Takayasu's arteritis is generally recognized as a chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory disease, which affects the aorta and the proximal portions of its major branches. We experienced a patient with Takayasu's arteritis who was presented with main pulmonary artery stenosis and right coronary ostial occlusion without involvement of aorta nor its major branches. She was managed with pulmonary arterioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft. This case emphasize that the disease cannot affect the aorta.
Aorta ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Takayasu Arteritis* ; Transplants

Sparganosis is a parasitic infectious disease by sparganum which is a plerocercoid larva of spirometra, a kind of cestode. We experienced a case of intramural sparganosis of cecum presenting as chronic intermittent abdominal pain. A 39 year old man was hospitalized due to intermittent abdominal pain for 6 months and the operation was done under the impreesion of the intestinal tuberculosis or submucosal tumor of cecum after diagnostic work-up. Resected cecum revealed diffuse wall thickening and luminal narrowing. The microscopic findings showed a degenerated larva in the muscle layer with typical tissue reaction which was basically noncaseating cavitary granulomatous inflammation and many calcareous corpuscles which were pathognomonic features of cestode were prominent within the degenerated worm.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Cecum ; Cestoda ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Intestines ; Larva ; Phenobarbital ; Sparganosis* ; Sparganum ; Spirometra ; Tuberculosis

Background: Hematocrit is usually measured from venous blood collected by invasive venipuncture. This study was performed to determine hematocrit accurately and precisely using minimally invasive volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) technique.Such technique is to be applied to determining hematocrit in various clinical settings for the care, including therapeutic drug monitoring, of neonatal or epileptic patients, or patients with high risk of infection or bleeding. Methods: The study was performed using 31 VAMS samples obtained from 21 pancreatic cancer patients. Hematocrit was determined using the values of potassium concentrations obtained from blood in VAMS tips (HctVAMS ). HctVAMS was compared with hematocrit measured from blood collected by venipuncture (HctVP ). The accuracy and precision of HctVAMS in comparison to HctVP were evaluated using BlandAltman plot, Deming regression and mountain plot. Results: Bland-Altman plot displayed a random scattering pattern of the differences between HctVAMS and HctVP with the mean bias of −0.010 and the 95% limit of agreement ranging from −0.063 to 0.044.Deming regression for HctVAMS and HctVP line demonstrated very small proportional and constant biases of 1.04 and −0.003, respectively. Mountain plot exhibited a narrow and symmetrical distribution of the differences with their median of −0.011 and central 95% range from −0.049 to 0.033. Conclusion Hematocrit was accurately and precisely determined using less invasive VAMS technique. Such technique appears to be applicable to determining hematocrit in situations that venipuncture is not favorable or possible.

BACKGROUND: Angina with normal coronary angiogram has been called syndrome X or microvascular angina, but pathophysiologic mechanisms for chest patin in this group of patients are not known exactly. To observe the changes of left ventricular function in patients with angina and normal coronary angiogram, the authors analyzed the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function with echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization. METHODS: The authors performed resting and treadmill exercise electrocardiogram, 201TI dipyridamole scan, M-mode and Doppler echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization and coronary angiogram in patients with angina and normal coronary angiogram. The systolic and diastolic left ventricular function indices from M-mode and Doppler echocardiogram, left ventricular catheterization and coronary angiogram were analyzed in 12 patients excluding diabetes, hypertension, cardiomyopathy and esophageal motility disorders among 1626 patients who underwent coronary angiogram between Jan. 1991 and Aug. 1992 in Chonnam University Hospital. RESULTS: 1) Studied subjects were 12 patients, 5 male and 7 female, mean age was 51+/-9.4 year-old. Resting electrocardiograms were normal in 8 cases and ST-T changes in 4 cases. Ischemic ST-T changes were observed in all cases during treadmill exericise test and perfusion defects in 3 cases out of 8 cases during 201TI dipyridamole scan. 2) On echocardiogram, ejection fraction(EF) was 68.9+/-4.5%, fractional shortening(FS) 37.4+/-4.4%, ratio of left atrial to aortic root dimension(LAD/AOD) 1.2+/-0.1, OR slope 3.8+/-0.8c,/sec, mitral valve Doppler E/A velocity ratio[E/A(V)] 0.9+/-0.2, mitral valve Doppler E/A area ratio[E/A(a)]1.3+/-0.3, early diastolic deceleration rate(EDDR) 4.3+/-1.3m/sec2, isovolumic relaxation time(IVRT) 96.2+/-15.7msec, isovolumic contraction time(IVCT) 38.1+/-9.1 msec and aortic valve Doppler peak flow velocity[Ao(V)] 0.8+/-0.2m/sec. EF, FS, IVCT and A(V) were normal. LAD/AOD and IVRT were increased, but E/A(V), E/A(a), OR slope and EDDR were decreased compared to normal subjects. 3) On cardiac catheterization and angiogram, mean left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was 15.3+/-5.1mmHg and ejection fraction by left ventriculogram 78.2+/-7.4%. There was no regional wall motion abnormality. CONCLUSION: Above results suggest that angina with normal coronary angiogram may be associated with impaired left ventricular diastolic function.
Aortic Valve ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiomyopathies ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Deceleration ; Dipyridamole ; Electrocardiography ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Microvascular Angina ; Mitral Valve ; Perfusion ; Relaxation ; Thorax ; Ventricular Function, Left*

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) are now regarded as a serologic marker for pauci-immune crescentic necrotizing glomerulonephritis either in renal-limited form or in association with systemic vasculitis, such as Wegener? granulomatosis, microscopic polyarteritis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome. Two major ANCA antigens have been indentified: proteinase3, which produces a cytoplasmic staining pattern termed C-ANCA, and myeloperoxidase, which produces a perinuclear pattern termed P-ANCA on ethanol-fixed neutrophils by indirect immunofluorescence. In ANCA- associated diseases, eosinphilia in excess of 1.5X109/L has been proposed to be characteristic of Churg-Strauss syndrome and is rare in other forms of ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis and crescentic necrotizing glomerulonephritis. Recently, there were two cases of P-ANCA positive crescentic necrotizing glomerulonephritis with peripheral blood eosinophilia and extrarenal microscopic vasculitis without asthma or granulomas. We experienced a patient with P-ANCA positive pauci-immune necrotizing glomerulonephritis with few eosinophilic infiltration and eosinophilia. He improved with oral prednisolone along with combination of intravenous cyclophosphamide. So we report this case with the review of literature.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic* ; Asthma ; Churg-Strauss Syndrome ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophilia* ; Eosinophils ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Neutrophils ; Peroxidase ; Prednisolone ; Systemic Vasculitis ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein lipase(LPL) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of serum triglyceride(TG) which is utilized in the peripheral tissue as free fatty acid and stored in adipose tissue. LPL gene consists of 10 exons which encode 475 amino acids and more than 9 LPL gene polymorphisms have been reported. LPL gene polymorphism is related to lipids level and the severity of atherosclerosis in coronary artery disease. In Korea, LPL polymorphism has not been reported yet. The purpose of this study is to konw the incidences of LPL gene polymorphism and it's relationship with blood lipids level and the severity of atherosclerosis. METHODS: Subjects were divided into three groups; normal controls(n=50), coronary artery disease(CAD, n=51) and cerebrovascular disease(CVD, n=52). The PCR- amplified genomic DNA from peripheral white blood cell was analyzed with restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) by two different restriction enzymes(Pvu II, Hind III). RESULTS: Total cholesterol(TC) was higher in CVD than in controls and CAD (203+/-60mg/dl vs 188+/-37, 167+/-42, p<0.01). Triglyceride(TG) was also elevated in CAD(166+/-65mg/dl vs 122+/-62 in controls, p<0.05). HDL cholesterol(HDL-C) was higher in controls than in CVD and CAD(49+/-9mg/dl vs 36+/-10, 44+/-9, p<0.05). The incidence of Hind III RFLP and Pvu II RFLP was not different among groups. There was no correlation between LPL gene RFLP and lipid profile. There was no correlation between LPL gene RFLP and severity of coronary arterial stenosis. The incidence of Hind III RFLP (-/-) homozygotes was lower in Korean than in other country(5% vs 7-10%). The incidence of Pvu II RFLP (-/-) homozygotes was lower in Korean than in other country(10.3% vs 18-29%). CONCLUSIONS: The LPL gene mutations in intron 6 and 8 have no direct effects on the lipid profiles and the severity of coronary artery disease. Although LPL is a key enzyme in TG metabolism, two mutations in this study could not change the activity of LPL, nor were a marker linked to other site of mutation(s). The mutation(s) in exon which encode amino acid for enzyme activity should be detected to dissect the pathphysiologic mechanism in the atherogenesis.
Adipose Tissue ; Amino Acids ; Atherosclerosis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; DNA ; Exons ; Homozygote ; Incidence* ; Introns ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Lipoprotein Lipase* ; Lipoproteins* ; Metabolism ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery stent has been introduced recently to overcome major problems of percutaneous trausluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA). To evaluate the success rate, complications and predictive factors associated with restenosis in coronary artery stenting, clinical analysis after coronary srtery stent was performed. METHODS: Sixteen patients who underwent coronary artery stent in Chonnam University Hospital beteen Apr. 1992 and Dec. 1993 were observed. The authors analyzed the stent dilivery success, rate complications and restenosis after follow-up coronary angiogram. RESULTS: 1) The palmaz-Schatz stents were implanted in 16 patients(12 male, 4 female, mean age : 53.3 years) and clinical diagnosis of patients were 7 myocardial infarction, 8 unstable angina and one stable angina. Stents were implanted in 10 cases of left anterior descending arteries and 6 cases of right coronary arteries. Three stents were implanted in a patient with long spiral dissection after middle right coronary artery PTCA, single stent was implanted in the other patients. 2) Stent delivery was successful in all cases, but acute stent thrombosis developed just after bail-out procedure for PTCA-induced intimal dissection in myocardial infarction patient who had multivessel lesion and intracoronary thrombus. Subacute stent thrombosis and major bleeding requiring transfusion were not documented. 3) On follow-up coronary angiogram in 10 patients, no restenosis observed in 5 right coronary arterial stents, but restenosis developed in 3 of 5 left anterior descending artery stents. Restenosis was observed in none of 4.0mm stents, two of six 3.5mm stents and one of two 3.0mm stents. 4) Stent restenosis was observed in 3 cases of positive201TI dipyridamole scan which was performed one month after coronary artery stenting. CONCLUSION: Coronary artery stent is a safe and effective in elective procedure. The restenosis rate after intracoronary stent is lower in right coronary artery than left anterior descending artery and larger stent.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Dipyridamole ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stents* ; Thrombosis

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bile duct is an extremely rare tumor. Seventeen cases originating from intrahepatic bile duct and 2 cases from common hepatic duct have been reported in the English literature. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from the common bile duct has not been previously reported. A 68 year-old man was admitted due to obstructive jaundice. Computed tomography showed a malignant tumor of the common bile duct located in the intrapancreatic segment. Filling defects of the distal common bile duct was seen on endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram. Under the impression of bile duct cancer, pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histologic diagnosis of the resected specimen was mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the common bile duct. After surgery, the patient received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and planned to receive additional chemotherapy. We herein report on a first case of primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the common bile duct, and review the literature.
Aged ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid/*diagnosis/surgery/therapy ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Common Bile Duct Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery/therapy ; Fluorouracil/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: One of major limitations of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) is restenosis. The reliable factors predicting restenosis after successful PTCA might be important in the prevention and treatment of coronary restenosis after PTCA. METHODS: To see whether any of the clinical, angiographic. or procedural factors is likely coronary angiography due to recurrent ischemic symptoms and positive stress tests among 529 patients recived PTCA between Jul '90 and Sep '93 at the Chonnam University Hospital were analysed. RESULTS: 1) Follow-up coronary angiogram demonstrated restenosis in 67 patient(group A, 55.1+/-10.3 year, 58 male, 9 female) and no restenosis in 27 patients(group B, 55.4+/-10.3 year, 24 male, 3 female) demonstrating restenosis rate of 60.6% in this clinically suspicious group. 2) Age, sex, class and duration of angina, and clinical diagnosis were not different from each other between two groups. But the time interval from PTCA to follow-up angiogram was shorter in group A (5.3 +/-5.2 months) than in group B(9.1+/-5.6 months) and hypertension was more prevalent in group A (83.3%) than in group B(16.7%). 3) Angiographic findings such as AHA lesion types, lesion sites, TIMI flow, angulation, lesion length, branching lesion, dissection and residual stenosis were similar in two groups. But all of the eleven lesions with coronary artery calcification were found to develop restenosis. 4) As procedural factors, total ballon inflation time, the numbers of repeated inflations and maximal inflation pressure were not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Above results show that any single or combined clinical and angiographic findings except symptoms or signs suggesting myocardial ischemia, hypertension and coronary calcification could not predict the development of coronary restenosis ie the patients with shorter duration from PTCA to the clinical evidence suggestive of myocardial ischemia, hypertension and coronary calcification demonstrated by cineangiography were more likely to develop subsequent restenosis.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary* ; Cineangiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Restenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inflation, Economic ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia

BACKGROUND: One of major limitations of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) is restenosis. The reliable factors predicting restenosis after successful PTCA might be important in the prevention and treatment of coronary restenosis after PTCA. METHODS: To see whether any of the clinical, angiographic. or procedural factors is likely coronary angiography due to recurrent ischemic symptoms and positive stress tests among 529 patients recived PTCA between Jul '90 and Sep '93 at the Chonnam University Hospital were analysed. RESULTS: 1) Follow-up coronary angiogram demonstrated restenosis in 67 patient(group A, 55.1+/-10.3 year, 58 male, 9 female) and no restenosis in 27 patients(group B, 55.4+/-10.3 year, 24 male, 3 female) demonstrating restenosis rate of 60.6% in this clinically suspicious group. 2) Age, sex, class and duration of angina, and clinical diagnosis were not different from each other between two groups. But the time interval from PTCA to follow-up angiogram was shorter in group A (5.3 +/-5.2 months) than in group B(9.1+/-5.6 months) and hypertension was more prevalent in group A (83.3%) than in group B(16.7%). 3) Angiographic findings such as AHA lesion types, lesion sites, TIMI flow, angulation, lesion length, branching lesion, dissection and residual stenosis were similar in two groups. But all of the eleven lesions with coronary artery calcification were found to develop restenosis. 4) As procedural factors, total ballon inflation time, the numbers of repeated inflations and maximal inflation pressure were not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Above results show that any single or combined clinical and angiographic findings except symptoms or signs suggesting myocardial ischemia, hypertension and coronary calcification could not predict the development of coronary restenosis ie the patients with shorter duration from PTCA to the clinical evidence suggestive of myocardial ischemia, hypertension and coronary calcification demonstrated by cineangiography were more likely to develop subsequent restenosis.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary* ; Cineangiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Restenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inflation, Economic ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia