A Case of Protein Loosing Enteropathy Associated with Pseudomembranous Colitis in a Patient with Peritonitis / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Pseudomembranous colitis can be induced by the therapeutic or prophylactic use of antibiotics, and antibiotics- induced colitis has become a severe clinical problem. Protein?loosing enteropathy is associated with an abnormal, excessive loss of serum proteins into the gastrointestinal tract, and this leads to hypoproteinemia, including hypoalbuminemia, edema and diarrhea. We present here a case of protein?loosing enteropathy that was induced by pseudomembranous colitis, and this was induced by the use of antibiotics. Patients with chronic renal disease and peritonitis show hypoalbuminemia and edema. We experienced a patient who displayed edema, hypoalbuminemia, diarrhea and a fever for several days after the use for antibiotics for treating his peritonitis. We made the diagnosis of protein-loosing enteropathy complicated by psuedomembranous colitis. In a patient with peritonitis, uncontrolled edema and diarrhea, and the patient's hypoalbuminemia is continued, we must consider the possibility that the patient has protein-loosing enteropathy, and we should examine the total protein level and the alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance.

Treatment of Gastric Outlet Obstruction by Stomach Cancer with using Double-layered Pyloric Stent / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Backgroud/Aims: Endoscopic stent placement is widely used to treat an unresectable malignant gastric outlet obstruction. The covered stent has the disadvantage of an increased risk of migration, and the uncovered stent has an increased risk of ingrowth. This study examined the technical and clinical efficiency of stent placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent that was newly designed to reduce tumor ingrowth and stent migration. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a gastric outlet obstruction caused by unresectable stomach cancer were treated with the endoscopic placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent (an outer uncovered stent to reduce migration and an inner PTEF-covered stent to prevent tumor ingrowth). The technical success, clinical success, and complication especially tumor ingrowth and stent migration were analyzed. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 15 out of 15 (100%) patients. Among the 15 patients in whom endoscopic stenting was placed successfully, the clinical success rate was 93.3%, the incidence of tumor ingrowth was 0%, the rate of migration was 6.7%, and tumor overgrowth was observed in 13.3%. The median stent patency period was 105 days. CONCLUSIONS: The placement of a double- layered pyloric combination stent appears to be effective in overcoming the disadvantage of the increased migration observed for a covered stent and the increased ingrowth observed for the uncovered stent.

A case of gastric antral vascular ectasia treated with argon plasma coagulation / 대한내과학회지

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare but important cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopically, it has characteristic thickened red vascular folds radiating from the pylorus to the antrum. Diagnosis is made primarily by endoscopy. Histologic examination of the endoscopic mucosal biopsies may confirm the endoscopic diagnosis. Many treatment modalities of the gastric antral vascular ectasia exist. One of them, the argon plasma coagulation (APC) is an excellent therapeutic tool. Inactive argon gas is converted to ionized form by means of electrical energy. Ionized argon plasma conducts high frequency electrical energy to tissues and leads coagulation necrosis of tissues. We experienced a case of gastric antral vascular ectasia presenting melena for about one month in a 72-year-old man treated endoscopically in four sessions with argon plasma coagulation.

Esophageal acid clearance in patients with ineffective esophageal motility / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Failed or hypotensive peristalsis, two of the diagnostic criteria for NEMD, correlates with impaired anterograde propulsion and retrograde escape of esophageal contents. The aim of this study was to evaluate esophageal acid clearance (EAC) in patients with ineffective esophageal motility (IEM). METHODS: Of 252 patients performing esophageal manometry and ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring, 51 patients with normal motility and acid reflux and 40 patients with IEM and acid reflux were included. RESULTS: The amplitude of peristaltic waves in the proximal and distal esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter pressure was lower significantly in patients with IEM than those with normal motility. Percentage of time of pH<4 in total, upright, and supine period and number of reflux episodes was not different in both. Supine EAC was significantly increased in patients with IEM when compared to those with normal motility. Upright EAC was not different in both. CONCLUSION: We concluded supine EAC is increased in patients with IEM. Since IEM is frequently associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a more intensive therapy must be needed. We propose IEM can be as a specific entity of primary esophageal motility disorder, especially in patients with GERD.

Clinical Feature and the Effects of Endoscopic Band Ligation of Dieulafoy-like Lesion / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Dieulafoy lesion is an important cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The bleedings from caliber- persistent vessel or abnormally large and tortuous submucosal artery are usually located on proximal stomach. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is currently regarded as the treatment of choice of Dieulafoy lesions. This study reports on the clinical features, the efficacy and safety of EBL. METHODS: 10 patients with Dieulafoy-like lesion (median age: 47 yr range: 22~71, M:F 8:2 ) were treated using EBL. EBL was performed as the primary hemostatic tratment as follows in 8 cases of urgency and 2 cases of emergency. RESULTS: The location of all lesions (n=10) were in stomach, 8 in body (4 in posterior wall), 2 in fundus. The bleeding focuses were identified during the first endoscopy. Five lesions were bleeding, 5 had adherent clots or protruding vessels without active bleeding. Hemostasis were achieved with first session of EBL in 9 patients successfully, one case in the fundus was failed due to early band release. CONCLUSION: EBL is a simple, effective, and safe endoscopic method of Dieulafoy-like lesions and, it should be proposed as a primary option.

Comparison of the clinical features and effect of pneumatic balloon dilatation for classic and vigorous achalasia / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Compared with classic achalasia, vigorous achalasia has been defined as achalasia with relatively high esophageal contraction amplitudes, often with minimal esophageal dilation and prominent tertiary contractions on radiographs and the presence of chest pain. The lesser success of pneumatic balloon dilation, also, has been reported for the subset with vigorous achalasia. Nevertheless, some authors have questioned the usefulness of making this distinction. We evaluated the difference of clinical manifestations and response to pneumatic balloon dilation between classic and vigorous achalaisia. METHODS: 28 cases involving patients with achalasia who underwent balloon dilation treatment were available for the review of their clinical findings, radiographic, manometric, esophageal scintigraphic parameters. Patients with vigorous achalasia [n=10] were defined by contraction amplitude >or=37 mmHg on esophageal manometry and patients with classic achalasia [n=18] as contraction amplitude <37 mmHg. RESULTS: Both groups of patients had substantial overlap in clinical findings, radiographic, manometric and esophageal scintigraphic parameters. The success rates of balloon dilation, also, were similar for both groups (classic vs vigorous, 78% vs 70%). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the distiction of achalasia as classic and vigorous by an amplitude criterion is arbitrary and not useful.

A Case Rhabdomyolysis by Rare Causes: After Consumption of Common Doses of Acetaminophen and Sauna / 대한신장학회잡지

A 21-year-young man had an episode of myalgia and chilling 3 days prior to hospital admission. He had consumed common doses of acetaminophen for one day, and was presented in the sauna room for an hour. On the next morning, he complained of dyspnea and was admitted. He presented in rhabdo-myolysis and acute renal failure with increased up-take in the proximal muscles by (99m)Tc-MPD bone scan. He was treated by hemodialysis and discharged on the twenty-eighth hospital day. Rhabdomyolysis has the variable causes. The causes of this case are two, the first cause is common doses of acetaminophen. But, there is no reports for rhabdomyolysis by common doses of acetaminophen only. However, we should consider that acetaminophen is a contributing factor in this case. The second cause is viral infection. Our patient had myalgia and chilling prior to hospital admission. Heat- stroke is well known cause of rhabdomyolysis. The mechnisms for rhabdomyolysis in this disease are hypovolemia, total body potassium deficit, and increased variable cytokines. Sauna, the last cause of our rhabdomyolysis case may have the same mechanisms with heatstroke. Our case had two causative factors, common doses of acetaminophen and sauna. These factors might be cooperated in our case of rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.

Two Cases of Ectopic Gallstones Treated by Endoscopic Therapy / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Two cases are herein reported involving patients with ectopic gallstones which were discharged into the stomach and duodenum through a cholecystoduodenal fistula and successfully removed by endoscopic therapy. In the first case, a 75-year-old man was admitted with epigastric pain. Simple abdomen film demonstrated a round laminated calcification and air biliarygram in the RUQ. Endoscopic examination revealed a fistula on the posterior wall of the duodenal bulb and a brown stone (about 5 cm in diameter) was found in the second portion of the duodenum, It was demolished through endoscopic electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EEH1) and discharged with the stool. In the second case, a 55-year-old man was admitted with epigastric pain. A CT scan revealed an ovoid laminated calcification in the dependent portion of the stomach. Endoscopic examination revealed a fistula on the anterior wa11 of' the duodenal bulb and a black pigmented stone (about 2.5 cm in diameter) was found in the stomach. This stone was removed orally by an endoscopic snare. These patients were discharged and remained asymptomatic.

A case of acute eosinophilic pneumonia / 천식및알레르기

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia(AEP) was first described in 1989 and represents a clinical entity distinct from chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. AEP is characterized by acute respiratory insufficiency, hypoxemia, fever, diffuse radiographic infiltrates, and eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or lung biopsies in the absence of infection, atopy, or asthma. Rapid response to corticosteroids is characteristic. We experienced a 47-year-old metal driller presenting typical clinical and radiological characteristics of AEP. We confirmed eosinophilic pneumonia with brochoalveolar lavage analysis and transbronchial lung biopsy. We report a case of AEP diagnosed by clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings with a brief review of the literature.