This study was performed to investigate the sequential changes of the retinal tissue in tissue culture condition. The human sensory retinal tissues were cultured for up to 2 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively. The initial changes showed the separation of the intercellular space and the consequent widening of the intercellular space with prolapse of cytoplasmic processes into the widened intercellular space. The internal limiting membrane was also separated from the inner retina, which led to the prolapse of the cytoplasm of the Muller cell. The growth of the Muller cell was most prominent during the 4-weeks' tissue culture period. These findings suggest that the Muller cell might contribute to the formation of cellular membrane in case of the defect of the internal limiting membrane in several pathologic conditions.
Adult ; Cell Membrane/ultrastructure ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuroglia/*ultrastructure ; Retina/*ultrastructure

Serpiginous choroiditis is a chronic. progressive, recurrent, and usually bilateral disease involving the choriocapillaris, retinal pigment epithelium, and retina. This disease classically involves the juxtapapillary retina and extends outward in a pseudopodial fashion. We report a case of serpiginous choroiditis beginning in the posterior pole without initial peripapillary lesion, and extending toward the optic disc. The fluorescein angiogram of the lesion showed hypofluorescence in the early phase and hyperfluorescence in the late phase, and the progression of the lesion with time.
Choroid* ; Choroiditis* ; Fluorescein ; Retina ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

We have experienced a case of bilateral bacterial endophthalmitis after bilateral elevation of intraocular pressure. This patient suffered from meningitis and bacteremia. The enucleation was performed and histopathologic studies revealed severe inflammary change of the anterior segment. The present report described the relation between clinical signs and histopathologic findings of the metastatic endophthalmitis. We should keep in mind the possibility of the metastatic endophthalmitis in case of acute increase of intraocular pressure.
Bacteremia ; Endophthalmitis* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Meningitis

The cellular membrane on the surface of the intraocular lens implants can decrease the visual acuity transiently or permanently. The cellular membrane that encapsulated the artificial lens was investigated cytologically by the implant cytology technique. In order to elucidate the morphological differences between the Choyce Mark IX anterior chamber lens removed from the eye with uveitis and implant under the normal iris tissue culture conditions, this study was performed by tissue culture and implant cytology technique. The fibroblast-like cells, foreign body giant cells and cellular membranes were seen on the surface of intraocular lens implants removed from human eye and tissue culture conditions.
Anterior Chamber ; Giant Cells, Foreign-Body ; Humans ; Iris* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Membranes* ; Uveitis ; Visual Acuity

In order to evaluate the influence of soft contact lens(SCL) on the tear turnover rate in the conjunctival sac with SCL, this study was performed with lacrimal scintillography. Two determinations were carried out in the same eye: the first determination was carried out in both eyes without SCL(control group) and the second determination was carried out in both eyes after adaptation to the SCL from 4 hours to 8 hours only in the left eye(study group). In the results, there was no statistical difference of the fractional turnover rate of the tear between both eyes without SCL. In left eyes, the fractional tunover rate of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group, because the accumulation of the Technetium 99m sodium pertechnetate in the SCL. In right eyes, there was no statistical difference of the fractional turnover rate of the tear between the control group and the study group. This result may be derived from 'fatigue block' and/or the decreased sensitivity of the cornea fitted with SCL.
Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic* ; Cornea ; Sodium ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m ; Tears* ; Technetium

Objective: This study aimed to determine the factors that affect successful esophageal foreign body (FB) removal using a Foley catheter and to identify methods to increase the success rate. Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we included pediatric patients who presented with esophageal FB impaction that was removed using a Foley catheter in the emergency departments of tertiary care and academic hospitals. We analyzed the effect of the patients’ age, sex, and symptoms; FB type, size, and location; Foley catheter size; complications during FB removal; duration between FB ingestion and removal; operator’s years of training; sedation; success rate of FB removal; endoscopy; and patient’s posture during FB removal on the success of Foley catheter-based FB removal. Results: Of the 43 patients we enrolled, Foley catheter-based FB removal was successful in 81.4% (35/43) but failed in 18.6% (8/43) of patients; no FB-removal-related complications were reported. There was no significant association between the success rate of Foley catheter-based FB removal and any study variable. A higher number of years in training tended to increase the success rate of Foley catheter-based FB removal, although statistical significance was not achieved. Conclusion Children’s esophageal FB removal is a practical challenge in the emergency rooms, and using a Foley catheter is associated with a high success rate of the removal and low occurrence of complications. In this study, no single variable was found correlated with the success rate of Foley catheter-based esophageal FB removal in pediatric patients, which may indicate multiple variables interacting with one another to affect the success rate.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the factors that affect successful esophageal foreign body (FB) removal using a Foley catheter and to identify methods to increase the success rate. Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we included pediatric patients who presented with esophageal FB impaction that was removed using a Foley catheter in the emergency departments of tertiary care and academic hospitals. We analyzed the effect of the patients’ age, sex, and symptoms; FB type, size, and location; Foley catheter size; complications during FB removal; duration between FB ingestion and removal; operator’s years of training; sedation; success rate of FB removal; endoscopy; and patient’s posture during FB removal on the success of Foley catheter-based FB removal. Results: Of the 43 patients we enrolled, Foley catheter-based FB removal was successful in 81.4% (35/43) but failed in 18.6% (8/43) of patients; no FB-removal-related complications were reported. There was no significant association between the success rate of Foley catheter-based FB removal and any study variable. A higher number of years in training tended to increase the success rate of Foley catheter-based FB removal, although statistical significance was not achieved. Conclusion Children’s esophageal FB removal is a practical challenge in the emergency rooms, and using a Foley catheter is associated with a high success rate of the removal and low occurrence of complications. In this study, no single variable was found correlated with the success rate of Foley catheter-based esophageal FB removal in pediatric patients, which may indicate multiple variables interacting with one another to affect the success rate.

PURPOSE: We characterized the signals obtained from the components of a small gamma camera using NaI(Tl)-position sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT) and optimized the parameters employed in the modules of the system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The small gamma camera system consists of a NaI(Tl) crystal (60x60x6 mm3) coupled with a Hamamatsu R3941 PSPMT, a resister chain circuit, preamplifiers, nuclear instrument modules (NIMs), an analog to digital converter and a personal computer for control and display. The PSPMT was read out using a resistive charge division circuit which multiplexes the 34 cross wire anode channels into 4 signals (X+, X-, Y+, Y-). Those signals were individually amplified by four preamplifiers and then, shaped and amplified by amplifiers. The signals were discriminated and digitized via triggering signal and used to localize the position of an event by applying the Anger logic. The gamma camera control and image display was performed by a program implemented using a graphic software. RESULTS: The characteristics of signal and the parameters employed in each module of the system were presented. The intrinsic sensitivity of the system was approximately 8x103 counts/sec/microcurie. The intrinsic energy resolution of the system was 18% FWHM at 140 keV. The spatial resolution obtained using a line-slit mask and 99mTc point source were, respectively, 2.2 and 2.3 mm FWHM in X and Y directions. Breast phantom containing 2~7 mm diameter spheres was successfully imaged with a parallel hole collimator. The image displayed accurate size and activity distribution over the imaging field of view. CONCLUSION: We proposed a simple method for development of a small gamma camera and presented the characteristics of the signals from the system and the optimized parameters used in the modules of the small gamma camera.
Anger ; Breast ; Electrodes ; Gamma Cameras* ; Logic ; Masks ; Microcomputers

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans* ; Receptor, erbB-2*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the detection performance of the automated whole breast ultrasound (AWUS) with that of the hand-held breast ultrasound (HHUS) and to evaluate the interobserver variability in the interpretation of the AWUS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AWUS was performed in 38 breast cancer patients. A total of 66 lesions were included: 38 breast cancers, 12 additional malignancies and 16 benign lesions. Three breast radiologists independently reviewed the AWUS data and analyzed the breast lesions according to the BI-RADS classification. RESULTS: The detection rate of malignancies was 98.0% for HHUS and 90.0%, 88.0% and 96.0% for the three readers of the AWUS. The sensitivity and the specificity were 98.0% and 62.5% in HHUS, 90.0% and 87.5% for reader 1, 88.0% and 81.3% for reader 2, and 96.0% and 93.8% for reader 3, in AWUS. There was no significant difference in the radiologists' detection performance, sensitivity and specificity (p > 0.05) between the two modalities. The interobserver agreement was fair to good for the ultrasonographic features, categorization, size, and the location of breast masses. CONCLUSION: AWUS is thought to be useful for detecting breast lesions. In comparison with HHUS, AWUS shows no significant difference in the detection rate, sensitivity and the specificity, with high degrees of interobserver agreement.
Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/pathology/*ultrasonography ; Chi-Square Distribution ; *Clinical Competence ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Observer Variation ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography, Mammary/*methods