No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Fascia* ; Female ; Pregnancy

The incidence of vertebral artery (VA) injury (VAI) in posterior approach tumor resection surgery is extremely rare, but it can lead to serious complication. In this case, a 57-year-old man underwent surgery for resection of the tumor involving left epidural space and neural foramen at C2-3 level. Iatrogenic VAI occurred suddenly during tumor resection procedure using pituitary forceps. Immediate local hemostasis and maintaining of perfusion for reducing the risk of posterior circulation ischemia were performed. Intraoperative angiogram of both VA and emergent trapping embolization were done as well. It may reduce the risk of immediate postop complication, and further delayed occurrence. The patient had no complication after VAI by appropriate intraoperative management. Preoperative angiographic work up and preparation of endovascular team cooperation are positively necessary as well as a warning for the VAI during cervical spine surgery.
Epidural Space ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma* ; Perfusion ; Spine ; Surgical Instruments ; Vertebral Artery*

Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (adenoma malignum) is a variant of adenocarcinoma and is expressed from uterine endocervix. As a result of ever reported cases in the world, it is rare enough to occur in 1 to 2% of invasive cervical adenocarcinoma. Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma is well-differentiated form of adenocarcinoma in which the cytoplasmic mucin is rich and the glandular pattern simulates that of normal endocervical glands. Because of this, the tumor may not be recognized as malignant in small specimens, thereby causing delay in diagnosis. But recent studies have found a favorable prognosis if the disease is detected early. We experienced a case of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, rare disease in the world, so we report with a brief review of literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Mucins ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases

Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (adenoma malignum) is a variant of adenocarcinoma and is expressed from uterine endocervix. As a result of ever reported cases in the world, it is rare enough to occur in 1 to 2% of invasive cervical adenocarcinoma. Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma is well-differentiated form of adenocarcinoma in which the cytoplasmic mucin is rich and the glandular pattern simulates that of normal endocervical glands. Because of this, the tumor may not be recognized as malignant in small specimens, thereby causing delay in diagnosis. But recent studies have found a favorable prognosis if the disease is detected early. We experienced a case of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, rare disease in the world, so we report with a brief review of literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Mucins ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary venous diastolic flow follows the pattern of mitral flow and is dependent on the pressure difference between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium (LA). The magnitude of the decrease in LA pressure in early diastole depends on both the volume of the blood leaving the LA and the stiffness of the left ventricle (LV) and the LA. Relaxation process is known to govern early diastolic compliance. We hypothesized that in patients with decreased early diastolic compliance due to LV relaxation abnormality, there may be rapid rise in LV and LA pressure, resulting in early peak of pulmonary venous D wave as early LV diastolic filling progress. This study was undertaken to define this hypothesis and to examine the relation of the time interval between E wave peak and D wave peak to mitral doppler indexes. METHOD: Patients with significant mitral or aortic valvular disease, or patients with LV ejection fraction below 60%, or patients who have pseudonormal or restrictive LV filling pattern on mitral and pulmonary venous Doppler, were excluded from this study. Mitral Doppler indexes including peak E velocity, peak A velocity, E wave acceleration time (EAT) and deceleration time (EDT) were measured. E/A ratio was calculated. The isovolumic relaxation time from aortic valve closure (Ac) to the onset of E wave , the time interval from Ac to the peak of E wave (AcE), the time interval from Ac to the peak of D wave, and the diastolic time from Ac to R of electrocardiogram (AcR) were measured by the pulsed wave Doppler and phonocardiography. The time interval from the peak of E wave to the peak of D wave (ED) was calculated by the subtraction of AcE from AcD. RESULTS: 1) ED is significantly shorter in patients with E/A<1 than those with E/A> or =1 (58.9+/-27.4 msec versus 74.7+/-17.2 msec, p<0.05). 2) ED correlated with IVRT (r=-0.400, p<0.01), AcR (r=0.414, p<0.01), but not with E/A ratio, EDT, or EAT. 3) Multivariate linear regression analysis with all the previously mentioned variables showed that IVRT, AcR, and EAT were independent determinants of the ED. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the ED is shortened in patients who are regarded as having LV relaxation abnormality and that ED is affected by IVRT, AcR, and EAT.
Acceleration ; Aortic Valve ; Compliance ; Deceleration ; Diastole ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Phonocardiography ; Pulmonary Veins ; Relaxation

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and the clinical usefulness of detection and measurement of distal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) flow using transthoracic echocardiography. METHODS: We prospectively examined 200 consecutive subjects(age 56+/-12 yrs, M:F=23:77). Of these subjects, 79 patients underwent coronary angiography. After obtaining the tubular color flow signals of distal LAD using an ultra-band transducer (5-12 MHz) with a special preset program of a low velocity range, the width and length of color Doppler signals, peak diastolic and systolic pulsed Doppler velocity (PDV) and velocity time integral(VTI) were measured. The echocardiographic findings of distal LAD flow were compared with the coronary angiogram. RESULTS: 1. In 142 of 200 subjects (71%), the color and pulsed Doppler signals with clear envelops were identified. 2. Forward biphasic flow in 86(60.6%) subjects and only diastolic flow in 56(39.4%) subjects were detected. 3.The mean length and width of color flow signals were 4.7+/-2.8mm (range 1.1-15.0 mm) and 1.6+/-0.7 mm (range 0.5-4.7 mm), respectively. 4.The mean PDV and VTI were 21.4+/-9.0 cm/sec(range 7.7-58.0 cm/sec) and 8.4+/-4.1 cm(range 2.8-26 cm), respectively. 5. The mean velocity range for obtaining the optimal Doppler signals of distal LAD was 13.0+/-4.2 cm/sec (range 6.4-32 cm/sec). 6. 14 of 22 (63%) subjects who distal LAD color flow signals were not identified showed the total or near total occlusion of LAD on the coronary angiogram. CONCLUSION: Detection and measurement of distal LAD flow are feasible in a high percentage of subjects by use of high frequency transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. The color and pulsed Doppler signals of distal LAD using transthoracic echocardiography at resting state may give the useful clinical information about coronary artery disease.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Transducers

OBJECTIVE: To obtain information on the variation of Mllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) levels according to gestational age and to understand the physiologic effects of MIS during pregnancy. METHODS: We measured MIS levels in 325 serum samples from pregnant women and in 59 serum samples from nonpregnant women by ELISA. This study was also designed to enlighten the possibility for early diagnosis of genetic diseases by discriminate the fetal sex at early stage of pregnancy by measuring maternal MIS serum level. RESULTS: These data showed that the mean MIS serum concentration plus or minus standard error was 2.66+/-0.12 ng/ml in pregnant women, which was significantly higher than 2.05+/-0.29 ng/ml in non-pregnant women (p<0.05). The median MIS level for pregnant women (2.2 ng/ml) was approximately two-fold greater than that for non-pregnant women (1.2 ng/ml). There was significant negative relationship between MIS concentration and gestational age (r2=0.0434, p<0.01). The MIS concentration of the pregnant women decreased 0.0069 ng/ml per day as gestational age increased. There was no significant difference in MIS levels for women pregnant with males (2.75+/-0.17 ng/ml) versus females (2.43+/-0.19 ng/ml). CONCLUSION: The MIS may play an important role as a inhibiting hormone of quiescent ovary during pregnancy. These data will enable normal and abnormal levels of MIS during pregnancy to be differentiated with higher precision and will facilitate the clinical application of MIS determination as a tumor marker for selected gonadal tumors during pregnancy.
Early Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Gonads ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Ovary ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women*

Presence of persistent left superior vena cava(PLSVC) is considered to be one of the most frequently encountered anomalies of the systemic venous return. The incidence of PLSVC is reported to be 0.3% to 0.5% in the general population, and in 3% to 10% of patients with congenital heart disease. The presence of PLSVC draining into the coronary sinus is of no hemodynamic significance. However, it is important to recognize this condition, as it can have important clinical implications. The diagnosis can be established by two demensional echocardiography. It should be suspected by the presence of dilated coronary sinus, and confirmed by contrast echocardiography. A 61-year-old man with chronic atrial fibrillation was diagnosed as PLSVC by contrast transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) using agitated saline. Contrast TTE allowed visualization of the time sequence of the echo-contrast within the right atrium first following injection of right antecubital vein. Following injection of left antecubital vein, opacification of the dilated coronary sinus first and then the right atrium was seen.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Coronary Sinus ; Diagnosis ; Dihydroergotamine ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Atria ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Superior*

OBJECTIVE: Previous pathologic and roentgenographic studies have suggested a relation between aortic plaque and coronary artery disease but have lacked clinical utility. The study was undertaken to elucidate whether atherosclerotic aortic plaque detected by transesophageal echocardiography can be a clinically useful marker for significant obstructive coronary artery disease. METHODS: Clinical and angiographic features and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic findings were prospectively analyzed in 131 consecutive patients (58 women and 73 men, aged 17 to 75 years [mean 54 +/- 12]) undergoing open heart surgery. Significant obstructive coronary artery disease was defined as > or = 50% stenosis of > or = 1 major branch. RESULTS: Seventy-six (58%) of 131 patients were found to have obstructive coronary artery disease. In 76 patients with significant coronary artery disease, 71 had thoracic aortic plaque. In contrast, aortic plaque existed in only 10 of the remaining 55 patients with normal or minimally abnormal coronary arteries. The presence of aortic plaque on transesophageal echocardiographic studies had a sensitivity of 93%, a specificity of 82% and positive and negative predictive values of 88% and 90%, respectively, for significant coronary artery disease. There was a significant relationship between the degree of aortic intimal changes and the severity of coronary artery disease (r = 0.74, P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of patient age, sex, risk factors of cardiovascular disease and transesophageal, echocardiographic findings revealed that atherosclerotic aortic plaque was the most significant independent predictor of coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that transesophageal echocardiographic detection of atherosclerotic plaque in the thoracic aorta is useful in the noninvasive prediction of the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Aged ; Aorta, Thoracic/ultrasonography* ; Arteriosclerosis/ultrasonography ; Coronary Disease/ultrasonography* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiac myxoma is histologically benign, but may be lethal because of their strategic position. It may mimic every cardiovascular or systemic disease, and can be missed without a high idex of suspicion. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We reviewed our clinical experience in 25 patients with cardiac myxoma between 1984 and 1999. Special attention was paid to clinical presentation, physical examination, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, laboratory findings, echocardiographic findings, operative findings and postoperative course. RESULTS: Their age ranged from 23 to 64 (mean 48 years) and there were 6 male (24%) and 19 (76%) female patients. The myxomas were located in the left atrium in 23 (88%), in the right atrium in 2 (12%) cases. The Major presenting symptoms were intracardiac obstruction such as exertional dyspnea in 19 (76%), palpitation in 7 (28%), syncopal episodes in 3 (12%) cases while systemic embolism and constitutional symptoms accounted for 5 (20%) and 10 (40%) cases, respectively. About 70% of patients were present with abnormal, but nonspecific findings in physical examination, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and laboratory findings. Echocardiography is the most useful diagnostic screening tool. There was no in-hospital death after operation. But only 1 patient died 5 years after resection from severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure and 1 patient presented with recurrence at 18 months after primary resection, which was confirmed histologically into chondrosarcoma. CONCLUSION: We conclude that due to nonspecific presentation of cardiac myxoma, a high index of suspicion is needed. If considered as a possible diagnosis, it is easily recognized by echocardiography and usually curative by surgical resection.
Chondrosarcoma ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Embolism ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Myxoma* ; Physical Examination ; Recurrence ; Syncope ; Thorax