Using 49 capacitive-coupled electrodes, mattress-type harness was developed to obtain posterior body surface potential map (P-BSPM) in dressed individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate how valuable information P-BSPM could provide, especially in discrimination of old myocardial infarction (OMI). P-BSPM of 59 individuals were analyzed; 23 normal control, 11 right bundle branch block (RBBB), 3 left bundle branch block (LBBB) and 19 OMI patients. Principal component analysis and linear hyper-plane approach were used to evaluate diagnostic performance. The axes of P-BSPM vector potential corresponded well with 12-lead electrocardiogram. During QRS, the end point of P-BSPM vector potential demonstrated characteristic clockwise rotation in RBBB, and counterclockwise rotation in LBBB patients. In OMI, initial negativity on P-BSPM during QRS was more frequently located at lower half, and also stronger in patients with inferior myocardial infarction (MI). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of P-BSPM during QRS in diagnosing overall OMI, anterior MI, and inferior MI was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.97), 0.71 (0.47-0.94), and 0.98 (0.94-1.0), respectively (P = 0.022 for anterior vs inferior MI groups). In conclusion, the novel P-BSPM provides detailed information for cardiac electrical dynamics and is applicable to diagnosing OMI, especially inferior myocardial infarction.
Adult ; Aged ; Area Under Curve ; Body Surface Potential Mapping/instrumentation/*methods ; Bundle-Branch Block/diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis ; Principal Component Analysis ; ROC Curve

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the strategies for atrial substrate modification, the mechanism behind CFAE as an electrophysiological substrate remains unclear. We investigated structural differences between CFAE sites and their matched non-CFAE sites by comparing their histopathologic characteristics in canine AF models. METHODS: Atrial electrograms of four dogs were obtained from the epicardial site. AF was induced through burst atrial pacing at 600 bpm for 30 min. CFAE sites were identified during AF according to patterns visualized on the electrograms, and their matched non-CFAE sites were selected in the adjacent region, within 5 mm of each CFAE site. Tissues were harvested from CFAE sites and their matched non-CFAE sites at various locations in both atria. Histopathologic differences were identified between CFAE and non-CFAE sites. RESULTS: A total of 24 atrial tissues (12 with CFAE, 12 with non-CFAE) were evaluated. The atrial myocardium was significantly thicker at CFAE sites (1757.5±560.5 µm) than at non-CFAE sites (1279.5±337.2 µm) (p=0.036). At CFAE sites, it was filled with a significantly larger amount of fibrotic tissue than at non-CFAE sites (22.8±6.9% versus 7.2±4.7%, p < 0.001). Results were consistent across various tissue locations. The distribution of autonomic nerve innervation was similar between CFAE and non-CFAE sites. CONCLUSION: This study provides a better understanding of histological characteristics of CFAE sites, namely a thicker wall and greater amount of fibrosis. These findings may be associated with the development of CFAE and its pathophysiological contribution to AF.
Animals ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Autonomic Pathways ; Catheter Ablation ; Dogs ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Fibrosis ; Myocardium

Presurgical maxillary orthodontics during neonatal period has been advocated to facilitate cleft lip and/or palate cases through correcting widened alveolar bone and twisting or bending protruded premaxilla. This may improve post-orthodontic surgical lip repair procedure. Premaxilla cannot be moved into the correct position by a passive acrylic appliance alone. Therefore active acrylic appliance may be necessary and force vector, amount and stability of appliance are mandatory. Because neonatal infant still doesn't have a fully grown face, there may be some limitations to apply proper active force to the patient. The authors devised a new active stabilized extraoral appliance which provided stable extraoral force in the cleft lip and/or palate patients. We applied our new device to 2 infants with unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate. Stability of extraoral part has been increased by elastic rubber band, and the intraoral part is firmly connected to extraoral part. By using this device, the gap has decreased from 11.5mm to 6.5mm between right and left alveolar ridge in 1-month infant with unilateral case after 7 weeks. In 2-month infant with bilateral cleft, the length between premaxilla and alveolar ridge decreased from 6.5mm to 2.0mm after 4 weeks. We think our intraoral active stabilized orthodontic appliance could be widly used in cleft patients to put their maxillary segments to desirable position. This procedure makes the cleft lip surgery easier, with less tension.
Alveolar Process ; Cleft Lip* ; Cleft Palate ; Humans ; Infant ; Lip ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Orthodontics ; Palate* ; Rubber

Ictal asystole is potentially lethal, and known to originate from the involvement of limbic autonomic regions. Appropriate treatment must include an antiepileptic drug and the implantation of a pacemaker. We report the case of a 54-year-old male with recurrent syncope secondary to ictal asystole triggered by temporal lobe epilepsy. This was confirmed by combined Holter and video-electroencephalogram monitoring.
Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Syncope ; Temporal Lobe

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bicaval heart transplantation (HTx) may promote parasympathetic reinnervation. However, the prevalence and timing of reinnervation have not been fully investigated. Heart rate variability (HRV) and direct vagal stimulation were used to evaluate the presence of parasympathetic reinnervation after bicaval HTx. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients (time after HTx 0.52-4.41 years, mean 1.8±1.2 years) who received a bicaval HTx was enrolled. Reinnervation was evaluated using HRV values from 24-hour Holter recordings. A cross-sectional analysis of the HRV at 0.5-1, 1-2, and >2 years after HTx was performed. We also applied high-frequency electrical stimulation (16.7 Hz, 1 msec pulse width, ≤10 V) to the cardiac branches of the vagus nerve at the level of the superior vena cava in eight patients at 6 and 12 months after HTx. RESULTS: The degree of parasympathetic reinnervation corresponded to the time after HTx. The HRV analysis revealed that the root mean square of the successive differences between consecutive RR-intervals (RMSSD) and high-frequency power were significantly higher during the late period (>2 years) compared with the early period (0.5-1 year) after HTx. None of the eight patients who underwent direct vagal stimulation responded during the stimulation at 6 and 12 months, whereas incremental trends in HRV parameters were observed, which indicated that parasympathetic reinnervation began within 1 year after HTx. CONCLUSION: Parasympathetic reinnervation seemed to begin in the early period (<1 year) after bicaval HTx. Reconnection of major branches of the vagus nerve may not be related to early reinnervation.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Electric Stimulation ; Heart Rate ; Heart Transplantation* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Vagus Nerve* ; Vena Cava, Superior

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is a multisystem disorder, which is clinically characterized by encephalopathy, dementia, seizures and stroke-like episodes. Multiple organs can be affected and cardiac involvement often dominates the clinical picture because of its high energy requirement. We report a case of a 21-year-old woman with MELAS syndrome who had pre-excitation ECG and one episode of tachycardia attack.
Acidosis, Lactic ; Dementia ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; MELAS Syndrome ; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies ; Seizures ; Tachycardia ; Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome ; Young Adult

Asian eyes may have a narrow palpebral fissure and an upward Mongolian slant that is sometimes perceived as an angry or unfavorable expression. Among the various methods of oculoplastic surgery, lateral canthoplasty can alter the structure of the eyes such that they appear much bigger, thereby conveying a more favorable expression. We performed a lateral canthoplasty in which the lower eyelid tarsus was fixed to the periosteum while the lateral canthus was moved downward and backward. Here, we describe the surgical procedure we used to perform this technique.
Ankle ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blepharoplasty ; Cosmetic Techniques ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Periosteum*

Asian eyes may have a narrow palpebral fissure and an upward Mongolian slant that is sometimes perceived as an angry or unfavorable expression. Among the various methods of oculoplastic surgery, lateral canthoplasty can alter the structure of the eyes such that they appear much bigger, thereby conveying a more favorable expression. We performed a lateral canthoplasty in which the lower eyelid tarsus was fixed to the periosteum while the lateral canthus was moved downward and backward. Here, we describe the surgical procedure we used to perform this technique.
Ankle ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blepharoplasty ; Cosmetic Techniques ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus ; Periosteum*

OBJECTIVE: This 2009–2011 nation-wide study of adult Koreans was aimed to provide characteristics, medical utilization states, and survival rates for newly diagnosed patients with primary nonmalignant and malignant spine tumors. METHODS: Data for patients with primary spine tumors were selected from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. The data included their age, sex, health insurance type, co-morbidities, medical cost, and hospital stay duration. Hospital stay duration and medical costs per person occurring in one calendar year were used. In addition, survival rates of patients with primary malignant spine tumors were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence rate of a primary spine tumor increased with age, and the year of diagnosis (p≤0.0001). Average annual medical costs ranged from 1627 USD (pelvis & sacrum & coccyx tumors) to 6601 USD (spinal cord tumor) for primary nonmalignant spine tumor and from 12137 USD (spinal meningomas) to 20825 USD (pelvis & sacrum & coccyx tumors) for a primary malignant spine tumor. Overall survival rates for those with a primary malignant spine tumor were 87.0%, 75.3%, and 70.6% at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The Cox regression model results showed that male sex, medicare insurance were significantly positive factors affecting survival after a diagnosis of primary malignant spine tumor. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a detailed view of the characteristics, medical utilization states, and survival rates of patients newly diagnosed with primary spine tumors in Korea.
Adult* ; Coccyx ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Medicare ; Sacrum ; Spine* ; Survival Rate

Preauricular sinus is a congenital malformation that is very commonly encountered among the general population and it has especially high prevalence among Asians when compared to other ethnic groups. It can often go unnoticed or easily overlooked by the patient or even by doctors because most of them are asymptomatic and is most of the time only a tiny pit that can be trivial in terms of aesthetics. We report a very rare and unique case that has no precedence what so ever; hence no reported case in the literature: an ectopic preauricular sinus in a facial cleft and microsomia patient.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Branchial Region ; Congenital Microtia* ; Craniofacial Abnormalities ; Esthetics ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Prevalence