Anemia is a common cause of referrals to gastroenterologists. Only a small number of anemia cases result from vascular abnormalities. Visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are rare forms of vascular disease that have significant potential for rupture, resulting in potentially life-threatening hemorrhaging. We present the case of a 70-year-old female patient with a pseudoaneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery complicated with rupture, who had no abdominal pain and only anemia.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Anemia* ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False* ; Arteries ; Female ; Humans ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Referral and Consultation ; Rupture* ; Vascular Diseases

PURPOSE: With growing interest in early imaging, the aim of our study was to define the most practical modality for routine clinical use for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN). We compared the sensitivity of enhanced computerized tomography (CT), dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy, and Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) by using clinical findings as the standard of reference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 207 APN patients (191 women, 16 men; mean age, 49.4 years; range, 17-88 years) were enrolled in this study. All the patients underwent imaging modalities during hospitalization. SPECT images were obtained 4 hours after injection of (99m)Tc-DMSA. Transverse and coronary CT images were obtained before and after injection of the contrast agent. DUS was performed in the longitudinal, transverse, and coronal planes. All the images were read independently by a single radiologist and a nuclear medicine specialist. The sensitivity of each modality for detecting APN was compared. RESULTS: CT showed significantly superior sensitivity compared with that of DUS (81.0% vs. 33.3%, respectively, n=147). DMSA scintigraphy also showed significantly superior sensitivity compared with that of DUS (74.7% vs. 33.3%, respectively, n=150). Compared with DMSA scintigraphy, CT showed superior sensitivity, but the difference was not statistically significant (81.0% vs. 74.8%, respectively, n=147, p=0.163). CONCLUSIONS: For cases of clinically suspected APN, CT and DMSA scintigraphy appear to be equally sensitive and reliable for detecting APN, although CT is more practical in various fields. DUS was significantly less sensitive.
Diagnostic Imaging ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Nuclear Medicine ; Pyelonephritis ; Specialization ; Succimer ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between concentrations of air pollutants and the prevalence of allergic diseases/pulmonary function among elementary school students. METHODS: There were 1,262 students in the second grade of 11 elementary schools in Incheon. At each school, 5-year mean concentration of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and PM10 (particulate matter with diameter < or =10 microm) were calculated via the Geographic Information System through the database of the National Institute of Environmental Research. The association was compared by two ways of grouping. First, the schools were classified into adjacent and nonadjacent schools by whether the school was located within or away 1 km from air pollutant-emitting facilities. Second, the schools were divided into 2 groups: those with relatively high concentrations of air pollutants based on the median level of 5-year mean concentrations and those with low concentrations. RESULTS: The concentrations of air pollutants except ozone were higher in adjacent schools than nonadjacent schools. The students of adjacent schools showed a lower level of forced expiratory volume in one second and peak expiratory flow, and higher prevalence of 'difficulty of speaking due to dyspnea, within the last year' than those of nonadjacent schools. The prevalence of this speaking difficulty was higher in schools with relatively high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and PM10 groups than in those with low concentrations of them. The relatively high level of PM10 group increased the prevalence of allergic rhinitis than the low level of PM10 group. CONCLUSION: Air pollutants may influence an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases, especially allergic rhinitis, and a decrease in the pulmonary function in students.
Air Pollutants ; Asthma ; Carbon Monoxide ; Dyspnea ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Geographic Information Systems ; Humans ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; Ozone ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Sulfur Dioxide

We report a case of Turner syndrome associated with idiopathic central diabetes insipidus in a 12-year-old girl, who presented with polyuria and polydipsia after a year. The patient was very short and and centrally obese, and was initially diagnosed with Turner syndrome, hyperlipidema, and diabetes mellitus. A water deprivation test revealed central diabetes insipidus, and sellar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a thickening of the pituitary stalk, with normal high signal intensity in the posterior pituitary gland. Replacement therapy with desmopressin was initiated, and follow-up sellar MRI findings after two years showed spontaneous regression of the thickened pituitary stalk. There are only few reports of concomitant Turner syndrome with central diabetes insipidus worldwide. Further observation is needed in order to disclose the cause of central diabetes insipidus in patients having Turner syndrome.
Child ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Turner Syndrome ; Water Deprivation

We report a case of Turner syndrome associated with idiopathic central diabetes insipidus in a 12-year-old girl, who presented with polyuria and polydipsia after a year. The patient was very short and and centrally obese, and was initially diagnosed with Turner syndrome, hyperlipidema, and diabetes mellitus. A water deprivation test revealed central diabetes insipidus, and sellar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a thickening of the pituitary stalk, with normal high signal intensity in the posterior pituitary gland. Replacement therapy with desmopressin was initiated, and follow-up sellar MRI findings after two years showed spontaneous regression of the thickened pituitary stalk. There are only few reports of concomitant Turner syndrome with central diabetes insipidus worldwide. Further observation is needed in order to disclose the cause of central diabetes insipidus in patients having Turner syndrome.
Child ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Polydipsia ; Polyuria ; Turner Syndrome ; Water Deprivation

PURPOSE: The pathophysiological role of detrusor overactivity (DO) in the bladder, which is commonly observed in various bladder diseases, is not well understood. DO appears in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), and may continue even after subsequent deobstruction. DO therefore provides an excellent opportunity to observe molecular biological changes. METHODS: In this study, to understand the molecular effects of persistent DO after BOO induction and deobstruction, we performed awake cystometry on female Sprague-Dawley rats divided into 4 groups: a sham group, a BOO group, a deobstructed group with DO after BOO (DDO), and a deobstructed group without DO after BOO (non-DDO). Total RNA was extracted from the bladder samples, and gene expression profiles were compared between the sham and model groups. RESULTS: DO was observed in 5 of the 6 rats (83%) in the BOO group, and in 6 of the 13 rats (46%) in the deobstructed group. The non-DDO group showed a significantly greater residual volume than the DDO group. Through a clustering analysis of gene expression profiles, we identified 7,532 common upregulated and downregulated genes, the expression of which changed by more than 2 fold. In the BOO group, 898 upregulated and 2,911 downregulated genes were identified. The non-DDO group showed 3,472 upregulated and 4,025 downregulated genes, whereas in the DDO group, only 145 and 72 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal function and gene expression profiles in bladders after BOO were normalized in the BOO rats with DO after deobstruction, whereas in those without DO, abnormal function persisted and the gene expression profile became more abnormal. DO may play a protective role against the stress to the bladder induced by BOO and deobstruction as a form of adaptive neuroplasticity.
Animals ; DNA ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Microarray Analysis ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Residual Volume ; RNA ; Transcriptome* ; Urethral Obstruction ; Urinary Bladder Diseases ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive

Background/Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected Korean patients in a real clinical setting. Methods: A total of 273 patients who received LDV/SOF therapy between May 2016 and February 2021 were consecutively enrolled and analyzed. A per-protocol analysis was performed to evaluate the virologic response. Results: Seventy-five percent were infected with genotype 1, and 25% were infected with genotype 2. A hundred eightyone (66.3%) patients had chronic hepatitis, 74 (27.1%) had compensated cirrhosis, eight (2.9%) had decompensated cirrhosis, and 10 (3.7%) had undergone liver transplantation. Undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 was achieved in 90.2% (231/256) of patients, 99.2% (250/252) achieved the end of treatment response, and 98.1% (202/206) achieved sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). According to liver function, the SVR12 rates were 99.3% (135/136) in chronic hepatitis, 96.4% (53/55) in compensated cirrhosis, and 100% (6/6) in decompensated cirrhosis. The SVR12 rates according to the genotype were 98.2% (167/170) for genotype 1 and 97.2% (35/36) for genotype 2. An 8-week LDV/SOF treatment in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis patients with HCV RNA < 6,000,000 IU/mL at baseline resulted in 100% (23/23) SVR12 rates. Overall, LDV/SOF was tolerated well, with a 0.7% (2/273) discontinuation rate due to adverse events that were unrelated to LDV/SOF. Conclusions LDV/SOF is effective and safe for treating HCV-infected Korean patients with high SVR12 rates.

Background/Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) available in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Korea. Methods: In a retrospective, multicenter cohort study, 362 patients were enrolled from 2015 to 2019. The effectiveness and safety of DAAs including glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, sofosubvir/ribavirin, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, and daclatasvir/asunaprevir were analyzed for patients according to CKD stage. We evaluated sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment (SVR12) as primary endpoint. The effectiveness and safety were also evaluated according to CKD stage. Results: Among 362 patients, 307 patients completed DAAs treatment and follow-up period after end of treatment. The subjects comprised 87 patients (62 with CKD stage 3 and 25 with CKD stage (4–5), of whom 22 were undergoing hemodialysis). HCV patients with CKD stage 1 and 2 (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) showed SVR12 of 97.2% and 95.4% respectively. SVR12 of CKD stage 3 and 4–5 (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) patients was 91.9% and 91.6% respectively. Patients undergoing hemodialysis achieved SVR12 (90.9%). Treatment failure of DAAs in stage 1, 2, 3, and 4–5 was 2.8%, 2.7%, 1.6%, and 4%. DAAs showed good safety profile and did not affect deterioration of renal function. Conclusions DAAs shows comparable SVR12 and safety in CKD patients (stage 3, 4, and 5) with HCV compared with patients with stage 1 and 2. The effectiveness and safety of DAAs may be related to the treatment duration. Therefore, it is important to select adequate regimens of DAAs and to increase treatment adherence.

BACKGROUND: Medical skin care is essential for the treatment of skin diseases all over the world. Medical skin care is also part of medical practice and this must be differentiated from the simple skin care that is given for normal healthy skin. OBJECTIVE: We wanted to discuss medical skin care and the related medical devices and legal issues. METHODS: We reviewed the related laws and regulations, we consulted experts and associations and we analyzed the result of the survey. RESULTS: Legally, medical skin care and simple skin care are well classified. However, many illegal procedures are still performed by non-medical personnel and many adverse effects have been reported as a result. Furthermore, there are no legal restrictions for the performer based on the grade of each medical skin care procedure. CONCLUSION: For the best results and safe procedures, medical skin care must be performed by approved medical equipment under the supervision of a physician or medical personnel. Continuous control and guidance by the government is strongly needed.
Jurisprudence ; Organization and Administration ; Skin ; Skin Care ; Skin Diseases ; Social Control, Formal

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There have been numerous efforts to reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with antiviral agents during pregnancy. However, there are limited data regarding the outcomes of pregnant women after delivery. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of antiviral agents in preventing MTCT of HBV and maternal long-term outcomes. METHODS: The HBV-infected pregnant women treated with antiviral agents to prevent MTCT were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-one pregnant women who received telbivudine or tenofovir during late pregnancy (28-34 week) were analyzed. Hepatitis B virus surface antibody (HBsAb) positivity was tested in 43 infants after 7 months of birth. Eleven mothers were followed >1 year after delivery. RESULTS: The mean HBV DNA titer before antiviral therapy was 8.67 (6.60–9.49) log copies/mL, and the median age at delivery was 32 years (range, 22–40). Eleven patients were treated with tenofovir and 30 with telbivudine. The median duration was 57 days (range, 23–100), and the median HBV DNA titer at birth was 5.06 log copies/mL (range, 2.06–6.50). Antiviral treatments were associated with significant HBV DNA reduction (P < 0.001). Among 43 infants (two cases of twins), HBsAb was not detected in two, subsequently confirmed to have HBV infection. Biochemical flare was observed in two of 11 mothers followed >12 months, and an antiviral agent was administered. CONCLUSIONS: Antiviral treatment during late pregnancy effectively reduced MTCT. Long-term follow-up should be required in such cases. In addition, given that maternal biochemical flare occurred in 18% of mothers, re-administration of antiviral agents might be required.
Antiviral Agents ; DNA ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Tenofovir