PURPOSE: Caliceal diverticular calculi are mostly asymptomatic. In certain cases they may be associated with chronic or recurrent pain, recurrent urinary tract infections, progressive renal damage and hematur ia. The treatment of symptomatic caliceal diverticular calculi has evolved from open surgery to less invasive procedures, such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), percutaneous techniques, retrograde ureteroscopy and laparoscopy, but it remains controversial. Percutaneous techniques are frequently used to address the diverticular stone burden, to fulgurate the diverticular wall, to dilated the diverticular neck and improve drainage. For this reason, we reviewed 33 patients with caliceal diverticular calculi to determine whether they could be treated successfully by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) as the initial treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 33 patients with caliceal diverticular calculi underwent PCNL between February 1990 and February 2000. The majority of diverticula were located at the upper pole. Access was gained via a direct target puncture. After sequential dilatation of the tract, stones were removed and the diverticular wall was fulgurated. The diverticular neck was dilated with the Amplatz dilator upto 24-30 Fr. and a 20 Fr. nephrostomy catheter was placed. RESULTS: PCNL was performed successfully in 30 patients (90.9%), but puncture was failed in 3. Mean operative time was 105 minutes and mean hospital stay was 4.5 days. All patients who were treated successfully with PCNL became stone-free without any complication. Mean follow-up was 20 months (ranged from 1 to 108 months). Of the 26 patients with symptoms preoperatively, 25 patients were rendered symptom-free (96.2%). Twenty-four patients were assessed with an intravenous urogram at 1 or 3 months and 6, 12 months and there was no stone recurrence. The diverticula were obliterated or had improved drainage in 95.8% (23/24) of assessable cases. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that PCNL is a safe, less invasive and effective procedure and should be considered an acceptable form of primary management of patients with caliceal diverticular stone.
Calculi ; Catheters ; Dilatation ; Diverticulum ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lithotripsy ; Neck ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous ; Operative Time ; Punctures ; Recurrence ; Shock ; Ureteroscopy ; Urinary Tract Infections

No abstract available.
Balloon Valvuloplasty* ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis* ; Pulmonary Valve*

Surface ECG findings in 29 patients with left isomerism were reviewed. Among the total 46 wave axis distributions, 25(54%) were abnormal axis, not originated from sinus node. Congenital atrioventricular block was found in 2 children. 6 patients showed the bradycardia and junctional escape rhythm intermittently or persistently. 4 of them, not related with heart surgery, were much older than 2 patients who showed these ECG findings after heart surgery. These ECG findings suggested the possibility of occurrence of sinus node or subsidiary pacemaker dysfunction in the patients with left isomerism, especially in the older patients. So we thought that electrophysiologic evaluation is necessary in some patients with left isomerism.
Atrioventricular Block ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bradycardia ; Child ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Isomerism* ; Sinoatrial Node ; Thoracic Surgery ; United Nations

No abstract available.
Scimitar Syndrome*

Atrial flutter is and infrequent, but potentially unstable tachyarrythmia that occurs in pediatric ages. Transesophageal atrial pacing was used for treatment of 10 episodes of atrial flutter in 7 patients. At the time of atrial flutter conversion, patients were 6 days to 14 years old. 6 patients had associated with congenital heart disease. The atrial cycle length of atrial flutter ranged from 140 to 280 msec with variable atrioventricular conduction. Transesophageal atrial pacing was performed using a bipolar 4 F transesophageal electrode catheter. Atrial flutter conversion was accomplished with stimulation bursts using about 5 seconds of stimuli, 10 msec in duration at 20 to 27 mA. Pacing cycle length was 45 to 110 msec less than the atrial cycle length of tachycardia in 6 episodes. But in a neonate, underdrive pacing converted atrial flutter to sinus rhythm. Conversion attempts were unsuccessful on 2 occasions. Transesophageal atrial pacing is a safe and effective, minimally invasive technique for treatment of atrial flutter in infants and children.
Adolescent ; Atrial Flutter* ; Catheters ; Child* ; Electrodes ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Tachycardia

No abstract available.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Colposcopy* ; Conization*

PURPOSE: We evaluated the capability of MR in the diagnosis of anomalous pulmonary venous connection (APVC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patient group consisted of 11 total APVC and 8 partial APVC diagnosed with MR. Echocardiography was performed in all cases, cardiac angiography in 12 cases and operation in 12 cases. We compared MR findings with those of operation, echocard iography and cardiac angiography. RESULTS: In surgically proven 12 cases, diagnostic accuracy of preoperative MR, echocardiography and cardiac angiography was 100%, 67% and 63%, respectively. In the remaining cases, MR findings well correlated with those of echocardiography or cardiac angiography. Stenosis of common pulmonary vein or superior vena cava was identified in 4 cases. In one patient, MR depicted associated cor triatriatum clearly. CONCLUSION: MR is an effective modallty in depicting anomalous pulmonary venous con nections.
Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Cor Triatriatum ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Pulmonary Veins ; Vena Cava, Superior

Post-traumatic tricuspid insufficiency is a rare condition and may be clinically silent and imprecise. The diagnosis may be difficult when it progreses slowly and other acute lesions exist concomittantly. Two-dimenstional Doppler echocardiography appears to be an essential procedure in diagnosting the rupture of chordae tendineae or papillary muscle following traumatic injury. We report a case of tricuspid insufficiency of which symptom developed 8 years later following a blunt chest trauma. The patient was operated by tricuspid vlave repair with chordal replacement and ring annuloplasty successfully. We would like to emphasize that patients sustaining major thoracic trauma should be carefully examine for possible blunt chest trauma including cardiac valve rupture or tear.
Chordae Tendineae ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Papillary Muscles ; Rupture ; Thorax*

PURPOSE: We applied lateral lithotomy position to the severe ureteral stricture cases supposed to fail with only retrograde approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From October 1997 to April 1999, 13 patients with severe ureteral stricture (lenghth>2cm or complete obstruction) supposed to fail with only retrograde approach and one patient with study. The causes of ureteral strictures were pelvic malignancy in 5, tuberculosis in 4, trauma in 2 and others in 2. The patient's ipsilateral shoulder was rotated and fixed like lateral position. And ipsilateral pelvis was elevated with sandbag or pad and rotated about 45 degrees, too. The retrograde approach was tried at first, if fail, antegrade approach was combined. RESULTS: We could insert ureteral stent via retrograde approach only in 3 patients and we needed aid of antegrade approach for passage through ureteral stricture in the other 11 patients (79%). Percutaneous antegrade approaches were combined in those 11 patients and we could pass the guide wire and indwell the stent in 10 of 11 patients (91%) using this position. CONCLUSIONS: The lateral lithotomy position was very helpful to the simultaneous retrograde and antegrade approach in severe fibrotic or malignant ureteral strictures.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Pelvis ; Shoulder ; Stents ; Tuberculosis ; Ureter*

BACKGROUND: Although surgical angioplasty for isolated coronary ostial stenosis is assumend as an alternative approach to CABG, the clinical features of isolated coronary ostial stenosis, postoperative complications and follow-up angiographic results would have not been well studied. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 24 patients (female : male = 20 : 4, mean age 50.0 +/- 12.3 yr) who underwent surgical angioplasty for isolated coronary ostial stenosis using patch ( 22 fresh autologous pericardium, 2 saphenous vein) during the period of March 1990 through February 1998. Repeat coronary angiography (16 patients) and echocardiography (24 patients) were performed. Aortic regurgitation was evaluated semiquantitatively (Grade I - Grade IV). RESULTS: There were 3 deaths after surgical angioplasty. One death was due to acute coronary dissection perioperatively, the second due to low cardiac output syndrome 2 weeks post-surgery, and the third due to traumatic panperitonitis 10 months post-procedure. Angina recurred in 4 patients and the remaning 18 patients were symptom-free. Repeat angiography (19.3 +/- 20.7 Mo) showed widely patent ostium with excellent run-off except 2 patients (1 distal patch stenosis, 1 ostial restenosis in Takayasu's arteritis). The third symptomatic patient was proven to have coronary spasm by ergonovine test. AR increased in the fourth patient (Grade II -> III) with patent ostium. CONCLUSION: Surgical angioplasty may be feasible and alternative operative method to CABG for isolated coronary ostial stenosis. It should however be noted that postop AR can develop and/or increase. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the clinical significance of the AR.
Angiography ; Angioplasty* ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Echocardiography ; Ergonovine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardium ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Spasm