Weber-Christian disease (WCD) is an inflammatory disease of subcutaneous fat tissue which is characterized by relapsing, febrile tender nodules and histologically lobular panniculitis. Any area of the body containing fat can be affected by WCD. Several cases of WCD have been reported as involvement of the heart, lung, liver and kidney. Acute illness (ex. acute myocardiac infarction, infection, etc) can be complicated with stress-related hyperglycemia and increase insulin restistance. Finally this case show that Weber-Christian disease accompanied by marked hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, which resolved soon after corticosteroid.
Heart ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia* ; Infarction ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Panniculitis ; Panniculitis, Nodular Nonsuppurative* ; Subcutaneous Fat

PURPOSE: To report the outcome of using expandable metallic stent in the management of malignanttracheobronchial stenosis with dyspnea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under fluoroscopic and bronchoscopic guidance,seven patients with malignant airway stenosis were treated with ten expandable metallic stents. The cause ofstenosis was metastasis from esophageal cancer in five patients, recurrent adenoid cystic carcinoma of the tracheain one, and primary lung cancer in one. The major sites of obstruction were the trachea in four patients, the leftmain bronchus in one, the trachea and left main bronchus in one, and the trachea and both bronchi in one. Chestradiography(n=7), bronchoscopy(n=5), pulmonary function test(PFT)(n=3), and spirometry(n=1) were performed beforeand after stent placement. RESULTS: In all seven patients, the stent was successfully placed at the lesion sitesand dyspnea began to improve immediately. After the procedure, chest radiography and bronchoscopy showed anincrease in airway diameter. After stent placement, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume inone second(FEV1) improved 53% and 56%, respectively. Peak flow velocity also changed from 46 L/min to 200 L/min.During median follow-up of 67(41-1565)days, one stent migration occurred. In one patient, proximal tumorovergrowth occurred, and in one, tumor ingrowth was treated with balloon dilatation. CONCLUSION: For in thepalliative treatment of malignant tracheobronchial stenosis with dyspnea, placement of expandable metal steuts issafe and effective.
Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation ; Dyspnea ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palliative Care* ; Radiography ; Stents* ; Thorax ; Trachea ; Vital Capacity

Pyogenic granulomas (PGs) are rare benign lobular capillary hemangiomas that occur on the skin or mucosa. The most common sites of PG occurrence are the skin, lip, face and finger. This entity is extremely rare in the alimentary tract, with the exception of the oral cavity. We describe here a 72-year-old man who presented with dysphagia due to the presence of a pyogenic granuloma. The tumor was located in the mid-esophagus and it was treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection. PG is considered a lesion of reactive origin that may develop in response to trauma, infection, pregnancy, angiogenic factors or hormones. Gastrointestinal PG need to be treated because it is a rare cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and it is hard to differentiate from tumorous conditions such as Kaposi's sarcoma.
Aged ; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Deglutition Disorders ; Fingers ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Granuloma ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Lip ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Pregnancy ; Skin

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a widely accepted treatment for early gastric and esophageal cancer. Compared to endoscopic mucosal resection, ESD has the advantage of enabling en bloc removal of tumors regardless of their size. However, ESD can result in a large artificial ulcer, which may lead to a considerable deformity. Circumferential mucosal defects of more than three-fourths the esophageal circumference, long longitudinal mucosal defects (>30 mm), and lesions in the upper esophagus are significant risk factors for the development of post-ESD strictures of the esophagus. In the stomach, a circumferential mucosal defects more than three-fourths in extent and longitudinal mucosal defects >5 cm are risk factors of post-ESD stricture. If scheduled early, regular endoscopic balloon dilation is effective in controlling and preventing post-ESD stricture. Moreover, intralesional steroid injections or oral steroids can achieve remission of dysphagia or reduce the need for repeated endoscopic balloon dilation. However, further study is needed to improve the prevention of stricture formation.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagus ; Risk Factors ; Steroids ; Stomach ; Ulcer

Propylthiouracil (PTU) therapy is commonly used in the treatment of Graves' disease, but often accompanies several side effects, including a mild increase in liver enzymes, leukopenia, skin rash, and arthralgia. ANCA-positive vasculitis and crescentic glomerulonephritis have been rarely reported in patients suffering from (with) Graves' disease and treated with PTU. We experienced a rare case of ANCA-positive crescentic glomerulonephritis presenting rapid progressive renal failure in a 30-year-old woman, suffering from Graves' disease and treated with PTU for 6 years. She was admitted with dyspnea for 1 day and fever, gross hematuria, arthralgia and sore throat for several days. Her chest X-ray revealed moderate cardiomegaly, bilateral pulmonary edema, and bilateral pleural effusion. She had a palpable, firm, diffuse goiter. Anti-myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO) antibody and anti-protease 3 (anti-PR3) antibody were both positive by ELISA. A percutaneous renal biopsy showed crescentic golmerulonephritis showing active cellular crescent formation with some inflammatory cell infiltration and mesangial cell proliferation. Cellular crescents were present in 2 of 3 glomeruli. Immunofluorescence stain showed weak granular deposits of IgG, IgM and C3 in the mesangium and capillary wall. ANCA-positive crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with PTU was diagnosed. The patient was started on intravenous methylprednisolone 250 mg 2 times daily, and then oral prednisolone 100 mg every other day and PTU was discontinued. Her renal function was recovered gradually and anti-MPO antibody and anti-PR3 antibody subsequently fell. Second biopsy, 7 months after first biopsy, showed focal global glomerulosclerosis. 16 months after first biopsy. she had stable renal function with mild renal insufficiency and euthyroid state.
Adult ; Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Arthralgia ; Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Cardiomegaly ; Dyspnea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Goiter ; Graves Disease* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Leukopenia ; Liver ; Mesangial Cells ; Methylprednisolone ; Pharyngitis ; Pleural Effusion ; Prednisolone ; Propylthiouracil* ; Pulmonary Edema ; Renal Insufficiency ; Thorax ; Vasculitis

One of the most important prognostic factors in esophageal carcinoma is lymph node metastasis, and in particular, the number of affected lymph nodes, which influences long-term outcomes. The esophageal lymphatic system is connected longitudinally and transversally; thus, the pattern of lymph node metastases is very complex. Early esophageal cancer frequently exhibits skipped metastasis, and minimal surgery using sentinel node navigation cannot be performed. In Korea, most esophageal cancer cases are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), although the incidence of adenocarcinoma has started to increase recently. Most previous reports have failed to differentiate between SCC and adenocarcinoma, despite the fact that the Union for International Cancer Control (7th edition) and American Joint Committee on Cancer staging systems both consider these separately because they differ in cause, biology, lymph node metastasis, and outcome. Endoscopic tumor resection is an effective and safe treatment for lesions with no associated lymph node metastasis. Esophageal mucosal cancer confined to the lamina propria is an absolute indication for endoscopic resection, and a lesion that has invaded the muscularis mucosae can be cured by local resection if invasion to the lymphatic system has not occurred.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Incidence ; Joints ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic System ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasm Staging

We describe unusual manifestations of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation ( C.C.A.M.) of the lung, such as movable fungal ball-like intracystic blood clots and hemoptysis, which were detected in previously healthy 23 years-old woman. We identified blood clots only after left upper lobectomy and could not distinguish from fungal ball with radiographic methods. CCAM of the lung, rare and lethal form of congenital pulmonary cystic disease, was initially introduced by Ch'in and Tang in 1949. The histogenesis of this lesion is characterized by polypoid glandular tissue proliferation and overgrowth of mesenchymal elements due to cessation of bronchiolar maturation which occured in after 16weeks intrauterine period. In 80-95% of reported cases, the lesion was confined to a single lobe and there was no lobe and right and left lung predilection. The clinical presentation may be widely variable, ranging from intrauterine fetal death to late discovery in childhood with recurrent pulmonary infection. But there's no reports which were misdiagnosed with intracystic fungal ball. The treatment choice is lobectomy of affected lobe. There's a few case reports with rhabdomyosarcoma, bronchiolar cell carcinoma and myxosarcoma arising in CCAM patients. Therefore, early resection is recommended even if asymtomatic cases. We experienced a rare case of CCAM of the lung in 23 years old female, and there were intracystic fungal ball-like movable blood clots in lower portion of left lung. After left upper lobectomy was performed, now she is discharged and followed up without any complications.
Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital* ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung* ; Myxosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Our clinical experience and recent published literatures suggest that Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) has become more common and potentially more pathogenic in recent years. The aim of study was to evaluate changes in the epidemiological features of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients of CDC diagnosed at Kangnam St. Mary Hospital from 1998 to 2007. CDC was defined as having a positive C. difficile cytotoxicity assay, or endoscopic or pathologic evidence of CDC. RESULTS: A total of 189 cases (male 73, female 116, mean age 63.3 years) of CDC were diagnosed during the study period. The prevalence of CDC increased from 1.9/10,000 patient admissions in 1998-1999 to 8.82/10,000 patient admissions in 2006-2007. One hundred sixty three indication for cases (86.2%) of patients identified a prior use of antibiotics in the 2 months preceding diagnosis. The most common antibiotic use was prophylactic use during perioperational period (33.3%) followed by pneumonia (23.3%). The overall response rate to initial antibiotics was 82.7%. One hundred seventy two (91%) patients were initially treated with metronidazole. The response rate was 84.3%. All patients with initial failure to metronidazole were successfully treated by vancomycin. The response rate of vancomycin as first treatment was 80%. Three deaths were associated with CDC despite the use of combination of metronidazole and vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea significantly increased from 1998 to 2007.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; *Clostridium difficile ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous/diagnosis/drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Vancomycin/therapeutic use

Metformin is an oral antidiabetic drug in the biguanide class, which is used for type 2 diabetes. The side effects of metformin are mostly limited to digestive tract symptoms, such as diarrhea, flatulence and abdominal discomfort. The most serious potential adverse effect of metformin is lactic acidosis. A 51-year-old man was admitted due to hypoglycemia as a result of an overdose of antidiabetic drugs. He took massive dose of metformin. Conservative treatment failed for metabolic acidosis without lactic acidosis accompanied by acute kidney injury. Hemodialysis was executed to correct the high anion gap metabolic acidosis and acute kidney injury, and the patient recovered fully from metabolic acidosis. This case illustrates that the presence of clinical conditions, such as metformin-induced acute kidney injury and metabolic acidosis, can be developed without lactic acidosis. Prompt recognition of metabolic acidosis and early intervention with hemodialysis can result in a successful clinical outcome.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Acidosis ; Acidosis, Lactic ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Diarrhea ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Flatulence ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Metformin ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis

BACKGROUND: In many countries, nephrologists follow clinical practice guidelines for mineral bone disorders to control secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) associated with abnormal serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Guidelines have long been used in Korea, and this study was undertaken to investigate the current status of serum Ca and P control in MHD patients. METHODS: Data were collected from a total of 1,018 patients undergoing MHD without intercurrent illness, in 17 hemodialysis centers throughout the country. Serum levels of Ca, P, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured over 1 year, and the average values were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Serum levels of Ca, P, and the CaxP product were 9.1+/-0.7mg/dL, 5.3+/-1.4mg/dL, and 48.0+/-13.6mg2/dL2, respectively. However, the percentages of patients with Ca, P, and Ca x P product levels within the KDOQI guideline ranges were 58.7%, 51.0%, and 70.7%, respectively. Of the 1,018 patients, 270 (26.5%) had iPTH >300pg/mL (uncontrolled SHPT), whereas 435 patients (42.7%) showed iPTH <150pg/mL. Patients with uncontrolled SHPT had significantly higher values of serum Ca, P, and CaxP product than those with iPTH < or =300pg/mL. CONCLUSION: Despite the current clinical practice guidelines, SHPT seems to be inadequately controlled in many MHD patients. Uncontrolled SHPT was associated with higher levels of serum Ca, P, and Ca x P product, suggestive of the importance of SHPT management.
Calcium* ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Kidney Diseases ; Korea ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Phosphorus* ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies