Background: A set of criteria for severity classification is essential in alopecia areata (AA). Currently, no guidelines are universally accepted for defining AA severity. Objective: This study aimed to establish a set of consensus criteria for classifying the severity of and identifying treatment refractoriness in AA. Methods: A preliminary draft of the definition for moderate-to-severe AA was crafted based on available evidence, and members of the Korean Hair Research Society (KHRS) subsequently endorsed the recommendation through an online survey. Results: In the first Delphi round, consensus was attained on 15 questions. After refining certain items in the second round, consensus was achieved on 23 out of 26 questions. The KHRS first defined AA severity using the severity of alopecia tool (SALT). SALT ≥50 was defined as severe, 20≤ SALT <50 as moderate, and SALT <20 as mild. Moderate AA was considered severe if it meets one or more of the following criteria: dermatology life quality index >10, presence of accompanying eyebrow or eyelash loss, positive hair loss activity, or treatment-refractory AA. Conclusion These consensus criteria can help clinicians accurately diagnose AA, provide appropriate treatment, and monitor its progression.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is characterized by hair loss on the scalp and body, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life based on its severity. Objective: This study aims to identify crucial factors influencing the perception of severe AA from the patients’ viewpoint. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among AA patients attending dermatology departments at 21 university hospitals in Korea. The survey comprised 17 criteria, exploring both clinical characteristics of AA patients and subjective determinants of disease severity. Results: A total of 791 AA patients and their caregivers participated in the survey. Approximately 30% of respondents developed AA during childhood, with 43.5% experiencing chronic courses lasting over 3 years. Half of the participants exhibited more than 20% scalp hair loss, and 42% reported additional hair loss on other body parts, such as eyelashes and nose hair.Most respondents agreed that patients with ≥20% scalp hair loss should be categorized as having severe AA. They also identified longer disease duration, involvement of non-scalp body hair, treatment refractoriness, and social or mental impairment requiring medical intervention as factors indicating increased disease severity. Conclusion This survey underscores the significant impact of AA on patients’ quality of life and highlights existing unmet needs in current treatment modalities.

Background: Pediatric alopecia areata (AA) can affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their family members. Research on the QoL and burden on family members in pediatric AA is limited. Objective: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study described the QoL and burden of the family members of patients with pediatric AA. Methods: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study enrolled AA patients between the ages of 5 and 18 years from March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018. Enrolled patients and their parents completed the modified Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the modified Dermatitis Family Impact (mDFI). The disease severity was measured using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) survey scores. Results: A total of 268 patients with AA from 22 hospitals participated in this study. Our study found that the efficacy and satisfaction of previous treatments of AA decreased as the severity of the disease increased. The use of home-based therapies and traditional medicines increased with the increasing severity of the disease, but the efficacy felt by patients was limited. CDLQI and mDFI scores were higher in patients with extensive AA than those with mild to moderate AA. The economic and time burden of the family members also increased as the severity of the disease increased. Conclusion The severity of the AA is indirectly proportional to the QoL of patients and their family members and directly proportional to the burden. Physicians need to understand these characteristics of pediatric AA and provide appropriate intervention to patients and their family members.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a form of chronic pancreatitis characterized by an autoimmune inflammatory process. This is the first case report of AIP, not otherwise specified, accompanied by pericardial effusion. A 52-year-old female visited our hospital due to dyspnea. Echocardiography showed a large amount of pericardial thickening. Abdominal computed tomography revealed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas body and tail with a sausage-shaped appearance, surrounded by a thick hypodense rim. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography could not identify the tail portion of the pancreas, despite forceful contrast injection. Serology was positive for antinuclear antibody and IgG4 was normal. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided core biopsy of the pancreas was performed. Histologic examination revealed a fibrous connective tissue with inflammatory infiltration. The patient was treated with steroids. In the follow-up images, abnormal findings of pericardial effusion were improved, although an irregular long stricture of the pancreas tail portion remained.
Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Biopsy ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Connective Tissue ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis* ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Steroids

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adenoma detection rate (ADR) is widely used as an index of colonoscopy quality management. Although advanced adenomas can be found less frequently than non-advanced adenomas, advanced adenomas have a higher clinical significance during screening for colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between advanced and non-advanced ADR among colonoscopists. METHODS: This study is an observational study of a cohort of patients undergoing screening colonoscopy between 2009 and 2010. We collected the data on patients' characteristics and colonoscopic findings. The detection rates of adenoma and advanced adenoma were calculated. Logistic regression was used to determine the effects of variables on advanced adenoma detection, and spearman's rank-order correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between advanced ADR and ADR. RESULTS: A total of 561 patients underwent screening colonoscopy by 18 experienced colonoscopists. Most colonoscopists had adequate (>20%) ADRs. Logistic regression showed that increased patient age (OR 1.07 per 1 year increase, 95% CI 1.009-1.133, p=0.023) and male gender (OR 1.860, 95% CI 0.764-4.529, p=0.171) were associated with advanced ADR. When colonoscopists were divided into two groups on the basis of advanced ADR of 5%, ADR was also significantly higher in the group having higher level of advanced ADR. However, there was no correlation between advanced ADR and ADR among colonoscopists as an individual. CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopists' advanced ADRs were independent of their ADRs, indicating that advanced ADR could be quite low even among colonoscopists with acceptable ADRs. Thus, there seems to be a limitation in using ADR as an adequate index of colonoscopy quality management.
Adenoma/*diagnosis ; Adult ; Aged ; Cohort Studies ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Odds Ratio

PURPOSE: Acute pyelonephritis (APN) is among the most common infectious diseases. Most APN occurs in young women and easily treated. Bacteremia has been associated in approximately 20-30% of those with APN. But recent documents demonstrated that blood cultures provide no useful information toward the clinical management of acute pyelonephritis. Thus we compared demographic and clinical characteristics as related to the bacteremic status, and investigated the risk factors for bacteremia. METHODS: One hundred sixty five patients, who visited myongji hospital for APN from January, 2004 to December, 2006 were included. Retrospective data were analyzed by medical record review. RESULTS: Bacteremic patients (N=51, 30.9%) were significantly older than those in nonbacteremic group (p<0.0001), had elevated serum creatinine (p=0.008), decreased platelet counts (p=0.029), lower serum protein (p=0.010), and lower serum albumin (p=0.011) than those without bacteremia. Hematuria was more severe in bacteremic patients (p<0.0001). The bacteremic cases were observed more frequently in patients with complicated APN patients than uncomplicated patients (46.7% vs. 21.4%, p=0.001). No significant difference existed between the bacteremic and non-bacteremic patients in the prevalence of resistance to quinolone of E. coli. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum albumin (p= 0.023), hematuria (p=0.003), and age (p=0.003) at presentation were found to be independent risk factors for bacteremia in acute pyelonephritis. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that patients with bacteremia have different clinical characteristics compared to those without bacteremia. It is recommended to concern about the presence of bacteremia in the treatment of APN.
Bacteremia ; Communicable Diseases ; Creatinine ; Female ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Platelet Count ; Prevalence ; Pyelonephritis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Serum Albumin ; Urinary Tract Infections

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (Anti-GBM) nephritis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis (RPGN). The treatment of anti-GBM nephritis with plasmapheresis, steroids and immunosuppressant has improved outcomes. An early diagnosis is essential for the survival of patients and a recovery of renal function. The diagnosis of anti-GBM disease has been traditionally based on the demonstration of linear deposits of immunoglobulins along the glomerular basement membrane by immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy. However, a kidney biopsy cannot always be easily performed in such ill patients. Recent development of specific enzyme immunoassays for anti-GBM antibody in the serum has made possible a provisional diagnosis without a kidney biopsy. A 46-year-old male patient with hypertension and hepatitis B presented with generalized edema and general weakness. Laboratory findings were compatible with acute renal failure and nephrotic syndrome with positive serum anti-GBM antibodies. After plasmapheresis with steroid pulse therapy, renal biopsy was performed and diagnosed as membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) with granular deposit of Ig G and C3. Follow-up antibody titers were negative. This case demonstrates the possibility of false-positive anti-GBM antibody in the serum. Therefore, enzyme immunoassay for anti-GBM antibody should be used only as a screening or follow-up test in patients that have been confirmed positive by IF microscopy.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Early Diagnosis ; Edema ; False Positive Reactions ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerular Basement Membrane ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Immunoglobulins ; Kidney ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Microscopy ; Middle Aged ; Nephritis ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Plasmapheresis ; Steroids

Uremic encephalopathy is a well-known complication in uremia and rarely occurs with involuntary movements which represent basal ganglia lesion. We experienced a cases of recurrent acute uremic encephalopathy associated with reversible bilateral basal ganglia lesion. A 49-year-old man with end stage renal disease due to diabetic nephropathy on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment for the last 2 months was admitted for mental change. His blood sugar was 60 mg/dl, and his mentality was recovered after glucose solution infusion. Five days after admission, he suddenly developed dysarthria and chorea. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated low and high signals on bilateral basal ganglia in T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, respectively. After intensified CAPD treatment, his neurologic manifestations were resolved. One month after discharge, follow-up brain MRI showed decreased size of low attenuation on the basal ganglia. Two months later, he repeatedly developed dysarthria and involuntary movement of extremities. Newly developed bilateral symmetric T1 low and T2 high signal lesion on the basal ganglia was repeatedly observed on brain MRI. At that time, (his) Kt/V was 1.33. So we decided on him to switch from CAPD to hemodialysis, after then his symptoms disappeared.
Basal Ganglia ; Blood Glucose ; Brain ; Chorea ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Dysarthria ; Dyskinesias ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Renal Dialysis ; Uremia

OBJECTIVES: In order to evaluate the association between the Hantaan virus-induced cellular-immune response and clinical severity in patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). METHODS: We serially measured the serum (n = 16) and urine (n = 6) concentrations of soluble HLA class 1 antigen (sHLA-l) and clinical powameters in patients with HFRS. RESULTS: Serum sHLA-I concentrations in patients with HFRS were significantly higher than those in controls throughout all clinical phases (p < 0.01). The highly elevated Serum sHLA-I concentrations peaked in the oliguric phase and declined gradually through the phases of HFRS. Serum sHLA-l concentrations in patients with hypotensive episode were higher than in those without the episode (5,85 +/-2,184 vs. 2,389 +/- 860 ng/ml in oliguric phase, 4.11 +/- 1,952 vs. 1,502 +/- 592 ng/ml in diuretic phase, p < 0.05), and serum sHLA-l levels showed a significant correlation with blood WBC count (r = 0.75 in the febrile and hypotensive phase, p < 0.01) and serum creatinine concentrations (r = 0.64 in the oliguric phase, p< 0.01), respectively, Urine sHLA-I levels in the oliguric phase were significantly higher than those in the diuretic phase (390 +/- 155 vs. 214 +/- 45 ng/mg Cr, p < 0.05) and urine sHLA-I levels are associated with severe illness in patients with HFRS. The higher serum sHLA-I are associated with severe illness in patients with HFRS. The persistent elevation of serum sHLA-I during all phases of HFRS might be related to increased production due to prolonged cellular immunologic stimulation by the Hantaan virus rather than decreased excretion of sHLA-I through the kidney. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the serum and urine sHLA-I concentrations can be used as a stable and objective parameter for monitoring clinical severity and renal dysfunction in patients with HFRS.
Adult ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; HLA-A Antigens/urine* ; HLA-A Antigens/blood* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/physiopathology ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/immunology* ; Human ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severity of Illness Index