Two Cases of Colon Anisakiasis: Asymphtomatic Cecal Anisakiasis and Ascending Colon Anisakiasis Detected One Month Later after Infestation / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Anisakiasis of the gastrointestinal tract is usually caused by the ingestion of raw marine fish infested with Anisakis larvae. A majority of cases present as gastric and intestinal anisakiasis. Anisakiasis of colon is rare and asymptomatic colon anisakiasis has a particularly low incidence. A 45-year-old man received colonoscopy that revealed a 1.0 cm sized whitish linear larva penetrating the mucosa of the cecum and it was removed by colonscopy. He had no complaint before the colonoscopy. A 52-year-old man complained of right upper quadrant abdominal pain with weight loss for one month. Colonoscopy revealed a 1.5 cm sized whitish linear larva penetrating the mucosa of the distal part of ascending colon. Abdominal pain and weight loss were improved by colonoscopic removal of larva.

Comparison of bacterial infection rate between patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and viral liver cirrhosis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Some studies have reported that bacterial infection is more common in alcoholic compared to non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis such as viral liver cirrhosis. However, other studies reported no significant differences in the bacterial infection rate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. This study was performed to compare the frequency of bacterial infection between alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We analyzed 190 cirrhotic patients (alcoholic 83, viral 107) with 539 hospitalized cases (alcoholic 242, viral 297) who were followed for more than 12 months. RESULTS: During the follow up period, 82 patients (43.2%) presented with bacterial infectionsthat developed in 34 (41.0%) patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 48 (44.9%) patients with viral liver cirrhosis. There was no significant difference in the frequency of bacterial infection including community acquired and nosocomial infection between alcoholic and viral cirrhotic patients regarding the Child-Pugh class, various laboratory parameters and site of infection. Gram-negative and enteric bacterial strains were the most frequently isolated pathogens in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the frequency of infection between patients with alcoholic and viral liver cirrhosis. Further efforts are needed to reduce bacterial infection by gram negative and enteric bacteria in patients with both alcoholic and viral cirrhosis.

Risk factors for hospital acquired infections in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Infection is a frequent complication in patients with chronic liver disease, mainly during the advanced stages. This study was performed to investigate the risk factors for infections in hospitalized patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We analyzed 108 decompensated hospitalized cirrhotic patients (34 cases with infection and 117 cases without infection) without clinical evidence of infection at the time of admission and during initial 72 hours after admission. RESULTS: Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that patients who developed an infection were more likely to have a lower serum albumin levels. Gram-negative bacterial strains were detected most frequently, in 13 of the 18 strains isolated. There was no significant difference in etiology of disease, Child-Pugh classification, cirrhotic complications including upper G-I bleeding, hepatocelluar caricnoma, invasive procedure, diabetus mellitus, admission to ICU, duration of admission, survival rate and various parameters related to liver and renal function between patients with infection and without infection. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that decompensated cirrhotic patient with low serum albumin levels have a higher risk of developing a hospital acquired infection, especially by gram negative bacteria.

Efficacy of ethanol and hypertonic saline-epinephrine injection therapy for peptic ulcer bleeding / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: One of simple, inexpensive, readily available treatments for treating peptic ulcer bleeding is injection of the lesion with a sclerosing substance such as ethanol and hypertonic saline-epinephrine. The aim of this study was to compare the hemostatic efficacy of endoscopic injection therapy with ethanol, hypertonic saline-epinephrine, and ethanol plus hypertonic saline- epinephrine. METHODS: 173 patients with active bleeding or nonbleeding visible vessels were classified into three groups based on treatment modality as follows; ethanol injection group (n=67), hypertonic saline-epinephrine injection group (n=16) or ethanol plus hypertonic saline-epinephrine injection group (n=33). RESULTS: No difference in initial hemostasis, rebleeding, need for operation, transfusion requirement, hospital stay and mortality was observed among the ethanol, hypertonic saline-epinephrine and ethanol plus hypertonic saline-epinephrine group. The rate of initial hemostasis in patients with Dieulafoy ulcer bleeding was significantly lower than patients with non-Dieulafoy ulcer bleeding. The rate of initial hemostasis failure, rebleeding rate, need for operation, transfusion requirement and mortality were higher in patients with spurting hemorrhage than patients with visible vessels. Hypertension, diabetus mellitus, smoking and alcohol drinking did not influence therapeutic effect of injection therapy. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in the therapeutic effect of endoscopic injection for peptic ulcer bleeding among ethanol, hypertonic saline-epinephrine and ethanol plus hypertonic saline-epinephrine group, but the therapeutic effect of injection therapy is low in patients with Dieulafoy ulcer bleeding and spurting hemorrhage. Therefore, combination therapy with injection therapy and another endoscopic therapy or another endoscopic therapy alone should be considered.

A clinical study on liver abscess over a recent 10-year period / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: The mortality of liver abscess has remained relatively constant during this century despite earlier diagnosis, treatment of underlying causes and more aggressive antibiotics therapy. The aims of this study were to evaluate the risk factors that associated with mortality of liver abscess. METHODS: This study was carried out retrospectively including 70 patients with liver abscess from January 1992 to August 2001. The clinical features, laboratory, imaging, and microbiologic findings, management strategy, and final outcome were studied, and prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 37 males and 33 females whose ages ranged from 17 to 89 years. The mean age of the patients was 57 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.1:1. In the major part of patients, the abscess was located in the right lobe (61.4%) and single in number (78.5%). Upper abdominal pain, fever and chills were the most common symptoms, and right upper abdominal tenderness was the most common physical findings. Twenty-six percent of patients were diabetic and 40%, 10% had biliary tract disease, malignancy on presentation, respectively. A hypoalbuminemia (

Effect of Glutamine on the Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug-induced Bacterial Translocation / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: NSAIDs induce gut damage throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract and bacterial translocation. The aim of this study was to examine if administration of glutamine was able to prevent the NSAID-induced gut damages and bacterial translocation in the animal models. METHODS: Rats were utilized into 5 groups; control group, diclofenac group, and diclofenac with glutamine 0.8, 1.6, and 3.2 g/kg/day group. The animals with glutamine were fed with L-glutamine for 4 days before diclofenac administration. Gut injury was induced by administration of a single dose of diclofenac (80 mg/kg orally). Intestinal permeability (24 hour urinary excretion of phenolsulfonphthalein), enteric aerobic bacterial counts, serum biochemical profiles and bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes, liver and spleen were measured. RESULTS: Diclofenac caused the increase in intestinal permeability, enteric bacterial count, enteric protein and albumin loss and bacterial translocation. Administration of glutamine reduced the increase in intestinal permeability, protein losing enteropathy, enteric bacterial overgrowth and bacterial translocation induced by diclofenac. CONCLUSIONS: Glutamine may have beneficial effects on NSAID-induced gut damage and bacterial translocation.