Pigmented(melanotic) schwannoma is a very rare variant of schwannoma that characteristically has massive cytoplasmic melanin. Since it was described in 1946 by Bjorneboe, about 44 cases have been reported in the English literature. It has a relatively benign clinical course, but the cases arising in the cranial nerve and sympathetic chain show aggressive behavior with malignant potential. We herein report a typical case of pigmented schwannoma with light microscopic findings. The results of immunohistochemical and electronmicroscopic study are also presented. The patient was a 30 year-old Korean male who had a mass in his posterior neck for 10 years that recently.began to induce neurologic manifestations. The tumor, which was mainly in the extramedullary intradural space of the cervical canal extending to the extradural space and soft tissues of the neck, was relatively well defined and composed of black solid tissue. Microscopic, densely pigmented spindle cells forming fascicles, nuclear palisading, whorling and polygonal cells with vacuolated or clear cytoplasm were characteristic. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, S-100 protein, and HMB-45. Electron microscopic study revealed that the tumor cells have interdigitating cytoplasmic processes containing varying stages of melanosomes with a very focal basal lamina and Luse body like collagen bundles.
Male ; Humans

Blood samples were collected from 140 institutionalized children aged 0~9 at Goyang gun. Kyunggi Do, Korea. The venous blood was taken and isolated serum was used for Haemagglutination(HA) test.1. Out of 140 samples, the positive rate of HA titer was 35.7 per cent. No significant differences was recognized by sex gropus. 2. When subdivided into the 0~4 and 5~9 years age groups, the positive rate obtained 30.4 per cent and 34.1 per cent respectively, which was no significant difference. 3. The positive rate of HA titirs in various diseases was 31.0 percent in total, being 50 per cent in mental retardation cases, 100 percent in delayed speech and hearing loss.
Child ; Child, Institutionalized* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Korea ; Toxoplasma*

A 17-year old female presented with a chief complaint of melena and epigastric pain. She had a family history of colon cancer, her mother having been diagnosed with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC). After close examination including double-balloon enteroscopy, the patient was diagnosed with small bowel carcinoma, in spite of her young age. Here we report this rare case of small bowel carcinoma in a young patient with a family history of HNPCC.
Adenocarcinoma/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Adolescent ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Jejunal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is known to be associated with antibiotic treatment, but is not commonly related to antitubercular (anti-TB) agent, rifampin. PMC is frequently localized to rectum and sigmoid colon, which can be diagnosed with sigmoidoscopy. We report a case of rifampin-induced PMC with rectosigmoid sparing in a pulmonary tuberculosis patient. An 81-year-old man using anti-TB agents was admitted with a 30-day history of severe diarrhea and general weakness. On colonoscopy, nonspecific findings such as mucosal edema and erosion were found in sigmoid colon, whereas multiple yellowish plaques were confined to cecal mucosa only. Biopsy specimen of the cecum was compatible with PMC. Metronidazole was started orally, and the anti-TB medications excluding rifampin were readministerred. His symptoms remarkably improved within a few days without recurrence. Awareness of rectosigmoid sparing PMC in patients who develop diarrhea during anti-TB treatment should encourage early total colonoscopy.
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Cecum ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonoscopy ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous ; Humans ; Metronidazole ; Mucous Membrane ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Rifampin ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Peginterferon plus ribavirin remains a standard therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in Korea. We investigated the efficacy and long-term outcome of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Korean patients with CHC, particularly in relation to the stage of liver fibrosis. METHODS: The incidence of sustained virological response (SVR), hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death was analyzed in 304 patients with CHC; the patients were followed up for a median of 54 months. RESULTS: Among patients with HCV genotype 1, the SVR rate was 36.7% (18/49) and 67% (69/103) for patients with and without cirrhosis, respectively (p<0.001). For patients with non-1 HCV genotypes, the SVR rates were 86.0% (37/43) in cirrhotic patients and 86.2% (94/109) in noncirrhotic patients. SVR significantly reduced the risk of liver-related death, hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma, which had hazard ratios of 0.27, 0.16, and 0.22, respectively (all p<0.05). However, despite the SVR rate, patients with advanced fibrosis were still at risk of developing liver-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively high SVR rate was achieved by peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy in Korean patients with CHC, which improved their long-term outcomes. However, all CHC patients with advanced hepatic fibrosis should receive close follow-up observations, even after successful antiviral treatment.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Ribavirin*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obesity is reported to be associated with erosive esophagitis (EE). However, the temporal association of obesity and abdominal obesity with EE is unclear. We conducted this study to investigate the temporal association of obesity, especially abdominal obesity with EE. METHODS: Among 1,182 subjects who underwent health screening examinations including upper endoscopy in both 2003 and 2006, a total 1,029 subjects with a normal esophagogastric junction on upper endoscopy in 2003 were enrolled. All subjects completed questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were obtained twice by trained personnels. The patients with newly developed EE were compared to the subjects without newly developed EE. RESULTS: Among 1,029 subjects, 42 (4.1%) were newly diagnosed with EE and 82 (8.0%) with hiatal hernia. The mean body mass index (BMI) in both examinations was significantly different between the two groups based on the development of erosive esophagitis (p<0.05 in both examinations). The mean waist circumference (WC) in both examinations was also significantly different between the two groups (p<0.01 in both examinations). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that EE was not associated with the BMI in 2003 and the increase of BMI; however, it was associated with the WC in 2003 (Odds ratio, 7.21; 95% CI, 1.78 to 29.19; >90 cm vs <80 cm). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that abdominal circumference is an independent risk factor for EE, demonstrating a temporal relationship between abdominal obesity and EE.
Body Mass Index ; Endoscopy ; Esophagitis ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Hernia, Hiatal ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is increasing interest in the use of propofol as a sedative agent for colonoscopy. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the synergistic sedation with midazolam combined with low-dose propofol versus that of midazolam alone. METHODS: A total of 56 patients from among those who underwent total colonoscopy between August 2004 and October 2004 were randomly assigned to one of three medication treatment groups. Group A (n=18) received low-dose midazolam (0.03 mg/kg IV) plus propofol, group B (n=19) received high-dose midazolam (0.07 mg/kg IV) plus propofol, and group C (n=19) received high-dose midazolam alone. The patients' vital signs were monitored throughout the course of the study. The recovery time and quality as well as the patients' comfort level were also assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics among the treatment groups. There were also no differences in the duration and insertion time of the colonoscopy among the three groups. The patients' comfort level and cardiorespiratory parameters during colonoscopy were similar among the three groups. The sedation efficacy and recovery times were also similar among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Midazolam combined with low-dose propofol as a sedative for colonoscopy exhibits similar effects on safety, patient' comfort level and recovery time to those of midazolam alone.
Colonoscopy* ; Conscious Sedation* ; Humans ; Midazolam* ; Propofol* ; Vital Signs

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Severe acute pancreatitis occurs in about 20% of the patients with acute pancreatitis and can be associated with multiorgan failure and local complications. In patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis, overall mortality rates are about 15-30%. The aim of this study was to determine the factors correlated with mortality in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. METHODS: We reviewed five hundread and seventy two consecutive cases of acute pancreatitis from January, 2000 to December, 2005. Of them, 109 patients who fulfilled the criteria of Atlanta classification for severe acute pancreatitis were enrolled. Data were collected by chart reviews including age, gender, etiology, body mass index (BMI), modified Glasgow score, APACHE II score, APACHE III score, Balthazar CT index, and other laboratory parameters performed within 48 hours after the initial admission. RESULTS: Severe acute pancreatitis was most commonly caused by alcohol. Overall mortality rate was 20.2% in severe acute pancreatitis and 10 (45%) deaths occurred within the first week. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified serum creatinine, corrected calcium concentrations, and CT index as predictors of mortality in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. The risk score (R) was calculated by combining 3 prognostic values with regression coefficients; R=2.512 log(e) (creatinine mg/dL)+1.729 log(e) (CT index)-4.780 log(e) (corrected calcium mg/dL). The AUC for this score was 0.877 and a cutoff level of 0 was determined to predict the mortality with 83.3% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The newly designed risk score comprising 3 parameters can be used as the significant early predictor for hospital mortality in severe acute pancreatitis.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Organ Failure/etiology ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pancreatitis/complications/diagnosis/*mortality ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: MDCT, which provides high resolution and various reconstructing images, has recently become widely available and is a promising tool for imaging the bile duct with precision. In order to evaluate the diagnostic value of multidetector computerized tomography (MDCT) for a common bile duct (CBD) stone, this study compared the diagnostic accuracy of MDCT with that of ERCP. METHODS: The medical records of the patients undergoing both MDCT and ERCP consecutively from June 2006 to January 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred and sixty four patients (164 cases) were enrolled in this study. The final diagnoses were based mainly on the ERCP findings. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of MDCT and ERCP for choledocholithiasis were identified and compared. RESULTS: Of the 164 cases, 47 cases were diagnosed with choledocholithiasis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy for choledocholithiasis were 89.4%, 98.3%, 95.5%, 95.8%, 95.7% in MDCT and 97.9%, 99.1%, 97.9%, 99.1%, 98.8% in ERCP, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the diagnostic accuracy between the two methods (p=0.206). CONCLUSIONS: MDCT has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing stones in the bile duct and should be performed in preference to ERCP in patients suspected of having choledocholithiasis.
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Choledocholithiasis ; Common Bile Duct* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Acute hepatitis A is currently outbreaking in Korea. Although prognosis of acute hepatitis A is generally favorable, a minority of patients are accompanied by fatal complications. Severe cholestasis is one of the important causes of prolonged hospitalization in patients with acute hepatitis A. In such cases, higher chances of additional complications and increased medical costs are inevitable. We report three cases of severely cholestatic hepatitis A, who showed favorable responses to oral corticosteroids. Thirty milligram of prednisolone was initiated and tapered according to the responses. Rapid improvement was observed in all cases without side effects. We suggest that corticosteroid administration can be useful in hepatitis A patients with severe cholestasis who do not show improvement by conservative managements. Clinical trial will be needed to evaluate effectiveness of corticosteroids in these patients.
Acute Disease ; Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Cholestasis/*drug therapy/etiology/pathology ; Hepatitis A/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver/pathology ; Male ; Predni