Long-term treatment outcomes of clevudine in antiviral-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To evaluate the treatment outcomes of clevudine compared with entecavir in antiviral-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of CHB patients treated with clevudine 30 mg/d and compared their clinical outcomes with patients treated with entecavir 0.5 mg/d.

The use of gabexate mesylate and ulinastatin for the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis.

Background/aims: Acute pancreatitis is a common complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Only a few pharmacologic agents have been shown to have potential efficacy for the prophylactic treatment of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). The aim of this study was to determine whether prophylactic gabexate and ulinastatin can decrease the incidence of PEP.

Virological response to adefovir monotherapy and the risk of adefovir resistance.

Aim: To evaluate virological response to adefovir (ADV) monotherapy and emergence of ADV-resistant mutations in lamivudine (LAM)-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients.

Methods: Seventy-seven patients with documented LAM resistance who were treated with 10 mg/d ADV for > 96 wk were analyzed for ADV resistance.

Results: At week 48 and 96, eight (10%) and 14 (18%) of 77 LAM-resistant patients developed the ADV-resistant strain (rtA181V/T and/or rtN236T mutations), respectively.

Efficacy of initial treatment with clevudine in naive patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aims: Clevudine, a pyrimidine nucleoside analogue, has potent antiviral effects in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB). We report the efficacy of initial treatment with clevudine in naïve patients with CHB living in Daejeon and Chungcheong Province, South Korea.

Methods: One hundred five adults with CHB were administered 30 mg of clevudine per day for an average of 51 weeks.

A case of phlegmonous gastritis associated with marked gastric distension.

Phlegmonous gastritis is an acute and severe infectious disease that is occasionally fatal if the diagnosis is delayed. Alcohol consumption, an immunocompromised state (e.g.

A Case of Obstructive Jaundice Caused by Paradoxical Reaction during Antituberculous Chemotherapy for Abdominal Tuberculosis.

Abdominal tuberculosis is not a rare disease, but obstructive jaundice caused by tuberculosis (tuberculous lymphadenitis, tuberculous enlargement of the head of pancreas, and/or tuberculous stricture of the biliary tree) is rare. We recently experienced a case of obstructive jaundice as a result of paradoxical reaction of periportal tuberculous lymphadenopathy that was treated successfully with corticosteroid and biliary drainage. No similar cases have been reported previously.

Pancreatic pseudocyst filled with semisolid lipids mimicking solid mass on endoscopic ultrasound.

Pancreatic pseudocysts, which account for 70%-90% of pancreatic cystic lesions, characteristically are non-epithelially lined cystic cavities that are contiguous with the pancreas. Pancreatic pseudocysts can be caused by acute, chronic or traumatic pancreatitis and should be differentiated from other pancreatic diseases with cystic appearances, especially cystic neoplasms. We report a unique case of a pancreatic pseudocyst filled with semisolid lipids, which appeared by endoscopic ultrasound as a solid mass, and was therefore resected.

Evaluation of esophageal varices on liver computed tomography: receiver operating characteristic analyses of the performance of radiologists and endoscopists.

Background And Aim: Recent liver multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) always covers the distal esophagus with an excellent image quality. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of faculty abdominal radiologists with those of radiology residents and endoscopists for the detection of esophageal varices and high-risk esophageal varices on liver MDCT.

Methods: A total of 104 cirrhotic patients that had undergone liver MDCT 4 weeks or less before an upper endoscopy were evaluated.

[Antiviral efficacy of lamivudine/adefovir combination therapy in chronic hepatitis b patients with resistance to lamivudine and adefovir consecutively].

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to elucidate the antiviral efficacy of lamivudine (LMV)-adefovir (ADV) combination therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients who showed resistance to LMV and ADV consecutively.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed in eighteen patients with chronic hepatitis B who developed virologic breakthroughs during LMV-ADV sequential mono-therapy and treated with LMV-ADV combination therapy.

Results: The median duration of follow up was 17 months (range, 6-27) after the start of LMV-ADV combination therapy.

[Efficacy of initial treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a versus peginterferon alpha-2b in combination with ribavirin in naive chronic hepatitis C patients living in Daejeon and Chungcheong Province in Korea: a comparative study].

Backgrounds/aims: Peginterferon alpha-2a or -2b is the standard treatment regimen in chronic hepatitis C. However, there have been few comparative studies of the efficacies of these two types of peginterferon. We evaluated their efficacies in combination with ribavirin as a initial treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

[Changes in the profiles of causative agents and antibiotic resistance rate for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: an analysis of cultured microorganisms in recent 12 years].

Backgrounds/aims: The causative agents for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and antibiotic resistance rate vary according to the regions and time. This study evaluated the recent changes in the profiles of microorganisms and antibiotic resistance rate for the choice of effective antibiotics in treating SBP.

Methods: The clinical records of 1,018 episodes of SBP from November, 1994 to December, 2005, were analyzed retrospectively.