Anomalous Origin of the Left Circumflex Coronary Artery From the First Diagonal Branch Presented as Acute Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery anomalies are diagnosed in 0.6 to 1.5% of patients who undergo coronary angiography (CAG). They may present with life threatening conditions but are generally asymptomatic. Recognition and adequate visualization of the anomaly is essential for correct management of the condition. However, in some cases the exact orifice and course of an anomalous coronary vessel cannot be selectively identified by CAG. In this report, a 54-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with acute inferior myocardial infarction and had an anomalous origin of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) from the first diagonal branch (D1). In CAG, the right CAG showed no significant stenosis and fortunately we found an anomalous origin of the LCX from the D1. The course of LCX was precisely established by 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography.

Reference Values for the Augmentation Index and Pulse Pressure in Apparently Healthy Korean Subjects

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Arterial stiffness is a precursor to premature cardiovascular disease. The augmentation index (AI) and pulse pressure (PP) are cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to define the diagnostic values of the AI and PP from the peripheral arterial and central aortic waveforms in healthy subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 522 consecutive subjects (mean age 46.3+/-9.6 years, 290 males) who came to our facility for a comprehensive medical testing. We measured the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, peripheral and central PP, and a pulse wave analysis that included the central and peripheral AI. RESULTS: The peripheral and central AIs in the female subjects were significantly higher than that in the male subjects (p<0.001). The peripheral and central PPs in the subjects with hyperlipidemia were significantly higher than subjects with normal lipid profiles (p<0.001). The peripheral and central PPs and peripheral and central AIs significantly increased with age. CONCLUSION: Pending validation in prospective outcome-based studies, a peripheral PP of 70 mmHg, central PP of 50 mmHg, peripheral AI of 100%, and central AI of 40% may be preliminary values in adult subjects.

A Case of Lobular Panniculitis in Dermatomyositis Patient / 대한류마티스학회지

Panniculitis is an inflammation of subcutaneous fat tissue, and found in variety of clinical setting, like erythema nodosum, lupus or other connective tissue diseases. Panniculitis, as a clinical feature of dermatomyositis, is rare and should be included in one of the sign to be differentiated. We present a 77-year-old female dermatomyositis patient who showed a clinically and histologically evident lobular panniculitis, and successfully treated with oral prednisolone.

A Case of Arteriovenous Malformation of the Descending Colon Presenting with Massive Bleeding / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Arteriovenous malformation is a rare cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in patients younger than 50 years of age and is characterized by recurrent, painless, massive bleeding and chronic anemia without a remarkable prior or family history. The most commonly sites involved are the ascending colon and small bowel. This condition rarely involves the stomach and descending colon. Until recently, there has been only one case report on arteriovenous malformation of the descending colon in Korea. We report a case of a 32 year old male patient who presented with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding and had been diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation of the descending colon after undergoing colonoscopy and abdomen CT with contrast enhancement. The patient underwent left hemicolectomy because of persistent bleeding despite conservative management.