OBJECTIVE: Although cor pulmonale due to chronic lung disease was not uncommon, there was uncertainty in its diagnosis due to the difficulty in measuring functional and anatomical changes of right heart and pulmonary vascular system. Among various non-invasive diagnostic methods presented so far, no ideal standard diagnostic criterion has been established. The authors attempted to know positive diagnostic ratio of cor pulmonale and to study the presence of the relationship between these diagnostic criteria when electrocardiographic and echocardiographic diagnostic criteria for cor pulmonale were applied to the patients with chronic lung disease. And we investigated the usefulness of echocardiogaphic diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis. METHODS: One electrocardiographic and two echocardiographic diagnostic criteria were applied to 38 patients with chronic lung disease(21 pulmonary emphysema and 17 chronic advanced pulmonary tuberculosis) for the diagnosis of cor pulmonale. Comparison was also made in their relationship. Then pulmonary artery diameter, measurement of pulmonary function test and echocardiographic examination and radio-nuclear right ventricular ejection faction were compared between the groups to ensure each criterion was satisfied. RESULTS: 1) When the three diagnostic criteria for confirming the cor pulmonale, electrocardiographic rriterion(right ventricular hypertrophy), right ventricular dimension criterion(right ventricular end-diastolic dimension>25mm, RVDd>25mm), and right ventricular wall thickness criterion (right ventricular wall thickness>6mm, RVWT>6mm) were applied to the patients, the positive rate were 32%(12/37), 30%(10/33) and 17%(6/36) respectively. A statistically significant correlation between electrocardiographic criterion and right ventricular wall thickness criterion was found to exist. 2) Various parameters of pulmonary function test and echocardiographic examination were compared in the patient groups with and without cor pulmonale when each non-invasive diagnostic criterion was applied to all patients. Followings are the results. (1) In the positive group on electrocardiographic criteria, vital capacity, forced vital capacity, and arterial oxygen tension were significantly smaller than in the negative group on electrocardiographic criterion(p<0.05), and the echocardiographic parameters of right ventricle, ie. end-diastolic area, end-systolic area, end-diastolic dimension, end-systolic dimension, mid-ventricular short axis and maximal short axis in positive group were significantly larger than in the negative group. (2) In the positive group on right ventricular diastolic dimension criterion(RVDd>25mm), percentage forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced expiratory flow 25-75% were significantly smaller than in the negative group on right ventricular diastolic dimension criterion. (3) In the positive group on right ventricular wall thickness criterion(RVWT>6mm), vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced expiratory flow 25-75% and arterial oxygen tension were significantly smaller than in the negative group on right ventricular wall thickness criterion. CONCLUSION: When several non-invasive diagnostic criteria for cor pulmonale were applied to the patients with chronic lung disease, there were some differences in its positive diagnostic ratio depending on the applied diagnostic criteria. There was also a statistically significant correlation between electrocardiographic criterion and right ventricular wall thickness criterion. When each diagnostic criterion was applied to the patients, significant differences were found in several parameters resulted from pulmonary function test and echocardiographic examination based on presence or nonpresence of cor pulmonale. But no difference in the ejection fraction measured by radio-nuclear method was shown between cor pulmonale group and non cor pulmonale group. Consequently it was suggested that applying echocardiographic criteria in addition to electrocardiographic criterion for the diagnosis of cor pulmonale in the patients with chronic lung disease is clinically useful.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Pulmonary Heart Disease* ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Uncertainty ; Vital Capacity

An analysis of echocardiograms was made in 50 patients with pericardial effusion of various origins, diagnosed by clinical and M-mode echocardiographic examinations. In these cases the estimated volume of pericardial effusion ranged between 40 ml and 999 ml. The width of echo-free space behind the left ventricular wall which reflect the amount of effusion showed a significant positive correlation with the systolic excursion and the diastolic mean velocity of both right and left ventricular epicardial surfaces. The echocardiographic patterns of so-called pseudo-mitral valve prolapse and a notch on the right ventricular epicardial surface during systole were found more frequently in patients with large pericardial effusion. Thus, in pericardial effusion, and echocardiographic examination is useful for the visualization of the abnormal motions of cardiac structures as well as for its diagnosis.
Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Pericardial Effusion* ; Prolapse ; Systole

Left ventficular ejection times were measured by four different methods in 200 healthy males and females from the polygraphic tracings including an apexcardiogram, a phonocardiogram and a carotid pulse tracing. The results obtained by each method were compared and the adequacy of each method was critically reviewed. It was felt that the method measuring the left ventricular ejection time from the carotid pulse tracing was the most reasonable. However, there was a significant correlation between the carotid-derived values and those obtained by other methods, thus, regression equations for the relationship of the latter values to the fromer were obtainable.
Female ; Humans ; Male

Fractional time intervals during cardiac cycle were determined by means of the analyses of mechanocardiograms in 100 male patients with hypertension and 100 healthy males, which served as controls. The mechanocardiograms anyalyzed in this study were simultaneously recorded electrocardiograms, phoocardiograms, apexcardiograms and carotid pulse tracings. Of various time intervals during systolic in patients with hypertension, the mechanical systole(both C-D and C-A2 intervals), the isovolumic contraction time, the initial phase of ventricular contraction and the ventricular pressure elevation time were significantly prolonged, whereas the protodiastole was significantly shortened. The prolongation of the mechanical systole was caused primarily by the lengthening of the isovolumic contraction time, which resulted from the prolongation of the components of the latter, namely the initial phase of ventricular contraction and the ventricular pressure elevation time. During diastole, there were significant prolongation of the isovolumic relaxation time and the rapid ventricular filling period, and a significant shortening of the slow ventricular filling period. Among these time intervals, the mechanical systole(C-A2 inlerval), the isovolumic contraction time, the ventricular pressure elevation time and the isovolumic relaxation time showed significant positive correlation with blood pressure. On the other hand, the slow ventricular filling period was significantly negatively correlated with blood pressure. These facts suggested that the changes in these time intervals were related to increased afterload and/or resultant myocardial or hemodynamic alterations.
Blood Pressure ; Diastole ; Electrocardiography ; Hand ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Relaxation ; Systole ; Ventricular Pressure

Fractional time intervals during cardiac cycle were determined by means of the analyses of mechanocardiograms in 100 male patients with hypertension and 100 healthy males, which served as controls. The mechanocardiograms anyalyzed in this study were simultaneously recorded electrocardiograms, phoocardiograms, apexcardiograms and carotid pulse tracings. Of various time intervals during systolic in patients with hypertension, the mechanical systole(both C-D and C-A2 intervals), the isovolumic contraction time, the initial phase of ventricular contraction and the ventricular pressure elevation time were significantly prolonged, whereas the protodiastole was significantly shortened. The prolongation of the mechanical systole was caused primarily by the lengthening of the isovolumic contraction time, which resulted from the prolongation of the components of the latter, namely the initial phase of ventricular contraction and the ventricular pressure elevation time. During diastole, there were significant prolongation of the isovolumic relaxation time and the rapid ventricular filling period, and a significant shortening of the slow ventricular filling period. Among these time intervals, the mechanical systole(C-A2 inlerval), the isovolumic contraction time, the ventricular pressure elevation time and the isovolumic relaxation time showed significant positive correlation with blood pressure. On the other hand, the slow ventricular filling period was significantly negatively correlated with blood pressure. These facts suggested that the changes in these time intervals were related to increased afterload and/or resultant myocardial or hemodynamic alterations.
Blood Pressure ; Diastole ; Electrocardiography ; Hand ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Relaxation ; Systole ; Ventricular Pressure

Fiftyeight patients with cardiac neurosis were studied to evaluate the effects of Carteolol 10mg/day. Systolic blood pressure was declined to 122.7+/-17.2mmHg from 137.1+/-23.2mmHg, diastolic blood pressure was declined to 79.6+/-11.1mmHg from 88.2+/-17.5mmHg. Pulse rate was decreased from 83.0+/-10.2 to 73.9+/-6.8per minute. The most frequent subjective symptom was palpitation (74.1%) and effectiveness of therapy for subjective symptom was 91.4%, for usefulness was 93.1%. There was no significant serious side reaction observed. We concluded that Carteolol therapy for the patients with cardiac neurosis could be useful and safe with a small dosage.
Blood Pressure ; Carteolol* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Neurocirculatory Asthenia*

Renal blood flow was measured by single injection technique of HippuranI13 in 13 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and 11 control subjects. There was a significant decrease in renal blood flow in chronic glomerulonephritis particulary in those with elevated blood urea nitrogen. Renal blood flow was inversely proportionate to renal vascular resistance but no correlation was noted between renal blood flow and creatinine clearance.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Humans ; Renal Circulation* ; Vascular Resistance

The cardiac dimensions and functions were studied by analyzing simultaneously recorded M-mode echocardiograms and phonocardiograms in 24 cases of essential hypertension with no evidence of heart faliure, and also in 20 healthy adults for comparison. Thirteen hypertensives out of 24 had findings consistent with left ventricular hypertrophy on either routine chest roentgenograms or electrocardiograms or both(group II) and the remaining 11 had no such findings(group I). The posterior wall and septal thickness, and isovolumic relaxation time were significantly was increased even in the group I as well as in the group II. The isovolumic relaxation time was correlated well with the septal thickness in both groups. In contrast, a significant increase in left atrial and left ventricular systolic dimensions was noted only in the group II, and so was a significant reduction in the fractional shortening and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening. These findings suggest that the echocardiographic examination is useful in patients with essestial hypertension for the early dagnosis of the increased thickness of the posterior wall and the septum, and the abnormality during early diastolic relaxation of the left ventricle, prior to the appearance of the ventricular hypertrophy on the routine chest films amd/or electrocardiograms, and also that echocardiograms enable early detection of the systolic dysfunction of the hypertrophied left ventricle in the absence of apparent failure.
Adult ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Relaxation ; Thorax

The antihypertensive effect of trimazosin was studied in 24 cases of essential hypertension, which include 9 cases with pretreatment diastolic pressure of 114mmHg or more, for a period of 4 weeks. The average pretreatment systolic and diastolic blood pressures were approximately 175mmHg and 114mmHg, respectively. The treatment was started with 100mg of trimazosin daily in 2 divided doses and and the drug was titrated upward at weekly interval by 100mg up to 400mg/day depending on the response of the blood pressures. Routine blood counts, urinalyses, liver and kidney function tests, electrolyte balance, total serum cholesterol and triglyceride were determined before and at the end of treatment. The diastolic blood pressure fell 10mmHg or more in 20 out of 24 cases(83.3%), and in 12 cases out of 20 favorable responders it fell to 90mmHg or below. The pretreatment diastolic blood pressure in 4 nonresponders was all 115mmHg or more. The antihypertensive effect appeared during the first week of therapy and progressively increased until the end of treatment week without causing postural hypotension. Unpleasant symptoms appeared in 12 cases during treatment, which include dizziness, headache, numbness in the extremities and tinnitus in the decreasing order of frequency. However, these symptoms were mild and transient in all cases disappearing spontaneously despite continued medication. No significant biochemical changes in the blood were recorded after treatment. We conclude that trimzosin seems to be a safe and effective antihypertensive drug particularly useful for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Dizziness ; Extremities ; Headache ; Hypertension* ; Hypesthesia ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Kidney Function Tests ; Liver ; Tinnitus ; Triglycerides ; Urinalysis ; Water-Electrolyte Balance

Recent studies suggest that apolipoproteins may be better predictor of ischemic heart disease than are plasma lipids, such as total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C). To examine this hypothesis, plasma levels of major lipids and major apolipo-proteins were measured and their derivatives were calculated in 30 male patients with ischemic heart disease(16 angina pectoris and 14 old myocardial infarction) and 30 age-matched male healthy controls. Plasma levels of lipids were obtained by conventional methods and apolipoproteins by Rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Levels of HDL-C, HDL2-cholesterol(HDL2-C), and apolipoprotein-AII, and ratios of HDL-C/total cholesterol, HDL2-C/total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-B were lower in the group of patients than in controls. Levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and apolipoprotein-B, and ratios of lDL-C/HDL-C and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-AII were higher in the group of patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein-AI between the two groups. Stepwise discriminators analysis showed that apolipoprotein-B and apolipoprotein-AII were better discriminators than plasma lipids for identifying those with ischemic heart disease. One could correctly classify 78% of the cases by using the levels of the two apolipoproteins. By using the level of apolipoprotein-B, one could correctly classify 73% of the cases. There were no correlations between the levels of total cholesterol and HDL-C in the controls whereas there were positive correlations between the levels in the group of patients. In conclusion, this study showed that apolipoprotein-B was the best single discriminator for identifying the patients with ischemic heart disease, followed by apolipoprotein-AII.
Angina Pectoris ; Apolipoproteins A* ; Apolipoproteins* ; Cholesterol ; Heart ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Plasma* ; Risk Factors*