• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 2014

Cardiovascular beriberi is caused by thiamine deficiency and usually presents as high cardiac output failure associated with predominantly right-sided heart failure and rapid recovery after treatment with thiamine. Because of its rarity in developed countries, the diagnosis can often be delayed and missed. We recently experienced a case of cardiovascular beriberi with pulmonary hypertension which successfully treated with thiamine infusion. A 50-year-old man with chronic heavy alcoholics was refered to our department for dyspnea with mental change. Echocardiography showed marked right ventricular (RV) dilatation and flattening of the interventricular septum with a D-shaped deformation of the left ventricle. Moderate tricuspid valve regurgitation was found and estimated RV systolic pressure was 52 mm Hg. Because of his confused mentality and history of chronic alcohol intake, neurological disorder due to thiamine deficiency was suspected and intravenous thiamine was administered and he continuously received a daily dose of 100 mg of thiamine. Follow up echocardiography showed marked reduction of RV dilatation and improvement of a D-shaped deformation of the left ventricle. He finally diagnosed as cardiovascular beriberi on the basis of dramatic response to intravenous thiamine. Thiamine deficiency can cause reversible pulmonary hypertension, and can still be encountered in the clinical setting. Thus high index of suspicion is critically needed for diagnosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.490-493
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• 2001

A 17 year-old high school girl was admitted for anterior chest pain. Pulmonary edema and circulatory collapse progressed in spite of the medical treatment and intra-aortic balloon pump. Left ventricular assist device(LVAD, Bio-Pump, Medtronic Bio-Med, USA) was instituted under the impression of acute fulminant myocarditis. The inlet cannula was inserted in the left atrium(LA) via left submammary anterior thoracotomy. Biopsy was taken from left atrial appendage. The outlet cannula inserted to the left femoral artery using PTFE cuff. After 158 hours of extracorporeal circulation, LVAD was able to be weaned successfully with nearly normalized LV motion on echocardiogram, Coxsakievirus was identified with immunochemistry and serum neutralization test. She was discharged without any heart failure symptoms after 23 days of hopitalization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.643-645
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• 1993

It is generally acknowledged that congenital coronary artery fistula is an abnormal communication of the coronary artery with the right ventricle, right atrium,left atrium and left ventricle. In young people the symptoms are unusual , but significant symptoms and complications appear among the older age group such as congestive heart failure, subacute bacterial endocarditis, coronary steal syndrome, aneurysm formation, rupture, and pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, early surgical treatment is recommended. We experienced a case of coronary arteriovenous fistula that was involving the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery with the right ventricle. It was 10mm in diameter with multiple vegetation. We repaired the fistula under extracoporeal circulation. The patient was discharged in a healthy condition twelve days after operation .

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1024-1027
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• 1997

Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from pulmonary artery(ALCAPA) is a rare fatal congenital anormaly that needs early surgical intervention. Many reports say that the choice of operative procedure is reimplantation of the left coronary artery into the ascending aorta. We experienced the surgical management of a case of the ALCAPA. The patient was 44 days old and 3.45 kg weighed female baby who had a symptom of congest ve heart failure. She underwent implantation of coronary artery on the aorta with cardiopulmonary bypass and recovered without any complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.411-415
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• 1987

We have experienced a rare case of traumatic ventricular septal defect caused by fall down injury. The patient suffered from congestive heart failure after trauma and represented new developing typical murmur. Cardiac catheterization revealed a large left-to-right shunt at the ventricular level and a 4.4:1 ratio of pulmonary to systemic flow. Left ventricular angiogram also showed ventricular septal defect low in the muscular septum. At operation, the right ventricle and pulmonary artery were found to be moderately dilated. A marked systolic thrill was palpable over the right ventricle near the apex. Through a small left ventriculotomy an oval defect, 2x.3 cm with a firm scarred margin, was found in the lower muscular ventricular septum. This defect was repaired using Dacron patch and ventriculotomy was closed with long strip of Teflon felt. Postoperative course was uneventful and discharged in good condition.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.704-707
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• 1995

The use of the patient`s pulmonary valve for replacement of the patient`s diseased aortic valve was introduced and developed by Mr. Donald Ross. The long term benefits of having a normal, fully viable, trileaflet semilunar valve in aortic position was demonstrated. A 38 year old male had histories of failures of previously implanted aortic prosthetic valves twice and evidence of progressive heart failure. At operation, aortic root abscess was found; the abscess extension to adjacent structures and partial valve dehiscence had occurred. The patient underwent replacement of the aortic root with autologous pulmonary valve, autologous pericardial patch repair of left ventricuar outflow tract and recontruction of the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary artery with prosthetic valved conduit. Postoperatively, the patient recovered well. Postoperative doppler echocardiography demonstrated minimal central regurgitation in new aortic valve. Aortic root replacement with pulmonary autograft in a patient of recurrent aortic root abscess and false aneurysm of left ventricuar outflow tract was experienced and reported with follow up echocardiography.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.241-247
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• 2014

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), which is primarily caused by lethal heart disorders resulting in structural and arrhythmogenic abnormalities, is one of the prevalent modes of death in most developed countries. Myocardial ischemia, mainly due to coronary artery disease, is the most common type of heart disease leading to SCD. However, postmortem diagnosis of SCD is frequently complicated by obscure histological evidence. Here, we show that certain mRNA species, namely those encoding hemoglobin A1/2 and B (Hba1/2 and Hbb, respectively) as well as pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4), exhibit distinct postmortem expression patterns in the left ventricular free wall of SCD subjects when compared with their expression patterns in the corresponding tissues from control subjects with non-cardiac causes of death. Hba1/2 and Hbb mRNA expression levels were higher in ischemic SCD cases with acute myocardial infarction or ischemic heart disease without recent infarction, and even in cardiac death subjects without apparent pathological signs of heart injuries, than control subjects. By contrast, Pdk4 mRNA was expressed at lower levels in SCD subjects. In conclusion, we found that altered myocardial Hba1/2, Hbb, and Pdk4 mRNA expression patterns can be employed as molecular signatures of fatal cardiac dysfunction to forensically implicate SCD as the primary cause of death.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.299-302
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• 1999

Heart transplantation was planned for a 10-year old boy who had dilated cardiomyopathy with severe congestive heart failure and had been on dopamine for 1month. However, partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty were performed instead, because there was no donor heart of the adequate size and the symptoms were aggravated. The clinical symptoms were markedly improved after the surgery. Comparing the postoperative echocardiographic results with the preoperative results, there were remarkable changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction(preoperative LV EF 17% to postoperative 3 months 29%, 6 months 35%, 1 year 36%) and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(preoperative 72 mm to postoperative 3 months 59 mm, 6 months 61 mm, 1 year 61 mm). Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty reduced the cardiac loading in the dilated cardiomyopathy. Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty may be considered as one of the alternative surgical metho s to carry over until a heart transplantation can be performed, especially for children.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.18-22
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• 2017

Inevitable immobilization after surgery on lower extremities can induce chronic constipation. Elderly diabetic women usually express ambiguous gastrointestinal symptoms and signs. We present here a case of panperitonitis developed from severe fecal impaction in an elderly diabetic woman after hand reconstruction using material harvested from the lower extremities. A 68-year-old diabetic female underwent anterolateral thigh free flap and wound revision twice on the left thumb. Three weeks after surgery, she complained about mild abdominal pain though she had daily defecation. Despite encouraging ambulation, her compliance was low. Resection of the sigmoid colon and colostomy were performed after diagnosis with bowel perforation. However, the patient went into septic shock and died with multiorgan failure after the guardians issued a DNR (do not resuscitate) order. For preventing bowel perforation, increased uptake of dietary fiber and early ambulation postoperatively should be encouraged, after even hand surgeries.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.483-487
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• 2012

Primary and metastatic tumors involving the heart are relatively uncommon in dogs. In this study, we provide the echocardiographic diagnosis of intracardiac masses in 2 Yorksire terrier dogs. In the first case, the mass was attached between ascending aorta and pulmonary artery and caused moderate aortic regurgitation and moderate left ventricular dilation. The case was graded into ISACHC II heart failure. The dog was treated with common cardiac medications (i.e. furosemide, enalapril, pimobendan) and oral chemotherapeutic agent (i.e. lomustine). In the second case, the mass was occupied 2/3 of the left atrium and caused marked dilation of left atrium and severe mitral regurgitation (~5 m/s), but not severe congestive heart failure (ISACHC Ib). Although the nature of progression of the mass was likely to cardiac myxoma, the biopsy was not performed due to the owner's refusal. The dog was currently treated with cardiac medications (i.e. ramipril, clopidogrel) and bronchodilator (i.e. aminophylline). Those two dogs are still survived and are currently regularly checked.