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 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.