BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) to detect left atrial thrombi(LAT) and to investigate the clinical and echocardiography parameters which related with LAT. METHOD: We performed TEE and TTE simultaneously to 98 consecutive patients who had native mital valve disease or mital prosthesis as usual method. We examined the presence and location of LAT and spontaneous contrast(SC) in TEE and measured left atrial dimension(LAD), ejection fraction(EF), mital valve area(MVA) in TTE. Cardiac rhythm, history of anticoagulation and systemic embolization were also reviewed. We compared such parameters in LAT positive/negative groups and SC positive/negative groups. RESULTS: 1) In TEE, we detected 26 cases of LAT, among them seventeen cases : left atrial appendage(LAA) thrombi, 3 cases : combined LA and LAA thrombi, 6 cases : LA thrombi. In TTE, six cases showed LAT but we couldn't detect LAA thrombi. The difference between two methods was statistically significant(p<0.05). 2) LAT positive group showed larger LAD, lower EF, and higher prevalence of AF, systemic embolization, and LAT than negative groups(p<0.01). 3) SC positive group showed larger LAD, lower EF, higher prevalence of AF, systemic embolization LAT than SC negative groups(p<0.05). 4) In multiple discriminant analysis, the history of systemic embolization was most important factor which can suspect LAT(Wilk's Lambda:0.77152. p<0.0001). SC, EF, presence of AF, LAD, anticoagulation therapy. MVR were also statistically valuable factors in order. The hit ratio of this analysis was 86.84%. CONCLUSION: We can suggest that TEE is very useful method to detect LAT than TTE, and the spontaneous contrast was very important factor which can suggest LAT and systemic embolization in mitral valve disease.
Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Prevalence ; Prostheses and Implants

No abstract available.
Fractures, Open*

BACKGROUND: Although a number of indices of diastolic function based on transmitral flow have been proposed, no single factor seems to be adequate for seperating patients with normal from with abnormal diastolic functions. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography of pulmonary venous flow(PVF) is another non-invasive method to evaluate left ventricular diastolic performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the normal PVF pattern by TEE. METHOD: We performed pulsed-wave Doppler studies of the PVF and of the mitral flow by transesophageal-(TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) in a healthy young adults. RESULTS: In TEE, all sublects showed four phases of the PVE pattern ; two antewgrade systolic phase(early and late : SE and SL), one antewgrade diastolic phase(D) and one retrograde diastolic phase(A). In TTE, there were three phases of the PVF pattern ; two antewgrade phase(systolic, diastolic) and one retrograde diastolic phase but we couldn't find out early systolic phase flow. Peak velocity of each phase of PVF was as follows:SE was 48.9+/-14.1cm/sec, SL was 56.3+/-16.1cm/sec, D was 52.6+/-14.9cm/sec. The timing of SL flow was correlated significantly with that of peak aortic flow(r=0.42, p=<0.01), while the timing of D flow and that of A flow were correlated significntly with timing of mitral E peak and A peak, respectively(r=0.84, p<0.01 ; r=0.80, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In the young normal subject, PVF showed four phase of flow pattern and could be easily obtained by TEE. Furthermore it may be used for evaluation of left ventricular function.
Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Young Adult*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the stages of change in smoking cessation after a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft(CABG) and to identify the related factors. METHODS: The subjects (n=157) were patients who underwent a CABG in a university hospital from March 1998 to October 2005 and were smokers before the CABG. Data was collected viachart review and a telephone interview, and analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi2 test, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis procedure by the SPSS/PC win 12.0 program. RESULTS: The subjects smoked for an average of 34 years (21 cigarettes per day) before surgery. Eleven percent of the subjects were in pre-contemplation, 6.4% in contemplation, 13.5% in preparation, 4.5% in action, and 64.5% in the maintenance stage. Nicotine dependence and selfefficacy were different among the groups with different stages of change in smoking cessation. Nicotine dependence was the lowest (p=0.00) and self-efficacy was the highest (p=0.00) in the maintenance stage. The number of subjects in pre-contemplation and contemplation significantly increased 6 years after surgery(p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To implement effective smoking cessation interventions for CABG patients, the intervention should be developed to accommodate individual readiness for smoking cessation, especially so for those who had a CABG more than 6 years previously.
Aged ; *Coronary Artery Bypass ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Education as Topic ; Regression Analysis ; Self Efficacy ; Smoking/prevention & control/*psychology ; Smoking Cessation/*methods ; Tobacco Use Disorder/prevention & control

Segmental Spinal Instrumentation (S.S.I.) is considered to the effective operative procedure in unstable fracture and fracture-dislocation of the thoracolumbar spine, providing improved correction effect, high rate of fusion and immediate rigid fixation which obviates the need for postoperative immobilization. Retrospective study was carried out of 24 cases of fracture or fracture-dislication of the thoracolumbar spine, There were treated with Harrington rod instrumentation and sublaminar wiring (8 cases) and Luque rod instrumentatiom and sublaminar wiring (16 cases) in Soonchnhyang University, from January 1986 to June 1988. We have analyzed the results of treatment, which were as follows ; 1. Thoracolumbar junction (T12 Ll) was most commomly involved segment (63%) and falling from a height was most common cause of injuries. 2. The most common type by Denis classification was burst fracture (38%). 3. About improvement of neurologic status by injury site and type of instrumentation, thoracolumbar junction (38.5%) and lumbar spine (35%) were better prognosis than thoracic spine (8.75%). 4. In commparison with kyphotic deformity and displacement, Harrington rod (66.4%) was better than Luque rod (58.9%) in postoperative correction. Also in total correction, Harrington rod was better than Luque rod in spite of more or less large amount of loss of correction. words : Thoracolumbar spine, Unstable fracture-dislocation, Segmental spinal instrumentation (S.S.I.)
Accidental Falls ; Classification ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dislocations ; Immobilization ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Signet ring cell carcinoma has been previously described in many organs, most frequently in the stomach, and rarely in the colon, rectum, gallbladder, pancreas, breast, nadsal cavity, prostate, urinary bladder and ureter. Signet ring cell carcinomas in the lung, especially, when examined by small biopsies, are generally believed to be metastatic. This case was diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy. We also examined various organs by noninvasive method, including UGI series, barium enema and abdomen CT scarf, but all studies were nomal. Patient received cisplatin and etoposide combination chemotherapy followed by local radiotherapy ai a primary non-small cell lung cancer. Patient died of his disease 6 months after diagnosis. Now we report a case of primary signet ring cell carcinoma of the lung.
Abdomen ; Barium ; Biopsy ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell* ; Cisplatin ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Enema ; Etoposide ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Pancreas ; Prostate ; Radiotherapy ; Rectum ; Stomach ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder

We report a case of Aspergillus osteomyelitis of the spine in a 52-year-old female with back pain. Anteroposterior and lateral roentgenograms showed narrowing of the intervertebral disc space of T12-L1 with irregular vertebral endplates. MRI showed spondylodiscitis at T12-L1. Although tuberculous spondylitis is far more prevalent that fungal spondylitis, it is difficult to differentiate one from the other radiographically.
Aspergillosis ; Aspergillus* ; Discitis ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Osteomyelitis* ; Spine* ; Spondylitis

To assess the etiology and clinical course of moderate and severe pericardial effusions, we reviewed 118 consecutive patients seen in the cardiology department of the Kyunghee Medical Center from January, 1984 to July, 1988. 1) The common etiologies of pericardial effusions were tuberculosis(25.4%), malignancy(18.8%), uremia(16.2%), heart failure(14.4%), idiopathic(7.7%) and collagen vascular disease(5.1%). The lung cacer(77.2%) and breast cancer(9.1%) comprised most of the etiology of malignant pericardial effusion. The adenocarcinoma was the most common histologic entity of lung cancer. 2) Collapses of right atrium, right ventricle or both were seen in 17 case(14.4%), and the causes of collapses were malignancy(35.5%), idiopathic(11.8%) and uremia(11.8%). 3) The causes of constrictive pericarditis were : tuberculosis(42.9%), idiopathic(28.6%), malignancy(14.3%) and uremia(14.3%). 4) The percentages of improved cases were determined in 55 patients by echocardiography twice, 30th day after treatment and the last follow up day. It revealed 84%/96% in tuberculosis, 85.7%/0% in malignancy, 66.7%/83.3% in uremia, 83.3%/83.3% in heart failure, 100%/100% in both myxedema and myocardial infarction, and 33.3%/33.3% in collagen vascular disease at both follow up day. We conclude that the most common etiology of the pericardial effusions is still tuberculosis in Korea and the most common etiology of cardiac tamponade is malignancy, even though the suspected patients without echocardiography have been excluded can be a limitation of this study. The pericardial effusions by tuberculosis, uremia or heart failure responded well to the adequate treatment and response in malignancy or collagen vascular disease was not good.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Cardiology ; Collagen ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myxedema ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Pericarditis, Constrictive ; Tuberculosis ; Uremia ; Vascular Diseases

OBJECTIVES: Heart rate variability (HRV) has gained recognition as a noninvasive marker of autonomic activity. HRV is considered a promising tool in various clinical scenarios. The optimal electrocardiogram (ECG) sampling frequency required to ensure sufficient precision of R–R intervals for HRV analysis has not yet been determined. Here, we aimed to determine the acceptable ECG sampling frequency range by analyzing ECG signals from patients who visited an emergency department with the chief complaint of acute intoxication or overdose. METHODS: The study included 83 adult patients who visited an emergency department with the chief complaint of acute poisoning. The original 1,000-Hz ECG signals were down-sampled to 500-, 250-, 100-, and 50-Hz sampling frequencies with linear interpolation. R–R interval data were analyzed for time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear HRV parameters. Parameters derived from the data on down-sampled frequencies were compared with those derived from the data on 1,000-Hz signals, and Lin's concordance correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: Down-sampling to 500 or 250 Hz resulted in excellent concordance. Signals down-sampled to 100 Hz produced acceptable results for time-domain analysis and Poincaré plots, but not for frequency-domain analysis. Down-sampling to 50 Hz proved to be unacceptable for both time- and frequency-domain analyses. At 50 Hz, the root-mean-squared successive differences and the power of high frequency tended to have high values and random errors. CONCLUSIONS: A 250-Hz sampling frequency would be acceptable for HRV analysis. When frequency-domain analysis is not required, a 100-Hz sampling frequency would also be acceptable.
Adult ; Electrocardiography* ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Poisoning ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

BACKGROUND: In vitro study, normal cardiac prosthetic valve has functional regurgitation due to structural characteristics of prosthetic valve. To evaluate functional regurgitant characteristics of prosthetic valves, we examined patients who had clinically normal mitral prosthesis. METHODS: Transesophageal two-dimensional and color doppler echocardiography were performed to 25 patients who had the clinically normal mitral prosthesis. RESULTS: Seven patients had the mitral bioprosthesis and 18 patients had the mitral mechanical prosthesis. Regurgitation was found in 4 patients(57%) with bioprosthetic valve, and the pattern of regurgitation was central in three patients and unilateral in one patient. But regurgitation was detected in 17 patients(94%) with mechanical prosthesis, and the pattern of regurgitation was bilateral in twelve patients, unilateral in four patients and central in one patient(p=0.0035). The length of regurgitant jets were 22.00+/-6.73(mm) in bioprosthetic valve and 28.65+/-7.33(mm) in mechanical valve. The regurgitant jets were detected in systolic period in most of patients. But in 4 patients who had tachycardia during TEE, regurgitation was detected in systolic and early diastolic period. CONCLUSION: Regurgitation was found in clinically normal cardiac prosthetic valves by TEE. These findings may be useful to differentiate between normal and abnormal cardiac prosthesis.
Bioprosthesis ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Tachycardia