Iatrogenic Development of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage in Diagnosing Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension / 가정의학회지

A 34-year-old woman came to the emergency room complaining of a severe orthostatic headache. Results of a cerebrospinal fluid tap and brain computed tomography were normal. Based on her history and symptoms, she was found to have spontaneous intracranial hypotension. She was hospitalized and her symptoms improved with conservative treatment. On the next day, her headache suddenly worsened. Cisternography was performed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the spinal level of her cerebrospinal fluid leak. It revealed multiple cerebrospinal fluid leaks in the lumbar and upper thoracic regions. It was strongly believed that she had an iatrogenic cerebrospinal fluid leak in the lumbar region. An epidural blood patch was performed level by level on the lumbar and upper thoracic regions. Her symptoms resolved after the epidural blood patch and she was later discharged without any complications. In this case, an iatrogenic cerebrospinal fluid leak was caused by a dural puncture made while diagnosing spontaneous intracranial hypotension, which is always a risk and hampers the patient's progress. Therefore, in cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension, an effort to minimize dural punctures is needed and a non-invasive test such as magnetic resonance imaging should be considered first.

Case of Bleeding Ileal Varices after a Colectomy Diagnosed by Capsule Endoscopy / 대한소화기학회지

We report a case of bleeding ileal varices associated with intra-abdominal adhesions after colectomy which was successfully diagnosed using capsule endoscopy. A 77-year-old woman visited the emergency department for several episodes of melena. She had a medical history of neoadjuvant chemo-radiation therapy and subsequent surgery for rectal cancer 6 years previously. Conventional diagnostic examinations including upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and abdominal computed tomography could not detect any bleeding focus, however, following capsule endoscopy revealed venous dilatations with some fresh blood in the distal ileum, indicating bleeding ileal varices. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and the affected ileum was successfully resected. No further gastrointestinal bleeding occurred during the 6 months follow-up. Small intestinal varices are important differential for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding especially in patients with a history of abdominal surgery in the absence of liver cirrhosis, and capsule endoscopy can be a good option for diagnosing small intestinal varices.

Concurrent meralgia paresthetica and radiculopathy of the left leg: A case report

Meralgia paresthetica (MP) is a painful mononeuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneouse nerve (LFCN) characterized by localized symptoms of numbness, tingling, pain and paresthesia along the anterolateral thigh area. L4 and L5 radiculopathy is set of symptoms that include sharp, burning or shooting pain, which is usually localized to anterolateral leg area and along the dermatomal distribution. When symptoms of MP and lumbar disc disease occur together it is not easy to diagnose MP. We report a case of synchronous post-traumatic MP and radiculopathy due to intervertebral disc herniation at L3–4 and 4–5. A 59-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency room with symptoms of low back pain with left severe L4, L5 radiculopathy. This patient also complained of numbness and paresthesia in the left anterolateral thigh. After detailed history taking and lateral femoral cutaneouse nerve block, he was diagnosed with MP.

Perioperative anesthetic management of a patient with catecholamine-secreting paraganglioma: A case report

Paraganglioma is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor of cells that originate in the autonomic nervous system. Some paragangliomas have the ability to secrete catecholamines, similar to secretions in pheochromocytoma. For this reason, paragangliomas may cause malignant hypertension in patient, upon being administered anesthesia, or during surgery, this may lead to a life-threatening condition, despite the tumor having been diagnosed before conducting the procedure. Therefore, it is important to take adequate actions for reducing the occurrence of morbidity and mortality during surgery. Here, we describe a successful anesthetic management in a patient diagnosed with retroperitoneal paraganglioma invading the iliac bone.

Elevated serum CA 19-9 levels in patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease

Abstract Increased serum CA 19-9 levels in patients with nonmalignant diseases have been investigated in previous reports. This study evaluates the clinical significance of serum CA 19-9 elevation in pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease and pulmonary tuberculosis. The median CA 19-9 level was higher in patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease than in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease: 13.80, tuberculosis: 5.85, p < 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression analysis performed in this study showed that Mycobacterium abscessus (OR 9.97, 95% CI: 1.58, 62.80; p = 0.014) and active phase of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease (OR 12.18, 95% CI: 1.07, 138.36, p = 0.044) were found to be risk factors for serum CA 19-9 elevation in pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease. The serum CA 19-9 levels showed a tendency to decrease during successful treatment of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease but not in pulmonary tuberculosis. These findings suggest that CA 19-9 may be a useful marker for monitoring therapeutic responses in pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, although it is not pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease-specific marker.

A comparison of oxycodone and fentanyl in the management of early postoperative pain and for patient-controlled analgesia after total abdominal hysterectomy

BACKGROUND: Although oxycodone has been known to be superior to other opioids in postoperative care, few studies have compared its analgesic potency with that of fentanyl. We therefore examined these two drugs in terms of their dose requirements, effects on pain intensity, time needed for relief of pain, and side effects after surgery. METHODS: We enrolled 56 healthy women scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy and randomly allocated them to either oxycodone or fentanyl. The opioids were administered to the two groups 10 minutes before the end of the operation. In the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after surgery, a visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the patients' pain every 10 minutes Whenever pain control was required, a bolus of the same dose of the respective drugs was repeated at 10-minute intervals. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was used to manage postoperative pain. After the patient arrived on the ward, pain scores were recorded at once and then 1, 2, 3, and 24 hours thereafter. RESULTS: During the hour spent in the PACU, fewer patients in the oxycodone group required the opioid, and the time needed to achieve pain relief was shorter with oxycodone than with fentanyl. Moreover, postoperative VAS levels were significantly lower in the oxycodone group both in the PACU and on the ward (over a 24-hours period). There were no significant differences in side effects between the patients given oxycodone and those given fentanyl. CONCLUSIONS: Oxycodone was more effective than fentanyl when administered on the basis of the recommended dose ratio (1 : 100). Although further evaluation is needed to investigate the optimal dose ratio, we would recommend a higher conversion factor (1 : 62).

Unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss after combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean section: A case report

A 30-year-old primigravida with gestational age of 25 weeks and 4 days was admitted for emergency cesarean section. She was diagnosed as pre-eclampsia with fetal distress. We anesthetized the patient through the combined spinal-epidural anesthetic technique, and there was no specific event throughout the surgical procedures and in post anesthetic care unit. Subsequently, she complained of unilateral hearing difficulty in the ward and an otolaryngology consultation was obtained. She was diagnosed with left sudden sensorineural hearing loss in full frequency range after an acoustic examination. She received intravenous and local steroid treatments for 4 weeks. She showed 32 dB on pure tone audiometry after 5 months. However, we could not continue follow-up testing on the patient because she stopped visiting the hospital since the last examination. We reported a case of uncommon unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss after a combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean section.

Beneficial effect of diosgenin as a stimulator of NGF on the brain with neuronal damage induced by Aβ-42 accumulation and neurotoxicant injection / 한국실험동물학회지

To investigate the beneficial effects of diosgenin (DG) on the multiple types of brain damage induced by Aβ-42 peptides and neurotoxicants, alterations in the specific aspects of brain functions were measured in trimethyltin (TMT)-injected transgenic 2576 (TG) mice that had been pretreated with DG for 21 days. Multiple types of damage were successfully induced by Aβ-42 accumulation and TMT injection into the brains of TG mice. However, DG treatment significantly reduced the number of Aβ-stained plaques and dead cells in the granule cells layer of the dentate gyrus. Significant suppression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and Bax/Bcl-2 expression was also observed in the DG treated TG mice (TG+DG group) when compared with those of the vehicle (VC) treated TG mice (TG+VC group). Additionally, the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) was dramatically enhanced in TG+DG group, although it was lower in the TG+VC group than the non-transgenic (nTG) group. Furthermore, the decreased phosphorylation of downstream members in the TrkA high affinity receptor signaling pathway in the TG+VC group was significantly recovered in the TG+DG group. A similar pattern was observed in p75NTR expression and JNK phosphorylation in the NGF low affinity receptor signaling pathway. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was enhanced in the TG+DG group, while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, was lower in the TG+DG group than the TG+VC group. These results suggest that DG could exert a wide range of beneficial activities for multiple types of brain damage through stimulation of NGF biosynthesis.

Difficult intubation using intubating laryngeal mask airway in conjunction with a fiber optic bronchoscope

When anesthesiologists encounter conditions in which intubation is not possible using a conventional direct laryngoscope, they can consider using other available techniques and devices such as fiber optic bronchoscope (FOB)-guided intubation, a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), intubating LMA (ILMA), a light wand, and the Combitube. FOB-guided intubation is frequently utilized in predicted difficult airway cases and is generally performed when the patient is awake to enable easier access to the trachea. An LMA can be introduced to ventilate the patient with relative ease, while an ILMA can be used for definite endotracheal intubation. However, occasionally, an endotracheal tube (ETT) cannot pass through the larynx, despite successful introduction of a FOB into the trachea and placement of an ILMA by the anesthesiologist. Therefore, we initially introduced an ILMA for emergent ventilation, followed by successful insertion of an ETT under FOB guidance. In this report, we describe three cases of difficult intubation using a FOB and ILMA combination approach.

Difficult intubation using intubating laryngeal mask airway in conjunction with a fiber optic bronchoscope

When anesthesiologists encounter conditions in which intubation is not possible using a conventional direct laryngoscope, they can consider using other available techniques and devices such as fiber optic bronchoscope (FOB)-guided intubation, a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), intubating LMA (ILMA), a light wand, and the Combitube. FOB-guided intubation is frequently utilized in predicted difficult airway cases and is generally performed when the patient is awake to enable easier access to the trachea. An LMA can be introduced to ventilate the patient with relative ease, while an ILMA can be used for definite endotracheal intubation. However, occasionally, an endotracheal tube (ETT) cannot pass through the larynx, despite successful introduction of a FOB into the trachea and placement of an ILMA by the anesthesiologist. Therefore, we initially introduced an ILMA for emergent ventilation, followed by successful insertion of an ETT under FOB guidance. In this report, we describe three cases of difficult intubation using a FOB and ILMA combination approach.

Prevalence, Clinicopathologic Characteristics, and Predictors of Interval Colorectal Cancers in Korean Population

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A subset of patients may develop colorectal cancer after a colonoscopy that was negative for carcinoma. These missed or de novo developed lesions were termed as interval cancers. Many studies regarding interval cancer have been conducted in Western countries, whereas very limited data are available in Asian populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate prevalence, clinicopathologic features, and predictors of interval colorectal cancers in the Korean population. METHODS: Interval cancer was defined as a cancer that is diagnosed within 5 years of a negative colonoscopy result. Among the patients who were diagnosed colorectal cancers at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from January 2007 to April 2012, clinicopathologic characteristics of interval cancers were compared with those of sporadic cancers. RESULTS: Among the 785 patients, 482 responded to telephone calls. Of these, 30 (6.2%) developed interval cancers. Finally, 28 patients who had interval cancers were compared with 415 patients who had sporadic cancers. Interval cancer group was significantly younger and more frequent in the right side colon than sporadic cancer group. There was no differences in sex, tumor size, differentiation, and staging between two groups. In multivariate analysis, young age and right side colon cancer were independent factors associated with an interval cancer. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of Korean patients developed interval colorectal cancer, especially at the young age and in the proximal colon.

Six Cases of Nasal Cavity and Nasopharyngeal Tuberculosis / 대한이비인후과학회지

Tuberculosis of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx is extremely rare. The diagnosis is frequently delayed because of unfamiliarity with the disease. It is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx on imaging findings alone; a biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis and to differentiate it from malignancy and the other conditions. The authors have experienced 6 cases of tuberculosis of the nasal cavity and nasopharyx. We report them with review of literatures.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Presenting as Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis / 대한이비인후과학회지

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) presenting as bilateral vocal cord paralysis is extremely rare. We report an unusual case of GBS in which the patient manifested hoarseness resulting from bilateral vocal cord paralysis. In conclusion, GBS needs to be considered as possible causes of new onset bilateral vocal cord paralysis. We emphasize that early recognition of atypical presentations of GBS warrants further evaluation and appropriate management.

Elevated red cell distribution width is associated with advanced fibrosis in NAFLD

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The red-blood-cell distribution width (RDW) is a newly recognized risk marker in patients with cardiovascular disease, but its role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been well defined. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between RDW values and the level of fibrosis in NAFLD according to BARD and FIB-4 scores. METHODS: This study included 24,547 subjects who had been diagnosed with NAFLD based on abdominal ultrasonography and questionnaires about alcohol consumption. The degree of liver fibrosis was determined according to BARD and FIB-4 scores. The association between RDW values and the degree of fibrosis in NAFLD was analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, hemoglobin level, mean corpuscular volume, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, the RDW values were 12.61+/-0.41% (mean+/-SD), 12.70+/-0.70%, 12.77+/-0.62%, 12.87+/-0.82%, and 13.25+/-0.90% for those with BARD scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and 12.71+/-0.72%, 12.79+/-0.66%, and 13.23+/-1.52% for those with FIB-4 scores of or =2.67, respectively (P or =1.3) increased with the RDW [BARD score: 51.1% in quartile 1 (Q1) vs. 63.6% in Q4; FIB-4 score: 6.9% in Q1 vs. 10.5% in Q4; P<0.001]. After adjustments, the odds ratio of having advanced fibrosis for those in Q4 compared to Q1 were 1.76 (95%CI=1.55-2.00, P<0.001) relative to BARD score and 1.69 (95%CI=1.52-1.98, P<0.001) relative to FIB-4 score. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated RDW is independently associated with advanced fibrosis in NAFLD.

A Case of Inverted Papilloma Originating from Posterior Nasal Septum

Inverted papilloma is an uncommon benign nasal tumor which usually occurs on the lateral nasal wall. An inverted papilloma originating from the medial nasal cavity, especially the nasal septum, is considered very rare. A 47-year-old male was referred with a 1-month history of snoring. On endoscopic examination, a nasal mass was observed in the left posterior septum. The mass filled the left nasal cavity and extended choanae and nasopharynx. The histopathologic examination of the nasal mass showed inverted papilloma, which was completely removed by endoscopic surgery. Herein, the authors report a case of inverted papilloma originating from the posterior nasal septum as well as a review of literature.

Comparative Study of Sensation with or without Preservation of Great Auricular Nerve during Parotidectomy / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Whether to sacrifice the posterior branch of great auricular nerve (GAN) during parotidectomy is disputatious. This study was to provide a guideline for decision-making. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty-two patients who underwent parotidectomy due to parotid mass were randomized into two groups. Three patients who underwent further treatment were excluded. Fourteen patients underwent classic parotidectomy by sacrificing GAN whereas 15 patients underwent surgery that preserved the nerve. A two-point discrimination test, sensation of light touch, sharp instrument, blunt instrument and temperature were evaluated preoperatively, and at 7 days, 1, 3, 6, 12 months and 45 months, postoperatively. Patients' preference for the operation time to preserve the nerve was also evaluated. RESULTS: The mean preservation time was 156 seconds. There was no difference in touch sensation, preoperatively, between the two groups. The two-point discrimination test of the infra-auricular area showed significant differences at 1 week postoperatively (p<0.05). The two-point discrimination test of lobule showed significant differences at 1 month (p<0.05), but these differences disappeared at 1 and 3 months. All measured data had no statistically significant differences at 3 and 6 months. At one year, light touch sensation of lobule and temperature sensation of infra-auricular area showed significant differences (p<0.05). Differences in temperature were found at 45 months of follow-up. Of the patients, 95% wanted to preserve the nerve. CONCLUSION: The authors suggest that the posterior branch of GAN was preserved according to patients' preference for the sensation of temperature in the infra-auricular area.

Overexpression of Insulin Degrading Enzyme could Greatly Contribute to Insulin Down-regulation Induced by Short-Term Swimming Exercise / 한국실험동물학회지

Exercise training is highly correlated with the reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), although it enhanced insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake and glucose transporter expression to reduce severity of diabetic symptoms. This study investigated the impact of short-term swimming exercise on insulin regulation in the Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat as a non-obese model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Wistar (W/S) and GK rats were trained 2 hours daily with the swimming exercise for 4 weeks, and then the changes in the metabolism of insulin and glucose were assessed. Body weight was markedly decreased in the exercised GK rats compare to their non-exercised counterpart, while W/S rats did not show any exercise-related changes. Glucose concentration was not changed by exercise, although impaired glucose tolerance was improved in GK rats 120 min after glucose injection. However, insulin concentration was decreased by swimming exercise as in the decrease of GSIS after running exercise. To identify the other cause for exercise-induced insulin down-regulation, the changes in the levels of key factors involved in insulin production (C-peptide) and clearance (insulin-degrading enzyme; IDE) were measured in W/S and GK rats. The C-peptide level was maintained while IDE expression increased markedly. Therefore, these results showed that insulin down-regulation induced by short-term swimming exercise likely attributes to enhanced insulin clearance via IDE over-expression than by altered insulin production.

Add on Lamivudine to Adefovir Monotherapy for the Treatment of Lamivudine-resistant Chronic Hepatitis B Patients / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Add on adefovir (ADV) to ongoing lamivudine (LAM) has been recommended as a standard therapy for the treatment of LAM resistance. In the past, switch to ADV monotherapy was suggested as an option for the treatment of LAM resistance, leading to frequent development of ADV resistance. However, ADV monotherapy has been still used in LAM-resistant patients because of low cost in Korea. The aims of this study were to evaluate the virologic response and virologic breakthrough during adding on LAM in LAM-resistant patients receiving ADV monotherapy. METHODS: The study population comprised 99 patients with LAM-resistance. We divided them into 3 groups (Group 1: switch to ADV monotherapy, N=58, Group 2: add on ADV to ongoing LAM, N=25, Group 3: add on LAM to ADV monotherapy, N=16). HBV DNA levels were assessed at baseline and every 3 months during therapy. Serum HBV DNA levels were measured by bDNA assay or the COBAS TaqMantrade mark HBV test. RESULTS: The median treatment duration for group 1, group 2, and group 3 was 42.0, 20.6, and 31.8 (18.7 mon. of ADV+13.1 mon. of LAM) months, respectively. Cumulative rate of virologic breakthrough in group 1 was 5.2%, 19.0%, and 25.9% at 12, 24, and 36 months of treatment, respectively. Virologic breakthrough was not detected in group 2 and group 3 (p=0.016, group 1 vs. group 2 or 3). In group 3, median serum HBV DNA levels were 4.22 log10 copies/mL prior to LAM administration. Median serum HBV DNA changes from baseline (log10 copies/mL) were -0.91, -1.93, -1.87 and -1.74 at week 12, 24, 36 and 48, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Later add on LAM to ADV monotherapy prevented the development of ADV resistance in patients with LAM resistance effectively, comparable to ADV add on to continuing LAM therapy.

Analysis of Clinicopathologic Features of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma According to Cut-off of Tumor Size / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Although the detected incidence of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) has increased with development of ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy, the best treatment has not yet been established. Treatment decisions require information on many factors including lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension, and bilaterality. With this aim, the present study analyzed clinicopathologic features of PTMC according to cut-off of tumor size. METHODS: The clinicopathologic features of patients with PTMC between January 2007 and December 2009 were reviewed retrospectively from medical records. Patients were divided according to tumors lesser than or equal to cut-off (Group I) and tumors exceeding cut-off (Group II). RESULTS: Both capsule invasion and lymphovascular invasion were significantly different at all cut-off diameters (5~9 mm). Central node metastasis revealed a difference in all cut-off values except 8 mm. Extrathyroidal extension differed at all cut-off values except 5 mm. Bilaterality displayed a statistically significantdifference only at the 8 mm cut-off. CONCLUSION: cut-off of 5 mm represents a safe value to discriminate less aggressive from aggressive treatment for PTMC.

Clinical efficacy of entecavir therapy and factors associated with treatment response in naive chronic hepatitis B patients / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Entecavir is a potent and selective guanosine analogue that has demonstrated a significant antiviral efficacy against hepatitis B virus (HBV). The aim of this study was to characterize the response to entecavir and to examine the factors affecting that response. METHODS: We administered 0.5 mg of entecavir once daily for more than 12 months to 114 naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We measured the levels of liver enzymes, serological markers, and serum HBV DNA at 3-month interval. RESULTS: Normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase levels was observed in 68.5% (76/114), 74.6% (85/114), and 81.6% (62/76) of patients after 6, 12, and 24 months of therapy, respectively. HBV DNA levels of <50 copies/mL (as evaluated by polymerase chain reaction) were observed in 43.9% (50/114), 71.1% (81/114), and 85.5% (65/76) of patients after 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Viral breakthrough was not observed. The rates of HBeAg loss and seroconversion were 43.5% (27/62) and 14.5% (9/62), respectively, after 12 months of therapy, and 56.4% (22/39) and 15.4% (6/39) after 24 months. The independent factor associated with PCR negativity was early virologic response (EVR; HBV DNA <2,000 copies/mL after 3 months of therapy, P<0.001). The independent factors predicting HBeAg loss were found to be serum albumin levels (P=0.041) and EVR (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Entecavir induced excellent biochemical and virologic responses in naive CHB patients. EVR was an independent factor for predicting HBV PCR negativity and HBeAg loss.