Three cases of diagnostic delay of type A acute aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic delay (DD) can be lethal when patients with type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD). We report 3 cases of DD associated with TAAAD. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 is a female in her sixties presenting with severe back pain. A CT scan was taken, and TAAAD with a thrombosed false lumen was suspected by the radiology technician. He did not successfully transfer his concern to the physicians and the patient was sent home. The next day, she was transferred to another hospital with a recurrence of the symptom, and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made with a CT scan there. Case 2 was an 87-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital because of a loss of consciousness and bruises on the forehead. CT scan was taken and the displaced intimal flap in her aortic arch was overlooked by the part-time physician almost at the end of his shift. The diagnosis of TAAAD was made by the radiologist. Case 3 was the 44-year-old male who did not have health insurance and experienced severe back pain a few days before the visit to our clinic. On that day, he went to the nearby hospital's emergency room, and only pain medication was prescribed. A few days later, a CT scan was taken at our hospital to investigate the cause of pyuria and the diagnosis of TAAAD was made. CONCLUSION: DD may be common and multifactorial in our practice. Physicians need to take every step to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Surgical management of a giant atrial septal aneurysm.

We experienced a very rare case of surgical management of a giant atrial septal aneurysm. It is an interesting case and is supported by preoperative, intraoperative, and pathology images.

[Mitral Valve Plasty in a Patient with Multiple Metal Allergy;Report of a Case].

A 76-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of dyspnea on effort. Echocardiography showed severe mitral regurgitation. Her medical history indicated that she was allergic to metal, and skin patch tests were positive for nickel, cobalt, platinum, manganese, iridium, chromium, and zinc. Valvuloplasty involved triangular resection of P2 and mitral valve annuloplasty with a metal-free, 29 mm Tailor Flexible Ring. The sternum was closed using polyester non-absorbable sutures instead of surgical steel wire. Her postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on postoperative day 21. Nine months later, she is well and free of allergic symptoms.

[Abdominal Apoplexy after Mitral Valve Replacement Due to Infective Endocarditis;Report of a Case].

A 52-year-old woman with mitral valve insufficiency and congestive heart failure due to infective endocarditis was treated by mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve. Warfarin was started on postoperative day (POD) 3, but sudden onset of anemia with left abdominal pain presented on POD 8. Abdominal apoplexy was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonographic imaging, but active bleeding was not evident. She was hemodynamically stable and her prothrombin time-international normalized ratio(PT-INR) at that time was 1.70 (compared with 2.56 on POD 7). To avoid repeated bleeding, PT-INR was controlled at around 1.5. Other complications did not arise, and thereafter her postoperative course was favorable.

Coronary artery bypass grafting for an octogenarian with R II-B type with isolated single coronary artery.

We experienced a very rare case of isolated single coronary artery, in which the left main coronary artery passes between the aorta and pulmonary artery. It is the most potentially serious among the coronary artery anomalies, because it has the risk of myocardial infarction and sudden death in young ages.

Carnitine deficiency: Risk factors and incidence in children with epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Carnitine deficiency is relatively common in epilepsy; risk factors reportedly include combination antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy with valproic acid (VPA), young age, intellectual disability, diet and enteral or parenteral feeding. Few studies have examined the correlation between each risk factor and carnitine deficiency in children with epilepsy. We examined the influence of these risk factors on carnitine deficiency, and identified a formula to estimate plasma free carnitine concentration in children with epilepsy. METHODS: Sixty-five children with epilepsy and 26 age-matched controls were enrolled. Plasma carnitine concentrations were measured using an enzyme cycling assay, and correlations were sought with patients' other clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Carnitine deficiency was found in approximately 17% of patients with epilepsy and was significantly associated with carnitine-free enteral formula only by tube feeding, number of AEDs taken (independent of VPA use), body weight (BW), body height and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) score. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that carnitine concentration (in µmol/L) could be accurately estimated from a formula that does not require blood testing: 42.44+0.14×(BW in kg)-18.16×(feeding)-3.19×(number of AEDs), where feeding was allocated a score of 1 for carnitine-free enteral formula only by tube feeding and 0 for taking food orally (R(2)=0.504, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Carnitine-free enteral formula only by tube feeding, multiple AED treatment and low BW are risk factors for carnitine deficiency in children with epilepsy. l-carnitine should be administered to children at risk of deficiency to avoid complications. Treatment decisions can be informed using an estimation formula that does not require blood tests.