PURPOSE: To evaluate the diode laser photodynamic therapy efficacy on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the treatment of three patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). METHODS: The authors selected three patients with ARMD whose vision has decreased due to CNV, and applied diode laser treatment after injecting an indocyanine green (ICG) solution. The patients were followed for at least three months after treatment, and examinations included evaluating vision changes and possible leakage on fluorescein angiography (FAG). RESULTS: The final vision of two patients improved by more than one line on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart after at least three months of follow-up. However, the final vision of the third patient decreased by one line on ETDRS chart. FAG was done in all patients, and in two of the patients, there was no evidence of leakage at the laser-applied site. In the other patient, there was evidence of minimal leakage, with the area of leakage decreasing by more than fifty percent. Side effects of ICG were not found during or after the photodynamic therapy sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The photodynamic usage of ICG treatment of CNV in patients with ARMD, was effective in preventing or improving the visual outcome. Compared to the widely used verteporfin, ICG is more stable and is more cost effective. The authors therefore came to a conclusion that ICG can be very useful in the treatment of CNV. However, further studies are necessary.
Treatment Outcome ; *Photochemotherapy ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Macular Degeneration/*drug therapy ; Lasers/*therapeutic use ; Indocyanine Green/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Female ; Coloring Agents/*therapeutic use ; Aged

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Betamethasone Valerate ; therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Coloring Agents ; adverse effects ; toxicity ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fusidic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Histamine Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Parenting ; Phenylenediamines ; adverse effects ; toxicity ; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Singapore ; Tattooing ; adverse effects ; Time Factors

Cutaneous pseudolymphoma is an uncommon, benign lymphoproliferative disorder of the skin. Although this condition is most commonly idiopathic, its occurrence has been associated with cosmetic tattoos. We report a unique case of cutaneous pseudolymphoma that occured after accidental, traumatic inoculation of a red pigment in a healthy 33-year-old woman.
Adult ; Betamethasone ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Biopsy ; Coloring Agents ; adverse effects ; Female ; Forehead ; pathology ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Pseudolymphoma ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; Skin ; pathology ; Skin Diseases ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVE: Indocyanine green with near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIR-ICG) is a new tracer modality in the limelight used for lymphatic mapping. The advantage of this method is to provide real-time image during surgery. To use ICG for image guided lymph node dissection, a surgeon needs to know initial appearing time and duration. METHODS: A 52-year-old woman undertook surgery diagnosed with endometrial cancer. She had no past medical history and her body mass index was 25.3 kg/m2. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging examination revealed 2.7 cm sized cancerous mass in the endometrial cavity with superficial myometrial invasion without lymph node enlargement. Four mL (1.25 mg/mL) of ICG solution was prepared for injection. For each site, 1 mL of solution was injected superficially, 2-3 mm into the cervical submucosa and another 1 mL was injected deep, 1-2 cm into the stroma of the cervix. We recorded video with 30° 10 mm scope equipped with a specific lens and light source emitting both visible and NIR light (KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany). RESULTS: Pelvic lymph node was visualized from around 5 minutes. ICG was dispersed into organs after hysterectomy (53 minutes after ICG injection), yet we could clearly identify sentinel lymph node (SLN). Pathology revealed endometriod adenocarcinoma grade I, myometrial invasion with less than half of myometrium and no lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Cervical injection of ICG provides good visualization of SLN from 5 minutes to over an hour. Our film gives an idea about time management to make a plan for surgery and not to miss SNLs.
Adenocarcinoma/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Coloring Agents/*therapeutic use ; Endometrial Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green/*therapeutic use ; Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Optical Imaging/methods ; Sentinel Lymph Node/*diagnostic imaging ; Time-Lapse Imaging/methods

BACKGROUND: Cellular drug resistance is supposed to play a major role in chemotherapy failure or relapse. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between in vitro chemosensitivity test results using a 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and clinical response on chemotherapy, and to find the possibility of optimizing the treatment protocol for individual patients according to their actual drug resistance. METHODS: For MTT assay, we obtained bone marrow aspirates from 103 patients with acute leukemia at the time of initial diagnosis or relapse. The following drugs were tested: cytarabine, vincristine, methotrexate, daunorubicin, dexamethasone, L-asparaginase, and mitoxantrone. To evaluate clinical responses after induction chemotherapy, we followed up on their bone marrow study. RESULTS: In our study, in vitro chemosensitivity test with the MTT assay significantly predicted whether patients with AML remained continuous complete remission or went into relapse. It also predicted whether or not child patients with ALL would acquire complete remission after induction chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although it does not provide the insight into the mechanisms that cause drug resistance, the MTT assay may be a useful tool in individually optimizing the chemotherapy of patients with acute leukemia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Coloring Agents ; Cytarabine/therapeutic use ; Daunorubicin/therapeutic use ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Tetrazolium Salts ; Thiazoles ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). METHODS: In this retrospective interventional pilot study, 12 eyes of 11 patients with active PCV were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) alone or in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) depending on the informed patient's choice. Intravitreal bevacizumab was repeated at 6-week intervals until the regression of active lesion was detected on fluorescein angiography (FA) which was done on a regular basis, Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) analyses. RESULTS: Intravitreal bevacizumab was given alone in 8 eyes (Group 1) and in combination with PDT in 4 eyes (Group 2). Mean follow-up duration was 17 weeks in group 1 and 15 weeks in group 2 after bevacizumab treatment. The mean number of bevacizumab injections was 2.2 in group 1 and 2.5 in group 2. Mean BCVA improved from 20/63 to 20/40 in group 1 and 20/63 to 20/32 in group 2. Of all eyes, the BCVA improved by > or =2 lines in seven (58%) eyes and resolution of fluid and hemorrhages in clinical examination, an absence of leakage on repeat FAs, or resolved pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and/or subretinal fluid (SRF) on OCT exam was confirmed in 10 (83%) eyes. Partial or complete regression of the polypoidal vessels and interconnecting vessels was reported for most cases at the last follow-up. No significant ocular or systemic side effects were observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term results indicate that intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg) alone or in combination with PDT is well tolerated and associated with improvement in BCVA and reduced angiographic leakage in most patients. Further evaluation of intravitreal bevacizumab therapy for the treatment of PCV is warranted.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Choroid/*blood supply/pathology ; Coloring Agents/diagnostic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green/diagnostic use ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases/diagnosis/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; *Photochemotherapy ; Pilot Projects ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors ; Visual Acuity/physiology ; Vitreous Body

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is a rare severe pustular cutaneous adverse reaction characterized by a rapid clinical course with typical histological findings. It is accompanied by fever and acute eruption of non-follicular pustules overlying erythrodermic skin. The causative agents are most frequently antibacterial drugs. We present a patient with acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis caused by methylene blue and indigotin dyes.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis/*chemically induced/drug therapy/pathology ; Administration, Oral ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Coloring Agents/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Indoles/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Intradermal Tests ; Male ; Methylene Blue/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Skin/*drug effects/pathology ; Treatment Outcome