We experienced a case of submucosal gastric actinomycosis, presenting as bleeding. The 65-year-old woman had a symptom of epigastric pain, without any other intra-abdominal disease entity. A gastrofiberscopic study demonstrated a submucosal mass lesion with bleeding at the fundus. Because of the bleeding, laparotomy was undertaken, and a abscess containing a large mass was found at the gastric fundus, and total gastrectomy undertaken. Histological examination revealed a giant acute ulcer with a submucosal abscess due to actinomycosis. Because of its rarity, submucosal gastric actinomycosis is an entity overlooked by most surgeons. We report upon this case of submucosal gastric actinomycosis and include a review of the literature.
Female ; Humans

Heterotopic pregnancy, simultaneous intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy, is an extremely rare case. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy was about 1 to 30,000 pregnancies, but it has increased after wider use of assisted reproductive technology. The rising incidence presents a serious problem as the diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition is often missed. Careful pelvic examination combined with serial beta-hCG determinations, and transvaginal sonography to evaluate the adnexal region are necessary prerequisites for early diagnosis. We report a case of heterotopic pregnancy following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET) with a brief review of literature.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Gynecological Examination ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

OBJECTIVES: Protein-calorie malnutrition has been shown to be prevalent among patients on chronic dialysis, And assessment of nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) patients has assumed greater importance because of the association of protein-calorie malnutrition with increasing morbidity and mortality. So we observed the incidence and clinical effect of protein-calorie malnutrition, and we compared the indices of nutrition with dialysis adequacy utilizing urea kinetic modeling and cretinine clearance in CAPD patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in which eight parameters, based on anthropometry, blood chemistry and subjective symptoms, were scored according to the degree of abnormalities in 82CAPD patients. A malnutrition index was derived from these scores. We also performed comparative analysis to identify significant correlations of the indices of urea kinetic modeling and creatinine clearance with the other parameters of nutritional status. RESULTS: The malnutrition index classified 47(57%) patients as normal, 30(37%) intermediately malnourished, and 5(6%) as severely malnourished. Malnutrition index showed a significant correlation with the body mass index(BMI), triceps skinfold thickness(TSF), mid-arm circumference(MAC), mid-arm muscle area (MAMA), duration of CAPD, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, and triglyceride. The malnutrition index also showed a significant correlation with residual renal function(RRF), and standardized creatinine clearance(SCCr). The TWR-Kt/V(total Kt/Vurea per week with consideration of residual renal urea clearance) was significantly lower in the severely malnourished group than in the normal group. Serum alkaline phosphatase and BUN levels were higher in the severely malnourished group than in the normal and inter-mediate groups. CONCLUSION: In assessing the nutrition status of CAPD patients, body weight, TSF, MAC, MAMA, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase were considered useful parameters. There was a trend of increased BUN and decreased TWR-Kt/V in severely malnourished patients, and the value of SCCr was significantly lower in malnourished patients. However, no meaningful relationships between TW-Kt/V and malnutrition index or between NPCR(normalized protein catabolic rate) and malnutrition index were found m this cross-sectional study. As the number of patients with longer duration of CAPD or negligible RRF has increased in the malnourished patients, regular monitoring of these parameters, especially TWR-Kt/V and SCCr, may be helpful to assess dialysis adequacy to keep good nutritional status of each CAPD patient.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anthropometry ; Body Weight ; Chemistry ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malnutrition ; Mortality ; Nitrogen ; Nutritional Status ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Protein-Energy Malnutrition ; Serum Albumin ; Transferrin ; Triglycerides ; Urea*

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drainage ; Humans ; Mandible ; Mandibular Fractures ; Prognosis ; Titanium

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal adenocarcinomas (SACs) are rare malignancies of the alimentary tract with uncertain carcinogenesis. METHODS: We investigated the expression of deleted in pancreatic cancer 4 (DPC4) in 188 cases of surgically resected SACs, using tissue microarray technology. RESULTS: Twenty-four of the 188 tumors showed complete loss of Smad4/DPC4 expression in cytoplasm (score, 0; 12.8%). Eighty-four and 31 cases were moderately and strongly positive, respectively (score, 2 and 3; 44.7% and 16.5%, respectively) and 49 cases were focally or weakly stained (score, 1; 29.1%). Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the expression of Smad4/DPC4 was related to an increased risk of lymphatic invasion but not to other clinicopathological features of the tumors (tumor location, differentiation, growth pattern, T stage, direct invasion, vascular invasion, and nodal metastasis). There was no significant association between Smad4/DPC4 expression and patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: The present research is the first study to evaluate Smad4/DPC4 expression in a large sample of SACs with clinicopathologic correlation. Future studies should focus on the immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of SACs to clarify their tumorigenesis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestine, Small ; Pancreatic Neoplasms

Background: This study investigated the real-world efficacy and safety of insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) in Korean adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), whose insulin treatment was switched to IDegAsp. Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study comprising two 26-week treatment periods, before and after switching to IDegAsp, respectively. Korean adults with uncontrolled T2DM treated with basal or premix insulin (±oral antidiabetic drugs) were enrolled. The primary objective was to compare the degree of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) change in each 26-week observation period. The analyses included changes in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body weight, proportion of participants achieving HbA1c <7.0%, hypoglycemic events, and total daily insulin dose (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04656106). Results: In total, 196 adults (mean age, 65.95 years; mean T2DM duration, 18.99 years) were analyzed. The change in both HbA1c and FPG were significantly different between the pre-switching and the post-switching period (0.28% vs. –0.51%, P<0.001; 5.21 mg/dL vs. –23.10 mg/dL, P=0.005), respectively. After switching, the rate of achieving HbA1c <7.0% was significantly improved (5.10% at baseline vs. 11.22% with IDegAsp, P=0.012). No significant differences (before vs. after switching) were observed in body weight change, and total daily insulin dose. The rates of overall and severe hypoglycemia were similar in the two periods. Conclusion In real-world clinical practice in Korea, the change of insulin regimen to IDegAsp was associated with an improvement in glycemic control without increase of hypoglycemia, supporting the use of IDegAsp for patients with T2DM uncontrolled with basal or premix insulin.

Computer Assisted Simulation Surgery (CASS) is a reliable method that permits oral and maxillofacial surgeons to visualize the position of the maxilla and the mandible as observed in the patient. The purpose of this report was to introduce a newly developed strategy for proximal segment management according to Balanced Orthognathic Surgery (BOS) protocol which is a type of CASS, and to establish the clinical feasibility of the BOS protocol in the treatment of complex maxillo-facial deformities. The BOS protocol consists of the following 4 phases: 1) Planning and simulation phase, 2) Modeling phase, 3) Surgical phase, and 4) Evaluation phase. The surgical interventions in 80 consecutive patients were planned and executed by the BOS protocol. The BOS protocol ensures accuracy during surgery, thereby facilitating the completion of procedures without any complications. The BOS protocol may be a complete solution that enables an orthognatic surgeon to perform accurate surgery based on a surgical plan, making real outcomes as close to pre-planned outcomes as possible.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Head* ; Humans ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Methods* ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Orthognathic Surgery

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic vascular disease is major cause of morbidity and mortality in dialysis patients. C-reactive protein(CRP) as a marker of inflammmation appears to be clinically useful in prediction of coronary heart disease and mortality. This study is designed to test whether plasma concentration of CRP correlates with coronary heart disease and mortality in CAPD patients. METHODS: A total of 137 end-stage-renal disease patients undergoing CAPD were included. The measurement of baseline CRP and stress thallium SPECT were performed in all patients. Patients were followed prospectively from initiation of dialysis to June 1999 for analysis of survival rate and cause of death. Coronary angiography performed in 16 of 32 patients showed all positive results. RESULTS: 32 patients showed positive results in thallium SPECT. The baseline CRP concentration were higher among patients with positive results in thallium SPECT than those with negative results(1.05 g/L vs 1.30mg/dL, p<0.001). The survival rate was significantly lower in lower CRP group than higher CRP group (44months vs 26 months, p<0.001). However, There was no difference in cause of death according to serum CRP level. Death from cardiac cause is significantly higher among patients with positive thallium SPECT than negative results. The most common cause of death are, in descending order of frequency, cardiac disease including acute MI, sepsis, cerebrovascular disease. CONCLUSION: The baseline level of inflammation as assessed by the plasma concentration of CRP independently predicts the risk of coronary heart disease and survival in CAPD patients.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Cause of Death ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease* ; Dialysis ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mortality* ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Plasma ; Prospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate ; Thallium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Vascular Diseases

Cushing's syndrome is produced by the hypersecretion of adrenal glucocorticoids and is characterized by moon face, central obesity, disappearance of diurnal variation of plasma cortisol and unsuppressibility of plasma cortisol by low-dose dexamethasone. On the other hand, hyperaldosteronism is produced by the hypersecretion of aldosterone and is characterized by hypertension and hypokalemia. We report a rare case of adrenal adenoma with concurrent hypercortisolism and hyperaldosteronism manifestated with hypertension, cushingoid appearance, left adrenal mass with low-normal plasma potassium. Laparoscopic unilateral tumor excision was performed and hypertension disappeared after the operation.
Adenoma* ; Aldosterone ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Dexamethasone ; Glucocorticoids ; Hand ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperaldosteronism* ; Hypertension ; Hypokalemia ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Plasma ; Potassium

BACKGROUND: There are several risk factors in the development of arteriosclerosis, including lipid parameters, inflammatory markers, and hemostatic factors. Efforts should be undertaken to identify the relationship among risk factors and underlying mechanisms of arteriosclerosis to improve long-term survival in dialysis patients. This study was performed to evaluate correlations among these risk factors and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). METHODS: Seventy-seven CAPD pateints (M: 50, F: 27; mean age 52.8+/-12.4 years) were enrolled in this study. We measured blood level of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1), apolipoprotein B (apoB), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, d-dimer, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and cTnT monthly for three times. Thallium SPECT was performed in 32 of 77 patients. RESULTS: Significant positive correlation was found between CRP and fibrinogen (r=0.71, p<0.001). CRP was also positively correlated with vWF (r=0.29, p=0.01). Significant inverse correlation was observed between prealbumin and CRP (r=-0.33, p=0.004). HDL-C and apoA-1 were also inversely correlated with CRP (r=-0.26, p=0.04; r=-0,27, p=0.02) and apoB was positively correlated with CRP (r=0.24, p=0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that fibrinogen, prealbumin, HDL-C, and apoA-1 correlated independently with CRP. In patients with diabetes (n=35), cTnT levels were sigificantly higher than those in patients without diabetes (p<0.001), whereas albumin and prealbumin levels were significantly lower in patients with diabetes than those in patients without diabetes (p<0.001, p=0.002). Serum apoB, triglyceride, and total cholesterol were higher among patients with positive results in thallium SPECT than those with negative results. CONCLUSION: It seems that inflammation is associated with an enhanced cardiovascular risk profile such as hemostatic factors and apolipoproteins. cTnT may be a useful predictive marker for mortality in dialysis patients.
Apolipoprotein A-I ; Apolipoproteins B ; Apolipoproteins* ; Arteriosclerosis ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Cholesterol ; Dialysis ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Prealbumin ; Risk Factors ; Thallium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Triglycerides ; Troponin T* ; Troponin* ; von Willebrand Factor