It is generally agreed that CT is a good staging method of renal cell carcinoma. However, CT has its ownpitfalls. Herein we reviewed 31 patients with renal cell carcinoma whose CT and pathologic stages were available.CT accurately staged 12 of 14 patients with Robson's stage I (86%), 6 of 8 with stage II (75%), 4 of 4 with stageIIIa (100%), 2 of 3 with stage IIIb (67%), and 1 of 2 with stage IV (50%). Overall staging accuracy of CT was 81%(25 of 31). CT failed to differentiate stage I and stage II in 4 cases. CT also failed to diagnose the microscopiclymph node metastasis in 1 case, and invasion of Gerota's fascia in another case. However CT was satisfactory indifferentiating surgically curable stage I to III from surgically incurable stage IV, and high reliable in thediagnosis of inferior vena caval thrombosis. Therefore it is suggested that CT is highly useful in determining thetreatment plan of renal cell carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Fascia ; Humans ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thrombosis

The authors analysed retrospectively 56 cases of bile duct cancer, which were confirmed by histologically in47 cases and highly suuspected by clinically and radiologically in 9 cases. The resutls were as follows: 1. Themost prevalent age groups were 5th decade and a male to female ratio is 2.7:1. 2. The location of bile ductcarcinomas were common bile duct in 36%, common hepatic duct in 25%, junction in 13%, porta haptis in 11% anddiffuse involvement in 5%. 3. The accuracy of predicting obstruction is by ultrasonography was 76%. 4. Correctdiagnosis as bile duct carcinoma was made in 29 cases(43%). 5. The echogenicity of bile duct carcinoma compare toliver parenchyme was hyperechoic in 10 cases(34.5%), isoechoic in 14 cases(48.3%) and hypoechoic in 5cases(17.2%). 6. Posterior acoustic shadowing was seen in 5 cases. 7. The shape of obstruction site was abruptcut-off in 12 cases(41%), funnel shape in 7 cases(24%) and indistinct in 10 cases(35%).
Acoustics ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; Bile Ducts ; Bile ; Biliary Tract ; Common Bile Duct ; Female ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Aminoglycosides are useful for the treatment of aerobic gram-negative infections, and this is despite the narrow therapeutic index and the potential nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Once daily dosing of aminoglycosides has recently been suggested as an alternative method to multiple daily dosing. We compared the two dosing regimens of aminoglycosides for the development of nephrotoxicity. METHODS: This study was conducted as part of an ongoing quality improvement program. For the administration of aminoglycosides in adult patients with suspected or documented gram-negative infection, multiple daily dosing was used until April 2005 and thereafter once daily dosing was recommended. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients who received aminoglycoside for more than 3 days from March to August 2005 were available for analysis (40 in the once daily dosing group and 45 in the multiple daily dosing group). The mean duration of administration was 7.7 (range: 3-19) days in the once daily dosing group and 8.0 (range: 3-31) days in the multiple daily dosing group (p=0.83). Aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity was observed in a patient in the once daily dosing group (2.5% vs 0%, respectively, p=0.48). CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference in the development of nephrotoxicity was found between the two dosing regimens for aminoglycosides, but this finding had low statistical power. This may be due to underdosing of aminoglycosides in the multiple daily dosing group.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Aminoglycosides* ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Humans ; Quality Improvement

Hantaviruses cause two forms of human disease: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hantavirus infection can occur in pregnant women and it can have an influence on the maternal and fetal outcomes, although this is a rare finding even in endemic areas. We describe here a recent case of HFRS complicating pregnancy.
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome/*diagnosis ; Female ; Adult

Chronic mitral regurgitation may be well tolerated for decades because of favorable conditions like increased preload and decreased afterload. However, in some patients with underlying overt myocardial dysfunction, opertive correction of mitral regurgitation may result in persistent left ventricular dysfunction. Myocardial dysfunction in mitral regurgitation initially occurs subclinically and may becoma irreversible before symptoms of congestive heart failure develop. In order to identify latent myocardial dysfunction, we evaluated prognostic values of several indices from patient's characteristics, echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization data and contrast left ventriculogram in 49 patients with chronic mitral regurgitation who received mitral valve replacement. The patients were defined as Groups I who had improved symptoms with decreased left ventricular end-diastolic dimension after operation and Group II who had persistent symptoms and progressed left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, or not decreased until left ventricular end-diastolic dimension 60mm after operation. The results were as follows: 1) There was no significant difference in age, sex, duration of symptoms, preoperative NYHA functional status, and aortic cross clamping time during operation between Group I and Group II. 2) There was no significant difference in echocardiographic left ventricular end-diastolic dimension between group I and group II. There were significantly more dilated left ventricular end-diastolic dimension of Group II than that of Group I and significantly more depressed fractional shortening of Group II than that of Group I. There was significantly more increased end-diastolic wall stress of Group II than of Group I. 3) There was no significant difference in cardiac index, mean pulmonary artery pressure, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left ventricular end-diastoic pressure between Group I and Group II. 4) There were significantly more increased end-diastolic volume index and end-diastolic volum index of Group II than those of Group I, but no significant difference in ejection fraction between Group I and Group II. There was significantly more decreased ratio of end-diastolic circumferential midwall stress to end-diastolic volume index of Group II than that of Group I. 5) In Group I, end-systolic dimension, end-systolic dimension and end-systolic wall stress were decreased significantly after operation. In Group II, end-systolic dimension was decreased significantly after operation. 6) Values for combination of end-systolic left ventricular dimension greater than 28mm/m2 and end-systolic wall stress greater than 190mmHg predicted a Group II outcome with a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 93.8%, positive predictive value of 88.2% and negative predictive value of 93.8%. Values of combination of end-systolic left ventricular dimension greater than 28mm/m2 and fractional shortening less than 32% predicted a Group II outcome with a sensitivity of 88.2% a specificity of 90.6%, positive predictive value of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 93.5%, a specificity of 90.6%, positive predictive valve of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 93.5%. According to the above results, noninvasive hemodynamic variables such as end-systolic left ventricular dimension, fractional shortening and end-systolic wall stress would be useful guideline for follow-up and determining the optimal time for surgical intervention in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Constriction ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

To assess the diagnostic value of low level predischarge exercise test in the prediction of multivessel disease and left ventricular abnormality rate limited treadmill test, coronary arteriography and left ventriculography were admitted to the coronary care unit at Seoul National University Hospital from February 1985 to April 1986. The following results were obtained; 1) During and immediately after the treadmill test, ischemic ST segment depression were observed in 7 patients (20.6%). On subsequent coronary arteriography, 6 of them were found to have multivessel coronary artery disease. The sensitivity of ST segment depression in prediction of multivessel disease was 31.6%, the specificity was 93.3% and prediction value was 85.7%. 2) In 11 patients (32.3%), the exercise test were discontinued because of anginal pain, fatigue, or dyspnea. The sensitivity of above symptoms in prediction of multivessel disease was 47.4%, the specificity was 86.7% and prediction value was 81.8%. 3) The sensitivity of ST segment depression and/or symptom in prediction of multivessel disease was 68.4%, the specificity was 80%, and the prediction value was 81.25%. 4) The ST segment elevation were observed in 10 patients (29.4%). The sensitivity of ST segment elevation in prediction of complicated left ventricular aneurysm was 58.3%, the specificity was 87.5%, and the prediction value was 70%. 5) No serious complication developed by the treadmill test. It is concluded from above results that low level predischarge treadmill exercise test is useful and safe test in the prediction of multivessel disease and left ventricular aneurysm in patients with recent acute myocardial infarction.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Care Units ; Depression ; Dyspnea ; Exercise Test* ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul

The coronary arteriography and left ventriculography were performed on 63 patients with acute myocardial infarction who were admitted to coronary care unit of Seoul National University Hospital from September 1984 to October 1986 within 30 days after onset of acute myocardial infarction (median: 16 days) to delineate the extent of coronary artery disease and the left ventricular function. The results were as follows; 1) The ratio of male to female was 59:4 (14.75:1) and 34.9% of all patients were at their 6th decade. 2) The infarction were transmural in 58 patients (92.1%) and nontransmural in 5 patients (7.9%). Among 58 patients with transmural infarction, 33 (56.9%) had anterior wall infarction, 15 (25.9%) had inferior wall infarction and 10 (17.2%) had anteroinferior wall infarction. 3) Among 63 patients, 4 (6.3%) showed completely normal coronary artery on coronary arteriography and 3 (4.8%) had insignificant stenosis (lesser than 50%) reduction in luminal diameter). The 39.7% of all patients had one-vessel disease, 27% two-vessel disease and 22.2% three-vessel disease. 4) Among 58 patients with transmural infarction, 31 (53.4%) showed complete occlusion of infarct related artery. And 73.4% of the patients with inferior wall infarction showed complete occlusion of infarct related artery. None of the patients with non-transmural infarction had complete occlusion. 5) In 21 patients who had the coronary arteriography within 14 days after the onset, 12 (57.2%) showed complete occlusion of infarct related artery and among 42 patients who were studied 15-30 days after the onset, 19(45.2%) showed complete occlusion. 6) Nineteen patients (30.2%) were found to have left ventricular aneurysm. 7) The left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly higher in the patients with non-transmural infarction than in patients with transmural infarction. The difference in left ventricular ejection fraction between the patients with anterior infarction and with inferior infarction, between single vessel disease and multiple vessel disease were not significant. 8) The older age group showed a tendency to have higher prevalence of multivessel disease. 9) As complication of coronary arteriography and left ventriculography, one episode of ventricular fibrillation was observed without mortality. From the above results of this study, it is concluded that coronary arteriography and left ventriculography can be safely performed within 30 days after the onset of acute myocardial infarction: A significant number of patients had normal or minimally diseased coronary artery: more than half of the patients with transmural infarction had complete occlusion of infarct related artery: the patients with nontransmural infarction had better left ventricular function than with transmural infarction.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Care Units ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Phenobarbital ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Fibrillation ; Ventricular Function, Left

The force-interval relationship of cardiac muscle has been known as not only a fundamental manifestation of beat-to-beat kinetics of intracellular activator calcium which control contractile response but also a potential clinical tool for evaluating cardiac contracile function. In this study were evaluated the force-interval relationship of intact canine left ventricle through mechanical restitution curves by plotting contrctile responses to varying steady state, extrasystolic and postextrasystolic intervals, and compared the force-interval relationships of intact canine left and right ventricles quantitatively. Effects of localized myocardial ischemia on the left ventricular force-interval relationship and relaxtion function were also evaluated 30 minutes after ligating proximal left anterior descending coronary artery through observing contractile and relaxtion responses to various intervals. 1) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle showed that left ventricular dp/dt max responses rose stiffly until plateau level with increasing postextrasystolic intervals, then declined with further increment of postextrasystolic intervals. 2) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle shifted leftward and upward with shortening of steady state and extrasystolic intervals, which suggest intracellular calcium kinetics during electrical diastole may operate as a mechanism of the force-interval relationship. 3) Steady state contractile responses remained unchanged but maximal contractile responses increased significantly or contractile reserve in intact left ventricle. 4) Normalized force-interval relationships of left and right ventricle were similar quantitatively, which suggest the force-interval relationship is independent of structural factors in intact canine heart. 5) Occlusion of coronary artery lowered absolute values of left ventricular dp/dt max responses to varying postextrasystolic intervals, but didn't show significant changes of normalized dp/dt max responses, which suggest force-interval relationship be also present in spite of localized myocardial ischemia. 6) Responses of normalized left ventricular dp/dt min to varying postextrasystolic intervals were similar to those of normalized dp/dt max but reduced after coronary artery occlusion in the range above 100% dp/dt max response, which may be used for the detection and evaluation of deranged myocardial relaxation in the left ventricle with localized myocardial ischemia.
Calcium ; Coronary Vessels ; Diastole ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Kinetics ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium ; Relaxation ; Ventricular Function, Left*

In an attempt to define quantitatively the relation between left atrial size and atrial fibrillation, echocardiography was used to study 58 patients with mitral stenosis and sinus rhythm, 22 patients with mitral stenosis and newly appeared atrial fibrillation, 62 patients with mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation, 14 patients with sinus rhythm who undergone mitral valve replacement, 18 patients with atrial fibrillation who undergone mitral valve replacement,17 patients with idiopathic atrial fibrillation and 22 control persons. In all groups of mitral stenosis, atrial fibrillation was rare when left atrial dimension was below 40mm but common when this dimension exceeded 40 mm. When left atrial dimension exceeded 50 mm, sinus rhythm was rare even in patients who undergone mitral replacement operation. These data suggest that left atrial size is an important factor in the development of atrial fibrillation. To reduce the risk of systemic embolism complicating atrial fibrillation and to reduce the need of long term anticoagulant therapy postoperatively, the left atrial dimension should be followed closely for the patients with mitral stenosis.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Echocardiography* ; Embolism ; Heart Atria* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

The antiplatelet aggregation effect of ticlopidine was studied in 22 cases of coronary artery disease(CAD) and 17 cases of control by obseving changes of plarma beta-thromboglobulin(beta-TG) and platelet factor 4(PF-4) before and after administration of ticlopidine 500mmg daily for 2 weeks. 1) Compared with the controls, CAD patients had significantly greater plasm levels of beta-TG(52.6+/-32.7ng/ml. mean +/-SD vs. 91.0+/-52.0, P<0.05) and PF-4(17.5+/-12.8 ng/ml vs. 32.9+/-24.5, P<0.05). 2) In controls, plasma levels of beta-TG and PF-4 didn't change significantly after taking ticlopidine. 3) In CAD patients, plasma levels of beta-TG (91.0+/-52.0ng/ml vs. 53.9+/-20.0, P<0.05) and PF-4(32.9+/-24.5ng/ml vs. 18.8 +/-11.9(P<0.05) decreased significantly after ticlopidine. 4) The side effects were observed in 2 cases such as mild indigestion and urticaria.
Blood Platelets ; Coronary Vessels ; Dyspepsia ; Humans ; Plasma ; Ticlopidine* ; Urticaria