Massive hemoptysis represents a major medical emergency that is associated with high mortality. The causes of hemoptysis are various and include pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders and trauma. The causes of pulmonary disorder are tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, abscess, malignancy, bronchitis, and fungal infection. The causes of cardiovascular disorder are mitral stenosis, pulmonary embolism, and congestive heart failure. A fistula between an aortic aneurysm and the pulmonary parenchyma is one of the causes of hemoptysis, but it is a rare. However, if undiagnosed, it is a uniformly fatal cause of massive hemoptysis. This is a case of bleeding from a fistula between an aortic arch aneurysm and a lung parenchyma in a patient with an aortic arch aneurysm who presented with massive hemoptysis. He had suffered intermittent hemoptysis since he was diagnosed with an aortic arch aneurysm three years before. A high clinical suspicion must be maintained when a history of intermittent hemoptysis is obtained in patients with an aortic aneurysm or prior aortic graft surgery.
Abscess ; Aneurysm* ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchitis ; Emergencies ; Fistula* ; Heart Failure ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Mortality ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis

Risk factors for infective endocarditis include injection drug abusers and patients with structural heart defects undergoing dental procedures. Infective endocarditis is clinically important because it is hard to diagnose it in its early stage owing to its various clinical manifestations, and because its morbidity and mortality increase when neurologic complications occur. This is a case of infective endocarditis in the course of treatment of which complicating cerebral hemorrhage and infarction progressed rapidly and prompted death.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Drug Users ; Endocarditis* ; Heart ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Mortality ; Risk Factors

Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) was first described as a new category of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia in 1994. This is a disease with a more insidious onset and has a chronic course. The histological findings are unusual for other idiopathic interstitial pneumonia cases (usual interstitial pneumonia, diffuse interstitial pneumonia, and acute interstitial pneumonia). In contrast to NSIP, acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) has an acute onset and a fulminant course with the rapid development of respiratory failure. A pathological examination demonstrated characteristic diffuse interstitial fibrosis, hyaline membranes, thrombi, and architectural derangement. Here we report a 48-year-old woman who was diagnosed pathologically NSIP, but with a rapid progressive course similar to AIP.
Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial* ; Membranes ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Insufficiency

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the factors predicting recurrence and the characteristics of patients who recurred after the treatment of spontaneous paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) with adenosine. METHODS: From January 1999 to December 2001, 62 patients with PSVT were enrolled in this study. The conversion group included patients who had had a therapeutic response, which was defined as the occurrence of a change in the sinus rhythm after adenosine administration. The recurred group consisted of all patients who had not had a therapeutic response. Clinical features, the results of treatment, ECG findings, and the hemodynamic statuses were analyzed. RESULTS: The treatments were vagal maneuver (5 pts, 7.5 %), adenosine 6 mg (37 pts, 55.2 %), adenosine 12 mg (14 pts, 20.9 %), verapamil 5 mg (9 pts, 13.4 %), and cardioversion (2 pts, 3.0 %). Twenty-five of the 62 patients failed to have a therapeutic response, yielding a recurrence rate of 40.3 %. Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) was more prevalent in the recurred group. The most common symptom at presentation was chest pain. The recurred group had increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. When patients were monitered after adenosine, unifocal premature ventricular complex was the most common rhythm encountered in the conversion group, but atrial fibrillation, and multifocal premature ventricular complex was the most common rhythm encountered. CONCLUSION: Age, heart rate, difference in systolic blood pressure from presentation to discharge, previous history of heart disease, and rhythms encountered after adenosine administration were factors predicting recurrence.
Adenosine ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Blood Pressure ; Chest Pain ; Electric Countershock ; Electrocardiography ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Recurrence* ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; Ventricular Premature Complexes ; Verapamil

Gastric adenocarcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide, but there are some geographical differences in its incidence. Gastointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is an uncommon disease with a wide spectrum of aggressive behavior. These two tumors have a distinct pathogenesis. GIST is frequently identified as an incidental lesion found by routine endoscopy or in resection specimens that are removed for other reasons. We report a case of a gastric adenocarcinoma mimicking GIST in a 79-year-old woman. GIST was suggested by endoscopic ultrasonography and computed tomography scanning, but gastric adenocarcinoma was confirmed by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy. We performed a subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth I, lymph node dissection and transverse colon segmentectomy, and a 15.0x7.5x5.5 cm-sized gastric tumor was confirmed pathologically. Immunohistochemistry was positive for carcinoembryonic antigen and focal weakly positive for cytokeratin7 and cytokeratin20.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colon, Transverse ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroenterostomy ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mastectomy, Segmental

The Pogo mouse is an autosomal recessive ataxic mutant that arose spontaneously in the inbred KJR/MsKist strain derived originally from Korean wild mice. The ataxic phenotype is characterized by difficulty in maintaining posture and side to side stability, faulty coordination between limbs and trunk, and the consequent inability to walk straight. In the present study, the cerebellar concentrations of glutamate and GABA were analyzed, since glutamate is a most prevalent excitatory neurotransmitter whereas gammar-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitters, which may be the main neurotransmitters related with the ataxia and epilepsy. The concentration of glutamate of cerebellum decreased significantly in ataxic mutant Pogo mouse compared to those of control mouse. However, GABA concentration was not decrease. These results suggested that the decrease in glutamate concentration may contribute to ataxia in mutant Pogo mouse.
Animals ; Calcium-Binding Protein, Vitamin D-Dependent/metabolism ; Cerebellum/*metabolism/pathology ; Gait Ataxia/*metabolism/pathology ; Glutamic Acid/*metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Mutant Strains ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/*metabolism

"Biliary cast syndrome" describes a cast formed from retained lithogenic material, and this cast is morphologically confined to the bile duct; this develops in 4~18% of liver transplant recipients. The pathogenesis of cast formation is not clearly understood. The proposing etiological factors for biliary cast syndrome include acute cellular rejection, a prolonged cold ischemic time, use of postoperative biliary drainage tubes and biliary infection. These casts are more likely to develop in the setting of hepatic ischemia and biliary stricture. Endoscopic and percutaneous cast extraction might achieve favorable results and this should be attempted before surgical therapy. We report here on a case of biliary cast syndrome that was secondary to orthotopic liver transplantation; this was successfully treated via percutaneous choledochoscopic removal. We also include a review of the literature.
Bile Ducts ; Cold Ischemia ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Transplantation

We present a case of pernicious anemia without history of operation in 52 year old female. She suffered from oral ulcer, gum bleeding, nausea, vomiting, and beefy tongue. She had dysesthesia on the both arm and foot, and hypesthesia of global and stocking type by neurologic examination. Laboratory findings were as follows: serum cobalamin 9.1 pg/mL (normal range: 180-710pg/mL), anti intrinsic factor antibody (strong positive), antiparietal cell Antibody 1:10 (positive), first stage of Schilling test (1.4%). The findings of peripheral blood and bone marrow were compatible with megaloblastic anemia. We report a case of pemicious anemia with positive anti intrinsic factor antibody and antiparietal cell antibody.
Anemia ; Anemia, Megaloblastic ; Anemia, Pernicious* ; Arm ; Bone Marrow ; Female ; Foot ; Gingiva ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Intrinsic Factor* ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Neurologic Examination ; Oral Ulcer ; Paresthesia ; Schilling Test ; Tongue ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive and progressive disease caused by alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-GaL A) deficiency. We sought to assess the prevalence of unrecognized Fabry disease in dialysis-dependent patients and the efficacy of serum globotriaosylceramide (GL3) screening. METHODS: A total of 480 patients of 1,230 patients among 17 clinics were enrolled. Serum GL3 levels were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. Additionally, we studied the association between increased GL3 levels and cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, or left ventricular hypertrophy. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients had elevated serum GL3 levels. The alpha-GaL A activity was determined for the 26 patients with high GL3 levels. The mean alpha-GaL A activity was 64.6 nmol/hr/mg (reference range, 45 to 85), and no patient was identified with decreased alpha-GaL A activity. Among the group with high GL3 levels, 15 women had a alpha-GaL A genetics analysis. No point mutations were discovered among the women with high GL3 levels. No correlation was observed between serum GL3 levels and alpha-GaL A activity; the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.01352 (p = 0.9478). No significant correlation was observed between increased GL3 levels and the frequency of cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: Fabry disease is very rare disease in patients with end-stage renal disease. Serum GL3 measurements as a screening method for Fabry disease showed a high false-positive rate. Thus, serum GL3 levels determined by tandem mass spectrometry may not be useful as a screening method for Fabry disease in patients with end stage renal disease.
Adult ; Aged ; Fabry Disease/blood/*diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Renal Dialysis ; Trihexosylceramides/*blood ; alpha-Galactosidase/genetics/metabolism

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of risperidone in the treatment of Korean schizophrenic patients. METHOD: This multicenter open study included 377 schizophrenic patients drawn from 39 university hospitals. After a wash-out period of 1 week, the schizophrenic patients were treated with risperidone for 8 weeks and evaluated at 5 points: at baseline, and 1,2,4 and 8 weeks of treatment. The dose was increased from 2mg/day(1mg twice daily) to 6mg/day(3mg twice daily) during the first week and adjusted to a maximum of 16mg/day over the next 7 weeks according to the patient's clinical response. Medication to control extrapyramidal symptoms was permitted. The psychiatric and neurological status of the patients was assessed by PANSS, CGI, and ESRS scales. RESULTS: 343(91%) of 377 patients completed the 8-week trial period. Clinical improvement, as defined by a 20% or more reduction in total PANSS score at end point, was shown by 81.3% of patients. The predictors of response to risperidone were associated older age, shorter duration of illness, fewer previous hospitalization. Risperidone had rapid onset of action: a significant decrease of the total PANSS and three PANSS factor(positive, negative, general), and CGI was already noticed at the end of first week. For the ESRS, parkinsonism rating scores were significantly increased until week 4 comparing with baseline. Dystonia rating scores were significantly increased until week 1, and dyskinesia rating scores were not significantly changed during the study. Laboratory parameters including vital sign, EKG, hematological, and biochemical values showed no significant changes during the trial. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that risperidone is generally safe and effective against both the positive and negative symptoms in our group of patients.
Dyskinesias ; Dystonia ; Electrocardiography ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia* ; Vital Signs ; Weights and Measures