BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The increased left ventricular mass has been recognized as an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients. The assessment of the regression of left ventricular(LV) mass after antihypertensive therapy offers prognostic information. 2D echocardiography has proved a sensitive tool for the detection of the change of LV mass. METHOD: LV mass and LV mass index were measured by area-length method of 2D echocardiography in 26 hypertensive patients and 10 normal control to evaluate the effect of betablocker(group I, n=16) and angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibitor(group II, n=10) on the regression of LV mass. RESULT: There was a significant increase of LV mass and LV mass index in the hypertensive patients(199.0+/-37.7gm, 119.2+/-21.2gm/m2) compaired to the control(129.7+/-11.7gm, 87.4+/-8.8gm/m2)(p<0.01, p<0.01). After 13.1 week treatment, LV mass was significantly decreased in group I(200.9+/-35.3gm vs 164.7+/-25.4gm)(p<0.01) and group II(195.9+/-43.3gm vs 152.4+/-27.1gm)(p<0.01). The LV mass index was also significantly decreased in group I(120.3+/-20.7gm/m2 vs 98.8+/-15.5gm/m2)(p<0.01) and group II(117.5+/-22.9gm/m2 vs 91.5+/-13.6gm/m2)(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: This results showed that LV mass can be reduced in hypertensive patients who receive beta blocker and ACE inhibitor. The effect of antihypertensive therapy on LV mass should be considered in treatment of the hypertensive patients who had hypertrophied LV.
Angiotensins ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Mortality ; Risk Factors

Neurofibromatosis 1(NF-1, Von Recklinghausen disease) and Neurofibromatosis 2(NF-2, bilateral acoustic neurinoma) have been established as distinct disorders by the National Institutes of Health(NIH) Consensus Development Conference in 1988. We recently have encountered a patient of NF-2 who develop multiple intracranial and spinal tumors 12 years after the surgical treatment of Schwannoma of lumbar nerve roots. The tumors were right acoustic neurinoma, left cerebellopontine angle(CPA) meningioma, multiple intracranial meningiomas, intraorbital glioma, multiple ependymomas of the brain stem and cervical spinal cord, and meningiomas of cervical nerve roots. We present this case with a review of reported cases of neurofibromatosis.
Academies and Institutes ; Acoustics ; Brain Stem ; Ependymoma ; Glioma ; Humans ; Meningioma ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 2* ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Spinal Cord

47,XYY males are found in approximately 1 per 1,000 men. There is no significant difference in intelligence compared with a normal karyotype group. 47,XYY males are fertile and are considered to be relatively tall in stature owing to the increased growth velocity during the earliest childhood. It has been known that 47,XYY males are usually quite normally developed at birth with normal birth weight and length without any physical abnormalities. We have experienced a case of 47,XYY male with increased nuchal fold thickness, choroid plexus cyst and limb anomaly and we report the case with brief review of the literature. A 31-year-old woman, who had terminated her first pregnancy due to limb anomaly at 24 weeks gestation, received ultrasonography at about 16 weeks gestation and was found having a fetus with increased nuchal fold, choroid plexus cyst and limb anomaly. Through the genetic counselling, her pregnancy was terminated and the chromosome karyotyping was performed with the fetal tissue and parent's peripheral blood. The results revealed that the parents had normal karyotypes, but the karyotype of the fetus showed 47,XYY.
Adult ; Birth Weight ; Choroid Plexus* ; Choroid* ; Extremities* ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Karyotype ; Karyotyping ; Male* ; Nuchal Translucency Measurement* ; Parents ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography

Subdural hematoma is a serious but rare complication of spinal anesthesia. A 70-year-old woman patient underwent elective total knee replacement under spinal anesthesia. At 4 days postoperatively, the patient complained of headache and vomiting. Brain computed tomography revealed an acute-on-chronic subdural hematoma with midline shift. The patient recovered completely after surgical decompression. We report a patient with an undiagnosed chronic subdural hematoma, who developed acute-on-chronic subdural hematoma after spinal anesthesia.
Aged ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Brain ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Headache ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic ; Humans ; Vomiting

A prospective study was initiated to compare maternal serum concentration of CA-125 during the first trimester of normal and abnormal pregnancies. Serum specimens were obtained from 87 women with a normal intrauterine pregnancy and 47 women with abnormal pregnancies which were ended in spontaneo abortion or pathologically confirmed to be missed abortion. In normal pregnancies, the mean serum CA-125 concentrations were increased significantly from amenorhea 6 weeks (139.838.7 IU/ml), and were higher statistically than the values tested in the same weeks of abnormal pregnancies. In abnormal pregnancies serum CA-125 concentations were relatively lower than those of normal pregnancies. But these differences were not statistically significant except the values tested in amenorhea 6weeks. So serum levels of CA-125 may not be proved useful in monitoring of early pregnancies outcome.
Abortion, Missed ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Prospective Studies

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the clinical outcomes of midtrimester emergency cervical cerclage in patients with painless cervical dilatation with/without prolapsed amniotic sac, including cases of no previous history of cervical incompetence. 10 patients including 1 twin pregnancy were teviewed for study, All had received emergency cervical cerclage with Macdonald operation or Shirodka operation at 18 to 31 weeksgestation. The procedures were carried out without serious complication except for one patient who had received re-operation 3 days after Macdonald operation because of re-protrusion of amniotic sae. The mean procedure to delivery internal was 8.9+/-5.3 (range 1 to 17) weeks. The mean gestational age at delivery was 32.4+/-5.6 (range 22 to 39+6) weeks for the entire group, 36.1+/-2.6 (range 32+4 to 39+6) weeks for the 6 who achived viability, and 27.6+/-5.0 (range 22 to 29+4) weeks for the 3 who died during the neonatal period. 1 died during gestation and was delivered at 33+6 weeksgestation. The mean birthweight was 2181.6+/-971.6 (range 498 to 3500)g for the entire group, and 2712.9+/- 571.5 (range 1860 to 3500)g for the 7 infants who lived until after neonatal period. The total survival rate for 11 babies was 64%. This study demonstrates that midtrimester emergency cervical cerclage for the patients who have dilated cervix with/without prolapsed amniotic sac is valuable method to try in the cases predicted they would lost the baby with conservative treatment only.
Cerclage, Cervical* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Dilatation* ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Labor Stage, First ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital*

No abstract available.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Vasculitis*

A 41-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for self-audible wheezing sound and dyspnea. On past history, she has been suffered from chest discomfort, and treated recurrently by other hospitals. But, there was no symptomatic improvement. A stridor and mixed wheezing sound was auscultated on whole lung field. PFT revealed fixed type or variable intra- & extra-thoracic air way obstructive pattern. By bronchoscopy & bronchogram, we found web-like structure on the distal trachea. A bronchoplasty was performed and the post-operative PFT showed slight improvement & she had no more complaints.
Adult ; Bronchoscopy ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thorax ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis*

The aim of this study is to review the protective effect of a bicycle helmet on each facial location systematically. PubMed was searched for articles published before December 12, 2014. The data were summarized, and the odds ratio (OR) between the locations of facial injury was calculated. A statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager (The Nordic Cochrane Centre). Bicycle helmets protect the upper and middle face from serious facial injury but do not protect the lower face. Non-wearers had significantly increased risks of upper facial injury (OR, 2.07; P<0.001) and of middle facial injury (OR, 1.97; P<0.001) as compared to helmet users. In the case of lower facial injury, however, only a slightly increased risk (OR, 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.67-3.00, P=0.36) was observed. The abovementioned results can be attributed to the fact that a helmet covers the head and forehead but cannot cover the lower face. However, helmets having a chin cap might decrease the risk of lower facial injury.
Bicycling ; Chin ; Facial Injuries* ; Forehead ; Head ; Head Protective Devices* ; Odds Ratio