Real Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Detection of Acquried Left Ventricular-Right Atrial Communication (Gerbode-Type Defect) Caused by Infectious Endocarditis

Left ventricular-right atrial communications, known as Gerbode-type defects, are rare intracardiac defects that can be either congenital or acquired. Acquired forms arises from endocarditis, trauma, mitral or aortic valve replacement and myocardial infarction. In this case, a forty-seven year-old man with resting dyspnea and fever was diagnosed to have infected congenital bicuspid aortic valve resulting in severe acute aortic regurgitation and he also was diagnosed to have a Gerbode-type defect which were demonstrated by the color doppler method and realtime three-dimensional echocardiography. The causasive organism was Streptococcus mitis. After sufficient antibiotics therapy, aortic valve replacement was performed and the atrioventricular portion of the membranous septum was closed directly with mattress suture. We also review the anatomical features and hemodynamic consequences of such a defect.

The Therapeutic Effect of Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / 결핵

BACKGROUND: There have been several studies showing that the angiotensin II and angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) contributes to the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and the activation of fibroblasts during the process of pulmonary fibrosis. These results suggest that the pulmonary fibrosis can be inhibited by the angiotensin II receptor antagonist(AGIIRA). This study was performed to identify the therapeutic effect of AGIIRA in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF). METHOD: Thirteen patients with IPF, who were diagnosed with an open lung biopsy(6 patients) and furfilling the ATS criteria(7 patients) between March 1999 and October 2001 at the Gachon medical center, were enrolled in this study. Of these patients, eight patients were treated with a regimen including AGIIRA(AT group), and five were treated without AGIIRA(NT group). The pulmonary function tests and dyspnea(ATS scale) were measured at diagnosis and 1 year after treatment. All the data was collected to analyze the therapeutic effect of AGIIRA on the patients with IPF. RESULTS: The AT group contained 8 patients(M:F=4:4) and the NT group contained 5 patients (M:F=3:2). There was no significant difference in the serum angiotensin II level between the two groups(202.5+/-58.5 vs 163.7+/-47.3pg/ml, p>0.05). The AT group showed an upward trend in TLC(+3%), FVC(+4%), FEV1(+3%) and DLco(+2%) compared to the NT group(TLC(-14%), FVC(-3%), FEV1(-4%) except for DLco(+5%)). The dyspnea score in the AT group improved significantly but not in the NT group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the angiotensin II receptor antagonist may have an effect on stabilizing IPF.

A Case of Common Bile Duct Web Presenting with Obstructive Jaundice without Choledocholithiasis / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Biliary web is an extremely rare disease. It has been reported about 40 cases worldwide and 7 cases in Korea. Most cases have been incidentally found at operation or autopsy because of its rare incidence and absence of specific clinical manifestations. On cholangiography, billiary web typically appears as slit like or shelf like radiolucent narrowing. We experienced a case of biliary web of the common bile duct with obstructive jaundice that was diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and treated by surgery in a 65 year-old male who complained of right upper quadrant pain for 4 days. We report a case of biliary web of the common bile duct with obstructive jaundice with a review of the literature.

A Case of Synchronous Double Primary Cancer with Esophageal Small Cell Carcinoma and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Double primary cancer means that more than two cancers with different origin exist independently in an individual. The diagnosis of double primary cancer was determined by following criteria. Each of the tumors must present a definite picture of malignancy, each must be distance, and the probability of one being a metastasis of the other must be excluded. Primary small cell carcinoma in the esophagus is relatively rare, and rarer when it is combined with other malignant disease. A review of the Korean medical literature failed to reveal any previously described the case of syn-chronous double primary cancer of primary esophageal small cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of lung. Recently, we have experienced a case of double primary cancer, a 65-year-old man with primary esophageal small cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of lung, which were diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy and bronchoscopic biopsy.