Hepatobiliary involvement is a rare manifestation of Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP). HSP cases related to hepatitis A, B or C virus have been reported but little is known about HSP cases complicated by cholestatic hepatitis without underlying hepatobiliary disease. Here, we report a case of Henoch-Schonlein purpura presenting with cholestatic hepatitis. The patient presented with upper abdominal pain and cholestasis that developed characteristic purpura. The patient was treated conservatively by therapeutic fasting and nutritional support, and liver function recovered 7 weeks after admission.
Abdominal Pain ; Cholestasis ; Fasting ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis A ; Humans ; Liver ; Nutritional Support ; Purpura ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; Viruses

The publisher wishes to apologize for incorrectly displaying the author (Ju Hyung Lee) name.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the colon with a variable clinical course of exacerbation and remission. Extraintestinal manifestations of UC, including hematological disorders, such as the rare immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), may be the presenting symptoms. We encountered the case of a 23-year-old man with UC who showed typical symptoms and endoscopic findings. Despite receiving steroid treatment, the patient developed severe thrombocytopenia. He was diagnosed with ITP, characterized by autoimmunity, a demonstrated low platelet count, normal bone marrow, positivity for autoantibody to platelet membrane antigen, and no splenomegaly. We initiated high dose intravenous immunoglobulin immediately for treatment of his steroid-refractory thrombocytopenia. The patient's hematochezia and platelet count improved following immunoglobulin treatment. After discharge, the patient's platelet count was maintained at a stable level and his condition was good. This case suggests that immunoglobulin therapy may be useful for treatment of ITP in UC.
Autoimmunity ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Colon ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Immunoglobulins ; Membranes ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Splenomegaly ; Thrombocytopenia ; Young Adult

Respiratory involvement in Crohn disease (CD) is rare condition with only about a dozen reported cases. We report the first case of CD with tracheal involvement in Korea. An 18-year-old woman with CD was hospitalized because of coughing, dyspnea, and fever sustained for 3 weeks. Because she had stridor in her neck, we performed computed tomography of the neck, which showed circumferential wall thickening of the larynx and hypopharynx. Bronchoscopy revealed mucosal irregularity, ulceration, and exudates debris in the proximal trachea, and bronchial biopsy revealed chronic inflammation with granulation tissue. Based on these findings, we suspected CD with tracheal involvement and began administering intravenous methylprednisolone at 1 mg/kg per day, after which her symptoms and bronchoscopic findings improved.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Crohn Disease* ; Dyspnea ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Fever ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Inflammation ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Korea* ; Larynx ; Methylprednisolone ; Neck ; Respiratory Sounds ; Trachea ; Ulcer

Blastocystis is one of the most commonly detected genera of protozoan parasites in the human intestines as well as the intestines of many other species such as pigs in several geographical regions worldwide. However, no studies have examined Blastocystis in pigs in Korea. In this study, PCR and nucleotide sequencing were performed to evaluate the genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of Blastocystis using pig fecal samples. We obtained 646 stool samples from groups of piglets, weaners, growers, finishers, and sows in Korea. A total of 390 Blastocystis-positive samples were identified, and the infection rate was 60.4%. The infection rates were significantly related to age and region. The 4 subtypes (STs) of Blastocystis confirmed by phylogenetic analysis were ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST5, indicating the high genetic diversity of Blastocystis in Korean pigs. ST5 was highly distributed in Korean pigs among detected STs in this study. Some sequences were closely related to those of Blastocystis isolated from humans. This is the first study of Blastocystis in pigs in Korea. Based on the results, Blastocystis is prevalent in Korean pigs. Although a small number of samples were obtained in some areas, the clinical development of Blastocystis infection in pigs and potential for human transmission should be further examined.
Blastocystis Infections ; Blastocystis ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Intestines ; Korea ; Parasites ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Swine