Pulmonic autograft replacement of the aortic valve (Ross procedure) has been to have potential for growth in children, no complication of antiocagulation, and enhanced durability. Therefore, Ross operation is indicated in the young, in patients with an active life style, and when anticoagulation is contraindicated. However, late autograft valve has occurrd more frequently in patients with significant size discrepancy between the pulmonay valve annulus and the aortic valve annulus. In order to resolve this problem, we performed aortic annuloplasty with Duran ring for more accurate and strong reinforcement. We report a case using the Duran ring as a method of aortic annuloplasty during Ross procedure.
Aortic Valve ; Autografts ; Child ; Humans ; Life Style

BACKGROUND: Inhaled glucocorticoids are the medical treatment of choice in asthma patients. Fluticasone propionate is one of the most effective inhaled corticosteroids and has been reported to have minimal effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis at the recommended dose. However, reports of long-term trials characterizing their systemic safety with chronic use are rare. This study was designed to evaluate the long-term safety of inhaled fluticasone propionate to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. METHOD: This study was conducted on 21 patients to evaluate the adrenal response to rapid ACTH stimulation test after 6 months of treatment with fluticasone propionate from 200 µg to 750 µg daily. The serum cortisol levels was measured to assess its effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis just prior to the injection, at 30 minutes and 60 minutes after an intramuscular injection of synthetic ACTH. RESULT: The mean dose of inhaled fluticasone propionate was 355 µg per day(SD=174 µg, range=200 µg to 750 µg). The mean serum cortisol levels of the patients was 11.0 µg/dl(SD=6.4 µg/dl) prior to the injection, 20.0 µg/dl(SD=7.7 µg/dl) after 30 minutes, and 23.0 µg/dl(SD=6.3 µg/dl) after 60 minutes. Sixteen patients of the 21 patients had a normal response(>18 µg/dl), and 5 out of the 21 patients had serum cortisol levels below the normal range after the rapid ACTH stimulation test. CONCLUSION: Adrenal suppression occurred in 5 out of 21 patients with 6 months treatment with inhaled fluticasone propionate.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Asthma* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Cosyntropin ; Diethylpropion* ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Reference Values ; Fluticasone

BACKGROUND: Ross procedure is ideal aortic valve replacement method with several merits of hemodynamic superiority and durability without the need of anticoagulation. Based upon this presumption, we studied its procedure performed in our hospital and tried to get the mid-term results MATERIAL AND METHOD: From Jan 1999 to Oct 2001, 22 patients underwent the Ross procedure. The mean age of experimented (including 17 men and 5 women) was 30.9+/-8.1 (17~44). The diagnosis before the surgery had shown 20 as accompanied with AR and the rest 2 as with ASR. The follow-up period ranged from 0.6 to 40.6 months, mean of 38.9+/-1.6 months, and follow-up rate was 100%. RESULT: There was no operative death and two late deaths, one of whom was cardiac originated and the other, non-cardiac relate The survival rate was 94.1+/-5.7% (40.6 months). Postoperatively there were 2 exploration for bleeding, 3 low cardiac output patients. The pulmonary autograft technique was root replacement in 14 and inclusion technique in 8. Pulmonary homografts were used at the pulmonary position in all cases. There was no patient with significant aortic regurgitation. CONCLUSION: These showed that the mortality and morbidity of the Ross procedure were acceptable and postoperative AR was not significant. However, further long-term follow-up will be necessary for the improvement of the function of pulmonary autograft and homograft.
Allografts ; Aortic Valve ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Autografts ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Survival Rate

Transcervical chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed in 174 patients between 7 & 12 menstrual weeks of pregnancy opting for prenatal diagnosis. Advanced maternal age was the most common indication for CVS (39.7%). The sampling success rate was 95.4% (166/174), representing 88.9% at 7 to 8 weeks, 98.9% at 9 to 10 weeks & 92.7% at 11 to 12 weeks gestation. In 139 of 174 patients (80%), successful sampling was accomplished in one or two catheter passages only. Four spontaneous fetal losses (2.3%) occurred. The cytogenetic analysis routinely used was the direct overnight & long-term culture methods which revealed 4 abnormalities (2.4%). To date, 90 of the women have been delivered & all infants are doing well and the remaining 65 pregnancies are continuing uneventually. Maternal serum alphafetoprotein (MSAFP) concentration was determined in 72 patients immediately before & after CVS. A significant increase of 20% or more, comparable to pre CVS levels, was noted immediately after sampling in 56 of 72 patients (77.8%). The increase in MSAFP concentration correlated with the amount of villi sampled (r = 0.498, p less than 0.001) & with the number of sampling attempts (p less than 0.05). Estimated CVS related fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) ranged from 0.005 to 0.1552 ml and in 5 of 72 patients (6.90%) 0.06 ml or more of FMH was noted. Two of the 5 patients had FMH of 0.1 ml or more.
Chorionic Villi Sampling/*adverse effects ; *Chromosome Aberrations ; Female ; Fetomaternal Transfusion/etiology ; Human ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnancy/*blood ; Rh Isoimmunization/etiology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; alpha-Fetoproteins/*analysis

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare disease in women of childbearing age, is the result of benign nodular hypertrophy of the smooth muscle of the lypmhatics and other tissues of the abdomen and thorax. We report a 36-years-old woman with pulmonary and retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomatosis who responded with hormone treatment. She developed vaginal pruritis and a pelvic ultraound was done given her significant past medical history. Ultrasound examination demonstrated a large mass in the right side of her pelvis. Therefore she was admitted to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto for laparoscopy. Result of cytology was to be consistent with the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomatosis. High resolution CT sacn of the thorax demonstrated multiple small cystic lesions, without associated nodularity compatible with a diagnosis of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. She has been taking Provera tablets l00mg po tid since Dec. 15, 1993. We have given her a prescription for Depo provera 500mg IM monthly since she came back to Korea, and made arrangements for regular follow up monthly. We performed chest X-ray, CT of chest(high resolution), abdomen and pelvis, pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas analysis. Chest X-ray and CT findings showed no significant change since July. 20, 1993.
Abdomen ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Korea ; Laparoscopy ; Lymphangioleiomyomatosis* ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; Muscle, Smooth ; Pelvis ; Prescriptions ; Pruritus ; Rare Diseases ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Tablets ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography

Tumors of the minor papilla are very rare and these tumors have generally been known as neuroendocrine tumors such as carcinoid tumor and somatostatinoma. As these are mostly submucosal tumors, their diagnosis is difficult by just performing endoscopic forceps biopsy, but diagnosis is possible by surgery or endoscopic resection. EUS and ERCP is an essential tool for the diagnosis of these tumors, and abdominal CT or MRI is also useful because there is the possibility of malignant tumors such as carcinoid tumor. For our present two cases, screening endoscopy revealed the polypoid lesion of the minor papilla. EUS disclosed that the submucosal tumor was limited to the submucosal layer and no abnormality was found from the abdominal CT and ERCP. Herein, we performed endoscopic resection for making the diagnosis and treatment. Histologically, these 2 tumors were diagnosed as ectopic pancreas and gangliocytic paraganglioma, respectively.
Biopsy ; Carcinoid Tumor ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mass Screening ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Pancreas ; Paraganglioma ; Somatostatinoma ; Surgical Instruments ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 71 patients with constrictive pericarditis (CP) diagnosed by echo-Doppler technique (mean age, 49 +/- 17) was done. In 27 patients (38%), the etiology was unknown, and the three most frequent identifiable causes were tuberculosis (23/71, 32%), cardiac surgery (8/71, 11%), and mediastinal irradiation (6/71, 9%). Pericardiectomy was performed in 35 patients (49%) with a surgical mortality of 6% (2/35), and 11 patients (15%, 11/ 71) showed complete resolution of constrictive physiology with medical treatment. Patients with transient CP were characterized by absence of pericardial calcification, shorter symptom duration, and higher incidence of fever, weight loss, and tuberculosis. The 5-yr survival rates of patients with transient CP and those undergoing pericardiectomy were 100% and 85 +/- 6%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of patients without undergoing pericardiectomy (33 +/- 17%, p=0.0083). Mediastinal irradiation, higher functional class, low voltage in ECG, low serum albumin, and old age were the independent variables associated with a higher mortality. Tuberculosis is still the most important etio-logy of CP in Korea, and not infrequently, it may cause transient CP. Early diagnosis and decision-making using follow-up echocardiography are crucial to improve the prognosis of patients with CP.
Adult ; Aged ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures/adverse effects ; *Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human ; Male ; Mediastinum/radiation effects ; Middle Age ; Pericarditis, Constrictive/etiology/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Pericarditis, Tuberculous/ultrasonography ; Pericardium/surgery