A Case of Sarcomatoid Cholangiocarcinoma Which Developed at the Site Previously Treated by Transarterial Chemoembolization

Intrahepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare tumor with poor prognosis due to its highly invasive and metastatic nature and difficulty for early detection. The most common form of intrahepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is the sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma, the development of which is usually associated with previous treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. In contrast, sarcomatoid cholangiocarcinoma is extremely rare and results from spontaneous sarcomatoid transformation during the development of tumor. Here, we report a case of sarcomatoid cholangiocarcinoma, in a 58-year-old male, which developed at the site of previous treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. A 9 × 7 cm sized tumor which had not been detected in the computed tomography exam 3 months before diagnosis was newly observed. The tumor rapidly progressed and the patient died only 31 days after the diagnosis.

Development of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia during standard treatment of hepatitis C with Peg-IFNα2b

No abstract available.

Reactivation of Hepatitis C Virus and Its Clinical Outcomes in Patients Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy or Immunosuppressive Therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: According to the results of several studies, the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactivation is not as severe as the outcome of hepatitis B virus reactivation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pharmacological immunosuppression on HCV reactivation. METHODS: The medical records of patients who underwent systemic chemotherapy, corticosteroid therapy, or other immunosuppressive therapies between January 2008 and March 2015 were reviewed. Subsequently, 202 patients who were seropositive for the anti-HCV antibody were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were: unavailability of data on HCV RNA levels, a history of treatment for chronic hepatitis C, and the presence of liver diseases other than a chronic HCV infection. RESULTS: Among the 120 patients enrolled in this study, hepatitis was present in 46 patients (38%). None of the patients were diagnosed with severe hepatitis. Enhanced replication of HCV was noted in nine (27%) of the 33 patients who had data available on both basal and follow-up HCV RNA loads. Reappearance of the HCV RNA from an undetectable state did not occur after treatment. The cumulative rate of enhanced HCV replication was 23% at 1 year and 30% at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Although enhanced HCV replication is relatively common in HCV-infected patients treated with chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy, it does not lead to serious sequelae.

A Case of Severe Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection with Aplastic Anemia and Hepatitis / 대한소화기학회지

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes various acute and chronic diseases. Chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) is characterized by infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms that persist for more than 6 months with high viral loads in peripheral blood and/or an unusual pattern of anti-EBV antibodies. Severe CAEBV is associated with poor prognosis with severe symptoms, an extremely high EBV-related antibody titer, and hematologic complications that often include hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. However, CAEBV which led to the development of aplastic anemia (AA) has not been reported yet. A 73-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with intermittent fever, general weakness and elevated liver enzymes. In the serologic test, EBV-related antibody titer was elevated, and real-time quantitative-PCR in peripheral blood showed viral loads exceeding 10(4) copies/microg DNA. Liver biopsy showed characteristic histopathological changes of EBV hepatitis and in situ hybridization with EBV-encoded RNA-1 was positive for EBV. Pancytopenia was detected in peripheral blood, and the bone marrow aspiration biopsy showed hypocellularity with replacement by adipocytes. AA progressed and the patient was treated with prednisolone but deceased 8 months after the diagnosis due to multiple organ failure and opportunistic infection. Herein, we report a rare case of severe CAEBV in an adult patient accompanied by AA and persistent hepatitis.

Recurrence of Multiple Focal Nodular Hyperplasia in a Young Male Patient / 대한소화기학회지

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign hepatic tumor that is usually found in women. Diagnosis of FNH mainly depends on imaging studies such as color Doppler flow imaging, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. It is characterized by the presence of stellate central scar and is nowadays incidentally diagnosed with increasing frequency due to advances in radiologic imaging technique. FNH typically presents as a single lesion in 70% of cases and generally does not progress to malignancy or recur after resection. Herein, we report a case of a young male patient with recurrent multiple FNH who underwent surgical resection for presumed hepatic adenoma on computed tomography.

Frequency of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) in Korean Patients with Chronic HCV Infection

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in innate immunity, especially in the response to viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the primary receptors of NK cells that mediate innate immunity. KIRs are also involved in acquired immunity, because some KIRs are expressed on the surface of certain subsets of T cells. In this study, the frequency of KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes, and combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands were evaluated in two different groups of the Korean population: controls and patients with chronic HCV infection. The study population consisted of 147 Korean patients with chronic HCV infection. The frequency of KIR2DS2 in patients with chronic HCV infection was 9.5% which was significantly lower than 19.5% of the control (P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the frequency of other KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes or different combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands. This study can contribute to the further prospective study with a larger scale, suggesting the assumption that KIR2DS2 might aid in HCV clearance by enhancing both the innate and acquired immune responses of people in Korea.

A Case of Citrobacter braakii Sepsis Complicated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 감염과화학요법

Citrobacter species is a gram-negative bacilli that can cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. Citrobacter braakii refers to the genomospecies 6 of the Citrobacter freundii complex. There are no detailed studies on infections caused by this newly identified specific genetic species in Korea. We herein report a case of a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma who, after undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, developed biloma which later progressed to C.braakii sepsis and did not respond to treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in Korea on C. braakii infection resulting in septic shock in a patient with malignancy in Korea.

Composite Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater

Large Cell Neuroendocrine Tumors (LCNEC) in the ampulla of Vater are extremely rare. This report addresses a case of concurrent LCNEC and adenocarcinoma in the ampulla of Vater. A 60-year-old male patient experienced fever, body chills and jaundice. He had a periampullary ulcerative lesion and underwent radical pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histopathologically, the tumor consisted of an LCNEC component and an adenocarcinoma component. Simultaneous LCNEC and adenocarcinoma has been reported in a few cases. Our patient had a coexisting LCNEC and an adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. We also present a review of the literature

A case of HELLP syndrome accompanied by retinal detachment / 대한내과학회지

Weinstein et al. first described the HELLP (hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome in 1982. The incidence of HELLP syndrome is 0.2~0.6% in normal pregnant women and 4~12% in women with preeclampsia. This syndrome is accompanied by serious medical complications, including hepatic and renal failure, coagulopathy, hypertension, and pulmonary edema. Retinal detachment is an unusual, but well documented, complication of hypertensive disorder in pregnancy affecting 0.2~2% of patients with severe preeclampsia and 0.9% of patients with HELLP syndrome. This paper reports on a patient with HELLP syndrome accompanied by retinal detachment who recovered after controlling the blood pressure and receiving systemic steroids.

A case of rhabdomyolysis during hospitalization for acute hepatitis A / 대한간학회지

A 29-year-old man was admitted to hospital with fever, myalgia, and sore throat. Initial laboratory findings were compatible with acute hepatitis; he was positive for the serologic marker for acute hepatitis A. On the 3rd day of admission, in spite of normalization of body temperature and a reduction in serum liver enzyme levels, serum levels of creatinine phosphokinase had increased up to 16,949 U/L. The patient recovered with supportive therapy and was discharged on the 12th day. We report a case of acute hepatitis A complicated by rhabdomyolysis during hospitalization.

Clinical Outcomes of Delayed Clearance of Serum HBsAg in Patients with Chronic HBV Infection

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous delayed clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with chronic HBV infection is a rare event. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of delayed clearance of serum HBsAg in chronic HBV infection and to determine the characteristics and clinical outcomes of HBsAg delayed clearance in Korean patients. METHODS: From April 1981 to June 2003, 4,061 patients who were positive for HBsAg were evaluated retrospectively. The following assessments were undertaken in 47 patients who had spontaneous delayed clearance: liver biochemistry, viral markers, alpha-fetoprotein levels, and radiographic examinations including ultrasonography every three to six months for 6-264 months (median 87.9 months). RESULTS: Twenty-four of 47 patients were asymptomatic carriers. The others included seven patients with chronic hepatitis, seven with liver cirrhosis and nine with hepatocellular carcinoma. The estimated annual incidence of HBsAg seroclearance was 0.4%. The time span from positive HBsAg to HBsAg seroclearance in the AHC, CH, LC, and HCC was 62.9, 141, 63, and 95.3 months during follow up. Twenty-four of 24 AHC remained normal, 5 of 7 CH remained as CH and 2 patients remained normal, 1 of 7 with LC developed HCC and 6 of the LC remained as LC, and 4 of 9 HCC patients died. CONCLUSION: The clinical course following delayed clearance of HBsAg had diverse outcomes from AHC to HCC. Therefore, these patients require close follow up for the possible development of hepatocellular carcinoma following HBsAg clearance.

Clinical and Biochemical Parameters of Nutrition to Predict Hepatic Encephalopathy in Cirrhotic Patients / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Protein-calorie malnutrition is a common complication in cirrhosis. Protein restriction for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) may cause disease progression and poor prognosis. Therefore, we evaluated important clinical parameters for nutritional state in cirrhotic patients with or without HE to predict the development of HE. METHODS: Twenty-two cirrhotic patients were divided into two groups; group A-13 patients without HE and group B-9 patients with HE. Clinical and biochemical parameters, serum proteins {serum albumin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), transferrin, leptin, etc}, immunologic parameters and anthropometry were measured. RESULTS: Child-Pugh score and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scale were higher in group B (p<0.01). After correction of various factors affecting nutritional assessment, especially of Child-Pugh score and MELD scale, leptin was higher in group B (p<0.05). There was no difference in anthropometric measurements. Transferrin correlated inversely with MELD scale in group A (p<0.01). IGF-1 correlated inversely with total lymphocyte count in group B (p<0.05). Leptin correlated with Child-Pugh scores, total lymphocyte count and mid-arm muscle cirumference in group A (p<0.05, p<0.05 and p<0.05, respectively), and correlated inversely with CD8 in group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Leptin level is higher in patients with HE, and further studies for parameters of nutrition to predict HE in many cirrhotic patients will be needed.

A Case of Hepatoid Carcinoma of the Pancreas / 대한소화기학회지

Hepatoid carcinoma is a primary extrahepatic neoplasm exhibiting features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in terms of morphology, immunohistochemistry, and behavior. In many cases, tumor cytoplasm is positive for alpha- fetoprotein (alpha-FP) with elevated serum alpha-FP level. Because not all hepatoid carcinomas are associated with alpha- FP overproduction, diagnosis should be made essentially by histological features of the tumor. We present a case of hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas in a 21-year-old male patient. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an inhomogeneously enhanced pancreatic head mass. Serum alpha-FP level was markedly elevated. He underwent pylorus-preserving Whipple's operation. The tumor showed hepatoid and neuroendocrine components simultaneously. The histopathological diagnosis was hepatoid carcinoma associated with neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. Seven months after the surgery, the patient is healthy without evidence of recurrence. To date, only 7 cases of hepatoid carcinoma of the pancreas have been reported in the literature, and this is the first case report in Korea.

A Case of Hemolysis in ABO-unmatched Liver Transplantation: Use of Washed Group O Red Blood Cells and Steroids / 대한소화기학회지

Liver transplantation is the only curative therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease. The high success rate and the increasing demand for the transplantation sometimes calls for ABO-compatible but nonidentical blood group orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), which affords the opportunity to the production of antibody to red blood cells. Hemolytic anemia usually occurs 1 to 2 weeks after transplantation. Although mild in most patients, it can be life-threatening. Until now, a few cases showing hemolytic anemia due to donor ABO antibody formation after ABO-nonidentical OLT have been reported. In the reported cases of hemolytic anemia, most ABO-nonidentical OLT cases were O-to-A, but few reports are available on this subject with O-to-B ABO- nonidentical OLT. Herein, we report the experience with hemolysis after ABO-nonidentical OLT in a group O donor into a group B recipient and the successful treatment with transfusion of washed group O red blood cells and 60 mg dose of prednisolone for 3 days.

A Case of Congenital Esophageal Stenosis Presented with Esophageal Foreign Body / 대한이비인후과학회지

Congenital esophageal stenosis is a extremely rare disease in childhood. We experienced one patient with a case of esophageal stenosis with esophageal solid food impaction. According to her history of dysphagia, cine esophagogram, pH-monitoring, and esophagoscopic findings, this esophageal stenosis was confirmed as congenital stenosis. We thus reported this case along with a relevant literature review.

Electron Misoscopic Morphology of the Gallbladder and Gallstone Formation induced by High Cholesterol-Cholic Acid Diet in Mice / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The experimental production of cholesterol gallstone suggests that alteration of the nature of gallbladder mucus may be a factor in the induction of gallbladder stones. This study was designed to clarify the changes of the gallbladder epithelia and the role of a high cholesterol-cholic acid diet (CCD) in the formation of the gallstones. METHOD: Forty mice were fed on a diet of natural 1% high-cholesterol egg yolk and 2.5% cholic acid for 8 weeks. The mice were sacrificed biweekly and followed up for 8 weeks. The gallbladder tissues and bile were prepared for electron microscopic examination. We observed the ultrastructural changes of the epithelia and the sediments of the gallbladder bile with scanning and transmission electron microscopic observation. RESULTS: 1) Process of Gallstone formation in bile: At the 2nd week in mice fed with CCD, the crystals grew up by appositional layering into monoliths and then by aggregation into mulberry-shaped stones. At the 8th week many stones and numerous concrements were observed. 2) Scanning electron microscopic findings: In mice fed with CCD, the scattered whitish patches of epithelial cell surfaces exhibited the cauliflower-like apical protrusion secreting mucin. These protrusions appeared to be swellings of the apical plasmalemma and they were mixed with the mucus and microvilli. 3) Transmission electron microscope findings: At the 2nd week, numerous electron lucent secretory granules were observed in the apical zone of the epithelial cells. Increased numbers of fat vacuoles were also observed in the basal area of epithelium. Two types of cells were observed in the lining epithelium: dark and light cells. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that long-term administration of CCD, and the resultant increased secretion of glycoprotein from gallbladder epithelial cells, could be a factor in the induction of the gallstones.

Ultrastructural changes of hepatic stellate cells in the space of Disse in alcoholic fatty liver

BACKGROUND: Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) has been suggested to play a role in fibrogenesis in alcoholic liver disease. We evaluate the correlation with fibrogenesis and ultrastructure of hepatic stellate cells in alcoholic fatty liver. METHODS: We studied 6 patients with alcoholic fatty liver and 5 non-alcoholic fatty liver. The numbers of fat droplets in hepatic stellate cell was determined by electron microscopy. We also studied the grading of deposition of collagen fibers in the space of Disse. We were to evaluate the structure of hepatic stellate cells in the space of Disse by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Wider distribution of fat droplets in hepatic stellate cells in alcoholic fatty liver than in normal liver. The hypertrophied endoplasmic reticulum in hepatic stellate cells is a prominent findings in alcoholic fatty liver. We observed basement membrane-like materials in patients with alcoholic fatty liver with hepatic fibrosis. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that, in patients with alcoholic fatty liver by alcoholic liver injury, the hepatic stellate cells may play an important role in the fibrogenesis of perisinusoidal spaces in the liver.

A Case of Hemorrhagic Angiodysplasia of the Duodenal Bulb in a Patient under Chronic Hemodialysis / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Upper gastrointestinal tract angiodysplasia is rare, but it is an important cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We experienced a case of hemorrhagic angiodysplasia of duodenal bulb in a patient under chronic hemodialysis due to chronic renal failure. Repeated upper GI endoscopy revealed an angiodysplasia at the posterior wall of the duodenal bulb. It was successfully treated by bipolar electrocoagulation. We report a case of angiodysplasia in chronic renal failure patient with the review of the literatures.

A Case of Cholestatic Autoimmune Hepatitis and Acute Liver Failure: an Unusual Hepatic Manifestation of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and Sjogren's Syndrome

Although hepatomegaly is reported to occur occasionally in patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) or Sjogren's syndrome (SS), autoimmune liver diseases such as primary biliary cirrhosis, sclerosing cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis in association with MCTD or SS have rarely been described. We report a case of severe cholestatic autoimmune hepatitis presenting with acute liver failure in a 40-yr-old female patient suffering from MCTD and SS. The diagnosis of MCTD and SS was made at the age of 38. The patient presented severe jaundice and elevation of conjugated bilirubin. The patient denied alcohol and drug use and had no evidence of viral hepatitis. On the 8th day of her hospitalization, the patient developed grade III hepatic encephalopathy. She was diagnosed as autoimmune hepatitis presenting with acute liver failure based on clinical features, positive FANA and anti-smooth muscle antibodies, negative anti-mitochondrial antibodies, high titers of serum globulin, liver biopsy findings, and a good response to corticosteroid therapy, The patient was managed with prednisolone and the clinical symptoms, liver function test results, and liver biopsy findings showed much improvement after steroid therapy.

Estimation of the arterial fraction of total hepatic flow from radionuclide angiogram using 99mTc-DISIDA / 대한핵의학회잡지

No abstract available.