Although acute occupational poisonings are very rare officially, it seems that there are a considerable number of unreported cases seen from non-intentional poisoning cases of the national injury and poisoning survey on discharged patients. Establishing a proper national surveillance system for acute occupational poisonings is needed. It is difficult for clinical physicians to diagnose acute occupational poisonings appropriately because the victims who usually are not mentally alert can not provide the information on the workplace hazard. Consulting a specialist of occupational and environmental medicine may help to reveal the cause of poisoning. Furthermore, reporting to the public organization such as workers health center and Korea occupational safety and health is helpful to prevent additional injuries.
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Advance directives (AD) are designed to protect patients’ autonomy and self-determination, which mean the end of life care planning should precede before loss of their decision ability. We aimed to analyze our experience of AD at field of oncology, focusing on preference of end-of-life care and outcome in advanced cancer patients.
A retrospective review was conducted on advanced cancer patients who underwent AD at the department of Oncology of Hanil General Hospital, between April 2013 and January 2014. AD are composed of decision about end of life care (resuscitation, ventilator, artificial tube feeding) and determination of proxy.
Among 23 patients who were recommended AD during study period, 19 patients (83%) successfully underwent AD. The median age was 67 years (range, 50 to 95 years) and male was predominance (84%) was observed. Most of them (90%) have not heard of AD in the past. With regard to decision of end-of-life care, decision for resuscitation and ventilator were selected only by 1 patient (5%), respectively, while 10 patients (52%) decided to receive tube feeding. Among 5 patients who underwent AD during chemotherapy, there was neither transfer to other hospital for anti-cancer treatment nor follow up loss.
AD might be applicable in advanced cancer patients at field of oncology, including also patients treated with palliative chemotherapy.
To evaluate MRI findings of non-recurrent hepatocellular carcinomas with lipiodol uptake (LHCCs) treated with transarterial chemoembolization.
28 LHCCs were divided into two groups according to amount of lipiodol uptake and tumor size, retrospectively. According to amount of lipiodol uptake, HCCs were classified into group A with dense lipiodol uptake (more than 90%) and group B with partial lipiodol uptake (between 50% and 90%). For HCC size analysis, group I was defined by a longest diameter of less than 2 cm, and group II was defined by a longest diameter of greater than or equal to 2 cm.
In group A (n=16), eight LHCCs showed high signal intensity (SI) on T2-weighted images (T2WI), ten LHCCs showed low SI on T1-weighted imaged (T1WI), six LHCCs showed decreased SI at higher b value of diffusion-weighted images (DWI). In group B (n=12), six LHCCs revealed high SI on T2WI, six LHCCs revealed low SI on T1WI, ten LHCCs decreased SI at higher b value of DWI. As compared with tumor size and SI, six of 12 LHCCs in group I and eight of 16 LHCCs in group II showed high SI on T2WI. Six LHCCs in group I and ten LHCCs in group II showed low SI on T1WI. All LHCCs were not enhanced.
Signal intensities of LHCCs were variable, but more than half of LHCCs showed high SI on T2WI, low SI on T1WI, decreased SI at higher
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A 37-year-old male patient was admitted with generalized edema as the main symptom. A blood test confirmed hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia, and a urine test confirmed severe albuminuria. A renal biopsy was conducted, which revealed a diagnosis of minimal change disease. Although the patient experienced complete remission of minimal change nephrotic syndrome after oral prednisolone and cyclophosphamide treatment, he is readmitted due to bilateral leg edema 5 years later since minimal change nephrotic syndrome was completely cured. The patient is diagnosed with IgA nephropathy. Although the exact mechanisms of IgA nephropathy in this patient remain unclear, this case represents an extremely rare development, and is separate from the remission of minimal change nephrotic syndrome.
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Insulin autoimmune syndrome, a rare cause of endogenous hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, is characterized by insulin autoantibody, hyperinsulinemia and fasting hypoglycemia. It is well known that drugs containing a sulfhydryl group such as methimazole or α-mercaptopropionyl glycine can induce insulin autoimmune syndrome. However, insulin autoimmune syndrome caused by anti-tuberculosis treatment is very rare. We report a case of insulin autoimmune syndrome after anti-tuberculosis treatment with a review of the relevant literature.
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Uremic pleuritis is a fibrinous pleuritis of unknown pathogenesis in patients with chronic kidney disease. Although it responds to regular dialysis or repeated thoracentesis, cases that are refractory to those therapies have been reported. We report a case of uremic pleuritis which showed marked improvement following corticosteroid therapy. The effusion was exudate, and negative in cytology and microbiology. Pleural biopsy revealed chronic inflammation with fibrosis. The pleural effusion did not respond to chest tube drainage and continuance of hemodialysis. With a diagnosis of refractory uremic pleuritis, we started methylprednisolone. The pleural effusion responded to the treatment and resolved without complication.
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A 56-year-old man was diagnosed with cancer of the ascending colon along with retroperitoneal lymph node and peritoneal metastases. After six cycles of palliative chemotherapy, he presented with acute-onset jaundice. Imaging examinations did not show abnormal liver findings other than a periportal linear hypoattenuating area, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed a tight stricture of the proximal common bile duct. Total bilirubin continued to increase after endoscopic sphincterotomy and biliary stent insertion. Blind liver biopsy revealed tumor infiltration along liver lymphatics, but ruled out tumor involvement of hepatic parenchyma and sinusoids. Tumor cells were predominantly confined to within the lymphatic vessels and were not observed in the arteries or veins. Although one loading dose of cetuximab and two fractions of palliative radiotherapy were administered, the patient succumbed to acute liver injury 30 days after the development of jaundice.
Kawasaki disease (KD) is the self-limited and multisystem vasculitis which accompanies many complications. Ophthalmic findings in KD are bilateral conjunctival injection, iridocyclitis, superficial keratitis, vitreous opacities and subconjunctival hemorrhage. Optic disc swelling is a rare ophthalmic complication in KD. We describe a 3-year-old boy who presented with 7 days of fever, both conjunctival injection without discharge, and right cervical lymph node enlargement of more than 1.5 cm. He was diagnosed as incomplete KD. He had no ocular symptom except bilateral conjunctival injection. On ophthalmic examination, he was diagnosed by anterior uveitis with optic disc swelling. The brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed and revealed no evidence of increased intracranial pressure. Echocardiography revealed the dilated right coronary artery up to 3.4 mm. Fever subsided and optic disc swelling was completely improved after intravenous immunoglobulin (2 g/kg) treatment. Optic disc swelling is a rare ophthalmic complication in KD.
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