The Kawasaki disease has been reported worldwide since the first description in 1967 in Japan. Approximately 20% of the children with untreated Kawasaki disease are believed to develop coronary artery aneurysm of which 2-3% progress to coronary artery stenosis. The Kawasaki disease rarely affects adults and accordingly, there have been only a few cases reported in literatures. The present case describes a successful surgical treatment of a 43-year-old female patient with coronary artery aneurysm and stenosis, which resulted from an episode of the Kawasaki disease that occurred 20 years earlier. The patient was well at 5 months followup.
Adult* ; Aneurysm ; Child ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Japan ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*

In order to investigate electrolyte changes in serum and urine diuretic therapy, we studied 98 patients with hypertension not optimally controlled by previous treatment. After we divied the patients into three gorups in randomized trial, group A were given Amiloride 10mg/day, group B were given Dihydrochlorothiazide 50mg/day, group C were given Amiloride 5mg/day combined with Dihydrochlorothiazide 25mg/day for 7 days. Blood pressure and electrolyte changes in serum and urine after diuretic theraphy for 7 days were as follows. 1) Serum sodium concentrations were not significantly changed in all three groups(P>0.05). 2) Serum potassium concentrations were increased in group A and C (P<0.05), but there were no significant changes in group B(P<0.05). 3) Urinary sodium exceretions were increased in all three groups(P<0.05). 4) Urinary potassium excretion were decreased in group A and C (P<0.05), but there were increased in group B (P<0.05). 5) Blood pressure were decreased in all three groups(P<0.05).
Amiloride ; Blood Pressure ; Diuretics* ; Electrolytes* ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; Hypertension* ; Potassium ; Sodium

BACKGROUND: To secure a rapid and safe approach which is at the same time cosmetically appealing, we employed the right anterolateral thoracotomy incision for repair of atrial septal defects and valvular heart diseases in the adult. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between October 1989 and June 1998, 44 adult patients underwent open heart surgery through right anterolateral thoracotomy at our institution. Operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross clamp time, blood loss until chest tube removal, length of ICU stay, days to discharge, and survival were compared with those that received cardiac surgery via conventional sternotomy. RESULT: No significant differences were observed between the two groups. There was no death and no additional morbidity directly related to this approach. Cosmetically satisfying results were obtained with safety using the right anterolateral thoracotomy approach. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the right anterolateral thoracotomy approach is a safe alternative to conventional median sternotomy as it offers excellent exposure and aesthetically more acceptable wounds while not adding on to the operative risks.
Adult* ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Chest Tubes ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Sternotomy ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Thoracotomy* ; Wounds and Injuries

This study was designed to find an effective delay method for preventing the ischemic compromise of TRAM flap in rat. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups evenly and a left inferior epigastric vessel pedicled TRAM flap, sized 5.0 x 3.5 cm was created on the upper abdomen. Experimental groups included group 1(control): no delay procedure before elevation of flap, group 2(surgical delay): the left superior epigastric vessels and the contralateral rectus perforators were ligated 2 weeks before elevation of flap, group 3(pharmacological delay): prostaglandin E>(0.5 microgram) was given intraperitoneally for 2 weeks before elevation of flap daily, group 4(surgical and pharmacological delay): the same surgical and pharmacological delay have been done simultaneously. On the seventh day after operation, we evaluated and compared the results by the measurement of the flap survival area, the observation of the vessel distribution through Microfil casts and the measurement of vessel surface area through histologic slides. The results were as follows; 1) The mean percentages of the flap survival area of group 2(73.32+/-21.07%), 3(71.77+/-l 17.49%) and 4(89.54 +/-11.38%) were higher than that of group 1(41.23 +/- 14.26%) significantly(p < 0.05). 2) The vessel distributions of group 2, 3 and 4 were much abundant than that of group 1 in Microfil casts. 3) The vessel surface areas of group 2, 3 and 4 were higher than that of group 1 significantly(p < 0.01) and that of group 4 was higher than that of group 2(p < 0.05). In conclusion, prostaglandin E could be used to increase the flap survival area in rat TRAM flap model as a pharmacological delay and the effect of prostaglandin E was comparable to that of the surgical delay.
Abdomen ; Alprostadil* ; Animals ; Myocutaneous Flap* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Silicone Elastomers

Postoperative autotransfusion is known as an effective method for blood conservation. We tried to examine whether the autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood in patients with unstable angina would be valuable for reducing postoperative homologous transfusion by observing the hourly tendency of bleeding and transfusion. Between August and October, 1997, 26 patients with unstable angina underwent coronary arterial bypass surgery by a single surgeon at Asan Medical Center. In retrospective analysis, we found 90% of the patients received homologous transfusions and 85% of them were in the intensive care unit at the same day after operation. In many patients, the cause of transfusion was not anemia but volume replacement. Mean bleeding through the chest tubes was 340 cc for the first 5 hours and 69% (18 pts) showed more than 200 cc of bleeding, the amount generally considered as a initiating point for autotransfusion. Despite the adoption of multiple methods for blood conservation, 90% of the patients needed homologous transfusion. Moreover, many of them had received unnecessary transfusions. We conclude that some kind of blood for transfusion is needed during the immediate postoperative period, and the adoption of postoperative autotransfusion may help in reducing homologous transfusion.
Anemia ; Angina Pectoris ; Angina, Unstable ; Blood Transfusion ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; Chest Tubes ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

After renal injury, selective damage occurs in the proximal tubules as a result of inhibition of glycolysis. The molecular mechanism of damage is not known. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation plays a critical role of proximal tubular cell death in several renal disorders. Here, we studied the role of PARP on glycolytic flux in pig kidney proximal tubule epithelial LLC-PK1 cells using XFp extracellular flux analysis. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by PARP activation was increased approximately 2-fold by incubation of the cells in 10 mM glucose for 30 minutes, but treatment with the PARP inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) does-dependently prevented the glucose-induced PARP activation (approximately 14.4% decrease in 0.1 mM 3-AB-treated group and 36.7% decrease in 1 mM 3-AB-treated group). Treatment with 1 mM 3-AB significantly enhanced the glucose-mediated increase in the extracellular acidification rate (61.1±4.3 mpH/min vs. 126.8±6.2 mpH/min or approximately 2-fold) compared with treatment with vehicle, indicating that PARP inhibition increases only glycolytic activity during glycolytic flux including basal glycolysis, glycolytic activity, and glycolytic capacity in kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells. Glucose increased the activities of glycolytic enzymes including hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphofructokinase-1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, enolase, and pyruvate kinase in LLC-PK1 cells. Furthermore, PARP inhibition selectively augmented the activities of hexokinase (approximately 1.4-fold over vehicle group), phosphofructokinase-1 (approximately 1.6-fold over vehicle group), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (approximately 2.2-fold over vehicle group). In conclusion, these data suggest that PARP activation may regulate glycolytic activity via poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase-1, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells.
Animals ; Cell Death ; Epithelial Cells* ; Glucose ; Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase ; Glycolysis ; Hexokinase ; Kidney* ; LLC-PK1 Cells ; Oxidoreductases ; Phosphofructokinase-1 ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; Poly Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose* ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases* ; Pyruvate Kinase ; Swine

PURPOSE: We report short-term results of radial head prosthesis using a unipolar loose fit stem in ten patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with Mason type three radial head fracture, who received unipolar radial head arthroplasty from February 2010 to June 2011, were evaluated (mean follow-up: 22 months, range: 18-30 months). Subjects consisted of five men and five women. Range of elbow motion was measured. Mayo elbow performance index (MEPI) score was used for functional evaluation and periodic radiological imaging was performed to evaluate the stability of implant. RESULTS: After an average follow-up of 22 months, elbow stability was maintained in all cases, and the average range of motion of elbow flexion and extension was 6 to 130 degrees. Average range of pronation and supination was 66 and 74 degrees, respectively. MEPI score was evaluated as excellent in seven cases, and good in three cases. On final follow-up, radiological assessment showed implant stability in all cases without evidence of dislocation, subluxation, arthritis, periprosthetic osteolysis or heterotopic ossification. CONCLUSION: Based on our short-term follow-up, radial head arthroplasty with unipolar loose fit stem is a useful method for obtaining satisfactory outcome for unreducible comminuted radial head fractures.
Arthritis ; Arthroplasty* ; Dislocations ; Elbow ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Humans ; Male ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Osteolysis ; Pronation ; Prostheses and Implants ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Supination

Malignant eccrine spiradenoma is very rare neoplasm of cutaneous adnexal origin, arising from previously benign eccrine spiradenoma. We present an additional case of malignant eccrine spiradenoma in abdomen of 56-year-old female patient. The mass was stable for 25 years and recently increased in size and became strikingly painful and tender. The excised mass showed typical findings of eccrine spiradenoma 8 its malignancy. There was no evidence of local invasion & distant metastasis. We resected the tumor mass with 3 cm safty margin and have followed up the patient.
Abdomen ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis

We report two cases with progressive dysphagia and foreign body sensation resulted from severe cervical ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament (OALL). A 63-years-old male presented progressive dysphagia and foreign body sensation with neck pain. Cervical computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance images (MRI) revealed diffuseOALL from C2 to C7 with esophageal compression by most severe OALL of C5, C6, C7 and spondylotic stenosis of C5- 6, C6-7. OALL removal of C5, 6, 7 and discectomy with interbody fusion via anterior approach was performed. The other 56-years-old female presented progressive dysphagia with foreign body sensation. Cervical CT and MRI revealed severe OALL of C4, 5, 6, 7 with esophageal compression and surgical removal was performed. In both patients, dysphagia and foreign body sensation was immediately relieved after operation and the distance between trachea and each cervical body was increased than preoperative distance in cervical lateral view.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diskectomy ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Neck Pain ; Sensation ; Trachea

BACKGROUND: Numerous surgical devices for mitral repair have been used in the past with good results. In this study we describe a simple annuloplasty technique with using a new device (Mitracon(R)). The aim of this study was to assess its efficacy and surgical results with using Mitracon. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From May 2003 to October 2005, 46 patients (21 women and 25 men (mean age of 51.4+/-17.8 years) with mitral regurgitation from various causes were treated with either the Mitracon(R) (the Mitracon group) or the Capentier Edward rigid ring(R) (the CE group). The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months. RESULT: The mean grade of mitral regurgitation before and immediately after surgery in the Mitracon group and the CE group decreased from 3.2+/-0.8 to 0.6+/-0.7 and 3.4+/-0.7 to 0.3+/-0.5, respectively. There were no significant changes in the ejection fraction either between the two groups or before and immediately after surgery. No deaths were seen in either group. Early postoperative echocardiography of all 46 patients showed only trivial mitral regurgitation or none at all. Echocardiography at a median of 18.9 months also showed no progression in mitral regurgitation. The mean grade of mitral regurgitation in the Mitracon group at this time point decreased from 3.2+/-0.8 to 0.8+/-0.7 (p<0.05). The CE group also showed a similar degree of decrease from 3.4+/-0.7 to 0.3+/-0.6 (p<0.05). The mitral valve area in the Mitracon group at 1 year follow-up was 3.3+/-0.9 cm(2). The mitral valve area in the CE group was 2.7+/-0.6 cm(2). The mean mitral pressure gradient in the Mitracon group at 1 year follow-up was 3.1+/-1.3 mmHg. The mean pressure gradient in the CE group was 4.5+/-2.1 mmHg, although any statistical significant difference for this between the groups was not reached. CONCLUSION: The present study showed the described technique to be safe and effective in the intermediate term. Because long term results are unavailable, a more extensive prospective randomized multicenter trial may be warranted to determine whether this procedure should be generally applied for repair of mitral valve disease.
Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency