A Case of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis in an Immunocompetent Male Patient Diagnosed by a Percutaneous Supraclavicular Lymph Node Biopsy.

Cryptococcal pneumonia usually occurs in immunocompromised patients with malignancy, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, organ transplantations, immunosuppressive chemotherapies, catheter insertion, or dialysis. It can be diagnosed by gaining tissues in lung parenchyma or detecting antigen in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Here we report an immunocompetent 32-year-old male patient with diabetes mellitus diagnosed with cryptococcal pneumonia after a ultrasound-guided percutaneous supraclavicular lymph node core needle biopsy.

Potential masking of airway eosinophilic inflammation by combination therapy in asthma.

Purpose: Long-acting β2 agonists (LABA) may mask ongoing bronchial inflammation, leaving asthmatic patients at greater risk of severe complications. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of combination therapy using low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) plus LABA on airway inflammation in asthma to the effect of medium-dose ICS alone.

Methods: Twenty-four patients with asthma not controlled by low-dose (400 µg per day) budesonide alone were enrolled in this prospective crossover study.

Comparison of the causes and clinical features of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms and stevens-johnson syndrome.

Purpose: Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) and the Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) are both severe drug reactions. Their pathogenesis and clinical features differ. This study compared the causes and clinical features of SJS and DRESS.

Toxocariasis might be an important cause of atopic myelitis in Korea.

Atopic myelitis is defined as myelitis with atopic diasthesis but the cause is still unknown. Toxocariasis is one of the common causes of hyperIgEaemia that may lead to neurologic manifestations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sero-prevalence of Toxocara specific IgG Ab among the atopic myelitis patients.

Exhaled nitric oxide measurement is useful for the exclusion of nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis in patients with chronic cough.

Background: Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) is an important cause of chronic cough, and it can be diagnosed by an induced-sputum (IS) examination. However, an IS examination is a complex and time-consuming procedure, and it has limited clinical application. This study aimed to evaluate the role of exhaled nitric oxide (NO) for the investigation of chronic cough, especially of NAEB.

Proteomic analysis to identify biomarker proteins in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer in Korea. PDAC is difficult to diagnose at an early stage and even more difficult to cure. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify molecular targets for early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Prevalence of lower airway diseases in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Conclusion: There is high prevalence of lower airway diseases in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and frequently co-existing lower airway diseases have not been diagnosed before.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of lower airway diseases in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Methods: Seventy-three consecutive patients with chronic rhinosinusitis were enrolled in this prospective study.

DNA methylation and the expression of IL-4 and IFN-gamma promoter genes in patients with bronchial asthma.

Although CpG methylation is thought to be a negative regulator of gene transcription, its relationship with cytokine expression remains unclear. Interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma are major cytokines that affect the differentiation of naïve CD4+ T lymphocytes into the Th1 and Th2 lineage. We used bisulfite deoxyribonucleic acid modification and sequencing to examine the relationship between CpG methylation and IL-4 and IFN-gamma gene expression before and after allergen stimulation in human CD4+ T lymphocytes from sensitized hosts.

Causes and clinical features of subacute cough.

Study Objectives: Cough lasting > 3 weeks has been defined as chronic cough. However, it might be more persuasive to divide cough into subacute, lasting 3 to 8 weeks, and chronic, lasting > 8 weeks. We evaluated the causes and clinical courses of subacute cough, and the value of the bronchoprovocation test and induced sputum examination (IS).

Churg-Strauss syndrome: the clinical features and long-term follow-up of 17 patients.

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare multi-system vasculitis; some cases have been reported in Korea. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features, treatment outcome, and long-term follow-up of CSS from a single Korean medical center. Between 1995 and 2004, seventeen patients were diagnosed with CSS at the Department of Medicine of the Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.

The prevalence and diagnostic value of toxocariasis in unknown eosinophilia.

Toxocariasis is one of the causes of eosinophilia in peripheral blood and provokes eosinophilic infiltration in internal organs. Extended studies on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of toxocariasis have been rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of toxocariasis in unknown eosinophilia and to analyze the efficacy of toxocara enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Three cases of synchronous solid tumor and multiple myeloma.

The association between a multiple myeloma and a secondary solid tumor is not well established. Some reports showed an increased risk of secondary solid neoplasms in multiple myeloma patients, but others have not. Three cases of the synchronous occurrence of multiple myelomas and solid tumors, namely, a small cell carcinoma of the lung, an adenocarcinoma of the colon and a squamous carcinoma of the pyriform sinus were experienced at our hospital.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma recurring as a solitary renal mass.

Herein, a case of solitary, unilateral renal metastasis in a patient with curatively resected thoracic esophageal carcinoma, who achieved a pathological complete remission after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy, is reported. The kidney is the 4(th) or 5(th) most common visceral metastasis site of a primary esophageal carcinoma. More than 50% of renal metastases typically show bilateral involvement.