A Case of Perforated Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in the Jejunum as a Rare Cause of Acute Abdomen

Preoperative diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) in the small intestine is often delayed until complications such as hemorrhage, bowel obstruction or perforation develop. Such GISTs are usually asymptomatic and tumor perforation is an uncommon clinical presentation. In this report, we review the diagnosis, pathology and treatment of a 32-year-old male with a perforated GIST in the jejunum who presented with symptoms of acute abdomen. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a ruptured huge tumor with inhomogeneous density in the small intestine. The patient underwent a complete tumor excision and jejunal segmental resection. A histopathological examination of the tumor confirmed that it was a GIST. Postoperatively, the patient received medical treatment, using oral Imatinib 400 mg daily for 10 months without any signs of disease recurrence. Prognosis is worse in ruptured GISTs and in these cases, complete surgical resection of the tumor must be followed by adjuvant therapy with Imatinib.

A Case of Acute Colonic Diverticulitis as a Complication of Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a good diagnostic tool and facilitates treatment of various colonic diseases. Nevertheless, it can induce many serious complications such as perforation and hemorrhage. Diverticulitis has also been reported as a serious complication of colonoscopy, with an incidence ranging from 0.04% to 0.08%. A 44-year-old male with chronic hepatitis B was presented with general weakness, myalgia, and febrile sensation. After admission for evaluation, pneumonia detected in the left upper and lower lobe and treated. We performed colonoscopy for screening and found multiple colonic diverticula in the right side of the colon. After 48 hours, the patient complained of abdominal pain and febrile sensation. Physical examination revealed tenderness in the right side of the abdomen. Abdomen-pelvis computed tomography showed bowel wall thickening of the cecum and ascending colon and multiple inflamed diverticula at the cecum with pericolic fat infiltration and fluid collection. We diagnosed the patient with acute diverticulitis after colonoscopy. Thereafter, he was treated with bowel rest and broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics, and recovered. With a review of the relevant literature, we report a case of acute colonic diverticulitis as a complication of colonoscopy.

A Case of Hemocholecystitis in a Patient with Microscopic Polyangiitis / 대한내과학회지

Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis, primarily associated with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and alveolar hemorrhage. Approximately 50% of MPA cases are associated with gastrointestinal involvement, but rarely do cases involve the gall bladder. We report an unusual case of MPA complicated by hemocholecystitis. A 62-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with rapidly progressive renal dysfunction and pneumonia unresponsive to antibiotics. A chest CT scan showed bilateral diffuse alveolar consolidation, and perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) staining was positive. During the course of hospitalization, the patient complained of severe abdominal pain, and an abdominal CT scan revealed acalculous cholecystitis with hemorrhage. Cholecystectomy was performed, and a gall bladder biopsy revealed fibrinoid necrosis of small arteries without granuloma. Cholecystitis should be considered in patients with unexplained upper abdominal pain and MPA.

Incidence and Cinical Characteristics of Severe Community-Acquired Pneumococcal Pneumonia: Comparisons with Non-Pneumoccocal Pathogens / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Only limited data are available on severe community-acquired pneumonia (severe CAP or SCAP) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Korea. METHODS: All patients who were admitted to a tertiary hospital for CAP from January 2007 to December 2008 were reviewed retrospectively, and SCAP was defined by 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society criteria. RESULTS: In total, 94 patients were diagnosed with SCAP (mean age, 73.5 +/- 14.3 years; male, 70). Among them, pneumococcal SCAP (P-SCAP) accounted for 24.5%, and non-P-SCAP accounted for 18.1% (four with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, [4.3%]; four with Staphylococcus aureus, [4.3%]), and no organisms were identified in 57.4% of the patients. A history of neoplasm was less frequent, and the incidence of shock and pneumonia severity index (PSI) scores were lower in patients with P-SCAP than in those with non-P-SCAP or with SCAP with no organism identified (p = 0.012, 0.023 and 0.007, respectively). Patients with P-SCAP had a lower rate of treatment failure (p = 0.048) and tended to have lower in-hospital and 30-day mortalities compared with those with non-P-SCAP. In a multivariate analysis, the history of neoplasm was the strongest independent factor for predicting 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 9.068; 95% confidence interval, 1.856-44.309). CONCLUSIONS: P-SCAP accounted for 24.5% of SCAP cases. P-SCAP was associated with lower disease severity and a tendency toward better hospital outcomes compared with non-P-SCAP.

A case of hyperosmolar nonketotic coma associated with androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer / 대한내과학회지

During advanced prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) using gonadotropin-releasing hormone and antiandrogen is an effective treatment modality. Recently, it has been reported that ADT may result in diabetes mellitus (DM), metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Here, we report the first case in the literature of new-onset DM and hyperosmolar nonketotic coma (HNKC) associated with ADT. A 69-year-old man visited our hospital because of altered mentality. The patient had been taking leuprolide and bicalutamide for metastatic prostate cancer for the past 4 months. In laboratory tests, new-onset DM with HNKC was diagnosed. The patient was immediately treated with intravenous hydration and insulin therapy, and recovered without sequela. Because ADT can cause DM, or rarely HNKC, it is necessary to monitor fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles carefully while ADT is performed.