Leiomyomas of the vagina is a rare tumor, with 300 cases reported in the world literature. We experienced a case of leiomyoma of the vagina, and present it with a brief review of the literatures.
Leiomyoma* ; Vagina*

BACKGROUND: Improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for infective for infective endocarditis such as proposed diagnostic criteria, Duke criteria and echocardiography resulted to increased life-spans of patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records including medical history, laboratory data such as echocardiographic data and blood culture, and clinical outcomes was done for 106 patients with clinical diagnosis of infective endocarditis at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to May 2000. Then we analysed differences of clinical features between elderly patients aged > or =60-years and the adult patients aged <60-years with infective endocarditis. RESULTS: The elderly patients >or=60-year are cases of 14%(15/106) and the mean ages are 67+/-8 years in elderly patient, 38+/-12 years in the adults patients respectively. Valvular heart disease was the most common predisposing heart disease with 9 cases(40%) followed by prosthetic valve endocarditis 2 cases (13%) in elderly patients, and there was no significant difference of frequencies with adult patients (valvular heart diseases, 33%; prosthetic valvular heart diseases, 25%). Although culture positive rates were not different with two groups: 47%(7/15) in elderly patients and 45%(41/91) in adult patients, the most common pathogen was staphylococcal species in elderly patients(27%, 4/15) but streptococcus species, in the adult patients(25%, 26/106, p<0.05). The frequencies of embolic complication were not different between two groups(20%, 3/15 vs 22%, 20/91: Elderly vs adult, respectively), but congestive heart failure was more developed in elderly patients, 33%(5/15) than in adult patients, 10%(9/91, p<0.05). Surgical intervention was more required in the elderly(47%, 7/15) than in adult patients(22%, 20/91, p<0.05). Out of 106 patients, 11 died and the overall mortality was 10.4%(11/106). In-hospital death was more common in the elderly than in adult patients: 4 cases(27%) vs 8%(7/91), p<0.05. Determinants of in-hospital death were patients with 60 years of age and older, Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, and the presence of congestive heart failure(p<0.05) in univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Infective endocarditis in elderly patients(age> or =60) had more poor outcomes than adult patients(age<60) such as the development of congestive heart failure, the need of surgical intervention, and the high mortality rate.
Adult ; Aged* ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus

The effect of 0.25% and 0.5% Timolol on intraocular pressure and concentration in aqueous humor was studied after topical instillation in the white rabbit. The intraocular pressure was measured with pneuma tonometer and the Timolol concentration in aqueous humor was measured with High Preformance Liquid Chromatograph after fine needle aspiration of aqueous humor at various time intervals. The results were as follows; 1. The percentage reduction of intraocular pressure increased with time and reached a peak after 3 hours. 2. The concentration of Timolol in aqueous humor increased with time and reached a peak after 3 hours. 3. There was close correlation between intraocular pressure and Timolol concentration in aqueous humor.
Aqueous Humor* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Timolol*

It has now been 20 years since the first demonstration that antiretroviral drug, azidothymidine, not only reduce human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) replication but also improve clinical outcome. Antiretroviral therapy for treatment of HIV-1 infection has improved steadily since the introduction of combination therapy in 1996. With the advancement of antiretroviral therapy, the mortality of AIDS patients has markedly improved. Now, more than 20 anti-HIV drugs have been approved, providing more convenient dosing schedule and improved safety profiles. Despite these advances, suppression of HIV-1 replication would not sufficient to eradicate HIV-1 infection. This means that once antiretroviral therapy is initiated, patients can expect to be taking it for the rest of their lives. And long-term drug toxicities, development of drug resistant HIV-1, treatment cost have been emerging as new challenges for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. As the life expectancy of HIV-1 patients have been increased, chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic liver diseases, and malignancies have emerged as major cause of mortality and morbidities of HIV-1 patients. Therefore, comprehensive care and team approaches have becoming increasingly important for the care of HIV-1 patients.
Anti-HIV Agents ; Appointments and Schedules ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Health Care Costs ; HIV* ; HIV-1* ; Humans* ; Life Expectancy ; Liver Diseases ; Mortality ; Zidovudine

No abstract available.
Fever* ; Humans

Regional left ventricular dysfunction is common in patients with coronary artery disease and accurate analysis of regional dysfunction is of particular interest. For the quantitative assessment of regional dysfunction, we measured regional ejection fraction by radial sector division method in 19 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 13 normal controls who had multigated blood pool scan. And two independent observer analyzed regional wall motion using 5 point grading system in 18 patients undergoing radionuclide ventricular cineangiography. The results obtained were as follows : 1) Regional wall motion scores for the gated blood pool study agreed completely in 72 of 108 segments (66.7%) and agreed within 1 grade in 88 of 108 segments(81.5%) and agreement rate is lowest in the septal area. 2) Global left ventricular ejection fraction was 63.2+/-4.2% in normal controls, 36.6+/-6.8% in extensive anterior wall infarction group and 52.6+/-9.7% in inferior wall infarction group. The value of extensive anterior wall infarction group was significantly lower than that of inferior wall infarction group(p<0.005). 3) Regional left ventricular ejection fraction by radial sector division method in normal control group were as follows : area 1 ; 56.5+/-6.7%, area 2 : 77.9+/-4.8%, area 3 ;84.3+/-5.5%, area 4 : 76.8+/-6.6%, area 5 ; 84.7+/-7.6%, area 6 ; 85.9+/-11.2%, area 7 ; 75.5+/-12.3%, area 8 ; 74.9+/-14.0%, area 9 ; 75.5+/-8.8%, area 10 ; 54.2+/-11.0%, 11 ; 34.5+/-16.3, area 12 ; 37.1+/-18.0%. 4) Mean regional ejection fraction in 7 patients with anterior wall infarction showed significantly lower values in area 4 to area 8, and in area 2 to area 5 in case of inferior wall infarction group. 5) We thought that regional ejection fraction obtained by radial sector division method is valuable index for the management and evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease.
Cineangiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Septum of Brain ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left

The force-interval relationship of cardiac muscle has been known as not only a fundamental manifestation of beat-to-beat kinetics of intracellular activator calcium which control contractile response but also a potential clinical tool for evaluating cardiac contracile function. In this study were evaluated the force-interval relationship of intact canine left ventricle through mechanical restitution curves by plotting contrctile responses to varying steady state, extrasystolic and postextrasystolic intervals, and compared the force-interval relationships of intact canine left and right ventricles quantitatively. Effects of localized myocardial ischemia on the left ventricular force-interval relationship and relaxtion function were also evaluated 30 minutes after ligating proximal left anterior descending coronary artery through observing contractile and relaxtion responses to various intervals. 1) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle showed that left ventricular dp/dt max responses rose stiffly until plateau level with increasing postextrasystolic intervals, then declined with further increment of postextrasystolic intervals. 2) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle shifted leftward and upward with shortening of steady state and extrasystolic intervals, which suggest intracellular calcium kinetics during electrical diastole may operate as a mechanism of the force-interval relationship. 3) Steady state contractile responses remained unchanged but maximal contractile responses increased significantly or contractile reserve in intact left ventricle. 4) Normalized force-interval relationships of left and right ventricle were similar quantitatively, which suggest the force-interval relationship is independent of structural factors in intact canine heart. 5) Occlusion of coronary artery lowered absolute values of left ventricular dp/dt max responses to varying postextrasystolic intervals, but didn't show significant changes of normalized dp/dt max responses, which suggest force-interval relationship be also present in spite of localized myocardial ischemia. 6) Responses of normalized left ventricular dp/dt min to varying postextrasystolic intervals were similar to those of normalized dp/dt max but reduced after coronary artery occlusion in the range above 100% dp/dt max response, which may be used for the detection and evaluation of deranged myocardial relaxation in the left ventricle with localized myocardial ischemia.
Calcium ; Coronary Vessels ; Diastole ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Kinetics ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium ; Relaxation ; Ventricular Function, Left*

PURPOSE: The aims of this paper are to develop a student evaluation format as a part of core clinical clerkship (student internship) program at Gachon Medical School, and to identify its impeding factors in implementation. METHODS: Both rating scale of Likert type and check list for student's clerkship assessment were designed; the rating scale format was developed into two parts, namely attendance and the clinical competence demonstrated during the clerkship in which 3 domains of knowledge, skills and attitude were included in balance; the professional competence was made of 9 items, each being designed to accommodate 3 degrees by learner's performance. The clinical instructors in charge were requested to sit a short feedback session on the evaluation results with students who were signed at the end. Nursing staff was also asked to participate in evaluation of the student attitude in a limited area. RESULTS: Despite the full acceptance of the evaluation approach theoretically, its practical implementation was not successful because of difficulties related to adjustment of their department-based scoring system to the comprehensive assessment, or unfamiliarity with face-to-face feedback system. CONCLUSION: The authors assume that this Likert type of the rating scale is a simple, more comprehensive and strong tool to meet the learning objectives, and easy to enhance the feedback effect. It is, however, advised that the formative reporting system is crucial to transform the traditional evaluation approach into the pass/fail format so that unnecessary conversion risk is eliminated.
Clinical Clerkship* ; Clinical Competence ; Humans ; Learning ; Nursing Staff ; Professional Competence ; Schools, Medical*

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy, complication and restenosis rate of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty(PTCA), we analized the results of PTCA for 277 cases(308 lesions) in 240 patients admitted to Seoul National University Hospital under the diagnosis of stable angina, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction(AMI)or postinfarction angina between April 1986 and October 1991. METHODS: We performed PTCA with over-the-guidewire technique and followed up for 2-42 months(mean 16.2 months). To evaluate the clinical efficacy, patients without AMI and unstable angina underwent pre- and post-PTCA exercise test. RESULTS: Successful PTCA's were performed in 273 out of 308 lesions(88.6%). The success rate of PTCA for left anterior descending artery(LAD), left circumflex artery(LCX) and right coronary artery(RCA) was 88.5%(177/200), 88.9%(40/44) and 87.5%(56/64), respectively. Simultaneous PTCA for multiple coronary arteries were successfnlly perfomed in 26 out of 27 cases(96.3%). Success rate for individual coronary artery subtypes according to ACC/AHA PTCA subcommitte was 99.1% for type A lesions and 78.2% for type B lesions. Total exercise duration by treadmill test increased from 6.74+/-3.24min to 9.70+/-2.85min after PTCA(p<30.01). There were non-fatal acute coronary occlusions in 8 patients(3.3%), but there was no death related to PTCA nor emergency coronary artery bypass graft(CABG). During the follow-up period of 2 to 42months(mean : 16.2months), restenosis was suspected clinically in 90 patients, and was confirmed in 43 patients with coronary angiography. Among them, we performed second PTCA in 31 patients, and third PTCA in 2 patients. Seventy nine percent of restenosis developed within 6 months after PTCA. CONCLUSION: We conclude that PTCA was an effective and safe treatment modality for patients with coronary artery disease, especially when performed in patients with type A or B lesions and some of selected type C lesions.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Seoul

The analysis of regional myocardial function is important for the evaluation of myocardial performance. We evaluated whether the motion images of the coronary bifurcation points can be used for computation of the regional deformation and the regional wall stress. In 5 mongrel dogs, 4 to 7 lead markers were implanted adjacent to the bifurcarion points of coronary artery. Left ventricular pressure curve was obtained, and left ventriculography was performed to measure the major and minor axes of the left ventricle. Afterthen, biplane coronary arteriography was performed. The motion images of the lead markers and the corresponding coronary bifurcation points were used as landmarkers for the kinetic analysis of the regional wall deformation and wall stress. The results of the analysis using two kinds of landmarkers were well correlated(P<0.001). Analysis of the diagnosis biplane coronary cineangiograms of each patient group demonstrated that quite difference wave forms between the normally perfused segment and the underperfused segments. In group I there was no coronary arterial narrowings and no regional wall motion abnormalities. Their mean and peak wall thicking were 10.10+/-9.28% and 47.99+/-20.70%. And their peak and mean values of circumferential and longitudinal wall stresses are as follows; 2.70+/-0.74x10(5)dyn/cm2, 2.34+/-0.71x10(5)dyn/cm2, 0.84+/-0.21x10(5)dyn/cm2, 2.34+/-0.71x10(5)dyn/cm2, 0.84+/-0.21x10(5)dyn/cm2 and 0.64+/-0.13x10(5)dyn/cm2. Of 5 male patients having coronary arterial disease with regional wall motion abnotmalities(Group III), 2patients have single vessel disease, 2 paitents have 2 vessel disease. In subgroup b of group III, there was a significant decrease of regional wall thickening(mean and peak value; 0.54+/-9.91%.14.87+/-12.055; P<0.001 vs. group I), and increasing tendency of regional wall stresses. Using biplane coronary cineangiogram, which is routine diagnostic procedure in coronary artery disease, this method can valuate regional myocardial function. And this method can evaluate regional myocardial function. And this method will be especially useful, when serial coronary cineangiograms are needed for serial evaluation of patients, such as before and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary arterial bypass graft surgery, etc.
Angiography ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Animals ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Transplants ; Ventricular Pressure