Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in many clinical situations and is relatively simple to perform with proper technique. Local anesthetic technique is often preferable to general anesthesia for bronchoscopies since these examinations are mostly undertaken as outpatient procedures. Inhaled topical lidocaine, used to produce anesthesia of the repiratory tract prior to bronchoscopy, may cause anaphylactoid reaction in patients. However lidocaine hypersensitivity reaction is uncommon. We report the case of death due to hypersensitivity to topical lidocaine spray given during routine premedication for this procedure. The possibility of bronchospasm secondary to an adverse reaction to premedication or anesthesia must also be considered.
Anaphylaxis* ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Bronchial Spasm ; Bronchoscopy* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Lidocaine* ; Outpatients ; Premedication

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies. Many factors are considered to be etiology associated with HCC; the important factors are hepatitis B and C viruses and alcohol. Cirrhosis is present in the majority of patients with HCC. It is assumed that all diseases, which lead to liver cirrhosis, may be complicated by the development of HCC. We report a 36-year-old man with HCC which developed from cardiac cirrhosis caused by constrictive pericarditis in whom both hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C viral marker tests were all negative. CT scan of his heart showed pericardial calcification with diastolic dysfunction of right ventricle. Abdominal CT scan revealed mottled mosaic pattern of contrast enhancement of liver parenchyme and two hepatic lesions that were considered to be HCCs. Left lateral segmentectomy of liver was performed. There were two well-circumscribed masses which were confirmed to be HCC and the remaining hepatic parenchyma showed bridging fibrosis between central zonal regions. To our knowledge, this is the first case of HCC complicating cardiac cirrhosis in Korea.
Adult ; Bromhexine ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*complications/radiography ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications/radiography ; Liver Neoplasms/*complications/radiography ; Male ; Pericarditis, Constrictive/*complications/radiography

Parosteal lipoma is a rare benign tumor containing mature adipose tissue having an intimate relationship to the periosteum. Characteristically, this tumor presents as a lipomatous mass adjacent to bone, eliciting variable reactive changes in the underlying cortex. We report a case of parosteal lipoma of the foot. The MR findings consisted of juxtacortical lipomatous mass abutting to bony protuberance, with internal fibrous striations, and osseous reaction in the adjacent bone. By the aid of multiplanar imaging capability, high spatial and contrast resolution of MRI, characteristic features of parosteal lipoma can lead to diagnosis on imaging.
Adipose Tissue ; Foot ; Lipoma ; Periosteum

Spontaneous disappearance of breast calcification has rarely been reported. The majority of cases of spontaneously resolving calcifications have been concerned with benign processes. We report here on breast papillary carcinoma that showed spontaneously resolving microcalcifications without newly developed parenchymal changes on the follow-up mammogram.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Papillary* ; Follow-Up Studies

People with upper body or visceral obesity have a much higher risk of morbidity and mortality from obesity-related metabolic disorders than those with lower body obesity. In an attempt to develop therapeutic strategies targeting visceral obesity, depot- specific differences in the expression of genes in omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues were investigated by DNA array technology, and their roles in adipocyte differentiation were further examined. We found that levels of metallothionein-II (MT-II) mRNA and protein expression were higher in omental than in subcutaneous adipose tissues. The study demonstrates that MT-II may play an important role in adipocyte differentiation of 3T3L1 preadipocytes, and that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibits the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3L1 cells by repressing MT-II in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the intraperitoneal administration of NAC to rats and mice resulted in a reduction of body weights, and a marked reduction in visceral fat tissues. These results suggest that MT-II plays important roles in adipogenesis, and that NAC may be useful as an anti-obesity drug or supplement.
Viscera/drug effects/metabolism ; Time Factors ; Subcutaneous Fat/drug effects ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Middle Aged ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Metallothionein/*genetics/metabolism/physiology ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Down-Regulation/drug effects/genetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Anti-Obesity Agents/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Aged ; Adipose Tissue/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Adipocytes/cytology/drug effects/metabolism ; Acetylcysteine/*pharmacology ; 3T3-L1 Cells

PURPOSE: Contrast media extravasation (CME) is an adverse reaction after administration of contrast media during CT examinations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency, management, and outcomes of extravasations and to assess the risk factors for CME in the emergency department (ED) and the ward. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at a single academic urban hospital from January 2013 to December 2015. We analyzed the medical records of all patients who experienced CME after undergoing a CT scan. We compared the patients' age, sex, underlying disease, injection site, injection flow rate, time of CT examination, type of CT examination, and severity of injury between those in the ED and the ward. RESULTS: CME occurred in 41 (0.36%) of 114767 patients, which included 16 (0.34%) in the ED and 25 (0.37%) in the ward. Both groups were more frequent in those aged older than 60 years and in female. Additionally, the abdominopelvic CT type and 2–3 mL/s as the injection rate were more common in both groups. However, CME was more frequent during the nighttime (10, 62.5%) in the ER, while it was more common in the daytime (14, 56.0%) in the ward. Severe complications were more frequent in the ER (9, 56.3%) compared with the ward (8, 32.8%). There were no significant differences in CME between the ED and the ward. When comparing the clinical manifestations in the mild and severe groups, the antecubital fossa (33.3% and 0%, respectively; p = 0.013) for the injection site and abdominopelvic CT (41.7% and 82.4%, respectively; p = 0.012) and CT angiography (41.7% and 5.87%, respectively; p = 0.014) for the CT examination showed significant differences between the mild and severe groups. CONCLUSION In this study, there were no significant clinical differences in CME between the ED and ward. Thus, prevention is more important than the place of admission. Radiologists and emergency physicians should pay attention to CME in the ED because it frequently occurs at night and results in more severe complications.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with the admission of patients in the emergency department (ED) within 30 days after discharge. METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted on adult patients presenting with abdominal pain to the ED of a single, urban, university hospital, between January 2014 and December 2015, who revisited the ED within 30 days after discharge. Data was collected on the emergency severity index level, time to contact doctors, physical examination, laboratory tests, use of computed tomography (CT), and patient disposition on revisitation. The primary outcome was hospital admission following an ED revisit in the 30-day period after the first visit. RESULTS: During the study period, 19,480 patients visited the ED with the chief complaint of abdominal pain, and 13,577 were discharged. A total of 251 patients (1.29%) revisited the ED within 30 days, of which 89 were eligible for the study. The primary outcome was associated with not performing a CT scan on the initial visit and an increased C-reactive protein (CRP) value. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a cut-off baseline CRP value of >0.35 mg/dL can predict the primary outcome with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 62.1%, respectively (area under the curve, 0.701; 95% confidence interval, 0.569–0.833; P=0.007). CONCLUSION: An increased CRP value and not performing abdominal CT were associated with a higher rate of admission following ED revisits of patients with abdominal pain. Future prospective studies on the role of abdominal CT imaging in patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain will be needed.
Abdominal Pain* ; Adult ; C-Reactive Protein ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Observational Study ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective: To evaluate the predictive performance of optic nerve sheath thickness (ONST) on the outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to compare the inter-observer agreement To evaluate the predictive performance of optic nerve sheath thickness (ONST) for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to compare the predictive performance and inter-observer agreement between ONST and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) on facial computed tomography (CT). Methods: We retrospectively enrolled patients with a history of facial trauma and who underwent both facial CT and brain CT. Two reviewers independently measured ONST and ONSD of each patient using facial CT images. Final brain CT with clinical outcome was used as the reference standard for TBI. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and intraclass correlation coefficients were used for statistical analyses. Results: Both ONST (P=0.002) and ONSD (P=0.001) on facial CT were significantly independent factors to distinguish between TBI and healthy brains; an increase in ONST and ONSD values corresponded with an increase in the risk of TBI by 8.9- and 7.6-fold, respectively. The predictive performances of the ONST (sensitivity, 96.2%; specificity, 94.3%; area under the ROC curve, 0.968) and ONSD (sensitivity, 92.6%; specificity, 90.2%; area under the ROC curve, 0.955) were excellent and exhibited similar sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (P=0.18–0.99). Interobserver and intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients for ONST were significantly higher than those for ONSD (all P<0.001). Conclusion ONST on facial CT is a feasible predictor of TBI and demonstrates similar performance and superior observer agreement than ONSD. We recommend using ONST measurements to assess the need for additional brain CT scans in TBI-suspected cases.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of present study is to investigate the influence of a spinal gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABAB) receptor on a central regulation of blood pressure(BP) and heart rate(HR), and to define its mechanism in the spinal cord. METHODS: In urethane-anesthetized, d-tubocurarine- paralyzed and artificially ventilated male Sprague-Dawley rats, intrathecal administration of drugs were carried out using injecton cannula(33-gauge stainless steel) through the guide cannula(PE 10) which was inserted intrathecally at lower thoracic level through the puncture of a atlantooccipital membrane. RESULTS: Intrathecal injection of an GABAB receptor agonist baclofen(30, 60, 100 nmol) decreased both blood pressure and heart rate dose-dependently. Pretreatment with 8-bromo-cAMP(50 nmol), a cAMP analog or glipizide(50 nmol), a ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker attenuated the depressor and bradycardic effects of baclofen (100 nmol) but not with 8-bromo-cGMP(50 nmol) a cGMP analog. CONCLUSIONS: The GABAB receptor in the spinal cord plays an inhibitory role in central cardiovascular regulation and that this depressor and bradycardic actions are mediated by the decrease of cAMP via the inhibition of adenylate cyclase and the opening of K+ channel.
Adenylyl Cyclases ; Animals ; Baclofen ; Blood Pressure ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Injections, Spinal ; Male ; Membranes ; Punctures ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic sphincterotomy is considered the primary option for treatment of common bile duct (CBD) stones. In some cases, however, complete stone removal is difficult or even impossible. Endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) has been suggested to be an alternative treatment in such cases or in patients with high surgical risks. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of ERBD using a plastic stent for treatment of CBD stones. METHODS: From Mar. 1996 to Aug. 1999, ERBD was performed in 12 patients with CBD stones. Indications for ERBD were old age in 4, a large perivater diverticulum in 4, refusal of surgery in 2, bleeding risk and biliary stricture in 1 each. Nine had one of the significant associated medical conditions. RESULTS: Six of the 12 patients were symptom-free at the time of evaluation (mean 32.9 months). Of the remaining 6 patients, 3 had operation, 1 had a successful endoscopic stone removal, 1 had a stent exchange, and 1 was lost to follow-up at 26 months. Thus, overall success rate of ERBD for treatment of CBD stones was 75% (9/12). Median symptom-free duration was 41 months (range 18~59 months). CONCLUSIONS: In view of its relatively high success rate and long-term effect, ERBD is an alternative modality for treatment of CBD stones, especially in patients with high surgical risks.
Common Bile Duct* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Disulfiram ; Diverticulum ; Drainage* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Plastics* ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Stents*