Familial Transthyretin Amyloidosis with Variant Asp38Ala Presenting with Orthostatic Hypotension and Chronic Diarrhea.

A 53-year-old man complained of orthostatic, non-rotating dizziness, and chronic watery diarrhea of several years duration. His nerve-conduction velocity test revealed peripheral sensory-motor polyneuropathy and he showed an autonomic function abnormality. Echocardiographic examination showed ventricular and atrial wall thickening with a granular "sparkling" appearance.

A case of chronic periaortitis with retroperitoneal fibrosis.

A 73-year-old man with a history of hypertension and ascending aortic dissection was hospitalized for aggravated abdominal pain and general ache for 3 months. Follow-up CT showed aggravated abdominal aortic hematoma with aneurysm, atherosclerotic periaortitis and bilateral hydronephrosis. An initial laboratory finding showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers and renal dysfunction.

Multiple Fistula Emptying into the Left Ventricle through the Entire Left Ventricular Wall.

Coronary artery fistulae are usually identified during invasive coronary angiographies. However, in this case, we made the early detection of coronary artery fistulae during non-invasive transthoracic echocardiography, by demonstrating diastolic multiple abnormal color Doppler flows on the entire left ventricular walls including left ventricular free wall, interventricular septum and apex, which were mimicking firecracker on the whole left ventricle. Fistulous communication from the coronary artery to the left ventricle is rare.

Erroneous computer electrocardiogram interpretation of atrial fibrillation and its clinical consequences.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and nature of errors made by computer electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the clinical consequences.

Hypothesis: Computer software for interpreting ECGs has advanced.

Methods: A total of 10279 ECGs were collected, automatically interpreted by the built-in ECG software, and then reread by 2 cardiologists.

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in a patient with recurrent exertional syncope.

A 16-year-old male with a prior history of recurrent syncope was referred to our hospital after being resuscitated from cardiac arrest developed while playing volleyball. His electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrated ventricular fibrillation at a local emergency department. After referral, an ECG showed bidirectional ventricular tachycardia (VT) and nonsustained Torsade de Pointes.

Impact of multivessel coronary disease with chronic total occlusion on one-year mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background And Objectives: The impact of multivessel coronary disease (MVD) with chronic total occlusion (CTO) on one-year mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is not clearly known. We investigated the impact of MVD with concurrent CTO lesion on one-year mortality in patients with AMI.

Subjects And Methods: We studied 1008 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography between November 2005 and December 2008 with a diagnosis of AMI.

Clinical characteristics of defecation and micturition syncope compared with common vasovagal syncope.

Background: Little is known about the clinical characteristics of patients with situational syncope such as defecation syncope (DS) or micturition syncope (MS) compared with those with common vasovagal syncope (VVS).

Methods: Among 680 consecutive patients, who underwent a head-up tilt test between January 2006 and November 2010, 282 patients (40.4±16.

Threshold level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for the short-term benefit of statin therapy in the acute phase of myocardial infarction.

Background: Little is known about the threshold level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for statin therapy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term benefit of the statin in post-MI patients with low LDL-C levels.

Methods: Between November 2005 and January 2008, 6866 statin-naive patients were selected from the Korea AMI registry.

Incidence of hypertension in Korea: 5-year follow-up study.

Limited data are available about the incidence of hypertension over the 5-yr in non-hypertensive subjects. The study subjects were 1,806 subjects enrolled in a rural area of Daegu, Korea for a cohort study from August to November 2003. Of them, 1,287 (71.

Serum uric acid as an independent and incremental prognostic marker in addition to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: There are limited data regarding the prognostic value of serum uric acid (UA) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated whether UA predicts the prognosis independently and whether it has an incremental value to other factors, including N-terminal Pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP), in patients with AMI.

Methods And Results: This study included 850 patients with AMI who were enrolled in the Korea AMI Registry from a single center.

The impact of circadian variation on 12-month mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background And Objectives: Although circadian variation in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been reported in a number of studies, not much is known about the impact of circadian variation on 12-month mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of circadian variation on 12-month mortality in patients with AMI.

Subjects And Methods: Eight hundred ninety two patients (mean age 67±12; 66.

Prognostic value of standard electrocardiographic parameters for predicting major adverse cardiac events after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The prognostic value of electrocardiographic (ECG) variables in predicting major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the era of modern therapy is unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic significance of ECG parameters in predicting 1-year MACEs for AMI patients.

Methods: Between January 2006 and January 2008, 529 AMI patients were included.

Examining the relationship between triggering activities and the circadian distribution of acute aortic dissection.

Background And Objectives: There are limited data examining triggering activities and circadian distribution at the onset of acute aortic dissection (AAD) in the context of diagnostic and anatomical classification. The aim of this study was to further investigate this relationship between triggering activities and circadian distribution at the onset of AAD according to diagnostic and anatomic classification.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 166 patients with AAD admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between July 2001 and June 2009 were included.

Electrocardiography patterns and the role of the electrocardiography score for risk stratification in acute pulmonary embolism.

Background And Objectives: Data on the usefulness of a combination of different electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities in risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) are limited. We thus investigated 12-lead ECG patterns in acute PE to evaluate the role of the ECG score in risk stratification of patients with acute PE.

Subjects And Methods: One hundred twenty-five consecutive patients (63±14 years, 56 men) with acute PE who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between November 2001 and January 2008 were included.

Presence of conduction abnormalities as a predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with infective endocarditis.

There have been no studies that have assessed the possible correlation between conduction abnormality (CA) and systemic embolism, or the long-term outcomes of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). In this study, 82 consecutive patients with IE and interpretable electrocardiography (ECG) were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital from July 2002 to June 2008. ECGs obtained at the time of admission or during hospitalization were analyzed.

Suboptimal use of evidence-based medical therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry: prescription rate, predictors, and prognostic value.

Background: Only limited data are available for the recent trend of optimal evidence-based medical therapy at discharge after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Asia. We evaluated the predictors for the use of optimal evidence-based medical therapy at discharge and the association between discharge medications and 6-month mortality after AMI.

Methods: Between November 2005 and January 2008, we evaluated the discharge medications among 9,294 post-MI survivors who did not have any documented contraindications to antiplatelet drugs, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), or statins in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry.

Recurrent catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy in a patient with a pheochromocytoma.

Pheochromocytomas presents with variable clinical manifestations. Cardiomyopathy caused by a pheochromocytoma is well known. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with recurrent left ventricular dysfunction, who was subsequently found to have a pheochromocytoma.

Prognosis and natural history of drug-related bradycardia.

Background And Objectives: The prognosis and natural history of bradycardia related to drugs such as beta-blockers and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are not well known.

Subjects And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 38 consecutive patients (age 69+/-11, 21 women) with drug-related bradycardia (DRB) between March 2005 and September 2007. A drug-associated etiology for the bradycardia was established based on the medical history and patient response to drug discontinuation.

Gender differences among korean patients with coronary spasm.

Background And Objectives: The gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm have not been defined. We thus determined the gender differences among Korean patients with coronary spasm.

Subjects And Methods: Patients with chest pain and/or syncope who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between January 2001 and August 2008 were included.

Intravascular ultrasound guided recanalization of stumpless chronic total occlusion.

Background: The recanalization success rate of blunt and vague stump (stumpless) CTO lesions, especially those with a side branch arising from the occlusion, has been significantly lower than that of tapered stump CTO lesions. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) may be useful to identify the occlusion point and may facilitate the passage of guide-wires. We evaluated the clinical feasibility of the IVUS-guided wiring technique for stumpless CTO lesions.

Predictors of six-month major adverse cardiac events in 30-day survivors after acute myocardial infarction (from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry).

Little is known about risk factors for 6-month major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in 30-day survivors after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated predictors of 6-month MACE in 30-day survivors after MI from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR). From November 2005 to January 2008, 9,706 patients (6,983 men, mean age 64.

Influence of weather on daily hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry).

Background: We investigated the association between meteorological parameters and hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a temperate and continental climate, Korea.

Methods: From the Korean AMI Registry, 2136 Koreans admitted for AMI in four university hospitals in Daegu city from November 2005 to October 2007 were included in this study. We calculated the incidences of AMI per season, per month, and per day-of-week.

Correlation between the parameters of signal-averaged ECG and two-dimensional echocardiography in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: The correlation between parameters of two-dimensional echocardiography and signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is not known well.

Methods: Thirty-three patients (13 females, 40.3 +/- 14.