An analysis of echocardiograms was made in 50 patients with pericardial effusion of various origins, diagnosed by clinical and M-mode echocardiographic examinations. In these cases the estimated volume of pericardial effusion ranged between 40 ml and 999 ml. The width of echo-free space behind the left ventricular wall which reflect the amount of effusion showed a significant positive correlation with the systolic excursion and the diastolic mean velocity of both right and left ventricular epicardial surfaces. The echocardiographic patterns of so-called pseudo-mitral valve prolapse and a notch on the right ventricular epicardial surface during systole were found more frequently in patients with large pericardial effusion. Thus, in pericardial effusion, and echocardiographic examination is useful for the visualization of the abnormal motions of cardiac structures as well as for its diagnosis.
Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Prolapse ; Systole

No Abstract Available.
Histidine*

No Abstract Available.
Histidine*

Recent studies suggest that apolipoproteins may be better predictor of ischemic heart disease than are plasma lipids, such as total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C). To examine this hypothesis, plasma levels of major lipids and major apolipo-proteins were measured and their derivatives were calculated in 30 male patients with ischemic heart disease(16 angina pectoris and 14 old myocardial infarction) and 30 age-matched male healthy controls. Plasma levels of lipids were obtained by conventional methods and apolipoproteins by Rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Levels of HDL-C, HDL2-cholesterol(HDL2-C), and apolipoprotein-AII, and ratios of HDL-C/total cholesterol, HDL2-C/total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-B were lower in the group of patients than in controls. Levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and apolipoprotein-B, and ratios of lDL-C/HDL-C and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-AII were higher in the group of patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein-AI between the two groups. Stepwise discriminators analysis showed that apolipoprotein-B and apolipoprotein-AII were better discriminators than plasma lipids for identifying those with ischemic heart disease. One could correctly classify 78% of the cases by using the levels of the two apolipoproteins. By using the level of apolipoprotein-B, one could correctly classify 73% of the cases. There were no correlations between the levels of total cholesterol and HDL-C in the controls whereas there were positive correlations between the levels in the group of patients. In conclusion, this study showed that apolipoprotein-B was the best single discriminator for identifying the patients with ischemic heart disease, followed by apolipoprotein-AII.
Angina Pectoris ; Apolipoproteins A* ; Apolipoproteins* ; Cholesterol ; Heart ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Plasma* ; Risk Factors*

The relationship between respiratory infections and exacerbations of wheezing in patients with wheezy bronchitis or asthma has been described. Most respiratory infections were viral or Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection on bronchial reactivity and atopic background. 106 patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia who were admitted to the department of pediatrics, Fatima Hospital, Taegu during the period of two years from January 1989 to December 1990 were involved in this study. The results were as follows 1) Out of 106 cases, 69 were male,37 were female and 34.9% of the cases were between 5~6 years of age. 35 cases(33.0%) had wheezing and the incidence of wheezing were higher in male than in female. 2) The incidence of wheezing was high in the patients with serum IgE level higher than 200IU/ml, patients with past and family history of allergy and the patients fed with formula feeding in infancy. 3) Eosinophils and the associated maxillary sinusitis had no effect on the incidence of wheezing. 4) The recurrence of wheezing was higher in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia with wheezing(26.8%) than in patients without wheezing(3.8%).
Asthma ; Bronchitis ; Child* ; Daegu ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Incidence ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; Maxillary Sinusitis ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Sounds* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

BACKGROUND: Much of the recent understanding of hypertensive has focused on the importance of concomitant atherosclerotic risk factors in addition to the blood pressure itself and has created new therapeutic challenges. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a prospective study to determine the prevalence rates of hyperlipidemia, smoking, diabetes, obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) in 185 hypertensive subjects. Serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol were measured by enzymatic method. 1) Mean values of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index were not significantly different between sex and resident area. 2) The most frequent risk factor in hypertensive subjects was overweight, followed by M-mode echocardiographic LVH, hypertriglyceridemia, high LDL-cholesterol levels, low HDL-cholesterol levels, hypertriglyceridemia, electrocardiographic LVH, and diabetes. 3) The prevalence rates of both total cholesterol levels over 240mg/dl and LDL-cholesterol over 160mg/dl were about 20%, regardless of sex and resident area. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that hypertensive subjects have many concomitant risk factors of atherosclerosis. Hypercholesterolemia(> or =200 mg/dl), M-mode echocardiographic LVH and overweight among the selected risk factors were observed in more than a half of the hypertensive subjects, regardless of sex and resident area. These findings suggest that for the effective management of hypertensive subjects, physician should not only treat hypertension itself, but also control the concomitant risk factors.
Atherosclerosis* ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Sturge-Weber Syndrome*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Traditionally, down beat nystagmus is regarded as a sign of central nervous system dysfunction. But, several years has passed since Herdman et al reported the down beat nystagmus developed during treatment maneuvers for posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). We undertook this study to evaluate the character and clinical analysis of the positional or positioning down beat nystagmus, to discuss the clinical significance of positional or positioning down beat nystagmus as a diagnostic criteria of superior semicircular canal BPPV, and to propose the new treatment method. MATERIALS AND METHOD:From November 1999 to March 2004, we sampled the 103 patients with positional or positioning down beat nystagmus. Of these patients, we selected 16 patients except for the patients with central nervous system dysfunction, nonspecific or artifact result, idiopathic origin. RESULTS:All of 16 patients had no sign and radiologic result of central nervous system disorder. 10 patients was reported or suspected the diagnosis of posterior semicircular canal BPPV. Fatigability was reported in 9 patients and reversibility was reported in 1 patient. Average latency was checked less than 2 seconds. CONCLUSION:Although the diagnostic criteria of superior semicircular canal BPPV that we reported was not controversial, we expect that this criteria is useful in diagnosis for patients with atypical positional or positioning down beat nystagmus. And the new treatment method that we reported will has the better results than previous method.
Artifacts ; Central Nervous System ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo*

The cardiac dimensions and functions were studied by analyzing simultaneously recorded M-mode echocardiograms and phonocardiograms in 24 cases of essential hypertension with no evidence of heart faliure, and also in 20 healthy adults for comparison. Thirteen hypertensives out of 24 had findings consistent with left ventricular hypertrophy on either routine chest roentgenograms or electrocardiograms or both(group II) and the remaining 11 had no such findings(group I). The posterior wall and septal thickness, and isovolumic relaxation time were significantly was increased even in the group I as well as in the group II. The isovolumic relaxation time was correlated well with the septal thickness in both groups. In contrast, a significant increase in left atrial and left ventricular systolic dimensions was noted only in the group II, and so was a significant reduction in the fractional shortening and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening. These findings suggest that the echocardiographic examination is useful in patients with essestial hypertension for the early dagnosis of the increased thickness of the posterior wall and the septum, and the abnormality during early diastolic relaxation of the left ventricle, prior to the appearance of the ventricular hypertrophy on the routine chest films amd/or electrocardiograms, and also that echocardiograms enable early detection of the systolic dysfunction of the hypertrophied left ventricle in the absence of apparent failure.
Adult ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Relaxation ; Thorax

Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are widely used lipid lowering agents. They effectively reduce LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), lower triglyceride levels and are very safe. Recent large-scale clinical trials have demonstrated that lowering LDL-C with statins substantially reduces the incidence of major coronary events in patients both with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). While all the clinical benefit of statins result primarily from their LDL-lowering effects, a variety of proposed statin mechanisms unrelated to LDL-lowering appears to further contribute to their benefits. Despite the statin database, the important clinical question persists: what is the ideal LDL level in CAD patients? Ongoing trials of high-dosage statins should confirm whether further reduction below the current LDL goal (<100 mg/dL) will provide worthy additional benefit. Unfortunately, up to 82% of proven CAD patients have not even achieved the current LDL goal, with up to 55% needing a >30 mg/dL reduction in LDL-C merely to reach the existing goal. These findings/considerations suggest that many patients are not receiving a statin or an inadequate dose.
Cholesterol* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors* ; Incidence ; Oxidoreductases ; Triglycerides