57 cases of portal vein thrombosis detected by ultrasonography were analized. The results were as follows: 1.Most common cause was hepatocellular carcinoma, showing 49 out of 57 cases(86%). 2. Sonographic findings revealedechogenic thrombus in the dilated portal vein. Echogenecity of thrombus was similar to the surrounding liverparenchyma, Thrombus was mainly located in the intrahepatic branch and main portal vein. 3. The location ofthrombus in hepatocellular carcinoma was related to the location of tumor, and frequently extended to the mainportal vein(68.9%). Incidence of thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma revealed 49 out of 157 cases, butprospective study showed 42 out of 84 cases(50%). Thrombosis was more common in large sized ill-defined diffuseinfiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma. 4. CT(only 15 cases analyzed) findings revealed low density in the portalvein in all the cases and periportal enhancement in 10 cases on post-enhanced scan. 5. Collateral circulationswere largely detected at the porta hepatis and gallblader fossa. The detection rate was lower on theultrasonography than on the CT or angiography.
Angiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Incidence ; Portal Vein ; Thrombosis ; Ultrasonography ; Venous Thrombosis

Ventricular tachycardia is an important tachyarrhythmia which is encountered commonly in clinical field. The accompanying manifestations could be variable just from palpitation to sudden cardiac death. The classification of this arrhythmia has not completly settled yet, but in a broad way this arrhythmia is classified according to the prescence or abscence or underlying heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. Recently, therapeutic modalities for this arrhythmia have been changed a lot from classical antiarrhythmic drugs to radiofrequency ablation or ICD implantation although there are still some problems to overcome. We experienced a case of 34-year-old female having an incessant ventricular tacycardia which was abolished after endomyocardial biopsy performed to differentiate underlying myocardial pathology.
Adult ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biopsy* ; Catheter Ablation ; Classification ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Pathology ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular*

CT and portographic findings of 63 patients with hepatoma, undergone hepatic angiography and superiormesenteric portography for evaluation of tumor and thrombosis of portal vein and determination of indication oftranscatheter arterial embolization for palliative treatment of hepatoma from April,85 to June, 86 in Hanyanguniversity hospital, were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1. In 36 cases, portal vein thrombosis wasdetected during portography. Nineteen of 37 cases which revealed localized hepatoma in the right lobe of the livershowed portal vein thrombosis; 9 of 11 cases of the left lobe; 8 of 14 cases which were involved in entire liverrevealed thrombosis. One case localized in the caudate lobe showed no evidence of invasion to portal vein. 2.Twenty-four of 34 cases with diffuse infiltrative hepatoma revealed portal vein thrombosis and the incidence ofportal vein thrombosis in this type were higher than in the cases of the nodular type. 3. The portal veinthrombosis appeared as filling defects of low density in the lumen of the portal veins in CT and they did notreveal contrast enhancement. 4. CT revealed well the evidences of obstructions in the cases of portal veinthrombosis and the findings were well-corresponded to the findings of the superior mesenteric portography. 5. Fiveof the cases of the portal vein thrombosis were missed in the CT and the casuses were considered as due to partialvolume effect of enhanced portal vein with partial occlusion or arterioportal shunts. 6. Six of 13 cases withocclusion of main portal vein showed cavernous transformation and they were noted as multiple small enhancedvascularities around the porta hepatis in the CT. According to the results, we conclude that CT is a usefulmodality to detect the changes of the portal veins in the patients of the hepatoma.
Angiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Incidence ; Palliative Care ; Portal Vein ; Portography ; Thrombosis ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Many investigators found that there were more severe and extensive atherosclerosis in patients with stable angina pectoris than those with unheralded acute myocardial infarction(AMI). But coronary angiographic findings in patients with or without stable angina pectoris(SAP) prior to acute myocardial infarction are somewhat controversial. And in many articles that compared the coronary angiographic findings between patients with and those without angina prior to acute myocardial infarction, the definition of angina and significant coronary artery stenosis were not uniform. So, coronary angiographic finding were compared between patients with and those without stable anginal pectoris prior to AMI according to scoring system suggested by Bogarty. METHOD: Coronary angiography was performed in 141 patients with AMI. Angiographic findings of patients with SAP prior to AMI were compared to those without SAP prior to AMI. Risk factors of coronary artery disease were also compared. RESULTS: 1) Numbers of the patients with SAP were 34(24%) and those without SAP were 107(76%). 2) Numbers of stenosed vessels, Numbers of tenosed lesions, extent index and percent of diffuse pattern were higher in SAP group(p<0.05). 3) Numbers of diseased vessels and occluded lesions were not different between two groups(Pvalue was 0.07 and 0.5, respectively). 4) patients with SAP were older than those without SAP(p = 0.03). 5) Sex ratio and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and smoking were not different between two groups. 6) Lipid profiles were not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with SAP prior to AMI had more severe and extensive atherosclerosis than those without stable angina pectoris prior to AMI.
Angina, Stable* ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prevalence ; Research Personnel ; Risk Factors ; Sex Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Many investigators found that there were more severe and extensive atherosclerosis in patients with stable angina pectoris than those with unheralded acute myocardial infarction(AMI). But coronary angiographic findings in patients with or without stable angina pectoris(SAP) prior to acute myocardial infarction are somewhat controversial. And in many articles that compared the coronary angiographic findings between patients with and those without angina prior to acute myocardial infarction, the definition of angina and significant coronary artery stenosis were not uniform. So, coronary angiographic finding were compared between patients with and those without stable anginal pectoris prior to AMI according to scoring system suggested by Bogarty. METHOD: Coronary angiography was performed in 141 patients with AMI. Angiographic findings of patients with SAP prior to AMI were compared to those without SAP prior to AMI. Risk factors of coronary artery disease were also compared. RESULTS: 1) Numbers of the patients with SAP were 34(24%) and those without SAP were 107(76%). 2) Numbers of stenosed vessels, Numbers of tenosed lesions, extent index and percent of diffuse pattern were higher in SAP group(p<0.05). 3) Numbers of diseased vessels and occluded lesions were not different between two groups(Pvalue was 0.07 and 0.5, respectively). 4) patients with SAP were older than those without SAP(p = 0.03). 5) Sex ratio and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and smoking were not different between two groups. 6) Lipid profiles were not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with SAP prior to AMI had more severe and extensive atherosclerosis than those without stable angina pectoris prior to AMI.
Angina, Stable* ; Atherosclerosis ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prevalence ; Research Personnel ; Risk Factors ; Sex Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking

Hypertension may be due to either vascular (renal artery stenosis) or nonvascular (urologic) causes in hypertensives with unilateral small kidneys. Generally, the occurrence of hypertension in association with difference in kidney size suggests the presence of prolonged renal artery stenosis. This condition can result in decreased volume of the poststenotic kidney. Another cause of small kidneys is unilateral renal agenesis, renal dysplasia with or without reflux, tubular obstruction, and hydronephrosis. Hypertension can be attributed to abnormal-sized kidneys. Nephrectomy of the small kidney or correction of the stenotic artery normalizes blood pressure. De Jong and associates reported 8 cases of young women thought to have hypertension caused by unilateral renal parenchymal disease. Renal angiography, however, disclosed significant renal artery stenosis in the contralateral kidney of all 8 patients. Revascularization of the kidney with stenotic lesions cured the hypertension. The data suggests that in patients suspected of having hypertension caused by unilateral renal parenchymal disease, not only should renal venous renins be determined, but nephrectomy should not be peformed as well until renal angiography has been performed to exclude contralateral renal artery stenosis. We report a case of unilateral renal artery stenosis with contralateral hypoplastic kidney in a 22 year old woman; hypertension was corrected by successful anastomosis of the stenotic artery without nephrectomy of the contralateral small kidney.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renal* ; Kidney* ; Nephrectomy ; Renal Artery Obstruction* ; Renal Artery* ; Renin ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary venous flow velocity pattern (PVFVP) is widely used to assess LV diastolic function. It is known that the parameters of PVFVP have a significant correlation with the ratio of peak early diastolic filling velocity (E) to peak filling velocity at atrial contraciton (A) measured in the transmitral flow. However, the correlations between parameters of superior vena caval flow (SVCF) and transtricuspid E/A ratio have not been reported. Therefore the present investigation was performed to elucidate these correlations. METHODS: Fifty patients (26 men, mean age 63.1+/-11.1 years), who did not have significant tricuspid valvular disease and restrictive filling pattern on tricuspid and superior vena caval doppler, were included in this study. SVCF was recorded with the transducer positioned at subxiphoid area and the sample volume placed 2 cm within the superior vena cava. Blood flow across the tricuspid valve was obtained from standard four chamber view or modified parasternal four chamber view with the sample volume placed on leaflet tips. Recording was made during midexpiratory apnea. The following doppler parameters were measured: transtricuspid E and A velocity, E/A ratio: systolic (S) and diastolic (D) peak velocities and time velocity integrals (TVI), S/D velocity ratio, S/D TVI ratio, atrial reversal peak velocity (ArV) and TVI (ArTVI) in SVCF. RESULTS: 1) In SVCF, S velocity (63.7+/-11.8 cm/s vs 73.4+/-13.6 cm/sec, p<0.05), S TVI (17.4+/-3.6 cm vs 21.1+/-6.2 cm, p<0.05), ArV (30.0+/-6.9 cm/s vs 37.2+/-7.3 cm/s, p<0.005), and ArTVI (2.7+/-0.8 cm vs 3.3+/-0.8 cm, p<0.01) were significantly decreased in group E/A>1. And D TVI (7.1+/-3.0 cm vs 5.2+/-3.1 cm, p<0.05) and D/S TVI ratio (0.41+/-0.13 vs 0.26+/-0.14, p<0.05) were significantly increased in group E/A>1. 2) As E/A ratio increased, diastolic TVI (r=0.315, p<0.05) and D/S TVI ratio (r=0.448, p<0.001) increased, and ArTVI (r=-0.376, p<0.01) and ArV (r=-0.416, p<0.01) decreased. 3) As E peak velocity increased, SVCF D peak velocity increased (r=0.305, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Tricusupid E/A ratio has positive correlations with D TVI and D/S TVI ratio, and negative correlations with ArTVI and ArV. But there were no correlations in S velocity, D velocity, and S/D velocity ratio as the relation of mitral E/A ratio with PVFVP.
Apnea ; Humans ; Male ; Transducers ; Tricuspid Valve ; Vena Cava, Superior

PURPOSE: Diagnosing benign or malignant papillary lesions of the breast through core needle biopsy (CNB) is often difficult. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictive factors of malignancy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the pathology database and found 80 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with breast papillary lesions prior to surgery at two medical centers from May 2004 through May 2009. Those patients who had undergone CNB and had been diagnosed with either intraductal papilloma or malignant lesions following surgical excision were included. RESULTS: Forty-five cases were diagnosed as intraductal papilloma and 24 cases as malignant lesions. Malignancy was found to be related to being older than 60 years (p<0.01), having bloody nipple discharge (p=0.05), and a tumor size of more than 1 cm (p<0.01). Further, irregular shape (p<0.01) and uncircumscribed margin (p<0.01) on mammogram and irregular shape (p=0.04), calcification (p<0.01), and isoechoic pattern (p<0.01) on ultrasonogram were significantly related to malignancy. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that particular clinical factors and imaging findings correlated with malignant lesions. However, larger prospective studies are still necessary to establish treatment plans for patients diagnosed with papillary lesions on CNB.
Biopsy, Large-Core Needle ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast ; Humans ; Nipples ; Papilloma ; Papilloma, Intraductal ; Retrospective Studies

Pericarditis and atherosclerotic events are generally regarded as relatively common cardiac manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, RA-associated endocarditis is rarely reported, and can be confused (by clinicians) with an infective vegetation. Herein, we report a case of sterile endocarditis involving the mitral valve in a 36 year-old patient with longstanding RA; the problem was accidentally detected during performance of a valve operation.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Endocarditis ; Endocarditis, Non-Infective* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Pericarditis

BACKGROUND: Although high dose chemotherapy coupled with an autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is widely accepted as effective therapy for multiple myeloma (MM), few reports are available in Korea, especially in the area of double ASCT. We present the results of an institutional retrospective study of 12 patients with MM treated by double ASCT. METHODS: Eligible patients received induction therapy using vincristine, adriamycin, dexamethasone (VAD), and mobilization was performed using cyclophosphamide plus lenograstim. High-dose melphalan (total 200 mg/m2) was used to condition the ASCT. RESULTS: The median interval from diagnosis to ASCT was 6 months (range, 1.8-15.3 months). The median interval between the 1st and 2nd ASCT was 4.4 months (range 2.1-48.7 months). The median follow up was 18.3 months (range 8.1-50.5 months) for the nine surviving patients. No therapy-related mortality occurred. Following induction chemotherapy, two patients experienced CR. Following double ASCT, eight patients experienced CR. The 5 year OS was 59%. The median duration of event free survival was 2.13 years (95% CI, 0.84-3.42). CONCLUSION: Although the results of study did not demonstrate the advantage of double ASCT, this is the first report to outline the outcome of double ASCT for Korean MM patients.
Vincristine/administration & dosage ; Transplantation, Autologous ; *Stem Cell Transplantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Recombinant Proteins/administration & dosage ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy/*therapy ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/administration & dosage ; Female ; Doxorubicin/administration & dosage ; Dexamethasone/administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Aged ; Adult