Central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO) is a common retinal vascular disorder with potentially blinding complications. Author evaluated the 21 cases of central vein occlusion in aspects of age, laterality, change of visual acuity, axial length, associated diseases and complications. The results were as follows; 1. The patients were comprised of 8 males and 13 females and the average age was 49.2 +/- 12.5 years. 2. The left eye was affected more than the right eye. 3. The initial visual acuity was below 0.1 in 76.2%. 4. The mean axial length of the aftected eyes(23.03 +/- 0.69mm) was shorter than that of their control group(23.53 +/- 0.69mm) (P=0.01). 5. The most common associated disease was hypertension (33.3%) and the next was diabetes mellitus (9.5%) and arteriosclerosis (9.5%). 6. The most common complication was cystoid macular edema (42.9%). Retinal and disc neovascularization was occmed in 19.4%.
Female ; Male ; Humans

No abstract available.
Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Eclampsia* ; Female ; Pregnancy

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular coccidian protozoan, is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, a widespread infection affecting various birds and mammals including humans. In immunocompetent hosts, the infection is usually asymptomatic and benign. Toxoplasmosis is either congenital or acquired. In general prenatal therapy of congenital toxoplasmosis is beneficial in reducing the ncy of infant infection. Therapies are based primarily on spiramycin because of the relative lack of toxicity and high concentration achieved in the placenta. Clindamycin is the standard drug for chemoprophylaxis in newborn infants, and is directed at preventing the occurrence of retinochoroiditis as a late sequel to congenital infection. The standard treatment for acquired toxoplasmosis in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient patients is the synergistic combination of pyrimethamine and sulphonamides. Toxoplasmic encephalitis is tbe most common manifestation of acquired toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients and if not treated is fatal. However, because of toxicity, the therapeutic efficacy of pyrimethamine sulphonamide combinations may be seriously limited in immunodeficient patients. We have experienced a case of toxoplasmosis during the workup of habitual aborter. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Birds ; Chemoprevention ; Clindamycin ; Encephalitis ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mammals ; Placenta ; Pyrimethamine ; Spiramycin ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis* ; Toxoplasmosis, Congenital

Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) is a multisystem disorder with a peak age of onset in the second and fourth decades of life predominantly occuring in females who will usually have the potential to become pregnant. This female to male predominance is greatest during childbearing years approaching a ratio of 13:1, after the menopause it declines to a ratio of 3:1, the ratio also seen in prepubertal years. In practice, despite the higher prevalence of rheumatiod arthritis, pregnancy in SLE is the most common management problem confronting physician and obstetrician amongst the connective tissue disorders and it is particularly important as the outcome of pregnancy is more unpredictable in this disease. As well as having clinical consequences for the health of both mother and fetus, pregnancy in lupus provides a model for studying the importance of other biological phenomena characterizing the disease. For example, the transplacental passage of maternal antibodies to Ro(SSA) and La(SSB) and their strong association with the neonatal lupus syndrome suggests a pathogenetic role for these autoantibodies. Other relevant issues are feto-meternal immunological tolerance and hormonal interaction with the immune system. We have experienced a case of recurrent pregnancy loss associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies ; Arthritis ; Autoantibodies ; Biological Phenomena ; Connective Tissue ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Male ; Menopause ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Prevalence

The classic clinical manifestations of acute suppurative cholangitis were first described by Charcot in 1877 as a triad of fever(and chill),jaundice and right upper quadrant pain. In 1959,Reynolds and Dargan characterized acute suppurative cholangitis as a distinct clinical entity manifested by a clinical pentad of Charcot,s three signs plus shock and central nervous system depression.We have clinical analysis of acute suppurative cholangitis,218 cases who were admitted in Chonnam Hospital from Jan.1989 to Dec.1995.All cases were treated conservatively initially,and then delayed operation was performed when the patients were improved from the septic condition by cholangitis.
Central Nervous System ; Cholangitis* ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Shock

PURPOSE: To determine whether the compression technique is a valuable additional method for differentiating between benign and malignant breast masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ultrasonographic findings of 95 benign and 53 malignant masses, all pathologically proven, were prospectively analyzed with regard to five diagnostic criteria: shape (regular/irregular), retrotumoral acoustic phenomena (posterior enhancement/posterior attenuation), internal echo pattern (homogeneous/inhomogeneous), compression effect on shape (distortion/no change), and compression effect on internal echo pattern (more homogeneous/no change). RESULTS: The number of cases of benign and malignant masses, respectively, was as follows: regular / irregular shape: 84/11, 9/44; posterior acoustic enhancement/posterior attenuation: 82/13, 16/37; homogeneous/inhomogeneous internal echo pattern: 78/17, 14/39; distortion/no change in shpae: 76/19, 5/48; and more homogeneous/ no change in internal echo pattern: 71/24, 3/50. For all diagnostic criteria for the differentiation of benign and malignant masses, the differences were statistically significant (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography is helpful for differentiating between benign and malignant breast masses. The compression technique is a valuable additional diagnostic method.
Acoustics ; Breast* ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

We studied the usefulness of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as well as prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) as marker of prostatic cancer in twelve cases of advanced prostatic cancer including 4 or stage C and 8 of stage D, 50 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 50 cases of nonprostatic diseases as normal control. The positive rates of PSA were 100% for prostatic cancer, 20% for BPH and O% for nonprostatic diseases, and those of PAP were 75% for prostate cancer, 8% for BPH and 2% for nonprostatic diseases. These results indicated hat PSA is more sensitive than PAP but less specific than PAP in diagnosis of prostatic cancer. Serum PSP level was correlated with the weight of prostate in BPH patients. Serum PSA level determined during the follow-up after endocrine therapy for prostatic cancer reflected the clinical course of the patients. Because of its relatively low specificity, PSA alone may not be useful for early diagnosis of prostatic cancer. If in combination with other diagnostic modalities, it may be useful in early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of prostatic cancer within restricted limits.
Acid Phosphatase ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensitivity and Specificity

A Macular hole may change in size of the hole; may increase in size with time and an epiretinal membrane may form. Rarely, a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment may occur with time and long term visual acuity usually remains stable or progressively worse. But to our knowledge spontaneous disappearance of a macular hole caused by development of an epiretinal membrane with improvement in vision rarely occurs. The traumatic, full-thickness macular hole in a 15-year-old man during 3 month follow-up period, changed its biomicroscopic appearance and fluorescein angiographic finding. Furthermore, visual acuity showed some improvement. The authors believe this spontaneous disappearance of macular hole is probably occured as a result of epiretinal membrane formation.
Adolescent ; Epiretinal Membrane ; Fluorescein ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations* ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Currently in Korea, the blood supply for transfusion is almost covered by whole blood donation. But, because the number of participants of the plasmapheresis is limited, the supply of plasma for the production of plasma fractionations depends on a considerable amount of plasma imported. For this reason, a facilitation of plasmapheresis is in an urgent need via stable donors' participation. This survey research was conducted to improve services for donors based on their sound understandings on plasmapheresis. METHOD: The subjects were 1,132 donors who participated plasmapheresis between August and September of 1996 and agreed on the research purposes. RESULTS: Students and employees under 30 years old composed the major part of those who participated in plasmapheresis in major metropolitan areas including Seoul. The gender distribution was about 6:4. Most of the donors had a voluntary motivation to help others, but 47% of them did not know that blood donation is not related to HIV infection. Subjects responded that the environment for plasmapheresis was satisfacftory (92%). Factors that were related to unsatisfactory experience included boredom while pheresis (30%), scared feeling for the pain at the site of injection (28%), and uncomfortable feeling of blood flow (18%). 76% of the donors responded that they will participate in the plasmapheresis again, and the correlation between the level of satisfaction and intention of repeated participation was significant (p<0.01). Reasons for the refusal of repeated participation included the length of pheresis time (52%) and the pain at the site of injection (19%). 82% of the subjects thought the nurses were kind and 18% thought they were moderately kind. While 62% of the subjects who thought nurses were kind expressed their intention to participate in apheresis, while 59% of the subjects who thought the kindness was moderate said that they will not participate in apheresis. The correlation between the kindness of nurses and the level of understandig about plasmapheresis, and the level of uncomfortableness, and intention for repetitive participation were all significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Based on our survey we could concluded that the followings are of great importance for the facilitation of plasmapheresis: continual promotion for the lack of relationship between blood donation and HIV infection, kindly explanation of palsmapheresis by nurses, nurses' skillful operation of plasmapheresis, improvement of audio-visual environment in order not to make donors boring during aphresis.
Adult ; Blood Component Removal ; Blood Donors ; Boredom ; Disulfiram ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Motivation ; Plasma ; Plasmapheresis* ; Seoul ; Tissue Donors* ; Volunteers*

A 45-year-old woman had a bean-sized, asymptomatic, soft nodule on the right buttock for 4 years. Histopafhologic evaluation revealed acanthosis and a central core of adipose tissue with thin papillary and reticular dermis containing eccrine glands. Staining with alcian blue showed a slight increase of mucopolysaccharides in the reticular dermis. We made the diagnosis of pedunculated lipofibroma as a solitary form of nevus lipomatosus superficialis.
Adipose Tissue ; Alcian Blue ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Eccrine Glands ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Nevus