Herpes simplex esophagitis has been recognized with increased frequency as an opportunistic infection in immunosuppressed or debilitated patients. However, it is also documented as self-limited esophagitis in apparently healthy patients. We report two cases of herpetic esophagitis diagnosed by biopsies. One case was noted in an immunocompetent patient having gastric peptic ulcer who had clinical improvement with symptomatic treatment. And the other was noted in an immunosuppressed patient having chemotherapy for gastric carcinoma who had resolution of symptoms with acyclovir therapy. Histologically, esophageal mucosa exhibited erosion and inflammatory cellular exudate with intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions in the epithelial cells. These were confirmed by the PCR and immunohistochemical stain for herpes simplex virus using a biopsy material.
Acyclovir ; Biopsy ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Esophagitis* ; Exudates and Transudates ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Opportunistic Infections ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Simplexvirus

PURPOSE: This study was performed to find the clinical significance in protein C as a differential marker in the beginning stage of infection and prognosis factor in severe infection among pediatric patients who were admitted due to fever. METHODS: A total of 40 pediatric patients who had temperatures higher than 37.5degrees C on admission at the Department of Pediatrics, Chungnam National University between December, 2002 and August, 2003 were enrolled. Total white blood cell count(WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), C-reactive protein(CRP) and protein C were performed for those patients on admission. Clinical progress, diagnosis and prognosis were reviewed for these patients. The 40 patients were divided into two groups based on the diagnosis of bacterial and nonbacterial infections. RESULTS: Twenty patients(50%) were suspected of bacterial infections that showed positive results in blood, sputum, urine, and spinal cord fluid. There were eight cases with bacterial pneumonia, five with urinary tract infection, four with bacterial meningitis, two with cellulitis, and one with typhoid fever. The remaining 20 patients were diagnosed with nonbacterial infections because they had negative results in blood cultures. ESR and CRP were increased beyond normal range in both groups. However, protein C was significantly decreased in the bacterial infection group and yet normal range in the nonbacterial infection group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Protein C can be used as a differential marker in order to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial infections. In addition, protein C can possibly be used as a prognostic factor that can predict severe infection.
Bacterial Infections* ; Blood Sedimentation ; Cellulitis ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis ; Fever* ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia, Bacterial ; Prognosis ; Protein C* ; Reference Values ; Spinal Cord ; Sputum ; Typhoid Fever ; Urinary Tract Infections

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a fatal complication of adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). Although anti-cytokine agents have been recommended for refractory AOSD or complicated with MAS, MAS cases have been rarely reported during anticytokine treatment. Herein, we describe the first AOSD case complicated with MAS during the treatment with tocilizumab in Korea. Two years after tocilizumab maintenance therapy, high fever and hypertransaminasemia recurred. MAS was diagnosed based on hyperferritinemia, elevated soluble IL-2 receptor levels, and the presence of hemophagocytic histiocytes in the bone marrow.However, she had normal white blood cell counts and acute phase reactant levels. High-dose glucocorticoid and anakinra therapies were not effective, but her disease improved with etoposide. This case shows that tocilizumab may not prevent MAS development and can modify clinical features making it challenging to diagnose. Cytotoxic therapy such as etoposide may be required in MAS cases that develop during anti-cytokine therapy.

Familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(FEL) is an uncommon disorder characterized by multi-organ infiltration with phagocytic histiocytes and macrophages. It is a familial discorder presenting during infancy or young childhood with fever, hepartosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, bleeding diathesis, hypertriglyceridemia and neurologic manifestations. The course of the disease is extremely lethal and diagnosis of the disease during lifetime is very difficult. Exact diagnosis can only be made by autopsy. We experienced FEL cases in siblings, who had fever, hepatosplenomegly, pancytopenia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Bone marrow study showed increased histiocytes with active hemophagocytosis. They were died due to multiple organ failure, and the diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy, so we report it and review the related literatures.
Autopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Disease Susceptibility ; Fever ; Hemorrhage ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic* ; Macrophages ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pancytopenia ; Siblings*

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with malignant disease. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an increased risk of subsequent cancer in the patients who are diagnosed with idiopathic venous thrombosis. Cancers of the breast, lung and ovary in women and adenocarcinomas of an unknown primary cancer are most strongly associated with thrombosis. Mucin-producing cancers are most often associated with VTE and the highest rates of VTE were found for cases of ovarian cancer, but the absolute risk of cancer after thrombosis is relatively low (about 2% over the first year) and so the benefit of screening for cancer in thrombosis patients seems limited. But as this case, the association between thrombosis and occult cancer shows the importance of this association for patients who have thrombosis that is unresponsive to anticoagulant therapy. Especially, we should recognize that such patients can undergo investigation for an underlying malignancy. Diagnostic laparoscopy of an adnexal mass for confirming cancer in the acute setting of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was performed for our patient. We report here on a case of a patient with DVT in the upper and lower extremities before the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and we briefly review of the relevant literature.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Thrombosis ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to examine and evaluate the psychological health of the residents of Taean during the cleanup of the Hebei Spirit (HS) oil spill and to review some factors associated with the results. METHODS: A community survey of 71 men and women was conducted 8 weeks after the HS oil spill. Questionnaires used were the PWI (Psychological Well-being Index) scale for psychosocial distress, the CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression) scale for depressive symptoms, and a questionnaire created to assess suicidal impulses. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of high-risk psychosocial distress among the study group was 64.2%. The percentages of respondents with scores on the CES-D Scale above 16 and above 21 were 77.6% and 62.7%, respectively. The percentage of respondents categorized as having suicidal impulses was 18.3%. When compared with unexposed groups in the general population taken from various sources, the residents of Taean were 6.5 times as likely to have high stress and 9.4-9.7 times as likely to be depressed. No significant difference in the rate of suicidal impulse was found between the residents of Taean and the general population. Factors associated with high stress, depression, and suicidal impulses were age, a change in income, educational level, number of days working on the cleanup, and positive responses to questions about "affected daily activity" and "hospital visit due to work on cleanup." CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the HS oil spill had a significant impact on the psychological health of residents of Taean, but the comparability of the unexposed groups is a limitation of the study.
Adult ; Aged ; Depression ; *Disasters ; Environmental Exposure ; Environmental Pollution ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Oceans and Seas ; *Petroleum ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Stress, Psychological ; Suicide, Attempted

The sparsity of publication concerning CT findings of tuberculous arthritis prompted authors to retrospectively evaluate 12 patients with tuberculous arthritis for characteristic CT findings. In each patient, the diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis was confirmed by surgery or biopsy. The CT examinations were evaluated by two radiologists retrospectively. Involved joints were the hip joint in seven patients, the sacroiliac joint in three parients, and the shoulder and ankle joint in one patients each. CT features included subchondral bony erosion(12 patients), soft tissue mass in the joint space(nine), widenining of the joint space(eight), ipsilateral muscle atrophy(eight), thickening of the joint capsule(seven), intra-articular effusion(six), soft tissue abscess(five),and bony sclerosis(four). In seven patients with the duration of symptoms less than 1 year, thickening of joint capsule and intra-articular effusion were the predominent findings, while bony sclerosis, gross bone destruction, and soft tissue mass in joint space were seen in five patients with the duration of symptoms longer than 1 year. Our results indicate that CT is useful in the diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis by demonstrating characteristic pathologic changes of the joint space, soft tissue abnormality and bony involvement.
Ankle Joint ; Arthritis* ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Joint Capsule ; Joints ; Publications ; Retrospective Studies ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Sclerosis ; Shoulder

The Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) is a disease characterized by intrauterine growth retardation with preserved head circumference, facial dysmorphism and short stature. Reported renal and urinary manifestations of RSS include horseshoe kidney, renal tubular acidosis, hydronephrosis, ureteropelvic obstruction and vesicoureteral reflux. Here we report a case of end-stage renal disease associated with RSS, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been reported yet.
Acidosis, Renal Tubular ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Head ; Hydronephrosis ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Silver-Russell Syndrome ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to ascertain the usefulness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA microchip test for the screening and management of women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). METHODS: The subject group consisted of 534 patients, and all of whom were diagnosed as ASC-US according to a Papanicolaou smear, and they all underwent concomitant HPV DNA microchip test. RESULTS: The occurrence rates of overall squamous lesions and high risk lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and grade 3, and invasive carcinoma) of the HPV-positive ASC-US patients were significantly higher than those of the HPV-negative ASC-US patients. High risk lesion was detected more frequently among the older patients and the patients with HPV 56, 33 or 70. On the follow-up HPV DNA microchip test, only 1 of 11 (9.1%) HPV type-switched women developed squamous lesion compared with 8 of 13 (61.6%) HPV type-persistent women who developed squamous lesion. CONCLUSIONS: The HPV DNA microchip test is useful for the management of ASC-US patients. HPV-positive ASC-US patients should undergo a HPV DNA microchip test periodically. If the same genotype of HPV is persistent on the follow-up test, more increased surveillance is needed.
DNA ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Vaginal Smears

BACKGROUND: Pyelonephritis is one of the major causes of chronic renal failure in children, and the transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a molecule with pivotal roles in fibrogenesis. This study was performed to investigate the alteration and clinical implications of urinary TGF-beta1/creatinine ratio in children with acute pyelonephritis. METHODS: Urine was collected from 67 normal children and 25 children with acute pyelonephritis. After routine urinalysis, urine TGF-beta1 was quantitated by ELISA method and creatinine was measured by alkaline picrate method. Urinary TGF-beta1/ creatinine ratios in children with pyelonephritis were compared with those of age-matched controls, and sequential changes of the ratios in pyelonephritic children were traced after antibiotic treatment. Correlation of urinary TGF-beta1/creatinine ratio with the degree of pyuria and renal scar was analyzed each. RESULTS: Neonates showed higher urinary TGF-beta1/creatinine ratios than older children. The ratio increased in acute pyelonephritis and gradually returned to the control level two days after antibiotic treatment. Urinary TGF-beta1/creatinine ratio in acute pyelonephritis was not correlated with the degree of pyuria and renal scar. CONCLUSION: The age should be considered in evaluation of urinary TGF-beta1/creatinine ratio in children. The ratio increases in acute pyelonephritis, and is independent of the degree of pyuria or renal scarring.
Child ; Cicatrix ; Creatinine ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pyelonephritis* ; Pyuria ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Urinalysis