in the conventional education group. The proportion of patients that achieved target goals was significantly higher in the interactive education group. CONCLUSION: The small-group educational method improved and re-established the existing group educational method. This finding suggests that the importance of education appears to be related to the method by which it is received rather than the education itself. Thus, the use of small-group educational methods to supplement existing educational methods established for diverse age levels should be considered in the future.

Catheter Directed Thrombolysis for Deep Vein Thrombosis during the First Trimester of Pregnancy: Two Case Reports

Anticoagulation with heparin has been the standard management therapy of deep vein thrombosis during pregnancy. Pregnancy is generally considered as a contraindication for thrombolysis. However, anticoagulation therapy alone does not protect the limbs from post-thrombotic syndrome and venous valve insufficiency. Catheter-directed thrombolysis, combined with angioplasty and stenting, can remove the thrombus and restore patency of the veins, resulting in prevention of post-thrombotic syndrome and valve insufficiency. We report successful catheter-directed thrombolysis and stenting in two early gestation patients with a deep vein thrombosis of the left lower extremity.

Congenital Absence of the Portal Vein in an Adult Man Presenting with Portosystemic Encephalopathy: A Case Report

Congenital absence of the portal vein is a rare anomaly in which diverse types of congenital portosystemic shunts are present. In this report, we describe this rare anomaly of a portosystemic shunt between the inferior mesenteric vein and left internal iliac vein, in a middle-aged man presenting with portosystemic encephalopathy.

CT and (18F)FDG PET/CT Findings of Esophageal Squamous Cell Papillomatosis: A Case Report

Esophageal squamous cell papillomatosis is a rare disorder that is usually found incidentally on an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy examination or autopsy. A 70-year-old woman presented with a two-month history of dysphagia and abdominal discomfort. A chest CT scan showed diffuse marked thickening of the esophageal wall along the entire length and multiple small enhancing polypoid projections in the distal esophagus. Diffuse circumferential FDG uptake in the entire esophagus was seen on [18F] FDG PET/CT. Squamous papillomatosis was diagnosed by an endoscopic biopsy. We report a case of extensive esophageal papillomatosis with imaging features on CT and [18F] FDG PET/CT, with a review of the clinical literature.

Radiologic Features of a Tailgut Cyst in a Neonate: A Case Report

A tailgut cyst is a rare congenital abnormality located in the retrorectal space and is usually manifested during childhood or adulthood. We report the MR, CT and ultrasound findings of a tailgut cyst in a 23-day-old neonate.

Recurring Fibromatosis of Breast Following Tumorectomy: A Case Report

A fibromatosis or desmoid tumor of the breast is an extremely rare benign tumor, which is often presented clinically and radiologically as a malignant tumor. Although benign, fibromatosis or desmoid tumors can grow aggressively in local infiltrating patterns. The recurrence is relatively common; hence a wide excision with a clear margin around the tumor is necessary. We report a case of a young female patient with a recurring fibromatosis of the breast after a local excision.

MR Manifestations of the Brain in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

PURPOSE: The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the MR findings of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MR images of 38 patients with SLE were evaluated based on the presence of the following abnormal lesions: the locations of the abnormal signal intensity lesions in the white matter, infarctions, a small vessel vasculopathy, leukoencephalopathy, hemorrhage, abscess, and other lesions. RESULTS: The MR images showed an abnormality in 22 of 38 (58%) episodes. Abnormal signal intensities were noted in the subcortical and periventricular white matter in six cases, acute territorial infarctions in five cases, multiple small acute embolic infarctions in four cases and a brain abscess in two cases. A reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy was found in one case. In addition, another patient had vasogenic edema with focal central cytotoxic edema at the pons. The entire cerebral and corpus callosum volumes were significantly smaller in four patients with SLE as compared to the volumes in healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: SLE may induce variable MR imaging findings of the CNS. Recognition of the variable findings is helpful for easy diagnosis and prompt treatment.

The Pathologic Splenic Rupture of a Patient with Scrub Typhus: A Case Report

A pathologic splenic rupture is rare, occurring primarily in a spleen affected by infective, hematological, and neoplastic disease. To the best of our knowledge, no prior reports of a pathologic splenic rupture due to scrub typhus exist. Intrasplenic pseudoaneurysms and focal infarctions are visible on an initial CT scan. Moreover, the spontaneous splenic rupture occurred a week later. We report a case of nontraumatic-splenic rupture in a patient with scrub typhus.

A Case Report of a Ciliated Hepatic Foregut Cyst in the Liver

A ciliated hepatic foregut cyst (CHFC) is a rare cystic lesion consisting of a ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium, subepithelial connective tissue, a smooth muscle layer, and an outer fibrous capsule. A CHFC is usually unilocular and occurs at a higher frequency in males. A predilection exists at the medial segment located at the left lobe of the liver. We report the first case of a ciliated hepatic foregut cyst mimicking hepatic metastasis on a CT scan of a patient concurrently afflicted with gastric cancer.

Multiple Myeloma of the Male Breast: A Case Report

Breast involvement of multiple myeloma is very rare, expecially in men. We describe the mammographic and sonographic findings of multiple myeloma involving the male breast.

The Usefulness of MDCT in Acute Intestinal Bleeding

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of MDCT for localizing a bleeding site and for helping make a decision on further management for acute intestinal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 17 consecutive patients who presented with acute intestinal bleeding and who also underwent MDCT before angiography or surgery. The sensitivity of MDCT for detecting acute intestinal bleeding was assessed and compared with that of conventional angiography. RESULTS: The sensitivity of MDCT for the detection of acute intestinal bleeding was 77% (13 of 17), whereas that of angiography was 46% (6 of 13). All the bleeding points that were subsequently detected on angiography were visualized on MDCT. In three cases, the bleeding focus was detected on MDCT and not on angiography. In four cases, both MDCT and angiogphy did not detect the bleeding focus; for one of these cases, CT during SMA angiography was performed and this detected the active bleeding site. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute intestinal bleeding, MDCT is a useful image modality to detect the bleeding site and to help decide on further management before performing angiography or surgery. When tumorous lesions are detected, invasive angiography can be omitted.

The Effect of Percutaneous Bilateral Metalic Stent for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a percutaneously placed self-expanding metallic stent for the relief of biliary obstruction in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2001 to December 2004, 48 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were prospectively studied. After percutaneous placement of bilateral self- expanding, uncovered metallic stents, follow-up evaluation was carried out until July 2005. RESULTS: There were 4 cases of Bismuth type II, 21 cases of Bismuth type IIIa, 8 cases of Bismuth type IIIb and 15 cases of Bismuth type IV. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. All patients had satisfactory biliary drainage, resulting in one week drainage rate of 72.8% and final drainage rate of 91.1%. There were 12 cases (21.3%) of abdominal pain requiring analgesics and 1 case (7.1%) of cholangitis; both were successfully managed with conservative treatments. Late complications occurred in four patient (8.3%), including two patients with cholangitis, one patient with liver abscess, and one patient with biloma; all were appropriately managed by percutaneous drainage. The average length and median durations of stent patency and Median Survival Time Were 303 Days (Range, 60~815) And 338 Days (Range, 60~1175), Respectively. CONCLUSION: Placement of a percutaneous metallic stent is an effective and safe method for palliation of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.