BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The transradial coronary angiography and intervention is on the increase with its satisfactory results. It gives advantages of reduced vascular complication and increased comfort of patients. We evaluated the feasibility and problems of transradial coronary angiography and intervention as a routine procedure. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Between February 1998 and December 1999 transradial approach was attempted in 750 patients with normal Allen test. Radial angiography was performed to assess the radial artery spasm and tortuosity. Arterial sheath was removed immediately after the procedure and vascular complications were evaluated before discharge. RESULTS: Radial artery puncture was successful in 738(98%) patients. Transradial coronary angiography was successful in 719(96%) patients. We failed in coronary angiography in 19 patients and the main reasons were tortuous subclavian artery in 11 patients and radial artery spasm in 5 patients. Transradial coronary angioplasty was performed successfully in 185(95%) of 194 patients. In 9 patients intervention was switched to transfemoral approach because of tortuous subclavian artery. Complications were severe radial artery spasm in 13(1.8%), minor subcutaneous hemorrhage in 7(0.9%), non-ischemic radial artery occlusion in 4(0.5%) and radial artery perforation in 1(0.1%). But, there were no major complications requiring vascular surgery or transfusion. CONCLUSION: Transradial coronary angiography and intervention might be useful and safe as a routine procedure. The major limitations in transradial approach were radial artery spasm and toruosity of brachial or subclavian artery.
Angiography ; Angioplasty ; Coronary Angiography* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Punctures ; Radial Artery ; Spasm ; Subclavian Artery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary intervention by stent implantation during acute myocardial infarction is a novel strategy to provide better myocardial perfusion compared to thrombolysis or baloon angioplasty. We aimed to assess the reperfusion achieved by primary stenting, employing TIMI frame count for more objective and quantitative measurement. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Measurements for number of frames required to opacify standardized angiographic landmark branch(TIMI frame count) were determined for the coronary arteries of 77 normal controls and 65 patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent primary stenting within 12 hours of symptom onset. RESULTS: In normal subjects, TIMI frame count for left anterior descending artery(LAD) was 1.3 times of mean count of right coronary artery(RCA) and left circumflex artery(LCx), and significant less than that of TIMI study(22.3+/-4.9 vs 36.2+/-2.6, p<0.05). TIMI frame count for RCA and LCx was similar to results of TIMI study. In infarct related arteries(IRA), corrected TIMI frame count(CTFC) after primary stenting was similar to those of normal control. Frame counts of RCA was larger compared to that of normal control, but statistically insignificant(23.0+/-7.5 vs 17.6+/-3.5, p>0.05). There was no difference of CTFC of non-infarct related arteries between patients and normal controls. CONCLUSION: The TIMI frame count of LAD artery in normal Korean subjects was significantly less than that of American counterpart. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, primary stenting appeared to provide improved coronary flow similar to that observed in normal subjects, as measured by TIMI frame counting.
Angioplasty ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Perfusion ; Reperfusion ; Stents*

Until now restenosis is one of the most important issues after stent implantation. Use of systemic drug therapy to inhibit post-stent restenosis has been largely unsuccessful. Drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to significantly reduce restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. However we still experience lots of problems associated with restenosis even after DES implantation. Recently some clinical trials have suggested that cilostazol reduces intimal hyperplasia and lowers restenosis after bare metal stents (BMS) implantation. It is uncertain that cilostazol can also reduce restenosis after DES implantation. We need more large clinical trials to elucidate the efficacy of cilostazol on restenosis after DES implantation.
Drug-Eluting Stents ; Hyperplasia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Stents ; Tetrazoles

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Stents*

Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare peripartum complication with a mortality rate of 61 to 86%. The main clinical manifestations include shock, acute pulmonary edema, neurologic signs, and coagulopathies. Most diagnosis of AFE is made on the postmortem examination of the maternal pulmonary vasculature, but antemortem confirmation of amniotic fluid material by aspiration of pulmonary blood is rare. We report the first case in Korea who survived from amniotic fluid embolism confirmed by the identification of amniotic fluid debris in pulmonary artery blood. Serial echocardiographic changes of left ventricle systolic dysfunction are also described with a brief review of literatures.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Embolism, Amniotic Fluid* ; Female ; Heart Ventricles* ; Korea ; Mortality ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Peripartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Edema ; Shock

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There are relatively few studies that have evaluated the optimal timing, risk of mortality, and outcome for patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) performed in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed our 18 patients who underwent CABG within 14 days after AMI, between June 1994 and June 1997. Thirteen of the patients were male and 5 were female. Their ages ranged from 41 to 77 years (mean age, 60.6+/-10.4 years), and the amount of time betweenAMIandCABGrangedfrom4hoursto14days (meantime,7.0+/-4.7days).Therewere11 anteroseptal infarctions and 7 inferior wall infarctions. Eleven patients had transmural infarctions and 7 had subendocardial infarctions. Indications of operations were postinfarction angina, cardiogenic shock and intractable ventricular arrhythmia. Six patients required preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support, and 3 additional patients required IABP to be separated from cardiopulmonary bypass. An average of 3.4+/-0.5 vessels per patient were bypassed. RESULTS: The early mortality rate for these 18 patients was 5.6% and late mortality rate was 5.9%, and 2-year actuarial survival rates were 89.5%. Univariate analysis of mortality showed that an ejection fraction less than 30% was associated with risk factor (p value=0.016 ). Age, sex, time to CABG, emergency operations, locations of infarctions were not significant. CONCLUSION: Although our studies have weak points in that there was only a small number of patients and the lack of long-term results, we could conclude that early myocardial revascularization is relatively safe after AMI for those individuals with an ejection fraction greater than 30%.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Risk Factors ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: The endothelium is an important regulator of vascular tone via release of relaxing and constricting substances. The regulatory effect of the endothelium has been shown to be impaired in atherosclerotic arteries in human and animal models of hypertension. But there are some debates on extent and developing time of endothelium dysfunction in patients with hypertension, and the determining factors for endothelium dysfunction also were not defined. The objects of this study are to determine whether endothelial function is impaired in coronary and peripheral arteries, and to investigate the predicting factors for endothelial dysfunction in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: The study patients comprised 14 patients with essential hypertension(M : 7, Mean age : 50+/-2 year) and 6 normal control (M :2, Mean age : 45+/-4 year). We assessed the vasomotor response to acetylcholine and nitroglycerin by change of arterial diameter during the infusion of acetylcholine, from 10(-9M) to 10(-6M) in coronary artery and 7.5, 15, and 25ug/min in left superficial femoral artery, and on intracoronary injection of 200ug nitroglycerin after acetylcholine infusion. RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in sex, age, body mass index and ventricular mass index, except systolic(174+/-5 vs 118+/-7mmHg, p<0.001) and distolic blood pressure(106+/-5 vs 75+/-5mmHg,p<0.001) between patients with hypertension and normal control. 2) There were no significant differences in laboratory date of total cholesterol, HDL-cho-lesterol, lipoprotein(a), microaluminuria and von-Willebrand Factor but Fibrinogen level was raised significantly in patients with hypertension than normal control(299+/-26 vs 192+/-23ng/dl, p=0.04). 3) The vasoconstrictor response to acetylcholine, 10-8 to 10-6 M concentration, at proximal, mid, and distal left anterior descending coronary artery were increased significantly in hypertensive patients than normal control(p<0.05). At rest superficial femoral artery, the vasodilator response to acetylcholine, only 25ug/min, was decreased in patients with hypertension(p<0.05). There was no signficant difference in the vasodilator response to nitroglycerin at coronary artery between two groups but in superficial femoral artery, the vasodilator response to nitroglycerin was decreased significantly in hypertensive patients(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that endothelium dependent vascular relaxation is impaired in both coronary and superificial femoral artery and it remained to be investigated the predicting factors for endothelial dysfunction in patients with essential hypertension.
Acetylcholine ; Arteries ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Vessels ; Endothelium ; Femoral Artery ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Models, Animal ; Nitroglycerin ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA) is one of the most widely used therapeutic procedures in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease. However, acute closure and late restenosis remain a major limitation of PTCA despite extensive efforts to prevent. Coronary artery stents have been proposed as a treatment modality for acute closure and restenosis. We evaluated the initial success rate, complications, the restenosis rate, and the clinical outcomes after coronary artery stenting. METHODS: We implanted 56 stents(Palmaz-Schatz(PS) stent : 38 ; #3.0-14, #3.5-7, #4.0-17, Gianturco-Roubin(GR) stent : 18 ; #2.5-4, #3.0-10, #3.5-1, #4.0-3) in 51 patients(male : 40, mean age : 58+/-1 year). The clinical characteristics of the subjects were unstable angina in 26(51%), stable angina in 2, and myocardial infarction in 23(45%) patients(acute : 18). Follow-up angiography was done at a mean duration of 5.4 month(1-12) after coronary stenting for 34 lesions(61%) of 30 patients. RESULTS: 1) The indications of stenting(n=56) were De novo in 33(59%), bailout procedure in 15(27%), suboptimal result after PTCA in 6, and restenosis after PTCA in 2 stents. The location of lesions were LAD in 24, RCA in 27, and circumflex artery in 5 lesions. Angiographic morphologic characteristics were type B in 38(BI : 3, B2 : 35) and type C in 18 lesions. 2) The angiographic and clinical success rate was 96%(54/56) and 94%(52/56). There were no significant difference in stent modality, lesion site and morphology, and indication of stent. 3) Procedural complications were 1 acute closure which was recanalized by emergency coronary artery bypass graft(CABG), 1 death with subacute closure, 2 dissection, and 5 hemorrhages requiring transfusion. 4) The overall restenosis rate was 26%(9/34). The restenosis rate was reduced significantly in PS stent[PS : 9%(2/22) vs GR : 58%(7/12), P < 0.05], > or =3.5mm of stent size[> or =3.5mm : 6%(1/18) vs 3.5mm : 50%(8/16), p < 0305], and high pressure ballooning group(poststenting adjunct balloon dilation pressure > 12atm) [High pressure(+) : 7%(1/14) vs High pressure(-) : 40%(8/20), p<0.05]. 5) The restenosis sites were managed with re-PTCA in 4, elective CABG in 1, and medical follow-up in 4 patients. CONCLUSION: Coronary stenting is an effective and safe procedure for the management of coronary artery disease. The PS stent and GR stent are considered as a safe means for bail-out, and the PS stent can reduces the restenosis rate especially.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Emergencies ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stents*

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance syndrome has been proposed as a major promotor of atherosclerotic disease and earlier studies have implied the hyperinsulinemia itself may enhance coronary vasomotor tone. In patients with vasospastic angina, previous studies have been inconclusive whether to basal coronary artery tone is elevated at the spasm related and nonspasm related artery. This study was performed to investigate whether basal coronary artery tone is elevated ans insulin resistance syndrome correlates to vasospastic angina. If insulin resistance syndrome correlates to vasospastic angina, we also investigated whether insulin resistance syndrome correlates to basal coronary artery tone. METHODS: The study comprised 27 patients with vasospastic angina(M/F ; 19/8, mean age ; 52+/-2 year) and 21 control subjects with atypical chest pain(M/F ; 9/8, mean age ; 47+/-3 year). We assessed basal coronary artery tone by obtaining the percent increase in coronary artery diameter induced by nitroglycerin and also examined glucose and insulin response to an oral glucose load of 75g. RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences in body surface area, abdominal hip ratio, body mass index, incidence of hypertension, lipid profile, von-Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, and microalbumin except smorking incidence [vasospastic angia ; 16(50%) vs control ; 5(24%), p<0.05)] between vasospastic angina group and control. 2) Basal coronary artery tone was greater at the nonspastic site of the spasm-related artery(28.1+/-2.2% vs 13.1+/-0.9%, p<0.0001) and non-spasm related artery(23.7+/-1.6% vs 13.1+/-0.9, p<0.0001) in the patients with vasospstic angina than in control subjects. In the patients with vasospastic angina, high activity group had a greater basal coronary artery tone than low activity group at the nonspastic site of the spasm-related artery(31.7+/-2.6 vs 20.4+/-2.7%, p<0.001) and non-spasm related artery(26.8+/-2.0 vs 19.4+/-5.8%, p<0.001). 3) Plasma glucose and serum insulin response to an oral glucose load were similar between vasospastic angina group and control subjects, and glucose area, insulin area, and insulinogenic index(delta sigma Glucose / delta sigma Insulin)(330+/-12 vs 328+/-20 mg/dl *hour, 107+/-14 vs 96+/-17uU/ml*hour, and 2.18+/-0.33 vs 2.63+/-0.46, respectively, p=NS) also did not between both groups. 4) Two group did not differ siginificantly in the prportion of glucose intolerance but glucose area and insulin area were significantly high in vasospastic angina patients with glucose intolerance than in control subjects with normal glucose tolerance(366+/-22 vs 257+/-17mg /dl*hour, 127+/-19 vs 52+/-15uU*hour, respectively, p<0.05), but basal coronary artery tone did not differ significantly between vasospastic angina patients with glucose intolerance and control subjects with normal glucose tolerance. CONCLUSION: 1) These results revealed that basal coronary artery tone is elevated at the nonspastic site of the spasm related artery and non-spastic vessel, and the disease activity associated with elevated basal coronary artery tone in vasospastic angina. 2) But these results did not reveal the correlation of hyperinsulinemia with vasospastic angina, and so we did not determine the role of hyperinsulinemia as a pathogenesis of coronary spasm and the relation between hyperinsulinemia and basal coronary artery tone.
Arteries ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Coronary Vessels* ; Fibrinogen ; Glucose ; Glucose Intolerance ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Nitroglycerin ; Spasm ; Thorax

Endocarditis due to anaerobes is not a rare ocurrence. However, Clostridial endocarditis, most cases are caused by Clostridium perfringens, is an uncommon disease. Clostridium are gram positive spore forming obligate anaerobes that are found widely in soil, water, and foods. They naturally inhabit the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female genital tract. We observed a case of Clostridium perfringens endocarditis in a 67 years old woman. Who experienced fever, chronic diarrhea and vegetation in the aortic valve.
Aged ; Aortic Valve ; Clostridium perfringens* ; Clostridium* ; Diarrhea ; Endocarditis* ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Soil ; Spores