No abstract available.
Brain* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*

The patient, 54-year-old female, visited our department of ophthalmology because of decreased visual acuity of left eye. The light brown to gray colored mass was visible through clear ocular media, and extensive serous detaclunent of adjacent retina was noticed. Ultrasonograpy showed large smooth smooth ecogenic density extending into vitreous cavity and occupying most of vitreous cavity. Enucleation was performed. The histopatholgical examination revealed malignant choroidal melanoma composed of spindle B type cells and epithelioid cells. Extrascleral invasion was not found.
Choroid* ; Epithelioid Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmology ; Retina ; Visual Acuity

The causes of blindness may be related to a person's life style, social status, age, sex, place of residence and era. To investigate the general aspects of the causes of blindness, authors reviewed clinical records of 16,671 patients who visited the Ophthal mology Department of Chonnam University Hospital in the years 1977, 1980, 1985, and 1989. After reviewing records of patients who had corrected vision below 0.1, we have obtained following results. 1. In the studied sample, 1,696 patients were identified as blind. The blind males(11.0%) were more prevalent than the blind females(9.3%) with a significant difference(p<0.05) and the blininess occurred most frequently in the sixtieth age group. 2. The leading etiologic factors of the blindness were cataract(43.0%) followed by trauma(19.4%), general eyeball dise~ses etc. In 1977 the main cause of blindness was general eyeball diseases. Thereafter, cataract was the leading cause of the blindness. 3. Visual acuities of studied samples were in the order of hand motions, 0.02-0.06, counting fingers, and light perception. The most common causes of absolute blindness were trauma and general eyeball diseases. In the case of visual acuity of better than hand motions, cataract was the leading cause. Cataracts were more prevalent in the age group above fiftieth, while trauma was the chief cause in those under thirtieth. 4. Suggested etiology of disease which directly cause blindness included unknown etiology(54.8%), trauma, undetermined and systemic diseases. In the unknown etiology group, cataract and glaucoma were distributed in high proportion while in the trauma group corneal diseases were the chief cause.
Blindness* ; Cataract ; Corneal Diseases ; Fingers ; Glaucoma ; Hand ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Life Style ; Visual Acuity

In recent years, numerous cases of intraocular fungal infections have been reported. Mycotic infections of eyes have occurred after surgery, trauma, and topical antibiotics or cortisone therapy, which are considered the infections produced by exogenous origin. To know ocular mycotic infection, the normal fungal flora of the eyes becomes extremely important, because these organisms may be the source of the infection. We cultured, fungi from normal conjunctival sac by Sabouraud glucose agar media at Chonnam National University Hospital and the results obtained as follows. The results were as follows: 1. The mycotic flora of the conjunctival sac was investigated in following five groups: group I: neonates to less than 2months of eyes(44 cases), group II: 2 months to 19 years(34 cases), group III: 20 to 39 years(84 cases), group IV: 40 years and over(95 cases), group V: controls(257 cases). 2. Positive cultures were observed in 13.2% of total cases. Cultures from the group I were positive in 2 cases(4.5%), the group II were positive in 8 cases (3.5%), the group III were positive in 9 cases(10.7%), and the group IV were positive in 15 cases(15.8%). The lowest positivity(4.5%) was observed in the group I, and the highst(23.5%) in the group II. 3. There was no significant differences in positive culture rate between male and female group, as 11.4% in male and 15.4% in female group. 4. Fungi cultured were identified as the following species: Penicillium SP.(8 cases), Aspergillus SP.(6 cases), Candida SP.(6 cases), Mucor SP.(6 cases), Trichophyton(5 cases) and Cephalosporium SP.(3 cases).
Acremonium ; Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillus ; Candida ; Cortisone ; Eye Infections, Fungal ; Female ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mucor ; Penicillium ; Trichophyton

In recent years, numerous cases of intraocular fungal infections have been reported. Mycotic infections of eyes have occurred after surgery, trauma, and topical antibiotics or cortisone therapy, which are considered the infections produced by exogenous origin. To know ocular mycotic infection, the normal fungal flora of the eyes becomes extremely important, because these organisms may be the source of the infection. We cultured, fungi from normal conjunctival sac by Sabouraud glucose agar media at Chonnam National University Hospital and the results obtained as follows. The results were as follows: 1. The mycotic flora of the conjunctival sac was investigated in following five groups: group I: neonates to less than 2months of eyes(44 cases), group II: 2 months to 19 years(34 cases), group III: 20 to 39 years(84 cases), group IV: 40 years and over(95 cases), group V: controls(257 cases). 2. Positive cultures were observed in 13.2% of total cases. Cultures from the group I were positive in 2 cases(4.5%), the group II were positive in 8 cases (3.5%), the group III were positive in 9 cases(10.7%), and the group IV were positive in 15 cases(15.8%). The lowest positivity(4.5%) was observed in the group I, and the highst(23.5%) in the group II. 3. There was no significant differences in positive culture rate between male and female group, as 11.4% in male and 15.4% in female group. 4. Fungi cultured were identified as the following species: Penicillium SP.(8 cases), Aspergillus SP.(6 cases), Candida SP.(6 cases), Mucor SP.(6 cases), Trichophyton(5 cases) and Cephalosporium SP.(3 cases).
Acremonium ; Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillus ; Candida ; Cortisone ; Eye Infections, Fungal ; Female ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mucor ; Penicillium ; Trichophyton

To evaluate the clinical results of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)in dry eyes,the surgical outcomes &complications were studied in 68 eyes of 34 patients who had received PRK from June,1996 to December, 1997 at Department of Ophthalmology,Chonnam National University Hospital.The patients were divided into two groups according to the preoperative Schirmer test value(Group A :Schirmer test value <5 mm, Group B :Schirmer test value >10 mm).In Group A,uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA)of better than 20/40 was 38(90.5%)eyes at 3 months and 39 (92.8%)of 42 eyes at last follow up.In Group B,UCVA of better than 20/40 was 23(88.5%)eyes at 3 months and 25 (96.2%)of 26 eyes at last follow up.Thirty six(85.7%)eyes and 23(88.5%)eyes achieved within +/-1 diopter of spherical equivalent at 3 months and thirty two(76%)eyes and 20(77%) eyes achieved within +/-1 diopter of spherical equivalent at last follow up in Group A &Group B respectively.The mean epithelial healing time was 3.38 +/-0.76 days in Group A and 3.23 +/-0.60 days in Group B. In conclusion,there is no statistically significant differences in postoperative results after excimer laser PRK between the two groups. Postoperatively tear deficiency symptoms such as foreign body sensation or feeling of dryness was more common symptoms in relative tear deficiency patients. Further long term follow up study should be done to identify the any other differences of two groups.
Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Photorefractive Keratectomy* ; Sensation

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Humans*

BACKGROUND: Replication of defective adenoviral vectors can be used for gene transfer into a wide spectrum of replicating and nonreplicating cells. Accordingly, selective introduction of genes encoding for susceptibility to nontoxic drugs into proliferating tumor may be used to treat cancer. We investigated the efficacy of in vitro transduction of neuroblastoma cell with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene followed by administration of the antiviral drug ganciclovir. METHODS: The recombinant adenoviral vector ADV/TK carrying the HSV-TK gene, under the control of the promoter from Rous sarcoma virus long term terminal repeat was constructed. And 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells were plated in 96 well cultured plates and infected with ADV/TK at multiplicity of infection of 0, 1, 10, and 100. Twenty-four hours later, the infected cells were treated with PBS or ganciclovir at a concentration of 10 g/ml. After 48hr, the surviving cells in 96 well plates were determined by MTT assay. RESULTS: After infection in vitro with ADV/TK at moi of 0, 1, 10, 100 and subsequent ganciclovir treatment, the percent survival rate of 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells were 105%, 32%, 25%, and 15%. But the survival rate of 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells with PBS treatment were 100%, 92%, 105%, 103%. CONCLUSION: We concluded that in vitro transduction of neuroblastoma cell with the herpes simplex-thymidine kinase gene followed by administration of the antiviral drug ganciclovir is very effective.
Cell Line* ; Ganciclovir* ; Neuroblastoma* ; Phosphotransferases ; Rous sarcoma virus ; Simplexvirus ; Survival Rate ; Terminal Repeat Sequences ; Thymidine Kinase

No abstract available.
Periodontal Diseases*