A Rare Case of Pancreas Divisum Accompanied by Acute Pancreatitis Following Endoscopic Hemostasis for Duodenal Ulcer Bleeding / 대한소화기학회지

Peptic ulcer bleeding is treated using endoscopic hemostasis using clips or bands. Pancreas divisum (PD), a congenital anomaly of the pancreas, usually has no clinical symptoms; however, pancreatitis may occur if there are disturbances in the drainage of pancreatic secretions. We report an unusual case of PD accompanied by acute pancreatitis, following endoscopic band ligation for duodenal ulcer bleeding. A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to melena. An upper endoscopy revealed a small ulcer with oozing adjacent minor papilla. An endoscopic band ligation was performed on this lesion. Acute pancreatitis developed suddenly 6 hours after the band ligation and improved dramatically after removal of the band. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was performed, revealing complete PD. Endoscopic band ligation is known as the effective method for peptic ulcer bleeding; however, it should be used carefully in duodenal ulcer bleeding near the minor duodenal papilla due to the possibility of PD.

Repair of an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography-Related Large Duodenal Perforation Using Double Endoscopic Band Ligation and Endoclipping

Endoscopic closure techniques have been introduced for the repair of duodenal wall perforations that occur during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). We report a case of successful repair of a large duodenal wall perforation by using double endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and an endoclip. Lateral duodenal wall perforation occurred during ERCP in a 93-year-old woman with acute calculous cholangitis. We switched to a forward endoscope that had a transparent band apparatus. A 2.0-cm oval-shaped perforation was found at the lateral duodenal wall. We repaired the perforation by sequentially performing double EBL and endoclipping. The first EBL was performed at the proximal edge of the perforation orifice, and two-thirds of the perforation were repaired. The second EBL, which also included the contents covered under the first EBL, repaired the defect almost completely. Finally, to account for the possible presence of a residual perforation, an endoclip was applied at the distal end of the perforation. The detection and closure of the perforation were completed within 10 minutes. We suggest that double EBL is an effective method for closure.

Clinical, Pathological, and Immunohistochemical Features of Adenomyoma in the Ampulla of Vater / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ampullary adenomyoma is a benign lesion whose malignant potential has yet to be confirmed. Despite its benign nature, adenomyoma is frequently misdiagnosed as a carcinoma or adenoma and is overtreated by extensive surgery. This study was performed to analyze the clinical, pathological, and immunohistochemical features of adenomyomas in the ampulla of Vater. METHODS: Nine cases of adenomyoma in the ampulla of Vater, diagnosed in Chungbuk National University Hospital between 2008 and 2011, were enrolled in this study. We reviewed the clinical data on the symptoms, laboratory data, and radiologic findings of the abdominal computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. For pathological analysis, all the slides were reviewed by one pathologist, and immunohistochemical stainings with antibodies against cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), and Ki-67 antigen were performed. RESULTS: All the cases were CK7 positive and CK20 negative. A strong cytoplasmic expression of alpha-SMA was confirmed in all cases. The Ki-67 index was less than 1% in eight cases and 5% in one case. Four cases underwent endoscopic papillectomy, and one case received surgical ampullectomy during colorectal cancer surgery. Five cases that underwent endoscopic or surgical treatment remained symptom-free for three years. Four cases that were closely observed with repeated endoscopic examinations exhibited no interval changes in the papillary lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic biopsy and immunohistochemistry can aid in the diagnosis of ampullary adenomyomas. Endoscopic papillectomy or surgical ampullectomy is adequate for the treatment of symptomatic ampullary adenomyomas.

Multiple Cardiac Metastases from a Nonfunctioning Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare neoplasms, which most commonly metastasize to the liver. However, intrathoracic metastases from pNETs are encountered infrequently. This report describes a case of nonfunctioning pNET with multiple cardiac metastases. A 56-year-old male presented with a palpable abdominal mass that showed progressive enlargement. Findings on computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed two relatively well-marginated inhomogeneous low-attenuation masses, one in the head of the pancreas and the other in the tail. Multiple enhancing masses in the left pericardium with myocardial involvement were observed on chest CT and transthoracic echocardiography. Needle biopsies were performed on the mass in the tail of the pancreas and the left ventricular apical pericardium; histologic examination by hematoxylin and eosin morphology and immunohistochemical staining showed pNET in both. This is the first report of pNET with multiple cardiac metastases to previously undescribed metastatic sites.

A Case of Oliguric Acute Renal Failure Caused by Acetazolamide / 대한내과학회지

Acetazolamide is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor commonly used to treat glaucoma. It can cause metabolic acidosis and renal failure in the elderly and patients with chronic renal insufficiency. We report oliguric acute renal failure (ARF) caused by a conventional dose of acetazolamide for glaucoma in a patient with normal renal function. A 56-year-old woman with 20-year history of diabetes had general weakness, decreased urine output, nausea, and vomiting for 3 days. For the past 2 weeks, her glaucoma had been treated with acetazolamide. Blood-gas analysis showed pH 7.02, PCO2 27 mmHg, PO2 135 mmHg, and HCO3- 7.0 mmol/L. Her BUN was 65 mg/dL and creatinine, 9.1 mg/dL. She recovered after hemodialysis and hydration. Acetazolamide may cause severe ARF, even in patients with normal renal function, suggesting the importance of careful monitoring of renal function in patients taking acetazolamide.

A Case of Lingual Thyroid Treated by 131I Ablation

A lingual thyroid is a rare developmental anomaly caused by the failure of the descent of the thyroid gland anlage early in the course of embryogenesis. The incidence of lingual thyroid has been reported to be 1/100,000. Lingual thyroid is often asymptomatic but may cause dysphagia, dysphonia, upper airway obstruction and hemorrhage. In this report, we described the case of a 50-year-old women experiencing lingual thyroid who had subclinical hypothyroidism. She underwent successful 131I ablation and has done well on thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

High efficacy of adefovir and entecavir combination therapy in patients with nucleoside-refractory hepatitis B / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Newly developed and potent antiviral agents suffer from the problem of drug resistance. Multidrug resistance is a major impediment in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In line with American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines, adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) add-on therapy is recommended in the case of lamivudine resistance, while tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is recommended for ADV or entecavir (ETV) resistance. TDF is currently not available in Korea. ADV+ETV combination therapy may be a viable alternative to TDF in patients with either ADV or ETV resistance. However, the efficacy of ADV+ETV combination therapy in patients with CHB and multidrug resistance is unclear. This study investigated the efficacy of ADV+ETV combination therapy in patients with multidrug resistance. METHODS: Twenty-five patients were enrolled and were administered ADV+ETV combination therapy for at least 6 months. Blood was drawn at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after commencing treatment, and the following blood parameters were analyzed: alanine transaminase, hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg), anti-hepatitis B e-antigen, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels. The initial virological response (IVR) was defined as an HBV DNA level of or =5.0 log) dropped from 76% at baseline to only 5% after 6 months of treatment. The biochemical response rate during the first 6 months was 71%. HBeAg was lost in 2 patients (10%). CONCLUSIONS: ADV+ETV combination therapy induced a good IVR in CHB patients who were refractory to more than 2 antiviral agents. This regimen may be a good alternative to TDF in Korea, where that drug is not available.

Bilateral Nephroureterectomy with Radical Cystectomy for Urothelial Tumor Involving the Renal Pelvis, Ureter and Bladder in a Patient Receiving Hemodialysis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Transitional cell carcinoma such as renal cell carcinoma is the relatively common urinary tract cancer in patients who are on dialysis. A 66-year-old male patient, who had been on maintenance hemodialysis for 5 years, was suffering from gross hematuria. The subsequent image studies revealed multiple masses at the right renal pelvis, the right distal ureter and the trigonal area at the bladder. We performed cystoscopy to evaluate the multiple bladder papillary masses and their blood clots. The patient then underwent bilateral radical nephroureterectomy and radical cystectomy. Histological examination revealed the papillary urothelial carcinoma. Our case may imply that dialysis patients have an increased susceptibility to urological malignancies. Physicians should always raise the possibility of urological malignancy when encountering a dialysis patient with gross hematuria. Because of the high recurrence rate, a more extensive operation and aggressive follow-up protocols should be done for these patients on dialysis.