• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.466-477
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• 2013

Objectives : To report and demonstrate the effect of decreasing ascites volume by SB intraperitoneal injection to a refractory ascites patient with synchronous colorectal liver metastasis and metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis. Methods : Two cycles of intraperitoneal and intravenous SB injection were conducted. Each injection cycle was made up of 4 days. Nine vials of SB were injected to the patient every day. To compare the volume of ascites between pret- and post-treatment, follow-up computed tomography was done on June 3, 2013. To observe other therapeutic effects of SB injection, laboratory tests were conducted periodically. Results : On the follow-up computed tomography images, the amount of ascites and pleural effusion had decreased compared to the April 30, 2013 computed tomography images. The levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase decreased significantly from May 9, to May 30, 2013. The amount of oral intake increased constantly during hospitalization. The patient's symptoms such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain and dyspnea were improving until discharge. Conclusions : Even if thiese results cannot be applied to every synchronous colorectal cancer liver metastasis patient, we demonstrated that SB intraperitoneal injection has ascites-decreasing effect to refractory ascites patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastasis and metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.130-134
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• 2024

Refractory chylous ascites can cause significant nutritional and immunologic morbidity, but no clear treatment has been established. This article introduces a case of a 22-year-old female patient with an underlying lymphatic anomaly who presented with refractory chylous ascites after laparoscopic adnexectomy for ovarian teratoma which aggravated after thoracic duct embolization. Ascites (>3,000 mL/d) had to be drained via a percutaneous catheter to relieve abdominal distention and consequent dyspnea, leading to significant cachexia and weight loss. Two sessions of hybrid lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) surgery with intraoperative mesenteric lymphangiography guidance were performed to decompress the lymphatics. The first LVA was done between inferior mesenteric vein and left para-aortic enlarged lymphatics in a side-to-side manner. The daily drainage of chylous ascites significantly decreased to 130 mL/day immediately following surgery but increased 6 days later. An additional LVA was performed between right ovarian vein and enlarged lymphatics in aortocaval area in side-to-side and end-to-side manner. The chylous ascites resolved subsequently without any complications, and the patient was discharged after 2 weeks. The patient regained weight without ascites recurrence after 22 months of follow-up. This case shares a successful experience of treating refractory chylous ascites with lymphatic anomaly through LVA, reversing the patient's life-threatening weight loss. LVA was applied with a multidisciplinary approach using intraoperative mesenteric lipiodol, and results showed the possibility of expanding its use to challenging problems in the intraperitoneal cavity.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.204-209
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• 2022

The state of intense peripancreatic inflammation in chronic pancreatitis can give rise to various vascular complications such as venous thrombosis and arterial pseudoaneurysms. Due to its intimate location with the pancreas, spleno-mesenteric-portal axis suffers the greatest blunt of thrombotic complications. Treatment modalities for such cases of chronic portal vein thrombosis have always been controversial and challenging. Medical management with anticoagulants is both risky and unsatisfactory due to presence of varices, hypersplenism, and persistence of the inflammatory pathology. Although endovascular techniques have been tried in various case reports, there are definite anatomical challenges in cases of long segment porto-mesenteric thrombosis with massive ascites. Surgical shunts have been historically described for cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic portal hypertensive patients. However, its use in patients with refractory ascites due to chronic pancreatitis induced portal vein thrombosis has not been reported in the medical literature. Here, we present a case of an extensive portal vein thrombosis with massive refractory ascites in a patient with alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis successfully treated with a surgical mesocaval shunt using an interposition small diameter graft.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.81-84
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• 2022

Esophagectomy and esophageal reconstruction are commonly chosen as surgical options for esophageal cancer. However, prolonged untreated chyle leakage is associated with a poor prognosis. We report the case of a patient with refractory chylous ascites. To limit the ongoing fluid loss, we utilized the chylous ascites as an additional fluid source in a renal replacement therapy system. A continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) drainage system was modified to drain both the chylous ascites and venous blood. The ascites drainage rate was determined empirically and regulated by a dial-flow extension set. The CRRT mode was set to continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration and maintained for 7 days. After the patient was weaned from CRRT, ascites did not reaccumulate, and the patient's general condition improved dramatically. No infections related to the system occurred. This procedure temporarily alleviates symptoms and provides more time for alternative treatment strategies.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 2008

1. Objectives This is a case of refractory ascites due to hepatocellular carcinoma treated with Sasang Constitutional Medication. Refractory ascites, which did not respond to diuretics, was improved with Jeoryeongchajeonja-tang. 2. Methods We recorded the patient's abdominal circumference, body weight and urine output daily. We also investigated the TTKG(transtubular potassium gradient) values 3 times during the treatment course. 3. Results the TTKG value of the patient was siginificantly decreased. TTKG values before administration of Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang were 8.41, 10.82, respectively and 4.25 after administration of Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang. 4. Conclusions We guess that Jeoryeongchajeonja-tang functions as an aldosterone antagonist or increases spironolactone activity through interaction between Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang and spironolactone. But the mechanism of Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang is not clear, so we need more clinical study of refractory ascites improved with Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang and biological study of interaction between Jeotyeongchajeonja-tang and spironolactone.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.261-265
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• 1992

Pleural effusion due to hepatic cirrhosis and ascites is well known. But rarely a pleural effusion may develop in a cirrhotic patient in the absence of detectable ascites. The differential diagnosis of a right-sided transudative pleural effusion in a patient with chronic liver disease with or without ascites includes congestive heart failure and nephrotic syndrome. These diseases are usually ruled out with standard clinical tests. Patients with hepatic hydrothorax should be treated with fluid restriction, diuretics and the correction of hypoalbuminemia. Patients with severe symptoms due to refractory hepatic hydrothorax might benefit from pleural sclerosis and surgical closure of diaphragmatic defect. We experienced a case of right-sided pleural effusion in liver cirrhosis without ascites.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.116-122
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• 2010

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome is a rare thrombocytopenic consumptive coagulopathy associated with a giant hemangioma. We experienced a case of unexplained ascites with thrombocytopenia in a 32 week premature infant. An exploratory laparotomy was performed to determine the cause of the refractory ascites and thrombocytopenia. An intestinal hemangioma was found, but, surgical removal was not performed due to the extensive involvement. Hemangioma was confirmed by SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) and the thrombocytopenia was treated with steroid therapy. It is recommended that hemangioma of the visceral organs should be suspected when unexplained thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy persist.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5883-5890
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• 2013

Previously, we demonstrated overexpression of semaphorin4D (SEMA4D, CD100) to be closely related to tumor angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs). However, the function and expression of SEMA4D in the EOC microenvironment has yet to be clarified in detail. In this study, we confirmed that overexpression of SEMA4D in primary tumors and ascites was related to low differentiation, platinum resistance and a refractory status (P<0.05), while high M2 macrophage count and percentage were evident in EOC patients with advanced FIGO stage and platinum resistance (P<0.05), using immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), respectively. The data showed correlations of SEMA4D expression and M2 macrophage counts in primary tumors and M2 macrophage percentage in ascites (r=0.281 and 0.355, each P<0.05). In the Cox proportional hazard mode, SEMA4D expression was an independent indicator of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for EOC patients. Furthermore, higher expression of SEMA4D in ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, A2780, and SW626) and their supernatants were found than that in a human primary cultured ovarian cell and its supernatant by reversed transcript PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Interestingly, peripheral blood monocytes (MOs) tended towards the M2-polarized macrophage phenotype ($CD163^{high}$) in vitro after human recombined soluble SEMA4D protein stimulation. These findings suggest that SEMA4D might possibly serve as a reliable tool for early and accurate prediction of EOC poor prognosis and could playan important role in promoting tumor dissemination and metastasis in the EOC microenvironment. Thus SEMA4D and its role in macrophage polarization in EOC warrants further study.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.380-384
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• 2017

Massive chylous leakage is a rare postoperative complication that can prolong hospital stay and cause secondary morbidities. Conservative management strategies are the treatment of choice; however, radiation therapy (RT) can be used as an alternative for cases that are refractory to conservative treatment. Herein, we report a 69-year-old female patient who suffered from massive chylous leakage after subtotal gastrectomy. Due to persistent massive chylous leakage, she was scheduled to undergo low-dose RT. Radiation was delivered with a daily dose of 1 Gy, using an anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior beam arrangement. The clinical target volume encompassed the entire lymph node area of the D2 dissection. RT was completed at the total dose of 8 Gy because the amount of chylous leakage declined rapidly. Percutaneous drainage tube was removed after 3 days of RT. The patient did not complain of any symptoms related to massive chylous leakage 2 years after the completion of RT.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2022

Backgrounds/Aims: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) remains the primary treatment for a subset of patients with pancreatic fistulae. The objective of this study was reporting outcomes of ERCP and predictors of resolution in patients with pancreatic fistulae refractory to conservative therapy. Methods: Retrospective review of patients who underwent ERCP and pancreatic stent placement for pancreatic fistula not responding to medical therapy was performed. Clinical features, laboratory parameters, radiological features and pancreatogram findings were noted. Clinical resolution of fistula was the primary outcome measure. Results: Sixty-eight patients underwent ERCP for high-output pancreatic fistula (Mean age 34.1 years, 91.1% males, 35/68 chronic pancreatitis, 52.9% alcohol etiology). Internal fistulae (pancreatic ascites, pleural effusion, or pericardial effusion) were seen in 55 (80.9%) patients and external fistula in 13 (19.1%) patients. Technical success for ERCP was 92.6% (63/68). Leak was seen in 98.4% (62/63). The most common leak site was body (69.8%). Multiple leak sites were seen in 23.1%. Pancreatic stricture was found in 36.5%. In 44 (69.4%) patients, stent was placed beyond the site of the leak. Resolution at six weeks was achieved in 76.4% (52/68). On univariate and multivariate analyses, placement of stent beyond site of leak was significantly associated with resolution of high-output fistulae (3/41 [7.3%] vs. 5/19 [26.3%], p = 0.03; odds ratio: 6.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.211-34.94). Conclusions: In our experience, ERCP was successful in 76% of patients with pancreatic fistulae refractory to conservative therapy. Stent placement beyond the site of leak was associated with higher resolution of fistulae.