PURPOSE: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), a rare genetic vascular disorder, has been rarely reported in South Korea. We investigated the current prevalence and presenting patterns of genetically confirmed HHT in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We defined HHT patients as those with proven mutations on known HHT-related genes (ENG, ACVRL1, SMAD4, and GDF2) or those fulfilling 3 or 4 of the Curaçao criteria. A computerized systematic search was performed in PubMed and KoreaMed using the following search term: (“hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia” AND “Korea”) OR (“Osler-Weber-Rendu” AND “Korea”). We also collected government health insurance data. HHT genetic testing results were collected from three tertiary hospitals in which the genetic tests were performed. We integrated patient data by analyzing each case to obtain the prevalence and presenting pattern of HHT in South Korea. RESULTS: We extracted 90 cases from 52 relevant articles from PubMed and KoreaMed. An additional 22 cases were identified from the three Korean tertiary hospitals after excluding seven cases that overlapped with those in the published articles. Finally, 112 HHT patients were identified (41 males and 71 females, aged 4–82 years [mean±standard deviation, 45.3±20.6 years]). The prevalence of HHT in South Korea is about 1 in 500,000, with an almost equal prevalence among men and women. Forty-nine patients underwent genetic testing, of whom 28 had HHT1 (ENG mutation) and 19 had HHT2 (ACVRL1 mutation); the other two patients were negative for ENG, ACVRL1, and SMAD4 mutations. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HHT is underestimated in Korea. The rate of phenotypic presentation seems to be similar to that found worldwide. Korean health insurance coverage is limited to representative genetic analysis to detect ENG and ACVRL1 mutations. Further genetic analyses to detect HHT3, HHT4, and other forms of HHT should be implemented.
Arteriovenous Fistula ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Diagnosis ; Epistaxis ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic ; Tertiary Care Centers

An 80-year-old woman with hilar cholangiocarcinoma was hospitalized due to sudden-onset abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed hepatic necrosis accompanied with emphysematous change in the superior segment of the right liver (S7/S8), implying spontaneous rupture, based on the presence of perihepatic free air. Although urgent percutaneous drainage was performed, neither pus nor fluids were drained. These findings suggest emphysematous hepatitis with a hepatic mass. Despite the application of intensive care, the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died 3 days after admission to hospital. Liver gas has been reported in some clinical diseases (e.g., liver abscess) to be caused by gas-forming organisms; however, emphysematous hepatitis simulating emphysematous pyelonephritis is very rare. The case reported here was of fatal emphysematous hepatitis in a patient with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.
Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic/pathology ; Cefotaxime/therapeutic use ; *Cholangiocarcinoma/complications/diagnosis ; Clostridium Infections/drug therapy/microbiology ; Clostridium perfringens/isolation & purification ; Emphysema/complications/*diagnosis ; Escherichia coli/isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli Infections/drug therapy/microbiology ; Female ; Hepatitis/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; *Pneumoperitoneum/complications/diagnosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Myelomatous pleural effusion (MPE) is rare in myeloma patients. We present a consecutive series of patients with MPE in a single institution. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 patients diagnosed with MPE between 1989 and 2008 at the Asan Medical Center. Diagnoses were confirmed by cytologic identification of malignant plasma cells in the pleural fluid. RESULTS: Our patients showed dominance of IgA (36.8%) and IgD (31.6%) subtypes. Of 734 myeloma patients, the incidence of MPE was remarkably high for the IgD myeloma subtype (16.7%), compared to the other subtypes (1.4% for IgG and 4.6% for IgA). At the time of diagnosis of MPE, elevated serum beta2-microglobulin, anemia, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase, and elevated creatinine levels were found in 100%, 89.5%, 83.3%, and 57.9% of the patients, respectively. Approximately one-third (31.3%) of the patients had adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in their pleural fluid exceeding the upper limit of the reported cutoff values for tuberculous pleural effusion (55.8 U/L). Chromosome 13 abnormality was seen in 77.8% of the tested patients. The median survival period from the development of MPE was 2.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MPE have aggressive clinical and laboratory characteristics. The preponderance of IgD myeloma in MPE patients is a noteworthy finding because IgD myeloma is a rare subtype. Elevated ADA activity in the pleural fluid is also noteworthy, and may be helpful for detecting MPE. Physicians treating myeloma patients should monitor the development of MPE and consider the possibility of a worse clinical course.
Adenosine Deaminase/metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13 ; Creatine/blood ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A/metabolism ; Immunoglobulin D/metabolism ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma/diagnosis ; Plasma Cells/pathology ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant/*diagnosis/mortality/pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; beta 2-Microglobulin/blood

We report here a case of a 59-yr-old man with CD4+ T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGL). Peripheral blood examination indicated leukocytosis (45x10(9) cells/L) that consisted of 34% neoplastic lymphoid cells. Other laboratory results indicated no specific abnormalities except for serum antinuclear antibody titer (1:640), glucose (1.39 g/L), and hemoglobin A1c (7.7%) levels. Computed tomography indicated multiple small enlarged lymph nodes (<1 cm in diameter) in both the axillary and inguinal areas, a cutaneous nodule (1.5 cm in diameter) in the left suboccipital area, and mild hepatosplenomegaly. Bone marrow examination revealed hypercellular marrow that consisted of 2.4% neoplastic lymphoid cells. The neoplastic lymphoid cells exhibited a medium size, irregularly shaped nuclei, a moderate amount of cytoplasm, and large granules in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated CD3+, CD4+, T-cell receptor betaF1+, granzyme B+, and TIA1+. Flow cytometric analysis of the neoplastic lymphoid cells revealed CD3+, cytoplasmic CD3+, CD4+, and CD7+. Cytogenetic analysis indicated an abnormal karyotype of 46,XY,inv(3)(p21q27),t(12;17)(q24.1;q21),del(13)(q14q22)[2]/46,XY[28]. The patient was diagnosed with CD4+ T-LGL and received chemotherapy (10.0 mg methotrexate). This is the second case of CD4+ T-LGL that has been reported in Korea.
Antibodies, Antinuclear/analysis ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism/pathology ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunophenotyping ; Karyotyping ; Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We report here a case of a 59-yr-old man with CD4+ T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGL). Peripheral blood examination indicated leukocytosis (45x10(9) cells/L) that consisted of 34% neoplastic lymphoid cells. Other laboratory results indicated no specific abnormalities except for serum antinuclear antibody titer (1:640), glucose (1.39 g/L), and hemoglobin A1c (7.7%) levels. Computed tomography indicated multiple small enlarged lymph nodes (<1 cm in diameter) in both the axillary and inguinal areas, a cutaneous nodule (1.5 cm in diameter) in the left suboccipital area, and mild hepatosplenomegaly. Bone marrow examination revealed hypercellular marrow that consisted of 2.4% neoplastic lymphoid cells. The neoplastic lymphoid cells exhibited a medium size, irregularly shaped nuclei, a moderate amount of cytoplasm, and large granules in the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated CD3+, CD4+, T-cell receptor betaF1+, granzyme B+, and TIA1+. Flow cytometric analysis of the neoplastic lymphoid cells revealed CD3+, cytoplasmic CD3+, CD4+, and CD7+. Cytogenetic analysis indicated an abnormal karyotype of 46,XY,inv(3)(p21q27),t(12;17)(q24.1;q21),del(13)(q14q22)[2]/46,XY[28]. The patient was diagnosed with CD4+ T-LGL and received chemotherapy (10.0 mg methotrexate). This is the second case of CD4+ T-LGL that has been reported in Korea.
Antibodies, Antinuclear/analysis ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism/pathology ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunophenotyping ; Karyotyping ; Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Lymph Nodes/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/metabolism/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Recent advances in chemotherapy have led to increased survival rates for patients with hematologic malignancies. However, standard chemotherapies, including alkylating agents for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, could induce therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs), a group of disorders categorized by the World Health Organization in 2008. Here, we report a case of coexistence of bone marrow (BM)-involved refractory marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZL) and therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS). Simultaneous presence of refractory lymphoma and t-MN in the BM is rare, and this is the first report in Korea. The patient received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to cure both the MZL and t-MDS. Since the HSCT, he has been stable for 21 months without any evidence of recurrence.
Alkylating Agents ; Bone Marrow ; Drug Therapy ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate ; World Health Organization

The combined array comparative genomic hybridization plus single-nucleotide polymorphism microarray (CGH+SNP microarray) platform can simultaneously detect copy number alterations (CNA) and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Eighteen children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (n=15) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (n=3) were studied using CGH+SNP microarray to evaluate the clinical significance of submicroscopic chromosomal aberrations. CGH+SNP microarray revealed CNAs at 14 regions in 9 patients, while metaphase cytogenetic (MC) analysis detected CNAs in 11 regions in 8 patients. Using CGH+SNP microarray, LOHs>10 Mb involving terminal regions or the whole chromosome were detected in 3 of 18 patients (17%). CGH+SNP microarray revealed cryptic LOHs with or without CNAs in 3 of 5 patients with normal karyotypes. CGH+SNP microarray detected additional cryptic CNAs (n=2) and LOHs (n=5) in 6 of 13 patients with abnormal MC. In total, 9 patients demonstrated additional aberrations, including CNAs (n=3) and/or LOHs (n=8). Three of 15 patients with AML and terminal LOH>10 Mb demonstrated a significantly inferior relapse-free survival rate (P=0.041). This study demonstrates that CGH+SNP microarray can simultaneously detect previously cryptic CNAs and LOH, which may demonstrate prognostic implications.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Aberrations ; *Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; DNA/*analysis/metabolism ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Infant ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/*diagnosis/*genetics/therapy ; Loss of Heterozygosity ; Male ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/*diagnosis/*genetics/therapy ; *Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transplantation, Homologous

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome, which includes polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes due to plasma cell (PC) neoplasm. Diagnosis of this disease is challenging because of its rarity and complex clinical manifestations. We attempted to identify the key clinical features and characteristic bone marrow (BM) findings of POEMS syndrome, by reviewing the medical records and BM analyses of 24 Korean patients. Frequent clinical manifestations included polyneuropathy (100%), monoclonal gammopathy (100%), organomegaly (92%), extravascular volume overload (79%), and endocrinopathy (63%). The BM analyses revealed mild PC hyperplasia (median PCs: 5.5%) and frequent megakaryocytic hyperplasia (88%), megakaryocyte clusters (88%), and hyperlobation (100%). Flow cytometry of BM aspirates using CD138/CD38/CD45/CD19/CD56 showed normal (67%, 4/6) or neoplastic PC immunophenotypes (33%, 2/6). A diagnosis of POEMS syndrome must be considered when a patient suspected of having PC dyscrasia shows the above clinical presentation and BM findings.
Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Medical Records ; Megakaryocytes ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Paraproteinemias ; Plasma Cells ; POEMS Syndrome ; Polyneuropathies ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is one of the most important obstacles in the chemotherapy of acute leukemia, so the modulators of MDR have been developed and tried. METHODS: We measured MDR function and expressoin (surface and cytoplasmic p-glycoprotein and cytoplasmic multidrug-resistance associated protein (MRP)) and inhibitory effects of MDR modulators (cyclosporine and verapamil) by flow cytometry with MDR positive cell line and bone marrow aspirates of patients with acute leukemia (128 specimen). We compared these methods, and tried to clarify the effects of MDR on chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemia. RESULTS: The MDR functional assay and the detection method for inhibitory effects of MDR modulators (cyclosporine and verapamil) by flow cytometry using rhodamine 123 were established. These MDR functional assay was more sensitive, accurate, relatively simple and very economic, compared with the immunofluorescence assays of surface and cytopla-smic p-glycoprotein and cytoplasmic MRP. The positivity of MDR functional assay was observed in about 60% of patients with acute leukemia, and MDR activity (%) was inversely correlated with the complete remission rate and mean survival time. About 60% of the patients showing positive MDR activity revealed MDR inhibitory responses by cyclosporine and/or verapamil, especially all cases of acute myeloid leukemia in persistence after chemotherapy showed MDR inhibitory effect of cyclosporine. CONCLUSION: The chemotherapeutic out- comes of acute leukemia can be expected by MDR functional assay. And it is possible to overcome MDR by the administration of MDR modulator selected according to the results of the functional assay for MDR inhibitory effect in acute leukemia patients with MDR positivity.
Bone Marrow ; Cell Line ; Cyclosporine ; Cytoplasm ; Drug Resistance, Multiple* ; Drug Therapy ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; P-Glycoprotein ; Rhodamine 123 ; Survival Rate ; Verapamil