• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.102-106
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• 2010

A 5-year-old castrated male Cocker Spaniel was referred to Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University with a history of chronic conjunctival hyperemia and a fleshy corneal mass in the right eye. On ophthalmic examinations, it was observed that a well-vascularized fleshy mass at the dorsolateral limbus extended into the clear cornea. The lesion regressed by initial medications, including both topical and systemic corticosteroids, and topical cyclosporine A. However, the lesion relapsed and grossly infiltrated to cornea in a short period of time without improvement in spite of the immunosuppressive therapy, leading to the vision loss. The eye was enucleated and nodular granulomatous episclerokeratitis was confirmed on histopathological examination.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2007

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system granulomatous disorder of an unknown etiology and affects individuals worldwide. It is characterized pathologically by the presence of non-caseating granulomas in more than one involved organ. However, pleural involvement of sarcoidosis is rare and there are no reported cases in Korea. Traditionally, sarcoidosis has often been treated with systemic corticosteroids or cytotoxic agents. In particular, chylothorax with sarcoidosis is usually treated with corticosteroid for approximately 3~6 months, followed by repeated therapeutic thoracentesis, talc pleurodesis, dietary treatment, or thoracic duct ligation where needed. We encountered a 46 years old female patient presenting with cough, dyspnea and both hilar lymphadenopathy (stage I) on chest radiograph. The patient was diagnosed with a non-caseating granuloma, sarcoidosis by a mediastinoscopic biopsy. For one month, she had suffered from dyspnea due to right side pleural effusion, which was clearly identified as a chylothorax on thoracentesis. Corticosteroid therapy with dietary adjustment was ineffective. She was treated successfully with a subcutaneous injection of octreotide for 3 weeks and oral corticosteroid. We report a case of successful and rapid treatment of chylothorax associated with sarcoidosis using octreotide and oral corticosteroid.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2001

Objective : Intracranial metastasis is responsible for nearly 50% of mortalities of systemic cancers. Although its frequency is increasing and there is little doubt that improving the quality and expectancy of life is the final goal, the mode of treatment is still disputed. The authors report the postoperative motor function after surgery in patients with metastatic tumors around the motor cortex. Materials and Methods : We studied 24 patients with metastatic tumors around the central sulcus during the last 22 months. Motor function was assessed pre- and post-operatively as well as its response to corticosteroids. MRI, neuronavigation system and intraoperative ultrasonography were used for tumor localization and functional MRI and cortical stimulator were used to define the motor cortex. Results : Single metastasis was found in 13 cases(54%) and 11 cases(44%) had multiple foci. Thirteen cases were located in precentral, 7 in postcentral, and 4 in superior or middle-frontal lobe. The most common primary focus was the lung(16 cases). There was no difference in postoperative motor function improvement between the steroid responsive group and non-responsive group(92% versus 90%). Ninty-two percent of the patients showed significant improvement of motor function and lived independently but there was worsening in the upper extremity in one and in another no improvement. Whole brain radiation of 3000cGy was given in all cases and 4 patients died of recurrence in primary or intracranial focus during mean follow-up periods of 14 monthes. Conclusion : Surgery may provide substantial improvement of the motor function and quality of life of the patients with metastatic tumors around the motor cortex.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 1992

Background: Acute and chronic airway inflammation are important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Corticosteroids have proved to be very effective in the management of asthma. Although the mechanism by which they produce this effect is still debated, suppression of the inflammatory response is thought to be the most likely. Although inhaled steroids are known to be safe and have less side effects than oral steroids, the extent which inhaled steroids have beneficial and the detrimental effects in the treatment of asthma has remained open to question. Budesonide is a recently developed corticosteroid for inhalation treatment with a strong local effect combined with rapid inactivation in the systemic circulation. We set out to look in more detail at the time course of change in bronchial reactivity, clinical symptoms and the effects on the adrenal function during 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide (800 ug per day). Methods: Clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test, histamine $PC_{20}$, serum ACTH and cortisol (8 AM and 4 PM) were measured in 23 allergic asthmatic patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. Results: 1) Pulmonary function test; PEFR, FEV1 and FVC after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide were higher than those before treatment. 2) Clinical symptoms; Clinical symptoms were significantly improved after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. 3) Histamine provocation; Histamine $PC_{20}$ after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide was significantly higher than that before treatment. 4) Adrenal function; 6 weeks of budesonide therapy did not significantly affect the level of serum ACTH and cortisol. Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that budesonide therapy improved the clinical symptoms, pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity after 3 weeks of treatment and the improvement after 6 weeks of treatment was higher than that after 3 weeks of treatment. During 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide, the inhibitory effect on the adrenal function was not obvious.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2001

Background : Inhaled glucocorticoids are the medical treatment of choice in asthma patients. Fluticasone propionate is one of the most effective inhaled corticosteroids and has been reported to have minimal effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis at the recommended dose. However, reports of long-term trials characterizing their systemic safety with chronic use are rare. This study was designed to evaluate the long-term safety of inhaled fluticasone propionate to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Method : This study was conducted on 21 patients to evaluate the adrenal response to rapid ACTH stimulation test after 6 months of treatment with fluticasone propionate from $200\;{\mu}g$ to $750\;{\mu}g$ daily. The serum cortisol levels was measured to assess its effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis just prior to the injection, at 30 minutes and 60 minutes after an intramuscular injection of synthetic ACTH. Result : The mean dose of inhaled fluticasone propionate was $355\;{\mu}g$ per day(SD=$174\;{\mu}g$, range=$200\;{\mu}g$ to $750\;{\mu}g$). The mean serum cortisol levels of the patients was $11.0\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$(SD=$6.4\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$) prior to the injection, $20.0\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$ (SD=$7.7\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$) after 30 minutes, and $23.0\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$(SD=$6.3\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$) after 60 minutes. Sixteen patients of the 21 patients had a normal response(> $18\;{\mu}g/d{\ell}$), and 5 out of the 21 patients had serum cortisol levels below the normal range after the rapid ACTH stimulation test. Conclusion: Adrenal suppression occurred in 5 out of 21 patients with 6 months treatment with inhaled fluticasone propionate.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.784-789
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• 2006

Purpose : $Henoch-Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura(HSP) is a systemic vasculitis involving small vessels of skin, gastrointestinal(GI) tract and kidney. Digestive involvement of HSP can be serious with massive GI bleeding, perforation, and intussusception. However, some patients do not respond to conventional corticosteroid therapy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for serious digestive manifestations not responding to steroid. Methods : From April 1999 to January 2005, 22 children diagnosed as HSP with severe GI symptoms were included. Initially, all patients were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone. IVIG 2 g/kg of body weight was infused in children refractory to steroid therapy. Clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. Results : Among 22 children, 12 children underwent IVIG therapy. The mean duration of corticosteroid therapy was $5.61{\pm}4.9$ days before IVIG therapy, and 11 of 12 patients experienced disappearance of GI manifestations after the initiation of IVIG infusion. In one patient, IVIG was ineffective in relieving abdominal pain, but melena subsided. Comparison of the duration of hospitalization between IVIG group and corticosteroid group revealed no significant difference($12.8{\pm}7.6$ days vs. $13.2{\pm}7.8$ days, P=0.777). But, the total duration of abdominal pain decreased in IVIG group although the difference between two groups was not significant($8.8{\pm}8.1$ days vs. $14.8{\pm}16.9$ days, P=0.306). Among 10 children treated with steroid only, 2 children were operated for bowel perforation and intussusception. In contrast, there was no perforation in 12 children who underwent IVIG therapy. Conclusion : IVIG could be the alternative therapy to corticosteroids in children with severe digestive manifestations of HSP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.888-899
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• 1995

Background: Topical inhaled steroids, budesonide(Bu) and beclomethasone dipropionate (BOP), are now established as effective drugs in the management of chronic asthma. These drugs have high topical anti-inflammatory effect with low systemic activity. This study was performed to determine the effects of two inhaled corticosteroids, Bu and BOP, on the adrenocortical supression in 44 patients with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: The adrenocortical function was assessed by measurement of serum cortisol concentration at 8 o'clock in morning and free cortisol in 24-hour urine collection at interval in 44 patients. No steroid was administered during the pretreatment period of 10 days and the final 6 days of the study. Each subject inhaled BOP or Bu, in daily doses of 800 or 1,600 micrograms for 12 days. The dose was delivered by metered dose inhaler (MDI) or diskhaler or large spacing device attached to MDI. Results: The levels of serum cortisol and 24-hour urinary free cortisol were decreased during the treatment period in patients inhaled Bu delivered by MDI in daily doses of 800 and 1,600 micrograms. In contrast, serum cortisol level was decreased on 6 and 12th day of treatment period in patients with BDP diskhaler in daily doses of 800 micrograms. In daily doses of 1,600 micrograms, the serum cortisol and 24hour urine free cortisol levels were decreased on 6, 9 and 12th day of treatment period in patients with BDP disk haler. The serum cortisol and 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels were not significantly decreased during the treatment period in patients inhaled Bu delivered by large spacing device attached to a MDI. Conclusion: These results showed that 1) the endogenous cortisol secretion was suppressed after inhalation of BDP and Bu in daily doses of 800 and 1,600micrograms, 2) Bu with MDI suppressed the adrenocortical function more than BDP with diskhaler, in daily doses of 1600 micrograms. and 3)large spacing device attached to a MDI might decrease the risk of suppression in the hypothalamic -pituitary- adrenal axis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2022

Background: Although respiratory tract infection is one of the most important factors triggering acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD), limited data are available to suggest an epidemiologic pattern of microbiology in South Korea. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 across 28 hospitals in South Korea. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe acute exacerbations of COPD were eligible to participate in the present study. The participants underwent all conventional tests to identify etiology of microbial pathogenesis. The primary outcome was the percentage of different microbiological pathogens causing AE-COPD. A comparative microbiological analysis of the patients with overlapping asthma-COPD (ACO) and pure COPD was performed. Results: We included 1,186 patients with AE-COPD. Patients with pure COPD constituted 87.9% and those with ACO accounted for 12.1%. Nearly half of the patients used an inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimen and one-fifth used systemic corticosteroids. Respiratory pathogens were found in 55.3% of all such patients. Bacteria and viruses were detected in 33% and 33.2%, respectively. Bacterial and viral coinfections were found in 10.9%. The most frequently detected bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.8%), and the most frequently detected virus was influenza A (10.4%). Multiple bacterial infections were more likely to appear in ACO than in pure COPD (8.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.016). Conclusion: Distinct microbiological patterns were identified in patients with moderate-to-severe AE-COPD in South Korea. These findings may improve evidence-based management of patients with AE-COPD and represent the basis for further studies investigating infectious pathogens in patients with COPD.