Hyun Ju Min

Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Twenty Five Cases of Acute Hepatitis Following Ingestion of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb

Background/Aims Complementary medicines, including herbal preparations and nutritional supplements, are widely used without prescriptions. As a result, there has been growing interest in the risk of hepatotoxicity with these agents. It is difficult to determine causal relationships between these herbal preparations and hepatotoxicity. We report on 25 patients diagnosed with toxic hepatitis following ingestion of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Methods Twenty-five patients (median age, 48 years [24 to 65 years]; M:F=18:7) with suspected P. multiflorum Thunb-induced liver injury were admitted to our hospital between 2007 and 2009. We analyzed clinical and histological data, including the types and the duration of P. multiflorum Thunb intake and the duration of hospital care. We also determined the type of liver injury using the R ratio (serum activity of ALT/serum activity of ALP). Results The types of complementary medicine used included tea (n=16), liquor (n=5), tea and liquor (n=2), powder (n=1), and honeyed pudding (n=1). The most common presenting sign was jaundice (76%), and 18 patients (72%) had evidence of hepatocellular liver injury. Histological findings were consistent with acute hepatitis in all cases (n=10) for which liver biopsy was performed. Twenty-three patients (91.6%) recovered with conservative management, 1 patient (4%) had a liver transplant, and 1 patient (4%) died of hepatic failure. Conclusions In our cases, we found that P. multiflorum Thunb could be hepatotoxic and could lead to severe drug-induced liver injury, and even death.

Genotype-4 hepatitis E in a human after ingesting roe deer meat in South Korea

The recent increase in the number of cases of indigenous hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection highlights the importance of identifying the transmission routes for the prevention of such infections. Presented herein is the first case of acute HEV infection after ingesting wild roe deer meat in South Korea. A 43-year-old male presented with abdominal discomfort and jaundice. He had not recently traveled abroad, but had eaten raw roe-deer meat 6-8 weeks before the presentation. On the 7th day of hospitalization the patient was diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis E. Phylogenetic analysis of his serum revealed genotype-4 HEV. This case supports the possibility of zoonotic transmission of HEV because the patient appears to have been infected with genotype-4 HEV after ingesting raw deer meat.

Benign Schwannoma of the Liver: A Case Report

A primary benign schwannoma of the liver is extremely rare. Only nine cases have been reported in the medical literature worldwide and no case has been reported in Korea previously. A 36-yr-old woman was admitted to our hospital with vague epigastric pain. The ultrasound and computed tomography scan revealed a multi-septated cystic mass in the right lobe of the liver. The mass was resected; it was found to be a 5 × 4 × 2 cm mass filled with reddish yellow fluid. The histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a benign schwannoma, proven by positive immunoreaction with the neurogenic marker S-100 protein and a negative response to CD34, CD117 and smooth muscle actin. This is the first report of a benign schwannoma of the liver parenchyma in a Korean patient.

Reactivation of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in a Patient with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb-Induced Hepatitis

Several cases of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb-induced hepatitis have been reported worldwide. Anthraquinone is an active ingredient of P. multiflorum Thunb. that has been thought to play a role in its hepatotoxicity. Here we report the case of a 34-year-old Korean man who had P. multiflorum Thunb-induced hepatitis and reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by bone marrow suppression, which developed simultaneously. He was admitted to our hospital with recently developed fatigue and aggravated jaundice. He was a previously healthy man except for the sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis seen on chest X-ray. He had a 30-day history of ingesting the root of P. multiflorum as a form of liquor and tea. The patient was diagnosed with P. multiflorum Thunb-induced hepatitis after excluding all other potential causes of acute hepatitis. Liver function gradually improved following the total cessation of the consumption of the material. However, he suffered from spiking fever with progressive pancytopenia during the hospital stay. A bone marrow biopsy showed markedly hypocellular marrow, suggesting transient bone marrow suppression, which was probably caused by extrinsic factors such as drugs, toxins, and viral infection. Although he began to complain of a dry cough, repeated sputum investigations revealed positive acid-fast bacillus staining. The fever subsided and pancytopenia improved after treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. These observations suggest that P. multiflorum Thunb induces both bone marrow suppression and hepatotoxicity.

The Synchronous Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasms in Patients with Stomach Cancer

Purpose The association between stomach cancer and colorectal cancer is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the synchronous prevalence of colorectal neoplasms in patients with stomach cancer. Methods A total of 123 patients with stomach cancer (86 male) and 246 consecutive, age- and sex-matched persons without stomach cancer were analyzed from July 2005 to June 2010. All of them underwent colonoscopy within 6 months after undergoing gastroscopy. Results The prevalence of colorectal neoplasms was significantly higher in the stomach cancer group (35.8%) than in the control group (17.9%) (P < 0.001). Colorectal neoplasms were more prevalent in the patients with stomach cancer (odds ratio [OR], 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71 to 5.63). In particular, the difference in the prevalence of colorectal neoplasms was more prominent in the patients above 50 years old (OR, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.80 to 6.98). Conclusion The results showed that the synchronous prevalence of colorectal neoplasms was higher in patients with stomach cancer than in those without stomach cancer. Therefore, patients with stomach cancer should be regarded as a high-risk group for colorectal neoplasms, and colonoscopy should be recommended for screening.

Comparison and analysis of the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection by region in the Republic of Korea during 2005-2012

Background/Aims This study compared the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the Republic of Korea and estimated the high-risk regions and towns. Methods National Health Insurance Service data for 8 years from 2005 to 2012 were used. The subjects of the study had visited medical facilities and been diagnosed with or received treatment for acute or chronic HCV as a primary or secondary disease according to ICD-10 codes of B17.1 or B18.2, respectively. Any patient who received treatment for the same disease multiple times during 1 year was counted as one patient in that year. To correct for the effect of the age structure of the population by year and region, the age-adjusted prevalence was calculated using the direct method based on the registered population in 2010. Results The overall prevalence of HCV infection among Korean adults (>20 years old) increased from 0.14% in 2005 to 0.18% in 2012. The sex-, age-, and region-adjusted prevalence in 2012 was 0.18%. The prevalence was highest in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam, and there were towns with noticeably higher prevalences within these regions: Jindo (0.97%) in Jeonnam, Namhae (0.90%) in Gyeongnam, and Seo-gu (0.86%) in Busan. Conclusions The prevalence of HCV infection differs by regions as well as towns in the Republic of Korea, and is highest in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam. The reasons for the high prevalence in these specific regions should be identified, since this could help prevent HCV infections in the future. In addition, active surveillance and treatment policies should be introduced to stop any further spread of infection in these high-prevalence regions.

An indigenous case of intestinal capillariasis with protein-losing enteropathy in Korea.

We encountered an indigenous case of intestinal capillariasis with protein-losing enteropathy in the Republic of Korea. A 37-year-old man, residing in Sacheon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, admitted to the Gyeongsang National University Hospital (GNUH) due to long-lasting diarrhea, abdominal pain, anasarca, and weight loss. He recalled that he frequently ate raw fish, especially the common blackish goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus) and has never been abroad. Under the suspicion of protein-losing enteropathy, he received various kinds of medical examinations, and was diagnosed as intestinal capillariasis based on characteristic sectional findings of nematode worms in the biopsied small intestine. Adults, juvenile worms, and eggs were also detected in the diarrheic stools collected before and after medication. The clinical symptoms became much better after treatment with albendazole 400 mg daily for 3 days, and all findings were in normal range in laboratory examinations performed after 1 month. The present study is the 6th Korean case of intestinal capillariasis and the 3rd indigenous one in the Republic of Korea.

Esophageal anthracosis complicated by mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis presenting as submucosal tumor

Anthracosis is a black pigment discoloration located mainly in the bronchi because of inhalation of dust or particulates. 1 Extrapulmonary anthracosis that includes the esophagus is very rare, and its etiology is not well established. 2,3 We present a case of esophageal anthracosis presenting as a submucosal tumor (SMT) complicated by mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis.

Unusual gastrointestinal metastases from an alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare subtype of soft tissue sarcoma that occurs predominantly in young patients. Despite its relatively indolent course, it generally has a poor prognosis with widespread metastases. The common metastatic sites from an ASPS include the lung, brain and bone. However, metastasis of an ASPS to the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare. Here, we report a rare case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and jejunal intussusception due to gastrointestinal metastases from an ASPS.

A case of sudden-onset hearing loss in a patient treated with peginterferon α-2b and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C

Combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin has been associated with various adverse effects, but sudden-onset hearing loss is uncommon. We report a 60-year-old male patient who developed sudden-onset hearing loss during combination therapy with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. This patient had been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C (genotype Ib) and early-stage liver cirrhosis 3 years previously, and had been treated with conventional interferon-alpha and ribavirin for 12 months. However, 6 months from the end of the treatment course the patient relapsed and received combination retreatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin. He developed sudden-onset right-side hearing loss and tinnitus 42 weeks after the start of this retreatment. Pure-tone audiometry revealed a right-side hearing loss of 60 approximately 90 dB. The patient consequently immediately discontinued the pegylated interferon therapy and was given prednisone 60 mg/day for 10 days, after which the hearing loss had almost completely recovered.