Clinical outcomes of early closure versus conservative strategy after diagnosis with atrial septal defect: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Objectives: The long-term clinical benefits of atrial septal defect (ASD) closure remain controversial. We aimed to compare long-term clinical outcomes between patients who underwent early surgical closure after ASD diagnosis and those who did not.

Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we identified patients with isolated ASDs diagnosed between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2006.

Quantitative segmental analysis of myocardial perfusion to differentiate stress cardiomyopathy from acute myocardial infarction: A myocardial contrast echocardiography study.

Background: Both stress cardiomyopathy (SCMP) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) present with similar clinical symptoms and signs, and apical akinesis.

Hypothesis: Quantitative segmental analysis of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) helps to differentiate AMI from SCMP.

Methods: Real-time MCE was performed in 33 consecutive patients who presented with an acute symptom/sign and a new apical akinesis on echocardiography.

The Role of Post-Resuscitation Electrocardiogram in Patients With ST-Segment Changes in the Immediate Post-Cardiac Arrest Period.

Objectives: The authors aimed to evaluate the role of post-resuscitation electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients showing significant ST-segment changes on the initial ECG and to provide useful diagnostic indicators for physicians to determine in which out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients brain computed tomography (CT) should be performed before emergency coronary angiography.

Background: The usefulness of immediate brain CT and ECG for all resuscitated patients with nontraumatic OHCA remains controversial.

Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2014, 1,088 consecutive adult nontraumatic patients with return of spontaneous circulation who visited the emergency department of 3 tertiary care hospitals were enrolled.

Characteristics of early repolarization parameters and prognostic implications in the general ambulatory Korean population.

Background: We tested a hypothesis that the 2 fundamental components of early repolarization (ER), J wave and ST elevation (STE) might have different prevalence and prognostic implications.

Methods: The study population comprised 26,345 general ambulatory Korean subjects (mean 48.0±10.

The exercise heart rate profile in master athletes compared to healthy controls.

Endurance exercise protects the heart via effects on autonomic control of heart rate (HR); however, its effects on HR indices in healthy middle-aged men are unclear. This study compared HR profiles, including resting HR, increase in HR during exercise and HR recovery after exercise, in middle-aged athletes and controls. Fifty endurance-trained athletes and 50 controls (all male; mean age, 48·7 ± 5·8 years) performed an incremental symptom-limited exercise treadmill test.

Impact of cardiac rehabilitation on angiographic outcomes after drug-eluting stents in patients with de novo long coronary artery lesions.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in coronary artery disease. Long coronary artery lesions may be associated with adverse outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate angiographic outcomes after a comprehensive CR program in patients with DESs for long coronary artery lesions.

Discrepancy between mitral valve areas measured by two-dimensional planimetry and three-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography in patients with mitral stenosis.

Objective: To compare mitral valve area (MVA) measurements obtained by 2D transthoracic planimetry and 3D transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) in patients with mitral stenosis (MS), and to determine the causes of discrepancies between the two techniques.

Design: Reliability and agreement study.

Setting: Tertiary referral centre.

The vena contracta in functional tricuspid regurgitation: a real-time three-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography study.

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the three-dimensional features and geometric determinants of the vena contracta (VC) in functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and to identify optimal width cutoff values for assessing functional TR severity.

Methods: Real-time three-dimensional full-volume and color Doppler and two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic images were obtained in 52 patients with various degrees of functional TR and in sinus rhythm. The tricuspid valve and right ventricle were geometrically analyzed.

Geometric changes after tricuspid annuloplasty and predictors of residual tricuspid regurgitation: a real-time three-dimensional echocardiography study.

Aims: We sought to demonstrate geometric changes in the tricuspid valve (TV) apparatus after tricuspid annuloplasty (TAP) and to identify predictors of residual tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with functional TR using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE).

Methods And Results: RT3DE and two-dimensional colour Doppler echocardiography were performed in 59 consecutive patients before and 4.7 ± 2.

Major predictors of long-term clinical outcomes after coronary revascularization in patients with unprotected left main coronary disease: analysis from the MAIN-COMPARE study.

Background: The clinical characteristics that identify high-risk subsets of patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have not been well established.

Methods And Results: Between January 2000 and June 2006, 2240 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease underwent PCI (n=1102) or CABG (n=1138). Twenty-six preprocedural parameters were evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to identify independent predictors of all-cause mortality and target-vessel revascularization.

Very late stent thrombosis of sirolimus-eluting stent combined with late stent malapposition and aneurysm formation.

Late complications of drug-eluting stent, such as stent malapposition or aneurysm formation have emerged major concern. However, there is no available standard therapeutic guideline about them because the clinical course of those is variable and long-term follow- up data is not sufficient. A case presented here is acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction as a result of very late stent thrombosis developed in a patient with stent malapposition and peri-stent aneurysm formation 52 months after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

[A case of allopurinol-induced granulomatous hepatitis with ductopenia and cholestasis].

Allopurinol-induced hypersensitivity syndrome is characterized by an idiosyncratic reaction involving multiple-organs, which usually begins 2 to 6 weeks after starting allopurinol. In rare cases, the adverse reactions to allopurinol are accompanied by a variety of liver injury, such as reactive hepatitis, granulomatous hepatitis, vanishing bile duct syndrome, or fulminant hepatic failure. Here we report a case with granulomatous hepatitis and ductopenia.

[A case of recurrent pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis associated with recurrent pneumoperitoneum].

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is an uncommon condition of unknown etiology, characterized by the presence of multiple gas filled cysts in the gastrointestinal tract. Many different causes of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis have been proposed, including mechanical, pulmonary, and bacterial causes. Approximately 85% of cases are thought to be secondary to coexisting disorders of the gastrointestinal tract or the respiratory system.