Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called apical ballooning syndrome or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is a unique reversible cardiomyopathy that is frequently precipitated by a stressful event, and is described as a typical form of acute transient left ventricular dysfunction. The classic situation is postmenopausal women presenting with chest pain or dyspnea. The overall prognosis is favorable. We report a case of a 75-year-old female patient who came to our hospital with dizziness, which was found to be caused by transient apical ballooning following permanent pacemaker implantation.
Aged ; Atrioventricular Block ; Cardiomyopathies ; Chest Pain ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Porphyrins ; Prognosis ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristic of peripartum cardiomyopathy. METHODS: A retrospective review was undertaken on records of women who were diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy at Yonsei University, Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju Christian Hospital between January 1994 and December 2004. We made criteria for its diagnosis, namely: (1) developement of heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months after delivery, (2) absence of a determinable etiology for the cardiac failure, and (3) absence of demonstrable heart disease prior to the last month of pregnancy. (4) ejection fraction less than 45%. RESULTS: During the research period, 8 pregnant women were documented as peripartum cardiomyopathy. All of the women undertook echocardiography. Three women were complicated with pregnancy induced hypertension. One woman was in cardiogenic shock. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of the peripartum cardiomyopathy is extremely important. The echocardiography can provide helpful information on disease progression.
Cardiomyopathies* ; Diagnosis ; Disease Progression ; Early Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Peripartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock, Cardiogenic

Meigs' syndrome is defined by the presence of ascites and hydrothorax in association with an ovarian fibroma, which spontaneously resolve soon after the removal of the tumor. Pseudo-Meigs' syndrome refers to the same clinical features associated with other ovarian tumors; thecoma, granulosa cell tumor, Brenner tumor, struma ovarii, etc. Elevated serum CA 125 levels have a strong correlation with ovarian malignancy, but several benign ovarian tumors have been found to cause a rise in CA 125 levels. We present a case of Pseudo-Meigs' syndrome with an elevated CA 125 resulting from thecoma with a brief review of the literatures.
Ascites ; Brenner Tumor ; Female ; Fibroma ; Granulosa Cell Tumor ; Hydrothorax ; Meigs Syndrome ; Struma Ovarii ; Thecoma

In postpartum hemorrhage, many clinicians should often consider hysterectomy after delivery. Many surgeons have suggested conservative surgical procedures such as uterine, ovarian and internal iliac artery ligation for preserving future childbearing potential. Recently, B-Lynch surgical technique and hemostatic multiple square suture technique were suggested to compress the entire uterine walls as another methods. The individual choice between these procedures depend on several factors including the general condition of patient and the experience of surgeon. Here, we introduce a case of the selective hemostatic suturing technique which was used to a patient with placenta previa at 20 weeks' gestation. The suturing technique could be used to a patient with massive bleeding from the placental separation site with normal uterine contraction during cesarean delivery.
Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Iliac Artery ; Ligation ; Placenta Previa ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Pregnancy ; Suture Techniques ; Uterine Contraction

Placenta percreta is a life-threatening complication of pregnancy, and it is very rarely noted to occur in the first trimester. We present here a case of placenta percreta with a missed abortion that occurred at 12 gestational weeks. During curettage, hysterectomy was required due to the heavy bleeding. On operative finding, hemorrhagic placental tissue in the lower uterine segment. It is extending into the myometrium and periuterine soft tissue. Histological examination revealed features of placenta percreta.
Abortion, Missed ; Animals ; Curettage ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Placenta Accreta* ; Placenta* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First*

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common comorbid condition in patients with coronary artery disease and a well-documented risk factor for recurrent cardiac events and mortality. We examined the impact of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on depressive mood in elderly patients with chronic stable angina. METHODS: Consecutive patients with chronic stable angina (n=171) who had undergone elective PCI from January 2010 to May 2010 were included in this study. Patients were divided into elderly (> or =65 years) and non-elderly groups (<65 years) and then completed the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory I (BDI-I) at baseline and prior to discharge to assess for depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Seventy-three (43%) patients were assigned to the elderly group and 98 (57%) to the non-elderly group. Using multivariate regression analysis, we found that the elderly group had a higher prevalence of joint, lung, and gastrointestinal diseases; were less religious and less likely to be employed; had lower rates of private health insurance; and were, less frequently, users of regular alcohol, current smokers, and regular exercisers compared to the non-elderly patients. The mean difference in BDI-I scores at baseline and pre-discharge was higher in elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a correlation between the extent of depression and elective PCI, especially in elderly patients. This population should be assessed routinely for depressive symptoms and managed accordingly.
Aged ; Angina, Stable ; Angioplasty ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Depression ; Humans ; Joints ; Lung ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors