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

The inverse correlation of appendectomy and ulcerative colitis is well known, but the effect of appendectomy on the clinical course of ulcerative colitis remains unclear. Although the majority of opinions were negative for the therapeutic advantage of appendectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis, advocates for positive effect of appendectomy have been proposed in a few case reports and a prospective study from Western countries. We herein report a case of ulcerative colitis who experienced clinical remission after appendectomy for acute appendicitis. The patient was 35 year old male and had been managed with immunosuppressant before appendectomy. The very acute change in clinical course and a long period of remission after appendectomy highly suggest the therapeutic effect of appendectomy for ulcerative colitis.
6-Mercaptopurine/therapeutic use ; Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use ; *Appendectomy ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*diagnosis/drug therapy/surgery ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Male ; Mesalamine/therapeutic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

A lipoma, one of the most commonly encountered submucosal tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, usually presents as one or a few lesions. Lipomatous polyposis, which is defined as the presence of multiple lipomas in the intestinal wall, is rare. Here, we report a case of colonic lipomatous polyposis that involved not only the colon, but also the omentum and skeletal muscle. The patient presented with right lower quadrant abdominal pain and was diagnosed using colonoscopy and computed tomography (CT). The abdominal pain caused by omental torsion due to an omental lipoma resolved after conservative treatment without surgical intervention.
Abdominal Pain ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Lipoma ; Lipomatosis ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Omentum

Inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) is a rare benign fibroproliferative disease that arises from the submucosal layer of the gastrointestinal tract. Surgical resection has been performed in most cases and the application of endoscopic resection is rare. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), which was recently introduced, enables en-bloc resection of a tumor regardless of the tumor size and location. Since IFP is benign, ESD can be very useful for both the diagnosis and treatment of a large-sized IFP. A 45-year-old woman was referred for the management of a gastric mass. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a round submucosal mass with a central bulging at the gastric body. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a 3.5x3.0 cm-sized hypoechoic mass in the third layer of the stomach. The tumor was removed by ESD with using a hook knife for complete en-bloc resection. The pathologic finding was compatible with the diagnosis of IFP. We report here on a case of IFP that presented as a gastric submucosal tumor and it was treated by the ESD method.
Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Endosonography ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Middle Aged ; Polyps ; Stomach

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study examined the effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection state and immunologic capability in both the recipients and donors of allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) on changes in HBV serologic markers in recipients. METHODS: A total of 537 patients underwent allo-HSCT for the treatment of leukemia, malignant lymphoma, and solid tumor. HBV serologic markers were examined in both recipients and donors prior to and following the transplantation. The mean follow-up period was 36.6 months (range 3-80 months). RESULTS: Of the 537 patients who underwent allo-HSCT, 45 recipients were positive for HBsAg prior to transplantation. Of these 45 patients, 21 were transplanted from anti-HBs-positive donors and the remaining 24 were transplanted from anti-HBs-negative donors. In the former cases, seroconversion was noted in 4 of the 21 patients (19%). In the latter cases, however, no seroconversion was noted following the transplantation. Thirty patients who were negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBs were transplanted from anti-HBs-positive donors, and 15 out of 30 patients (50%) acquired anti-HBs. Four hundred and seven patients who were positive for anti-HBs were transplanted from anti-HBs-positive or HbsAg-negative donors; 8 of these proved HBsAg-positive following the transplantation. There were no changes in HBV serological markers following transplantation in 41 patients who were transplanted from HbsAg-positive donors. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the adoptive immunity that was transferred from anti-HBs-positive donors, a seroconversion of HBsAg could occur in some HBsAg-positive recipients. HBsAg-positive donors had a lesser effect on the HBV serologic markers of recipients. However, a reactivation of HBV can occur following hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in the cases of recipients or donors with a history of HBV, infection by an accompanying immune suppression. Therefore, prevention should be instigated.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; Female ; *Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hepatitis B/diagnosis/*immunology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Virus Activation

A 70-yr-old woman complained of left sided chest pain and non-bilious vomiting for four days after taking a gastric bloating agent for an upper gastrointestinal study. The chest radiography revealed gastric air-fluid levels and bowel loops in the left thoracic cavity. An emergency thoracotomy was performed. The abdominal organs (stomach, spleen, splenic flexure of the colon) were in the left thorax and the entire left hemidiaphragm was absent. There were no diaphragmatic remnants visible for reconstruction of the left diaphragm. We provided warm saline irrigation and performed a left lower lobe adhesiotomy. Thirteen days after surgery, the chest radiography showed improvement in the herniation but mild haziness remained at the left lower lung field. Here we present the oldest case of congenital diaphragmatic agenesis presenting with transient gastric volvulus and diaphragmatic hernia.
Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diaphragm/*abnormalities/radiography/surgery ; Female ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Humans ; Stomach Volvulus/*diagnosis/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 70-yr-old woman complained of left sided chest pain and non-bilious vomiting for four days after taking a gastric bloating agent for an upper gastrointestinal study. The chest radiography revealed gastric air-fluid levels and bowel loops in the left thoracic cavity. An emergency thoracotomy was performed. The abdominal organs (stomach, spleen, splenic flexure of the colon) were in the left thorax and the entire left hemidiaphragm was absent. There were no diaphragmatic remnants visible for reconstruction of the left diaphragm. We provided warm saline irrigation and performed a left lower lobe adhesiotomy. Thirteen days after surgery, the chest radiography showed improvement in the herniation but mild haziness remained at the left lower lung field. Here we present the oldest case of congenital diaphragmatic agenesis presenting with transient gastric volvulus and diaphragmatic hernia.
Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diaphragm/*abnormalities/radiography/surgery ; Female ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic/*diagnosis/radiography/surgery ; Humans ; Stomach Volvulus/*diagnosis/surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension are often found to have changes in their colonic mucosa. Such mucosal changes are termed portal hypertensive colopathy. Most patients with portal hypertension remained asymptomatic but some may show massive bleeding. The mainstay of treatment for portal hypertensive gastropathy include non-surgical methods such as octreotide injection, endoscopic hemostasis, and interventional methods such as TIPS. However, treatment for portal hypertensive colopathy remained unresolved. The authors here report a case of a 41 year old male with liver cirrhosis admitted for fever and abdominal pain, who reported an episode of hematochezia in the course of admisssion period. Subsequent colonoscopy revealed angiodysplasia-like lesions throughout the entire colon. We observed that such lesions were the source of hematochezia and that direct clipping with octreotide injection was successful in controlling the bleeding.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Fever ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Octreotide*

Dieulafoy's lesion is a very rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding that occurs after rupture of an exposed submucosal artery. The majority of lesions are found in the stomach, but rarely it has also been identified in the duodenum, small bowel, colon and rectum. We describe a 78-year-old female with chronic renal failure who presented with melena and was subsequently found to have a Dieufaloy-like lesion in the stomach. The bleeding was successfully managed by endoscopic hemoclipping. During the follow-up, massive gastrointestinal bleeding was developed by a Dieulafoy-like lesion in the rectum. This lesion was managed by endoscopic band ligation, but there was recurrent bleeding from the ulcer site. The ulcer site was locally excised and primary closure was carried out.
Aged ; Arteries ; Colon ; Duodenum ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Ligation ; Melena ; Rectum* ; Rupture ; Stomach* ; Ulcer

An increased plasma aldosterone concentration, with suppressed plasma renin activity (PRA), is an abnormal finding in primary hyperaldosteronism. A suppressed PRA is caused by aldosterone- dependent sodium retention and extracellular volume expansion. A case of primary hyperaldosteronism, due to adenoma, with increased PRA, was observed. An adrenalectomy and intraoperative renal biopsy was performed. In our patient, histologically proven renal arteriosclerosis was the probable cause of the escape of the PRA from the suppression by an aldosterone-producing adenoma. Normal blood pressure was not attained after the adrenalectomy. However, the blood pressure was then controlled by small doses of antihypertensive drug before resection of the tumor. In this case, the patient was treated with spironolactone, but the blood pressure was not correctly controlled. After the adrenalectomy, the blood pressure was well controlled with smaller dose of calcium channel blockers. So, an early adrenalectomy may be beneficial as soon as the diagnosis of an aldosterone-producing adenoma is confirmed, even in patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis.
Adenoma ; Adrenalectomy ; Aldosterone ; Arteriosclerosis ; Biopsy ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism* ; Nephrosclerosis ; Plasma* ; Renin* ; Sodium ; Spironolactone ; United Nations