A Case of Sudden Deafness with Spontaneous Nystagmus in the Absence of Canal Paresis / 대한이비인후과학회지

Spontaneous nystagmus is a reflection of tonic left-right vestibular asymmetry. It is typically seen after a recent unilateral peripheral vestibular lesion and has fast phases away from the side of the lesion. Sometimes spontaneous nystagmus is seen in the absence of a recent unilateral peripheral lesion, in which case it provides evidence of a vestibular lesion but does not localize it. We experienced a case of 35-year-old man who had sudden sensorineural hearing loss on the left side with acute onset of vertigo and transient spontaneous nystagmus, which had fast phases away from the side of the sudden deafness, without canal paresis on the bithermal caloric test.

Somatostatin Treatment in Two Cases of Chyle Fistula after Neck Dissection / 대한이비인후과학회지

The use of somastostatin in chyle fistula that occurs after neck dissection is a new approach that has been reported in few cases. We report two cases of chyle fistula that occurred after neck dissection, which were successfully managed with somatostatin subcutaneous injection. Somatostatin treatment resulted in an immediate reduction of chyle leakage in both patients, and might have contributed to the reduction of patients' morbidity and duration of hospital stay. However, optimal treatment regimen with somatostatin is unclear because of its limited case and various administration methods. Further studies are required to clarify the usefulness and optimal regimen of somatostatin injection in the treatment of chyle fistula following neck dissection.

Heat Shock Proteins and Autophagy in Rats with Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) protect rats from cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) by preventing the subcellular redistribution of cathepsin B and the activation of trypsinogen. Autophagy plays a critical role in the secretion of digestive enzymes and triggering of cerulein-induced AP via the colocalization of trypsinogen and lysosomes. Therefore, using a rat cerulein-induced AP model, we investigated whether HSPs prevent AP by regulating autophagy. METHODS: Twelve hours after fed standard laboratory chow and water, the experimental groups (cerulein, water-immersion [WI]-cerulein and heat-shock [HS]-cerulein) and the control groups (control, WI, and HS) received one intraperitoneal injection of cerulein (50 microg/kg) or saline, respectively. All of the rats were sacrificed at 6 hours after injection. The severity of the AP was assessed based on the serum amylase level and the histological and electron microscopy findings. Western blotting was also performed for HSP60/70 and LC3B-II. RESULTS: WI and HS induced HSP60 and HSP70, respectively. The induced HSP60/70 effectively prevented the development of cerulein-induced AP. Autophagy developed in the rats with cerulein-induced AP and was documented by the expression of LC3-II and electron microscopy findings. The WI-stressed rats and HS-treated rats did not develop cerulein-induced autophagy. CONCLUSIONS: HSPs exert protective effects against cerulein-induced AP in rats by inhibiting autophagy.