Clinical findings, electrocardiographic voltage and left ventricular function were evaluated in 104 patients with percardial effusion. Patients were classified into three groups by the amounts of pericardial effusion measured by two-dimensional echocardiography. 49 patients had small pericardial effusion, 31 moderate effusion and 24 large effusion. In 47 patients the effusions were clinically unsuspected prior to echocardiographic examination. Pericardial friction rub was noted in 14 patients, two-thirds of whom had moderate to large effusions. There was no relationship between the size of effusion and the presence of friction rub. Total QRS amplitudes were lower in patients with moderate to large effusions than those in control group. Maximum diastolic endocardial velocity(DEVM) and E-F slope of the anterior mitral leaflet were decreased significantly in patients with moderate to large effusions as compared with those with small effusions. As a result, authors concluded that reduction in the QRS voltages in serial ECGs may suggest the presence and the amount of pericardial effusion and also DEVM and E-F slope of the anterior mitral leaflet can be sensitive measures of left ventricular relaxation in patients with pericardial effusion.
Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography* ; Friction ; Humans ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Relaxation ; Ventricular Function, Left*

Left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) is one of common cardiovascular complications in hypertensive patients and it is well known that hypertensive cardiac disease accompained by LVH is still common cause of congestive heart failure in spite of treatment of hypertension. The authors assessed the prevalence of anatomical and functional abnormalities of left ventricle by EKG, chest X-ray and echocardiography in 45 essential hypertensive patients and also in 20 normal controls. Average values of left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWd), interventricular septal thickness(IVSd), left ventricular mass(LVM), and left ventricular mass index(LVM/BSA) by echocardiography in hypertensive groups with LVH by EKG or chest X-ray were significantly higher than those of hypertensive groups without LVH by EKG or chest X-ray(P<0.005). Among 27 hypertensive patients with LVH by EKG and chest X-ray increased LVPWd was found in 24 patients(18%) and increased LVH in 26 patients(19%). Increased LVPWd and LVM were found in 3 patients(23%) among 13 hypertensives without LVH by EKG and chest X-ray. Hypertensive patients with increased LVH showed LVH by EKG and chest X-ray more frequently than those with increased LVPWd. Also, hypertensive patients without increased LVM showed MVH by EKG and chest X-ray less frequently than those without increased LVPWd. Therefore, echocardiography appears to be superior to routine chest X-ray and EKG for defecting LVH in hypertensive patients, especially without LVH by these tests. In conclusion, even though estimation of LVM by echocardiography seems to be a better method than single measurement of LVPWd, it seems thant estimation of LVM together with LVPWd will be more valuable in diagnosis of LVH in hypertensive patients.
Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Prevalence ; Thorax

In order to review the epidemiological data of cardiovascular diseases, statistical observation was made on the 7,271 patients with cardiovascular diseases who were treated in the Department of Internal Medicine, Han-Yang University Hospital during the 10 year period from May 1972 to December 1981. A. General Findings (1) Cardiovascular disease was seen in 18.6% out of a total 39,004 medical inpatients treated during this 10 year time span. (2) Incidences of cardiovascular disease seemed to increase in frequency in consecutive years, especially incidence of coronary heart disease and arrhythmia. (3) Incidence of cardiovascular disease occurred most frequently to patients in their fifth decade, and next most frequently to those in their sixth and fourth decade, in that order. (4) The overall ratio of male to female incidence of cardiovascular disease was 1:1. B. Specific Epidemiology (1) Hypertension was the most common form of cardiovascular problem, accounting for 52.9% of patients with cardiovascular disease and 9.9% of the total medical in-patients population. Incidence of hypertension occured most frequently in the fifth decade of life. It occured next most in the sixth and fourth decades, in that order. The male to female ratio of incidence of hypertension was 1:1. Patients with malignant hypertension made up 5.9% all hypertension patients. (2) Patients with rheumatic heart disease made up 6% of those patients with cardiovascular diseases. Male to female ratio of incidence of rheumatic heart disease was 1:2.4. The most common form of this disease was mitral valvular disease, but isolated aortic valvular disease proved to be rather uncommon in this study in Korea. (3) Coronary heart disease made up 15.5 % of all incidence of cardiovascular diseases. It occured most frequently to patients in their fifth and sixth decades, and in a male to female ratio of 1.5 to 1. (4) Congenital heart disease made of 0.9% of the total incidence of cardiovascular diseases with ventricular septal defect as the most common form of this disease. (5) The remaining forms of cardiovascular diseases diagnosed during the time span of this study were arrhythmia 16.8%, cor pulmonale 1.4%, cardiomyopathy 1.3%, peripheral vascular disease 1.0%, pericarditis 1.0%, thyrotoxic heart disease 0.8%, endocarditis 0.5%, postpartum cardiomyopathy 0.3%, myxedematous heart disease 0.1%, and miscellaneous heart ailments 1.5%.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathies ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Coronary Disease ; Endocarditis ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Malignant ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Internal Medicine ; Korea* ; Male ; Pericarditis ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Postpartum Period ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; Rheumatic Heart Disease

OBJECTS: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sleep apnea syndromes on the systemic blood pressure. METHODS: The subjects were 140 patients who were consulted to Yon-jung brain auction and sleep research center for polysomnography due to snoring and sleep apnea from Jan. 1st 1995 to Oct. 31st 1995. Twenty-four out of 140 were excluded due to cardiovascular diseases other than systemic hypertension, antihypertensive medication, inadequate data or diagnosis other than sleep apnea syndrome. The remaining 116 were accepted as proper subjects. Using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis, we looked for the relationship between sleep and respiratory variables to systemic blood pressure. RESULTS: The results were as follows : 1) According to the correlation analysis, statistically significant variables to mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were the total time and total number of sleep apnea, degree of oxygen saturation of total sleep time, apnea index, total time and total number of central apnea, and the total time of obstructive apnea. 2) According to the multiple regression analysis, only the total time of sleep apnea significantly affected mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the degrees of affection were 7.9% and 6.2% respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that sleep apnea syndrome had lower influence over systemic blood pressure than expected and regardless of the type, only the total time of sleep apnea influenced systemic blood pressure. In the case of central apnea, mechanisms other than hypoxemia and the increase of sympathetic activity during arousal may make it possible to increase systemic blood pressure.
Anoxia ; Apnea ; Arousal ; Blood Pressure* ; Brain ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Oxygen ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes* ; Sleep Apnea, Central ; Snoring

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the antihypertensive effect, safety and effect on serum lipids of terazosin, second generation alpha1-blocker. METHODS: Terazosin 1-4mg was adminstered once daily in 20 patients for 12 weeks with dose titration every 2 weeks. RESULTS: 1) The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were decreased from 170.0+/-13.0/104.0+/-6.0mmHg to 144.0+/-13.3/88.0+/-5.6mmHg(p<0.01), but the heart rate and body weight were independant of terazosin administration. 2) Total cholesterol was decreased significantly from 209.9+/-33.5mg/dL to 194.6+/-30.1mg/dL after 12 weeks treatment(p<0.05), triglyceride was decreased significantly from 185.4+/-37.0mg/dL to 168.9+/-35.0mg/dL(p<0.05). and LDL-cholesterol was decreased significantly from 134.5+/-31.9mg/dL to 122.7+/-29.9mg/dL(p<0.05), but HDL-cholesterol was increased significantly from 37.8+/-5.6mg/dL to 40.6+/-5.5mg/dL(p<0.05). 3) The adverse effects of terazosin were dizziness in 2, headache in 2, asthenia in 1, peripheral edema in 1 and skin rash in 1 patient, but were not troublesome enough to stop medication. CONCLUSIONS: Terazosin 1-4mg once daily regimen was effective and safe as an antihypertensive agent, and moreover terazosin has favorable effects on serum lipids.
Asthenia ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Dizziness ; Edema ; Exanthema ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Triglycerides

PURPOSE: Percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) uses a new energy source, microwave, in the treatment of solid neoplasms. We evaluated the efficacy of PMCT for nodular hepatic tumors in nine patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between December 1998 and June 1999, we performed PMCT in six patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), two with one and three metastatic nodules each from colon cancer, and one with adenomatous hyperplasia. Four patients were female and five were male, and their age ranged between 44 and 71 (mean, 58.8) years. Under sonographic guidance a 14-gauge guiding needle was inserted percutaneously toward the lesion, and within it a needle electrode was precisely positioned. Microwave 2450MHz in frequency and with 60 or 80 watt emission was generated for 80~90 seconds. We evaluated the ultrasound findings obtained during the procedure, pre-PMCT and follow-up CT images, changes in tumor marker(AFP or CA19-9) levels and the results of liver function tests, and complications arising during the six-month period following PMCT. RESULTS: Immediately after microwave emission, characteristic hyperechogenicity appeared on the realtime sonogram. Two patients with HCC underwent CT before PMCT, and typical enhancement during the arterial phase and washout during the portovenous phase was observed. In one patient, two metastatic lesions from colon cancer showed delayed enhancement on pre-PMCT CT. Initial follow-up CT, performed between 1 and 4 weeks after the PMCT procedure, showed that eight lesions-including two HCCs which were highly enhanced on CT before PMCT-showed no contrast enhancement, and three others showed delayed enhancement. Two of the eight lesions which showed no contrast enhancement at initial follow-up CT were markedly decreased in size (from 2.9 and 4.0 cm to 1.0 and 2.0 cm, respectively) at subseqent follow-up 3 months and 6 months later, respectively. One of the three lesions showing delayed enhancement had increased in size from 4.1 to 5.5 cm at subsequent follow-up CT, 2 months later. Serum AFP or CA19-9 levels decreased in four of six patients (66.7%) who were followed up for 6 months. Transient elevation of aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels were noted in all patients. PMCT-related complications included intrahepatic arterioportal shunt in two patients, pleural effusion in one, skin burn in one, intraperitoneal hemorrhage in one, and mild fever, abdominal pain and nausea in seven. No complications were serious, however. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary experiences suggest that PMCT is a safe and effective treatment modality for nodular hepatic tumors.
Abdominal Pain ; Aspartic Acid ; Burns ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Electrodes ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male ; Microwaves* ; Nausea ; Needles ; Pleural Effusion ; Skin ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Cadmium, an environmental pollutant, has implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Biochemical and pathophysiological changes characterized by arterial hypertension, accelerated cholesterol plaque formation on arterial walls, cardiac conduction abnormalities, and reduction in myocardial contractility have been reported in experimental animals chronically exposed to low concentration of cadmium. This study was undertaken to evaluate the ultrastructural changes of the cardiac muscle in rats exposed to cadmium chloride and to ascertain whether these changes are modified after discontinuation of cadmium feeding. METHOD: Wistar strain rats(body weight 200~250gram) were injected intraperitoneally once weekly with 3.75mg/kg of cadmium chloride for 10 weeks and were sacrificed at 1 day, 1 week and 2 weeks after discontinuation of cadmium administration. RESULT: Ultrastructure if rat cardiac muscle fibers after cadmium administration revealed that mitochondria were increased in number and their cristae were severely damaged. Cardiac myofibrils and myofilaments were reduced. Z-disc were partly dislocated and A-bands and I-bands were not clearly defined. Irregularly arranged intercalated disc and disrupted sarcolemma were also found. These structural alterations resulting from cadmium feeding were partly reduced after removal of cadmium exposure for 2 weeks. These structural alterations resulting from cadmium feeding were partly reduced after removal of cadmium exposure for 2 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that exposure to cadmium chloride was associated with cardiac ultrastructural changes which might be responsible for physiologic abnormalities and these alterations may be partly reversible after discontinuation of cadmium administration.
Animals ; Cadmium Chloride* ; Cadmium* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Hypertension ; Mitochondria ; Myocardium* ; Myofibrils ; Rats* ; Sarcolemma

PURPOSE: To evaluate usefulness of volume rendering technique using 3D visualization software on PC in patients with suspected intracranial aneurysm on brain MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed prospectively 21 patients with suspected aneurysms on the routine MIP images which were obtained 15 degree increment along axial and sagittal plane, among 135 patients in whom brain MRA was done due to stroke symptoms for recent 5 months. The locations were the anterior communicating artery (A-com) in 8 patients, the posterior communicating artery (P-com) in 3, the ICA bifurcation in 5, the MCA bifurcation in 4, and the basilar tip in one. Male to female ratio was 14:7 and mean age was 62 years. MRA source images were sent to PC through LAN, and the existence of aneurysm was evaluated with volume rendering technique using 3D visualization software on PC. The presence or absence of aneurysm on MIP and volume rendering images was decided by the consensus of two radiologists. RESULTS: We found the aneurysms with volume rendering technique, from 1 patient among 8 patients with suspected aneurysm at A-com and also 1 patient among 3 patients with suspected aneurysm at P-com on routine MIP images. Confirmative angiography and interventional procedures were done in these 2 patients. The causes for mimicking the aneurysm on MIP were flow displacement artifact in 9, normal P-com infundibulum in 2, and overlapped or narrowed vessels in 8 patients, and among them confirmative angiography was done in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Volume rendering technique using visualization software on PC is useful to scrutinize the suspected aneurysm on routine MIP images and to avoid further invasive angiography.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries ; Artifacts ; Brain* ; Consensus ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Local Area Networks ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke

INTRODUCTION: Bone resorption is a unique function of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are a specialized macrophage polykaryon whose differentiation is regulated principally by macrophage colony-stimulating factors, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANK) ligand, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and interleukins (IL). Reflecting the integrin-mediated signals, osteoclasts develop a specialized cytoskeleton that allows it to establish an isolated micro-environment between itself and the bone, wherein matrix degradation occurs by a process involving proton transport. The levels of IL-1, IL-6, OPG, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) expression were evaluated to study the correlations between dental implant teeth and the adjacent teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The exudate of the gingival crevice acquired from dental implants, adjacent teeth, opposite teeth and contralateral teeth of 24 patients. RESULTS: 1. The levels of IL-1, IL-6, OPG and PGE2 expression in dental implant teeth were higher than those of the contralateral teeth. 2. IL-1 revealed a higher expression level in the adjacent teeth than in dental implant teeth. 3. The dental implant teeth and adjacent teeth did not show a remarkable difference in the level of IL-1 expression. 4. All the other cytokines were strongly expressed in the dental implant compared to the adjacent teeth. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there might be close correlation between dental implant teeth and adjacent teeth in terms of the expressions of cytokines that affect the development and regulation of osteoclasts.
Bone Resorption ; Cytokines ; Cytoskeleton ; Dental Implants ; Dinoprostone ; Exudates and Transudates ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Macrophages ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoprotegerin ; Protons ; RANK Ligand ; Tooth

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on the allogenic cranial bone graft in the mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty eight 12-week-old male ICR mice weighing 40 g were used. The experimental group was injected subcutaneously with CsA (10 mg/kg/day) diluted in Caster oil for 7 days prior to the graft until sacrifice. The control group was injected with the same solution without CsA. RESULTS: In the experimental group, fibrous connective tissues and small amounts of inflammatory cells were observed. At 2 weeks after the allograft in the experimental group, new bone formation in fibrous collagenous tissue and around the allogenic bone was noted. At 4 weeks after the allograft, new bone formation was active along and at the periphery of the mature allogenic bone. The proliferation of blood vessels increased in bone marrow. In the control group, fibrous tissues and inflammatory cells were observed around the allogenic bone and existing bone at 1 week. At 2 weeks after the allograft, the proliferation of blood vessels accompanied by inflammatory cells were scattered in the fibrous connective tissues. New bone formation around the allogenic and existing bone could be observed. At 4 weeks after the allograft, inflammatory cells were severely infiltrated around the allogenic bone. Osteoclasts were scattered along the allogenic bone and induced bone resorption. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the daily administration of CsA (10 mg/kg/day) induces efficient immunosuppression without serious complications ,and this protocol might be useful for the experimental model of allogenic bone grafts.
Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Bone Marrow ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Cyclosporine ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Models, Theoretical ; Osteoclasts ; Osteogenesis ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants