Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was a well-known myeloproliferative neoplasm and a disease of haemopoietic stem cells due to BCR-ABL fusion protein arising from a translocation t(9;22), known as the Philadelphia chromosome. Imatinib (Gleevec), a selective small molecule inhibitor of Bcr-Abl kinase, has been confirmed as the standard drug therapy for CML. Discovery of imatinib led to the availability of a molecular-targeted therapy as a new model of cancer treatment and challenged the molecular target cancer treatment trend from non-targeted cytotoxic chemotherapy. We reviewed the advancement of chronic myeloid leukemia treatment in the area of imatinib.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of tenofovir in HBV patients at 12 months after treatment. A total of 122chronic hepatitis B patients who took tenofovir for at least 12 months were enrolled. We measured ALT levels, HBeAg, anti-HBe, HBV DNA, and serum creatinine at six and 12 months after treatment. The virological response rate at six and 12 months after treatment in naïve patients was 27.1% and 41.7%, respectively. High virological response rate at six and 12months after treatment showed an association with initial low HBV DNA titer and initial negative HBeAg status.
Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 38 cases of bacterial meningitis that were proven by cerebrospinal fluid culture. Each case occurred by GBS (68.4%), Pneumococcus (15.8%), E. coli (5.3%), Streptococcus mitis (5.3%), Streptococcus bovis (2.6%), and Staphylococcus xylosus (2.6%). Compared to 28 cases with normal outcome, 10 cases who died or had adverse outcomes at hospital discharge were more likely to present with coma, seizure (before or within admission, focal, status epilepticus), require pressor or ventilator support, have initial peripheral blood leukocyte count less than 4,000/mm3 or neutrophil count less than 1,000/mm3, and have hydrocephalus or cerebral infarction by brain imaging.
We determined intravitreal levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) in patients with early phase rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Twenty five eyes of 25 RRD patients with symptom onset from one day to 21 days prior to vitrectomy were selected. Concentrations of VEGF and PEDF in vitreous were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and relationships between these concentrations and durations and involved quadrants were analyzed. Duration of RRD was found to show significant correlation with PEDF concentration. However, number of involved quadrants did not show correlation with PEDF concentration in vitreous.
Drug-eluting stents (DES) have reduced the rate of restenosis and the need for repeated revascularization of target lesions. However, in stent restenosis is still a major issue and very late stent thrombosis seems to occur more frequently with DES. Recently, incidence of stent thrombosis as a fatal complication has increased and dual antiplatelet therapy is recommended for at least 12 months after implantation. Here we report on a case of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to total occlusion caused by very late stent thrombosis and in stent restenosis simultaneously at 42 months after DES implanta-tion.
Combined oral contraceptives (OCs) are a common method of contraception; however, they are associated with a twofold to sixfold increased risk of venous thrombosis (VT). The association between estrogen-containing OCs and VT is well established. After the first generation progestogens, new progestogens were developed. However, the risk of VT is higher for users of OCs with third generation progestogens than for those using second generation progestogens. We experienced a patient, a 25-year-old young woman with chest pain after taking third generation OCs. We performed chest computed tomography (CT) and lower extremity venogram CT. She was diagnosed with a pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis. She was treated with low molecular weight heparin and warfarin for six months. We report on this case with a review of the relevant literature.
Hemarthrosis is known to occur with various etiologic factors, including trauma, proliferative synovial tissue entrapment, hypervascularization of joint components, and coagulation disorders such as hemophilias. Hemarthrosis is reported in up to 1.6% of patients who have undergone total knee replacement. Recurrent hemarthrosis is primarily associated with coagulation defects in children; however, in adults it is most frequently associated with ligament rupture, if not related to any trauma. Spontaneous hemarthrosis has been rarely reported with findings of lateral meniscal degeneration and central bone marrow lesions in osteoarthritis patients. The author reports on a case of spontaneous hemarthrosis in a 72-year-old patient without traumatic history
Intramuscular lipoma is a rare benign tumor. It refers to infiltrating lipoma because it originates between skeletal muscle abundles and infiltrates into the intramuscular septa. Kransdorf reported that the majority of lipomas were located in the trunk, head/neck, and lower extremity. In addition, in research by Kindlom et al., on 43 cases of muscular infiltrative lipoma, there was no case involving the chest wall. We report on a case of intramuscular lipoma on the anterior chest wall. The lesion was removed completely and histopathological findings showed that mature adipocytes had infiltrated serratus anterior muscle in a diffuse manner. After treatment, the patient has shown no complication or evidence of recurrence.
The isolated single coronary artery is a rare congenital anomaly, in which both coronary arteries arise from a solitary ostium. Diagnosis of coronary anomalies and identification of the exact anatomy of coronary arteries has significant clinical importance, hence, myocardial ischemia or sudden cardiac death is usually related to its course of anomalous coronary artery. Most patients with a single coronary artery are asymptomatic and have normal electrocardiogram and negative stress tests. However, if the patient has other structural abnormalities, for example, ventricular hypertrophy, the exam is determined. This report describes a case of single coronary artery, where the right coronary artery originated from the distal left circumflex artery in a patient with hypertrophic ardiomyopathy.
Cholesterol embolization syndrome (CES) is a multiple systemic disease caused by the embolization of cholesterol crystals from an atherosclerotic plaque of a proximal large-caliber artery, which results in the occlusion of distal small to mediumsized arteries. CES is characterized by development of a multitude of small emboli over time, and should be distinguished from arterial thromboembolism, which occurs through the obstruction of medium-sized to large arteries by one or a few large emboli. We report on a case of CES initially presenting as acute limb ischemia following an intervention for iliac artery occlusion.
Melioidosis, an infectious disease caused by the facultative intracellular gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei, is geographically restricted to Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. It commonly affects patients with underlying medical disease, such as diabetes mellitus or renal failure. In South Korea, only six cases of melioidosis have been reported in the literature. However, none of the patients had chronic kidney disease. We report on a case of melioidosis presenting as septicemic pneumonia in a 48-year old man undergoing hemodialysis. He was a returning traveler from Thailand.
We report on a rare case of a 26-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type I who presented with cramping abdominal pain caused by stones within a horseshoe kidney. He also showed extensive neurofibromas in his neck, thorax, and abdominopel-vic cavity. He had undergone excision of a subcutaneous neurofibroma from his left flank a few years prior. Treatment by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was administered twice. Stones were removed completely and his symptoms were resolved.
The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a vascular structure connecting the proximal descending aorta to the roof of the main pulmonary artery, near the origin of the left branch pulmonary artery. Transcatheter closure has become the treatment of choice for most cases of PDA in both children and adults; however, measurement of the exact size and morphology of the shunt in adult cases using only contrast fluoroscopy is difficult. We report on a case of a 49-year-old woman who underwent transcatheter closure of PDA with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guideance. In the current case, IVUS is feasible and helpful for measuring the exact size and shape of the PDA.
Duodenal diverticula are frequently observed in upper gastrointestinal endoscopies or upper gastrointestinal series. Most duodenal diverticula are asymptomatic, and complications are rare, however, diverticula occasionally result in diverticulitis, hemorrhage, obstruction, perforation, or sepsis. Most ingested foreign bodies are passed spontaneously and evacuated through gastrointestinal movement, but, if these foreign bodies are sharp and become impacted in a pathological lesion, such as a diverticulum, the risk of complications can be very high. In this paper, we report on a case of duodenal diverticulitis resulting from impacted bone-like food material. In this case, the food-material-induced diverticulitis showed spontaneous improvement through supportive care.
A 72-year-old woman with diabetic chronic kidney disease visited the authors’ hospital with fever, dysuria, and left flank pain. She did not complain of typical angina upon her admission, however, given the presence of a new-onset left-bundle branch block, elevated cardiac enzymes, and documented E. coli septicemia, coronary angiography and percutaneous coro-nary interventions were performed for the mid-left anterior descending artery and the mid-to distal-right coronary artery. We should keep in mind that urosepsis in patients with diabetic chronic kidney disease, who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease, can be associated with painless acute myocardial Infarction.
Idiopathic spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage is a rare, often fatal condition; however, the patients present with nonspecific symptoms. Even after a comprehensive radiological examination and surgical exploration, the origin of hemorrhage often remains unclear. A 74-year-old woman with sudden abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting was admitted to our hospital. She had no history of trauma. Computed tomography showed a huge hematoma along the small intestinal mesentery without evidence of visceral organ abnormality causing bleeding. The hematoma was completely removed by surgery and no origin of hemorrhage was detected. Herein, we report on a case of idiopathic spontaneous intraperitoneal hemorrhage.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory joint disease affecting the axial skeleton, peripheral joints, entheses, and extra-articular site. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents are the first line drugs for treatment of AS. Sulfasalazine is regarded as the second line drug and is usually used on AS patients with concomitant peripheral arthritis. Sulfasalazine has side effects, including liver toxicity, hematological abnormality, skin eruption, and other symptoms. However, eosinophilic pleural effusion is rare. Thus, we report on a patient with peripheral eosinophilia and eosinophilic pleural effusion after taking sulfasalazine for treatment of AS.
Undifferentiated high grade pleomorphic sarcoma of the thyroid gland is very rare. A 70-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a rapidly growing mass in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. At the first visit, she had no symp-toms. Fine-needle aspiration cytology revealed an atypia of undetermined significance. She revisited our hospital after 17 days. At that time the mass had become more enlarged and she complained of dyspnea. The next day, surgery was performed and the diagnosis was undifferentiated high grade pleomorphic sarcoma of the thyroid. The patient died 119 days after sur-gery.
In adults, the complications of measles are more fatal and the viremia lasts longer than in children. Reports on severe forms of measles in adults are rare and no cases of elderly adults who experienced multiple organ failure in Korea have been reported. A 68-year-old man with a rash, fever, cough, and conjunctivitis was admitted to our hospital and confirmed by positive expression of specific IgM antibody to measles. The patient experienced acute kidney injury and acute lung injury requiring renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. Herein, we report on a rare case of measles showing multiple organ failure in an elderly adult.
Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration can cause serious health problems in individuals of all age groups and requires immediate diagnosis and intervention. Patients with psychiatric disorders can aspirate foreign objects that may pose a danger to their health. Herein, we report on a case of curtain clip aspiration in a 44-year-old man with mental retardation. Chest radiography and bronchoscopy showed a sharp, pointed, S-shaped curtain clip inversely lodged in his left main bronchus. The curtain clip was removed successfully using flexible bronchoscopy, and no complications were noted.