BACKGROUND: Canine scabies is caused by an infestation of Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis (S. canis) in dogs and they can be transmitted to humans. Recently pet raising has been increasing in Korea and various parasitic infestations contracted from them have also been increasing including canine scabies. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical and histopathological features of experimental canine scabies. METHODS: Two dogs experimentally infested were observed for a year. They were examined physically and the numbers of S. cans were counted from scraping samples of the ear, leg and abdomen every 3 to 7 days and skin biopsies were taken. One was given systemic corticosteroids(Dogl) and the other was observed in its natural course(Dog2). RESULTS: Dogl-Clinically severely pruritic, markedly thick hyperkeratotic scales, crust and generalized erythema on the whole body developed with huge numbers(up to 754.9/100mg from scales of the abdomen) of mites, and histopathologically showed features similar to human crusted scabies. Dog2-Clinically showed milder features than Dogl including the number of S. canis(up to 242.6/100mg from scales of the ear), but histopathologically showed similar features with Dogl. Dog2 also showed a prompt response to one topical application of 20% benzyl benzoate solution. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The number of S. canis increased markedly in both normal and corticosteroidtreated dogs, although it was more significantly increased in the corticosteroid-treated one. 2) Histopathology showed features similar to classical scabies in the early stage but features of human crusted scabies in the full-blown stage. 3) Morphologically Sarcoptes canis differs from Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis.
Abdomen ; Animals ; Benzoates ; Biopsy ; Dogs ; Ear ; Erythema ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Mites ; Sarcoptes scabiei ; Scabies* ; Skin ; Weights and Measures

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa that characteristically affects the rectum and involves the large bowel in a contiguous distribution. Upper gastrointestinal inflammation was not believed to be present in UC, but a few recent studies have reported a high incidence of gastroduodenal inflammation in patients with UC, although such occurrences are apparently rare and the stomach and duodenum are not generally considered target organs in UC. Here, we present the case of a 29.year.old man with UC who was found to have diffuse ulcerative duodenitis with endoscopic and histologic features identical to UC
Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colon ; Duodenitis ; Duodenum ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; Stomach ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric variceal bleeding is a severe complication of cirrhosis, and it has a high mortality rate. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection therapy for patients suffering with gastric variceal bleeding. METHODS: A total of 86 patients diagnosed with gastric variceal bleeding underwent endoscopic n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Histoacryl(R)) injection therapy at our department between April, 2002 and July, 2005, with a mean follow-up period of 44 weeks (range: 2 to 136 weeks). The initial hemostasis rate and the rebleeding rate of endoscopic sclerotherapy were analyzed. Also, the cumulative survival rate was analyzed according to the status of hepatocellular carcinoma and hyponatremia, the MELD score, the Child-Pugh score and the amount of injected Histoacryl(R). RESULTS: The initial hemostasis rate of Histoacryl(R) injection therapy was 93% and the 1 month rebleeding rate was 16.1%. The total number of session for treating the initial hemostasis was 1.2+/-0.4 and the total volume of Histoacryl(R) was 2.7+/-1.2 mL. The cumulative rebleeding-free rates for the patients treated by the Histoacryl(R) injection method at 1 month, 12 months and 34 months period were 95.1%, 83.2% and 74%, respectively. The cumulative survival rates were 78.3% at 1 month, 61.9% at 12 months and 54.6% at 34 months, respectively. No thromboembolic phenomenon occurred. According to the Cox's proportional hazards analysis, only the MELD score (<15) was an independent predicting factor for survival of the patients with gastric variceal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic sclerotherapy using n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate was a safe and effective hemostatic method for patients with gastric variceal bleeding. Also, the MELD score (<15) contributed to predicting survival of the patients with gastric variceal bleeding.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Enbucrilate/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*therapy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/mortality/*therapy ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Sclerotherapy ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Afferent loop syndrome is an uncommon complication which occurs in patients with Billroth II partial gastrectomy. Clinically, the diagnosis of afferent loop syndrome may be difficult to establish and thus, depends on the finding of computed tomography, abdominal ultrasound, barium studies and hepatobiliary scan. When the diagnosis is made, most of the cases are treated by surgical operation. We present a case of 67-year-old male patient with afferent loop syndrome associated with acute pancreatitis which was treated by endoscopic drainage procedure using a nasogastric tube.
Acute Disease ; Afferent Loop Syndrome/*diagnosis/etiology/*surgery ; Aged ; Drainage ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Gastroenterostomy ; Hernia ; Humans ; *Intubation, Gastrointestinal/instrumentation ; Male ; Pancreatitis/complications/diagnosis/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients undergoing Billroth II (B II) gastrectomy are at higher risk of perforation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). We assessed the success rate and safety of forward-viewing endoscopic biliary intervention in patients with B II gastrectomy. METHODS: A total of 2,280 ERCP procedures were performed in our institution between October 2008 and June 2011. Of these, forward-viewing endoscopic biliary intervention was performed in 46 patients (38 men and 8 women with B II gastrectomy). Wire-guided selective cannulations of the common bile duct using a standard catheter and guide wire were performed in all patients. RESULTS: The success rate of afferent loop entrance was 42 out of 46 patients (91.3%) and of biliary cannulation after the approach of the papilla was 42 out of 42 patients (100%). No serious complications were encountered, except for one case of small perforation due to endoscopic sphincterotomy site injury. CONCLUSIONS: When a biliary endoscopist has less experience and patient volume is low, ERCP with a forward-viewing endoscope is preferred because of its ease and safety in all patients with prior B II gastrectomies. Also, forward-viewing endoscope can be used to improve the success rate of biliary intervention in B II patients.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct ; Endoscopes ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Male ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is one of the most widespread cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been classified as a type I carcinogen for gastric cancer, the exact pathway has remained indistinct. In this study, we investigated the effects of H. pylori on oncogenic proteins (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR], CEA), tumor suppressor (p53) and cell-cycle regulator (p16) expression, using immunohistochemical stains, in gastric neoplasias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2007 until July 2009, 166 patients with consecutive gastric neoplasias resected were retrospectively enrolled; 35 gastric dysplasias, 70 early gastric cancers and 60 advanced gastric cancers. We examined the relationship of clinicopathologic features of gastric neoplasias such as age, sex, p16, p53, EGFR, tissue CEA, TNM stage, Lauren classification, location, histologic type of neoplasia to H. pylori infection status. RESULTS: H. pylori infection detected in the samples of gastric dysplasia, early gastric cancer (EGC) and advanced gastric cancer (AGC) were 15 (41.7%), 38 (54.3%) and 33 (55.0%) samples. p53, CEA and EGFR stains expression were associated with cancer stage (P<0.05). There was no relation between the immunohistochemical stains (p16, p53, CEA, EGFR) and H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: This study failed to show any relation of immunohistochemical markers of p16, p53, EGFR, CEA expressions to H. pylori infection in gastric dysplasia as well as gastric cancer. Further study is necessary to investigate the effect of H. pylori infection on p16, p53, CEA, EGFR expressions in precancerous lesions such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia.
Coloring Agents ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Proteins ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms

Tick bites are dermatoses not commonly encountered in Korea. Identification of causative ticks as well as recognition of clinical signs and histopathologic findings are important in making a diagnosis in tick-related dermatoses. Hard ticks which belong to the Family Ixodidae are responsible for most tick-related diseases. Since the first human case of tick bite in Korea was reported in 1982, seventeen cases have been reported up to the present. All the inflicted ticks belonged to the genus Ixodes except a case by Haemaphysalis flava. Among 16 ticks, collected from 16 cases of tick bites caused by the genus Ixodes, nine I. nipponenses, an I. ovatus and I. persulcatus were identified. Recently we experienced 8 cases of tick bites, 6 of them were caused by the genus Ixodes including 4 I. nipponenses. One of them, whose essential complaint was fever and chills, showed the clinical course of tick bite pyrexia which had not been reported in Korea. The clinical and epidemiological findings of tick bites reported in Korea were reviewed, including these 8 cases.
Chills ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Ixodes ; Ixodidae ; Korea ; Skin Diseases ; Tick Bites* ; Ticks*

As living-donor liver transplant techniques develop, variations in the portal vein are seen in approximately 20% of the population. However, congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein is very rare and has not been reported in Korea. We present a case with a congenital absence of the horizontal segment of the left portal vein that was detected during an evaluation for a living donor liver transplantation, with a review of the relevant literature.
Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Portal Vein ; Transplants

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Portal hypertension occurs as a consequence of liver cirrhosis and is responsible for serious complications such as variceal bleeding, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy. The hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the gold standard for assessment of portal hypertension. However, use of the HVPG is limited by being an invasive test. This prospective study evaluated whether the parameters identified by the non-invasive Doppler ultrasonography reflect the HVPG and could potentially be used for the assessment of the severity of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: HVPG and Doppler ultrasonographic parameters, including the damping index (DI) of the hepatic vein waveform, the portal venous velocity and flow, the splenic venous velocity and flow, the pulsatility and the resistive index of the hepatic, splenic and renal arteries were measured in 114 patients with liver cirrhosis and compared. RESULTS: The DI of the Doppler hepatic vein waveform was significantly correlated with the grade of the HVPG, i.e. with a higher HVPG, an increase in the DI was observed (p<0.01). The other Doppler parameters did not correlate with the HVPG grade. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the DI measurements of the hepatic vein waveform by Doppler ultrasonography might provide a noninvasive assessment of the severity of portal hypertension.
Ascites ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Hepatic Veins ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Artery ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Venous Pressure

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Both colorectal neoplasm (CN) and coronary artery obstructive disease (CAOD) are prevalent and major leading causes of death in Korea. Although CN and CAOD share similar risk factors such as male gender, smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, few studies of both CN and CAOD have been reported. In this study, we evaluated clinical correlations between CN and CAOD. METHODS: Between June 2003 and December 2007, 176 patients (Male: 101, average age: 62.1+/-9.7 yr) who underwent colonoscopy after or before coronary angiography were retrospectively enrolled. The colonoscopic findings (normal, adenoma, or cancer) of patients as well as clinical and laboratory data according to the extent of CAOD (normal, minimal CAOD, or CAOD) were compared. RESULTS: CAOD negative, minimal CAOD, and CAOD patients totaled 36, 40, and 100, respectively. The presence of CN (adenoma and adenocarcinoma) in CAOD negative, minimal CAOD, and CAOD cases was 42%, 48%, and 63%, respectively, which was significantly different (P<0.05). In multivariate analysis, old age (> or =60 yr; P=0.03, odds ratio 2.47) and the presence of CAOD (P=0.02, odds ratio 4.11) were associated with the presence of CN. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CN increased in proportion to the severity of CAOD. Colorectal cancer screening by fecal occult blood tests or colonoscopy should be a priority in patients with CAOD, particularly the elderly.
Adenoma ; Aged ; Cause of Death ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity ; Occult Blood ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking