Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Diabetic Nephropathy: A Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and coronary artery disease (CAD) represent a subset of patients with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The optimal revascularization strategy using either percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of PCI to CABG in DN patients with CAD. METHODS: The clinical and angiographic records of DN patients with CAD who underwent either CABG (n=52) or PCI (n=48) were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups except for the severity of the CAD. At 30 days, the death rate (PCI: 2.1% vs. CABG: 9.6%, p=0.21) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rate (PCI: 2.1 % vs. CABG: 9.6%, p=0.21) were similar in comparisons between the PCI and CABG groups. At three years, the death rate (PCI: 18.8% vs. CABG: 19.2%, p=0.94) was similar between the PCI and CABG groups but the MACE rate (PCI: 47.9% vs. CABG: 21.2%, p=0.006) was higher in the PCI group compared to the CABG group. In addition, the repeat revascularization rate was higher in the PCI group compared to the CABG group (PCI: 12.5% vs. CABG: 1.9%, p=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The CABG procedure was associated with a lower incidence of MACE and repeat revascularization for up to three years of follow-up in DN patients with CAD. However, the overall survival rate was similar in the CABG and PCI groups. Therefore, CABG may be superior to PCI with regard to MACE and repeat revascularization.

Polymorphism of the ACE Gene in Dialysis Patients: Overexpression of DD Genotype in Type 2 Diabetic End-Stage Renal Failure Patients

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene DD homozygote has been suggested to be a significant risk factor for the progression of diabetic nephropathy. We analyzed clinical parameters and ACE genotype distribution between type 2 diabetic patients at the extremes of renal risk, i.e. an end-stage renal failure (ESRF) group (n = 103, group 1) who were on dialysis therapy due to progression of diabetic nephropathy, and a no progression group (n = 88, group 2) who had maintained normal renal function and normoalbuminuria for more than 15 years. There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, HbA1c level, or lipid profiles between the two groups (p > 0.05). Group 1 had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension [group 1: 82.5% (85/103) vs. group 2: 50.0% (44/88), p < 0.05] and diabetic retinopathy [group 1: 103/103 (100%) vs. group 2: 28/88 (31.8%), p < 0.05] than group 2. Daily urinary albumin excretion was also higher in group 1 than in group 2 [group 1: 2873 +/- 2176 mg/day vs. 12 +/- 7 g/day, p < 0.05]. The frequencies of the DD, ID, and II genotypes of the ACE gene in group 1 and group 2 were 26.2%, 47.6%, and 26.2%, and 7.9%, 57.9%, and 34.2%, respectively. The ACE genotype frequencies between the two groups were significantly different according to a chi-square test with Bonferroni's correction (p = 0.004). The presence of the DD genotype increased the risk of ESRF 4.286-fold compared to the II genotype [odds ratio 4.286, 95% CI 1.60- 11.42, p = 0.005]. The frequency of the D-allele was higher in both male and female patients in group 1 compared to group 2, but reached statistical significance only in males [male, group 1: 50.8% vs. group 2: 35.0%, p = 0.018, female, group 1: 48.8% vs. group 2: 39.5%, p = 0.231]. This study, although limited by sample size, showed that type 2 diabetic ESRF patients more frequently expressed the DD genotype. These findings may substantiate the previously noted relationship between the ACE DD genotype and the progression of diabetic nephropathy in Korean type 2 diabetic patients.

A Case of Endophthalmitis due to Group G beta-hemolytic Streptococcus Sepsis / 감염과화학요법

Identified first by Lancefield and Hare in 1935, the group G streptococcus occurs as commensals in the skin, pharynx, intestine, and vagina. It has been reported to cause a variety of human infections, such as sepsis, endocarditis, peritonitis, pharyngitis, and infective arthritis. Group G streptococcus sepsis could occur in chronic states such as malignancy, diabetes, alcoholics, neurologic disease, cardiovarscular disease, and end stage renal disease, however, there has been only a few case reports of endogenous endopthalmitis caused by group G streptococcus. We report herein endogenous endopthalmitis caused by group G streptococcus sepsis in 64-year-old man of alcoholic.

A Case of Endophthalmitis due to Group G beta-hemolytic Streptococcus Sepsis / 감염과화학요법

Identified first by Lancefield and Hare in 1935, the group G streptococcus occurs as commensals in the skin, pharynx, intestine, and vagina. It has been reported to cause a variety of human infections, such as sepsis, endocarditis, peritonitis, pharyngitis, and infective arthritis. Group G streptococcus sepsis could occur in chronic states such as malignancy, diabetes, alcoholics, neurologic disease, cardiovarscular disease, and end stage renal disease, however, there has been only a few case reports of endogenous endopthalmitis caused by group G streptococcus. We report herein endogenous endopthalmitis caused by group G streptococcus sepsis in 64-year-old man of alcoholic.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Caused by Coronary Artery Dissection Following Blunt Chest Trauma

Chest trauma can lead to various cardiac complications ranging from simple arrhythmias to myocardial rupture. An acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a rare complication that can occur after chest trauma. We report a case of 66-year-old male who suffered a blunt chest trauma from a traffic accident resulting in an AMI. The coronary angiography revealed an eccentric 50% narrowing of the ostium of left anterior descending artery (LAD) by a dissection flap with calcification. Intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) revealed eccentric calcified plaque (minimal luminal diameter [MLD]=3.5 mm) with a dissection flap. Intervention was not performed considering the MLD and calcified flap, and he has been conservatively managed with aspirin and losartan for 2 years. The follow-up coronary angiography showed an insignificant luminal narrowing of the proximal LAD from the ostium without evidence of a dissection. An early coronary evaluation including an IVUS study should be considered for managing patients who complain of ongoing, deep-seated chest pain with elevated cardiac enzyme levels and an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) after a blunt chest trauma. Based on this case, some limited cases of traumatic coronary artery dissections can be healed with conservative management and result in a good prognosis.

A Case of Mechanical Thrombolysis of Thrombosed Native Hemodialysis Fistula Using Arrow Trerotola Percutaneous Thrombolytic Device / 대한신장학회잡지

Adequate care of patients with end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis requires permanent vascular access. Arteriovenous fistula obstruction due to venous thrombosis is commonly observed complication, contributing significantly to morbidity and hospitalization of dialysis patients. Percutaneous intervention using angioplasty and thrombolysis has become an accepted treatment of thrombosed vascular access and demonstrates comparable technical results and patency rates with those of surgery. Recently developed percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) uses mechanical energy to clear thrombus percutaneously in combination with mechanical dissolution, fragmentation, and aspiration. PMT offers fast thrombus removal without complications related to thrombolytic therapy. We report a case of thrombosed hemodialysis native fistula which was successfully treated with percutaneous angioplasty and mechanical thrombolysis using newly introduced Arrow-Trerotola percutaneous thrombolytic device.

Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis of Extra pulmonary Tube rculosis / 감염

BACKGROUND: The spectrum of clinical presentations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) is so diverse that it may mimic other systemic diseases and often leads physicians to misdiagnosis. Since its diagnosis is largely depended on physician's suspicion of the disease, it would be worthwhile to scrutinize the clinical characteristics of EPT. We retrospectively evaluated clinical manifestations of 312 patients who were diagnosed as EPT in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 312 patients, diagnosed as having EPT at Youngdong Severance hospital from January 1997 to December 1999, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Total 312 patients, 149 (47.8%) men and 163 (52.2%) women with age ranged from 13 years to 87 years, were included in this study. The most common site of the involvement was pleura (35.6%). Patients complained of localized symptoms (72.4%) more frequently than systemic symptoms (52.2%). The most common symptom was pain on infected site (48.1%). Leukocytosis, anemia, and elevated ESR and CRP were found in 12.8%, 50.3%, 79.3%, and 63.1% of the patients, respectively. Twenty-four percent of patients had underlying medical illnesses such as old age over 60 years, diabetes mellitus or liver cirrhosis. In 67.3% of patients, tuberculosis was suspected at initial visit. However, tuberculosis was microbiologically proven in only 23.7% of patients. Histopathological diagnosis of EPT was made in 48.7% of patients. The time interval from symptom onset to diagnosis varied, and mean duration was 96 days. Pulmonary parenchymal abnormal lesions were found in 133 patients (42.6%) on chest radiographs. CONCLUSION: Although EPT had a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and its diagnostic methods were lack, high index of suspicion could be obtained from chest radiograph, localized or systemic symptoms, and several laboratory parameters reviewed in this descriptive study. In case of doubt, early treatment instead of awaiting microbiological result may be necessary to avoid the devastating complications.