Serum osteoprotegerin is associated with vascular stiffness and the onset of new cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and fetuin-A are vascular calcification regulators that may be related to high cardiovascular (CV) mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We evaluated the relationship between OPG, fetuin-A, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of vascular stiffness, and determined whether OPG and fetuin-A were independent predictors of CV events in HD patients. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 97 HD patients. OPG and fetuin-A were measured at baseline and arterial stiffness was evaluated by PWV. All patients were stratified into tertiles according to serum OPG levels. RESULTS: A significant trend was observed across increasing serum OPG concentration tertiles for age, HD duration, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and PWV. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes (beta = 0.430, p = 0.000) and OPG levels (beta = 0.308, p = 0.003) were independently associated with PWV. The frequency of new CV events was significantly higher in the upper OPG tertiles compared with those in the lower OPG tertiles. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, upper tertiles of OPG levels were significantly associated with CV events (hazard ratio = 4.536, p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Serum OPG, but not fetuin-A, levels were closely associated with increased vascular stiffness, and higher OPG levels may be independent predictors of new CV events in HD patients.

Asymptomatic renal pseudoaneurysm after percutaneous renal biopsy Volume 32, Issue 2, June 2013, pp. 87-89

No abstract available.

A Case of ANCA-Negative Generalized Wegener's Granulomatosis / 영남의대학술지

Wegener's granulomatosis is a very rare systemic vasculitis characterized by necrotizing granulomatosis. The detection of antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) is a valuable finding in diagnosing Wegener's granulomatosis because ANCA is positive in approximately 90 percent of patients with active, generalized Wegener's granulomatosis. But ANCA is not necessarily positive to make a diagnosis. A 59-year-old man was transferred to our hospital. He was diagnosed with lung abscess and treated with antibiotics at previous hospital. Initially, the ANCA was negative in immunofluorescence assay but we suspected Wegener's granulomatosis because of systemic inflammatory symptoms. Clinical symptoms deteriorated rapidly so we did bronchoscopic biopsy early. Wegener's granulomatosis was diagnosed according to pathologic finding that reported necrotizing granulomatous inflammation associated with vasculitis. Thus we treated with steroid then clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were improved.

Successful Percutaneous Transcatheter Retrieval of a Migrated Implantable Venous Port in a Patient Who Presented with Intermittent Palpitation / 대한내과학회지

The totally implantable venous port device is used in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The complications associated with this device include venous thrombosis, infection, catheter fracture, extravasation, and intravascular dislodgement. The incidence of port catheter dislodgement is low. The treatment of choice for port dislocation involves immediate retrieval of the distal migrated part, and percutaneous transcatheter retrieval is regarded as the standard method. A 40-year-old female presented with intermittent palpitation. She was referred from the Department of General Surgery after detection of a fractured and dislocated implantable venous port system into the main pulmonary artery. We successfully retrieved the dislocated fractured device using a 5-Fr pigtail catheter and snare catheter. We herein report this case with a literature review.

A Case of Adrenocortical Carcinoma Secreting Cortisol and Aldosterone / 영남의대학술지

Adrenocortical carcinomas are rare and frequently aggressive tumors that may be functional (hormone-secreting) and may cause Cushing's syndrome or virilization, or non-functional and manifest as an abdominal mass. This paper reports the case of a 77-year-old woman with cortisol- and aldosterone-secreting adrenal carcinoma. The patient complained of general weakness, a moon face, and weight gain. She also had hypokalemia and hypertension. Her endocrinological data showed excessive aldosterone production and non-suppressible cortisol production in a low-dose dexamethasone suppresion test. Her abdominal CT showed a right adrenal mass. She underwent right adrenalectomy, and her histology revealed the presence of adrenocortical carcinoma. After adrenalectomy, her hypokalemia returned to normal and she is being treated with hydrocortisone.

The First Case of Abacavir Hypersensitivity Associated with the HLA-B*57:01-Positive Allele in Korea / 감염과화학요법

On the 12th day of abacavir treatment, a 39-year old HIV-infected male patient was admitted with fever, generalized rash, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea that had persisted for five days. Results of blood tests indicated rapid progression of hepatitis and renal failure. The day after stopping anti-retroviral therapy, his fever subsided and his liver function began to normalize. He was clinically diagnosed with abacavir hypersensitivity and was found to carry the HLA-B*57:01 allele. This is the first reported case of abacavir hypersensitivity associated with the presence of the HLA-B*57:01 allele in Korea.

A case of extrapontine myelinolysis in patient with Sheehan's syndrome / 대한내과학회지

Since the first descriptions of central pontine myelinolysis(CPM) were put forth it has become evident that myelinolysis may not be exclusively restricted to the pons. In many cases myelinolysis may share other brain regions, while in still others the pons may not be affected at all as in the present case of pure basal ganglia myelinolysis. Regardless of geographic location, too rapid correction of hyponatremia has been invoked as the triggering mechanism which leads to both CPM and extrapontine myelinolysis(EPM).This case of EPM is that a 51-year-old female who was healthy. Following vomiting and poor oral intake, a low serum sodium(110 mEq/L) developed and was corrected to normal(140 mEq/L) within 36 hours. Seven days later altered mental status ensued and the patient was transferred to our hospital. Clinical manifestation and hormonal study were compatible with panhypopituitarism (Sheehan's syndrome). T2 weighted MRI showed symmetrical, bilateral high intensity foci in the putamen, caudate nucleus. The pons was spared. This case illustrates that extrapontine, basal ganglia myelinolysis may occur in the absence of CPM or alternate areas of myelinolysis. MRI is uncovering many new cases in EPM and CPM. This permits one to follow the evolution of the myelinolytic lesions and to correlate their progression or regression with treatment modalities and the neurological findings.

Two Cases of Gastric metastasis from Small Cell Lung Cancer / 결핵

This is a report of gastric metastases secondary from a primary small cell carcinoma of the lung in two men. Blood-borne metastatic involvement of the stomach by cancer is a rare entity. According to the reports in the literature the prevalence of metastasis to the stomach occurs in 0.4% and the most common cell type of the primary lung carcinoma is large cell type(3.7%) followed by adenocarcinoma(2.4%), small cell carcinoma(1.7%) and squamous cell carcinoma(0.7%). The most common tumors that spread to the stomach through the blood stream are malignant melanoma, breast carcinoma and lung carcinoma. Most of the gastrointestinal tract metastases had no specific symptoms because of its submucosal involvement. The prognosis was poor and the mean survival period from the onset of symptoms was 49 days. The first patient was a 56-year-old man who had primary lung carcinoma with brain metastasis. Gastroscopic findings showed two elevated mass lesions in the anterior wall of the mid body with central ulcer and the posterior wall of the fundus with intact surface mucosa. Pathologic examination of stomach tissue revealed small cell type tumor cells infiltrate in the stomach wall segmentally without destruction of the glands. The second patient was a 67-year-old man who had no other evidence of the distant metastasis. Gastroscopic findings showed a huge, oval shaped, ulcerofungating mass with deep penetrating central ulcer coated with dirty exudate in the anterior wall from mid to upper body of the stomach, and thickened elevated rugal folds in the posterior wall of the fundus. Pathologic examination of stomach tissues revealed the small cell type tumor cells showing small smudged nucleus infiltrate into the mucosa of the stomach and the architecture of mucosa intact. We report the two cases of metastatic gastric cancer from the primary small cell lung carcinoma with the literature review.

Clinical Analyis of Acute Epidural Hematoma: Factors Affecting Its Outcome

As the development of CT scan enabled rapid and precise diagnoses of epidural hematoma, recent efforts have been sought to reduce its mortality rate. This study is a retrospective clinical analysis of one hundred eighty-one consecutive cases of epidural hematoma treated at the Department of Neurosurgery in Dong-guk University Hospital between Jan. 1991 and Dec. 1994. The rate of unsatisfactory outcome is 10.5%, While the mortality rate is 4.9%. Delayed epidural hematoma was founded tobe 12%. The authors have attempted to identify the factors influencing the prognosis of epidural hematoma. Based on the results of the above study we concluded that age, initial Glasgow coma scale, pupillary reflex and its size, IICP findings on brain CT, hematoma amount, associated intracranial lesions, rate of development of symptoms and timing of operation after injury are all relevant prognostic factors.

A Case of Migrated Peritoneal Catheter of V-P Shunt System into Right Ventricle: Case Report

Variety of complications following ventriculoperitoneal(V-P) shunt have been reported. However, right ventricular migration of a V-P shunt has never been documented. The authors present a case of migrated peritoneal catheter of a V-P shunt system into the right venticle. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case complicated with migration of a peritoneal tube into the right ventricle. The patient was presented with fever and the migration was diagnosed by chest X-ray, and neck and cardiac ultrasonography.