1.A Case of Severe Anemia by Necator americanus Infection in Korea.
Hee Jae HYUN ; Eun Min KIM ; So Yeon PARK ; Jun Oh JUNG ; Jong Yil CHAI ; Sung Tae HONG
Journal of Korean Medical Science 2010;25(12):1802-1804
This report describes clinical and parasitological findings of an 82-yr-old female patient who lived in a local rural village and suffered from severe chronic anemia for several years. She was transferred to the National Police Hospital in Seoul for management of severe dyspnea and dizziness. At admission, she showed symptoms or signs of severe anemia. Gastroduodenoscopy observed hyperemic mucosa of the duodenum and discovered numerous moving roundworms on the mucosa. Endoscopy isolated seven of them, which were identified as Necator americanus by characteristic morphology of cutting plates in the buccal cavity. The patient was treated with albendazole and supportive measures for anemia, and her physical condition much improved. This case suggests the possibility that hookworm N. americanus is still transmitted in a remote local mountainous area in Korea.
Aged, 80 and over
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Albendazole/therapeutic use
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Anemia/*diagnosis/parasitology
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Animals
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Anthelmintics/therapeutic use
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Duodenoscopy
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Female
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Gastroscopy
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Humans
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*Necator americanus/isolation & purification
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Necatoriasis/*diagnosis/drug therapy
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Republic of Korea
2.Visceral Leishmaniasis without Fever in an 11-Month-Old Infant: a Rare Clinical Feature of Kala-azar.
Shirin SAYYAHFAR ; Shahla ANSARI ; Mehdi MOHEBALI ; Babak BEHNAM
The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2014;52(2):189-191
Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is an endemic parasitic disease in some parts of the world which is characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and pancytopenia in most of the cases. Herein we report an 11 month-old male infant with diagnosis of kala-azar who presented with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly, failure to gain weight, and no history of fever. Surprisingly, fever started after beginning of meglumine antimoniate treatment in this patient. As far as we are aware of, this is a rare presentation of visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore, clinicians especially in endemic areas are highly recommended to include kala-azar among differential diagnosis of unexplained anemia without fever to prevent misdiagnosis of this potentially fatal, but treatable condition.
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use
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Anemia/*diagnosis/parasitology
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Antiprotozoal Agents/*therapeutic use
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Deoxycholic Acid/therapeutic use
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Diagnosis, Differential
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Drug Combinations
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Endemic Diseases
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*Fever
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Humans
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Infant
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Iran
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Leishmania infantum/pathogenicity
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Leishmaniasis, Visceral/*diagnosis/*drug therapy/parasitology
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Male
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Meglumine/therapeutic use
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Organometallic Compounds/therapeutic use
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Splenomegaly/parasitology
3.Toxoplasma Encephalitis in an Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient in Korea.
Soo Kyung PARK ; Jong Ki CHOI ; Changhoon YOO ; Seong Joon PARK ; Tae Hoon LEE ; Je Hwan LEE ; Sung Han KIM
The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2012;27(2):235-238
No abstract available.
Adult
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Anemia, Aplastic/*surgery
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Antiprotozoal Agents/therapeutic use
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Encephalitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*parasitology
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Female
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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/*adverse effects
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Humans
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Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Parasitology/methods
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Republic of Korea
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Toxoplasma/genetics/*isolation & purification
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Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral/diagnosis/drug therapy/*parasitology
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Transplantation, Homologous
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Treatment Outcome
4.An Imported Case of Severe Falciparum Malaria with Prolonged Hemolytic Anemia Clinically Mimicking a Coinfection with Babesiosis.
Young Ju NA ; Jong Yil CHAI ; Bong Kwang JUNG ; Hyun Jung LEE ; Ji Young SONG ; Ji Hye JE ; Ji Hye SEO ; Sung Hun PARK ; Ji Seon CHOI ; Min Ja KIM
The Korean Journal of Parasitology 2014;52(6):667-672
While imported falciparum malaria has been increasingly reported in recent years in Korea, clinicians have difficulties in making a clinical diagnosis as well as in having accessibility to effective anti-malarial agents. Here we describe an unusual case of imported falciparum malaria with severe hemolytic anemia lasting over 2 weeks, clinically mimicking a coinfection with babesiosis. A 48-year old Korean man was diagnosed with severe falciparum malaria in France after traveling to the Republic of Benin, West Africa. He received a 1-day course of intravenous artesunate and a 7-day course of Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) with supportive hemodialysis. Coming back to Korea 5 days after discharge, he was readmitted due to recurrent fever, and further treated with Malarone for 3 days. Both the peripheral blood smears and PCR test were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. However, he had prolonged severe hemolytic anemia (Hb 5.6 g/dl). Therefore, 10 days after the hospitalization, Babesia was considered to be potentially coinfected. A 7-day course of Malarone and azithromycin was empirically started. He became afebrile within 3 days of this babesiosis treatment, and hemolytic anemia profiles began to improve at the completion of the treatment. He has remained stable since his discharge. Unexpectedly, the PCR assays failed to detect DNA of Babesia spp. from blood. In addition, during the retrospective review of the case, the artesunate-induced delayed hemolytic anemia was considered as an alternative cause of the unexplained hemolytic anemia.
Anemia, Hemolytic/chemically induced/*etiology/*pathology
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Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
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Antimalarials/therapeutic use
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Artemisinins/adverse effects/therapeutic use
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Atovaquone/therapeutic use
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Azithromycin/therapeutic use
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Babesiosis/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy/*pathology
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Benin
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Blood/parasitology
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Coinfection/diagnosis/pathology
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Drug Combinations
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France
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Humans
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Korea
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Malaria, Falciparum/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy/*pathology
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Plasmodium falciparum/*isolation & purification
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Proguanil/therapeutic use
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Travel
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Treatment Outcome