A Case Report of Spontaneous Passage of Bronchial Foreign Body through Gastrointestinal Tract

Foreign body aspiration is most likely to occur in children and in adults aged above 60 years, causing a respiratory emergency, such as airway closure. It is diagnosed based on a history of aspiration, presenting symptoms, and radiographic findings. The treatment may include removal of the foreign body via bronchoscopy or surgery. Here, we report a rare case of bronchial aspiration of a foreign body, confirmed with clinical and radiographic examinations, in a 57-year-old patient. The patient was transferred for treatment; however, spontaneous passage of the foreign body to the gastrointestinal tract led to its removal from the bronchus.

A Case of Urosepsis Caused by Aerococcus viridans / 대한내과학회지

Aerococcus viridans is a rare pathogen in humans, with only six cases of A. viridans urinary tract infections reported worldwide. Nosocomial urinary tract infections with bacteremia caused by A. viridians are even rarer, with no prior reports of urosepsis caused by A. viridans occurring in the Republic of Korea. Here we report a case of urosepsis caused by A. viridans in a 79 year-old female nursing home resident. The patient was admitted to the hospital presenting a fever of 39degrees C, chills, and oliguria for two days prior to admission. Urine culture yielded a robust growth of 105 CFU/mL of A. viridians, with blood culture positive for the same organism. Following diagnosis, the patient was treated with ciprofloxacin intravenously for 2 weeks, resulting in clearance of the infection and a full recovery from urosepsis. Although A. viridans is rarely associated with human infections, this case shows that, under the right conditions, it can be responsible for severe infections like urosepsis.

Intramural Hematoma of the Esophagus after Endoscopic Pinch Biopsy

Intramural hematoma of the esophagus (IHE) is an uncommon form of esophageal injury, which may be an intermediate of mucosal tear (Mallory-Weiss syndrome) or transmural rupture (Boerhaave's syndrome). To date, the pathogenesis of IHE has not been well documented. IHE may occur within the submucosal layer of the esophagus following dissection of the mucosa. The most commonly presented symptoms are sudden retrosternal pain, dysphagia and hematemesis. The disorder can occur spontaneously or secondarily to trauma. In this report, we present a case of IHE which occurred after endoscopic biopsy and was recovered following conservative management in a patient who was taking long-term aspirin medication.

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare condition, in which the patient has a purple-colored urine tubes or bags following urinary catheterization for hours to months. It is usually associated with elderly females, prolonged urinary catheterization, some bacterial infections that produce sulphatase/phosphatase, chronic debilitated state, and chronic constipation. We present a case report of this rare phenomenon occurring in a 73-year-old woman.

Amiodarone-induced Pulmonary Toxicity within a Short Period of the Initiation of Amiodarone Therapy: A Case Report / 대한구급학회지

Amiodarone is one of the most commonly prescribed antiarrhythmic drug for almost all atrial or ventricular arrythmias. Amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity (APT) was first described in 1980 and has potentially serious side effects that are believed to develop in 5% of patients. In general, APT occurs only when high amiodarone doses are used for a long time. However, during short-term therapy of amiodarone, APT is rarely reported. In this report, we describe a case of amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity after a short course of amiodarone therapy for atrial fibrillation.

A Case of Paradoxical Renal Embolism through Patent Foramen Ovale / 대한신장학회지

Paradoxical embolism is a kind of stroke caused by embolism of thrombus of venous origin through a lateral opening in the heart, such as a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Although the most frequent manifestation of paradoxical embolism is cryptogenic stroke, noncerebral paradoxical embolism is also associated with PFO. We experienced a case of cryptogenic renal infarction in a previously healthy 70-year-old man. He had no cardiac thrombus on transthoracic echocardiography and electrocardiogram revealed a normal sinus rhythm. Because it was cryptogenic renal infarction, we performed transesophageal echocardiography with microbubble test. Microbubble test using agitated saline proved the presence of right-to-left shunt and patent foramen ovale was diagnosed. We also performed lower leg doppler ultrasonogram, but there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis. Although only the presence of a right-to-left shunt is not enough to establish the diagnosis of paradoxical embolism, it is uncommon for the source of the embolism to be identified. In this case, we concluded that paradoxical embolism is the cause of renal embolism. We report paradoxical renal embolism through PFO with review of relevant literatures.