A Case of Ischemic Skin Necrosis after Glypressin Therapy in Liver Cirrhosis / 대한소화기학회지

Terlipressin is a synthetic analogue of vasopressin, which has been used in the treatment of acute variceal hemorrhage. In contrast to vasopressin, terlipressin can be administered as intermittent injections instead of continuous intravenous infusion. Thus, it has a less adverse reaction than vasopressin. We report a case of ischemic skin complication in a cirrhotic patient treated with terlipressin. A 71-year-old man with liver cirrhosis was admitted because of hematemesis and melena. He was commenced on terlipressin at a dose 1 mg every 6 hours for the treatment of varicieal bleeding. After 36 hours of treatment, skin blistering and ecchymosis was noted on the skin of his upper thigh, scrotal area and trunk. We found that terlipressin was a possible cause of ischemic skin complication based on the skin biopsy finding. Terlipressin may induce a complication of the ischemic event. In spite of rarity, special attention needs to paid on the peripheral ischemic complication of terlipressin.

Remote Metastasis to the Gastric Cardia in Esophageal Carcinoma: CT Findings

PURPOSE: To assess the CT findings of remote metastasis to the gastric cardia in patients with esophageal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among patients with esophageal carcinomas treated between June 1994 and May 1999, five males aged 65-75 (mean, 67.4) years with histologically proven remote metastasis to the gastric cardia from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, detected at surgery (n=2) or endoscopic biopsy (n=3), underwent CT scanning. We retrospectively evaluated the findings in terms of the location, size and appearance of each lesion and the presence or absence of associated lymphadenopathy. RESULTS: The primary esophageal carcinomas were located in the middle third (n=4) and lower third (n=1) of the esophagus. All five gastric metastases were solitary and occurred in the gastric cardia, and were separated from the primary tumors. CT showed that the metastases ranged in size from 4.2 to 8.0 (mean, 6.7) cm, and all were larger than the primary tumors. All were ulcerated, and in four cases there was associated abdominal lymphadenopathy. They were all well defined, poorly enhanced, submucosal masses that were endogastric in three cases and exogastric in two. The latter were difficult to differentiate from extrinsic masses compressing the gastric cardia. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that when a submucosal gastric cardial mass with associated lymphadenopathy is detected by CT during the initial staging or follow-up evaluation of esophageal carcinoma, remote gastric metastasis should be considered.

A Case of Primary Gastric Tuberculosis Presenting with Melena / 대한소화기내시경학회지

We experienced a case of primary gastric tuberculosis presented with melena. A 61-year-old male was admitted with epigastric pain and melena. Upper endoscopy revealed an irregular shaped gastric ulcer on the posterior wall of the body. Histological examination of endoscopic specimen revealed chronic inflammation with fibrosis, granulomas and acid-fast bacilli. Cultures for acid-fast bacilli subsequently grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There was no evidence of the tuberculous lesion anywhere else. Primary gastric tuberculosis remains an extremely uncommon clinical entity; the definitive diagnosis is made by biopsy and positive culture for the organism. We report a case of primary gastric tuberculosis with review of the literature.