The Joint Multicenter Study on the Atrial Fibrillation in Korea

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common clinical arrhythmia. AF may cause disabling symptoms and serious adverse effects, such as impairment of cardiac function or thromboembolic events. Until now, there were no study about the clinical characteristics of atrial fibrillation throughout this nations. The purpose of this study is a establishment of epidemiologic database of patients with atrial fibrillation in this nations. METHODS: 867 patients from 12 university hospitals were involved in this study. Atrial fibrillation were diagnosed with documented ECG in all patients. Medical history, physical findings, basic Laboratory finding, ECG, echocardiography and 24-hour Holter monitoring of these patients were evaluated. Chronic atrial fibrillation were defined as the duration of AF longer than 72 hours regardless of intervention. RESULTS: In patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, the most common symptom was dyspnea and the most common associated diseases were valvular heart disease, hypertension and ischemic heart disease. 2) In patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the most common symptoms were palpitation, dizziness and chest pain, and the most common associated diseases were hypertension, ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease. 3) left atrial size, systolic and diastolic left ventricular size in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation were significantly increased as compared those in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (p<0.001). 4) cardiomegaly and pulmonary edema were more common in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study is first large multicenter study about atrial fibrillation in this nations. These data can be used as basic data for follow up and management of atrial fibrillation.

Study of 24 Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Acute Stroke Patients

OBJECTIVE: Appropriate evaluation of hypertension is important in the patients with a stroke because hypertension is a major cause of a stroke. Blood pressure may be falsely elevated or depressed immediately after a stroke, depending on the severity of neurological deficit, mobility, and physical activity, and the level of consciousness. To overcome this problem, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has been proposed as a method of obtaining a more accurate clinical assessment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The present study was performed in an acute stage of stroke patients to assess the manifestation of 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure, to observe the nocturnal blood pressure fall and to evaluate the relationship of blood pressure degree on admission and nocturnal blood pressure dip. Thirty four patients admitted within 24 hours after onset of acute stroke were involved in this study. 24 Hour blood pressure monitoring device was installed on an independent arm by oscillometric method as soon as brain imaging study was performed. ABPM readings were obtained each 30 minutes during daytime and each 1 hour during nighttime with electrocardiography. Each patients were classified as the presence or absence of hypertension. We examined nocturnal blood pressure dip and mean pressure of 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure. RESULTS: 1)This study demonstrated that comparing daytime with nighttime 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure, 20 of 24 patients (83%) with acute stroke with hypertension, did not show nocturnal blood pressure dip, and there was sustained high nocturnal blood pressure in patients with acute stroke with hypertension. 2)There were significant differences between 24 hour ambulatory mean daytime blood pressure and mean nighttime blood pressure in patients with acute stroke without hypertension, so was lower in nighttime (p<0.05). 3)It is likely that in acute stroke patients with hypertension, patients with higher blood pressure on admission had more abnormality of nocturnal blood pressure dip. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in patients with acute stroke, 24 hour ABPM is useful method to assess diurnal variation and evaluate hypertension in acute stage of stroke patients, and suggest that patients with acute stroke with hypertension trend to loss of nocturnal blood pressure dip.

A Case of Congenital Long QT Syndrome Associated with Deafness and Syncope

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited disease characterized by prolonged QT intervals and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. The clinical manifestations vary from sudden cardiac death by ventricular arrhythmia to asymptom throughout life. In 1957, Jervell and Lange-Nielsen reported a syndrome of congen-ital sensory deafness associated with a prolonged QT interval in four children. The affected children had multiple syncopal episodes, and three died suddenly. The mode of inheritance is autosomal recessive. Affected persons are susceptible to recurrent syncope, and they have a high incidence of sudden death and short life expectancy. We report a case and review the literature on long QT syndrome diagnosed in a 30-year-old female with a history of convulsion and loss of consciousness during delivery.

A Case of Multifocal Cerebral Infarction Associated with Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / 대한내과학회지

The idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome represent a heterogenous group of disorders with common features of prolonged eosinophilia of an undetectable cause and organ system dysfunction. Recently, we experienced a case of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome with multifocal cerebral infarction. The patient was 33-year-old male and visited our hospital with right upper extremity weakness and headache. The blood eosinophil counts were 8,316/mma and the marrow showed eosinophils were predominant and in mature forms The two-dimensional echocardiogram showed hyperechoic density at left ventricular apical wall without thrombus formation. Multifocal infarctions were seen at left cerebellar hemisphere, left thalamus, right frontal lobe and left periventricular white matter on brain MRI scan. No cause for hypereosinophilia was found. He was treated with prednisone and hydroxyurea.

Collateral Circulation and 99m Tc - MIBI Heart SPECT in Patients with Totally Coronary Occlusion / 대한내과학회지

OBJECTIVES: The role of coronary collateral circulation in protecting myocardium after the occlusion of a supplying artery has long been debated. Recent date show that the coronary collateral circulation may partially prevent ischemia and preserve myocardial contractile function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between the grades of collateral circulation and perfusion scores of 99mTc-Heart SPECT in patients with totally coronary occlusion. METHODS: We studied 44 patients with totally coronary occlusion who had been hospitalized at Kyung Hee University hospital between October, 1989 and May, 1994, Patients were classified into two groups; Group 1: patients with angina pectoris (n=21), Group 2: patients with myocardial infarction (n=23). Angiographic collateral circulation was graded from 0 to 3: 0=none, 1=filling of side branch only, 2=partial filling of the epicardial segment, 3=complete filling of epicardial segment. The perfusion score of dipyridamole stress 99mTc-MIBI Heart SPCET was analyzed with angiographic findings. Resting and stress echocardiography were analyzed to identify left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. RESULTS: 1) When LAD was totally occluded, there were hishevcrgree of collateral circulations from RCA in group 1 and group 2. When RCA was totally occluded, there was higherdesree of collateral circulation from LAD in group 1 and group 2. 2) The degree of collateral development was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (2.5+/-0.7 vs. 1.8+/-1.0, p<0.05). 3) In 99mTc-MIBI Heart SPECT, there was no significant difference of perfusion score at stress but perfusion score was significantly higher in group I than in group 2 at rest. 4) In 99mTc-MIBI Heart SPCET, there was no difference of perfusion score between totally coronary occlusion territories in group 1 and more than 50% coronary artery stenotic territories in group 1 and group 2. 5) In stress echocardiography, ten of the 13 patients showed normal LV wall motion at rest, but 9 of these 10 patients showed LV wall motion abnormalities at stress in group l. In group 2, all 10 patients showed LV wall motion abnormalities at rest and 3 of these patients showed more aggravation of LV wall motion abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Collateral circulation in angina patients can prevent myocardial ischemia and preserve myocardial function at rest, but not at exercise. Collateral circulation in patients with myocardial infarction cannot preserve myocardial function at rest. and exercise. Dipyridamole stress 99mTc-MIBI Heart SPECT is one of the indirect quantification methods to evaluate collateral development and coronary flow reserve.

Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients without Structural Heart Disease

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in patients without obvious structural heart disease has been assessed in a few studies, but the clinical feasibility and efficacy are not certain. This study reports our results of catheter ablation with radiofrequency energy in thirteen patients. METHODS: Thirteen consecutive patients with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia underwent electrophysiologic study, pharmacological interventions and radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy. RESULTS: There were 7 men and 6 women with a mean age of 34+/-11years(13-55 years). The QRS configuration during tachycardia were left bundle branch block and inferior axis in 5 patients, right axis in 1 patient and right bundle branch block configuration with superior axis in 4 patients, right axis in 2 patients, left axis in 1 patients. Mean tachycardia cycle length was 361 +/-20 milliseconds. The focus of ventricular tachycardia were located in the right ventricular outflow tract(six patients) and the left ventricular inferior wall(four patients), posterobasal wall(one patients), anterolateral wall(one patients). Ventricular tachycardias were electrically induced in 9/13 patients. Mapping and radiofrequent catheter ablation was done with standard technique and ventricular tachycardia or VPCs were successfully eliminated in nine patients(69.2%). One patients complicated with transient pleural effusion. During mean follow-up period of 12+/-3months, one patients had a recurrence of symptomatic ventricular tachycardia. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients without structural heart disease is effective and safe and may be considered as primary choice of therapy in the patients.