[Hepatic Hydatid Cyst: A Case Report].

Hydatid cysts are caused by an infestation with larval tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus. The disease is endemic in developing countries but has rarely been reported from immigrant workers in Korea. This paper reports a case of hepatic hydatid cyst in a 27-year-old female. She was referred with abdominal pain that had persisted for the past 2 months. The patient was a foreign worker from Mongolia. The physical examination was unremarkable, and blood tests showed peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated liver enzymes. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a well-circumscribed cystic mass with septation in the liver. A surgical resection was performed for complete removal. After uncomplicated postoperative recovery, the patient was discharged with albendazole 400 mg twice daily. The hydatid cyst is an important disease that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions in the liver, particularly in those who have lived in endemic areas. A correct early diagnosis based on the typical image findings is important for early treatment before the rupture of the cyst, which is associated with low morbidity and mortality. A current surgical resection combined albendazole are effective treatments for hepatic hydatid cysts, associated with low recurrence rates.

[A Case of Intramural Hematoma of the Esophagus Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome].

Intramural hematoma of the esophagus is a rare condition that can be spontaneous or secondary to trauma, toxic ingestion, or intervention. If it is the spontaneous type, it usually presents initially with epigastric pain, hematemesis or dysphagia. We present a case of intramural hematoma of the esophagus mimicking acute coronary syndrome. A 63-year-old man presented with severe acute chest pain. He has four coronary stents that were inserted five years ago, from a different hospital, and is on dual antiplatelet agents. Coronary angiography was performed immediately under the suspicion of acute coronary syndrome, and we found that there was no obvious clogging of the coronary arteries. Next, chest computed tomography was performed due to suspected aortic dissection, and the result was also negative. Four days later, endoscopy was performed and intramural hematoma covered with large ulcers was diagnosed.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction with a congenital aneurysm presenting with recurrent embolism.

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a rare disorder caused by embryonic arrest of compaction. LVNC is sometimes associated with other congenital cardiac disorders; however, there have been few reports of its coexistence with a left ventricular aneurysm. A 40-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for renal infarction. She had a history of embolic cerebral infarction 10 years ago. Transthoracic echocardiography showed prominent trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses which are filled with blood from the left ventricular (LV) cavity. A thrombus in the akinetic apical wall was confirmed by contrast echocardiography. Using cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, we rejected a possible diagnosis of suspicion of coronary artery disease. She was diagnosed LVNC with a thrombus in apical aneurysm. Here, we report the first patient in Korea known to have LVNC accompanying LV congenital aneurysm presenting with recurrent embolism.

Efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine and sertraline in Korean veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized open label trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of mirtazapine in Korean veterans diagnosed with PTSD, by comparing it with sertraline, a drug approved for use in PTSD in the USA. METHODS: Efficacy was evaluated by the clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS-2), the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD-17) and the clinical global impression scale (CGI), at baseline and at weeks 1, 2 and 6. A response was defined as a > or = 30 % decrease in CAPS-2 total severity, a > or = 50 % decrease in total HAMD-17 score, and a CGI-I score < 3. RESULTS: 51 patients on mirtazapine (mean age/duration of illness: 59.1/33.5 years) and 49 on sertraline (mean age/duration of illness: 60.6/35.6 years) completed the study. The mean daily dosage was 34.1 mg for mirtazapine and 101.5 mg for sertraline. On the CAPS-2 total score more patients responded in the mirtazapine group at week 1 (13 vs 2 %) and week 2 (51 vs 31 %). At week 6 this difference was statistically significant (88 % vs 69 %, p = 0.039) on the CAPS-2 total score. The HAMD-17 total score and CGI-I score decreased in both groups, with no significant differences between th groups on all time points. The main side effects for the mirtazapine group were: dry mouth (19.6 %), constipation (19.6 %), somnolence (15.7 %) and weight gain (1.96 %); and for the sertraline group: indigestion (14.3 %), palpitation (6.1 %), agitation (2.0 %), epigastric soreness (2.0 %), insomnia (2.0 %) and sexual dysfunction (2.0 %). CONCLUSION: Mirtazapine appeared to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for PTSD in Korean veterans.