BACKGROUND: The prognosis after an aortic valve replacment can be affected significantly by the transprosthetic pressure gradient which is determined mainly by the size of the patients body and the prosthesis used. We analyzed the hemodynamic feature of two relatively new prosthese the ATS and the evensized Medtronic-Hall(M-H) valves by measuring the transprosthetic pressure gradient in the cases where small sizes (23mm or smaller) were used. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were 94 patients who received whom aortic valve replacement with prosthesis smaller than 23 mm from October 1994 to June 1998. In these patients the transprosthetic pressure gradient clalculated from the pressure half time during postoperative Dopper echocardiographic examination was compared between the prostheses of different sizes. The body surface area of each patient was also taken into consideration. RESULT: The mean pressure gradient and body surface area in each group were 21.7+/-10.2 mmHg and 1.52+/-0.14m2 in ATS 19mm 11.4+/-6.5 mmHg and 1,57+/-0.20m2 in M-H 20mm 15.2+/-6.3 mmHg and 1.54+/-0.13m2 in ATS 21mm 9.3+/-2.5 mmHg and 1.63 +/-0.14m2 in M-H 22 mm and 12.9+/-5.3 mmHg and 1.69+/-0.13m2 in ATS 23mm. CONCLUSIONS: The 19mm ATS prosthesis showed significant trasprosthetic pressure gradient which is similar to the values previously reported with other bileaflet prosthesesm Close follow-up was needed in terms of exercise capacity and change in left ventiricular geometry. In patients with small aortic valve annulus the 20mm M-H valve is recomendable as an alternative to 19mm bileaflet valves because it has less pressure gradient with similar outer diameter.
Aortic Valve* ; Body Surface Area ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Prostheses and Implants*

We report our experience with 2 cases of perforation of intrathoracic stomach after Ivor Lewis operation for esophageal cancer. There was no problem in the anastomotic site, but the drainage from pleural cavity increased after oral intake. The stomach perforation was proved by rethoracotomy. The perforation site was repaired by sutures with pedicled intercostal muscle.
Drainage ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Intercostal Muscles ; Pleural Cavity ; Postoperative Complications ; Stomach* ; Sutures

BACKGROUND: Adequate exposure of the mitral valve is a prerequisite for mitral procedures including the repair. An extended transseptal approach in mitral valvular operations is known to have certain technical advantages in recent years because of the anatomic posterior location of the mitral valve, especially in reoperations and in the presence of the small atrium in spite of the possibility of arrhythmia due to injury of sinus nodal artery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We compared the preoperative status, operative, and postoperative factors among patients in two study groups, transseptal only (Group I, n=10) and extended transseptal approach (Group II, n=25). RESULT: There were no differences in age, sex, NYHA functional class, left atrial size, and left ventricular function. The incidence of the redo-operation was high and early postoperative arrhythmia, which was improved later, appeared in 3 patients in Group II, but not in Group I. CONCLUSION: We believe that atrial septal incision could be extended up to the atrial roof whenever exposure of the mitral valve during a transseptal approach is inadequate because the late results were similar.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arteries ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mitral Valve ; Ventricular Function, Left

PURPOSE: Sclerotherapy is performed additionally to improve the outcome of aspiration in simple renal cyst. Ethanol has been used most commonly as a sclerosing agent, however, drainage is necessary which complicates the procedure. For this reason, we used minocycline HCl as a sclerosing agent without need to be drained and evaluated the results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1990 to May 1999, 140 patients who underwent percutaneous minocycline HCl sclerotherapy for simple renal cyst were evaluated. Among them, 10 patients were missed during follow-up and 7 patients had bilateral simple renal cysts. The simple renal cysts were aspirated under ultrasonography, and then minocycline HCl 100mg mixed with 5ml normal saline was injected into the cyst per 50ml of aspirated cyst fluid. The follow-up ultrasonography was performed at posttreatment 3, 6 and 12 months. The recurred cases were retreated with same procedure. RESULTS: Among 137 renal cysts of 130 patients who could be followed up, 70 renal cysts (51.1%) were totally collapsed and 53 renal cysts (38.7%) showed a 50% or more decrease in cyst volume after first treatment. All 14 persistent renal cysts (10.2%) showed a 50% or more decrease in cyst volume after second or third treatment. Catheterization for drainage of the sclerosing agent was not needed. There were only some minor complications such as nausea, vomitting and local pain that subsided within one day with only symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results shows that percutaneous minocycline HCl sclerotherapy is simple, safe and effective and can be a alternative first line therapy of simple renal cyst.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Cyst Fluid ; Drainage ; Ethanol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Minocycline* ; Nausea ; Sclerotherapy* ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to review the clinical course after the correction of noncomplicated ventricular septal defect and to analyze the morbidity and risk factors of postoperative complications and evaluate residual defect during the follow-up period. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From September 1994 to June 1998 24 patients(median age 10 months) underwent surgery under the diagnosis of ventricular septal defect. We made a retrospective review of the clinical records including the operation notes critical care unit records echocardiography results and the follow-up records. RESULT: There was no early mortality nd late mortality. There was no postoperative complete conduction block. Respiratory complication was the most common complication. The body weight age type of ventricular septal defect associated anomalies and operative procedure were not related to the incidence of complications. residual ventricular septal defects aortic valve regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation were insignificant in postoperative hemodynamics, CONCLUSIONS: Correction of the noncomplicated ventricular septal defect was done without mortality and complete heart block. Aggressive preoperative medical treatment and early surgical treatment may decrease postoperative complications. Postoperative residual shunt and tricuspid regurgitation were not problematic during the follow-up.
Aortic Valve ; Body Weight ; Critical Care ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Block ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Hemodynamics ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

Spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma is an uncommon benign adipose tissue tumor most frequently arising from the subcutaneous tissue of the back, shoulder, head and neck, and extremities. The deep cervical spaces are the rarely affected locations. Herein we report on the imaging findings of spindle cell/pleomorphic lipoma involving the retropharyngeal space in an elderly woman.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoma/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Pharyngeal Neoplasms/*pathology/ultrasonography

The Korean Society of Nephrology (KSN) has published a clinical practice guideline (CPG) document for maintenance hemodialysis (HD). The document, 2021 Clinical Practice Guideline on Optimal HD Treatment, is based on an extensive evidence-oriented review of the benefits of preparation, initiation, and maintenance therapy for HD, with the participation of representative experts from the KSN under the methodologists’ support for guideline development. It was intended to help clinicians participating in HD treatment make safer and more effective clinical decisions by providing user-friendly guidelines. We hope that this CPG will be meaningful as a recommendation in practice, but not on a regulatory rule basis, as different approaches and treatments may be used by health care providers depending on the individual patient’s condition. This CPG consists of eight sections and 15 key questions. Each begins with statements that are graded by the strength of recommendations and quality of the evidence. Each statement is followed by a summary of the evidence supporting the recommendations. There is also a link to full-text documents and lists of the most important reports so that the readers can read further (most of this is available online).

The Korean Society of Nephrology (KSN) has published a clinical practice guideline (CPG) document for maintenance hemodialysis (HD). The document, 2021 Clinical Practice Guideline on Optimal HD Treatment, is based on an extensive evidence-oriented review of the benefits of preparation, initiation, and maintenance therapy for HD, with the participation of representative experts from the KSN under the methodologists’ support for guideline development. It was intended to help clinicians participating in HD treatment make safer and more effective clinical decisions by providing user-friendly guidelines. We hope that this CPG will be meaningful as a recommendation in practice, but not on a regulatory rule basis, as different approaches and treatments may be used by health care providers depending on the individual patient’s condition. This CPG consists of eight sections and 15 key questions. Each begins with statements that are graded by the strength of recommendations and quality of the evidence. Each statement is followed by a summary of the evidence supporting the recommendations. There are also a link to full-text documents and lists of the most important reports so that the readers can read further (most of this is available online).

For treatment of Total Skin Electron beam Therapy (TSET), measurement of dose at various conditions is need on the contrary to usual radiotherapy. When treating TSET with modified Stanford technique based on linear accelerator, the energy of treatment electron beam, the spatial dose distribution and the actual doses deposited on the surface of the patient were measured by using EBT2. The measured energy of the electron beam was agreed with the value that measured by ionization chamber, and the spatial dose distribution at the patient position and the doses at several point on the patient's skin could be easily measured by EBT2 film. The dose on the patient that was measured by EBT2 film showed good agreement with the data measured simultaneously by TLD. With the results of this study, it was proven that the EBT2 film can be one of the useful dosimeter for TSET.
Electrons ; Humans ; Particle Accelerators ; Skin

Cardiac amyloidosis describes a clinical disorder caused by infiltration of abnormal insoluble fibrils in the heart, characterized by progressive heart failure and a grave prognosis. Pleural effusion in cardiac amyloidosis may represent a sign of heart failure, but it can also result from pleural infiltration of amyloid, manifested by recurrent large fluid accumulations. Recently, the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of refractory pleural effusion. We report a case of a 53 year-old female patient with cardiac amyloidosis who presented with recurrent accumulation of large pleural effusions. She was initially treated with high dose loop diuretics, but the pleural effusion persisted, with the daily amount of drainage averaging 1 L/day. Accumulation of pleural fluid did not subside after 3 cycles of melphalan/prednisolone therapy. After the introduction of bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody, the amount of pleural effusion decreased significantly. Efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy for refractory pleural effusions needs to be defined through further studies.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Drainage ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion ; Prognosis ; Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Bevacizumab