BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent advances in information technology have created opportunities for advances in the management of stroke. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of using a smartphone software application (app) for the management of vascular risk factors in patients with stroke. METHODS: This prospective clinical trial developed a smartphone app, the 'Korea University Health Monitoring System for Stroke: KUHMS2,' for use by patients with stroke. During a 6-month follow-up period, its feasibility was assessed by measuring the changes in their vascular risk-factor profiles and the number of days per patient with data registration into the app. The effect of the app on the achievement rate of risk-factor targets was assessed by classifying subjects into compliant and noncompliant groups. RESULTS: At the end of the trial, data on 48 patients were analyzed. The number of days on which data were registered into the app was 60.42+/-50.17 (mean+/-standard deviation). Among predefined vascular risk factors, the target achievement rate for blood pressure and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) improved significantly from baseline to the final measurement. The serial changes in achievement rates for risk-factor targets did not differ between the compliant and noncompliant groups. CONCLUSIONS: Many challenges must be overcome before mobile apps can be used for patients with stroke. Nevertheless, the app tested in this study induced a shift in the risk profiles in a favorable direction among the included stroke patients.
Blood Pressure ; Delivery of Health Care ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Mobile Applications* ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Stroke ; Smartphone

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We report here on 2 cases of idiopathic left atrial appendage ostial stenosis (LAA), and this rare finding was detected on transesophageal echocardiography. Its clinical implication is still unknown, given the small number of reported cases. Incompletely ligated LAA has characteristics similar to those observed in idiopathic LAA ostial stenosis, including the narrowed orifice, the small LAA cavity and the accelerated blood flow across the stenotic area. Since the incompletely ligated LAA has been reported to be complicated with thromboembolic events, we can assumed that the patients with idiopathic LAA ostial stenosis have a higher risk of thromboembolism than those with a normal LAA structure.
Atrial Appendage ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Humans ; Thromboembolism

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies have shown that serum interferon gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) concentration decreased after pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy, and was associated with a sustained virologic response (SVR). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of the pretreatment IP-10 level and change in serum IP-10 level between 1 month before and after treatment and its association with various virologic responses in patients having chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with genotype 1 undergoing pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy. METHODS: Thirty-six patients having CHC with genotype I undergoing pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy who had available stored sera 1 month before and after treatment were enrolled retrospectively. Serum IP-10 levels were measured by ELISA. Serum HCV RNA was measured by RT-PCR (detection limit<50 IU/mL). RESULTS: The mean age of patients (n=36; 21 men) was 53.5 years, and the mean of pretreatment HCV RNA levels was 5.7 log10 IU/mL. The serum IP-10 level at 1 month after treatment significantly decreased from 432.2 to 306.5 pg/mL (p=0.033). The rate of rapid virologic response (RVR), early virologic response (EVR), end-of-treatment response (ETR), and SVR were 58%, 83%, 74%, and 57%, respectively. No significant difference in pretreatment IP-10 levels was observed between the patients with (RVR, EVR, ETR, and SVR) and without various virologic responses (p>0.05). The change in serum IP-10 between 1 month before and after treatment had no clinical meaning based on various virologic responses (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The level of pretreatment IP-10 and change in IP-10 level between 1 month before and after treatment were not predictive factors of a SVR. Additional large-scale studies to determine the SVR-predicting role of serum IP-10 levels in patients with CHC are needed.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genotype ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Interferons ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin ; RNA

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a relatively rare subgroup of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is characterized by an aggressive and severe disease course with frequent involvement of regional lymph nodes and/or early metastasis. Because most cases of MCL are diagnosed in the advanced stages, clinical data on extranodal or early stage MCL is lacking, and MCL that is both extranodal and diagnosed during the early stages is even more rare. There have been several case reports on primary gastric MCL, which comprise a type of extranodal MCLs. However, to our knowledge, there have been no reports on solitary primary gastric MCL without regional lymph node involvement or distant metastasis. Recently, the authors experienced an uncommon case of MCL with the aforementioned characteristics that was managed with chemotherapy followed by allogenic stem cell transplantation.
Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stomach