• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.9
• /
• pp.1012-1017
• /
• 2008

Purpose : This study aimed to assess the mechanical properties of the abdominal aorta in school-aged patients treated for Kawasaki disease and in normal, healthy children. Methods : This study examined 28 children with Kawasaki disease who had been followed up on and 30 healthy subjects of the same age and gender. We recorded systolic (Ps) and diastolic (Pd) blood pressure values and the aortic diameter at both minimum diastolic (Dd) and maximum systolic (Ds) expansion using two-dimensional echocardiography. These measurements were used to determine 1) aortic strain: S=(Ds-Dd)/Dd; 2) pressure strain elastic modulus: Ep=(Ps-Pd)/S; and 3) normalized Ep: $Ep^*=Ep/Pd$. Results : Ep (P=0.008) and $Ep^*$ (P=0.043) of the Kawasaki disease group were relatively high compared to those of the control group. Ep (P=0.002) and $Ep^*$ (P=0.015) of patients with coronary aneurysm were also relatively high compared with those of patients without coronary aneurysm, but lipid profiles did not differ, except for homocysteine (P=0.008). Therefore, in patients with coronary aneurysm, aortic stiffness was higher, compared to not only the control group but also patients without coronary aneurysm. However, in patients without coronary aneurysm, aortic stiffness was not significant, different compared to the control group. Conclusion : Measuring aortic distensibility may be helpful in assessing the risk of early atheroscletic change in the long-term management of Kawasaki disease.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 2011

Assuming that photons absorbed by a vessel do not have acute variations, DC component reflect the basal blood volume (or diameter) before blood pulsation. Vascular stiffness and reflection is influenced by changes in basal blood volume (or diameter). This paper describes analysis of the characteristic variations of vascular stiffness, according to relative variations in DC components of the PPG signal (25-75%). For quantitative analysis, we have used parameters that were proposed previously, reflection and stiffness index, and the second derivative of PPG waveform, b/a and d/a. Significantly, the vascular stiffness and reflections were increased according to increase in DC component of the PPG signal for more than about 3% of baseline values. The systolic blood pressure were increased from $113.1{\times}13.18$ to $116.2{\times}13.319$ mmHg, about 2.76% (r = 0.991, P < 0.001) and the AC component of the PPG signal were decreased from $2.073{\times}2.287$ to $1.973{\times}2.2038$ arbitrary unit, about 5.09% (r = -0.993, P < 0.001). It is separated by DC median and correlation analysis was performed for analyzing vascular characteristics according to instantaneous DC variations. There are significant differences between two correlation coefficients in separated data.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.49 no.7
• /
• pp.769-776
• /
• 2006

Purpose : Pulse wave velocity(PWV) and ankle brachial index(ABI) are not only noninvasive methods used to assess arterial stiffness in adults, but also useful, simple ways to estimate the severity of hypertension, end stage renal disease and atherosclerosis in adults. But there are few studies on PWV and ABI in adolescents and children. In this study, hypertensive adolescents were compared to normal individuals to find out the usefulness of PWV as the index of progress in the disease. Methods : 413 teenagers were divided into three groups. The first group consisted of adolescents that only had hypertension(Group 1 : 23 teenagers). The second group consisted of the adolescents who had hypertension with obesity(Group 2 : 17 teenagers), and the last group was the normal subjects(Group 3 : 328 teenagers). Weight, height and body mass index were measured. Simultaneous measurements of systolic, diastolic and average blood pressure were obtained from the four extremities. PWV, ABI, ejection time and preejection period were also measured. Results : Right brachial-ankle PWV was significantly higher in both group 1 and group 2 compared with group 3, and significantly higher in group 2 compared with group 1. Likewise, left brachial-ankle PWV also showed significantly higher values in both group 1 and group 2 compared with group 3, and also higher values in group 2 compared with group 1. Positive correlations were found between the systolic, diastolic, average blood pressure and PWV. There were also positive correlations between the blood pressure and weight, body mass index. Conclusion : Higher PWV was demonstrated in adolescents with essential hypertension compared to normal subjects. Follow-up study is needed to evaluate the progress.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.38 no.12 s.257
• /
• pp.873-877
• /
• 2005

Jeune's asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy is a rare, complex malformation with a broad spectrum of clinical expression. The degree of chest wall deformity is the most important prognostic factor and the only part which is correctable. A 11 month-old male infant was diagnosed as having Jeune's syndrome and received right side lateral thoracic expansion surgery. But because respiratory distress symptom was sustained postoperatively, we performed left side procedure 3 months after the initial operation. Respiratory distress symptom got worse after fracturing the left titanium plate which was inserted to fix the expanded thoracic wall and reimplantation was performed. The patient was discharged 6 months after the initial operation. He was readmitted and received ventilator care for respiratory failure and died 10 months after the initial operation.