Clinical Features of Drug-induced Liver Injury According to Etiology

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an increasingly common cause of acute hepatitis. We examined clinical features and types of liver injury of 65 affected patients who underwent liver biopsy according DILI etiology. The major causes of DILI were the use of herbal medications (43.2%), prescribed medications (21.6%), and traditional therapeutic preparations and dietary supplements (35%). DILI from herbal medications, traditional therapeutic preparations, and dietary supplements was associated with higher elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than was DILI from prescription medications. The types of liver injury based on the R ratio were hepatocellular (67.7%), mixed (10.8%), and cholestatic (21.5%). Herbal medications and traditional therapeutic preparations were more commonly associated with hepatocellular liver injury than were prescription medications (P = 0.002). Herbal medications and traditional therapeutic preparations induce more hepatocellular DILI and increased elevations in AST and ALT than prescribed medications.

Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Hypothyroidism and Statin Therapy

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome involving the breakdown of skeletal muscle that causes myoglobin and other intracellular proteins to leak into the circulatory system, resulting in organ injury including acute kidney injury. We report a case of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury that developed in a 63-year-old woman with previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Untreated hypothyroidism may have caused her hypercholesterolemia requiring statin treatment, and it is postulated that statin-induced muscle injury was aggravated by hypothyroidism resulting in her full-blown rhabdomyolysis. Although this patient was successfully treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration and L-thyroxin replacement, rhabdomyolysis with acute kidney injury is a potentially life-threatening disorder. Physicians must pay special attention to the possible presence of subclinical hypothyroidism when administering statins in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury Associated with Hypothyroidism and Statin Therapy

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome involving the breakdown of skeletal muscle that causes myoglobin and other intracellular proteins to leak into the circulatory system, resulting in organ injury including acute kidney injury. We report a case of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury that developed in a 63-year-old woman with previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Untreated hypothyroidism may have caused her hypercholesterolemia requiring statin treatment, and it is postulated that statin-induced muscle injury was aggravated by hypothyroidism resulting in her full-blown rhabdomyolysis. Although this patient was successfully treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration and L-thyroxin replacement, rhabdomyolysis with acute kidney injury is a potentially life-threatening disorder. Physicians must pay special attention to the possible presence of subclinical hypothyroidism when administering statins in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Two Cases of Acute Myocardial Infarction Occurring in Healthy Adults during a Marathon Race / 대한내과학회지

It is generally accepted that vigorous exercise may trigger cardiovascular accidents if underlying cardiovascular disease is present. Coronary artery disease is the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest, especially in older individuals (> or = 35 years of age). We describe two patients who presented with cardiac arrest followed by loss of consciousness. Both had been participating in a marathon race. After acute myocardial infarction was diagnosed by electrocardiography and laboratory findings, urgent percutaneous coronary intervention was performed on both patients.

Two Cases of Supraclavicular Lymph Node Metastasis in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma / 대한내과학회지

The supraclavicular lymph node (SCN) is frequently involved in lymphoma and metastatic malignancies of the breast and lung, but is extremely rarely involved in pancreatic cancer. Only 10 such cases have been reported in the medical literature worldwide. We herein report an additional two cases. An 83-year-old male patient had a 7.6 x 5 cm pancreatic tumor from the pancreatic head to tail, and a 71-year-old male patient had a 2.8 x 1.9 cm pancreatic body tumor. PET-CT revealed SCN metastasis, and subsequent excisional biopsy confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma. With the more popular use of PET-CT in patients with pancreatic cancer, the number of cases of metastasis to the SCN is expected to increase. This suggests that lymphatic spread is the main metastatic route in pancreatic cancer. Further large-scale studies along with increased numbers of case reports are needed to determine whether lymphatic spread is the main metastatic route in pancreatic cancer.

The Natural Course of the Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of Pancreas

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is characterized by cystic dilatation of the pancreatic duct, excessive mucin production, and papillary growth of the tumor. Occasionally, it forms a fistula into other organs. Because of the higher malignant potential of the main duct type IPMN compared to the branch duct type, patients with main duct type IPMN usually undergo surgical treatment and the natural history of the main duct type IPMN is not commonly observed in clinical practice. An 84-year-old woman was diagnosed with main duct type IPMN of pancreas, but she refused operative treatment. Seven years later she was admitted by chance for another disease, and then referred to our gastrointestinal department. We think this case can give us an insight of the natural course of the main duct type IPMN.

The Natural Course of the Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of Pancreas

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is characterized by cystic dilatation of the pancreatic duct, excessive mucin production, and papillary growth of the tumor. Occasionally, it forms a fistula into other organs. Because of the higher malignant potential of the main duct type IPMN compared to the branch duct type, patients with main duct type IPMN usually undergo surgical treatment and the natural history of the main duct type IPMN is not commonly observed in clinical practice. An 84-year-old woman was diagnosed with main duct type IPMN of pancreas, but she refused operative treatment. Seven years later she was admitted by chance for another disease, and then referred to our gastrointestinal department. We think this case can give us an insight of the natural course of the main duct type IPMN.