• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.69 no.2
• /
• pp.124-128
• /
• 2010

Septic pulmonary embolism is the process in which an infected thrombus becomes detached from its site of origin and lodges in a pulmonary artery, and is usually associated with infective endocarditis, especially right-sided, or infection-associated with indwelling catheters, peripheral septic thrombophlebitis, and periodontal diseases, etc. Here, we report a case of septic pulmonary embolism associated with tricuspid valve infective endocarditis. A 23-year-old female was admitted to our hospital, due to fever, sore throat, and myalgia. In her past medical history, she had undergone a surgical operation for closure of a ventricular septal defect, but was informed that the operation resulted in an incomplete closure. The initial chest radiograph demonstrated multiple rounded, parenchymal nodules in various sizes; several nodules had central lucency suggesting cavitations. Echocardiography demonstrated a large vegetation attached to the septal tricuspid valve leaflet, extending from right ventricular inflow tract to outflow tract. Computed tomography of thorax revealed bilateral peripheral nodules and wedge-shaped consolidation at various sizes, mostly accompanied by cavitations.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.11
• /
• pp.1038-1044
• /
• 1995

We have been used cryopreserved homograft valves for right ventricular outflow tract[RVOT reconstruction since November 1993. The homograft valves were harvested from the hearts of brain dead patients or hearts of transplant recipients. There were 12 male and 10 female patients. Their ages ranged from 5 months to 13 years[mean age,39.2 $\pm$ 37.4 months and the weight ranged from 5 to 48kg [mean weight, 13.7$\pm$ 9. l kg . The diagnoses included pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect [n=14 , tetralogy of Fallot[n=4 , truncus arteriosus[n=3 , and double outlet right ventricle with pulmonic stenosis[n=l .Monocuspid homograft patches were used for RVOT widening or REV[reparation l`etage ventriculaire operations in 4 patients. We also used homograft as valved conduits for RVOT reconstruction in 17 patients and left ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in anatomically corrected transposition in 1 patient. Among them size-reducing technique [converting a tricuspid valved conduit into a bicuspid valved conduit were applied to six patients for the correction of size mismatching. The mean follow-up period was 10.6 $\pm$ 5.4 months. There was one operative death[4.5% due to bleeding and one reoperation for removal of vegetation on the homograft leaflet. Postoperative echocardiography documented no significant homograft insufficiency and RVOT obstructions.In short-term, the homograft valves provide excellent hemodynamic characteristics, even though further studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.113-117
• /
• 2002

With an increasing awareness of the limitations of both mechanical prostheses and bioprostheses, aortic valvuloplasty has gained attention as an alternative procedure for aortic valve disease. Material and Method: Eight consecutive patients underwent aortic valvuloplasty caused by leaflet prolapse between June 1799 to June 2000. Mean age of the patients was 18.4$\pm$12.6 year. Four paitents(50%) were male. Six patients had tricuspid valves and ventricular septal defect and two patients had bicuspid valves. The extent of aortic insufficiency was 3.5$\pm$0.5 by preoperative Doppler echocardiography. The technique involved triangular resection of the free edge of the prolapsed leaflet, annular plication at the commissure, and resection of a raphe when present in bicuspid valves. Result: There was no in-hospital mortality or morbidity. Mean follow-up was complete at 11.973.6months. There was no late mortality or morbidity. The amount of the severity of aortic insufficiency, as assessed by echocardiography preoperatively, postoperatively and at late follow-up was 3.5$\pm$0.5, 0.6$\pm$0.5 and 0.8$\pm$0.6, respectively(p value : 0.01). There was one patient with grade 2/4 aortic insufficiency and in the other patients, grade 1/2 or trivial aortic insufficiency were detected with late echocardiograms. Conclusion: Triangular resection in the patients with aortic leaflet prolapse offers a good early clinical result, but long-term follow-up is necessary.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.8
• /
• pp.626-629
• /
• 2001

Congenital polyvalvular disease is a connective tissue disorder affecting more than one heart valve with variable involvement of the entire valvular and subvalvular apparatus. It is frequently associated with the Trisomy 18 and trisomy 13-15 or ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. We present an isolated case of congenital polyvalvular disease in a new born baby with a review of the pertinent literatures, which has not been described in Korea. The mass was discovered as a right atrial mass in the prenatal ultrasonography and it was thought to be either a hematoma or a myxoma in the preoperative echocardiography. Microscopic examination of the surgically resected mass showed irregular thickening, nodulation, and additional features of calcification and ossification in the valvular connective tissue on the body of anterior and septal leaflet of tricuspid valve. Congenital polyvalvular disease should be included in the differential diagnosis in cases showing valvular calcification or ossification in the fetal echocardiography.