PURPOSE: To determine whether the knotless technique can be an alternative for the scleral flap-making technique in posterior chamber intraocular lens transscleral fixation when a scleral flap cannot be made. METHODS: Five patients underwent the knotless technique for posterior chamber intraocular lens transscleral fixation when a scleral flap could not be made. Partial thickness scleral anchoring sutures were repeated three times near the transscleral penetration site in both ends. The end of the anchoring suture was passed under the exposed part of the partial thickness scleral anchoring suture and pulled to adjust the position of the intraocular lens. Then, anchoring sutures were covered with a conjunctival flap. Complications and change of intraocular lens astigmatism were evaluated. RESULTS: During the 8-month postoperative follow-up period, one case of ciliary body hemorrhage due to intraoperative transscleral penetration and one case of mild intraocular lens tilting owing to the improper tension of the string were observed. Except for one case with a concurrent penetrating keratoplasty, intraocular lens astigmatism showed no significant change during the postoperative follow-up period and no significant difference compared to transscleral fixation with a scleral flap. CONCLUSIONS: Knotless technique for external fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lens transscleral fixation is a safe and easy technique and may be a good alternative for the scleral flap-making technique in posterior chamber intraocular lens transscleral fixation when a scleral flap cannot be made.
Astigmatism ; Ciliary Body ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Sutures

Transient elastography (TE) has been used as a non-invasive method for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in patients with chronic liver disease. This study was performed to assess the change of LSM by TE and to assess its clinical usefulness during long-term oral antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We retrospectively reviewed 83 CHB patients. The mean interval between two LSM was 411.5 +/- 149.5 days. Initial and follow-up LSM was 16.15 +/- 12.41 kPa and 11.26 +/- 7.36 kPa, respectively (P < 0.001). The degree of regression of liver stiffness was -2.03 +/- 0.36% per month. The fibrosis stage classified by LSM value improved in 37 (44.6%) patients during oral antiviral therapy. Of the 30 (36.1%) patients with LSM > or = 14.1 kPa (cirrhosis) at 1st LSM, 12 (40%) proved to no longer have cirrhosis (> or = 1 decrease in fibrosis stage) at 2nd LSM. LSM significantly decreased in both baseline high (> upper limit of normal [ULN] x 2) and low (< or = ULN x 2) alanine aminotransferase groups during antiviral therapy (P < 0.001; P = 0.001, respectively). Long-term oral antiviral therapy resulted in the improvement of liver stiffness in a substantial portion of patients with CHB. TE may be used a useful clinical tool to assess disease progression in CHB patients.
Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Liver/ultrasonography ; Liver Cirrhosis/*ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index

PURPOSE: To investigate clinical manifestations and prognostic factors of autoimmune-related peripheral corneal ulcers. METHODS: Nineteen eyes in 18 patients who were diagnosed with autoimmune-related peripheral corneal ulcer from November 1999 to August 2010 were enrolled in the present study. Clinical manifestations and treatment results were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: The average age at presentation was 64.6 years with female (66.7%) and unilateral (94.4%) dominance. The main etiologies were Mooren's ulcer (53.6%) and rheumatoid arthritis (26.3%). The ulcer depth was greater than 75% of the corneal thickness in more than half of the cases (57.9%) and the mean extent of the ulcer was 69.5degrees. There were no significant improvements in visual acuity after treatment (p = 0.789) and no significant differences in treatment outcomes among etiologies or treatment modalities. The patients who underwent ulcer recurrence (p = 0.048) or treatment failure (p = 0.005) had poorer final visual acuity than those patients who did not. The ulcer depth correlated with treatment failure (p = 0.037). The final visual acuity showed positive correlations with visual acuity at presentation (p = 0.031) and negative correlations with the number of recurrences (p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: The visual acuity at presentation and ulcer depths were significant prognostic factors. These factors appeared to be helpful in the treatment of marginal keratitis depending on the depth of the ulcer.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Corneal Ulcer ; Eye ; Female ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Recurrence ; Treatment Failure ; Ulcer ; Visual Acuity

Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors arise from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system and can take place almost anywhere within the gastrointestinal tract. A 40-year-old man admitted to evaluate a duodenal subepithelial lesion which was incidentally found at health check-up. The polypoid duodenal subepithelial lesion, measuring about 7 mm, was removed by the endoscopic mucosal resection and the pathology confirmed a neuroendocrine tumor. Abdominopelvic computed tomography, done for staging work up, revealed a mass in the pancreatic head and the patient received pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Mass at the pancreas also found out to be neuroendocrine tumor but showed different histopathologic traits under immunohistochemical staining. The patient was also diagnosed as hyperparathyroidism and pituitary microadenoma. Finally, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 was confirmed, which was accompanied by duodenal neuroendocrine tumor.
Adult ; Antigens, CD56/metabolism ; Duodenum/*pathology ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Neuroendocrine Tumors/*diagnosis/metabolism/surgery ; Pancreas/*pathology ; Synaptophysin/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors arise from cells of the diffuse neuroendocrine system and can take place almost anywhere within the gastrointestinal tract. A 40-year-old man admitted to evaluate a duodenal subepithelial lesion which was incidentally found at health check-up. The polypoid duodenal subepithelial lesion, measuring about 7 mm, was removed by the endoscopic mucosal resection and the pathology confirmed a neuroendocrine tumor. Abdominopelvic computed tomography, done for staging work up, revealed a mass in the pancreatic head and the patient received pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Mass at the pancreas also found out to be neuroendocrine tumor but showed different histopathologic traits under immunohistochemical staining. The patient was also diagnosed as hyperparathyroidism and pituitary microadenoma. Finally, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 was confirmed, which was accompanied by duodenal neuroendocrine tumor.
Adult ; Antigens, CD56/metabolism ; Duodenum/*pathology ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Neuroendocrine Tumors/*diagnosis/metabolism/surgery ; Pancreas/*pathology ; Synaptophysin/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of a mixture of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and cross-linked dextran Lipen-10(R) used for penile augmentation under the physical impact generated during sexual intercourse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2010 to October 2011, a total of 20 patients with a mean age of 44 years (interquartile range, 20~70 years) who requested penile augmentation participated in this study. Lipen-10(R) filler is a mixture of 75% cross-linked dextran, 15% PMMA, and 10% hypromellose solution. With the patient in the supine position, Lipen-10(R) was injected into the subcutaneous tissue between the dartos fascia and Buck's fascia of the penis using a fanning technique. Penile length and circumference were measured before the procedure and six, 12, and 18 months after the procedure. Values were compared using the Student's t-test and the paired t-test. RESULTS: A total of 15 patients completed this study. The increases in circumference and length observed six months after the procedure were found to have been maintained without change at 12 and 18 months of follow-up. At 12 and 18 months of follow-up, no abnormal findings were observed. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging conducted at 18 months of follow-up showed no trace of the injected filler having migrated to other sites, and the volume was well maintained. CONCLUSIONS: Lipen-10(R), a mixture of PMMA and cross-linked dextran, showed good durability and tolerability over 18 months of follow-up during which the participants were sexually active.
Coitus ; Dextrans* ; Fascia ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Longevity* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Penis ; Polymethyl Methacrylate* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Supine Position

Peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) is the most common cause of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and its frequency has been declining over the past decades. However, mortality from PUB persists, and it is still a serious challenge in clinical practice. Although endoscopic intervention is the basic treatment modality for PUB, pharmacological therapy is an important adjunct. The emergence of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) enables maintenance of intragastric pH >6, which greatly helps in the treatment of PUB. Continuous intravenous infusion of high-dose PPI reduces the re-bleeding rate, thereby helping avoid additional surgery in patients with high-risk stigmata. Moreover, administration of PPIs prior to endoscopy may reduce the need for additional endoscopic intervention. Recently introduced gastric acid suppressants, such as potassium-competitive acid blockers, have shown promising results in further treatment of PUB.
Christianity ; Endoscopy ; Gastric Acid ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Mortality ; Peptic Ulcer ; Proton Pump Inhibitors

Background/Aims: The use of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treating undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer is controversial. The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to compare the long-term outcomes of ESD and surgery for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were used to search for relevant studies comparing ESD and surgery for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. The methodological quality of the included publications was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Nonrandomized Studies. The rates of overall survival, recurrence, adverse event, and complete resection were determined. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also evaluated. Results: This meta-analysis enrolled five studies with 429 and 1,236 participants undergoing ESD and surgery, respectively. No significant difference was found in the overall survival rate between the ESD and surgery groups (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 0.98–5.36; p=0.06). However, ESD was associated with a higher recurrence rate and a lower complete resection rate. The adverse event rate was similar between the two groups. Conclusions ESD with meticulous surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy may be as effective and safe as surgery in patients with undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. Further large-scale, randomized, controlled studies from additional regions are required to confirm these findings.

Background/Aims: The use of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treating undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer is controversial. The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to compare the long-term outcomes of ESD and surgery for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were used to search for relevant studies comparing ESD and surgery for undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. The methodological quality of the included publications was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Nonrandomized Studies. The rates of overall survival, recurrence, adverse event, and complete resection were determined. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were also evaluated. Results: This meta-analysis enrolled five studies with 429 and 1,236 participants undergoing ESD and surgery, respectively. No significant difference was found in the overall survival rate between the ESD and surgery groups (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 0.98–5.36; p=0.06). However, ESD was associated with a higher recurrence rate and a lower complete resection rate. The adverse event rate was similar between the two groups. Conclusions ESD with meticulous surveillance esophagogastroduodenoscopy may be as effective and safe as surgery in patients with undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. Further large-scale, randomized, controlled studies from additional regions are required to confirm these findings.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated residual leukocytes characteristics of white cell(WBC) reduction filter in platelet concentrates. Differential count and lymphocyte subset changes were measured before and after leukocyte filtration in platelet concentrates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten units of platelet concentrates were prepared and were filtered with WBC-reduction filter(Sepacell PLS 5A, Japan). After filtration of blood products, WBC and differential leukocyte count and lymphocyte subsets were counted by microscopic examination of Wright-Giemsa stained smear and Facscan(Becton-Dickinson, USA). Monoclonal antibodies used for lymphocyte subset test were CD3(FITC), CD4(FITC), CD8(PE), CDl4(PE), CDl6(PE), CDl9(PE), CD33(PE), CD56(PE), IgGl(FITC), IgG2(PE). RESULTS: The main population of residual leukocytes after filtration was mainly lymphocytes(96.7%), and CD3 positive T lymphocytes showed 23.8% positivity of residual leukocyctes and the next were NK cell(8.7%). B lymphocytes were rarely found(<0.01%) and CD4/ CD8 ratio was within normal limits. CONCLUSION: The leukocyte reduction filters(Sepacell PLS-5A) would be effective for prevention of platelet alloimmunization but not sure about the effect for prevention of TA GVHD.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blood Platelets* ; Filtration ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes* ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; T-Lymphocytes