Fanconi Syndrome Associated with Long-term Adefovir and Subsequent Tenofovir Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B Infection / 대한내과학회지

Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) are nucleotide analogues used to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Nephrotoxicity associated with the use of these medications causes Fanconi syndrome, a rare condition involving generalized dysfunction of the proximal renal tubule causing impaired reabsorption of glucose, uric acid, and phosphate. Fanconi syndrome has been previously reported in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or HIV-CHB coinfection treated with other antiretroviral therapies. However, it is rarely reported in patients with CHB monoinfection. We observed a case of Fanconi syndrome in a 61-year-old woman with CHB monoinfection and a history of long-term ADV therapy (42 months), followed by TDF treatment for 9 months. She presented with ankle pain and a tingling sensation in both lower extremities. Laboratory tests revealed hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hypouricemia, proteinuria, and glycosuria. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing Fanconi syndrome associated with nucleotide analogue treatment and the need to carefully observe symptoms and monitor renal function in these patients.

Four Cases of Acquired Aplastic Anemia Affecting an Entire Family after Ingesting Ganoderma lucidum / 대한내과학회지

We report four cases of Ganoderma lucidum-induced aplastic anemia involving members of the same family. A 33-year-old man and three family members were admitted to the hospital due to fever and pancytopenia. The illness arose after ingesting herbal wine containing G. lucidum 2 weeks earlier. A bone-marrow biopsy showed hypocellularity in three of the four family members (the exception was the one who died). They were treated with supportive management, including transfusions, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, and empirical antibiotics for neutropenic fever. The pancytopenia improved 4-5 weeks after the symptoms first appeared.

A Case of Metastatic Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Treated with Letrozole after Ovarian Ablation by Radiotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

A 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to multiple lung nodules detected incidentally on a chest X-ray. A video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy revealed low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS). She had undergone a simple hysterectomy 1 year earlier owing to a diagnosis of adenomyosis. A review of her previous hysterectomy specimen showed not endometriosis but LG-ESS. According to the patient's levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol, she was in the premenopausal state with retained and normally functioning ovaries. She then underwent ovarian ablation by radiotherapy, after which she was administered 2.5 mg of letrozole once per day. Three months later, the size of the metastatic nodules in both lungs had decreased. The patient was followed up for 24 months while continuing on letrozole, and maintained a partial remission. We report herein on a case of metastatic LG-ESS treated with letrozole after ovarian ablation by radiotherapy.

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastasis From Rectal Cancer

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is an uncommon condition of the central nervous system (CNS) cause by systemic malignant tumors. Most ISCM cases are known to occur in patients with lung cancer and breast cancer; however, ISCM also very rarely occurs in patients with colorectal cancer. For the first time in Korea, we experienced a case of ISCM arising from rectal cancer, where a 75-year-old man presented with an abruptly-developed left-foot drop and numbness in both legs. The patient had lung metastases from rectal cancer that had been treated with chemotherapy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intramedullary nodular lesion at the T12 level. ISCM was diagnosed and treated with steroids and radiotherapy. The patient's neurological symptoms were relieved for a while after treatment, but his condition deteriorated progressively. He died 4 months after ISCM had been diagnosed.