Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction is a major cause of epiphora in infants and the incidence is known to be 1.75% to 12.5%. Debates continues about optimal management for patient`s age. Both early intervention and late intervention have advantages and disadvantages. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of probing for congenital nasolacrimal duet obstruction in association with the patient` s age to decide the optimal timing for probing. From January 1993 to November 1996, 85 eyes of 68 patients were diagnosed as congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction and had probing under topical anesthesia. The success of probing was defined as improvement of symptoms for at least 4 weeks of period after probing. The probing was successful in 73 out of 85 eyes and the success rate was 85.8%. The success rate of infants between 3 to 9 months of age was 92.6%. The success rate of infants older than 10 months of age was 74.2%. The difference between two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05). The success rate of probing for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction was highly associated with the age and it began to decrease when the age of the patient was over 10 months. Therefore it is recommendable to probe for congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction before the age of the patient reaches 10 months.
Anesthesia ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct*

The most common cause of blurred vision after extracapsular cataract extraction is known to be an opacification of the posterior lens capsule. The pathogenesis of posterior lens capsule opacification is primarily caused by residual lens epithelial cells. For the prevention of posterior capsular opacification, several kinds of anti-mitotic drugs is being actively investigated. But the antimitotic drugs are not clinically used due to toxicity towards the intraocular tissues. The objectives of this study is to evaluate the effect of mitomycin C and tirilazad mesylate(FREEDOX(TM)) respectively for inhibiting the proliferation of rabbit lens epithelial cells when it is administered in a short period. Lens epithelial cells from white rabbits were harvested andcultured for 4 passages. Mitomycin C was applied for 3 minutes with 0.025mg/ml and 0.05mg/ml in concentration respectively. The proliferation assay was performed by [(3)H]-thymidine uptake test. Significant decrease of lens epithelial cell proliferation appeared in both drugs.When Mitomycin-C was applied with 0.025mg/ml for 3 minutes, cell proliferation was reduced to 31.5% compared with control and in 0.05mg/ml concentration, to 12.5%. When tirilazad mesylate was applied 0.15mg/ml for 3 minutes, cell proliferation was reduced to 46.5% compared with control and in 1.5mg/ml concentration, to 7.5%. If futher investigation would show the effectives and safety of these drugs, these agents could be applied into the lens capsular bad at the time of surgery to prevent the posterior capsular opacification after cataract surgery.
Antimetabolites* ; Antimitotic Agents ; Capsule Opacification ; Cataract ; Cataract Extraction ; Cell Proliferation ; Epithelial Cells* ; Mesylates ; Mitomycin ; Rabbits

Taking eyedrops according to prescription is an important factor in the management of glaucoma. In this study, we investigated th causes, forms, and sociological variables associated with patient noncompliance and measures to improve compliance. We surveyed 184 patients using eyedrops as prescribed for glaucoma to evaluate compliance. The frequency of missing eyedrops were as follows. Fifty patients missed taking eyedrops more than once per week, 17 missed once per 2 weeks, therefore, 39% of the total patients missed taking eyedrops more than once per 2 weeks. We defined the good compliance group as those who missed taking eyedrops once or less per month and inquired into the factors affecting compliance. Lesser frequency of taking eyedrops and no experience of side effects, resulted in good compliance, whereas age, sex, duration of disease, the standard of living, understanding the doctor's prescription, marital status, and fear of blindness did not affect compliance. Regarding understanding the doctor's prescription, 74.7% of the patients answered 'fully understood', however, 64.3% of the patients answered 'No' when questioned 'Did you press your punctum or close your eyes for five minutes after taking eyedrops?' showing discrepancy between performance and understanding the doctor's prescription. Therefore, we have to make to make an effort to promote compliance by considering these factors in treatment of glaucoma patients.
Blindness ; Compliance* ; Glaucoma* ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Ophthalmic Solutions* ; Patient Compliance ; Prescriptions ; Socioeconomic Factors

A retrospective study was done on 189 eyes of 156 patients who underwent cataract and/or glaucoma surgery to evaluate the effect of surgical technique, operation time, age of patients, mitomycin C use and superior rectus muscle injury on the incidence of postoperative ptosis. Interpalpebral fissure and levator funtion were measured preand postoperatively. All patients had topical and pin-point anesthesia. For the cataract patients, wire speculum was used and traction suture on superior rectus muscle was performed with 4-0 black silk. For the glaucoma patients, plate speculum was used and traction suture on superior rectus muscle was performed with 6-0 black silk. Decrease of the interpalpebral fissure over 2mm were observed in 7 of 115 eyes (6.0%) in cataract surgery, 5 of 51 eyes (9.8%) in glaucoma surgery and 3 of 23 eyes (13.0%) in triple surgery for cataract and glaucoma at postoperative 6 months. The variables significantly infuencing the incidence of ptosis were as follows; age of the patients (more than 50 years old. relative risk=1.7), operation time (more than 40 minutes, R.R=2.3) and mitomycin C use (R.R.=1.9). Development of superior rectus hematoma during the traction suture did not affect the incidence of postoperative ptosis.
Anesthesia ; Cataract* ; Glaucoma* ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Mitomycin ; Retrospective Studies ; Silk ; Surgical Instruments ; Sutures ; Traction

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate both personal and work-related factors associated with occupational injuries of ship-building supply workers in Busan, Korea. METHODS: A self-administered, questionnaire survey, asking both personal and work-related factors associated with occupational injuries, was administered to 1,651 workers from 64 different ship-building supply companies in Busan, Korea. All occupational injuries had occurred within the previous 5 years. The workers were divided into three sub-groups: Group I, under 4 day-sick leave, Group II, 4 day-sick leave and over, and Group III, which consisted of both Groups I and II. The statistical significance of the factors associated with occupational injuries underwent cross tabulation analysis for each group. Afterwards, the relationships between the factors which had statistical significance and the occurrence of occupational injuries were analyzed through multiple logistic regression by using the SPSS 12.0 K program. RESULTS: The prevalence of occupational injuries was 4.30% in Group II and 7.57% in Group III. The work activities which had the most frequent occupational injuries were 'Fit-up' and 'Welding', and 30.0% of injured workers were covered by workers' compensation in Group II. According to the multiple logistic regression analysis results, the factors which had statistical significance in occupational injury occurrence were education level above college (OR 2.78) and high level of fatigue (OR 2.18) in Group I, sleeping less than 5 hours per day (OR 3.47), high level of fatigue (OR 2.79) and working over 56 hours per week (OR 1.53) in Group II, and education level above college (OR 1.78), sleeping less than 5 hours per day (OR 2.98), poor sleep quality (OR 1.65) and high level of fatigue (OR 2.58) in Group III. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that several factors of ship-building supply workers such as sleep hours, sleep quality, fatigue, working hours, and educational level exerted a statistical effect on the occurrence of occupational injuries. In association with occupational injuries occurrence, these factors need to be controlled by proper methods such as effective safety education, work condition modification, and life style management.
Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Occupational Injuries ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Workers' Compensation

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate both personal and work-related factors associated with occupational injuries of ship-building supply workers in Busan, Korea. METHODS: A self-administered, questionnaire survey, asking both personal and work-related factors associated with occupational injuries, was administered to 1,651 workers from 64 different ship-building supply companies in Busan, Korea. All occupational injuries had occurred within the previous 5 years. The workers were divided into three sub-groups: Group I, under 4 day-sick leave, Group II, 4 day-sick leave and over, and Group III, which consisted of both Groups I and II. The statistical significance of the factors associated with occupational injuries underwent cross tabulation analysis for each group. Afterwards, the relationships between the factors which had statistical significance and the occurrence of occupational injuries were analyzed through multiple logistic regression by using the SPSS 12.0 K program. RESULTS: The prevalence of occupational injuries was 4.30% in Group II and 7.57% in Group III. The work activities which had the most frequent occupational injuries were 'Fit-up' and 'Welding', and 30.0% of injured workers were covered by workers' compensation in Group II. According to the multiple logistic regression analysis results, the factors which had statistical significance in occupational injury occurrence were education level above college (OR 2.78) and high level of fatigue (OR 2.18) in Group I, sleeping less than 5 hours per day (OR 3.47), high level of fatigue (OR 2.79) and working over 56 hours per week (OR 1.53) in Group II, and education level above college (OR 1.78), sleeping less than 5 hours per day (OR 2.98), poor sleep quality (OR 1.65) and high level of fatigue (OR 2.58) in Group III. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that several factors of ship-building supply workers such as sleep hours, sleep quality, fatigue, working hours, and educational level exerted a statistical effect on the occurrence of occupational injuries. In association with occupational injuries occurrence, these factors need to be controlled by proper methods such as effective safety education, work condition modification, and life style management.
Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Occupational Injuries ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Workers' Compensation

Purpose: Internal hernia after gastrectomy is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition without surgical intervention. Clinical risk factors of internal hernia should, hence, be reviewed after gastrectomy.From 2008 to 2018, patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were investigated. Methods: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was used to screen for internal hernia, and surgical exploration was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Using retrospective statistical analysis, the incidence, characteristics, and risk factors were identified, and the characteristics of the internal hernia group were reviewed. Results: The overall incidence of internal hernia was 0.9%. From statistical analysis, it was found that laparoscopic surgery was almost five times riskier than open gastrectomy (odds ratio [OR], 4.947; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.308–18.710; p = 0.019). Body mass index < 25 kg/m2 (OR, 4.596; 95% CI, 1.056– 20.004; p = 0.042) and proximal gastrectomy (OR, 4.238; 95% CI, 1.072–16.751; p = 0.039) were also associated with internal hernia. Among 20 patients with internal hernia, 12 underwent laparotomy, and five had their bowels removed due to ischemia. All patients with bowel resected had suffered from short bowel syndrome. Conclusion Suspecting an internal hernia should be an important step when a patient with a history of laparoscopic gastrectomy visits for medical care. When suspected, emergent screening through CT scan and surgical intervention should be considered as soon as possible to prevent lifetime complications accordingly.

A pulmonary thromboembolism usually results from a serious complication of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). However, several prothrombotic genetic risk factors are known to predispose a patient to thrombotic events, with manifestation at a young age. Protein C and S deficiencies are known to increase the risk of venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism. We report a case of a young patient with protein C and S deficiencies suffering from a massive pulmonary thromboembolism.
Humans ; Protein C Deficiency* ; Protein C* ; Protein S Deficiency ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Risk Factors ; Venous Thrombosis

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the gene expression profile in basal ganglia of manganese-exposed rats based on cDNA array analysis. METHODS: For cDNA array, 25 male Sprague-Dawley rats (250+/-25 g) were intraperitoneally injected with 25 mg/kg B.W./day of MnCl2 (0.3 ml) for 10 days. For dose-related gene expression analysis, rats were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/kg B.W/day of MnCl2 for 10 days. Control rats were injected with an equal volume of saline. RNA samples were extracted from brain tissue and reversetranscribed in the presence of [alpha32P]-dATP. Membrane sets of the Atlas Rat 1.2 array II and Toxicology array 1.2 kit (Clontech, Palo Alto, CA) were hybridized with cDNA probe sets. Northern blot hybridization method was employed to assess the dose-related gene expression. RESULTS: Fifty-two genes showed significant changes in expression of more than two-fold. Twentyeight were up-regulated and 24 were down-regulated in the manganese-exposed group compared to the control. Among the 52 genes, 28 genes including nuclear factor I-X1 (NF1-X1), neuroligin 2 and 3, mitochondrial stress-70 protein (MTHSP70), neurodegeneration-associated protein 1 (Neurodap1), multidrug resistance protein (MDR), and endoplasmic reticulum stress protein 72 (ERP72), were reported for the first time related to the manganese-induced neurotoxic-metabolism in the rat basal ganglia. According to the dose-related gene expression analyses, MTHSP70, Neurodap1 and ERP72 genes were up-regulated compared to the control even in the group exposed to low manganese dose (0.2 mg/kg B.W./day). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-eight genes detected for the first time in this study were closely related to the manganese-induced neurotoxic-metabolism in the rat basal ganglia and further study of these genes can give some more useful information about the manganese metabolism.
Animals ; Basal Ganglia* ; Blotting, Northern ; Brain ; DNA, Complementary* ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Male ; Manganese ; Membranes ; Metabolism ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA ; Toxicology ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine serum perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations and to investigate the relationship of lifestyle, health status and work-related factors among workers at manufacturing companies with possible occupational exposure to PFOA. METHODS: The study subjects were 315 workers (male 203, female 112) of manufacturing companies with possible exposure to PFOA from August to December, 2007. A questionnaire was administered to investigate lifestyle and work-related factors. Serum PFOA concentrations were analyzed by LCMS/ MS, and liver function and total cholesterol were also tested. RESULTS: Serum PFOA concentrations ranged from 1.0 to 40.9 ng/mL (mean 8.0 ng/mL). Serum PFOA concentrations increased with age. Male workers had higher PFOA concentration than female workers (male 9.0 ng/mL; female 6.3 ng/mL). According to stepwise multiple regression analysis, factors significantly associated with PFOA concentration were male, being older, higher total cholesterol, and lower body mass index. Adjusted for age and gender by logistic regression, dyeing and finishing textiles had significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of 6.16, and moulding patterns, moulds and industrial patterns (OR=4.84), sections for ships (OR=3.87), and plastics synthetic leather (OR=10.05) had marginally significantly high odds ratios. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the factors affecting serum PFOA concentration of workers at manufacturing companies. Further study is needed to ensure the effect of occupational exposure on serum PFOA concentration.
Body Mass Index ; Caprylates ; Cholesterol ; Dietary Sucrose ; Female ; Fluorocarbons ; Humans ; Life Style ; Liver ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Odds Ratio ; Plastics ; Questionnaires ; Ships ; Textiles