Atherosclerotic heart disease is a major source of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adult populations. To assess the prevalence of anatomical and functional abnormalities of the heart in such patients, we studied total 50 subjects with atherosclerotic heart disease by echocardiography and compared with 27 control subjects. We found significant change(p<0.05) of aortic root dimension, left ventricular mass, mitral valve E-F slope, E-point septal separation, and functional measurements show significant change in ejection fraction and fractional shortening of left ventricle. Characteristically, abnormal septal movement reveals in 70% of patients including paradoxical, flat & diminished, hyperactive motion, and among them paradoxical movement is the most frequent. Also left ventricular posterior wall movement is abnormal in 30% of the patient group. The prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities is 80 percentile of total, which include 30 percentile subjects with only echocardiographic abnormalities without abnormality in 12-lead ECG, chest X-ray and laboratory findings. And these abnormalities can be detected well by echocardiography before they were otherwise apparent.
Adult ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To determine whether triple-phase multi-detector-row helical CT images of the liver improves the detection rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with 103 HCCs underwent triple-phase multi-detector-row helical CT imaging of the entire liver after contrast administration. Early and late arterial phase images were obtained serially during a single breath-hold, and portal venous-phase images were then obtained. Each image set was independently assessed for the presence of HCC by two radiologists unaware of the possible presence of tumors, and for each phase the detection rate was determined. For each arterial-phase image, lesion conspicuity (attenuation of a tumor compared with that of its parenchyma) was calculated. RESULTS: For reader 1, the detection rates for the early arterial, late arterial, and portal venous phase were 81%, 77%, and 55%, respectively, and for reader 2 were 83%, 81%, and 68%, respectively (p>0.05). When triplephase imaging findings were combined, the detection rate was significantly higher than when only those of the early or late arterial, and portal venous, phase were used (p<0.05). Mean lesion conspicuity for the late arterial phase was higher than for the early arterial phase, but the difference was statistically insignificant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Triple-phase imaging of the liver, involving the early arterial, late arterial, and portal venous phase, and using multi-detector-row helical CT, increases the detection rate of HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Liver* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

BACKGROUND: Use of single donor apheresis platelets and concerning for the quality of apheresis platelets has been rapidly increased. Apheresis platelets depleted white blood cell(WBC) are used to prevent or to reduce febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions, alloimmunization and cytomegalovirus infection. We compared COBE Spectra LRS (leukoreduction system) and COBE Spectra with PALL PXL 8 in terms of the yield predictors, processing times, and WBC contamination. METHOD: Seventy-two single donors who visited Apheresis Unit(APU) in St. Mary s hospital were prospectively randomized into COBE Spectra LRS and COBE Spectra followed by PALL PXL 8 between September 1997 and October 1998. We used Coulter counting for platelet and Nageotte hemocytometer for WBC count. Data were analyzed by independent t-test. RESULTS: The mean platelet yield per unit was 3.6+ 1.0 x 10 ' with COBE spectra LRS compared to 2.9+ 1.1 X 10 with COBE Spectra(p=0.002), and the mean WBC content per unit with COBE spectra LRS was 4.1 x 104(0.4-23.5) compared to 3.7 x 104(0.43-17.9) with PALL PXL""8(p=0.0728). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that COBE Spectra LRS has higher platelet yields than that of COBE Spectra, and similar WBC contamination compared to PALL PXL 8. Therefore, this data suggests that COBE Spectra LRS is conveient than COBE Spectra with PALL PXL 8 in clinical practice. (Korean J Blood Transfusion 10(1): 43-51, 1999)
Blood Component Removal ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Platelets* ; Blood Transfusion ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Humans ; Leukocytes* ; Prospective Studies ; Tissue Donors*

Fibrous hamartoma of infancy (FHI) is a rare benign subcutaneous tumor that presents in children younger than two years. The tumor mostly affects the trunk, axilla and upper extremities. Imaging findings of FHI that involve the buttocks have not been reported in the clinical literature. We reported the imaging features of a lesion in a 9-month-old infant who presented with a palpable mass on the buttocks. The imaging findings were evaluated after a review of previous studies.
Axilla ; Buttocks ; Child ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Infant ; Upper Extremity

We compared clinical (30+/-24 months) and echocardiographic follow-up (22 +/- 20 months) data of 184 consecutive patients with myxomatous degenerative mitral regurgitation (Group A) and 85 consecutive patients with rheumatic mitral regurgitation (Group B) after repair. Selection criteria for rheumatic etiology was predominant mitral regurgitation with valve area >or= 2.0 cm2 and with no significant calcification in valvular apparatus. Repair was successful in 93% of group A and in 92% of group B (p>0.05). There was no difference of operative mortality (1% vs 0%) and of the incidence of the second-pump valve replacement (4% vs 5%). The 4-yr survival, 4-yr event-free survival, and 4-yr mitral regurgitation-free survival rates in group A were 96 +/- 2%, 89 +/- 4%, and 76 +/- 5%, respectively, which were not different from those in group B (97 +/-2 %, 93 +/- 4%, and 68 +/-7 %, p >0.05). Independent determinants of development of at least moderate regurgitation in group A were no use of ring annuloplasty (hazards ratio 6.6, 95% CI 2.0 to 21.5) and new chordae formation (hazards ratio 3.5, 95% CI 1.4 to 8.7). In group B, no use of ring annuloplasty (hazards ratio 15.3, 95% CI 3.5 to 66.7) also was independent predictor. Valve repair is highly feasible in selected patients with rheumatic mitral regurgitation, and clinical course is not significantly different from that of patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation.
Adult ; Comparative Study ; Disease-Free Survival ; *Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency/etiology/mortality/*surgery/*ultrasonography ; Rheumatic Heart Disease/mortality/*surgery/*ultrasonography ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

Desmoplastic fibroma is a rare benign primary bone tumor that is histologically similar to the soft tissue desmoid tumor. It most often involves the mandible, large long bone or iliac bone. Desmoplastic fibroma in a toe has been extremely rarely reported. Authors report a rare case of desmoplastic fibroma of bone occurring in the distal phalanx of a foot, with descriptions of the radiographic and MRI findings, correlation of the radiologic and pathologic findings, and discussion on the differential diagnosis of the tumor.
Adolescent ; Bone Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma, Desmoplastic/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Toes/*pathology

This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of the supportive nursing intervention and analyze its components in 14 studies carried out from Jan. 1980 to Jun. 1997. The supportive nursing intervention studies divided into three types according to the components of conceptual definitons.; (1)supportive nursing behavior, (2)social support, and (3)combination of social support and supportive nursing behavior. The various terms referred to the supportive nursing intervention didn't have the clear differentiating conceptual and operational definitions and the logical relationship among them. The effects of supportive nursing intervention were measured by the 23 dependent variables using self-report and the 5 dependent variables using physiological indices. The dependent variables were measured more than two were role behavior compliance, anxiety, depression, health belief, knowledge about the disease, helplessness and stressful behavior response. The average effects of the supportive nursing intervention ranged from 0.218 to 2.745 for the d index. The three variables of them, which were anxiety, depression and stressful behavior response, were homogeneous statistically by homogeniety test. Results of the meta- analysis indicated that the supportive nursing intervention had moderate to large effects on anxiety(d=0.41), depression (d=0.66) and stressful behavior response (d=0.86).
Anxiety ; Compliance ; Depression ; Intervention Studies ; Logic ; Nursing ; Child Health

Serotonin is one of the most important neurotransmitters involved in the pathophysiology of depressive illness. The assessment of alteration of cerebral serotonin has been still controversial but interesting topic to study. Recently, increasing evidence has accumulated that the N100 amplitude slope reflects cerebral serotonin activity and treatment response of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). We report on two patients who showed abrupt mood changes and side effects after taking SSRI antidepressants. In both patients, aberrantly high N100 amplitude slopes were observed. Our cases suggest that the N100 amplitude slope may be a reliable indicator for predicting manic conversion and side effects in the SSRI treatment of depressive patients. Controlled studies are necessary to confirm whether a high N100 amplitude slope is a useful indicator of SSRI supersensitivity.
Antidepressive Agents ; Depression ; Humans ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Serotonin ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors

Pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial chondromatosis, long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilic arthropathy, chronic tophaceous gout, amyloid arthropathy, tuberculous arthritis, and hemangioma are the synovial diseases showing low signal intensity on T2-weighted image. Synovial deposition of hemosiderin, urate, and amyloid and fibrosis or caseous necrosis of hypertrophied synovium are known as the pathologic causes of T2 signal intensity. Because of the low incidence of the synovial lesions showing T2 low signal intensity, recognition of these diseases would be helpful for the exact diagnosis.
Amyloid ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; Fibrosis ; Gout ; Hemangioma ; Hemosiderin ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular ; Uric Acid

Pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial chondromatosis, long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilic arthropathy, chronic tophaceous gout, amyloid arthropathy, tuberculous arthritis, and hemangioma are the synovial diseases showing low signal intensity on T2-weighted image. Synovial deposition of hemosiderin, urate, and amyloid and fibrosis or caseous necrosis of hypertrophied synovium are known as the pathologic causes of T2 signal intensity. Because of the low incidence of the synovial lesions showing T2 low signal intensity, recognition of these diseases would be helpful for the exact diagnosis.
Amyloid ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; Fibrosis ; Gout ; Hemangioma ; Hemosiderin ; Incidence ; Necrosis ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular ; Uric Acid