A Case of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM) is defined as a thickened wall of heart muscles and non-dilated left ventricle, but is not accompanied underlying cardiac or systemic diseases that induce ventricular hypertrophy. HCM is responsible to exercise limitation for all ages and also is known as the most common cause of heart-related sudden death during childhood and adolescents. Epidemiological studies showed that prevalence in young adults is 0.2% and HCM is caused by a mutations in genes that code the proteins of cardiac muscles. HCM with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome is extremely rare and associated with a high risk of tachyarrhythmia and sudden death. We report an infantile HCM with WPW syndrome who died suddenly.

The Effect of Preeclampsia on Neonatal Outcome of Premature Infants Delivered before 35 Weeks Gestation / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine neonatal outcomes according to laboratory and clinical features in preeclampsia before 35 weeks gestation. METHODS: The medical records of all patients delivered at the hospital from January 1, 1996 through March 31, 2002 were reviewed for the occurrence of preeclampsia before 35 weeks gestation. We compared their maternal medical and obstetric courses and neonatal outcomes with those in a group of non preeclamptic patients who delivered at similar gestational ages. RESULTS: The preeclampsia group had lower mean birth weight, 1-minute Apgar score and umbilical arterial pH. But there were no difference in the incidence of neonatal death, respiratory distress syndrome, grade 3 and 4 intraventricular hemorrhage, and culture-proven sepsis. Results were similar when analysis was limited to infants born before 32 weeks. CONCLUSION: Maternal preeclampsia does not improve neonatal outcome of infants born before 35 weeks gestation.

Usefulness of Routine Renal Sonography Screening for Healthy Infants with Isolated Single Umbilical Artery

PURPOSE: It is known that single umbilical artery is frequently associated with gastrointestinal or urogenital anomaly, however, routine renal sonography has been debated in healthy neonate with isolated single umbilical artery. This study is designed to determine the usefulness of routine renal sonography in apparently healthy infants with an isolated single umbilical artery. METHODS: Thirty healthy neonates with a single umbilical artery without a major anomaly from January 1995 to July 2002 were enrolled. The authors investigated the clinical background of babies and their mothers after renal sonography after 72 hours of age. When the abnormalities were found at the first renal sonography, the severity of hydronephrosis and degree of obstruction and renal function were analyzed by follow up renal sonography, voiding cystourethrography(VCUG) and technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid(DMSA) scan or technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyl-triglycerine (MAG3) scan. RESULTS: Among the 30 healthy patients with isolated single umbilical artery, five patients(16.7%) showed abnormalities on first renal sonography with one major(3.3%) and four(13.4%) minor renal anomaly(minimal or mild hydroneohrosis). One major renal anomaly(severe hydronephrosis) showed severe decreased renal function on MAG3 scan without reflux, and the other four minor regressed spontaneously on follow up study. CONCLUSION: The value of routine early renal sonograpy for detecting renal anomaly in healthy infants with an isolated single umbilical artery remained unclear because most of the anomalies would regress spontaneously in the follow up study.