No abstract available.
Humans ; Magnetocardiography* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Population Characteristics* ; Prognosis*

There is no diagnostic study for the presence of tuberculous pericarditis that is highly accurate as well as safe and easy to perform. As a result, the diagnosis is often delayed or missed, resulting in a clinical course characterized by increased mortality and late complications. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pleural or pericardial fluid is known for a useful marker of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. A 76-year old woman visited for dyspnea and generalized edema. Culture for sputum, pleural fluid, and pericardial fluid were negative for tubercle bacillus. But We diagnosed tuberculous pericarditis with pleuritis by increased titer of ADA activity in the pericardial fluid. After 2 weeks of initiation of antituberculous treatment, pericardial and pleural effusion gradually decreased while clinical symptoms improved markedly. Therefore, authors report a case of tuberculous pericarditis diagnosed by increased ADA activity in pericardial fluid with reviewing the previous literatures.
Adenosine Deaminase ; Aged ; Bacillus ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Female ; Humans ; Mortality ; Pericarditis ; Pericarditis, Tuberculous* ; Pleural Effusion ; Pleurisy ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis

Despite the advent of the drug-eluting stents (DES) and improved stent design, in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenging problem. The currently available options for treatment of ISR include angioplasty alone, repeat stenting with DES or drug-coated balloons. Several recent studies have compared the available options for treating ISR in an attempt to identify the preferred therapeutic strategy. In this review, we will discuss the currently available therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with ISR and the evidence supporting their use.
Angioplasty ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Stents

Despite the advent of the drug-eluting stents (DES) and improved stent design, in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenging problem. The currently available options for treatment of ISR include angioplasty alone, repeat stenting with DES or drug-coated balloons. Several recent studies have compared the available options for treating ISR in an attempt to identify the preferred therapeutic strategy. In this review, we will discuss the currently available therapeutic strategies for the management of patients with ISR and the evidence supporting their use.

Vasculitis may be a manifestation of the paraneoplastic syndrome in association with solid and hematological cancers. There are few reports of paraneoplastic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis in patients with solid tumors. Wegener's granulomatosis is a systemic vasculitis characterized by necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis of the upper and lower respiratory tracts together with glomerulonephritis and are ANCA-positive. We experienced a case of Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and we report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Lung ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Respiratory System ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Vasculitis ; Wegener Granulomatosis*

PURPOSE: There are no sufficient data on the correlation between inter-arm blood pressure (BP) difference and coronary atherosclerosis found using coronary artery calcium score (CACS). We aimed to investigate if the increased difference in inter-arm BP is independently associated with severity of CACS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who had ≥3 cardiovascular risk factors or an intermediate Framingham Risk Score (FRS; ≥10) were enrolled. Inter-arm BP difference was defined as the absolute difference in BP in both arms. Quantitative CACS was measured by using coronary computed tomography angiography with the scoring system. RESULTS: A total of 261 patients were included in this study. Age (r=0.256, p<0.001), serum creatinine (r=0.139, p=0.030), mean of right arm systolic BP (SBP; r=0.172, p=0.005), mean of left arm SBP (r=0.190, p=0.002), inter-arm SBP difference (r=0.152, p=0.014), and the FRS (r=0.278, p<0.001) showed significant correlation with CACS. The increased inter-arm SBP difference (≥6 mm Hg) was significantly associated with CACS ≥300 [odds ratio (OR) 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–4.22; p=0.022]. In multivariable analysis, the inter-arm SBP difference ≥6 mm Hg was also significantly associated with CACS ≥300 after adjusting for clinical risk factors (OR 2.34, 95 % CI 1.06–5.19; p=0.036). CONCLUSION: An increased inter-arm SBP difference (≥6 mm Hg) is associated with coronary atherosclerotic disease burden using CACS, and provides additional information for predicting severe coronary calcification, compared to models based on traditional risk factors.
Angiography ; Arm ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure* ; Calcium* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Risk Factors

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by persistent hypereosinophilia with the evidence of organ dysfunction caused by eosinophilic involvement. HES can be induced by various secondary causes, including helminthic infections, adverse drug reactions, and allergic diseases. Primary/clonal bone marrow disease, including genetic mutations in platelet driven growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA), platelet driven growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRB), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) could be its causes. Although corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy in confirmed HES, imatinib is considered a definitive treatment for HES with these mutations. However, there have been few reports about HES with these genetic mutations in Korea. Here, we report a patient who presented with sudden onset of congestive heart failure and hypereosinophilia, proved to have PDGFRB rearrangement, and was controlled successfully with imatinib after left ventricle thrombectomy.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow Diseases ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Eosinophilia* ; Eosinophils ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Ventricles ; Helminths ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Korea ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 ; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta* ; Thrombectomy

We report a case of 62-year-old man with cardiac tamponade due to coronary artery injury after acupuncture into the substernum. After resuscitation of cardiac arrest, we performed emergent pericardiocentesis. Nevertheless, the cardiac arrest recurred, and the emergent operation on cardiopulmonary bypass was performed. We identified hemopericardium due to shredded acute marginal branch of right coronary artery, and it was ligated leading to termination of bleeding. The patient was discharged without any other complications.
Acupuncture Therapy/*adverse effects ; Cardiac Tamponade/*diagnosis/etiology ; Coronary Vessels/*injuries ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/*diagnosis/etiology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Left atrial (LA) fibrosis is a main determinant of LA remodeling and development of atrial fibrillation. However, non-invasive prediction of LA fibrosis is challenging. We investigated whether preoperative LA strain as measured by speckle tracking echocardiography could predict the degree of LA fibrosis and LA reverse remodeling after mitral valve (MV) surgery. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Speckle tracking echocardiography and LA volume measurements were performed in 50 patients one day before MV surgery. LA tissues were obtained during the surgery, and the degrees of their interstitial fibroses were measured. LA volume measurements were repeated within 30 days after surgery (n=50) and 1-year later (n=39). RESULTS: Left atrial global strain was significantly correlated with the degree of LA fibrosis (r=-0.55, p<0.001), and its correlation was independent of age, underlying rhythm, presence of rheumatic heart disease and type of predominant MV disease (B=-1.37, 95% confidence interval -2.32 - -0.41, p=0.006). The degree of LA fibrosis was significantly correlated with early (r=-0.337, p=0.017) and 1-year (r=-0.477, p=0.002) percent LA volume reduction after MV surgery, but LA global strain was not significant. CONCLUSION: Left atrial strain as measured by speckle tracking echocardiography might be helpful for predicting the degree of LA fibrosis in patients with MV disease.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Echocardiography ; Fibrosis ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Sprains and Strains ; Track and Field

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is a fat-based protein that alters the insulin sensitivity, has anti-inflammatory properties, and reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, this connection is unclear in patients with chronic wasting disease, such as heart failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Therefore, this study examined the relationship between adiponectin and the cardiovascular risk/predictive factors in ESRD patients. METHODS: The serum concentrations of adiponectin and leptin were measured in 48 adult patients on maintenance hemodialysis. In addition, the blood levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) as cardiovascular biomarkers were measured, and the CVD history was reviewed in order to determine if there was any correlation with adiponectin. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the adiponectin levels and the serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol (r=0.456, p=0.001), triglyceride (r=-0.528, p<0.001), and leptin (r=-0.427, p=0.002) and an inverse correlation with the body mass index (BMI) (r=-0.326, p=0.024). The BNP levels were positively correlated with the adiponectin concentrations (r=0.372, p=0.009) and negatively correlated with the BMI (r=-0.310, p=0.032), and there was a slight positive correlation between cTnT and adiponectin (r=0.276, p=0.058). Patients with a history of CVD had higher levels of cTnT (p=0.012) and BNP (p=0.017), and a lower BMI (p=0.026) than patients without such a history. There was no significant difference in the adiponectin levels between the two patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: A higher adiponectin level is related to a favorable lipid profile. However, adiponectin is not directly associated with a history of CVD, and there was a correlation between a higher adiponectin level and a higher BNP and lower BMI, which are cardiovascular predictive factors, in ESRD patients. However, further research with more patients will be needed to properly determine the complicated relationship between adiponectin and the development of CVD.
Adiponectin* ; Adult ; Biomarkers ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insulin Resistance ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Leptin ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Renal Dialysis ; Triglycerides ; Troponin T ; Wasting Disease, Chronic