Background: The optimal dose of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for N1b papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is controversial. We evaluated the clinical outcome of N1b PTC patients treated with either 100 or 150 mCi of RAI. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed N1b PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and postoperative RAI therapy at a tertiary referral center between 2012 and 2017. As the baseline characteristics differed between treatment groups, we performed exact matching for various pathological factors according to RAI dose. We evaluated the response to therapy and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the matched patients. Structural recurrent/persistent disease was defined as new structural disease detected after initial therapy, which was confirmed by cytology or pathology. Results: Of the total 436 patients, 37 (8.5%) received 100 mCi of RAI and 399 (91.5%) received 150 mCi of RAI. After an exact 1:3 matching, 34 patients in the 100 mCi group and 100 patients in the 150 mCi group remained. There was no significant difference in response to therapy between the groups in the matched population (P=0.63). An excellent response was achieved in 70.6% (n=24) of patients in the 100 mCi group and 76.0% (n=76) in the 150 mCi group. Two (5.9%) patients in the 100 mCi group and four (4.0%) in the 150 mCi group had recurrence and there was no significant difference in RFS between the groups in the matched population (P=0.351). Conclusion There were no differences in response to therapy and RFS in N1b PTC patients according to RAI dose.

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular (LV) filling pressure can be estimated using echocardiographic measurements, including the ratio of transmitral early peak flow velocity to tissue Doppler mitral annular motion velocity (E/e′) during sinus rhythm. However, non-invasive echocardiographic estimation is complicated in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is associated with reduced survival in patients with heart failure with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). The aim of this study was to investigate echocardiographic parameters for predicting LV filling pressure and diastolic function in chronic AF patients with preserved LVEF. METHODS: Clinical data, echocardiographic findings, and laboratory data were assessed retrospectively in 90 chronic AF patients with preserved LVEF who underwent diagnostic left-heart catheterization between January 2011 and September 2015. LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) assessment and standard echocardiographic measurements were performed. RESULTS: The E/e′ ratio was significantly correlated with LVEDP (r=0.449, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis defined the optimal cut-off for E/e′ as 13 (sensitivity, 88%; specificity, 67%) to predict elevated LVEDP (>15 mm Hg). E (r=0.463, P < 0.001) and E/propagation velocity (Vp; r=0.471, P < 0.001) were also correlated with LVEDP. E >90 cm/sec predicted elevated LVEDP with a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 70%. Also, an E/Vp >1.6 predicted elevated LVEDP with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 72%. CONCLUSION: E >90 cm/sec, E/e′>13 and E/Vp >1.6 were suggestive of elevated LVEDP in these patients. Therefore, E, E/e′, and E/Vp provide significant predictive value for LVEDP in chronic AF with preserved LVEF.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke Volume*

BACKGROUND: In hemodialysis (HD) patients, traditional risk factors cannot explain all of the mortality and morbidity. This study was designed to investigate the effect of depression and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) on prognosis in maintenance HD patients. METHODS: In February 2008, the Beck's Depression Inventory and the Kidney Dialysis Quality of Life-Short Form were utilized to measure depression and HRQOL. Until February 2011, the mortality, cardiovascular events, infection, and hospitalization were investigated, retrospectively. RESULTS: Among the 166 patients, the 3-year cumulative survival rate was 88.8%, and the depression did not affect survival (depression vs. nondepression: 91.8% vs. 87.2%, P=0.437). The upper tertiles in physical component summary (PCS) were correlated with lower mortality (OR, 0.12; P=0.05) and fewer cardiovascular events (OR, 0.09; P=0.024) than the lower tertiles. The upper tertiles in kidney disease component summary (KDCS) were associated with less hospitalization than the lower tertiles (OR, 0.38; P=0.024). After adjusting for multiple variables including age, comorbidity index, and albumin, upper tertiles in PCS were correlated with fewer cardiovascular events than the lower tertiles (OR, 0.08; P=0.038). CONCLUSION: The cross-sectional survey of whether HD patients had depression was not significantly associated with mortality and morbidity. HRQOL was correlated with mortality, cardiovascular events and hospitalization.
Comorbidity ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Dialysis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

Tracheobronchomegaly, or Mounier-Kuhn syndrome, is a rare clinical and radiologic condition characterized by marked tracheobronchial dilatation and recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. It is thought to be due to a congenital anomaly. A diagnosis is typically made using computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy. Symptoms can range from minimal with preserved lung function to severe respiratory failure. Here, we present the case of a 50-year-old male who was referred to our hospital for chronic cough, sputum, and dyspnea. In addition, the patient showed tracheobronchomegaly with bronchomalacia on CT and bronchoscopy. This report describes a rare case of Mounier-Kuhn syndrome with a literature review.
Bronchomalacia ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Dilatation ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Sputum ; Tracheobronchomegaly

PURPOSE: C1q nephropathy (C1qN) is a rare glomerulonephritis characterized by mesangial deposits, predominantly C1q, without the evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It showed various clinical courses, however, the clinicopathologic features of C1qN have not been well defined as yet. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic features of 11 patients (0.8%) diagnosed as C1qN among 1,403 patients aged > or = 18 years who had undergone renal biopsy due to primary glomerular disease from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2009. Diagnostic criteria of C1qN were as follows; 1) the presence of dominant or co-dominant immunofluorescence staining for C1q in the mesangium, 2) corresponding mesangial dense deposit by electron microscopy, and 3) lack of clinical evidence of SLE. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 6:5 and their mean age was 41.1+/-22.6 yrs (range, 19-69 yrs). Eight patients presented with urinary abnormalities and three with nephrotic syndrome. At the time of biopsy, three patients had hypertension. The mean value of 24-hour urine protein was 4.4+/-5.5 g/day (range, 0.5-18.5 g/day). On light microscopy, normal glomerular architecture (4/11) and segmental sclerosis (7/11) were observed. Complete or partial remission was achieved in six of the seven patients treated with immunosuppressive agents (steroid and/or immunosuppressants). Among these patients, two using steroid monotherapy had relapsed. The mean follow-up duration was 14+/-11 months (range, 2-31 months) and renal function deterioration was observed in three patients. CONCLUSION: C1qN showed various clinical manifestations and prognosis. Therefore, additional studies are needed to fully define the clinicopathologic features.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Light ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Microscopy ; Microscopy, Electron ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerosis

PURPOSE: A proper patient-physician interaction (PPI) creates rapport between doctors and patients and improves medical outcomes. The importance of PPI evaluation items was evaluated in each medical student in grades 3 and 4, before and after their clinical clerkship. METHODS: Six PPI evaluation guidelines (SEGUE, Kalamazoo Consensus, Calgary-Cambridge Guide, Macy guideline, 2 Korean Consortium guidelines) were selected and importance of each guideline was evaluated through the structured questionnaire in 73 pre-clinical clerkship (3rd-grade) and 78 post-clinical clerkship (4th-grade) medical students. RESULTS: The importance of medical communication items among total clinical performance, students-rated PPI portion was 21+/-9.7%. In SEGUE recommendations, 'Elicit information' was evaluated to be most important items before (58.3%) and after (65.8%) clinical clerkship. In Kalamazoo Consensus, 'Gathering information' was evaluated to be most important (49.3%/42.3%), same as in Calgary-Cambridge Guide (52.1%/56.4%) and Daegu Gyeongbuk Consortium (47.9%/43.6%). In the Macy guideline, 'Listening' was evaluated to be most important (28.8%/33.3%). In the Seoul Gyeonggi Consortium, 'Buidling relationships' was evaluated to be most important (23.3%/28.2%). CONCLUSION: In the 4th-grade post-clerkship medical students after clinical clerkship, importance of 'Gathering information' was evaluated to be less important, however, 'Giving information' and 'Understanding the patient perspective' was evaluated to be more important, compared to pre-clerkship students 3rd-grade students.
Clinical Clerkship ; Consensus ; Humans ; Students, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Liver disease is one of the most common causes of hyponatremia and improper management of severe hyponatremia may result in serious complications. We evaluated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of severe hyponatremic patients according to the presence of liver disease in hospitalized patients. METHODS: We studied 12,729 hyponatremic patients during hospitalization in single tertiary referral hospital for 1 year. Hyponatremia was defined as serum sodium level <135 mmol/L and severe hyponatremia as < or =125 mmol/L at least twice. RESULTS: Of 12,729 hyponatremic patients, 711 (0.13%) patients had severe hyponatremia and 290 (40.8%) patients with severe hyponatremia had liver disease. The main cause of severe hyponatremia was liver failure (69.7%) in patients with liver disease and excessive administration of hypotonic fluid (37.3%) in non-liver disease patients. The administration of hypertonic saline was the most common treatment both in liver and non-liver disease group. In severe hyponatremic liver disease patients, the serum sodium level was lower (128.8+/-7.1 at admission, 127.1+/-8.4 at discharge vs 132.1+/-7.5, 131.5+/-8.3 mmol/L) and the duration of severe hyponatremia (5 days vs 3 days) was longer than those in non-liver disease group. Of 589 patients with severe hyponatremic patients who had been treated for the sodium correction, 261 patients were recovered from severe hyponatremia to normal range of serum sodium, and lower correction rate was observed in liver disease group. CONCLUSION: Liver failure was the most common cause of severe hyponatremia in hospitalized patients. Severe hyponatremia in patients with liver disease had poor clinical outcomes.
Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Inpatients ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Failure ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Sodium ; Tertiary Care Centers

We report an unusual case of adult minimal change nephrotic syndrome relapsed after 15-year of complete remission. In this case, the disease had occurred to the patient for the first time when he was 52 years old; relatively high age, and had been remitted with steroid therapy. After 15 years of complete remission, he visited our hospital with the symptoms of the generalized edema and the pitting edema of both lower extremities that occurred 15 days ago. Massive proteinuria(15, 865 mg/day) and hypoalbuminemia(1.7 g/dL) were detected. The pathologic evaluation of the biopsied specimen of the kidney showed the global sclerosis in 19% of glomeruli in light microscopic finding and the fusion of epithelial foot processes in electron microscopic finding. He was treated with pulse steroid therapy (methylprednisolone 500 mg/day iv for 3 days) and then, with oral prednisolone (60 mg/day). Generalized edema and proteinuria disappeared after 14 days of treatment, and there has been no relapse ever since. Adult-onset minimal change nephrotic syndrome relapses within 4 years after complete remission in 90 % of relapsed patients. The relapse after more than 5 years of complete remission, like this case, is very rare, especially in the case of late-onset disease. However, the possibility of relapse of the minimal change nephrotic syndrome after several years of its remission should be considered constantly and the long-term follow-up more than 10 years may be needed.
Adult ; Edema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Nephrosis, Lipoid* ; Prednisolone ; Proteinuria ; Recurrence ; Sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis which is still the most important cause of morbidity and technical failure in peritoneal dialysis even though it has decreased significantly, has been known to lead to different outcomes by the type of causative pathogens. METHODS: To analyze clinical outcomes with trends of peritonitis rates by the type of causative pathogens, we retrospectively reviewed peritoneal dialysis patients in Seoul National University Hospital from 1995 to 2001. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-seven cases of peritonitis occurred in 163 patients among total 307 peritoneal dialysis patients and the rate of peritonitis was 0.44 episodes/patient-year. There are 130 (38.1 %) episodes of Gram-positive bacterial peritonitis, 59 (17.3%) episodes of Gram-negative bacterial peritonitis and 25 (7.3%) episodes of mixed bacterial peritonitis. E.coli, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas were main Gram-negative isolates, in the order named. The rate of total peritonitis and the rate of Gram- positive peritonitis decreased significantly during the study period. But, the rate of Gram-negative peritonitis remained constant, and therefore its relative proportion tended to increase. Among Gram-negative bacteria, the proportion of Pseudomonas species declined persistently. Gram-negative peritonitis was a significant risk factor of hospitalization, independent of soft tissue infection and serum albumin, like S.aureus peritonitis. In Gram-negative peritonitis or Pseudomonas peritonitis, more catheters were removed regardless of soft tissue infection or peritoneal dialysis duration. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we confirmed Gram- negative peritonitis and Pseudomonas peritonitis have poor prognosis. Therefore, Cautious evaluation of abdominal lesions and aggressive treatment are necessary for patients with Gram-negative peritonitis whose relative proportion increased.
Acinetobacter ; Catheters ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Peritonitis* ; Prognosis ; Pseudomonas ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Serum Albumin ; Soft Tissue Infections

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal nematode that infects a large portion of the world's population, especially in tropical climates, where the warm, moist soil offers an environment suited to the development of the larvae. In immuno-compromised hosts, receiving corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs or radiotherapy, especially in those with AIDS, large numbers of invasive strongyloides larvae can disseminate widely, which can be fatal. In Korea, several cases of strongyloides hyperinfection have been reported since 1959, and a case of strongyloides hyperinfection, accompanied with metastatic stomach cancer, was reported recently. We experienced a case of strongyloides infection, accompanied with early gastric cancer, and also suffering from bronchial asthma. The patient was treated with albendazole, 200 mg, twice-a-day for 3 days, 1 month after a radical gastric cancer operation. Thereafter, the respiratory symptoms of the patient, including asthmatic attacks, improved.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Albendazole ; Asthma ; Humans ; Korea ; Larva ; Radiotherapy ; Soil ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Strongyloides ; Strongyloides stercoralis* ; Tropical Climate