Renal sarcoidosis with normal serum vitamin D and refractory hypercalcemia

Introduction

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disorder characterized by non-caseating epithelioid granulomas in multiple organs. Renal involvement may usually occur as granulomatous interstitial nephritis, but renal failure is uncommon. We report a case of renal-limited sarcoidosis diagnosed by renal biopsy, associated with abnormal calcium metabolism.

Case presentation

A 30-year-old Caucasian male presented with unexplained renal function impairment and hypercalcemia. The patient did not have any history of kidney disease, cough, skin rash, dysuria, hematuria or any other symptoms. Physical examination was unremarkable. Serum creatinine was 2.2 mg/dl and serum calcium was 11.5 mg/dl. Serum intact parathyroid hormone level (12 pg/mL) was decreased. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,alpha-25 vit D) and pre-proparathyroid hormone (PTHrP) levels and urinary calcium excretion were all in normal range. The renal biopsy showed severe interstitial nephritis with non-caseating granuloma. The patient was treated with prednisone with starting dose of 1 mg/kg. After 2 months of prednisone therapy, serum creatinine decreased. However, because of continued of hypercalcemia unresponsive to low calcium diet and prednisone, chloroquine was prescribed. Six months after the onset, the patient's serum creatinine is stable at 1.30 mg/dl, serum calcium is 10.8 mg/dl, and serum ACE and 1,alpha-25 vit D levels are in normal range. He does not have any signs of extra-renal relapse.

Conclusion

The mechanisms of abnormal calcium metabolism in this patient with renal-limited sarcoidosis are unclear.     

Simple Renal Cyst Prevalence in Internal Medicine Department and Concomitant Diseases

A total of 684 patients who had not been diagnosed with renal cyst but had undergone abdominal ultrasonography for various reasons were evaluated. Patients with and without renal cyst were classified into two groups and were compared in terms of hypertension (HT), hyperlipidemia (HL), diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity (body mass index: ≥30 kg/m²) prevalence. Although 94 patients (13.7%) were established with a renal cyst, 590 patients (86.3%) did not have a renal cyst. The mean age of the patients established with a simple renal cyst was 67.3 ± 12.1 years (range: 28–82 years); 54 (57.4%) of them were women and 40 (42.6%) were men. Of the patients established with a simple renal cyst, 64 (68.1%) had HT, 40 (42.6%) had DM, 20 (21.3%) had HL, 42 (44.7%) were obese, 18 (19.1%) had nephrolithiasis, and 6 (6.4%) had urinary tract infection. Of the patients without a cyst, 272 (46.1%) had DM, 212 (35.9%) had HT, 122 (20.7%) had HL, and 96 (16.3%) were obese. HT and obesity were significantly higher in patients with a renal cyst when compared with those without a cyst. However, although HL incidence was higher in patients with a cyst, the difference was not significant statistically. HT, HL, and obesity are more prevalent in patients with a renal cyst when compared with patients without. Consequently, patients with a simple renal cyst should be evaluated and followed up in terms of atherosclerotic risk factors.     

Waist circumference is associated with carotid intima media thickness in peritoneal dialysis patients

Purpose

Atherosclerosis is responsible for the high mortality rate in end-stage renal disease patients. Defining risk factors for atherosclerosis may lead to reduction in cardiovascular disease through modification of these factors. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are subjected to high glucose loads on a daily basis, which results in considerable weight gain and an increase in waist circumference (WC). WC as an indicator of abdominal obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerosis in the general population. Carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) measurement is a reliable method for the detection of early atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between WC and CIMT and to define risk factors associated with CIMT in PD patients.

Methods

Fifty-five PD patients and 40 healthy controls were included. Atherosclerosis was assessed using measurement of CIMT. Fasting blood was collected for analysis. Anthropometric parameters (age, weight, BMI, and WC) were measured.

Results

Peritoneal dialysis patients had higher WC (93.9 ± 1.7 vs. 87.3 ± 1.2 cm, p < 0.05) and CIMT (0.70 ± 0.02 vs. 0.57 ± 0.01 mm, p < 0.01) than the control group. On univariate analysis, age, WC, plaque formation, and D/P creatinine were positively correlated with CIMT, whereas residual renal function, albumin, ultrafiltration volume, and D/D0 glucose were negatively correlated. On multivariate analysis, only age, WC, and plaque formation showed correlation (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Carotid artery intima media thickness is associated with age, plaque formation, and WC in PD patients. WC measurement is a simple, inexpensive, reproducible, and reliable method of evaluating atherosclerosis risk in PD patients and should be assessed at every visit. Appropriate counsel should be provided to patients with greater WC who are deemed to be at risk for atherosclerosis.     

Unexpectedly ease surgery for a worrisome abdominal mass: Pedunculated GISTs

INTRODUCTIONDiscovery of abdominal masses often poses significant diagnostic difficulties. GISTs are mesenchymal masses, with specific histological features. Dimensions may vary from millimeters to giant tumours. We would like to present our case, which had an unexpectedly easy operative course which was easily handled with a simple surgical excision with a short operative duration.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 38 years old female patient was diagnosed to have an abdominal heterogen mass of 15 cm × 12 cm × 10 cm in dimension. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the solid mass between the stomach and pancreas corpus and tail, possibly orginating from the pancreas. With the preoperative diagnosis of locally invasive distal pancreas cancer the patient underwent laparotomy, following the dissection, the mass was observed to be originating from the posterior gastric Wall, extending exophytically with a peduncle of 5 cm in width, without any visual evidence for peritoneal invasion and metastasis. The tumour and the peduncle was resected with stapler device. Total operation time was 30 min. Postoperative course was uneventful. Pathologic diagnosis was gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST).DISCUSSIONPedunculated large GISTs are not frequent and they can enlarge as 15 cm in diameter and compress the neighbouring organs. When they were huge, it is difficult to differentiate the origin of the masses. GISTs should be considered in differential diagnosis of giant abdominal masses.CONCLUSIONWhen GISTs are huge and pedunculated, it can be difficult to differentiate the origin of the masses. This case report presents unexpectedly ease surgery for a worrysome abdominal mass.     

Effect of mucosal immunomodulation with fed cholera toxin on healing of experimental colonic anastomosis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate in rats whether preoperative orogastric administration of low doses of cholera toxin would influence the mechanical strength of experimental colonic anastomosis on the basis of the gut mucosal immunomodulation effect of this antigen. METHODS: The cholera toxin group (n = 14) was fed 10 g of cholera toxin in phosphate-buffered saline three times before surgery at 10-day intervals, whereas the controls (n = 14) received phosphate-buffered saline only. Twenty-four hours after the last dose of cholera toxin (or placebo in control group), the animals underwent left colonic transection and anastomosis. Seven days after colonic transection-anastomosis, the bursting pressure of the anastomotic segment was recorded in situ. Perianastomotic and extra-anastomotic tissue samples were obtained for measurements of tissue transforming growth factor-beta, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma levels with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Cholera toxin administration resulted in a significantly higher bursting pressure than in the control group (165.78 ± 12.37 vs. 138.4 ± 7.87 mmHg; P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the heightened mechanical strength of colonic anastomosis provided by cholera toxin was associated with significant increases in the perianastomotic tissue levels of transforming growth factor-beta (199.34 ± 24.85 vs. 70.66 ± 10.63 pg/ml; P < 0.001) and interleukin-6 (439.31 ± 95.14 vs. 289.57 ± 96.59 pg/ml; P = 0.001), whereas interferon-gamma was significantly lower (174.04 ± 44.82 vs. 219.00 ± 31.35 pg/ml; P < 0.05). This cytokine pattern induced by cholera toxin in the wound milieu was also found to be similar in the extra-anastomotic colon. CONCLUSION: The mechanical strength of uncomplicated experimental colonic anastomosis increased significantly with gut mucosal immunomodulation with repeated low preoperative doses of cholera toxin. This enhanced healing had significant positive correlation with the colonic tissue level of transforming growth factor-beta and inverse correlation with interferon-gamma. If the relevant dose regimen is identified and its safety is assured in humans, gut mucosal immunomodulation might provide an efficient, safe, and inexpensive tool to improve surgical outcome in colorectal surgery, particularly in high-risk situations.