A case of isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium in an elderly patient / 대한내과학회지

Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy that is thought to be caused by arrest of normal endomyocardial embryogenesis. It is usually diagnosed via echocardiography. The three major clinical manifestations of noncompaction are heart failure, arrhythmia and embolic events. We report here on a case of isolated noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium, and the patient was admitted due to palpitation and dyspnea. Sadly, he died of intractable heart failure despite that we administered intensive medical treatment.

Analysis of Korean Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Korean Healthy Subjects and Patients with Risk Factors: Korea Multi-Center Epidemiological Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to evaluate the common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT), and its correlation with several clinical variables, including the 10 year coronary heart disease (10 Yr CHD) risk in both healthy and hyperlipidemic hypertensive (HH) Koreans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a multi-centered prospective epidemiological study. The study population consisted of 227 healthy subjects without risk factors, with the exception of age (mean 49 years old, 114 males), and 243 HH subjects (mean 51 years old, 120 males). The carotid IMT and presence of plaques were semi automatically measured in both carotid arteries at a central reading facility. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis of all the subjects revealed that the independent factors of both CCA IMT were age, pulse pressure (PP) and HDL-cholesterol, and that of the right CCA IMT were sex and 10 Yr CHD risk. In healthy subjects, the independent factor of both CCA IMTs was age, and that of the right CCA IMT was body weight. In the HH subjects, age, sex, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and PP were independent factors of both CCA IMTs, but 10 Yr CHD risk was an independent factor of only the right CCA IMT. Carotid plaques were seen in 17% of the healthy subjects and 35% of the HH subjects. An ROC curve analysis showed a right CCA IMT of 0.646 mm and left CCA IMT of 0.656 mm demonstrated 60% sensitivity and specificity in differentiating healthy from HH subjects. CONCLUSION: This result reliably demonstrates the Korean CCA IMT, as well as several other significant pieces of information.

A case of intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of pancreas associated with liver metastasis / 대한내과학회지

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumor has been reported with increasing frequency these days. It can be malignant (adenocarcinoma) or premalignant (adenoma). This tumor, even when malignant, is often resectable and has a favorable prognosis as compared with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We report a case of intraductal papillary mucinous tumor with liver metastasis in a 63-year-old male patient. He presented with recurrent epigastric pain, which had developed 3 months ago. Abdominal computed tomography showed the diffusely dilated pancreatic duct, 3 cm-sized low-attenuated mass in the body and multiple liver metastasis. During endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, patulous orifice of papilla, mucin secretion and diffusely dilatedpancreatic duct were noted. Cytologic examination during ERCP revealed mucinous material with atypical columnar cells. Metastatic adenocarcinoma was confirmed by sono-guided liver biopsy. Only supportive care has been done and he died at 3 months after the diagnosis.

Frequency and Clinical Significance of Intrapulmonary Shunt in Liver Cirrhosis; Detection by Contrast Echocardiography / 대한내과학회지

OBJECTIVES: Intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities resulting in right-to-left shunt have been described in patients with severe liver disease, especially advanced hepatic cirrhosis. They result in hypoxemia which is associated with liver cirrhosis without preexisting cardiac or pulmonary diseases. Since Rydell and Hoffbauer first described intrapulmonary shunt in a cirrhotic patient in 1956, it has been reported recently that 13 to 47 percent of the end-stage hepatic disease patients have these intrapulmonary vascular abnormalities. Contrast echocardiography(CE) has been proved useful in detecting intrapulmonary shunt. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of intrapulmonary shunt by CE in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, and to compare the clinical characteristics of those with and without evidence of intrapulmonary shunt. METHODS: We performed CE studies in 24 stable cirrhotic patients without the evidence of severe complications such as massive ascites, upper GI bleeding, and hepatic coma. Clinical information including symptom and sign, results of liver and pulmonary function tests, and arterial blood gas values measured both at the supine and erect position, were analyzed in each group of patients with or without intrapulmonary shunt. RESULTS: Positive CE suggesting intrapulmonary shunt was found in 8 of 24 patients(33.3%). However the degree of relative opacifications were one positive(1+) in all 8 patients, and hypoxemia and its related symptom and sign appeared to be rare. Any of the parameters of liver and pulmonary function test did not show the significant difference between CE-positive and CE-negative group. CONCLUSION: Only the presence of spider angioma was associated with intrapulmonary shunt among the several clinical signs, which suggests common pathogenesis of both vascular abnormalities.

Variant Aangina Diagnosed by Beta-Blocker Provocation Test and a Case of Subendocardial inFarction Induced by This Test

The provocation test of variant angina are known as ergonovine test, hyperventilation, acetylcholine, exercise and cold pressor test, but beta-blocker provocation test has not been reported as a case. So, this paper reports on the diagnosis of variant angina by beta-blocker provocation test and the case of subendocardial infarcion induced by this test. This study reports with literature and investigation about the following case : A 45-year-old man with a history of recurrent episode of typical angina on the early morning for the past 20 days. He was administrated beta-blocker given by oral route, and on the next morning there was chest pain as same degree as before, Holter EKG displayed ST segment elevation and ventricular tachycardia. It was confirmed focal spasm on coronary angiography, ST segment elevation on EKG, and newly developed hypokinesia on left ventriculogram and followed-up echocardiagraphy. When the chest pain is absent, EGK was normal. And we confirmed that elevation of cardiac enzyme was absent as a result of serial follow up study.

An Infective Endocarditis with Abscess Formation not Accompanied with Heart Failure

Heart failure is the most common cause of death of infective endocarditis. The contributing factors of heart failure include valve destruction, myocarditis, coronary artery emboli with myocardial infarction and abscess. Recently, we experienced a thiry nine year-old man who was hospitalized at Inha University Hospital because of fever, chill and dyspnea (NYHA functional class I-II). The grade IV/Vi systolic murmur was heard at the right upper sternal border and the apex and the grade III/VI diastolic murmur was heard at Erb's area. No crackles were heard. Blook cultures grew Streptococcus viridans. Chest X-ray showed mild cardiomegaly without pulmonary congestion sign. Echocardiogram showed aortic valve vegetations, abscess and grade II/IV aortic regurgitation. Aortic valve replacement and abscess removal were performed. Findings included henegg sized abscess which reduced 70% of cross sectional area of left ventricular outflow tract and located between posterior wall of left ventricle and right and left coronary rings.

Ebstein's anomaly in a 75-year-old female

No abstract available.

A Case of Reflux Esophagitis, Classic Migraine and Raynaud's Disease in Proven Variant Angina

The high prevalence of migraine. Raynaud's phenomenon, visual field defect and Crohn's disease in variant angina raises the possibility that a common underlying defect of mechanism may partially account for all conditions. These are generalized vascular smooth muscle hypercontractility syndromes. Recently high prevalence of esophageal motility disorders has been noted in patients with coronary artery spasm or microvascular angina, leading to the hypothesis of a generalized abnormality in smooth muscle function1,4,5). We expirienced a case of 55-year-old man with angiographically proven variant angina. Who showed reflux esophagitis, classic migraine and Raynaud's disease.

Superior Vena Cava Syndrome after Repeated Insertion of Transvenous Pacemaker

No abstract available.

A Case of Syndrome X

Typically, patients afflicted with syndrome X complained of stress induced angina pectoris, and their electrocardiograms show corresponding ST-segment depressions during exercise. However, angiography is unable to demonstrate significant coronary artery luminal narrowing and significant coronary artery spasm to provocation test. And left ventricular performance at rest remains remarkably unimpaired. Syndrome X is characterized by reduction of coronary vascular reserve but without depression of left ventricular performance or negative effect on survival. The reduction of coronary vascular response is supposed to be resulted from reduced coronary vasodilator reponse due to abnormal contraction of coronary prearteriolar vessels. This case is a 43-year-old female who has had exertional chest pain since 5 months ago. The chest pain was relieved by rest and subligual nitroglycerin administration. The exercise electrocardiography showed significant ST segment depressions on lead II, III aVF and V4-V6 at stage 1, when she experienced chest pain. On 24 hour ambulatory electrocardiogram, significant ST segment depression was recorded at the time when the patient had chest pain. But coronary arteriography demonstrated normal coronary artery and no significant coronary artery spasm to provocation test with ergonovine maleate. On exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy, perfusion decrease was suspected on anterolateral wall of left ventricle. The patient was diagnosed as a syndrome X and was managed with isosorbide and nifedipine and her exercise tolerance increased significantly on follow up exercise test performed 1 month later. But she has complained of a few of attack of chest pain until now.

Sudden Death Caused by Reperfusion Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia in a Patients with Variant Angina

The coronary vasospasm has usually been readily reversible by sublingual, intravenous or intracoronary nitroglycerin. Relief of spasm, either spontaneous or following nitrate therapy, results in reperfusion. Occurence of ventricular tachyarrhythmia during release of coronary spasm is attractive as a possible cause of sudden death because of significant proportion of sudden death victims do not have acute myocardial infarction. Recently, we experienced a 36 year old man who developed spontaneous coronary vasospasm, and the patients suffered from repetitive reperfusion ventricular tachyarrhythmia, and died suddenly in spite of administration of isosorbide dinitrate, lidocaine and several trials of cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and we report.

A Case of Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis

Supravalvular aortic stenosis may be defined as an obstructive congenital deformity of the ascending aorta whitch originates just distal to the level of the origins of the coronary arteries, and whitch includes a wide spectrum of pathologic changes. A 27 years-old-female was admitted because of further evaluation of known some heart disease. Clinical diagnosis of supravalvular aortic stenosis was made by echocardiography and angiography. We presented a case of supravalvular aortic stenosis with a review of literature.

A Study on Coronary Sinus Occlusion Pressure and the Effect of Coronary Sinus Occlusion on Left Ventricular Function

In order to observe the effect of coronary sinus occlusion on left ventricular function, coronary sinus was occluded for 2 minutes using Swan-Ganz catheter in 9 mongrel dogs. The change in gross findings of heart was observed, and coronary sinus pressure, LV pressure, LV dp/dt, and ECG were recorded throughout the experiment. The coronary sinus occlusion pressure(CSOP) rised slowly reaching to the plateau at the 32+/-6th beat and at 11.5+/-3.5 seconds after coronary sinus occlusion, with the pressure 95.4+/-24.7mmHg in systole and 35.9+/-21.3mmHg in end-diastole. End-diastolic CSOP was different significantly from LV end-diastolic pressure(LVEDP; 6.8+/-3.3mmHg). The veins of left ventricle were congested immediately after coronary sinus occlusion, followed by the dilation of coronary sinus and coronary arteries, and the dilation of left ventricle with visible decrease in its contractility. Above changes recovered slowly after the release of coronary sinus occlusion. LV peak systolic pressure, LV peak dp/dt, and LV peak negative dp/dt were decreased, and relaxation time constant was prolonged significantly 30 seconds after coronary sinus occlusion, and they recovered to those of preocclusion period 30 seconds after release of coronary sinus occlusion. LVEDP was increased significantly 30 seconds after coronary sinus occlusion and returned to that of preocclusion period immediately after release of coronary sinus occlusion. heart rate was decreased 1 minute after coronary sinus occlusion and returned to that of preocclusion period immediately after release of coronary sinus occlusion. As a result, there was significant difference between end-diastolic CSOP and LVEDP in the experiment with mongrel dogs, and it should be reevaluated to estimate LVEDP by end-diastolic CSOP in man. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function was impaired transiently after coronary sinus occlusion lasting more than 30 seconds.

Clinical Observation on Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries(CTGA)

A clinical obsevation was made on 8 patients with Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries who visited seoul National University Hospital during the period of Feb., 1979-Sep., 1982. 1. Sex distribution was 5 male and 3 female patients. 2. Age distribution was from 16 to 39 years and the mean age was 24 years. 3. Symptoms were exertional dyspnea in all cases, cyanosis in 3 cases. Other symptoms were palpitation, chest pain, growth retardation and chest deformity. Duration of illness was from 6 to 16 years and N.Y.H.A. functional class was between II and III. 4. On physical examination, cardiac mumurs were heard in all cases. Cyanosis on the lips and nail beds were noticed in 3 cases and clubbing of fingers was seen in 1 case. 5. Situs inversus was noticed in 1 case, mesocardia in 3 cases, dextrocardia in 1 cases and right sided aortic arch in 1 case by simple Chest PA. 6. Electrocardiographic findings were Biventricular hypertrophy in 3 cases, Left ventricular hypertrophy in 2 cases, Right ventricular hypertrophy in 2 cases and Incomplete right bundle branch block in 1 case. No arrhythmias were observed. Septal Qwave was not observed on the left precordial leads in all cases. 7. CTGA were suspected or diagnosed by Echocardiography in 7 cases. 8. The diagnosis of CTGA and its associated anomalies were confirmed in all cases by cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography. There were one case of I.D.D. type CTGA and seven cases of S.L.L. type CTGA's. Associated anomalies were ventricular septal defect in 5 cases, pulmonary stenosis in 5 cases, patent foramen ovale in 3 cases, atrial septal defect in 2 cases, patent ductus arteriosus in 1 case, dextrocardia in 1 case, left sided A.V. valve regurtation in 2 cases, and right sided aortic arch in 1 case. 9. Operation was done in the case associated with patent ductus arteriosus, and corrective surgery was done in the another case associated with ASD, VSD, PS and TR with C-TGA.