The comparison of esophageal variceal ligation plus propranolol versus propranolol alone for the primary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the efficacy and longterm outcome of esophageal variceal ligation (EVL) plus propranolol in comparison with propranolol alone for the primary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding. METHODS: A total of 504 patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study. 330 patients were in propranolol group (Gr1) and 174 patients were in EVL plus propranolol group (Gr2). The endpoints of this study were esophageal variceal bleeding and mortality. Association analyses were performed to evaluate bleeding and mortality between Gr1 and Gr2. RESULTS: EVL was more applied in patients with high risk, such as large-sized varices (F2 or F3) or positive red color signs. Total 38 patients had bleeds, 32 in Gr1 and 6 in Gr2. The cumulative probability of bleeding at 120 months was 13% in Gr1 versus 4% in Gr2 (P=0.04). The predictive factors of variceal bleeding were red color signs (OR 2.962, P=0.007) and the method of propranolol plus EVL (OR 0.160, P=0.000). 20 patients died in Gr1 and 12 in Gr2. Mortality rates are similar in the two groups compared, 6.7% in Gr1 and 6.9% in Gr2. The cumulative probability of mortality at 120 months was not significantly different in the two groups (7% in Gr1, 12% in Gr2, P=0.798). The prognostic factors for mortality were age over 50 (OR 5.496, P=0.002), Child-Pugh class B (OR 3.979, P=0.001), and Child-Pugh class C (OR 10.861, P=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: EVL plus propranolol is more effective than propranolol alone in the prevention of the first variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Hepatoduodenal fistula formation following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: treatment with endoscopic Histoacryl injection

A 71-year-old male patient was readmitted to our hospital 1 month after discharge because of relapse of abdominal pain. He had been diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 1 year prior and had undergone repeated transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and radiotherapy. During the last hospitalization, he was diagnosed with a liver abscess complicated by previous treatments for HCC and was treated with intravenous antibiotics and abscess aspiration. Follow-up abdominal computed tomography revealed a liver abscess with a duodenal fistula, which was successfully treated with endoscopic Histoacryl injection into the fistula. Liver abscesses with duodenal fistulas rarely occur, but they are intractable and possibly fatal in patients with HCC. In the literature, they have frequently been managed only with abscess treatment without fistula management. We herein report the first case of a patient with a liver abscess complicated by a fistula between the duodenum and the abscess, which was treated with endoscopic Histoacryl injection.

Colchicine-induced myoneuropathy in a cyclosporine-treated renal transplant recipient

Colchicine is a relatively safe medication that is widely used for both prevention and treatment of gout attack. However, serious adverse events, includingmyoneuropathy and multiorgan failure, have been reported. We report a case of colchicine-induced myoneuropathy in a female kidney transplant recipient who had been taking cyclosporine. She developed gastrointestinal discomfort and paresthesia 5 days after the initiation of colchicine. She showed signs of myoneuropathy, and hepatic and renal injury. Colchicine toxicity was suspected, and colchicine was discontinued. Her symptoms and laboratory findings improved gradually. Literature was reviewed for previous reports of colchicine-induced myoneuropathy in solid organ transplant recipients.

Postinfectious Guillain-Barre syndrome in a patient with methimazole-induced agranulocytosis

Both Graves disease and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) are autoimmune disorders caused by impaired self-tolerance mechanisms and triggered by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. GBS in patients who suffer from other autoimmune diseases is rarely reported, and the development of postinfectious GBS in a patient with Graves disease has not been previously reported in the literature. Herein, we report a patient with Graves disease who developed postinfectious GBS during a course of methimazole-induced agranulocytosis.

Clinical characteristics and follow-up of Korean patients with adrenal incidentalomas

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the clinical characteristics and follow-up findings of subjects with adrenal incidentalomas in a single, tertiary-care hospital in South Korea. METHODS: The study consisted of a retrospective analysis of 282 adrenal incidentaloma patients who underwent radiographic and endocrinological evaluations at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, between January 2004 and July 2011. RESULTS: Most (86.2%) of the subjects were found to have nonfunctioning tumors. Functioning tumors were seen in 39 patients (13.8%). Among them, 28 (9.9%) had subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS), six (2.1%) had pheochromocytoma, and five (1.8%) had primary hyperaldosteronism. Malignant adrenal tumors were discovered in three cases: two (0.7%) were primary adrenal cancers, and one (0.4%) was a secondary metastasis from a lung cancer. Significant risk factors for functional tumors were female gender (odds ratio [OR], 3.386; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.611 to 7.117; p = 0.0013) and a noncontrast attenuation value of > 10 Hounsfield units (OR, 2.806; 95% CI, 1.231 to 6.397; p = 0.0141). During follow-up (mean, 22.5 months) of 72 of the patients, three (4.2%) developed hormonal changes due to functional tumors. One was confirmed as pheochromocytoma by histopathology, and the others were diagnosed with SCS and followed routinely without surgical intervention. No malignant transformation was found in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, initial hormonal and radiographic evaluations for adrenal incidentalomas appear to be more important than follow-up tests because functional or malignant changes are rare.

Renal infarction caused by paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale

A 48-year-old man presented with acute right flank pain. A computed tomography scan revealed right renal infarction. Because he had no thrombosis in the renal vessels and no clear embolic source, a further examination was performed to find the cause of the renal infarction. On transesophageal echocardiography, a right-to-left shunt during the Valsalva maneuver established a diagnosis of patent foramen ovale. This is a case of paradoxical embolism through a PFO leading to renal infarction.

Vertebral Osteomyelitis caused by Mycobacterium abscessus in an Immunocompetent Patient

Vertebral osteomyelitis caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is rarely reported, especially in an immunocompetent host. NTM are usually not susceptible in vitro to antituberculous drugs, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy for treatment of NTM infection is based on susceptibility results, which vary between different NTM species; therefore, treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by NTM is challenging. We report on the first case of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by M. abscessus in an otherwise healthy individual, confirmed by cultures of bone tissue obtained during surgery. Clinical cure was achieved with a combination of antimicrobial therapy and surgery. We also review previous reports of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by NTM.