No abstract available.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; *Hepacivirus ; *Hepatitis C ; Humans

No abstract available.
Abdomen/diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Hyperplasia/*diagnosis ; Male ; Mesenteric Veins/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Congenital cysts of the gallbladder are extremely rare, hence only a few ciliated foregut cysts of gallbladder have been reported. We report a case of a 20-year-old woman presenting with mild right upper quadrant abdominal discomfort, with normal levels of serum bilirubin and liver function tests. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a well-defined cystic mass measured about 2 cm attached to the neck of gallbladder, with internal echogenic debris suggesting a complicated cyst, such as a hemorrhagic cyst. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed similar findings. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy showed a slightly distended gallbladder. The size of cyst on the neck was 1.6x1.2 cm, and it contained mucosa lined by ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium and underlying smooth muscle layers. Histopathology identified a ciliated foregut cyst of gallbladder.
Abdomen/diagnostic imaging ; Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Cysts/diagnostic imaging/pathology/surgery ; Female ; Gallbladder/pathology/surgery ; Gallbladder Diseases/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

Idiopathic cecal ulcer is a rare disease entity of unknown cause diagnosed by ruling out other known causes of cecal ulceration. The most common complication of an idiopathic cecal ulcer is bleeding; perforation, peritonitis, abscess, and stricture formation have been noted. The authors treated a 53-year-old woman who presented with fever and intermittent right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Multiple pyogenic liver abscess and a solitary cecal ulcer were diagnosed by radiologic, endoscopic, and pathologic examination, followed by laparoscopic cecectomy. After extensive study, we concluded that this patient's liver abscesses were a complication of the idiopathic cecal ulcer. Herein, we report a case of multiple pyogenic liver abscess caused by microperforation of idiopathic cecal ulcer.
Cecal Diseases/complications/*diagnosis/surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Liver/pathology ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic/*diagnosis/etiology ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ulcer/complications/*diagnosis/surgery

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes various acute and chronic diseases. Chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) is characterized by infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms that persist for more than 6 months with high viral loads in peripheral blood and/or an unusual pattern of anti-EBV antibodies. Severe CAEBV is associated with poor prognosis with severe symptoms, an extremely high EBV-related antibody titer, and hematologic complications that often include hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. However, CAEBV which led to the development of aplastic anemia (AA) has not been reported yet. A 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with intermittent fever, general weakness and elevated liver enzymes. In the serologic test, EBV-related antibody titer was elevated, and real-time quantitative-PCR in peripheral blood showed viral loads exceeding 10(4) copies/microg DNA. Liver biopsy showed characteristic histopathological changes of EBV hepatitis and in situ hybridization with EBV-encoded RNA-1 was positive for EBV. Pancytopenia was detected in peripheral blood, and the bone marrow aspiration biopsy showed hypocellularity with replacement by adipocytes. AA progressed and the patient was treated with prednisolone but deceased 8 months after the diagnosis due to multiple organ failure and opportunistic infection. Herein, we report a rare case of severe CAEBV in an adult patient accompanied by AA and persistent hepatitis.
Aged ; Anemia, Aplastic/*complications ; Carbapenems/therapeutic use ; Chronic Disease ; DNA, Viral/blood ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Hepatitis/*complications ; Herpesvirus 4, Human/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Severity of Illness Index ; Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy

Intramural esophageal dissection is a rare but clinically important condition in the field of gastroenterology. Classically, intramural esophageal dissection rarely occurs in patients who are anticoagulated or have poor medical condition, and its clinical presentation may include chest pain, dysphagia and hematemesis. Herein, we present a case of intramural esophageal dissection in an alcoholic hepatitis patient that was diagnosed by endoscopy and successfully treated with conservative management.
Deglutition Disorders/diagnosis ; Enteral Nutrition ; Esophageal Diseases/*diagnosis/surgery ; Esophagoscopy ; Hepatitis, Alcoholic/*pathology ; Humans ; Intubation, Gastrointestinal ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The optimal timing for discontinuing oral antiviral therapy in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate sustained remission after stopping antiviral therapy in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB. METHODS: We analyzed the medical records of 58 patients who were HBeAg-positive and had discontinued antiviral therapy. Antiviral therapy was discontinued after HBeAg seroconversion and HBV DNA negativity for 6-12 months with consolidation therapy. Virologic relapse was defined as an increase in serum HBV DNA >2,000 IU/mL. RESULTS: No difference was observed between the virologic non-relapse and virologic relapse groups in baseline HBV DNA level (p=0.441) or duration of seroconversion (p=0.070). Time-to-undetectable HBV DNA during treatment was shorter in the virologic non-relapse group (29 patients) compared to the relapse group (29 patients) (4.9+/-2.6 vs. 13.2+/-12.7 months; p<0.01). Cumulative relapse rates were 12.7 in month 3, 32.7 in month 6, 47.3 in month 12, and 52.7% in month 18. We determined by multivariate analysis that the consolidation period (> or =18 months, p=0.020) and early virologic response (HBV DNA <20 IU/mL) at six months during antiviral therapy (p=0.017) were significant predictors for sustained remission. CONCLUSIONS: A consolidation period of at least 18 months and early virological response at six months during antiviral therapy were associated with sustained remission in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB after treatment.
Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens/*blood ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics/isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Withholding Treatment

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lactose-free milk (LFM) is available for nutrient supply for those with lactose intolerance (LI). However, there are no consistent results of the efficacy of LFM in LI subjects. We aimed to examine the changes of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and hydrogen breath test (HBT) values after ingestion of lactose contained milk (LCM) vs. LFM. METHODS: From May 2015 to September 2015, thirty-five healthy adults with history of LCM-induced GI symptoms were recruited at a tertiary hospital. For the diagnosis of LI, HBT with LCM 550 mL (lactose 25 g) was performed every 20 minutes for 3 hours. The test was defined as "positive" when H2 peak exceeded 20 ppm above baseline values (DeltaH2>20 ppm). When the subjects are diagnosed as LI, the second HBT using LFM 550 mL (lactose 0 g) was performed 7 days later. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire about the occurrence and severity of GI symptoms. RESULTS: Among a total of 35 subjects, 31 were diagnosed with LI at first visit, and their LCM-related symptoms were abdominal pain (98.6%), borborygmus (96.8%), diarrhea (90.3%), and flatus (87.1%). The DeltaH2 value in subjects taking LCM (103.7+/-66.3 ppm) significantly decreased to 6.3+/-4.9 ppm after ingesting LFM (p<0.0001). There were also significant reduction in total symptom scores and the severity of each symptom when LCM was changed to LFM (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that LFM reduce LCM-related GI symptoms and H2 production in Korean adults. LFM can be an effective alternative for LCM in adults with LI.
Abdominal Pain/pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Breath Tests ; Diarrhea/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen/metabolism ; Lactose/chemistry/metabolism ; Lactose Intolerance/*diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Milk/chemistry ; Republic of Korea ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify the ability of Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) and pre-endoscopic Rockall score (pre-E RS) to predict the occurrence of hypotension in patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding who are initially normotensive at emergency department. METHODS: Retrospective observational study was conducted at Asan Medical Center emergency department (ED) in patients who presented with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013. Study population was divided according to the development of hypotension, and demographics, comorbidities, and laboratory findings were compared. GBS and pre-E RS were estimated to predict the occurrence of hypotension. RESULTS: A total of 747 patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding were included during the study period, and 120 (16.1%) patients developed hypotesion within 24 hours after ED admission. The median values GBS and pre-E RS were statistically different according to the occurrence of hypotension (8.0 vs. 10.0, 2.0 vs. 3.0, respectively; p<0.001). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of hypotension development, the area under the curve of GBS and pre-E RS were 66% and 64%, respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity of GBS using optimal cut-off value were 81% and 46%, respectively, while those based on the pre-E RS were 74% and 46%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GBS and pre-E RS were both not sufficient for predicting the occurrence of hypotension in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Development of other scoring systems are needed.
Adult ; Aged ; Area Under Curve ; Demography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Hypotension/epidemiology/*etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sporadic non-ampullary duodenal neoplasms are rare and optimal treatment for these lesions remains undefined. Endoscopic resection of duodenal neoplasms is widely used recently and it is an alternative treatment strategy to surgical excision. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic resection of duodenal neoplasms and to determine its outcomes. METHODS: Patients who underwent endoscopic resection for non-ampullary duodenal neoplasms between January 2005 and December 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Data including size, morphology, histology, location and endoscopic procedural technique were reviewed. The main outcome measurements were success rate, complication, recurrence and follow-up assessments. RESULTS: The study included 33 patients with duodenal neoplasms. The mean size of resected lesion was 8.58 mm. The results of histologic examination were as follows: 23 (69.7%) adenomas, 2 (6.1%) adenocarcinoma, 3 (9.1%) Brunner's gland tumor and 3 (9.1%) neuroendocrine tumor. Tubular adenoma wase the most common type (63.6%) of non-ampullary duodenal neoplasms. Eighteen (54.5%) lesions were found in the second portion of the duodenum, and 10 (30.3%) lesions on bulb and 3 (9.1%) lesions on superior duodenal angle. Of the 33 cases, 32 (97.0%) were managed by endoscopic mucosal resection technique during a single session and one case was managed by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). One episode of perforation occurred after ESD. During a median follow-up period of 5.76 months, recurrence was observed in only one case of in a patient with tubular adenoma. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection of duodenal neoplasm is a safe and effective treatment modality that can replace surgical resection in many cases. Careful endoscopic follow-up is essential to manage recurrence or residual lesions.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology ; Adenoma/pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Brunner Glands/pathology ; Duodenal Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery ; Duodenoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neuroendocrine Tumors/pathology ; Retrospective Studies