Echocardiographic Assessments of Left Atrial Strain and Volume in Healthy Patients and Patients With Mitral Valvular Heart Disease by Tissue Doppler Imaging and 3-Dimensional Echocardiography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study was to assess left atrial (LA) physiology in relation to associations between LA volume change and regional tissue velocities and strains, and to extend this information to patients with mitral stenosis (MS) or mitral regurgitation (MR). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two healthy persons, 22 patients with moderate-to-severe MS, and 22 patients with moderate-to-severe MR were studied. Tissue velocities, strains, and time-volume curves of the LA were acquired using tissue Doppler imaging and 3-dimensional echocardiography. RESULTS: In healthy controls, the maximal LA volume was negatively correlated with the posterior wall longitudinal systolic strain (r=-0.45, p=0.03). The time-to-maximal LA volume was positively correlated with the time-to-posterior wall longitudinal peak strain (r=0.46, p=0.03) and the time-to-circumferential peak strain (r=0.59, p=0.004). The LA active emptying fraction (LAactEF) was positively correlated with the posterior wall longitudinal peak systolic and late diastolic tissue velocities. In patients with MS, the maximal LA volume was negatively correlated with the posterior wall radial peak systolic velocity and the longitudinal late diastolic velocity. In patients with MS, the LAactEF had an additional positive correlation with the anterior wall longitudinal and circumferential systolic velocities, whereas the patients with MR had an additional positive correlation between the LAactEF and the lateral wall longitudinal peak strain as compared with the healthy cantrols. CONCLUSION: LA longitudinal and circumferential deformations are more related than radial deformation to determining LA volume and function. The LA of patients with MS revealed a greater pathologic physiology than those of patients with MR.

Inferior Sinus Venosus Type Atrial Septal Defect Initially Presenting Pulmonary Hypertension on Transthoracic Echocardiography

Inferior sinus venosus type atrial septal defect (ASD) is a rare congenital cardiac deformity that occurs between the inferior vena cava and right atrium. Inferior sinus venosus defect is difficult to diagnose through transthoracic echocardiography because of its location which is infero-posterior to the fossa ovalis. Increasing pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with sinus venosus defect usually occur earlier than other types of ASD. We report a case of 19-year-old man who presented exertional dyspnea due to inferior sinus venous type ASD with mild pulmonary hypertension. In this case, we found clues from slight diastolic flattening of interventricular septum and shortened acceleration time of right ventricular outflow tract on initial transthoracic echocardiography, leading right heart catheterization and transesophageal echocardiography to reveal this rare type of ASD.

The prognostic value of NT-proBNP, Troponin I, and hs-CRP in patients with acute coronary syndrome / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Elevated levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), troponin I, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are each associated with higher rates of death and recurrent myocardial ischemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We evaluated the prognostic value of NT-proBNP and a multi-marker risk approach with the simultaneous assessment of NT-proBNP, troponin I, and hs-CRP in patients with ACS. METHODS: We included 277 patients who were admitted for ACS between January and December 2006. We measured NT-proBNP, troponin I, and hs-CRP within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Patients were followed for a median of 559 days for cardiovascular events, including death, new myocardial infarction, heart failure, or rehospitalization for ACS. RESULTS: NT-proBNP was the most powerful predictor of clinical outcome among the biomarkers (HR 3.65, 95% CI 2.11-6.30), followed by the peak troponin I and hs-CRP (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.12-3.87;HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.18-3.37, respectively), but not the baseline troponin I. A multi-marker risk approach with the simultaneous assessment of NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, and peak troponin I was significantly associated with cardiovascular events, especially the presence of three positive biomarkers (adjusted HR 4.20, 95% CI 1.39-12.67). CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP is the most powerful, independent predictor of clinical outcome among the cardiac biomarkers. Since the peak troponin I level provides more prognostic information than the baseline level, follow-up measurement of troponin I may be warranted for risk stratification. The multi-marker risk approach appears to have better prognostic performance than any marker in isolation.

Clinical Significance of Left Ventricular Torsional Parameters during Supine Bicycle Cardiopulmonary Exercise Echocardiography

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) torsion plays an important role in both LV systolic and diastolic function. Notwithstanding the fact that speckle tracking imaging echocardiography (STI) is a validated method to measure LV torsion, few data regarding the clinical significance of LV torsional parameters using STI on exercise capacity during exercise echocardiography were reported. METHODS: Fifty four participants completed the supine bicycle cardiopulmonary exercise echocardiography under a symptom-limited protocol. LV torsion was defined as the net difference between LV peak apical rotation, and basal rotation divided by LV diastolic longitudinal length. LV basal, and apical short-axis rotations at each stage were analyzed by STI. RESULTS: LV torsion measurement was feasible in 43/54 (80%) at peak exercise. The LV torsions were increased during exercise, and even until the recovery. Peak twisting, and untwisting velocities were significantly increased during exercise, but were decreased at recovery. As expected, baseline torsion was positively correlated with LV ejection fraction and baseline apical peak untwisting velocity has correlation with E/E' (r=0.50, p<0.01 and r=0.30, p<0.05, respectively). Interestingly, apical peak twisting velocity at peak exercise was significantly correlated with maximal O2 consumption and VO2 interval change (r=0.50, p<0.01 and r=0.33, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: It was feasible to measure LV torsion by STI at every step during exercise echocardiography, although the feasibility was relatively low at peak exercise. LV torsional parameters during exercise showed significant relations with exercise capacity as well as LV systolic and diastolic functions.

A Case of Psoas Abscess Due to Candida albicans / 감염과화학요법

Candida species are ubiquitous human commensals, of which Candida albicans is most commonly associated with human disease. Candida infections usually involve superficial tissues, but the infections of deep tissues are relatively uncommon. Among the candida infections of deep organs, disseminated candidiasis is the most common presentation particularly in immunosuppressed patients, however, a single abscess formation in deep organ is rare. We experienced a case of psoas abscess by C. albicans in a patient who had diabetes and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, which was treated successfully by drainage of the abscess and administration of amphotericin-B, followed by fluconazole. We report this case with review of the pertinent literatures.

A Case of Psoas Abscess Due to Candida albicans / 감염과화학요법

Candida species are ubiquitous human commensals, of which Candida albicans is most commonly associated with human disease. Candida infections usually involve superficial tissues, but the infections of deep tissues are relatively uncommon. Among the candida infections of deep organs, disseminated candidiasis is the most common presentation particularly in immunosuppressed patients, however, a single abscess formation in deep organ is rare. We experienced a case of psoas abscess by C. albicans in a patient who had diabetes and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, which was treated successfully by drainage of the abscess and administration of amphotericin-B, followed by fluconazole. We report this case with review of the pertinent literatures.

Renal Cortex Thickness and Kidney Size by Ultrasonography in Normal Korean Adults and Chronic Renal Failure Patients / 대한신장학회잡지

BACKGROUND: The thickness of the renal cortex is useful in all aspects of nephrology but no normal range has been established. Therefore, we investigated the renal cortex thickness by ultrasonography in normal Korean adults and chronic renal failure (CRF) patients before renal replacement therapy. For the purpose of evaluating the normal range then, we are going to predict the threshold range of cortex thickness in irreVersible renal failure status. METHODS: In 243 healthy Korean adults and 57 CRF patients with the creatinine level, or =30 mL/min was 0.63+/-0.10 cm, 0.79+/-0.11 cm (p or =30 mL/min in CRF patients. But the cortex thickness alone is not a sufficient marker to predict reversibility. We should consider other invasive procedure such as kidney biopsy.

A Case of Intravenous Leiomyomatosis Extending into the Right Atrium

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is a rare entity of benign smooth muscle invading into the lumen of veins. We describe a case of intracardiac leiomyomatosis originating from the right gonadal vein, growing in the inferior vena cava, and extending into the right atrium. A 54 years old woman presented with chest discomfort and syncope four years after the removal of an uterine leiomyoma. The tumor was successfully removed in a two-staged operation using total circulatory arrest with a cardiopulmonary bypass, which proved to be a histologically benign leiomyoma. Although these tumors are histologically benign, they sometimes extend into the cardiac cavity and can cause sudden death due to their incarceration into the atrioventircular orifice. We report this rare case with a review of the literature.