Bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BRS) is an innovative device that provides structural support and drug release to prevent early recoil or restenosis, and then degrades into nontoxic compounds to avoid late complications related with metallic drug-eluting stents (DESs). BRS has several putative advantages. However, recent randomized trials and registry studies raised clinical concerns about the safety and efficacy of first generation BRS. In addition, the general guidance for the optimal practice with BRS has not been suggested due to limited long-term clinical data in Korea. To address the safety and efficacy of BRS, we reviewed the clinical evidence of BRS implantation, and suggested the appropriate criteria for patient and lesion selection, scaffold implantation technique, and management.
Coronary Disease ; Drug Liberation ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Korea ; Stents ; Thrombosis

This study was undertaken to evaluate the retinal detachment related to lattice egeneration. We reviewed 54 eyes of 54 patients who had undergone retinal reattachment procedure from May 1992 to May 1995 at Yeungnam university hospital. Forty cases (74%) were due to atrophic holes in the lattice degeneration and 14 cases (26%) were due to tears at the lateral or posterior margin of lattice degeneration. Among 40 patients with atrophic hole, 25 patients (62.5%) were under 30-year-old and 26 patients (70.2%) were myopic over -3.0D. Among 14 patients with marginal tear, 9 patients (64.2%) were over 50-year-old and 8 patients had a refractive error of under -3.0D. Lattice degenerations were located most frequently in the temporal quadrants (46 cases, 85%). Retinal detachment related to lattice degeneration occurred in 30 eyes (56%) at superior retina, 20 eyes (37%) at inferior retina, 4 eyes (7%) at total retina, and had a much less serious prognosis in cases of atrophic hole compared with tear due to macula was less frequently involved in atrophic hole.
Adult ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myopia ; Prognosis ; Refractive Errors ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinaldehyde*

Photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (PARK) using VISX 20/20 B excimer laser with version 4.01 software was performed in 205 consecutive eyes of compound myopic astigmatism to assess the efficacy, predictability, and safety of excimer laser treatment of compound myopic astigmatism between September 1994 and June 1996. The mean preoperative manifest spherical equivalent refraction was -6.95+/-2.52D (range -1.13 to -15D) and the mean preoperative manifest cylindrical refraction was -1.25+/-0.76D (range -0.5 to -4.50D). The patients were followed from 6 months to 1 year (mean 9.19 months). At 1 year, 82(75.2%) of all 109 eyes receiving PARK were within 1D of plano refraction, and 88(80.7%) of all 109 eyes achieved uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Postoperative refractions were stable after 3 months without significant early overcorrection. Mean postoperative astigmatism was -0.29+/-0.40D at 6 months and -0.24+/-0.42D at 12 months. Overall improvement of astigmatism was 75% at 6 months and 82% at 12 months by vector analysis using Alpins` method. In conclusion, PARK using VISX 20/20 B VisionKeyTM excimer laser with version 4.01 software appears to be effective in the treatment of compound myopic astigmatism with a relatively high degree of accuracy and safety. The predictability and stability of the postoperative refraction during the first 12 months seem to be quite reliable.
Astigmatism ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Visual Acuity

We performed a retrospective study of 47 patients(47 eyes) with retinal vein occlusion who had treated with laser photocoagulation for neovascularization from January 1991 through January 1992. Only cases with a minimum of one year follow up were included in this study. The majority of patients were 50 year old(78.7%). Sixteen patients were male(34%) and thirty one patients were female(66%). The proportion of branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion was 74.5%, 25.5%, respectively. New vessles elsewhere were developed in 36 eyes(76.6%), new vessles on the disc in 7 eyes(14.9%), and 4 eyes(8.5%) had both types of neovascularization. The percents of regression in neovascularization was 72.3% which ranged from 84% for under 10 disc diameter area of retinal ischemia to 64% for over 10 disc diameter area of retinal ischemia. Vitreous hemorrhage occured in 12 eyes(25.5%) within 1 year and especially when ischemic area was over 10 disc diameters and associated with systemic vascular diseases.
Argon* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Light Coagulation* ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Vascular Diseases ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

This study was performed to investigate the visual prognosis in ischemic and nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO), to investigate the difference in clinical course of two types, and to identify prognostic factors for poor visual outcome. Fifty seven patients with CRVO were included. Eyes were classified into ischemic or nonischemic type by indirect ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography. Among 58 eyes, 27 eyes(46.6%) were of the nonischemic CRVO and 31 eyes(53.4%) of the ischemic CRVO. Nonischemic CRVO was more common in patients under 45 years and had more benign clinical course than ischemic CRVO. Factors significantly related to visual outcome were initial visual acuity in ischemic CRVO(P<0.01) and the presence of systemic disease in nonischemic CRVO(P<0.01). Hypertension and diabetes were the most commonly associated systemic diseases. The leading causative factors for poor visual outcome were chronic macular edema and neovascular glaucoma in ishemic CRVO, and chronic macular edema in nonischemic CRVO.
Fluorescein Angiography ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Macular Edema ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Prognosis ; Retinal Vein* ; Visual Acuity

The authors have examined 980 children with strabismus who were 6 years of age or under at the Eye Clinic of Yeungnam University Hospital. This study was conducted during the 4-year period between January 1990 and December 1994. The main objective of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of fundus abnormality in children with strabismus. The total number of subjects in this study are 980 cases. Sixty subjects(6.1%) are found to have optic disc, chorioretinal and vitreous anomalies. Among them, 26 cases(43%) are diagnosed as having optic nervehypoplasia, in 7 cases (12%) coloboma, in 4 cases(7%) morning glory syndrome, in another 4 cases persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous, and in 3 cases retinoblastoma. In our study, 6.1% of the patients with strabismus are found to have disorders in optic disc and vitreoretina. These finding suggests that infants and young children with strabismus should have been examined to detect other related disorders of the eye.
Child* ; Coloboma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Persistent Hyperplastic Primary Vitreous ; Retinoblastoma ; Strabismus*

In order to examine a possibility of hepatitis B virus(HBV) transmission via tears, detection of HBV DNA in tear was esamined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 39 patients with HBsAg positive in serum. The detection of HBV DNA in tears was compared that in serums. The patients were divided into group I (n=21, serum HBsAg+HBeAg-) and group II (n=18, serum HBsAg+/HBeAg+). The total detection rates of HBV DNA in tears and serums were 76.9% and 92.3%, respectively. In detail, detection rates of HBV DNA in tears were 71.4% (group I) and 83.3% (group II) and those in serums were 85.7% (group I)and 100% (group II). There was no statisticlly significant difference in detection rate between group I and group II (p>0.05). However, mean values for serum aminotransferase activities in group II were higher than those in group I (p<0.05). The titer of HBsAg or HBeAg did not influence on the detection rate of HBV DNA. With these results, it was found that HBV DNA would be easily detected in tear of patients with HBV infection and HBV could be transmitted via ophthalmic instruments touched with ocular surface. Therefore, history taking concerning hepatitis B, screening test for hepatitis B, chemical or physical sterilization of ophthalmic instruments, and vaccination for workers in ophthalmologic department would be important in prophylactic aspects.
Antigens, Surface* ; DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sterilization ; Vaccination

Sub-retinal pigment epithelial hemorrhage, located between sub-retinal pigment epithelial space and Bruchs membrane, develops from various etiology and usually is associated with subretinal hemorrhage. When sub retinal pigment epithelial hemorrhage occurs with choroidal neovascularization(CNV) within macular area, it generally has a poor visual prognosis. We report the case of a 54-years old man who initially had large sub-retinal pigment epithelial hemorrhage with presumed CNV. Without treatmetn, visual improvement with spontaneous resolution of hemorrhage occured.
Bruch Membrane ; Choroid ; Choroidal Neovascularization ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retinaldehyde

Tissue plasminogen activator(tPA) has been used as useful adjunct in the submacular hemorrhage due to age-related macular degeneration, which was injected and able to dissolve clotted blood. It was also known that intravitreal injection of tPA was effective as much as subretinal injection for lysis of blood. Recently, the rationale was introduced that residual dissolved subretinal blood with tPA was displaced from fovea away by intravitreal injection of an expanding gas. We have experienced the improvement of vision in an 83-year old woman with submacular hemorrhage, treated with intravitreal tPA and gas injection.
Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Degeneration ; Plasminogen ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator*

One hundred and fourteen patients(72 males and 42 females) who received a conjunctival flap for uncontrollable corneal ulcers with medical therapy between June 1983 and October 1994 were studied retrospectively. The range of the patients' ages were 7 to 81 years in which 60s' were popular and the patients were followed up for 15.2 months in average. Major underlying conditions of the patients were microbial infection(40%, 46 eyes) and trauma (25%, 29 eyes). The pathogenic organisms were identified by culture in 35 cases. Gram positive organisms of which staphylococcus species were the commonest were found in 23 cases, while Gram negative organisms of which pseudomonas species were the commonest were found in 11 cases. The location of the corneal ulceration was central(48.2%, 55 cases), paracentral(25.4%, 29 cases), total(19.3%, 22 cases) and marginal(7.0%, 8 cases) in order. The methods of operations were consisted of bipedicle bridge flap(82 cases), total conjuncti val flap(20 cases) and partial conjunctival flap(12 cases) in which 108 cases could be followed up and 96 cases(89%) were healed completely with one operation. As a postoperative complication retraction and displacement (12 cases), melting(10 cases), corneal perforation under the flap(5 cases) and corneal staphyloma (3 cases) etc. were found. Conclusively, the conjunctival flap can be a choice of the procedure for improving corneal wound healing for persistent corneal ulceration recalcitrant to medical therapy.
Corneal Perforation ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; Pseudomonas ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus ; Ulcer* ; Wound Healing