PURPOSE: We compared the contrast enhancement patterns of hepatocellular carcinomas(HCC), hemangiomas, and metastasis on two phase imagings to determine the value of two phase dynamic CT in the differential diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two phases spiral volumetric CT scan were obtained 45 seconds and 6 minutes after bolus injection of contrast material in 106 patients. A bolus of 100 mL of nonionic contrast material was administered intravenously at a injection rate of 2 mL/sec. RESULT:In Hepatocollular carcinoma, 47% were totally hyperdense and 30% were totally hypodense in early phase, and 82% were totally hypodense in late phase. In hemangioma, 90% were peripherally hyperdense in early phase, 52% were isodense and 27% were totally hyperdense in late phase. In metastatic liver malignancies, 65% were hypodense and 32% were peripherally hyperdense in early phase, and 79% were hypodense in late phase. CONCLUSION: Two phases spiral volumetric CT scaning is considered to be heplful in the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors.
Diagnosis, Differential* ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Spiral Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

Trauma and non-traumatic aortic pathologies such as infective endocarditis, syphilis, fenestrated aortic valves, valves with myxomatous transformation, cystic medionecrosis of the aorta, and inherited disorders of connective tissue may occasionally lead to a rupture of the aortic valve. Among the causes of the rupture of the aortic valve, the non-traumatic aortic valve commissural rupture is extremely rare. The aortic valve rupture typically results in a rapidly progressive heart failure and frequently, death. Therefore, early diagnosis is followed by an immediate operation is necessary. The purpose of this article is to report the first successful operation in Korea of a 44-year-old male patient with acute aortic regurgitation due to non-traumatic rupture of the aortic valve commissure.
Adult ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency* ; Aortic Valve* ; Connective Tissue ; Early Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Endocarditis ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pathology ; Rupture* ; Syphilis

BACKGROUND: Left ventriculuar hypertrophy(LVH) detected by echocadiography has long been recognized as a consequence of hypertension as well as independent predictor of subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Numerous studies have shown left ventricular hypertrophy regression in response to antihypertensive drug therapy. The advent of echocardiography has made possible the noninvasive estimation of left ventricular mass. In this study, we analyesd hypertensive patients with LVH and without LVH by echocardiography to assees the changes of the left ventricular mass(LVM) and diastolic function after one year antihypertensive therapy. METHODS: Twenty patients with established hypertension were studied. No patients had a previos history of antihypertensive therapy. Patients were divided two group ; patients with LVH(Group I), patients without LVH(Group II). We obtained the basal echocardiography at the diagnosis and follow-up echocardiography after 6months and 12months antihypertensive therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. RESULTS: 1) Group I ; Baseline blood pressure was 155/104mmHg and fell to 129/86mmHg (p < 0.05) after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. There was no significant reduction in heart rate. Group II ; Baseline blood pressure was 149/102mmHg and fell to 123/83mmHg (p < 0.05) after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. There was no significant reduction in heart rate. 2) Group I ; LVM was reduced significantly from 160g/m2 to 132g/m2 after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. Group II ; LVM was not significantly reduced after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. 3) Group I ; Time velocity intergral dimension E(Ei) was increased from 9.1cm to 12.5cm significantly(p < 0.05), and Ei/Ai was significantly increased from 1.7 to 2.1 (p < 0.05) after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. Group II ; There were no significantly interval changes in time velocity intergral dimension E(Ei), time velocity intergral dimension A (Ai) and Ei/Ai after 12 months antihypertensive therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that antihypertensive therapy with ACE inhibitor reduced significantly the lefe ventricular mass and increased left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive patients with LVH. We demonstrate the useful role that echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular structure and function may play in hypertension research.
Blood Pressure ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Mortality ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and estimation of severity of infundibular pulmonic stenosis (PS) is difficult by two-dimensional or M-mode echocardiography. In continuous wave(CW) Doppler signal valvular PS is seen as a parabolic velocity profile but infundibular PS is seen as a velocity signal with its peak in late systole. The purpose of this study is that Doppler echocardiography can discriminate valvular PS from infundibular PS and assess the severity of infundibular obstruction. METHOD: Six patients with valvular and infundibular PS by Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were studied. All had been undergone surgery. We compared their Doppler echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization finding with surgical finding. RESULT: 1) CW Doppler signal of infundibular PS had lesser peak velocity(2.84m/sec vs 4.33m/sec, p < 0.05) and later systolic peak in velocity(AT/ET ratio : 0.73 vs 0.51, p < 0.05) than that of valvular PS. 2) Pressure gradient across the infundibular obstruction measured by Doppler echocardiography correlated well with that by cardiac catheterization(r=0.89, p < 0.05). 3) Operation finding showed infundibular PS in 5 case but not one and coexisting other anomaly such as ASD in 4 case, TOF in 1 case, PAPVR in 1 case. CONCLUSION: Doppler echocardiography is a useful noninvasive method for the diagnosis and the estimation of severity of infundibular obstruction in patient with PS.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Humans ; Methods ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Systole

BACKGROUND: Long term athletic training is associated with an increase in left ventricular diastolic cavity dimension, wall thickness, and mass. These changes in left ventricular morphology represent an adaptation to increased ventricular load and are generally described as the “athlete's heart”. In the present study, we used echocardiography to evaluate the left ventricular structure and function in track athletes. METHODS: We studies 48 males(average age 22 years)by Doppler and echocardiography, which consisted of 12 normal controls, 36 track athletes(12 long distance track, 12 sprint, 12 jump). These athletes were trained regularly for 3-19 years(average 9±4 years). RESULTS: 1) At rest, left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameter, systolic interventricular septal wall thickness, diastolic and systolic posterior wall thickness, and left ventricular end diastolic and systolic dimension were larger in long distance track athletes than in the controls. 2) Left ventricular mass was larger in long distance track athltes and sprinter than controls. 3) After maximum exercise, left ventricular diastolic and systolic diameter, systolic interventricular septal wall thickness, diastolic and systolic posterior wall thickness, and left ventricular end diastolic and systolic dimension increased more significantly in long distance track athletes than in the controls. But, in sprinters, the left end systolic diameter, diastolic and systolic interventricular septal thickness, and left end diastolic and systolic dimensions were increased. 4) At rest, the E/A and Ei/Ai of the mitral flow in long distance track athletes increased more than in the controls. But there were no differences of parameters of mitral and aortic flow between long distance track athletes and controls after maximum exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The left ventricular mass of long distance and sprint track athletes were lager Than controls. In the long distance track athletes, the left ventricular structural and functional changes before and after maximum exercise were prominent. In the sprinters, after maximum exercise, the left ventricular structural and functional changes were prominent.
Athletes ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Stress ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Sports