PURPOSE: To inform the necessity of mass screening, we performed a mass screening for the detection of ocular disorders of preschool children. METHODS: Ocular examination was performed on 60, 827 children in Korea (3-6 years of age) during the period from March to October, 2000. The total of 3, 254 children were shown to have either visual acuity of less than 0.5 or anisometropia of over 2 lines. Detailed eye examination was conducted on those 3, 254 children. RESULTS: The numbers of first mass screening were 60, 826. Diagnosis consisted of refractive errors in 2, 216, amblyopia in 664, and strabismus in 235. Among the types of refractive errors, myopic astigmatism was the most common type (34.0%). Astigmatism was combined with all other types in 1, 659 children. Refractive error was the most common cause of amblyopia (88.0%) CONCLUSIONS: To prevent and treat amblyopia or strabismus, early detection and adequate care at preschool age seemed to be very effective. Participation rate for this mass-screening of eye disease during preschool age will be more increased by efforts of constiutional support and parental cooperation.
Amblyopia ; Anisometropia ; Astigmatism ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis ; Eye Diseases ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Parents ; Refractive Errors ; Strabismus ; Vision Screening* ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: During pediatric general anesthesia with Mapleson D-circuit, we used large amount of FGF(fresh gas flow) for avoidance of rebreathing of expired gas but low FGF are employed, the amount of anesthetic consumption and air contamination can be reduced. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fact that FGF of 220 ml/kg/min is clinically acceptable. METHODS: We selected sixty children weighing < or =20 kg who were scheduled for inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia. The study was performed by 2 steps; In the step 1, the patients were divided into two groups according to weight(less than or greater than 8 kg) and end-tidal Pco2 were compared with simultaneous arterial Pco2 measurements. In the step 2, the patients were divided into two groups according to FGF(2MV or 220 ml/kg) and arterial Pco2, end tidal Pco2 and PminCO2(minimum inspired Pco2) were measured. RESULTS: In the step 1 study, arterial Pco2 was significantly higher than end-tidal Pco2 in the group 1 and there was slight difference in arterial Pco2 and end-tidal Pco2 in the group 2. In the step 2 study, PaCO2, PetCO2, PminCO2 were significantly increased in the group 3 than group 2 but there were no clinical hypoxemia in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: We consider that FGF of 220 ml/kg/min is appropriate during controlled ventilation with Mapleson D circuit in children weighing > or =8 kg because of economic and ecological advantages. Also, we consider FGF can be reduced in children weighing <8 kg under accurate respiratory gas monitoring.
Anesthesia, General* ; Anesthetics ; Anoxia ; Blood Pressure ; Child ; Heart Rate ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Ventilation

41 cases of complicated cataract in leprosy patients were operated on from May 1989 to March 1990 at National Sorok Island Hospital. In all cases, extracapsular cataract extraction was attempted and sector or peripheral iridectomy was performed. Inferior sphincterotomy was not done in any of the cases. The postoperative results were very satisfactory in most of the operating cases. The results are as follows; 1) Corrected vision above 0.1 was obtained in 29 eyes(70.7%). 2) Corrected vision from F.C. to 0.09 was obtained in 8 eyes(19.5%). 3) Corrected vision below H.M. was obtained in 4 eyes(9.8%). 4) 37 eyes(90.2%) among the total 41 showed an improvement of corrected vision.
Cataract Extraction ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Iridectomy ; Leprosy*

BACKGROUND: The 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor is a member of the Cys-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs) and modulated by pharmacologic relevant concentrations of volatile anesthetics or n-alcohols like most receptors of LGICs. The goal of this study was to reveal whether the site-directed single mutations of E-106, F-107 and R-222 in 5-HT3 receptor may affect the anesthetic modulation of halothane known as positive modulator. METHODS: The wild-type and mutant receptors, E106D, F107Y, R222F, R222V, were expressed in Xenopus Laevis oocytes and receptor function was assessed using two electrode voltage clamp techniques. RESULTS: E106D, F107Y, R222F, R222V mutant 5-HT3A receptors were functionally expressed. F107Y mutant 5-HT3A receptors displayed decreased sensitivity to 5-HT compared to the wild type 5-HT3A receptor (P < 0.05). Halothane showed positive modulation in both wild and F107Y mutant 5-HT3A receptors but F107Y mutant 5-HT3 receptor showed greater enhancing modulation comparing to wild-type receptor. Meanwhile, R222F and R222V mutant 5-HT3 receptor lost positive modulation with 1 and 2 MAC of halothane. Most interestingly, positive modulation by halothane was converted into negative modulation in E106D mutant 5-HT3A receptor. CONCLUSIONS: The present study implicate the amino acid residues known for agonist binding and linking agonist binding to channel gating might also have important role for anesthetic modulation in 5-HT3A receptor.
Anesthetics ; Electrodes ; Electrophysiology ; Halothane ; Ligand-Gated Ion Channels ; Oocytes ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 ; Serotonin ; Xenopus laevis

PURPOSE: We compared therapeutic efficacy and steroid-induced IOP elevation of 1% rimexolone with that of 0.1% fluorometholone. METHODS: Of all LASIK treated eyes from March of 2001 to December of 2002 in Sungae General Hospital, 46 eyes were treated with 1% rimexolone and 46 eyes were treated with 0.1% fluorometholone. And we measured the degree of myopic regression (1 day, 1 month, 3 month) and intraocular pressure (1 month). RESULTS: Statistically signicant difference in therapeutic efficacy of myopic regression, and no statistically signicant difference in IOP were found. The therapeutic efficacy of 1% rimexolone was higher. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that application of 1% rimexolone was more useful in myopic regression following LASIK rather than that of 0.1% fluorometholone.
Fluorometholone* ; Hospitals, General ; Intraocular Pressure ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ*

Labyrinthitis causes damage to inner ear structure, and in turn hearing loss and vertigo. Labyrinthitis is classified as otogenic labyrinthitis and meningogenic labyrinthitis. Otogenic labyrinthitis can be diagnosed early through otoscopic examination. However, when there are no characteristic neurologic symptoms in patients with meningogenic labyrinthitis, clinicians can overlook the underlying meningitis and this may lead to the peripheral vertigo. We encountered an unusual case of meningogenic labyrinthitis that is misdiagnosed as peripheral dizziness.
Dizziness ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Labyrinthitis ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Vertigo

Survey of causes of blindness on 45,400 eye patients of various hospitals(total 16 in number) in 1970 is attempted. Blindness is defined as visual acuity for distance of 0.1 (20/200) or less in the better eye with best correction. Representation of diagnosis of ocular affection is based on exmination of ophthalmologists and the Standard Classification of Causes of Blindness recommended from the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (revised) is applied. Estimated number of blindness is 1,162(2.6%). Distribution of blindness cases by age group, is: in male - under 5(2.7%), 6~19(8.2%), 20~44(17.3%), 45~64(12.0%), 65~74(6.4%), 75 and over (3.3%) and in female - under 5(1.8%), 6~19(5.2%), 20~44(11.4%), 45~64(13.6%), 65~74(11.7%), 75 and over(6.4%). Proportion of blindness by causes indicates: Senile cataract (29.7%), Injury and poisoning (13.3%), Refractive errors (11.8%), Infectious diseases (11.3%), Systemic diseases (11.1%), Others (6.5%), Glaucoma (5.4%), and Congenital diseases (2.2%), etc. Rate of blindness by site and type of affection is shown as: Lens diseases (cataract) (38.5%), Optic nerve diseases (12%), Refractive errors (11.6%), Corneal diseases (7.6%), Retinal diseases (7.3%), Glaucoma (6.4%), Atrophia bulbi (3.9%), and Others (3.4%), etc. Some comparisons with different statistics of inland and foreign countries are made. Evaluation of results and problems for a better reliable survey in future are briefly discussed in comment. (Specia] thanks go to our colleagues in ophthalmology at hospitals namely - Drs. Won Shik Yoon, Jung Ja Park, Wun Ho Park, Joon Sup Oh, Sung Koo Choe, Tae Wung Oh, Jae Myung Kim, Yung Tae Jung, In Sang Yoo, Byung Kook Park, Byung II Park, Sung Min Hong, and Bong Yul Kim).
Blindness* ; Cataract ; Classification ; Communicable Diseases ; Corneal Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lens Diseases ; Male ; Ophthalmology ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Poisoning ; Refractive Errors ; Retinal Diseases ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women with Ureaplasma urealyticum and/or Mycoplasma hominis infection and the prevalence of these organisms in normal pregnancy. METHODS: Between February 2002 and July 2002, we included 43 pregnant women prior to 37 weeks of gestation with definite gross leakage of amniotic fluid (n=16) (group 1), 47 healthy women without any obstetric problems between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation (group 2) and 64 women who delivered fullterm fetuses who had taken cervical swabs around 36 weeks gestation (group 3). Cervical swabs (Dacron(R)) were taken on admission in group 1 and at outpatients in group 2 and 3. Detections of U. urealyticum and M. hominis were done using commercial kits (MYCOFAST(R) Evolution 2, International Microbio Signes, France). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between mid-gestation (group 2) and fullterm (group 3) in cervical swab result. In group 1, the detection rate of Ureaplasma uealyticum was higher in impending preterm birth over 32 weeks of gestational age (15/20, 75%) than 32 weeks or less (10/ 23, 43.4%) (p<0.05). In group 2, there was no significant difference in preterm birth rate between the exposed and the non-exposed to U. urealyticum and/or M. hominis in middle of 2nd trimester. CONCLUSION: U. urealyticum does not seem to be a predictor of preterm birth, and there seems to be some different mechanism according to gestational age. We couldn't varify that M. Hominis and U. urealyticum were related to preterm birth, although U. urealyticum was highly detected in impending preterm birth.
Amniotic Fluid ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Outpatients ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth ; Prevalence ; Ureaplasma ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is the most frequent and discomforting side effect following general anesthesia. Most volatile anesthetics have a potent effect on serotonin (5-hydroxydtryptamine, 5-HT) type 3 receptor mediating PONV, and their antagonists have been currently used effectively to prevent and/or reduce the incidence and severity of PONV. The authors reported previously that ginsenosides have inhibitory effect on 5-HT3A receptor. In this study we intended to elucidate the inhibitory effect of ginsenosides on the potentiated 5-HT3A receptor by desflurane. METHODS: After in vitro transcription of the recombinant mouse 5-HT3A receptor in the Xenopus laevis oocyte, we examined the effects of ginsenosides (g-Rb1, g-Rg1, g-Rd, g-Rg2) as well as ginsenoside metabolite, compound K on the modulation of desflurane by measuring currents flowing through 5-HT3A receptor using two-electrode voltage clamp technique. RESULTS: Although normalized inhibitory responses of ginsenosides were same regardless of desflurane, some ginsenosides such as g-Rd, g-Rg2, and g-Rg1 showed potential inhibition to the enhanced 5-HT induced current of 5-HT3A receptor by desflurane. CONCLUSIONS: Although ginsenosides have substantial inhibitory effect on 5-HT3A receptor, the effects of ginsenoside on potentiation by desflurane of 5-HT induced current via recombinant 5HT3A receptor may depend on the types of ginsenoside, which suggesting that ginsenoside might have an antagonistic action to nausea and vomiting associated with volatile anesthetics.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Animals ; Ginsenosides ; Incidence ; Isoflurane ; Mice ; Nausea ; Negotiating ; Oocytes ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Serotonin ; Vomiting ; Xenopus ; Xenopus laevis

Endometriosis is a relatively common disease, affecting 5-10% of women of reproductive age. But, endometriosis affecting the urinary tract is very rare entity. Involvement of urinary tract by endometriosis occurs in about 1% of women with pelvic endometriosis. Ureteral endometriosis is mostly asymptomatic for a long time, and associated with nonspecific symptoms at clinical presentation and difficult preoperative diagnosis. The involvement of the ureter is rarely intrinsic by implantation of endometrial tissue in the wall of the ureter, but rather due to external compression by adjacent endometriosis and its attendant inflammation and fibrosis. We have experienced a case of right severe hydroureteronephrosis due to ureteral stricture from endometriosis. Laparoscopic nephrectomy was done due to renal atrophy. At the same time, laparoscopic total hysterectomy with right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed because of the uterine adenomyosis and right ovarian endometrioma. So, we report that with a brief review of literatures.
Adenomyosis ; Atrophy ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Diagnosis ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis* ; Hysterectomy ; Inflammation ; Nephrectomy ; Ureter* ; Urinary Tract