BACKGROUND: Nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation is common in elderly and associated with an increased risk for thromboembolism. Left atrial spontaneous echo contrast(SEC) and thrombus. which are easily detected by transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease and atrial fibrillation, have been known as markers of thromboembolism. However, most of the previous studies on left atrial SEC and thrombus were performed in rheumatic mitral valve disease or various conditions including rheumatic mitral valve disease. Therefore this study was underaken in order to investigatd 1) the prevalence of left atrial SEC and thrombus, and 2) clinical and echocardiographic variables related to left atrial SEC and thrombus in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation. METHODS: In patients with estabished atrial fibrillation over 7 days, we examined the clinical gistory and performed transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) and TEE simultaneously. Enlisted patients were those without rheumatic mitral valve disease, prosthetic valves, previous thromboembolism, and recent anticoagulant therapy. RESULTS: 1) Left atrial SEC was detected in 32(62.7%) of 51 patients and left atrial thrombus in 10(19.6%). All thrombi were located in the left atrial appendage. 2) In univariate analysis, SEC positive group showed higher prevalence of congestive heart failure(CHF)(56.3% vs 0%, p<0.001), lower ejection fraction(42.2+/-14.1% vs 50.8+/-9.7%, p<0.05), lower left atrial appendage blood flow velocity(peak positive flow velocity ; 18.7+/-11.1cm/sec vs 32+/-12.4cm/sec, p<0.01, and peak negative flow velocity ; 21.4+/-12.4cm/sec vs 31.9+/-12.8cm/sec, p<0.01) than SEC negative group. Multivariate analysis identifed CHF as an independent variable related to left atrial SEC(p=0.02, Odds ratio ; 2.38, 95% CI ; 1.18-4.82). 3) In univariate analysis. left atrial thrombus positive group showed higher prevalence of CHF(70% vs 26.8%, p<0.05), larger left atrial demension(34+/-3.4mm/m2 vs 30.6+/-4.6mm/m2, p<0.05) than thrombus negative group. Multivariate analysis identifed CHF as an independent variable related to left atrial thrombus(p=0.04, Odds ratio ; 4.30, 95% CI ; 1.11-16.68). 4) Left atrial thrombus is more frequent in SEC positive group than in SEC negative group(28.1% vs 5.3%), however, there was no statistical significance(p=0.07). CONCLUSION: 1) Left atrial SEC is common in nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation and significantly related to CHF. 2) Left atrial thrombus is frequently detected in SEC positive patients, however, it is more realted to CHF than left atrial SEC itself.
Aged ; Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Echocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis*

BACKGROUND: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure(ABP) monitoring has become increasingly popular for diagnosing and treating hypertension. Therefore the reference value of normotensive subjects was necessary for interpretation of hypertensive subjects. Several studies were reported on reference values in normotensive subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine 24-hour ABP in normotensive Korean adults stratified for sex and five age groups. This study also assessed ABP in relation to a family history of hypertension, smoking and body mass index(BMI). METHODS: ABP monitoring was performed in 200 healthy normotensive volunteers(ranged in age from 20 to 69 years, five decades, 20 men and 20 women per each decade), over 24 hours, taking measurement at 30-min intervals. The 24-hour interval was divided into day-time(6am-10pm) and night-time(100pm-6am) periods. Mean ABP and pressure loads(percentage of systolic readings>140mmHg, diastolic readings>90mmHg) were obtained. RESULTS: The mean ABP in 200 subjects was 113+/-8.6/72+/-6.9mmHg over 24 hours, 117+/-9.7/75+/-7.0mmHg during day-time, and 106+/-9.8/67+/-8.3mmHg at night-time, and pressure loadd averaged 5.1+/-7.4/7.9+/-8.9% over 24 hours. The +2 standard deviation(SD) as the upper limit of normal was 130/86mmHg over 24 hours in 200 subjects. The mean ABP and pressure load were 116+/-7.6/74+/-7.6mmHg and 6.4+/-8.3/10.1+/-10.2% in 100 subjects of men, and 110+/-8.3+/-70+/-6.6mmHg, 3.7+/-6.0/5.7+/-6.8% in women. Mean ABP and pressure load showed significant difference in relation to age group and sex, however, no significant difference in relation to a family history of hypertension or smoking. In relation to BMI group, diastolic blood pressure and diastolic pressure load were significantly different.
Adult* ; Blood Pressure* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Reference Values ; Smoke ; Smoking

Purpose: To evaluate clinical findings and surgical outcomes of intermittent esotropia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 23 patients (aged 9-42 years) who presented with intermittent esotropia between January 2007 and December 2020. We analyzed the age at onset, angle of deviation, presence of symptomatic diplopia, fusional state, near stereoacuity, and surgical results. Results: The mean age at onset was 19.9 ± 8.0 years and mean duration of esodeviation was 23.4 ± 27.1 months. Mean follow-up time was 13.0 ± 15.6 months. All patients except three had symptomatic diplopia, and 78.3% showed intermittent diplopia. Mean angles of deviation were 21.6 ± 10.3 prism diopters (PD) at distance and 20.2 ± 10.4 PD at near. Twenty-one patients (91.3%) were myopia. No patients had amblyopia and one had dissociated vertical deviation. On Worth’s four-dot test, five patients (21.7%) showed diplopia and four showed suppression at both distance and near. The other patients showed fusion at near or distance. Eleven patients underwent surgical correction. At the final examination, all patients achieved successful motor alignment and fusion with resolution of diplopia. Only two patients (18.2%) achieved normal 60 arcsec stereopsis, and six attained subnormal stereopsis. Conclusions The main symptom of intermittent esotropia was diplopia. Surgical treatment was effective in achieving good postoperative motor alignment and fusion. However, successful motor alignment did not guarantee recovery of fine stereopsis.

No abstract available.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Humans ; Recurrence*

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is a rare white matter disorder, first described in the early 1990s. The brain in patients with MLC appears swollen on MRI, with diffuse white matter abnormalities; in addition, there is an invariable presence of subcortical cysts, primarily in the anterior temporal region sparing the deep white matter, basal ganglia, thalami, and cerebellum. Patients with MLC present with macrocephaly and neurological abnormalities such as motor deterioration, ataxia, spasticity, and cognitive deficits. We report a twenty-month-old boy who presented with seizures and macrocephaly, delay in development, and abnormal brain MRI findings compatible with the diagnosis of MLC. The brain MRI revealed bilateral hypersignal intense subcortical white matter regions in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes on T2-weighted images, which were not yet associated with cystic changes. During follow-up, the frequency of seizures decreased after anticonvulsant medication was started, but the head circumference remained above the 97th percentile, and the patient continued to have developmental delay.
Ataxia ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Cysts ; Developmental Disabilities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hereditary Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Macrocephaly ; Muscle Spasticity ; Parietal Lobe ; Seizures

Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis (hypoPP) is a rare inherited channelopathy that often presents with episodic weakness accompanied by hypokalemia. Thus far, mutations in the gene encoding two ion channels (CACNL1A3, L-type calcium channel alpha-1 subunit and SCN4A, a sodium channel type IV alpha subunit) have been identified. Several cases of familial hypoPP in children have been reported in Koreans, but there are only a few cases with identified mutations. We report a 12-year-old boy and his affected mother with hypoPP who has a heterozygous G to A substitution at codon 1239 in exon 30 of the CACNL1A3 gene that causes a change from arginine to histidine (Arg1239His, CACNL1A3). This mutation is common among Caucasians; however, it has not yet been reported in Koreans. The patients were treated with oral acetazolamide and potassium replacement and were instructed to avoid precipitating factors. After the medication and lifestyle modification, the paralytic attacks significantly decreased.
Acetazolamide ; Arginine ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; Channelopathies ; Child ; Codon ; Exons ; Histidine ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis ; Ion Channels ; Life Style ; Mothers ; Potassium ; Precipitating Factors ; Sodium Channels

PURPOSE: Turner syndrome (TS) is a disorder in which various anomalies can be accompanied, especially cardiovascular, renal, thyroid and auditory problems. The aim of this study is to identify the incidence of these disorders in patients with TS according to karyotype. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 90 patients with TS diagnosed by chromosomal analysis in 4 hospitals from Jan 1998 to Dec 2007. We evaluated these cases by prepared protocol of 4 medical problems. RESULTS: The distribution of karyotype was 45,X (47.8%), mosaic pattern (34.4%) and structural aberration group (17.8%). Renal anomalies, cardiovascular anomalies, thyroid disorders and auditory problems are accompanied in 4.4%, 10.0%, 11.1% and 5.6%, respectively. 45,X group had renal anomalies (7.0%), cardiovascular anomalies (18.6%), thyroid disorders (9.3%) and auditory problems (11.6%). Mosaic group had renal anomalies (3.2%), thyroid disorders (12.9%), no cardiovascular anomalies and auditory problems. Structural aberration group had cardiovascular anomalies (6.3%), thyroid disorders (12.5%) and no other 2 problems. Patients with 45,X group had a significant higher incidence of cardiovascular anomalies (P=0.025). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that there are differences clinically according to karyotype of TS, especially in incidence of cardiovascular anomalies.
Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Medical Records ; Phenotype ; Thyroid Gland ; Turner Syndrome

PURPOSE:Hypoxic injury during delivery and subsequent ischemic encephalopathy is still remained as one of the important cause of neonatal death and associated with neurologic complication. We investigated the predicting factors for neurologic outcome in full-term hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). METHODS:Twenty-two full-term neonates with HIE stage II or III from Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2004 were enrolled. We reviewed the medical records retrospectively including obstetric history, initial pH, creatine kinase (CK), ionized calcium, seizure type and duration, EEG, cranial sonography, CT or MRI, and neurologic outcome. RESULTS:Among 22 patients, outborn was 86.3%, vaginal delivery 68.2%, and male 72.7%. Regarding the obstetrical events, two-thirds had meconium staining or aspiration and prolonged rupture of membrane. Initial arterial pH, CK and ionized calcium were not significantly different between normal and abnormal neurologic outcome group. All of 5 patients recovered from seizure after more than 5 days had neurologic sequelae (P= 0.008). Eight of 16 cases with abnormal EEG showed abnormal development, and all of 4 cases with normal EEG showed normal development. Eight of 12 cases with abnormal imaging study showed neurologic sequelae, however, all of 10 cases with normal study showed normal outcome (P=0.005). CONCLUSION:This study suggests that seizure duration and imaging study are the best predicting factors for prognosis in full-term HIE. Although the EEG finding was not signigicant, the normal finding is expected to have good prognosis. The initial laboratory findings had no prognostic significance because of delayed blood sampling in most patients, who transferred from other hospitals after immediate postnatal resuscitation. We encourage the maternal transport especially when the high-risk delivery is anticipated.
Brain Ischemia ; Calcium ; Creatine Kinase ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meconium ; Medical Records ; Membranes ; Prognosis ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Seizures

Osteosarcomas usually occur as secondary tumors after radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Without a history of irradiation to the head and neck area, primary osteosarcoma of the turbinate is extremely rare. We report here a rare case of primary turbinate osteosarcoma presenting as a relatively small, well-circumscribed, turbinate mass. Its appearance mimicked a benign nasal mass like mucocele and polyp. We also reviewed the previously reported cases of tumor arising from turbinate.
Head ; Humans ; Mucocele ; Neck ; Osteosarcoma ; Polyps ; Turbinates

PURPOSE:We analysed the spectrum of diagnoses made in a consecutive group of children referred for signs of precocious puberty and evaluated the clinical and endocrinologic characteristics. METHODS:Retrospective analysis of 375 children (365 girls and 10 boys) referred for evaluation of signs of precocious puberty between January 2003 and May 2007 was done. Results:The conditions causing precocious puberty were early puberty (36.3%), true precocious puberty (30.4%), premature thelarche (29.1%), pseudo-precocious puberty (3.7%), and premature pubarche (0.5%). Among girls, there were differences in the age of onset of puberty (premature thelarche, 5.4+/-2.6 years vs. true precocious puberty, 6.9+/-1.1 years vs. early puberty, 8.6+/-0.5 years). True precocious puberty girls showed higher height SDS (standard deviation score), weight SDS, BMI (body mass index) percentile, basal FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone) and estradiol, more accelerated growth velocity and bone age than those with premature thelarche. True precocious puberty patients showed higher height SDS, weight SDS, and more bone age advancement when compared to those with early puberty. Later onset (>2 years) premature thelarche appeared in 89 girls (81.7% of premature thelarche) at 6.4+/-1.6 years, and among 42 patients followed-up, 8 girls developed true precocious puberty later. CONCLUSION:Common conditions causing precocious puberty are early puberty, true precocious puberty, and premature thelarche. Although premature thelarche may be regarded as a benign condition, true precocious puberty can develop in some patients, so careful follow-up will be needed.
Age of Onset ; Child ; Estradiol ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Puberty ; Puberty, Precocious