Neurologic complications after open-heart surgery are not only relatively common but also often fatal. In order to know the clinical characteristics and causative risk factors, we carried out the retrospective study on 655 patients who had been admitted and undergone OHS at Seoul National University Children's Hospital during 2-year period from July 1990 to June 1992. The results were as follows; 1) The incidence of neurologic complications after OHS was 4.7% (31 cases) of the total 655 cases. 2) In the viewpoint of the pre-op diagnosis, neurologic complications developed in 20 cases (7.8%) among cyanotic congenital heart disease and in 11 cases (2.9%J among acyanotic CHD. 3) In the viewpoint of the type of operation, the incidence of neurologic complications was 33.3% in Jatene procedure and 12.1% in Fontan procedure. 4) Compared with the group who didn't develp neurologic complications (624 cases), cardiopulmonary bypass time, aorta cross clamp time, and total arrest time were longer and the degree of hypothermia was lower in the group who had neurologic complications (31 cases), which are statistically significant each other(p<0.01). 5) In 25 cases (80.6%), neurologic complications occurred within 72 hours after OHS. 6) Clinical manifestations of neurologic complications were seizures (26 cases, 84%), consciousness change (13 cases, 42%), hemiplegia (1 case), and decreased muscle tone (1 case). 7) Of the 31 cases, 16 cases showed more than one abnormal finding among EEG, Brain CT, or Brain MRI. 8) The possible etiologies of neurologic complications were diffuse hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (16 cases, 51.6%), focal or multiple ischemic stoke that was thought to be due to microembolisms (3 cases, 9.7%), electrolyte or acid-base imbalance (8 cases, 25.8%), and the remainders were unknown (4 cases. 12.9%) 9) In the course of neurologic complications, 11 cases (35.5%) expired, 14 cases(45.2%) recovered at discharge, 3 cases (9.7%) were controlled at discharge, and 2 cases (6.5%) had long-term sequela(one spastic quadriplegia and one hemiparesis). 10) The cause of death among mortality cases were mainly due to brain damage (7 cases), while 4 cases had other direct causes such as heart failure, respiratory failure, or sepsis.
Acid-Base Imbalance ; Aorta ; Brain ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cause of Death ; Child* ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Fontan Procedure ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Failure ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Quadriplegia ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Seoul ; Sepsis

Echocardiographic study was performed in 31 cases with dilated cardiomyopathy and 31 normal persons. measurement values of the aortic valve and root echocardiogram were compared with those in normal. The resuts were followings. 1. There were 22 males and 9 females of 31 cases with dilated cardiomyopathy whose average ages were 53 years. 2. LAD 3.86+/-0.76cm, AoD/LAD ratio 0.74+/-0.21 in dilated cardiomyopathy were significantly changed with those in normal(p<0.01). 3. C-E slope 2.14+/-0.68 cm in dilated cardiomyopathy was significantly decreased with that in normal(p<0.01). 4. cAoD 3.24+/-0.50 cm, AoPWT 0.46+/-0.14 cm in dilated cardiomyopathy were significantly decreased with those in normal(p<0.01). 5. cAVD 1.56+/-0.29cm, cAvD/mAvD ratio 0.79+/-0.10 in dilated cardiomyopathy were significantly decreased with those in normal(p<0.01). 6. AvOT or ET 0.24+/-0.03 sec. in dilated cardiomyopathy was significantly shortened with that in normal(p<0.01).
Aortic Valve ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Echocardiography* ; Female ; Humans ; Male

PURPOSE: We evaluated the imaging abnormalities of the brain observed during and after treatment of acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 30patients (male: female= 19:11; mean age, 64months) with acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia during the previous ten-year period who had undergone pro-phylaxis of the central nervous system. Irrespective of the CNS symptoms, baseline study of the brain involving CT and follow-up CT or MRI was undertaken more than once. We retrospectively evaluated the imaging findings, methods of treatment, associated CNS symptoms, and the interval between diagnosis and the time at which brain abnormalities were revealed by imaging studies. RESULTS: In 15 (50% ; male : female=9:6 ; mean age, 77months) of 30 patients, brain abnormalities that included brain atrophy (n=9), cerebral infarctions (n=4), intracranial hemorrhage (n=1), mineralizing microangiopathy (n=2), and periventricular leukomalacia (n=3) were seen on follow-up CT or MR images. In four of nine patients with brain atrophy, imaging abnormalities such as periventricular leukomalacia(n=2), infarction (n=1) and microangiopathy (n=1) were demonstrated. Fourteen of the 15 patients underwent similar treatment; the one excluded had leukemic cells in the CSF. Six patients had CNS symptoms. In the 15 patients with abnormal brain imaging findings, the interval between diagnosis and the demonstration of brain abnormalities was between one month and four years. After the cessation of treatment, imaging abnormalities remained in all patients except one with brain atrophy. CONCLUSION: Various imaging abnormalities of the brain may be seen during and after the treatment of acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia and persist for a long time. In children with this condition, the assessment of brain abnormalities requires follow-up study of the brain.
Atrophy ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Infarction ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infarction ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neuroimaging ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Retrospective Studies ; Withholding Treatment

BACKGROUND: little is known about the mechanisms responsible for ventricular tachycardia during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the autonomic nervous system on ventricular tachycardia in dogs. METHODS: Four groups of eight dogs were studied. The control group had intact autonomic neural innervation:the stellectomy group had bilateral transection of stellate ganglia:the vagotomy group had bilateral transection of cervical vagi; and the autonomic denervation group underwent bilateral transection of stellate ganglia and cervical vagi. Open-chest dogs anesthetized with ketamine were studied in 3 sequential steps: denervation, ischemia, and reperfusion stage. At the end of each step, we estimated effective refractory period (ERP) at four sites : the apex of non-ischemic area, the base of non-ischemic area, the apex of ischemic area, and the base of ischemic area. We observed early afterdepolarization (EAD) through recording monophasic action potential on the ischemic epicardium during ischemia and reperfusion stages. RESULTS: In ischemia stage, deltaERPs(ERPmax.-ERPmin.) were significantly prolonged, compared to deltaERPs at denervation stage, and deltaERPs of the vagotomy group tended to be prolonged to 60 minutes after myocardial ischemia, as compared to those of the stellectomy group and the autonomic denervation group. The incidence of ventricular tachycardia during ischemia presented a significant increase in the vagotomy group, compared to the control group. However, there was no difference in incidence of ventricular tachycardia between the stellectomy group and the control group. deltaERP at the group with the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia were significantly prolonged , compared to the other group without the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia. In terms of the incidence of EAD, there was no difference between the groups and it was not associated with ventricular tachycardia. deltaERP was significantly decreased to 30 minutes after reperfusion, at which point there was no significant difference between the groups. There was no correlation between EAD and ventricular tachycardia. However, deltaERP with ventricular tachycardia indicated much more significant increase than deltaERP without ventricular tachycardia. CONCLUSIONS: Sympathetic nerve may be related to prolongation of deltaERP and incidence of ventricular tachycardia in the ischemic period. However, EAD is not related to ventricular tachycardia during ischemia and reperfusion. These findings suggest that the major mechanism of ventricular tachycardia may be a reentry in ischemia and reperfusion period.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Autonomic Denervation* ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Denervation ; Dogs ; Heart* ; Incidence ; Ischemia* ; Ketamine ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Pericardium ; Reperfusion* ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tachycardia* ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Vagotomy

Purpose: To analyze changes in refractive error among elementary school children under the age of 13 who visited an outpatient clinic for eye examinations before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted to calculate the spherical equivalent refractive error of the right eye for 3,854 children aged 6 to 12 who attended our ophthalmology department from 2016 to 2023. We analyzed the average refractive error and myopia prevalence by year and subsequently performed a subgroup analysis by dividing the children into two age groups: 6-9 years old and 10-12 years old. To provide insight into long-term trends, data from 4,351 subjects aged 6-12 years from the 4th, 5th (2008-2012), and 7th (2016) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were also analyzed for reference. Results: The mean refractive error for subjects visiting our clinic throughout the study period was -1.51 ± 2.12 D. A trend of increasing myopic values in refractive error was observed from 2017 to 2021, with a more substantial change noted in 2020 compared to other years, though not reaching statistical significance. In the subgroup analysis, the change in refractive error for the 6-9-year-old group was more pronounced in 2020 but did not reach statistical significance, and no specific trend was identified in the 10-12-year-old group. Myopia prevalence exhibited a consistent increase since 2019 in the 6-9 age group, with a higher proportion of moderate myopia in 2020 compared to previous years. Conversely, no distinct trend was observed in the 10-12-year-old group. Conclusions Although statistical significance was not reached, it appears that the increase in indoor activities due to COVID-19 had an impact on the changes in refractive values for elementary school children, especially in the lower grades of elementary school in 2020.

Purpose: To analyze changes in refractive error among elementary school children under the age of 13 who visited an outpatient clinic for eye examinations before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted to calculate the spherical equivalent refractive error of the right eye for 3,854 children aged 6 to 12 who attended our ophthalmology department from 2016 to 2023. We analyzed the average refractive error and myopia prevalence by year and subsequently performed a subgroup analysis by dividing the children into two age groups: 6-9 years old and 10-12 years old. To provide insight into long-term trends, data from 4,351 subjects aged 6-12 years from the 4th, 5th (2008-2012), and 7th (2016) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were also analyzed for reference. Results: The mean refractive error for subjects visiting our clinic throughout the study period was -1.51 ± 2.12 D. A trend of increasing myopic values in refractive error was observed from 2017 to 2021, with a more substantial change noted in 2020 compared to other years, though not reaching statistical significance. In the subgroup analysis, the change in refractive error for the 6-9-year-old group was more pronounced in 2020 but did not reach statistical significance, and no specific trend was identified in the 10-12-year-old group. Myopia prevalence exhibited a consistent increase since 2019 in the 6-9 age group, with a higher proportion of moderate myopia in 2020 compared to previous years. Conversely, no distinct trend was observed in the 10-12-year-old group. Conclusions Although statistical significance was not reached, it appears that the increase in indoor activities due to COVID-19 had an impact on the changes in refractive values for elementary school children, especially in the lower grades of elementary school in 2020.

Purpose: To analyze changes in refractive error among elementary school children under the age of 13 who visited an outpatient clinic for eye examinations before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted to calculate the spherical equivalent refractive error of the right eye for 3,854 children aged 6 to 12 who attended our ophthalmology department from 2016 to 2023. We analyzed the average refractive error and myopia prevalence by year and subsequently performed a subgroup analysis by dividing the children into two age groups: 6-9 years old and 10-12 years old. To provide insight into long-term trends, data from 4,351 subjects aged 6-12 years from the 4th, 5th (2008-2012), and 7th (2016) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were also analyzed for reference. Results: The mean refractive error for subjects visiting our clinic throughout the study period was -1.51 ± 2.12 D. A trend of increasing myopic values in refractive error was observed from 2017 to 2021, with a more substantial change noted in 2020 compared to other years, though not reaching statistical significance. In the subgroup analysis, the change in refractive error for the 6-9-year-old group was more pronounced in 2020 but did not reach statistical significance, and no specific trend was identified in the 10-12-year-old group. Myopia prevalence exhibited a consistent increase since 2019 in the 6-9 age group, with a higher proportion of moderate myopia in 2020 compared to previous years. Conversely, no distinct trend was observed in the 10-12-year-old group. Conclusions Although statistical significance was not reached, it appears that the increase in indoor activities due to COVID-19 had an impact on the changes in refractive values for elementary school children, especially in the lower grades of elementary school in 2020.

Purpose: To analyze changes in refractive error among elementary school children under the age of 13 who visited an outpatient clinic for eye examinations before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted to calculate the spherical equivalent refractive error of the right eye for 3,854 children aged 6 to 12 who attended our ophthalmology department from 2016 to 2023. We analyzed the average refractive error and myopia prevalence by year and subsequently performed a subgroup analysis by dividing the children into two age groups: 6-9 years old and 10-12 years old. To provide insight into long-term trends, data from 4,351 subjects aged 6-12 years from the 4th, 5th (2008-2012), and 7th (2016) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were also analyzed for reference. Results: The mean refractive error for subjects visiting our clinic throughout the study period was -1.51 ± 2.12 D. A trend of increasing myopic values in refractive error was observed from 2017 to 2021, with a more substantial change noted in 2020 compared to other years, though not reaching statistical significance. In the subgroup analysis, the change in refractive error for the 6-9-year-old group was more pronounced in 2020 but did not reach statistical significance, and no specific trend was identified in the 10-12-year-old group. Myopia prevalence exhibited a consistent increase since 2019 in the 6-9 age group, with a higher proportion of moderate myopia in 2020 compared to previous years. Conversely, no distinct trend was observed in the 10-12-year-old group. Conclusions Although statistical significance was not reached, it appears that the increase in indoor activities due to COVID-19 had an impact on the changes in refractive values for elementary school children, especially in the lower grades of elementary school in 2020.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Myocardial infarction (MI) elicits nerve sprouting. However, the time course and spatial distribution of this nerve sprouting and its relationship to the expression of neurotrophic factors is unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the association of nerve sprouting with the expression of neurotrophic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We induced MI in FVB mice by ligating the left coronary artery. The hearts were removed at 3 hours to 13 months after MI for growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43) immunostaining. The nerve density (micrometer2/mm2) was determined by ImagePro software. In another group of mice, their myocardial tissues were processed and analyzed with using an Affymetrix RG U74V2 array. RESULTS: The density of the nerve fibers that were immunopositive for GAP-43 was the highest 3 hours after MI in both the peri-infarct areas and the remote areas. The outer loop of the ventricle had a higher nerve density than that in the inner loop of the ventricle. The differences were at a peak 3 hours after MI, but they persisted for 2 months afterwards. The expressions of nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, transforming growth factor-beta3 and interleukin-1alpha were increased for up to 2 months after MI as compared to the normal control. qRT PCR analyses showed increased mRNA for tyrosine hydroxylase, synaptophysin, nerve growth factor and leukemia inhibiting factor in the peri-infarct areas for up to 2 months after MI, but this occurred only for roughly 3 days after MI in the remote areas. CONCLUSION: We conclude that MI resulted in immediate upregulation of nerve growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, transforming growth factor-beta3 and interleukin-1alpha in the peri-infarct areas and this all occurred to a lesser extent in the remote areas. These changes persisted for at least 2 months, and they were associated with increased nerve sprouting activity, which was most active in the outer loop of the heart.
Animals ; Coronary Vessels ; DNA ; Electrophysiology ; GAP-43 Protein ; Heart ; Interleukin-1alpha ; Leukemia ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; Mice* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Nerve Fibers ; Nerve Growth Factor ; Nerve Growth Factors ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Regeneration ; RNA, Messenger ; Synaptophysin ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Up-Regulation ; Ventricular Remodeling

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective curative procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis is a potential complication which may lead to symptoms that are often unrecognized. The aim of this study was to compare differences between ablation sites in pulmonary venous flow (PVF) measured by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTE) before and after PVI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred five patients (M : F=64 : 41; mean age 56+/-10 years) with paroxysmal AF (n=78) or chronic, persistent AF (n=27) were enrolled. PVI strategies consisted of ostial ablation (n=75; OA group) and antral ablation using an electroanatomic mapping system (n=30; AA group). The ostial diameter was estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with PVF > or =110 cm/sec by TTE after PVI. RESULTS: No patient complained of PV stenosis-related symptoms. Changes in mean peak right PV systolic (-6.7+/-28.1 vs. 10.9+/-25.9 cm/sec, p=0.038) and diastolic (-4.1+/-17.0 vs. 9.9+/-25.9 cm/sec, p=0.021) flow velocities were lower in the AA group than in the OA group. Although the change in mean peak systolic flow velocity of the left PV before and after PVI in the AA group was significantly lower than the change in the OA group (-13.4+/-25.1 vs. 9.2+/-22.3 cm/sec, p=0.016), there was no difference in peak diastolic flow velocity. Two patients in the OA group had high PVF velocities (118 cm/sec and 133 cm/sec) on TTE, and their maximum PV stenoses measured by MRI were 62.5% and 50.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PV stenosis after PVI could be detected by TTE, and PVI by antral ablation using an electroanatomic mapping system might be safer and more useful for the prevention of PV stenosis.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Carbamates ; Catheter Ablation ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Organometallic Compounds ; Pulmonary Veins