Kwon Cheol Yoo’s research while affiliated with Chungbuk National University Hospital and other places

In May-Thurner syndrome (MTS), the left iliac vein is compressed by the right iliac artery, leading to restricted blood flow from the leg to the heart. MTS commonly manifests in young females; however, its occurrence in older adults necessitates verifying the possibility of malignancy. A 77-year-old female experienced leg swelling and discomfort for 1 week. Computed tomography angiography suggested extensive thrombosis in the left iliac vein. Despite heparin treatment, the thrombus persisted and required mechanical thrombectomy, balloon venoplasty, and stent placement for tight iliac vein stenosis. The procedure was successful; however a biopsy of thrombus revealed malignant cells. An underlying malignancy and a hypercoagulable state were identified as the contributing factors after further evaluations. This case underscores the importance for vigilant diagnosis of hypercoagulable conditions and malignancies in MTS, emphasizing the role of malignancy in the development of DVT and MTS.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of gonadal vein refluxes associated with lower-extremity varicose veins with Doppler ultrasonography (DUS). Method: A total of 6279 patients with venous disease-related symptoms of the lower extremity were evaluated with DUS in the vascular lab. Gonadal vein reflux using abdominal ultrasound was further evaluated in patients with unusual varices, defined as varices in the inguinal, inner or upper thigh and the vulvar area without refluxes in the saphenofemoral junction (SPJ). Those patients who showed gonadal vein reflux were diagnosed as having pelvic-origin varicosity. Results: Unusual varices were found in a total of 237 patients (3.8%), and of these patients, pelvic-origin varicosity was discovered with transabdominal ultrasound in 156 (65.8%). A total of 66.7% (n = 38/57) of unusual varix patients with pelvic pain had gonadal vein reflux. The measurement of gonadal vein diameter was larger in ultrasonography than CT scans (8.835 vs. 8.81, p < 0.001). Two patients with severe symptoms but no obstructive venous diseases were treated with gonadal vein embolization. Conclusion: The incidence of pelvic-origin varicosities was 2.5% (n = 156/6279). However, more than half of the patients with unusual varices had gonadal vein reflux and 24.4% of these patients also presented with pelvic pain. The evaluation of pelvic-origin varicosities should be performed in patients who present with unusual forms of varices of the lower extremity.

The rupture of an internal iliac artery aneurysm in the colon is a rare but potentially fatal complication. We report a rectal fistula of an asymptomatic internal iliac artery aneurysm that was discovered incidentally during a medical examination. A 77-year-old man presented at a local hospital for a general medical examination. Although the blood reports revealed severe anemia, the patient did not complain of any associated symptoms including dizziness and hematochezia. Moreover, there was no palpable mass in the patient’s abdomen, and there was no evidence of hematochezia, as the patient had been using a bidet. Interestingly, computed tomography (CT) revealed a large right internal iliac artery aneurysm. There was a suspicious finding of a fistula within the colon in the CT, but it was undetected in the preoperative sigmoidoscopy. Furthermore, operative findings showed a protruding retroperitoneal mass adhering to the mesentery of the sigmoid colon. During aneurysm resection, the presence of a fistula was unclear. However, a fistula tract, devoid of any infectious bacteria such as tuberculosis, was found in the specimen after colon resection. After a recovery period of approximately one week, the patient was discharged from the hospital without any unusual findings on the post-operative CT. Sigmoid colonic fistulas arising from iliac artery aneurysms are rare. Also, diagnosis may be delayed in special circumstances wherein a patient routinely uses a bidet.

Background: A mycotic aortic aneurysm is a rare type of aortic aneurysm that can have disastrous outcomes. Most mycotic aneurysms originate from infectious sources, such as trauma, vegetation in the heart, and adjacent infectious sources. If a mycotic aneurysm is diagnosed, it should be treated simultaneously with the primary source of the infection. Case Summary: Treatment was performed for a mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery that occurred suddenly during treatment for a fever for which the primary source of infection had not been confirmed. The workup revealed that a mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery was the cause of the fever, followed by aneurysms in the abdomen and lower extremities and even vegetation in the heart that was not initially present. The patient declined to undergo treatment for personal reasons. After 5 months, it was revealed that the abdominal aortic aneurysm, which was initially considered normal aorta, was ruptured; however, the aneurysm was successfully treated. Conclusions: A peripheral mycotic aneurysm may be associated with multiple aneurysms. Appropriate diagnosis and complete treatments are necessary to prevent fatal consequences.

Backgound and Objectives: Gastric metastasis from invasive ductal breast cancer (BC) is rare. It mainly occurs in patients with lobular BC. The occurrence of multiple metastases is typically observed several years after the primary diagnosis. Endoscopic findings of gastric metastasis of the BC were usually the linitis plastic type. Case presentation: A 72-year-old women who underwent right modified radical mastectomy (MRM) 10 month ago was referred after being diagnosed with early gastric cancer (EGC) during systemic chemotherapy. EGC type I was found at gastric fundus, and pathologic finding showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Metachronous double primary tumor EGC was considered. Management and Outcome: A laparoscopic total gastrectomy was performed, and postoperative pathology revealed submucosa invasion and two lymph node metastases. A pathologic review that focused on immunohistochemical studies of selected antibodies such as GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15), cytokeratin 7 (CK7) was performed again, comparing previous results. As a result, gastric metastasis from BC was diagnosed. After totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy, palliative first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel/CDDP was performed. Two months after gastrectomy, she was diagnosed with para-aortic lymph node metastasis and multiple bone metastases. She expired six months after gastrectomy. Conclusions: Gastric metastasis from invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, which is clinically manifested as EGC, is a very rare condition. If there is a history of BC, careful pathological review will be required.

Background and Objective: Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an essential life-saving technique for patients with refractory cardiopulmonary shock, it can be fatal in certain cases. Case Presentation: A 19-year-old girl treated with ECMO presented with acute limb ischemia 2 days after cannula removal. The decannulation was performed percutaneously by an interventional cardiologist, and the vascular surgery department was consulted after the patient developed symptoms. The first suspected diagnosis was thrombosis due to incorrect use of the closure device. However, the artery had ruptured due to the insertion of a catheter with a cannula that was larger than the patient’s artery. Management and Outcome: Fortunately, excessive bleeding due to the size-mismatched cannula was prevented by an unintentional complication of the closing device, which saved the patient’s life. She underwent a right common femoral artery thrombectomy and patch angioplasty. Hospital guidelines have changed regarding the surgical removal of ECMO cannulas. Discussion: This report aims to highlight the importance of two aspects that are critical to a successful outcome: individualized cannula selection followed by precise insertion and removal and postoperative evaluation of a patient’s final status.

Background A mycotic aortic aneurysm is a rare type of aortic aneurysm that can cause serious and adverse outcomes. Most mycotic aneurysms originate from infectious sources, such as trauma, vegetation in the heart, and adjacent infectious sources. If a mycotic aneurysm is diagnosed, it should be treated simultaneously with the primary source of the infection. Case Report A 63-year-old male presented to the emergency room with a fever, the primary source of which had not been confirmed, and had not responded to antibiotic treatment for two weeks. Treatment was initiated for a mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery that occurred suddenly while undergoing treatment for the fever. Further investigation revealed that a mycotic aneurysm of the brachial artery was the cause of the fever, followed by aneurysms in the abdomen and lower extremities, and even vegetation on the heart that was not initially present. The patient declined to undergo treatment for personal reasons. After five months, a contained rupture of the abdominal aortic aneurysm that was initially considered as normal aorta was diagnosed and was treated successfully. Conclusions A peripheral mycotic aneurysm may be associated with multiple aneurysms. Appropriate diagnosis and complete management are necessary to prevent fatal consequences.

Introduction Intravascular myopericytomas are a rare type of myopericytomas. In most previously reported cases, these were benign, occurred on the legs or neck, and had low recurrence rates. We have described a unique case of an intravascular myopericytoma that caused spontaneous deep vein thrombosis. Main symptoms, important clinical findings, and main diagnoses A 37-year-old man presented with sudden-onset pain and swelling in the upper arm; physical examination revealed a 10 cm, palpable, firm, and mobile lesion in the upper arm. A biopsy revealed intravascular myopericytoma; immunohistological examination revealed a lesion in the lumen of the basilic vein. The tumor comprised abundant myxoid stroma with spindle cells proliferating in a concentric perivascular manner around the blood vessel. The tumor cells stained positive for CD34 and smooth muscle actin. Therapeutic interventions and outcomes The patient underwent total excision of the mass under local anesthesia; no recurrence was observed thereafter. A literature review was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar; the key terms were “intravascular myopericytoma” and “IVMP.” Nineteen cases of intravascular myopericytomas across 14 articles published between January 2002 and January 2022 were identified. These involved 11 men and 7 women (sex was unknown in 1 case); the ages were 22 to 80 years (mean: 59.8 ± 14 years). In most cases, the tumor was slow-growing, and the etiology was previous surgical history or trauma. No pain was reported by patients with tumors on the face or feet, and no recurrence was observed after surgery in any of the reported cases. Immunohistochemical staining for smooth muscle actin, h-caldesmon, calponin, and CD34 was performed for differential diagnosis. Contrary to the slow-growing nature reported in the literature, the nature related to growing in the present case was unclear that lesion was discovered because of sudden pain caused by thrombosis. However, the diagnostic method and recurrence rate in our case were similar to those in the previously reported cases. Conclusion Our case shows that although intravascular myopericytomas are rare, they can cause spontaneous thrombosis. They have low recurrence rates after complete resection. Spontaneous deep vein thrombosis that occurs in rare locations must be treated after determining the causes.

Spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (srHCC) is a fatal complication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, emergency treatment is frequently fraught with difficulties. This study aimed to investigate the prognosis and recurrence pattern in patients undergoing hepatectomy for the srHCC. This retrospective study included 11 patients with srHCC treated using either emergency hepatectomy or emergency transarterial embolization (TAE) followed by staged hepatectomy between January 2015 and December 2019. The patients visited the emergency room because of a sudden rupture of HCC without being diagnosed with HCC. We analyzed the prognosis, recurrence rate, and survival in these patients after hepatectomy. Four of the 11 patients in this study were classified as Child–Pugh class A and 7 as Child–Pugh class B. Nine patients visited for sudden onset of abdominal pain, and 2 for sudden onset of shock. The median hemoglobin level at the time of the visit was 11.5 g/dL (interquartile range: 9.8–12.7). Five patients underwent one-stage hepatectomy and 6 underwent emergency TAE hemostasis followed by staged hepatectomy. Median overall survival and recurrence-free survivals were 23 and 15 months, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 7 patients (4 in the one-stage group and 3 in the staged group). Among patients with recurrence, 6 had intrahepatic recurrence and 3 peritoneal metastases. Patients with srHCC who undergo staged hepatectomy can achieve a relatively good prognosis. The most common sites of recurrence after hepatectomy are intrahepatic and peritoneal. Peritoneal metastases are more likely to occur after one-stage hepatectomy.