• The Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.164-167
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• 2018

Aspergillus infection is the most common cause of death due to fungi in immunocompromised hosts. Aspergillus tracheobronchitis is an uncommon but severe form of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, which is limited entirely or mainly to the tracheobronchial tree and can often be life-threatening. We report a case of a 54-year-old man who died from Aspergillus tracheobronchitis without an underlying disease. Autopsy revealed an extensive yellowish plaque adhering to the trachea and bronchial wall. The microscopic examination of the trachea and bronchus revealed septate branching hyphae of Aspergillus.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.42-44
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• 2022

Chronic invasive aspergillosis is a life-threatening disease, especially in immunocompromised patients. The diagnosis and treatment of tracheal aspergillosis (TA) are challenging because of its rarity and nonspecific clinical presentations. The treatment standard of TA has been medical treatment like other forms of invasive aspergillosis, but patients with medically resistant TA require surgical intervention. We demonstrated a successful surgical outcome of chronic invasive TA in a 16-year-old patient with immunocompromised status related to acute myelocytic leukemia.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2021

Liposarcoma is a very rare malignant tumor affecting the head and neck area. Since it is an invasive and life-threatening disease, active treatments is necessary. However, differential it from lipoma, its corresponding benign counterpart, may be difficult. Herein, we report a rare case of posterior neck myxoid liposarcoma in a 72-year-old man who was initially misdiagnosed with lipoma, including a literature review of differential diagnosis between lipoma and liposarcoma.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2021

Tetanus is an infectious disease of the nervous system caused by Clostridium tetani, and is characterized by tonic muscle contractions, painful spasms, and autonomic dysfunction. Severe autonomic dysfunction associated with tetanus can be life-threatening. We present a 62-year-old female who experienced lockjaw after an ankle fracture. The patient was diagnosed with tetanus and received tetanus immunoglobulin and a vaccination. The patient subsequently experienced labile hypertension. This case highlights the challenge and importance of managing cardiovascular instability.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.362-366
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• 2023

The stomach has become the most commonly used site for grafts to replace the esophagus in esophageal cancer surgery because of its good blood supply and ability to enable single-reconstruction anastomosis. However, anastomotic failure is a serious complication after esophageal cancer surgery. Unlike anastomotic leakage due to local ischemia, gastric tube necrosis is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. Gastric tube necrosis involves extensive ischemia due to a decreased blood supply, and an urgent operation is mandatory in most cases. Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) has been used for anastomotic leakage after esophageal surgery. In recent years, it has been successfully used for more extensive disease, including large esophageal perforation as an indication for reoperation. Hence, we report a case of extensive gastric tube necrosis treated by EVT after an Ivor Lewis operation.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.276-280
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• 2023

Fungal thrombophlebitis of the central vein is a rare, life-threatening disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It requires immediate central venous catheter removal and intravenous antifungal therapy, combined in some cases with either anticoagulation or aggressive surgical debridement. A 70-year-old male patient injured by a falling object weighing 1,000 kg was transferred to our hospital. A contained rupture of the abdominal aorta with retroperitoneal hematoma was treated with primary aortic repair, and a small bowel perforation with mesenteric laceration was treated with resection and anastomosis. After a computed tomography scan, the patient was diagnosed with thrombophlebitis of the left internal jugular vein and brachiocephalic vein. Despite antifungal treatment, fever and candidemia persisted. Therefore, emergency debridement and thrombectomy were performed. After the operation, the patient was treated with an oral antifungal agent and direct oral anticoagulants. During a 1-year follow-up, no signs of candidemia relapse were observed. There is no optimal timing of surgical treatment for relapsed fungal central thrombophlebitis. Surgical treatment should be considered for early recovery.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2020

As society develops rapidly, environmental pollution is becoming a greater risk factor threatening human health. One of the major causes of air pollution that affects human health is particulate matter (PM), which contains a heterogeneous mixture of different particle sizes and chemical compositions. PM is classified by size into general PM (PM₁₀; diameter below 10 ㎛) and fine PM (PM_2.5; diameter below 2.5 ㎛). PM_2.5 can pass through the respiratory tract into the circulatory system and thence throughout the body. PM_2.5 is known to stimulate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to cells, promoting diseases such as asthma, chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and immunological disorders. Although detailed molecular mechanisms for how PM stimulates disease progression still need to be elucidated, together with national efforts to reduce PM production, significant research has been conducted that demonstrates the harmfulness of PM in disease progression through in vitro and in vivo experiments. This review focuses on the harmfulness of PM in disease progression; we also introduce a biological verification method for determining the hazards of PM.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2018

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of ${\alpha}$-galactosidase A. Patients with classical FD present acroparesthesia, hypohidrosis, cornea verticillata, disseminated angiokeratoma, and microalbuminuria in childhood, and develop life-threatening renal, cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications typically after the fourth decade of life. To date, more than 700 mutations responsible for FD have been identified in the human GLA gene. Herein, we report a novel GLA mutation, c.1117_1141del25 (p.Gly373Profs*10), identified in an 11-year-old Korean boy with FD presenting early cardiac and neurologic manifestation and in other affected family members. The boy had acroparesthesia, hypohidrosis, cornea verticillata, and left ventricular hypertrophy. His mother and sister also had acroparesthesia. Two males on the mother's side had similar pain and died of unknown causes. The plasma ${\alpha}$-galactosidase A activity (4.1 nmol/hr/mg protein) of the patient was markedly lower than the mean value of the controls. The plasma level of globotriaosylsphingosine was elevated in the patient and all the carriers. We concluded the novel GLA mutation c.1117_1141del25 is a pathogenic mutation for FD, probably related to the early cardiac manifestation of FD.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2006

Traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the intracavernous internal carotid artery(ICA) is extremely rare, but it is life threatening condition because of massive recurrent epistaxis. Unfortunately, the prompt diagnosis and treatment of this disease are frequently delayed due to its rarity and variable latent period, so this disease is regarded as a challenge to clinicians. Optimal therapy for this diseases demands rapid suspicion for it and is essential in order to give the best functional outcome with minimizing its morbidity and mortality. The authors present a case of male patient with traumatic pseudoaneurysm of intracavernous ICA accompanying severe epistaxis. This patient was a 37-year-old male with unilateral blindness and recurrent massive epistaxis after suffering trauma to head. Computed tomography, MRI and carotid artery angiogram showed pseudoaneurysm of intracavernous ICA with sphenoid bone fracture. The patient was effectively managed with occlusion of the pseudoaneurysmal circulation by endovascular interventional embolization technique utilizing mechanically detachable tungsten coils.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 1977

A rupture of a dissecting aneurysm of the aorta is life threatening disease and calls for emergency surgical treatment. The author recently experienced one case of ruptured dissecting aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta complicated with left hemothorax who was recovered after emergency operation of Aug. 11, 1976. The patient was a 43 years old farmer with known hypertension [260/120] for 20 years but without any venereal disease and had experienced sudden throbbing chest pain. Chest film and aortogram revealed this case ruptured aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta complicated with left hemothorax. In this case, large dissecting aneurysm extend from proximal part of left subclavian artery below diaphragm and involved with 3.0 and 4.0cm sized elliptical rupture in proximal part of descending thoracic aorta. And so, neither fenestration procedure nor replacement of dacron artificial vessel was suitable for this case. Finally, only the rupture site of aneurysm was treated by covering with fibrous pleura and teflon patch. The post-operative management of this case was planned to control hypertension with antihypertensive drugs. The follow-up was possible up to date about 2months. The patient has been doing well with ordinary activities except mild chest discomfort.