The high incidence of genitourinary anomalies associated in patients with imperforate anus and rectum has long been recognized. The death of children suffering imperforate anus several years after satisfactory management of the alimentary lesion is often due fundamentally to oversight or poor management of a urologic lesion. We have recently two cases of imperforate anus associated with urogenital anomalies, urethrorectal and rectovaginal fistula.
Anus, Imperforate* ; Child ; Humans ; Incidence ; Rectovaginal Fistula ; Rectum

The high incidence of genitourinary anomalies associated in patients with imperforate anus and rectum has long been recognized. The death of children suffering imperforate anus several years after satisfactory management of the alimentary lesion is often due fundamentally to oversight or poor management of a urologic lesion. We have recently two cases of imperforate anus associated with urogenital anomalies, urethrorectal and rectovaginal fistula.
Anus, Imperforate* ; Child ; Humans ; Incidence ; Rectovaginal Fistula ; Rectum

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are predominantly known as medication-induced diseases. However, at our institution, we have experienced more cases of non-drug-related SJS and TEN than expected. Therefore, we studied the difference between non-drug-related and drug-related SJS and TEN in terms of clinical characteristics and prognoses. METHODS: The etiologies, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes for 82 adult patients with SJS and TEN were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients (86.6%) were classified as having SJS, and the other 11 patients (13.4%) were classified as having TEN. Drug-related cases were more common (43, 52.4%) than non-drug-related cases (39, 47.6%). Anticonvulsants (12/82, 14.6%) and antibiotics (9/82, 11%) were the most common causative medications. Anemia (p = 0.017) and C-reactive protein of > or = 5 mg/dL (p = 0.026) were more common in the drug-related cases than in the non-drug-related cases. Intravenous steroid therapy was used as the main treatment regimen (70/82, 85.4%). Of the 82 patients, 8 (9.8%) died during the clinical course. A univariate analysis for mortality showed statistical significance for the following: kidney function abnormality, pneumonia, hemoglobin of < 10 g/dL, and combined underlying diseases. In a multivariate analysis, only pneumonia was statistically significant (odds ratio, 25.79; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Drugs were the most frequent cause of these diseases. However, non-drug-related causes also contributed to a significant proportion of cases. Physicians should keep this in mind when documenting patient history. In addition, early recognition and treatment may be important for better outcomes.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Epidermal Necrolysis, Toxic/diagnosis/*etiology/mortality/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/chemically induced/diagnosis/*etiology/mortality/*therapy ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Frequent pathogens of nosocomial meningitis were investigated and the adequacy of empiric antibiotic therapy was assessed. Outcomes of nosocomial meningitis were also evaluated. METHODS: Ninety-one patients, who were diagnosed and treated for nosocomial meningitis at a single tertiary hospital in Daegu, Korea for 10 years, were included. Medical record and electronic laboratory data on the causative pathogens, antibiotics used, and outcomes were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (40.9%) was the most common pathogen, followed by Acinetobacter (32.5%). Both were cultured as a single organism in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Seventy-eight patients (85.7%) had infections related to external ventricular drains (EVD). The most common empirical antibiotics were extended-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics plus vancomycin (35/91, 38.6%). Of the 27 patients who had cultured Acinetobacter in CSF, 10 (37%) were given the wrong empirical antibiotic treatment. Seven of the 27 patients (26.9%) with cultured Acinetobacter died, and overall mortality of the 91 patients was 16.5%. In the multivariate analysis, the presence of combined septic shock (p < 0.001) and a persistent EVD state (p = 0.021) were associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Acinetobacter is one of the leading pathogens of nosocomial meningitis and may lead to inadequate coverage of empiric antibiotic therapy due to increasing resistance. An EVD should be removed early in cases of suspected nosocomial meningitis, and carbapenem might be required for the poor treatment response.
Acinetobacter/classification/*isolation & purification ; Acinetobacter Infections/cerebrospinal fluid/diagnosis/*drug therapy/*microbiology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Cerebrospinal Fluid/microbiology ; Cross Infection/cerebrospinal fluid/diagnosis/*microbiology/mortality/*therapy ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/cerebrospinal fluid/diagnosis/*drug therapy/*microbiology/mortality ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Staphylococcal Infections/cerebrospinal fluid/diagnosis/*drug therapy/*microbiology/mortality ; Staphylococcus/classification/*isolation & purification ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Hemophagocytic syndrome (HS) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by high fever and hemophagocytosis with histiocytosis in tissue biopsy. We seldom encounter patients who suffer from unexplained, persistent fevers. Although there have been many studies about childhood HS, studies about adult HS are relatively rare. The causes and prognoses of HS in adults were evaluated in this study. We focused on infection-related HS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 41 adult patients with HS retrospectively from four hospitals in Kyungbuk province and Daegu city. The patients were diagnosed by bone marrow or liver biopsy, either of which showed hemophagocytosis with histiocytosis and had clinical findings consistent with HS. We explored the etiologies, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, treatments, and outcomes of each case. RESULTS: The most common cause of HS was infection, such as the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Old age and malignancy-associated HS had a poor prognosis. The overall mortality rate was 17.1%. Most patients survived after conservative therapy and the control of underlying diseases, in contrast to previous studies that showed a poor prognosis of infection-associated HS. CONCLUSIONS: A proper investigation is crucial to determine the cause of HS in patients who have unexplained persistent fever and hemophagocytosis with histiocytosis in their tissue. Cases of infection-related HS are common, but physicians should consider undiagnosed malignancy that may be related to a poor prognosis. Treatments appropriate to the causes are important for better outcomes in adult HS.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Fever ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Histiocytosis ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Bile examination is believed to be the most precise method for detecting Clonorchis sinensis (CS) eggs. We carried out bile examination to evaluate infestation state of CS in patients with pancreatobiliary diseases in Ulsan, known as an endemic area of CS infestation. METHODS: We examined CS eggs in bile in three hundreds and nine patients with pancreatobiliary diseases. The bile was obtained from endoscopic nasobiliary or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tubes. RESULTS: The overall egg positive rate was 27.5% (35.3% in male, 17.6% in female). The egg positive rate was not significantly different according to the age group: 20.0% in thirties, 26.7% in forties, 24.2% in fifties, 29.9% in sixties, 36.2% in seventies and 16.7% in eighties or more. The egg positive rate according to the disease, except CS cholangitis, was not also statistically different: 32.6% in bile duct cancer, 38.5% in gallbladder cancer, 11.1% in ampulla of Vater cancer, 24.0% in pancreatic cancer, 26.4% in gallstone diseases and 12.5% in the reminder. The location of gallstone and whether CS related diseases or CS unrelated diseases did not affect the egg positive rates. The egg positive rate in patients with normal radiological findings including cholangiography was 17.0%. CONCLUSION: This result shows that regardless of age, sex, and sorts of diseases, the infestation rate of CS was very high. On the basis of our results, it is therefore presumes that clonorchiasis is still endemic disease in Korea.
Ampulla of Vater ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile* ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Cholangiography ; Cholangitis ; Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Drainage ; Eggs ; Endemic Diseases ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Ovum ; Pancreatic Diseases ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Ulsan*

Endoscopy has been the method of choice for the initial diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding. However, in the case of difficult localization or endoscopic failure, angiographic or surgical alternative may be recommended. The role of angiography has been emphasized recently to control upper GI bleeding. We experienced a case with deep ulcer displaying exposed vessel along the duodenal bulb, which imposed serious rebleeding risk. Although, active bleeding was controlled by the epinephrine injections in that patient, rebleeding risk was still high. So the patient underwent emergency angiography with embolization of the pancreaticoduodenal artery and gastroduodenal artery using multiple microcoils. Follow-up endoscopic examinations showed a coil protruding into the lumen from the ulcer bed, and the exposed coil at the ulcer base was completely by the regenerated epithelium three months later. Here in, we describe the rare case of a endodcopically exposed coil after embolization for bleeding duodenal ulcer which is the first case ever reported in Korea.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Diagnosis ; Duodenal Ulcer* ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Epinephrine ; Epithelium ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Korea ; Ulcer