Early cardiac valvular changes in ankylosing spondylitis: a transesophageal echocardiography study.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the early cardiac valvular changes in young male ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

Methods: A total of 70 AS patients on treatment without clinical cardiac symptoms were divided into group I (< 10 years, n = 50) and group II (≥ 10 years, n = 20) depending on their disease duration after first diagnosis. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were selected as control subjects.

Treadmill exercise stress echocardiography in patients with no history of coronary artery disease: a single-center experience in korean population.

Background And Objectives: Treadmill exercise stress echocardiography (TSE) has superior diagnostic accuracy than exercise electrocardiography (ECG). The objectives of the study are 1) to define the diagnostic accuracy and safety of TSE in patients without a history of coronary artery disease (CAD), 2) to identify the clinical characteristics that predict positive TSE results and 3) to assess the differential predictive value between TSE and concomitant exercise ECG in a Korean population.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 1,287 patients among 1,500 consecutive patients with no prior history of CAD and who were referred for TSE during a 4-year 3-month period were enrolled.

Prognostic value of serial global longitudinal strain measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

The aim of this study was to determine whether assessment of global longitudinal strain (GLS) before revascularization could predict adverse cardiac events after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition, the relation between GLS and cardiac biomarkers was investigated. From July 2006 through December 2009, 98 patients with first STEMI underwent conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography at initial presentation and 3 days after primary coronary intervention.

Serial assessment of left ventricular remodeling by measurement of left ventricular torsion using speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The relation between remodeling and left ventricular (LV) torsion has not yet been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether LV torsion assessed by speckle tracking imaging can predict progressive LV dilation after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). From January 2006 through June 2008, 91 patients with AMI who were successfully treated with primary coronary intervention underwent conventional and speckle tracking echocardiographies at initial presentation and 3 days and 6 months after first AMI.

Preliminary clinical experience with waon therapy in Korea: safety and effect.

Background: Waon therapy has beneficial effects on chronic heart failure (CHF), peripheral arterial disease, and other various diseases. This was to assess the safety and effect of Waon therapy by echocardiography for the first time in Korea.

Methods: Ten patients with CHF were enrolled.

A case of systemic amyloidosis following ankylosing spondylitis associated with congestive heart failure.

Secondary (amyloid A [AA]) amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterized by amyloid deposition in many organs, leading to impaired function. Although cardiac involvement may occur with AA amyloidosis, significant deposition of amyloid in the heart is considered an infrequent observation and is rarely the cause of death. It occurs in 5% of patients with poorly controlled chronic inflammatory disease, mainly rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and familial Mediterranean fever.

A case of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with falsely normal blood pressure in patient with Takayasu's arteritis.

This is a case of full-blown Takayasu's arteritis in a young woman complicated with recurrent strokes, which was diagnosed late, after echocardiographic examination identifying concentric left ventricular hypertrophy of unknown cause and falsely normal blood pressure due to arterial stenoses in all four limbs. Herein we describe this interesting and instructive case with a short review of literature.

Bloodletting-induced cardiomyopathy: reversible cardiac hypertrophy in severe chronic anaemia from long-term bloodletting with cupping.

Cardiac hypertrophy in a patient with severe iron deficiency anaemia associated with long-term bloodletting using cupping, called 'puhang' in oriental medicine, is discussed using chest electrocardiographic and radiographic images. With iron supply, the patient showed remarkable improvement of cardiomegaly, which is a unique feature of chronic severe iron deficiency anaemia.

[Studies On The Lungfluke, Paragonimus Iloktsuenensis: VI. Effect Of Prednisolone Injection On The Immune Responses Of Albino Rats].

In order to understand the effect of prednisolone injection on the immune responses of albino rat against Paragonimus iloktsuenensis infection, the differential leucocyte counts, appearance of immunoblast (large pyroninophilic cell, LPC) in the spleen and lungs in various experimental groups were observed in relation with the growth, maturation and migration sites of this rodent lungfluke. Rats of 3 experimental groups (A series), each group consisted of 5 rats, were infected with 20 metacercariae of P. iloktsuenensis, and they were kept for 3 days(Group I), 3 weeks(Group II), and 4 weeks (Group III) of infection period.

[Studies on the lungfluke, Paragonimus iloktsuenensis: V. Host tissue reactions in albino rats].

In order to understand the tissue responses of albino rat host against Paragonimus iloktsuenensis infection, the histopathological changes of the spleen and the lungs in 6 experimental groups of rats were observed in relation with the growth, maturation and migration of this lung fluke. Rats of the experimental groups, each group consisted of 5 rats, were infected with the metacercariae of P. iloktsuenensis which were isolated from brackish water crab, Sesarma dehaani, and were kept for 3 days, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 7 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks of infection period.

Some Aspects Of Human Sparganosis In Korea.

Human sparganosis in Korea was discussed on the bases of five human cases experienced by the present authors and 58 case records already reported by many previous authors, in aspects of epidemiology and clinical features. Sparganosis is not infrequent tissue helminthiasis now in Korea and the incidence has been evidently increased during past 10 years. It might be interpreted that improved medical delivery system and health care exposed the hidden but prevalent disease.