Nodular pulmonary amyloidosis is one of the rare manifestation of amyloid disease. It is known to be caused by anyloid L fibrils in the majority of case. We experienced an unusual case of a forty-one year-old woman who was presented with multiple nodular lesion on the chest X-ray. CT-guided core needle bilpsy, performed on the lesion, showed apple green birefringes, when stained Congo red and examined under polarized light. Ultrastructurally, there are randomly oriented, forming densed networks, and consists of fine, 7.5 to 10nm diameter, rigid, non-branching filaments of various lengths in electron-microscopic finding. We report a case of primary diffuse nodular pulmonary amyloidosis only localized in the lung, which was confirmed by CT guided core needle biopsy.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle ; Congo Red ; Female ; Humans ; Lung* ; Needles ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Propylthiouracil (PIV) and methimazole (MMI) were widely used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Hepatic injury caused by these agents is a rare but serious complication. This study is to investigate the clinical features of hepatotoxicity from antithyroid drugs. METHODS: We reviewed 17 cases of hepatic injury during treatment with antithyroid drugs in patients with hyperthyroidism. Included were 6 cases we experienced and 11 cases reported in Korean literature from 1986 to 1999. We analyzed the clinical features of hepatic injury. RESULTS: Of 17 cases of hepatic injury, 12 were PTU cases and 5 MMI cases. The mean age of PTU cases was 40 years with 6/12 patients over 40 years old and 2/5 MMI cases were over 40 years old. The dose of PTU was 300 mg/d or more in 10/12 cases (83%) and the dose of MMI was 30 mg/d in 3/5 cases (60%). The hepatic injury occurred within 3 months in 8/12 PTU cases (67%) and within 2 months in 4/5 MMI cases (80%). The duration of hepatic injury tended to be longer in MMI cases than in PTV cases (median; 80 vs 41 days, p=0.102). In PTU cases, the duration of hepatic injury was correlated with the duration of drug use before hepatic injury (p<0.05). All of 8 biopsied cases who took PTU had predominantly hepatocellular necrosis. Two biopsied cases who took MMI had cholestatic jaundice and nonspecific abnormality, respectively. Biochemical findings of all MMI cases were compatible with cholestatic jaundice. As to the treatment of hyperthyroidism after hepatic injury, 4/12 PTU cases were treated with RAI therapy, 5 with MMI and one with surgery, and treatment was unknown in two. On the other hand 3/5 MMI cases interestingly entered into spontaneous remission after hepatic injury and 2/5 had RAI therapy. Hepatic dysfunction recurred in each one whom treatment by changing to MMI or PTU was tried on. CONCLUSION: Most of hepatic injury during treatment with antithyroid drugs developed within two to three months of drug use. The hepatic injury related to PTU was mainly cytotoxic whereas that related to MMI was cholestatic. Since there is a cross-reaction between PTU and MMI in hepatotoxicity, RAI therapy or operation shoud be considered as an alternative treatment of hyperthyroidism after hepatic injury.
Adult ; Antithyroid Agents* ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism* ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Methimazole ; Necrosis ; Propylthiouracil ; Remission, Spontaneous

Percutaneous renal biopsy is an essential component for diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases. In order to elucidate clinical and pathological features, 494 renal patients who had undergone renal biopsies at Gil Medical Center from January 1989 to June 1999 were studied retrospectively. The male to female ratio was 1.3 : 1 and average age was 33.2 years. There were 370(83.5%) cases of primary glomerular disease and 58(13.1%) cases of secondary glomerular disease. Among primary glomerular disease, IgA nephropathy was the most common(175 cases), followed by minimal change disease(84 cases), membranous glomerulonephritis(34 cases), and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(33 cases). In secondary glomerular disease, lupus nephritis was the most common(21 cases), followed by 11 cases of hepatitis B associated glomerulonephritis, 9 cases of Henoch-Sch nlein purpura, and 4 cases of diabetic nephropathy. Among 99 cases of asymptomatic urinary abnormalities, IgA nephropathy was most common(69 cases) followed by 12 cases of thin basement membrane disease, 4 cases of minimal change disease, and 3 cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous glomerulonephritis, nonspecific glomerulonephritis. Among 159 cases of nephrotic syndrome, minimal change disease was most common(60 cases) followed by 25 cases of IgA nephropathy, 23 cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 21 cases of membranous glomerulonephritis, and 13 cases of lupus nephritis. Documented complication of renal biopsies included 23 cases of gross hematuria, 6 cases of perirenal hematoma, and 4 cases of infection. Death, AV fistula, aneurysm or serious compications that required surgical intervention were not reported. In conclusion, the percutaneous renal biopsy is relatively safe, and useful for diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases. The most common type of primary glomerular disease was IgA nephropathy.
Aneurysm ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy* ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fistula ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; Hematoma ; Hematuria ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis ; Male ; Nephrosis, Lipoid ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Purpura ; Retrospective Studies