Acute pancreatitis complicated by acute renal failure successfully treated with peritoneal dialysis / 대한내과학회지

The mortality of acute pancreatitis complicated by acute renal failure (ARF) remains high. Among several therapeutic modalities, peritoneal dialysis (PD) has advantages due to its ability to remove toxic materials in the peritoneal exudate as well as urotoxic substances in the blood. We report successful treatment with PD in a patient with acute pancreatitis and ARF. A 41-year-old heavy drinker was admitted due to acute pancreatitis complicated by ARF. A therapeutic plan of PD was designed. A Tenckhoff PD catheter was used, considering its lower potential for infection compared to conventional catheters. The frequency of PD was set at 8 times per day, considering the catabolic state in pancreatitis. The clinical symptoms and biochemical parameters showed remarkable improvement during the follow up period. In conclusion, PD is one of the effective treatment modalities for treating ARF in patients with pancreatitis.

Two Cases of Cytomegalovirus Pneumonia after CD34 Selected Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia is an important cause of treatment related mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) and autologous SCT, particularly in a CD34 selected setting. There is little known about the immune reconstitution pertaining to the CMV after CD34 selected SCT. However, several studies have suggested there is more profound immunodeficiency early in the CD34 selected population compared with the unselected population. We encountered two fatal cases of CMV pneumonia at the CD34 selected SCT for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and high-risk breast cancer that was confirmed through a lung biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage. In conclusion, autologous CD34 selected CMV seropositive recipients need to be monitored in a similar manner to allogeneic recipients.

A Case of Protein Losing Enteropathy Caused by Primary Intestinal Lymphangiectasia / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare congenital cause of protein losing enteropathy that is characterized by chronic diarrhea, generalized edema, ascites, hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and lymphopenia. We encountered an 18-year-old woman who suffered from longstanding diarrhea and progressive leg edema. The laboratory findings showed the typical features of this disorder. The presence of enteric protein loss was documented with the 24 hour fecal clearance of alpha(1)-antitrypsin and (99m)Tc human serum albumin scintigraphy. A duodenoscopy and biopsy showed scattered white spots and markedly dilated lymphatics in the tips of the villi, respectively. The patient's clinical symptoms improved after placing her on a high protein and low fat diet with medium chain triglyceride supplements.

A Case of Condyloma Acuminatum Treated by Argon Plasma Coagulation / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Condyloma acuminatum (CA) is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus. In gastrointestinal practice, we generally encounter this disease in the anal canal but rarely in the rectum during a colonoscopy. There are many therapeutic options for CA including chemical or physical destruction, immunological therapy, or a surgical excision. All these procedures have some degree of limitations such as limited clearance rate, high recurrence rate, long duration of therapy, bleeding, release of potentially infectious aerosols, scarring etc. With argon plasma coagulation (APC), which is more available than lasers in gastrointestinal practice, a high frequency current flows through the argon plasma to the tissue, allowing well-controlled superficial tissue destruction without any direct contact between the probe and the tissue. We present a case of anal CA that was treated successfully with APC during a colonoscopy with no recurrence during the follow up.

Two Cases of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Hemodialysis Patients / 대한신장학회잡지

Heparin, a widely used anticoagulant, is currently the anticoagulant of choice in long-term hemodialysis (HD). Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is one of the most serious side effects of heparin which can cause arterial or venous thromboembolism associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We experienced two patients who had thrombocytopenia and vascular access occlusion during the induction period of HD with the use of unfractionated heparin. Thrombocytopenia was improved after discontinuation of heparin. HIT was confirmed with anti-heparin/platelet factor 4 antibody test. HD was conducted and arteriovenous fistula was created successfully after switch of heparin to argatroban (Novastan(R)) or nafamostat mesilate (Futhan(R)). Nephrologist should rule out HIT first when thrombocytopenia and thromboembolic complications occur after use of heparin, especially during the induction period of HD. For suspicious patients, immediate cessation of heparin and switch to alternative anticoagulant is very important to avoid serious complications.

The Reasons for Use of Temporary Catheter Instead of Arteriovenous Fistula at the Start of Chronic Hemodialysis Therapy / 대한신장학회잡지

PURPOSE: Placement of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) before initiation of chronic hemodialysis (HD) is recommended to avoid the use of a dialysis catheter. However, many patients use temporary catheter at the start of HD for many reasons. We conducted a study to examine the reasons for use of temporary catheter instead of AVF at initial HD therapy. METHODS: We investigated 61 chronic renal failure (CRF) patients who started HD from January 2001 to August 2004 at Daegu Fatima Hospital. Fourty one of them used temporary catheter (catheter group) and 20 used AVF (AVF group) at initial HD. The causes of CRF, clinical presentation at initial HD, reasons that required start of HD and reasons for use of temporary catheter were investigated. RESULTS: The reasons that required start of HD were dyspnea (23), uremic symptoms (11), severe edema (4) and metabolic abnormalities (3) in catheter group and uremic symptoms (8), progression of CRF with minimal uremic symptoms (8) in AVF group. Those causes of unpreparedness of AVF in catheter group were delayed referral (12), rapid progression of CRF (12), unawareness of CRF (10), and noncompliance (7). The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in catheter group than AVF group (171.3+/-33.5 vs 146.0+/-18.0 mmHg, 94.0+/-18.5 vs 80.6+/-10.8 mmHg, respectively). Serum albumin level was lower (3.0+/-0.6 vs 3.4+/-0.7 g/dL) and serum phosphorus level was higher (6.8+/-1.9 vs 5.7+/-1.7 mg/dL) in catheter group. CONCLUSION: To avoid temporary vascular catheter, early diagnosis of CRF, early referral to nephrologist and preparation of AVF is essential.

The Clinical Evaluation of Anomalous Bronchi Arising From The Trachea and Main Bronchi / 결핵및호흡기질환

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical significance of abnormal bronchi originating from the trachea or main bronchi. METHODS: 21 patients (male:female ratio, 13:8; mean age, 58.2 years, range 34-77), who were diagnosed with major tracheobronchial anomalies by bronchoscopy from January 2001 to March 2005, were enrolled in this study. The anomalous bronchi consisted of 13 tracheal bronchi and 8 cardiac accessory bronchus. The clinical features, bronchoscopic findings, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Common symptoms, including hemoptysis, cough and dyspnea, resulted from the underlying lung disease regardless of the bronchial anomalies. In this series of 13 tracheal bronchi, 7 cases originated from the trachea within 1cm of the carina (carinal type) and 6 cases originated at a higher level(tracheal type). Most patients had favorable outcome with conservative treatment for the underlying lung disease. CONCLUSION: Most tracheobronchial anomalies are found incidentally in the process of diagnosing lung disease. The clinical outcome of patients with a bronchial anomaly depends on the underlying lung disease.