No abstract available.
Dislocations*

Transmycardial laser revascularization has made its position as a sole therapy for patients with chronic angina nonamenable to maximal medical therapy, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting. We report three cases of transmyocardial laser revascularization as a sole therapy for patients with recurrent angina after CABG.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Humans ; Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization

Intraosseous Neurilemmomas are very rare tumor and most of them are arose in the mandibular bone. A case report is made on the intraosseous neurilemmoma in the distal shaft of tibia which belong very rarely seen in the area of bone. The case was a 23 year old male who had multicystic lesion on the distal shaft of right tibia with marginal this sclerotic change on the radiological examination. The lesion of intraosseous neurilemmoma was confirmed by the microscopic examination after surgical treatment of curettage and bone graft. Also a review of literature on the neurilemmoma was made and reported.
Curettage ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma ; Tibia ; Transplants

This study aimed to determine factors that influence blood flow through coronary bypass grafts and to analyze relationship between the graft flow and postoperative outcome. Blood flow through 146 bypass grafts(GBF) was measured with transit-time ultrasound flowmeter during coronary artery bypass grafting operations in 50 patients. Single and multiple regression analyses were done for relationships between the GBF and four variables: internal diameter of recipient coronary artery, myocardial value of bypassed branch(es), type of graft, and finding of preoperative myocardial perfusion scan. The relationship between GBF and postoperative scan finding was also analyzed. 1. The mean GBF was significantly higher in sequential grafts than in single vein grafts or in internal thoracic artery grafts(61.5 vs. 46.9 and 42.5 ml/min). 2. Myocardial value and recipient artery diameter were found to be the factors determining GBF. There was no correlation between GBF and presence of perfusion defect in the preoperative scan. 3. Myocardial value was found to be more important than recipient artery diameter in determinintg GBF. 4. Reversible perfusion defects were more frequently found in the areas supplied by grafts with low GBF. But this fact had only mild statistical significance. These results suggest that blood flow through a bypass graft is more determined by the size of its supplying myocardium than by the size of recipient artery. So, we can expect effective improvement in myocardial flow reserve after grafting of small(1~1.5mm) coronary arteries, if they supply substantial area of myocardium.
Arteries ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Flowmeters ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Regional Blood Flow ; Transplants ; Ultrasonography ; Veins

We experienced a female patient with intramural hematoma of the aorta. This patient had a severe anterior chest pain radiating to interscapular area with choking sensation. CT revealed a intramural hematoma of the thoracic aorta and a part of the abdominal aorta but there was no evidence of intimal tearing. We did the emergency operation under hypothermic circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion. Ascending aorta was replaced and coronary artery bypass graft was done because of intimal tearing of the ostium of right coronary artery. She was discharged without any significant complication. We reported this case with consideration about necessity of emergency operation for intramural hematoma of the thoracic aorta.
Airway Obstruction ; Aorta* ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Perfusion ; Sensation ; Transplants

This is a report on the clinical outcome and hemodynamic profile of the ATS(R) cardiac valve prosthesis, which is a recently introduced pyrolytic carbon bileaflet prosthesis. We retrospectively reviewed the early outcome of 100 consecutive patients who underwent isolated cardiac valve replacement with the ATS(R) prosthesis from October 1994 through June 1996 at our hospital. All patients were evaluated with Doppler echocardiography before discharge from the hospital. The mean age of the patients was 48.6 years(range: 2 to 74). A total of 124 prosthesis were implanted; 71 mitral, 46 aortic, and 7 tricuspid. The two most frequently used sizes were 27 mm(40.8%) and 29 mm(35.2%) in the mitral position, and 23 mm(30.4%) and 21 mm(28.3%) in the aortic position. There was no early or late death. The total follow-up period was 950 patient-months with 99% follow-up rate. Serious late morbidity occurred in three patients; reoperation in two patients for late rupture of Sinus of Valsava in one and for endocarditis with prosthetic dehiscence in the other, and intracranial hemorrhage due to hypertension in one patient. There has been no thromboembolic complication or structural valve deterioration. In the mitral position, the average values of peak and mean transprosthetic pressure gradients and valve area calculated from pressure half time were 6.9+/-2.8 mmHg, 2.6+/-1.5 mmHg, and 2.7+/-0.8 cm2 respectively. In the aortic position, the peak and mean pressure gradients were 26.4+/-15.9 mmHg and 14.2+/-7.9 mmHg. For the mitral prostheses larger than 25-mm size, there was no significant difference among prosthetic sizes in terms of transprosthetic gradients, whereas there was a significant negative correlation between the prosthesis size and the transprosthetic gradients for the aortic valves. The peak and mean pressure gradients were 52.2+/-17.6 mmHg and 26.9+/-7.4 mmHg across the 19-mm aortic prostheses, and 27.1+/-11.9 mmHg and 13.3+/-6.6 mmHg across the 21-mm size. Above results can lead to the conclusion that the early clinical outcome of the ATS valve prosthesis is quite satisfactory. And the hemodynamic characteristics are comparable, if not better, with other bileaflet prostheses.
Aortic Valve ; Carbon ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Endocarditis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valves* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture

PURPOSE: Soft tissue reconstruction is essential for recovery of finger function and aesthetics in any traumatic defect. The authors applied a reverse homodigital artery island flap for soft tissue defect on distal part of digits. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven cases of soft tissue defects of finger tip were included in this study. There were six male and one female, mean age was 43 years and mean follow-up period was 38 months. The length of flaps ranged from 2.0 to 2.5 cm and width ranged from 1.0 to 2.0 cm. Flap survival, postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: All flaps survived without loss. Donor sites were repaired with primary closure in five cases and skin graft in two cases. None of the patients showed significant complications and their average finger motion was 255degrees in total active motion at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: The authors suggest that the reverse homodigital artery island flap could be a versatile treatment option for the soft tissue defect on distal part of digits.
Arteries* ; Esthetics ; Female ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In patients with fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome, stress and pain may chronically enhance sympathetic activity, altering cardiovascular responses and inducing the arterial wall-stiffening process. We investigated arterial stiffness in FM patients using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and analyzed whether arterial stiffness was affected by the clinical parameters of FM. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 108 female FM patients (51.5+/-8.9 years) without any known cardiovascular diseases and 76 healthy female controls (50.1+/-8.9 years). FM patients underwent a manual tender point survey for tender point counts, and completed the visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ), which were composed of a physical and feel score. Brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) was measured with an automated device. The study participants were subdivided into 2 groups based on the sum of the FIQ score (group A: FIQ > or =50, group B: <50). RESULTS: Patients with FM had significantly higher baPWV than the controls, and significant increase were noted in baPWV values of group A compared with those of group B. BaPWV showed a significant positive correlation (correlation coefficient=6.83, p=0.022) with severity of disease assessed by FIQ. CONCLUSION: The patients with FM showed significantly increased arterial stiffness, suggesting a pathophysiologic link between FM and endothelial dysfunction. This study provides a basis for clarifying the mechanism by which chronic pain syndrome is associated with an increased risk of vascular stiffness.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Carbonates ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Pain ; Compliance ; Female ; Fibromyalgia ; Humans ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Vascular Stiffness ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We reported a case of hemolytic transfusion reaction that was related to multiple RBC antibodies such as anti-E, anti-M, anti-Jkb and anti-Lea after serial RBC transfusions. A forty-nine year old female visited the emergency room (ER) with hematochezia. She had previously received 16 units of packed RBCs from 2003 to Jan 2007 for her intermittent esophageal varix bleeding. No specific antibodies were identified before this visiting. At the ER, under the request for packed RBCs, we identified anti-E antibody within her serum. Her blood type was AB, RhD+ with the phenotype of CcDe. She received 5 units of E antigen negative RBCs. However, she showed hemolytic transfusion reactions such as mild fever with a decrease of hemoglobin from 11.4 g/dL to 6.8 g/dL after the transfusion. From the 8th to the 10th hospital day, another 3 units of E-antigen negative with the least incompatible RBCs were transfused to the patient, but the level of hemoglobin was not definitely increased. At the 14th hospital day, she received a final 2 units of leuko-reduced RBCs without E, M and Jkb antigens. Her hemoglobin was increased right after the final transfusion. We found that the patient's serum reacted with multiple RBC antibodies such as anti-E, anti-M, anti-Jkb and anti-Lea antibodies. She finally recovered from acute varix bleeding and was discharged on the 26th hospital day with the level of hemoglobin being 8.3 g/dL.
Antibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Emergencies ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Female ; Fever ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemoglobins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Varicose Veins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An association between emotional or physical stressful triggers and adverse cardiovascular events, such as death and myocardial infarction, has been recognized for many years. The clinical features of transient left apical ballooning syndrome have been clearly described, but the effect of chronic stress on the myocardium is unknown. Our objective was to assess left ventricular (LV) function in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) with chronic emotional and physical stress. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We investigated 30 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age, 48+/-8 years) satisfying the criteria for FM with atypical chest pain and 20 age-matched healthy controls by means of standard and 2-dimensional strain (2DS) echocardiography. Patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes were excluded. Global and segmental longitudinal deformation parameters of LV function from 3 apical views were analyzed, and patients underwent a manual tender point survey for the number of tender points and tender point counts, and completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), which was comprised of physical and feel scores, the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: Both global and segmental longitudinal LV strains were significantly reduced in FM patients with high FIQ scores (>50) compared to FM patients with low FIQ scores (-18.98% vs. -22.72%). Various emotional and physical stress indexes were significantly correlated with global LV strain. CONCLUSION: Global and segmental LV strains were negatively associated with fatigue, tender point count, and FIQ score. However, there was no significant association between depression and LV strain. This study demonstrated that chronic emotional or physical stress in FM patients might reduce myocardial longitudinal deformation.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Disease ; Depression ; Echocardiography ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fibromyalgia ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardium ; Sprains and Strains ; Stress, Psychological ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Surveys and Questionnaires