During treatment of acute heart failure (AHF), worsening renal function is often complicated and results in a complex clinical course. Furthermore, renal dysfunction is a strong independent predictor of long-term adverse outcomes in patients with AHF. Traditionally, the predominant cause of renal dysfunction has been attributed to impairment of cardiac output and relative underfilling of arterial perfusion. Recently, emerging data have led to the importance of venous congestion and elevated intra-abdominal pressure rather than confining it to impaired forward cardiac output as the primary driver of renal impairment. Relief of congestion is a major objective of AHF treatment but therapy is still based on the administration of loop diuretics. The results of the recently performed controlled studies for the assessment of new treatments to overcome resistance to diuretic treatment to protect kidneys from untoward effects have been mostly neutral. Better treatment of congestion in heart failure remains a major problem.
Cardiac Output ; Cardio-Renal Syndrome ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Kidney ; Perfusion ; Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors

Basaloid follicular hamartoma(BFH) is a rare, benign adnexal tumor with a wide clinical appearance spectrum. A characteristic finding is multifocal islands in the papillary dermis and branching cords of basaloid epithelial cells in continuity at various sites with the basal layer of the epidermis and the hair follicles. We present a case of basaloid follicular hamartoma combined with basal cell epithelioma that developed on the tip of the nose in a 75-year-old man. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of basaloid follicular hamartoma combined with basal cell epithelioma in the Korean literature.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Hair Follicle ; Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Islands ; Nose

PURPOSE: To evaluated the effectiveness of abdominal ultrasonography as the initial diagnostic method in blunt renal trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was undertaken to compare computerized tomography with abdominal ultrasonography in radiographic staging of blunt renal trauma(Renal Injury scale grade I-V by Moor) except vascular injury. During 3-years period(May 1994 to March 1997), emergency computerized tomography was performed in 66 patients with blunt renal trauma, simultaneously 34 patients among 66 patient were scanned by abdominal ultrasonography. RESULTS: Gross hematuria were present 48% of renal trauma cases. The degree of hematuria showed not correlation with the severity of renal injury(p-value=0.213, by Chi-square test). In diagnostic agreement of abdominal ultrasonography compared to computerized tomography, the diagnostic agreement of minor renal injury(x=0.544, by k2 statistics) was higher than that of major renal injury(r=0.375, by k2 statistics). The overall diagnostic agreement of abdominal ultrasonography in detecting adjacent organ injury was 0.321 (k value). CONCLUSIONS: In ultrasonography imaging, we concluded that minor blunt rectal trauma is not necessary other radiologic evaluation, but major blunt renal trauma should be evaluated by computerized tomography for proper diagnosis of combined injury and diagnostic staging of renal trauma. Renal trauma associated Intraabdominal injury should undergo with ultrasonography-guided paracentesis. Based under result of our study, we suggest the use of abdominal ultrasonography as the initial diagnostic method in blunt renal trauma compatible for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Paracentesis ; Ultrasonography* ; Vascular System Injuries

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that organic solvents can cause various neurologic toxicities, and in particular, it had been reported that Parkinson's syndrome can be caused by organic solvents. CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old man who had worked for 13 years as a shipyard spray and brush painter and manifested with moderate cognitive disorder and was diagnosed with chronic toxic encephalopathy. We can assume he had had considerable exposure to organic solvents considering the estimates of the amounts of organic solvents in his work place. He had no specific medical history. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) showed mild cognitive deficit, depression, and anxiety. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) indicated a slightly decreased flow at the edge of the left temporal brain area, while T2 brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed no specific signs except for ischemic changes in small vessels in the periventricular and subcortical white matter. He was also diagnosed with both carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy through a neuroconductive study. Several years later, he developed progressive bradykinesia and rigidity and, later, resting tremors in the left hand. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and treated with dopaminergic agents, but there was no effect. After that, he was given deep brain stimulation, both. As a result, his tremor is improved. but, the rigidity remained. Three years later, He has continuously received dopaminergic therapy. but, he complains about tremors in both hands and more greatly reduced cognitive function. CONCLUSION: In this case, we assumed by patient's work history and exposure estimates that he was exposed to excessive levels of organic solvents. The clinical symptoms of this patient were very similar to those from Parkinson's disease, but the psychological symptom appeared earlier than the other symptoms and there was no response to dopaminergic agents. We conclude that this case is likely Parkinson's syndrome caused by organic solvents.
Anxiety ; Brain ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Depression ; Dopamine Agents ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Hypokinesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; MMPI ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Parkinson Disease ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Solvents ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Tremor ; Workplace

BACKGROUND: It is well-known that organic solvents can cause various neurologic toxicities, and in particular, it had been reported that Parkinson's syndrome can be caused by organic solvents. CASE REPORT: A 53-year-old man who had worked for 13 years as a shipyard spray and brush painter and manifested with moderate cognitive disorder and was diagnosed with chronic toxic encephalopathy. We can assume he had had considerable exposure to organic solvents considering the estimates of the amounts of organic solvents in his work place. He had no specific medical history. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) showed mild cognitive deficit, depression, and anxiety. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) indicated a slightly decreased flow at the edge of the left temporal brain area, while T2 brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed no specific signs except for ischemic changes in small vessels in the periventricular and subcortical white matter. He was also diagnosed with both carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy through a neuroconductive study. Several years later, he developed progressive bradykinesia and rigidity and, later, resting tremors in the left hand. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and treated with dopaminergic agents, but there was no effect. After that, he was given deep brain stimulation, both. As a result, his tremor is improved. but, the rigidity remained. Three years later, He has continuously received dopaminergic therapy. but, he complains about tremors in both hands and more greatly reduced cognitive function. CONCLUSION: In this case, we assumed by patient's work history and exposure estimates that he was exposed to excessive levels of organic solvents. The clinical symptoms of this patient were very similar to those from Parkinson's disease, but the psychological symptom appeared earlier than the other symptoms and there was no response to dopaminergic agents. We conclude that this case is likely Parkinson's syndrome caused by organic solvents.
Anxiety ; Brain ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Depression ; Dopamine Agents ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Hypokinesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; MMPI ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Parkinson Disease ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Solvents ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Tremor ; Workplace

This study was performed to evaluate the method of quantification of exercise thallium-201(201Tl) myocardial perfusion imaginges(M.P.I.) for the detection of coronary artery disease. Exercise 201 Tl MPI were interpreted objectively, reproducibly, quantitatively and easily by a computer assisted technique-Circumferential profile method. Exercise 201Tl MPI and redistribution images were taken in 32 patients(9 cases of post infarction angina, 13 cases of angina pectoris, 8 cases of atypical chest pain, 1 case of arrhythmial and 1 case of caridac neurosis). The results obtained were as follows: 1) Exercise 201Tl MPI of 3 cases of angina pectoris demonstrated transient perfusion defect in 5 cases, persistent perfusion defect in 2 cases, transient and persistent perfusion defect in 1 cases and no perfusion defect in 5 cases. Exercise 201Tl MPI of 9 case of post-infarction angina revealed persistent perfusion defect in 7 cases and transient and persistent perfusion defect in 2 cases. 201Tl MPI of 8 cases of atypical chest pain showed transient perfusion defect in 1 case and no perfusion defect in 7 cases. There was no perfusion defect in 1 case of arrhythmia and another case of cardiac neurosis. 2) The location of persistent perfusion defects in several views of 201Tl MPI in 9 case of postinfarction angina were consistent with those of infarction area in the electrocardiogram. 3) While visual analysis interpreted three cases to have no perfusion defect and one case to have transient perfusion defect respectively, objective analysis revealed that one of them had transient perfusion defect, another of them had persistent perfusion defect and the other had transient and persistent perfusion defect. 201Tl MPI of three cases could be done easily by circumferential profile method, which were difficult to interprete by subjective visual analysis. The results indicate that Exercise 201Tl MPI interpreted by circumferential profile analysis would be an objective, quantitative and noninvasive method for the detection of ischemic change and location in coronary artery disease.
Angina Pectoris ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Electrocardiography ; Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Neurocirculatory Asthenia ; Perfusion

BACKGROUND: Homocysteine is a metabolite of methionine with atherogenic properties via endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is one of main pathophysiologic mechanisms of coronary vasospasm. We examined the relationship between the risk of patients with coronary vasospasm and serum total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, vitamin B12, and plasma vitamin B6. METHODS: Fasting serum tHcy, folate, vitamin B12, and plasma vitamin B6 concentrations were measured in 25 patients (15 men, age 52.8+/-10.1) with coronary vasospasm and compared with 22 healthy control subjects matching in age and sex (10 men, age 52.7+/-9.2). Serum tHcy concentration was higher in the vasospasm group than in the control group (14.8+/-5.3 vs 10.1+/-2.5 micromol/L, p<0.001). RESULTS: Serum folate (6.3+/-1.0 vs 10.2+/-4.5 ng/mL, p<0.001) and vitamin B12 concentration (544.8+/-181.7 vs 1004.9+/-567.1 pg/mL, p<0.001) were lower in vasospasm group. There was no significant difference in plasma vitamin B6 concentration between the two groups (77.8+/-44.3 and 95.8+/-63.4 nmol/L). CONCLUSION: These data support the hypothesis that elevated serum tHcy is a risk factor for coronary vasospasm. Low folate and vitamin B12 levels in patients with coronary vasospasm suggest that these agents contribute therapeutically to the treatment of patients with coronary vasospasm.
Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vasospasm* ; Fasting ; Folic Acid ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Male ; Methionine ; Plasma ; Risk Factors ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 6

BACKGROUND: The concept of myocardial injury after coronary occlusion is changing in recent years. Brief episode of ischemial induces reversible myocardial injury and repeated brief ischemic insults might cause myocardial necrosis due to cummulative damages. Recent observations showed that brief episodes of ischemia have protective effects on the myocardium increasing the myocardial tolerance to a subsequent sustained ischemic insult. This phenomenon is termed ischemic preconditioning and can be noticed after a variety of protocols in multiple species of experimental animals. This study was planned to 1) measure the changes of hemodynamic parameters and the ischemic damage of insulted myocardium during ischemic preconditioning, and 2) compare the infarct sizes with or without preconditioning. METHODS: Using canine model of a single 90 minutes' occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery and 240 minutes' reperfusion, 14 mongrel dogs were randomized to with(n=7) or without(n=7) ischemic preconditioning such as four 5 minutes' occlusion and 5 minutes' reperfusion, Changes of hemodynamic parameters and extents of the ischemic myocardial damages during preconditioning were observed. And using in vitro myocardial staining with monastral blue and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride, we compared the infarct sizes and risk areas in two groups of occlusion and reperfusion canine model with and without preconditioning. RESULTS: 1) Heart rate was significantly decreased after first 5 minutes' occlusion compared with those of basal control(151+/-27 VS 163+/-25 BPM, p<0.05) without further changes in subsequent ischemic insults. Left ventricular systolic pressure was significantly decreased after first 5 minutes' occlusion(109.0+/-19.9 VS 130.6+/-23.3mmHg, p<0.005), and after first 5 minutes' reperfusion and second 5 minutes' occlusion compared with those of basal control(111.3+/-29.8, 109.9+/-17.2 VS 130.6+/-23.3mmHg respectively, p<0.05), without further changes during remaining ischemia. Left ventricular end diastolic pressure and maximum +dp/dt were not changed. Peak -dp/dt was decreased significantly after first and second 5 min occlusion(943.7+/-294.4, and 962.1+/-281.5) from basal control level(1168.2+/-358.8mmHg, p<0.05). Thereafter no change was noted during remaining preconditioning. The changes in rate-pressure product were same as those of left ventricular systolic pressure(first 5 minutes occlusion ; 17.3+/-3.7 VS 21.2+/-3.5, p<0.005, second 5 minutes' occlusion ; 17.9+/-5.3, 18.1+/-3.4 VS 21.2+/-3.5, p<0.05). 2)Transmyocardial lactate extraction ratio was significantly decreased in early phase of ischemic preconditioning(17.5+/-11.3 VS 25.2+/-9.9%, p<0.05). 3) Hemodynamic parameters such as heart rate, left ventricular systolic pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, maximum +dp/dt, peak -dp/dt and rate-pressure product were changed similarly in both control and precontioned groups. 4) There was no significant difference of mean myocardial blood flows in infarct zones, which represent collateral blood flow, after 5 minutes' brief occlusion and 60 minutes of sustained occlusion in preconditioned group. 5) The infarct area/risk area ratio was significantly reduced in preconditioned group(27.0+/-9.6 VS 5.6+/-3.1%, p<0.005), but the risk area/left ventricular area ratio showed no difference in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, in the early phase of brief repeated occlusion and reperfusion, myocardial ischemic damage accompaning systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfuctions develops and myocardial protective effect of ischemic preconditioning was obtained at the same time. Ischemic preconditioning group demonstrated reduced infarct sizes compared to those of control group after 90 minutes' sustained ischemia and reperfusion in canine acute myocardial infarction model.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels* ; Dogs ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; Lactic Acid ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Reperfusion ; Myocardium ; Necrosis ; Reperfusion

Chronic mitral regurgitation may be well tolerated for decades because of favorable conditions like increased preload and decreased afterload. However, in some patients with underlying overt myocardial dysfunction, opertive correction of mitral regurgitation may result in persistent left ventricular dysfunction. Myocardial dysfunction in mitral regurgitation initially occurs subclinically and may becoma irreversible before symptoms of congestive heart failure develop. In order to identify latent myocardial dysfunction, we evaluated prognostic values of several indices from patient's characteristics, echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization data and contrast left ventriculogram in 49 patients with chronic mitral regurgitation who received mitral valve replacement. The patients were defined as Groups I who had improved symptoms with decreased left ventricular end-diastolic dimension after operation and Group II who had persistent symptoms and progressed left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, or not decreased until left ventricular end-diastolic dimension 60mm after operation. The results were as follows: 1) There was no significant difference in age, sex, duration of symptoms, preoperative NYHA functional status, and aortic cross clamping time during operation between Group I and Group II. 2) There was no significant difference in echocardiographic left ventricular end-diastolic dimension between group I and group II. There were significantly more dilated left ventricular end-diastolic dimension of Group II than that of Group I and significantly more depressed fractional shortening of Group II than that of Group I. There was significantly more increased end-diastolic wall stress of Group II than of Group I. 3) There was no significant difference in cardiac index, mean pulmonary artery pressure, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left ventricular end-diastoic pressure between Group I and Group II. 4) There were significantly more increased end-diastolic volume index and end-diastolic volum index of Group II than those of Group I, but no significant difference in ejection fraction between Group I and Group II. There was significantly more decreased ratio of end-diastolic circumferential midwall stress to end-diastolic volume index of Group II than that of Group I. 5) In Group I, end-systolic dimension, end-systolic dimension and end-systolic wall stress were decreased significantly after operation. In Group II, end-systolic dimension was decreased significantly after operation. 6) Values for combination of end-systolic left ventricular dimension greater than 28mm/m2 and end-systolic wall stress greater than 190mmHg predicted a Group II outcome with a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 93.8%, positive predictive value of 88.2% and negative predictive value of 93.8%. Values of combination of end-systolic left ventricular dimension greater than 28mm/m2 and fractional shortening less than 32% predicted a Group II outcome with a sensitivity of 88.2% a specificity of 90.6%, positive predictive value of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 93.5%, a specificity of 90.6%, positive predictive valve of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 93.5%. According to the above results, noninvasive hemodynamic variables such as end-systolic left ventricular dimension, fractional shortening and end-systolic wall stress would be useful guideline for follow-up and determining the optimal time for surgical intervention in patients with chronic mitral regurgitation.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Constriction ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Failure ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

Clinical electrophysilogical study(EPS) was done in 5 patients with chronic bifascicular block of completa RBBB and left anterior fascicular block. The results were as follows. 1) In 2 patients who needed permenent pacemaker therapy, EPS disclosed prolonged HV interval(>70msec) and block distal to his bundle by atrial with cycle length of longer than 545msec. 2) In 3 patients who didn't need permenent pacemaker therapy, AV conduction and to choose the therapeutic measures in the patients with chronic bifascicular block and unexplained dizziness and/or syncope.
Bundle of His ; Bundle-Branch Block ; Dizziness ; Humans ; Syncope