• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.123-131
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• 1996

Bacteremia occurs in a wide variety of clinical procedures in oral cavity. Reduction of the number of causative microorganisms of infective endocarditis in oral cavity by local administration of antimicrobial agents decreases the magnitude of bacteremia and possibility of infective endocarditis. The effects of chlorhexidine on Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus gordonii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermis were investigated by measurement of turbidity. The effects of 0.1% chlorhexidine gargling for 7 days on oral bacterial flora, total streptococci, S. mutans, S. aureus, and S. epidermis in whole saliv a of 7 healthy human subjects, were investigated by measurement of Colony Forming Units (CFU). The obtained results were as follows : 1. Chlorhexidine showed significant antimicrobial effects on Streptococcus snaguis, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus gordonii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermis. However, the effects on S. sanguis and S. gordonii were not apparent compared with other microorganisms. 2. Oral gargling of 0.1% chlorhexidine decreased the CFU values of normal oral bacterial flora, total streptococci, S. mutans, S. aureus, and S. epidermis in whole saliva. The antimicrobial effects were significant after 4 days of chlorhexidine gargling. 3. Local antimicrobial administration in addition to systemic antibiotic prophylaxis can be highly recommended as an effective adjunct regimen for prevention of infective endocarditis.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.140-145
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• 2017

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is sometimes associated with infective endocarditis (IE). Bartonella endocarditis is difficult to diagnose because it is rare and cannot be detected by blood culture. This is the first report of cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive subacute endocarditis-associated GN caused by Bartonella infection in South Korea. A 67-year-old man was hospitalized due to azotemia. He complained of weight loss and anorexia for 6 months. A diagnosis of IE was made based upon echocardiographic detection of vegetations on the mitral and aortic valves and a Bartonella antibody titer of 1:2,048. Renal histology identified focal crescentic GN. Azotemia and proteinuria improved after doxycycline and rifampin treatment combining with steroid therapy.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.75-79
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• 2016

We report a case of perivalvular abscess in a 66-year-old man with infective endocarditis, diagnosed by late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. No clinical features suspicious of infective endocarditis were noted, however, transthoracic echocardiography revealed non-specific echogenic focal wall thickening at mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa. Perivalvular abscess in the aortic valve was demonstrated as focal wall thickening between the anterior mitral leaflet and the non-coronary cusp of the aortic valve with peripheral enhancement and central low signal intensity on LGE CMR imaging. Other features suggestive of infective endocarditis, such as neither vegetation nor valvular perforation were present. The perivalvular abscess did not grow after intensive intravenous antibiotics therapy, and the patient was discharged without surgical treatment. CMR with LGE provided an early accurate diagnosis of perivalvular abscess. The diagnosis of perivalvular abscess using LGE CMR imaging was not previously reported in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.408-412
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• 2016

A 50-year-old female patient with visual disturbances was referred for further evaluation of a heart murmur. Fundoscopy revealed a Roth spot in both eyes. A physical examination showed peripheral signs of infective endocarditis, including Osler nodes, Janeway lesions, and splinter hemorrhages. Our preoperative diagnosis was subacute bacterial endocarditis with severe aortic regurgitation. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement and was treated with intravenous antibiotics for 6 weeks postoperatively. The patient made a remarkable recovery and was discharged without complications. We report this case of subacute endocarditis with all 4 classic peripheral signs in a patient who presented with visual disturbance.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.889-893
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• 1988

We experienced a case of infective endocarditis of aortic valve and tricuspid valve associated with a fistula between aorta and right ventricle. The patient was 35 years old woman and showed severe congestive heart failure. Large and multiple vagetations were found on the valvular surfaces and a fistula was present between aorta and right ventricle. Probably infective endocarditis of aortic valve resulted in annular abscess and as it healed, a fistula was formed and tricuspid valve endocarditis followed. We replaced the aortic valve and tricuspid valve with St. Jude mechanical prostheses, and closed the fistula opening with suture. The postoperative course was smooth and the patient has no problems till now 4 months after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.759-763
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• 1994

Between November 1990 and December 1993, 9 patients underwent surgical intervention for acute active endocarditis at Gyeongsang National University Hospital. All the patients were operated on within the first six weeks after onset of symptoms for various reasons. Surgical indications for early surgery were heart failure, systemic septic emboli, new murmur and growing vegetation. Most common infecting organism was Staphylococcus[55 %], and the others were Streptococcus, anaerobes, Candida and unknown in 1 case. The infection was in the mitral valve in 5 patients, the aortic valve in 2, the aortic and mitral in 1, and the aortic and pulmonary in 1. There was one operative death[11 %] and no late death. Preoperative Functional Class were II in 4 patients, III in 5 and after surgery all the patients improved to Class I. We conclude that early surgical intervention in acute active endocarditis is effective in most instances.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.118-120
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• 2012

Loeffler's endocarditis involves progressive eosinophilic infiltration of the endocardium, which leads to apical thrombotic obliteration of the ventricle and endomyocardial fibrosis, that may finally represent a characteristic feature of restrictive cardiomyopathy. This paper presents a case of a 44-year-old male with symptoms of dyspnea and peripheral hypereosinophilia, who was diagnosed with early stage Loeffler's endocarditis via multicardiac imaging modalities.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.584-594
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• 1986

Despite the multivariate improvements in tissue treatment, material, and design of prosthetic heart valves in recent years, numerous complications that may lead to valve dysfunction remain a constant threat after valve replacement. Most common indications for prosthetic valve failure are primary valve failure, infective endocarditis, paravalvular leakage, and thromboembolism. From 1977 to 1986, 15 patients underwent reoperation for prosthetic valve failure in 278 cases of valve surgery. The etiology of prosthetic valve failure were primary valve failure in 12 patients [80 %], infective endocarditis in 2 patients [13.3 %], and a paravalvular leakage [6.7 %]. The average durations of implantation were 45.5 months; 53.9 months in primary valve failure, 16 months in infective endocarditis, and 4 months in paravalvular leakage. The rate of valve failure was high under age of 30 [11/15]. Calcifications and collagen disruption of prosthesis were main cause of primary valve failure in macro- & micropathology. Prosthesis used in reoperation were 5 tissue valves and 10 mechanical valves. Operative mortality were 13.3 % [2/15], due to intractable endocarditis and ventricular arrhythmia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.655-662
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• 1985

From January 1985 to July 1985, prosthetic heart valves were replaced in 5 patients at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. The patients included three women and two men ranging in age from 22 to 41 years. Three mitral valve replacements, one aortic valve replacement and one double valve replacement [mitral and aortic valve replacement] were done at the first valve operations. Reoperation were performed 2 to 76 months after the first operations, Prosthetic valve endocarditis occurred in 3 patients, early in one and late in two and primary valve failure occurred in 2 patients. In operative findings, vegetation in prosthetic valve endocarditis and calcification in primary valve failure were found. All except one had relatively successful operative results. One died of early fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis due to relapsed prosthetic valve endocarditis with heart failure and block.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1119-1122
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• 1999

Native valve endocarditis (NVE) without preexisting structural valve or congenital cardiac malformation especially in pediatric group is rare. A case of isolated tricuspid valve endocarditis in a 7-year-old child without any cardiac malformation is described. This child had suffered from fever and productive cough for 3 weeks. Blood culture grew Staphylococcus aureus. Fever was not controlled even with proper antibiotic treatment. Transthoracic echocardiogram and lung perfusion scan revealed a large vegetation on the tricuspid valve with multiple embolism Surgical procedures included vegetectomy partial cusps resection and pericardial patch valvuloplasty. Th patient was in NYHA class I during follow up.