A rostro-caudal topography of the oculomotor nerve fascicles is relatively well known in animal but not in human. We experienced two cases of midbrain infarctions presenting with isolated oculomotor nerve palsies. The MRI of the patient who had monocular elevation palsy with ptosis revealed a lesion in the middle to lower midbrain, whereas that of the other who had monocular depression and adduction palsy with pupillary mydriasis showed a discrete lesion in the upper to middle midbrain. We present the rostro-caudal arrangement of the oculomotor fascicles within midbrain based on MRI findings.
Animals ; Depression ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mesencephalon* ; Mydriasis ; Oculomotor Nerve ; Oculomotor Nerve Diseases ; Paralysis

BACKGROUND: The diastolic transmitral flow velocity pattern has been commonly used to assess left ventricular(LV) diastolic function. The effects of multiple factors(such as, LV preload, afterload and heart rate, etc.) make difficulties in accurate interpretation. METHODS: In order to investigate the diastolic transmitral filling patterns according to the changes of the proload or heart rate, we studied 27 normal subjects with pulsed Doppler echocardiography after the administration of nitroglycerin(0.6mg/tab.) sublingually or atropine(0.5mg/amp.) intravenously. RESULTS: 1) After nitroglycerin administration, the folowings were obtained. ; The systolic blood pressure and LV diastolic filling time(DFT) decreased by 10.1% and 15.3%, respectively(p<0.001), compared with baseline data. The ratio of peak early to late diastolic transmitral flow velocities (E/A) and time-velocity integrals(TVIE/TVIA) decreased by 10.3% and 14.8%, respectively(p<0.01). The early diastolic filling time(Time E) was unchanged. Therefore, we suggest that time E is helpful, compared with the increments of the preload or the diastolic dysfunction. 2) After atropin administration, the heart rate, peak late diastolic transmitral flow velocity(PA) and percent atrial contribution(%AC) significantly increased by 43.6%, 25.1% and 41.4%, respectively(p<0.001). The E/A, TVIE/TVIA and DFT significantly decreased by 42.9%, 38.9% and 43.0%, respectively(p<0.001) compared to the data before drug administration. 3) The heart rate correlated negatively to the E/A, TVIE/TVIA and DFT. It was correlated positively to %AC(r=+0.63; p<0.001). The normalized E/A ratio by DFT(E/A/DFT) didn't correlate. Therefore, E/A/DFT is helpful on the exclusion of the influences of heart rate by the administration of the atropine. CONCLUSION: The decrement of preload or the increment of heart rate changes the diastolic transmitral flow velocity patterns. Therefore, when the diastolic function is assessed by interpretation of the Doppler transmitral flow velocity pattern with pulsed Doppler echocardiogram, the potential influences of preload and heart rate must be taken into account.
Atropine* ; Blood Pressure ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed ; Heart Rate ; Humans* ; Nitroglycerin* ; Time

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; Water*

A case of right-sided infective endocarditis in a 22-year-old male with ventricular septal defect of perimembranous type, right ventricular(RV) infundibular and pulmonic valve stenosis was reported. The vegetations were found on the mural endocardium of RV infundibulum and pulmonic valve. Streptococcus viridans was identified in 5 consecutive blood cultures, Pulmonary embolism and septic infarction in the lung was associated with systemic embolization, which was manifested by left renal infarction. The RV infundibular stenosis was due to anomalous muscle bundle at the proximal portion. Therefore, we thought that the mechanism of RV infundibular vegetation was probably due to 'Venturi effect and turbulence'. Several clinical features which were found in this case were also reviewed.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Endocarditis* ; Endocardium ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lung ; Male ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Viridans Streptococci ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between ST segment elevation during exercise testing and coronary artery disease. METHODS: Treadmill exercise electrocardiography and coronary angiography were performed in 137 patients with angina with no Q waves. The J point elevation of > 0.03mV(0.3mm) measured from baseline, the elevation of ST segment at 80msec. from J point(ST80) measured larger in lead V1than in aV1, or both the elevation of ST segment at J point and at ST80 developed earlier than or concomitantly with ST depression were considered as abnormal responses. RESULTS: 1) There was no clinical significance of ST elevation in lead aV1. 2) Exercise-induced ST elevation in lead V1occurred in 29 of 137 patients with angina. 3) Abnormal St elevation in V1was detected in 26 of 86 patients with coronary artery disease, for a specificity of 98%. The patients with left anterior descending coronary artery or left main coronary artery stenosis were observed in 3 of 5(60%) patients with single-vessel disease, in 7 of 9(79%) with two-vessel disease, and in 9 of 10(90%) with three-vessel disease. 4) The standard ST depression yielded a specificity of 55% in the patients with isolated or predominant ST depression in inferior leads(II. III, and aVF) and of 81% in the patients with isolated or predominat ST depressin in precordial leads(p<0.001). 5) Abnormal exercise-induced ST elevation in V1was detected in 13 of 39(33%) patients with isolated or predominat ST depression in inferior leads and yielded a specificity of 94% for coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: Abnormal ST segment elevation in V1may increase the specificity in isolated or predominat ST segment depression in inferior leads and may predict left anterior descending or left main coronary artery disease.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Depression ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test* ; Hexamethonium ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Rituximab has been shown to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is recommended for patients exhibiting an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. To date, there have been no reports of tuberculosis in RA patients treated with rituximab. We report the use of rituximab in a TNF inhibitor-refractory RA patient who had developed tuberculosis. A 52-year-old man with RA had been treated with adalimumab for 3 months, but failed to respond well to the treatment. He reported fever, coughing, sputum, and weight loss. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and started anti-tuberculosis medication. His arthritis was not controlled for despite increasing the dose of prednisolone. He was treated with rituximab without serious adverse effects. Sixteen weeks later, he demonstrated improvement with both arthritis and tuberculosis.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cough ; Fever ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Weight Loss ; Adalimumab ; Rituximab

Rituximab has been shown to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is recommended for patients exhibiting an inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. To date, there have been no reports of tuberculosis in RA patients treated with rituximab. We report the use of rituximab in a TNF inhibitor-refractory RA patient who had developed tuberculosis. A 52-year-old man with RA had been treated with adalimumab for 3 months, but failed to respond well to the treatment. He reported fever, coughing, sputum, and weight loss. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and started anti-tuberculosis medication. His arthritis was not controlled for despite increasing the dose of prednisolone. He was treated with rituximab without serious adverse effects. Sixteen weeks later, he demonstrated improvement with both arthritis and tuberculosis.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cough ; Fever ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Weight Loss ; Adalimumab ; Rituximab

The incidence of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm is not known, but it appears to be quite rare. We experienced a case of apical pseudoaneurysm of left ventricle in a 73-year-old female who presented with progressive orthopnea. On the 2nd hospital day, cardiac tamponade developed. A small pseudoaneurysm of left ventricle with narrow neck associated with massive pericardial effusion was demonstrated by transthoracic echocardiography. Emergency coronary angiogram showed normal. Emergency operation was performed on the suspicion of rupture of the pseudoaneurysm. Microscopic examination of the wall of the aneurysm revealed fibrous tissue adhered to the granulomatous inflammatory pericardium.
Aged ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Female ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neck ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericarditis, Tuberculous ; Pericardium ; Rupture

Granulicatella adiacens is one of the fastidious gram positive cocci previously described as nutritionally variant streptococci due to their requirement of L-cysteine, pyridoxal, or thiol compounds for growth. These bacteria have been identified as significant causative agents of endocarditis, opthalmic infections, and meningitis. We report a case of septicemia caused by G. adiacens in an 80-year-old patient with cholangiocarcinoma. The organism was identified by phenotypic and 16S rRNA sequencing analyses.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bacteria ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cysteine ; Endocarditis ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Pyridoxal ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Romberg test has been regarded as simple and efficient bedside modality to evaluate the vestibulospinal reflex in patients with balance disorders. we compared the direction of fall and that of yaw head rotation during Romberg test to evaluate its lateralizing value in acute unilateral vestibular neuritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty three patients (n=43) with acute unilateral vestibular neuritis were included. We did Romberg test in three different head positions: with a head looking straight ahead (Romberg test1), turned to the right by about 90 degrees (Romberg test2) and turned to the left by about 90 degrees (Romberg test3) in yaw. Affected side of the vestibular neuritis was decided by the direction of nystagmus and the side of canal paresis. We compared the falling direction in each Romberg test, direction of nystagmus and canal paresis. RESULTS: During Romberg test, 19 out of 43 fell to the lesion side (44%) and during modified Romberg test, 18 out of 43 fell to the lesion side (42%). On modified Romberg test, fallings to the side of affected labyrinth showed 14/18 (78%) in the Romberg test 2 and 15/18 (83%) in the Romberg test 3. The direction of falling in each maneuvers correlated statistically to the side of the affected labyrinth (p<0.05). Direction of nystagmus and the side of the canal paresis also showed correlation to the direction of falling in modified Romberg test. CONCLUSION: Romberg and Modified Romberg tests are helpful to decide the affected side in vestibular neuritis to some extents.
Ear, Inner ; Head ; Humans ; Paresis ; Reflex ; Vestibular Neuronitis*