The diagnostic significance of hepatitis C virus antibody levels for chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Background/Aims@#Although anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) assay is widely used to screen for HCV infection, it has a high false-positive (FP) rate in low-risk populations. We investigated the accuracy of anti-HCV signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratio to distinguish true-positive (TP) from FP HCV infection. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 77,571 patients with anti-HCV results. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of anti-HCV S/CO ratio in anti-HCV positive patients. @*Results@#Overall, 1,126 patients tested anti-HCV positive; 34.7% of patients were FP based on HCV RNA and/or recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) results. The age and sex-adjusted anti-HCV prevalence was 1.22%. We identified significant differences in serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels, anti-HCV S/CO ratio, and RIBA results between groups (viremia vs. non-viremia, TP vs. FP). Using ROC curves, the optimal cutoff values of anti-HCV S/CO ratio for HCV viremia and TP were 8 and 5, respectively. The area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 0.970 (95% CI, 0.959–0.982, p < 0.001), 99.7%, 87.5%, 87.4%, and 99.7%, respectively, for predicting HCV viremia at an anti-HCV S/CO ratio of 8 and 0.987 (95% CI, 0.980–0.994, p < 0.001), 95.3%, 94.7%, 97.1%, and 91.4%, respectively, for TP HCV infection at an anti-HCV S/CO ratio of 5. No patients with HCV viremia had an anti-HCV S/CO ratio below 5. @*Conclusions@#The anti-HCV S/CO ratio is highly accurate for discriminating TP from FP HCV infection and should be considered when diagnosing HCV infections.

The Factors Influencing the Accuracy of Head PositionDuring Canalith Reposition Procedure Using 9 AxisInertial Sensor / 대한이비인후과학회지

Background and Objectives@#The canalith reposition procedure (CRP) is used for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) where the accuracy of position may affect the therapeutic efficacy. We investigate the accuracy of head position in CRP and its influencing factors during the procedure by measuring the position using inertial sensors and three dimensional remodeling.Subjects and Method We included 28 patients who were diagnosed as BPPV. To evaluate the accuracy of the CRP, we used the inertial sensor on the patient’s goggle used for videonystagmography. We evaluated the accuracy of the treatment compared to the textual treatment used during CRP. We also evaluated patient factors that affected the accuracy of head position as well as analyzing the correlation between the error rate and the successful treatment rate. @*Results@#While the average error rate was 12.6±5.8% for the PSCC group, it was 10.2±5.2% for the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) group. For the posterior semicircular canal (PSCC) the group with body mass index (BMI), less than 25 patients had the lower error rate than the group with BMI greater than 25. There was no significant differences regarding the error rate according to BMI or age in the PSCC group. There is no significant differences regarding the error rate between those treated within 1 week and those over 1 week. For the LSCC delayed treatment group, there was no significant differences of error rate between the 1st and 2nd maneuver at each position. @*Conclusion@#For the Epley maneuver, the error rate of patients with high BMI is higher than those with low BMI. When the repeated barbeque maneuver was conducted, patients could have a more accurate position due to the learning effect. Care should be taken to ensure accurate CRP by considering various factors.

Annual Neck Ultrasonography Surveillance between 3 to 12 Years after Thyroid Lobectomy for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma

Background and Objectives@#In South Korea, neck ultrasonography (US) has been used widely at 1- or 2-year intervals to detect recurrence after thyroidectomy. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and pattern of recurrence and to establish a proper frequency of follow-up neck US after thyroid lobectomy for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 262 consecutive patients who had undergone thyroid lobectomy for PTMC from January 2005 to October 2009. They were divided into two groups based on the presence of recurrence (240 patients in group 1 and 22 patients in group 2). The comparison between the two groups involved clinical and pathological characteristics. @*Results@#Recurrences were found in 22 (8.4%) of 262 patients with 132.5 months follow-up (range, 120-180 months). There was a significant difference in the mean number of follow-up neck US after 5 years postoperatively, shortened interval, total number of follow-up neck US (p=0.002, p＜0.001, p＜0.001). All recurrences were found between 2-3 to 11-12 years. Recurrences after 5 years were found in 16 (72.7%) of 22 patients. @*Conclusion@#Recurrence after thyroid lobectomy for PTMC occurred with various times during follow up. The minimum frequency of follow-up neck US was not enough for detecting tumor recurrence, especially after 5 years postoperatively. Our results suggest that annual neck US may be appropriate between 3 to 12 years after thyroid lobectomy for PTMC.

The effectiveness of prophylactic ipsilateral central neck dissection in selected patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for clinically node-negative unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma / 영남의대학술지

Background@#Prophylactic central neck dissection (CND) in clinically node-negative (cN0) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of prophylactic ipsilateral CND compared with bilateral CND in total thyroidectomy for cN0 unilateral PTC. @*Methods@#We retrospectively enrolled 174 patients who underwent total thyroidectomies with prophylactic CND for cN0 unilateral PTC between January 2009 and May 2010. The prophylactic CND patients were divided into group 1, the ipsilateral CND group (n=74), and group 2, the bilateral CND group (n=100). The incidence of central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) and postoperative complications, such as hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and recurrence were assessed. @*Results@#CLNM was found in 22 (29.8%) in group 1 and 69 (69%) in group 2. The incidence of postoperative severe hypocalcemia less than 7.0 was also significantly different (six patients [8.1%] in group 1 and 23 [23%] in group 2; p=0.009). Permanent hypoparathyroidism was significantly more frequent in group 2 (4.1% vs. 19%; p=0.005). However, the incidence of transient hypoparathyroidism, recurrence, and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was not significantly different. @*Conclusion@#Prophylactic ipsilateral CND has advantage not only to reduce incidence of some complications but also to have similar recurrence rate compared with bilateral CND. We suggest that prophylactic ipsilateral CND may be safe and effective for selected patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for cN0 unilateral PTC.

Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence with Metachronous Contralateral Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis after Breast-Conserving Surgery with Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis (CAM) is classified into synchronous and metachronous CAM. It is considered a stage IV disease by American Joint Community on Cancer (AJCC) cancer staging system. Although ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) with metachronous CAM is rare, it can occur after previous axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) because of altered lymphatic drainage. Metachronous CAM might be a regional disease progression rather than a distant metastasis. Here, we present a case of IBTR with metachronous CAM. This patient was treated with curative intent. The management of CAM remains controversial.

Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence with Metachronous Contralateral Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis after Breast-Conserving Surgery with Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Contralateral axillary lymph node metastasis (CAM) is classified into synchronous and metachronous CAM. It is considered a stage IV disease by American Joint Community on Cancer (AJCC) cancer staging system. Although ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) with metachronous CAM is rare, it can occur after previous axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) because of altered lymphatic drainage. Metachronous CAM might be a regional disease progression rather than a distant metastasis. Here, we present a case of IBTR with metachronous CAM. This patient was treated with curative intent. The management of CAM remains controversial.

Risk of Peptic Ulcer Bleeding Associated with Helicobacter pylori Infection, Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, and Low-dose Aspirin Therapy in Peptic Ulcer Disease: A Case-control Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The association between Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or low-dose aspirin therapy as a risk factor for peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) remains unclear. This study investigated the risk of PUB associated with H. pylori infection and NSAID or low-dose aspirin therapy in patients with PUD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study investigated 340 patients with PUB between 2012 and 2016. The control group comprised age and sex-matched patients with endoscopically documented non-bleeding ulcers. Using logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was calculated for the risk of PUB. RESULTS: Of the patients investigated, 57.9% in the study group and 51.8% in the control group were diagnosed with H. pylori infection (P=0.106). Logistic regression analysis showed synergistic interaction between H. pylori infection and low-dose aspirin therapy. Multivariate analysis showed that low-dose aspirin (AOR 3.92, P < 0.001), NSAIDs (AOR 2.98, P=0.001), warfarin (AOR 14.57, P=0.011), gastric ulcer (compared with duodenal ulcer) (AOR 1.65, P=0.01), and smoking (AOR 1.97, P=0.004) increased the risk of PUB compared with the risk of PUD. CONCLUSIONS: Both NSAIDs and aspirin are independent risk factors for bleeding in patients with PUD. Additionally, low-dose aspirin therapy concomitant with H. pylori infection produced a synergistic effect. Therefore, H. pylori eradication may be crucial in aspirin users. Moreover, a proton pump inhibitor should be prescribed in patients with a history of bleeding ulcers who need long-term NSAID treatment.

A case of rescuing a patient with acute cardiovascular instability from sudden and massive intraoperative pulmonary thromboembolism by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation / 고신대학교의과대학학술지

Intraoperative pulmonary thromboembolism is a high mortality situation. Early mortality in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism varies from 2% in normotensive patients to 30% in patients with cardiogenic shock. The use of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation can improve survival and neurologic outcomes of cardiac arrest. We report a case of intraoperative massive pulmonary thromboembolism with circulatory collapse and cardiac arrest during anesthesia for pelvic bone fracture surgery, which were rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

A case involving anesthesia for cesarean section followed by resection of ruptured cavernous malformation of pons :A case report

Cavernous malformation is an important cause of cerebral hemorrhage in pregnant women. We experienced a case of cesarean section followed by neurosurgery for resection of ruptured cavernous malformation of pons in a 24-year-old pregnant woman. Establishing integrated treatment strategy for pregnant women with cavernous malformation is difficult because of the small number of cases. Therefore, the cooperation between the brain surgeon, anesthesiologist and obstetrician is essential when surgical intervention is needed. Despite aspiration pneumonia, the patient successfully underwent surgery. We reported this case along with a brief literature review.

Successful intubation using a specially bent lighted stylet to fit the upper airway passage of a patient with ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint and deep cervical abscesses: A case report

A bent lighted stylet has demonstrated effectiveness for intubating patients with difficult airways. We report a case of successful intubation using a lighted stylet that was bent to configure the upper airway passage in a patient with ankylosis of the temporo-mandibualr joint and a small inter-incisor gap with diffuse submandibular abscesses. We suppose that lighted stylets with different bends can be used in difficult airway cases. The usefulness of a bent lighted stylet to fit the upper airway passage needs further evaluation for additional clinical application.

Predictive Factors of Residual Metastatic Axillary Lymph Nodes after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Node-Positive Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been a reliable technique in breast cancer staging. However, some authors reported that SLNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) could lead to low identification rates and high false-negative rates. Hence, whether only SLNB can be applied after NAC is controversial. The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors of residual metastatic axillary lymph nodes after NAC. METHODS: In this study, 71 breast cancer patients with clinically positive lymph nodes (cN1), who received axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after NAC between July 2012 and September 2014, were enrolled. The patients were divided into N1 and N0 groups according to the presence of residual axillary metastatic lymph nodes after ALND. We compared the clinical, radiological, and immunohistological factors between two groups. RESULTS: In the 71 patients with cN1who received NAC, N1 and N0 status were confirmed after surgery in 43 and 28 patients, respectively. The clinical stage at diagnosis was IIA in one patient, IIB in 15 patients, IIIA in 35 patients, IIIB in two patients, IIIC in 10 patients, and IV in eight patients. Most of the patients (n=57) received eight cycles (four cycles of anthracycline and four of taxane) of chemotherapy. Our study showed that the primary tumor was downstaged in 58 of the 71 patients (81.7%). Sixteen patients (22.5%) had pathological complete response (pCR) and 42 (59.2%) had pathological partial response. In a multivariate analysis, tumor response and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) were identified as significant factors. However, no significant differences were observed in the results of postchemotherapy ultrasonography, and pre- or post-positron emission tomography computed tomography (maximum standardized uptake value reduction). CONCLUSION: In the NAC setting, SLNB before ALND is feasible for tumors predicted to have a pCR or if target therapy had been administered for HER2-positive breast cancer.

A Case of Acute Cholecystitis Caused by Plasmodium vivax Infection / 대한췌담도학회지

Acute cholecystitis as a complication of malarial disease is a rare condition, especially with Plasmodium vivax infection. A 62 year-old-female was admitted via emergency room (ER) due to high fever (40.3degrees C) and epigastric pain. Initial abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scan showed edematous gallbladder with stone, which suggested acute calculous cholecystitis. Emergency percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) was done with systemic antibiotic therapy. The clinical course, however, unusually worsened with hypotension and intensive care unit (ICU) management was done. Four days after admission multi-focal splenic infarction was developed and Plasmodium vivax infection was diagnosed afterward. The clinical symptoms and laboratory results, including fever and epigastric pain, improved dramatically after anti-malarial treatment and cholecystectomy was done. The resected gallbladder (GB) specimen shows vasculitis pattern with capillary red blood cell (RBC) engorgement, which suggests the cause of cholecystitis was due to Plasmodium vivax rather than GB stone.

Role of BRAFV600E Mutation as a Marker for Prognostic Stratification of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common malignant tumor of the thyroid and BRAFV600E mutation is the most frequent genetic alteration in PTC. BRAFV600E mutation has been demonstrated as a prognostic biomarker for prediction of poor clinicopathological outcomes, such as increased incidence of extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, and advanced stage. However, there is conflicting literature regarding the association of BRAFV600E mutation and aggressive clinicopathological features. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in PTC and determined the association of BRAF mutation with indicators of poor prognosis for PTC. METHODS: We reviewed 1009 patients with PTC, who underwent thyroid surgery at Kyungpook National University Hospital between January 2013 and March 2014. BRAFV600E mutation analysis was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction based amplification of DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor specimens. RESULTS: BRAFV600E mutation was detected in 863 (85.5%) patients. In univariate analysis, histologic subtype, extrathyroidal extension, and advanced stage showed significant association with BRAFV600E mutation. In addition, concurrent Hashimoto's thyroiditis showed an association with low prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation. However, no statistically significant association was observed for age, gender, multifocal or bilateral tumor, and lymph node metastasis. Multivariate analysis showed an independent association of extrathyroidal extension with BRAFV600E mutation. CONCLUSION: In this study, extrathyroidal extension of PTC is an independent prognostic factor associated with BRAFV600E mutation status. However, conduct of further large scale studies with long term follow up is required before the BRAF mutation can be conclusively recommended as a prognostic biomarker.

Small Bowel Infarction by Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis due to Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Mutation

Acute mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is an uncommon form of intestinal ischemia with high mortality and usually occurs in the setting of preexisting comorbidities including thrombophilia and abdominal inflammatory conditions. Hyperhomocysteinemia has been known to be a risk factor for thromboembolism, often located on an unusual site. Considering that homocysteine metabolism is determined genetically to a high degree, a mutant of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T causes hyperhomocysteinemia, leading to thrombophilia. Until now, there have been few reports of MVT associated with MTHFR gene mutation. We, herein, report a case of small bowel infarction associated with MVT by MTHFR gene mutation in an adult without any other risk factors of thrombophilia.

Incidental finding of an arachnoid cyst in a patient presenting with features of postural headache after spinal anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

No abstract available.

Incidental finding of an arachnoid cyst in a patient presenting with features of postural headache after spinal anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

No abstract available.

The Simple Predictors of Pseudomembranous Colitis in Patients with Hospital-Acquired Diarrhea: A Prospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: As the incidence rate of and mortality from pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) are increasing worldwide, it is important to study the simple predictive risk factors for PMC among patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea (HAD). This study focused on identifying the clinical risk factors that can easily predict PMC. METHODS: The presumed HAD patients were prospectively recruited at the Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital. RESULTS: Age of 70 and older (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 0.75), use of proton pump inhibitors (adjusted OR, 4.07; 95% CI, 2.512 to 6.57), use of cephalosporins (adjusted OR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.82 to 4.94), and underlying cancer (adjusted OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.82) were independent risk factors for PMC in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of PMC was very low in the patients with HAD who exhibited no risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for PMC in patients with HAD included cephalosporin use, proton pump inhibitor use, old age, and cancer. Considering the strongly negative predictive values of these risk factors, endoscopic evaluation can be delayed in patients with HAD without risk of developing PMC.

Ductal Carcinoma Arising from Ectopic Breast Tissue Following Microcalcification Observed on Screening Mammography: A Case Report and Review of the Literature / 한국유방암학회지

Ectopic breast tissue can occur anywhere along the incompletely regressed mammary ridge. Among the various types of breast choristoma, ectopic breast tissue, which has only glandular tissue without a nipple or areola, is most commonly detected in axillary areas. However, ectopic breast cancer is often not detected until significant clinical symptoms have been revealed, or diagnosis is delayed. Furthermore, an examination of ectopic breast tissue tends to be omitted from a screening mammography. Especially, the microcalcifications of ectopic breast tissue are difficult to delineate on mammography. Herein, the authors report a case of ectopic breast carcinoma that showed clustered microcalcifications on screening mammography, and discuss the interpretation and implications of microcalcification in ectopic breast tissue.

Anesthetic experience in a clinically euthyroid patient with hyperthyroxinemia and suspected impairment of T4 to T3 conversion: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

We report an anesthetic experience in a clinically euthyroid patient with hyperthyroxinemia (elevated free thyroxine, fT4 and normal 3, 5, 3'-L-triiodothyronine, T3) and suspected impairment of conversion from T4 to T3. Despite marked hyperthyroxinemia, this patient's perioperative hemodynamic profile was suspected to be the result of hypothyroidism, in reference to the presence of T4 to T3 conversion disorder. We suspected that pretreatment with antithyroid medication before surgery, surgical stress and anesthesia may have contributed to the decreased T3 level after surgery. She was treated with liothyronine sodium (T3) after surgery which restored her hemodynamic profile to normal. Anesthesiologists may be aware of potential risk and caveats of inducing hypothyroidism in patients with euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia and T4 to T3 conversion impairment.

A Case of Primary Endobronchial Actinomycosis Presenting as a Complicated Parapneumonic Effusion

Endobronchial actinomycosis is a rare but important and challenging diagnosis to make. We report a case of 57 year-old man who presented with a fever and a right-sided chest pain diagnosed as an endobronchial actinomycosis. Chest computed tomography showed a segmental obstruction and consolidations in right middle lobe combined with an ipsilateral multiloculated pleural effusion. Bronchoscopic biopsy of a mass obstructing the medial segmental bronchus of right middle lobe revealed actinomycosis. This is the first reported case of primary endobronchial actinomycosis that presented with a chest pain and a complicated parapneumonic effusion. Primary endobronchial actinomycosis can be a cause of complicated parapneumonic effusion.