Multiple Chromosomal Abnormalities Accompanying Disseminated Granulocytic Sarcoma in Recurrent Acute Myelogenous Leukemia 50,XY,+8,+10,del(15)(q13),+21,+22 / 대한혈액학회지

It is known that acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) carries chromosomal abnormalities in 55-78% of patients, and that chromosomal abnormalities were associated with pathophysiology of disease, clinical feature, and it's prognosis. Granulocytic sarcoma occurring in 2~14% of AML is especially associated with t(8;21), is common to misdiagnose as malignant lymphoma, and has poor prognosis as survival of 5.4 months due to poor response to chemotherapy. Hereby we report a case of recurrent AML occurred as granulocytic sarcoma carring multiple chromosomal aberration without accompanying t(8;21).

Cases of hypothermia with Osborne's J wave on ECG / 대한내과학회지

Authors report two cases of hypothermic patients with Osborne's J wave on electrocardiogram. A 46-year-old male with liver cirrhosis was brought to the emergency room by ambulance due to comatous mental status. On exammination, the body temperature was below 35 degree C. By rewarming using warm normal saline intravenous infusion and hot pack application on the chest, his body temperature rose up to 36 degree C and regained consciousness. Later, he expired with afterdrop phenomenon. Another 41-year-old stuporous quadriplegic male with post-traumatic cerebral palsy was brought to the emergency room by his family complaining weakness and vomiting. On exammination, the body temperature was below 35degree C. He was rewarmed using warm normal saline intravenous infusion and hot pack application on the chest. However, he could not regain his normal body temperature and expired due to irreversible shock.

A Case of Mucous Gland Adenoma of the Trachea / 결핵

Mucous gland adenoma of the bronchus is a rare benign tumor arising from the bronchial mucous gland. It accounts for less than 0.5 % of all lung tumors. In adults, tracheal tumors are most often malignant. Among benign tumors arising in the trachea, mucous gland adenoma of the trachea is extremely rare. First case was reported by Ferguson and Cleeland in 1988, as "Mucous gland adenoma of the trachea". Microscopic study shows it to arise from normal submucosal mucous glands forming glandular or tubular structures composed of mucous secreting cells. Common symptoms were cough, hemoptysis, recurrent and protracted pneumonia, shortness of breath, and wheeze. Duration of symptoms before diagnosis varied from a few weeks to 10 years with prolonged symptoms being usual. Management of these tumors should be complete excision, including pulmonary resection because two instances of recurrence after local excision have been reported.

Pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio for the differential diagnosis of transudates and exsudates / 결핵

BACKGROUND: The criteria established by Light et al in 1972 have been used widely for the differential diagnosis of the pleural effusions in transudates and exsudates. However, in recent years, several reports have agreed that these criteria misclassified an important number of effusions. For this reason, different parameters have been proposed for differentiation the transudates from exudates. Nevertheless, all these alternative parameters have not been better than the past criteria of Light et al. In response the usefulness of two parameters for differentiation pleural transudate from exudates were evaluated : pleural fluid cholinesterase level and pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio. METHODS: A total of forty-three patient with know causes of the pleura effusion by diagnostic thoracentesis were studied. The following criteria for differentiating the pleural effusions in transudates and exsudates were analyzed : Light's criteria, the pleural fluid cholesterol level, the pleural fluid to serum cholesterol ratio. the pleural fluid cholinesterase level, and the pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio. RESULTS: The conditions of forty-three patients were diagnosed. Ten were classified as having transudates and thirty-three as exudates. The percentage of effusions misclassified by each parameter was as follows : Light's criteria, 9.3% ; pleural fluid cholesterol, 2.3% ; pleural fluid to serum cholesterol ratio, 2.3% ; pleural fluid cholinesterase, 4.7% ; and pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio, 2.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The pleural fluid to serum cholinesterase ratio is one of the accurate criteria for differentiating pleural transudates from exudates. If further studies confirm these results, the cholinesterase ratio could be used as the first step in the evaluation of pleural effusion and if evaluated together with the other criteria, the differentiation of pleural transudate from exsudates will become more accurate.

Two Cases of Unilateral developmental deficiency of lung found in Identical Twin / 대한내과학회지

Unilateral developmental deficiency of lung is rare. As the most of those, unilateral agenesis or Scimitar syndrome(hypogenetic lung syndrome) had been reported. We experienced that two cases of unilateral developmental deficiency of lung, which is different form each other, are found in identical twin. To our knowledge, this condition has not been reported before. We evaluated lung parenchyma and bronchus(; simple chest PA, chest CT(HRCT, 3DCT)), vasculatures(; pulmonary angiography and cardiac catheterization) and combined anomalies (;abdominal ultrasound, echocardiography, routine blood chemistry, and chromosomal study). This 31 yrs old twin female patient was confirmed as an unilateral agenesis of left upper lobe and hypoplasia of left lower lobe without combined anomalies. She's twin younger sister was confirmed as unilateral agenesis of right lung with atrial septal defect(ASD).

A Case of Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm Detected by Transesophageal Echocardiography

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm, in which a ventricular free wall rupture is locally contained by adherent pericardium, is a rare complication of myocardial infarction. Compared w'th a true left ventricular aneunsm, a pseudoaneurysm has a greater propensity to sudden rupture, with catastrophic sequelae. Pseudoaneurysm may be surgically curable, a prompt and accurate diagnosis is thus essential. Transthoracic echocardiography has been the procedure of choice in the diagnosis of pseu- doaneurysm. Transesophageal echocardiography can provide more accurate information than transthoracic echocardiography for the evaluation of ventricular pseudoaneurysm located in posterior and inferior wall. We experienced a case of pseudoaneurysm of left ventricle in a 75-year-old female who presented with dyspnea. A large pseudoaneurysm of left ventricle vith narrow neck was de- tected by transesophageal echocardiography.

A Case of Digoxin-like Immunoreactive Substance(DLIS) Poisoning After Ingestion of Fried Water Toad (Bufo Stejnegeri Schmidt) / 대한내과학회지

Everybody knows that toads are not eatable because of their toxins. But water toads are very similar to frogs morphologically, so fried water toads are eaten by some people on occasion. It has been studied that the granular glands of the toads secrete toxins known as digoxin-like immunoreactive substances (DLIS) such as bufogenins and bufotoxins. DLIS have cross-reactivity with micro particle enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative mea surement of digoxin. We report a case of DLIS poisoning in 56-year-old male patient who showed vomiting, syn cope, and marked bradyarrhythmia with block (heart rate down to 29 beats per minute) after ingestion of the fried water toads (Bufo stejnegeri Schmidt).

Significance of Serum Cortisol and Peripheral Blood Leukocyte Differential for the Early Differential Diagnosis of Acute Chest Pain Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: The stress response involves the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Corticosteroids have been clearly demonstrated to cause anti-inflammatory and/or immnosuppressive effects in man including granulocytosis in part by decreasing migration into tissue, especially damaged tissues(myocardium), and circulating relative lymphocytopenia. To test whether automated measurements of the the increased serum cortisol-induced hematologic changes in the leukocyte differential significance or not in the initial differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in acute chest pain syndromes. METHODS: 101 consecutive patients with myocardial infarction or myocardial ischemia presenting to the emergency room of Seoul Adventist Hospital with acute chest pain from January 1993 to August 1995(Retrospective group) and from December 1995 to March patients compatible with exclusion criteria in myocardial infarction were excluded. We measured automated leukocyte differential and serial CK-MB level in both groups, and the intial serum cortisol levels in prospective infarction group. RESULTS: 1) Total leukocyte and granulocyte counts were increased in acute myocardial infarction(p<0.01). 2) In acute myocardial infarction group, lymphocyte counts were slightly increased(p<0.05), but relative lymphocytes percentage more significantly decreased(p<0.01). 3) Serum cortisol levels are significantly raised early in the course of the acute myocardial infarction and prior to the elevation of the specific cardiac enzymes on the basis of analytic results of prospective infarction group. 4) Cortisol-induced changes in leukocyte differential were noted with time passes into reverse approximately 4 days later in our study. 5) The leukocyte differential does not shows significant changes in the retrospective myocardial ischemia group, so we arrive in careful conclusion that serum cortisol level seems does not increase. 6) No sexual differences were noted in leukocyte differential. CONCLUSIONS: The serum cortisol level and cortisol-induced leukocyte differential are helpful for initial differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in acute chest pain sysdrome.