Data on the clinical outcomes in deferred coronary lesions according to functional severity have been limited. This study evaluated the clinical outcomes of deferred lesions according to fractional flow reserve (FFR) grade using Korean FFR registry data. Among 1,294 patients and 1,628 lesions in Korean FFR registry, 665 patients with 781 deferred lesions were included in this study. All participants were consecutively categorized into 4 groups according to FFR; group 1: ≥ 0.96 (n = 56), group 2: 0.86–0.95 (n = 330), group 3: 0.81–0.85 (n = 170), and group 4: ≤ 0.80 (n = 99). Primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE), a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization. The median follow-up period was 2.1 years. During follow-up, the incidence of MACE in groups 1–4 was 1.8%, 7.6%, 8.8%, and 13.1%, respectively. Compared to group 1, the cumulative rate by Kaplan-Meier analysis of MACE was not different for groups 2 and 3. However, group 4 had higher cumulative rate of MACE compared to group 1 (log-rank P = 0.013). In the multivariate Cox hazard models, only FFR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.95; P = 0.005) was independently associated with MACE among all participants. In contrast, previous history of percutaneous coronary intervention (HR, 2.37; P = 0.023) and diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (HR, 2.35; P = 0.015), but not FFR, were independent predictors for MACE in subjects with non-ischemic (FFR ≥ 0.81) deferred coronary lesions. Compared to subjects with ischemic deferred lesions, clinical outcomes in subjects with non-ischemic deferred lesions according to functional severity are favorable. However, longer-term follow-up may be necessary.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coronary lesions with mismatched functional and anatomical significance are not uncommon. We assessed the accuracy and predictors of mismatch between fractional flow reserve (FFR) and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) analyses in patients with coronary lesions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 643 lesions with pre-interventional FFR and QCA measurements were consecutively enrolled and divided into four groups using FFR < or =0.80 and percent diameter stenosis (%DS) > or =50% as cutoffs for functional and anatomical significance, respectively. Accordingly, FFR >0.80 and DS > or =50%, and FFR < or =0.80 and DS <50% defined false-positive (FP) and false-negative (FN) lesions, respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 40.4% (260/643) of the lesions were mismatched, and 51.7% (218/414) and 18.3% (42/229) were FP and FN lesions, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, independent predictors of FP were non-left anterior descending artery location {odds ratio (OR), 0.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28-0.56; p<0.001}, shorter lesion length (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98; p<0.001), multi-vessel disease (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.30-0.75; p=0.001), and larger minimal lumen diameter by QCA (OR, 2.88; 95% CI,1.65-5.00; p<0.001). Independent predictors of FN were multi-vessel disease (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.24-5.27; p=0.048), aging (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99; p=0.034), smoking (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14-0.93; p=0.034), and smaller reference vessel diameter by QCA (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.87; p=0.026). CONCLUSION: A mismatch between FFR and angiographic lesion severity is not rare in patients with coronary artery disease; therefore, an angiography-guided evaluation could under- or over-estimate lesion severity in specific lesion subsets.
Aging ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: We undertook an observational study to investigate the effects of immunosuppressive treatment on proteinuria and renal function in 179 Korean idiopathic membranous nephropathy patients with nephrotic syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary outcome was regarded as the first appearance of remission and the secondary outcomes as a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >50% or initiation of dialysis, and all-cause mortality. Seventy-two (40.2%) and 50 (27.9%) patients were treated with corticosteroids alone (C) and corticosteroids plus cyclosporine (C+C), respectively, whereas 57 (31.8%) did not receive immunosuppressants (NTx). Cyclosporine was added if there was no reduction in proteinuria of >50% from baseline by corticosteroids alone within 3 months. RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline renal function and the amount of proteinuria among the three groups. Overall, complete remission (CR) was achieved in 88 (72.1%) patients by immunosuppressants. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for covariates associated with adverse renal outcome, the probability of reaching CR was significantly higher in the C [hazard ratio (HR), 4.09; p<0.001] and C+C groups (HR, 2.57; p=0.003) than in the NTx group. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 5-year CR rates of C, C+C, and NTx groups were 88.5%, 86.2%, and 56.7% (p<0.001). Ten-year event-free rates for the secondary endpoints in these three groups were 91.7%, 79.9%, and 57.2% (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Immunosuppressive treatment was effective in inducing remission and preserving renal function in these patients. Therefore, stepwise treatment using corticosteroids alone and in combination with cyclosporine is warranted in these patients.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Adult ; Aged ; Cyclosporine/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate/drug effects ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous/*drug therapy/mortality ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Kidney/drug effects/physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteinuria/chemically induced ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To compare the short term effects of bevacizumab and ranibizumab injections on the regression of corneal neovascularization (NV). METHODS: Sixteen eyes of 16 patients with corneal NV were randomly assigned for an injection with 2.5 mg of bevacizumab (group 1, n = 8) or 1 mg of ranibizumab (group 2, n = 8) through subconjunctival and intrastromal routes. The patients were prospectively followed-up for one month after the injections. Corneal NV areas, as shown on corneal slit-lamp photographs stored in JPEG format, were calculated using Image J software before the injection, one week after the injection, and one month after the injection. The corneal NV areas were compared before and after the injections. RESULTS: Seven women and nine men, with an average age of 51 years, presented with corneal NV secondary to herpetic keratitis (7 cases), graft rejection (6), chemical burn (1), pemphigoid (1), and recurrent ulcer (1). In group I, the preoperative corneal NV area (8.75 +/- 4.33%) was significantly decreased to 5.62 +/- 3.86% one week after the injection and to 6.35 +/- 3.02% one month after the injection (p = 0.012, 0.012, respectively). The corneal NV area in group 2 also exhibited a significant change, from 7.37 +/- 4.33% to 6.72 +/- 4.16% one week after the injection (p = 0.012). However, no significant change was observed one month after the injection. The mean decrease in corneal NV area one month after injection in group 1 (28.4 +/- 9.01%) was significantly higher than in group 2 (4.51 +/- 11.64%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bevacizumab injection resulted in a more effective and stable regression of corneal NV compared to the ranibizumab injection. The potency and dose of these two drugs for the regression of corneal NV require further investigation.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/*therapeutic use ; Corneal Neovascularization/*drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We report a case of successfully treating bilateral conjunctival-corneal intraepithelial neoplasia (CCIN) with surgical excision and adjunctive cryotherapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 74-year-old male visited our clinic for bilateral foreign body sensation and decreased visual acuity. His initial best corrected visual acuity was 20/50 in the right eye and 20/30 in the left eye. The right eye showed a 9 mm x 11 mm sized, gray-opaque limbal lesion from approximately the 7-o'clock position to the 11-o'clock position with spreading onto the cornea and conjunctiva. Biomicroscopy revealed a 6 mm x 7.5 mm sized minimally elevated, opaque lesion from the 3-o'clock to the 5-o'clock position extending to the central cornea in the left eye. The corneal lesion was well demarcated, opaque, and minimally elevated with bilateral focal pigmentation. Conjunctival lesions were finely vascularized and slightly elevated with melanocytic pigmentation. An excisional biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis and for therapeutic purposes, followed by an adjunctive cryotherapy. Postoperative corrected visual acuity improved up to 20/25 bilaterally and the patient had no recurrence 8 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral conjunctival-corneal intraepithelial neoplasia is a rare condition. We report successful treatment and control of recurrence in a patient with bilateral conjunctival-corneal intraepithelial neoplasia using conventional surgical excision and adjuvant cryotherapy rather than topical chemotherapy.
Biopsy ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Cryotherapy ; Eye ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Male ; Pigmentation ; Recurrence ; Sensation ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of thrombocytopenia after intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVBI) in a patient with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). CASE SUMMARY: A 52-year-old female presented to our clinic with complaints of visual disturbance in her right eye for 2 months. She was receiving hemodialysis therapy 3 times a week for 4 years due to chronic renal failure. Unilateral macular edema secondary to BRVO was observed on fundus examination and was confirmed with optical coherence tomography (OCT). The first IVBI was performed, and an additional injection was given 4 weeks later. Four weeks after the second injection, thrombocytopenia was present. The patient was followed up in our clinic without IVBI for 8 weeks and the platelet count recovered. Thrombocytopenia was reconfirmed after 2 additional monthly injections. After she revisited our clinic without IVBI for 8 weeks, the platelet count recovered without any treatment. CONCLUSIONS: When a patient presents with thrombocytopenia after IVBI with macular edema in BRVO, thrombocytopenia due to IVBI should be considered as a possible diagnosis.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Macular Edema* ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Count ; Renal Dialysis ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Bevacizumab

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is usually caused by extrinsic compression or invasion of the superior vena cava (SVC) by malignant tumors involving mediastinal structures. Although thymomas are well-known causes of SVCS, cases of SVCS caused by malignant thymomas protruding into adjacent vessels draining the SVC with thrombosis have been very rarely reported worldwide. We experienced a 39-year-old female patient with SVCS that developed after the direct invasion of the left brachiocephalic vein (LBCV) and SVC by an anterior mediastinal mass with a high maximum standardized uptake value on the chest computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-CT. Based on these results, she underwent en bloc resection of the tumor, including removal of the involved vessels, and was eventually diagnosed as having a type B2 thymoma permeating into the LBCV and SVC. We present this case as a very rare form of SVCS caused by an invasive thymoma.
Adult ; Brachiocephalic Veins ; Electrons ; Female ; Humans ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome* ; Thorax ; Thrombosis ; Thymoma* ; Vena Cava, Superior*

No abstract available.
Colonic Neoplasms ; Pneumothorax

We investigated ADAMTS13 activity as well as the ADAMTS13 gene mutation in children with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Eighteen patients, including 6 diarrhea-negative (D-HUS) and 12 diarrhea-associated HUS (D+HUS) patients, were evaluated. The extent of von Willebrand factor (VWF) degradation was assayed by multimer analysis, and all exons of the ADAMTS13 gene were PCR-amplified using Taq DNA polymerase. The median and range for plasma activity of ADAMTS13 in 6 D-HUS and 12 D+HUS patients were 71.8% (22.8-94.1%) and 84.9% (37.9-119.9%), respectively, which were not statistically significantly different from the control group (86.4%, 34.2-112.3%) (p>0.05). Five ADAMTS13 gene mutations, including 2 novel mutations [1584+2T>A, 3941C>T (S1314L)] and 3 polymorphisms (Q448E, P475S, S903L), were found in 2 D-HUS and one D+HUS patients, which were not associated with deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity. Whether these mutations without reduced ADAMTS13 activity are innocent bystanders or predisposing factors in HUS remains unanswered.
ADAM Proteins/*genetics ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome/*genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; *Mutation ; Polymorphism, Genetic

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Discrepancy between angiographic percent (%) diameter stenosis and fractional flow reserve (FFR) exists in non-left main bifurcation lesions. The aim of this study was to compare angiographic stenosis severity and FFR in jailed ostial left circumflex artery (LCX) lesions after left main (LM)-to-left anterior descending artery (LAD) crossover stenting. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine (n=29) patients with distal LM or ostial LAD lesions treated by LM-to-LAD crossover stenting were consecutively enrolled. After successful stenting, FFR was measured at the jailed LCX. Additional intervention was performed in lesions with FFR <0.8. RESULTS: The mean reference diameter of LCX was 3.1+/-0.4 mm, and percent diameter stenosis after crossover stenting was 56+/-21%. Angiographically significant stenosis (>50%) at the ostial LCX occurred in 59% (17/29) of cases. Among them, only five (29%) lesions had functional significance, and underwent additional procedure. During follow-up, three patients in the deferral group and two patients in the additional intervention group had target lesion revascularization. CONCLUSION: There was a discrepancy between angiographic percent diameter stenosis and FFR in jailed LCX lesions after LM crossover stenting.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Stents