Diagnosis and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Arthritis Patients Treated with Tumor Necrosis Factor Antagonists in Korea

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is essential for host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) increases with anti-TNF therapy. This study estimated the prevalence of LTBI and evaluated the safety and completion rate of short-course therapy with isoniazid plus rifampin for 3 months to treat LTBI in a cohort of Korean arthritis patients before initiating anti-TNF therapy. We retrospectively studied the files of 112 consecutive patients to evaluate LTBI before starting anti-TNF drugs. Screening tests were performed, including a tuberculin skin test and chest radiography. LTBI treatment was indicated in 41 patients (37%). Of these, three patients refused the LTBI treatment. Of the 38 patients who underwent LTBI treatment, 36 (95%) took isoniazid plus rifampin for 3 months. Six patients (16%) showed transient elevations of liver enzymes during the LTBI treatment. Overall, 35 patients (92%) completed the LTBI treatment as planned. In conclusion, LTBI was diagnosed in one-third of Korean arthritis patients before initiating anti-TNF therapy. A high percentage of these patients completed 3 months of LTBI treatment with isoniazid plus rifampin without serious complications.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis at a Private General Hospital / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Until the early 1990's in Korea, treatment outcomes of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the private sector were reported to be inferior to those of the public health center under the National Tuberculosis Programme. The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and the treatment efficacy of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis recently diagnosed at a private general hospital. MATERIALS and METHODS: The study included all pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed at Samsung Medical Center and notified to the public health center from August 2000 to January 2001. RESULTS: Of the 232 patients included in the study during a 6-month period, 188 were (81.0%) initial treatment cases and 44 (19.0%) were re-treatment cases. Eighty-three (35.8%) patients had smear-positive sputa, and 27 (11.6%) had smear-negative, culture-positive sputa. Initial sputum examinations were not performed in 47 (20.3%) patients. A six-month, short-course treatment using isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide was prescribed for 31.4% of the patients under the initial treatment. The success rate (cured plus treatment completed) of the initial treatment for the smear-positive patients was 69.1%. Eleven (13.3%) of the 83 patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis discontinued their treatment without notice. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the treatment efficacy and decrease the default rates of the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in the private sector, further efforts are required in line with the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Treatment Guidelines and in the implementation of an appropriate model of public-private mix for tuberculosis control in Korea.

Diffuse nesidioblastosis underwent reoperation after streptozotocin treatment / 대한내분비학회지

Nesidioblatosis is a term that describes small clusters of pancreatic islet cells budding off exocrine ducts, and is commonly reported in infants with intractable idiopathic hypoglucemia. The onset of nesidioblastosis in adults is an extremely rare entity associated with hypersecretion of insulin and the treatment of choice is pancreatic resection. Medical treatment, including somatostatin, propranolol, diazoxide, hydrochlorthiazide and streptozotocin have achieved limited success. We experienced a case of adult nesidioblastosis that underwent reoperation after the failure of medical treatment following an inappropriate first operation. A 54-year old man was admitted due to intermittent hypoglycemic symptoms, which had been relieved by carbohydrate ingestion. Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was documented during a prolonged fast. Image studies found no localized lesion, so a distal pancreatectomy was performed. The pathological examination of the resected pancreas revealed irregularly sized islets and a scattering of small endocrine cell clusters throughout the acinar tissue and ductuloinsular complex. After a partial pancreatectomy the hypoglycemia had not disappeared. The patient did not want to undergo a reoperaton due to the post operative wound infection that occurred after the distal pancreatectomy. Therefore, diazoxide, somatostatin, propranolol, and streptozotocin was used as the alternative to an operation. However, the hypoglycemia persisted during and after the medical treatment. Finally, he underwent a near total pancreatectomy (85%), and the hypoglycemia disappeared. The extent of pancreatectomy is important in clinical outcome of patients with nesidioblastosis

A Case of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis Caused by Listeria monocytogenes / 감염

Listerial endocarditis is rare disease with about 60 reported cases in the literatures. Although the clinical and laboratory features of listerial endocarditis are similar to those of subacute bacterial endocarditis caused by other pathogens, the incidence of complications and mortality rates are high. Early diagnosis, adequate treatment, and timely surgery are important for the better outcome. We report a case of a 62 year-old male with prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Listeria monocytogenes, who was successfully treated with antibiotics and surgery (aortic valve and mitral valve re-replacement).

A Case of Pulmonary Mucormycosis Presenting as an Endobronchial Mass / 결핵

Pulmonary mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection in patients with severe underlying illness such as immunocompromised diseases or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. While patients with leukemia and lymphoma usually resent with diffuse parenchymal disease, diabetic patients usually have a localized endobronchial disease involving central airways. We report upon a case of pulmonary mucormycosis in diabetes mellitus patient presenting as an endobronchial mass, which was cured with antifungal therapy, rigid bronchoscopic mass removal and right pneumonectomy.

A Case of Rifampicin Induced Pseudomembranous Colitis / 결핵

Pseudomembranous colitis, although uncommon, is an important complication of antibiotics that is related to a variety of deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Rifampicin is one of the 1st line agents in the treatment of tuberculosis and a large number of patients are exposed to its potential adverse effects. We report upon a patient that had diarrhea due to pseudomembranous colitis after receiving antitubeculous medication, and which was probably caused by rifampicin. A 77-year-old man was admitted with diarrhea of three weeks duration. One month previously, he suffered from left pleuritic chest pain and left pleural effusion was noticed at chest X-ray. One week prior to the onset of diarrhea, he was started on empirically isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazynamide as antituberculous medication. On admission, he complained of diarrhea, left pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea and sputum. On physical examination, breathing sound was decreased in the left lower lung field and bowel sound increased. Pleural biopsy revealed chronic granulomatous infalmmation, which was compatible with tuberculosis. Sigmoidoscopy showed whitish to yellowish pseudomembrane with intervening normal mucosa, and his stool was positive for C.difficle toxin. He was diagnosed as pseudomembranous colitis and treated with oral metronidazole and vancomycin. The diarrhea did not recur after reinstitution of the anti-tuberculous medication without rifampicin. In patients with severe diarrhea receining anti-tuberculous medication, rifampicin induced pseudomembranous colitis should be excluded.

A STUDY ON FRACTURE STRENGTH OF COLLARLESS METAL CERAMIC CROWN WITH DIFFERENT METAL COPING DESIGN / 대한치과보철학회지

The metal ceramic crown is currently the most popular complete veneer restoration in dentistry, but in many cases, the metal cervical collar at the facial margin is unesthetic and unacceptable. Facial porcelain margin has been used in place of it. But this dose not solve the problems, such as dark gingival discoloration and cervical opaque reflection of porcelain veneer. Recently, metal copings which were designed to terminate its labio-cervical end on the axial walls coronal to the shoulder have been clinically used to solve the esthetic problem of metal ceramic crown. But in this design, porcelain veneer of labio-cervical area which is not supported by metal may not be able to resist the stress during cementation and mastication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fracture strength and fractured appearance of crowns according to different coping designs. A resin maxillary left central incisor analogue was prepared for a metal ceramic crown, and metal dies were made with duplication mold. Metal copings were made and assigned to one of four groups based on facial framework designs: group 1, coping with 0.5mm metal collar; group 2, metal extended to the shoulder; group 3, metal extended to 1 mm coronal to the shoulder; group 4, metal extended to 2mm coronal to the shoulder. Copings and crowns were adjusted to be same size and thickness, and cemented to metal dies with zinc phosphate cement by finger pressure. Fracture strength was measured with Instron Universal Testing Machine. Metaldies were anchored in Three-way-vice at 3mm below finish line and at 130degree inclined to the lone axis of the crown. Load was directed lingually at 2mm below midincisal edge. Load value at initial crack and at catastrophic fracture was recorded. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Fracture strength values at initial crack were higher in groups 1, 2 than in groups 3, 4 but this difference was not statistically significant(P<0.05). 2. Conventional metal collared crown had greater catastrophic fracture strength than any other collarless crowns. 3. The greater the labial metal coping reduction, the lower the catastrophic fracture strength of crowns but when more than 1mm of labial metal reduction was done, the difference in strengths was not statistically significant(p<0.05). 4. The strongest collarless coping design was group 2.

Effect of functional endoscopic sinus surgery on olfactory disturbance caused by bilateral chronic sinusitis with nasal polyposis / 대한이비인후과학회지

No abstract available.