In the experimental rabbits which were previously infected with Clonorchis sinensis and were thereafter administered with Dithiazanine iodide, the patho-histological and some histochemical changes were observed in the healed liver(76 days after stoppage of egg excretion). And also, the patho-histological changes which appeared in the infected and healed livers respectively were compared from each other. The following results and conclusion were obtained. In the infected group, grossly the liver showed a considerable increase of its weight, an increased vascular marking of its surfaces and an increase in consistency and thickness of the bile ducts. However, the healed group grossly showed no remarkable changes in the liver. In the infected group, microscopically the liver showed a marked adenomatous hyperplasia of bile ducts, proliferation of bile ductules and marked periductal and periductular fibrosis with infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells in portal spaces. A histochemical study showed that the increased fibrous tissue consists largely with collagenous fibers and partly with reticulum fibers. In the group with healed liver microscopically the liver showed much improvement in the histopathological changes compared to those of the infected group. In the healed lover there remained only slight histopathological changes mainly in portal spaces of the liver, such as considerably diminished periductal and periductular fibrosis. The slightly increased fibrous tissue consists largely with reticulum fibers and partly with collagen fibers.
parasitology ; helminth ; trematoda ; Clonorchis sinensis ; chemotherapy ; histology ; pathology ; Dithiazanine iodide ; histochemistry ; liver ; Dithiazanine iodide ; collagen ; reticulum

PURPOSE: To assess visual acuity, spherical aberration and contrast sensitivity in patients who were implanted with spheric, aspheric ReSTOR(R) or Crystalens HD(R) lenses. METHODS: The present study enrolled 16 patients (32 eyes) implanted with biliateral spheric ReSTOR(R) (four patients, spheric ReSTOR group), bilateral aspheric ReSTOR(R) (seven patients, aspheric ReSTOR group) or bilateral Crystalens HD(R) (five patients, Crystalens HD group) lenses. At three months postoperatively, visual acuity, spherical aberration, and contrast sensitivity were evaluated. RESULTS: Three months after surgery, there were no significant differences in uncorrected distant or intermediate visual acuity among the three groups. Uncorrected near visual acuity in the spheric and aspheric ReSTOR groups was superior to that in the Crystalens HD group, and the aspheric ReSTOR group had less spherical aberration. Mesopic contrast sensitivity in the Crystalens HD group was significantly higher at three cycles per degree compared to those in the spheric and aspheric ReSTOR groups. CONCLUSIONS: Uncorrected near visual acuity in the Crystalens HD group was inferior to those in the spheric and aspheric ReSTOR groups, but the mesopic contrast sensitivity of the Crystalens HD group at three cycles per degree was superior to those in the spheric and aspheric ReSTOR groups.
Contrast Sensitivity ; Humans ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To investigate the peripapillary choroidal thickness (PCT) of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to evaluate their responses to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). METHODS: Thirty eyes with PCV and 25 eyes with exudative AMD who were treatment naïve were included in this study. PCT and subfoveal choroidal thickness were evaluated both before and after intravitreal anti-VEGF. RESULTS: The initial mean PCT of PCV (153.78 ± 56.23 µm) was thicker than that of exudative AMD (88.77 ± 23.11 µm, p < 0.001). Temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior PCTs of PCV were all thicker than those observedin exudative AMD (all p < 0.05). After anti-VEGF, the mean PCT of PCV was significantly reduced (134.17 ± 41.66 µm, p < 0.001), but the same was not true not in exudative AMD (86.87 ± 22.54 µm, p = 0.392). PCTshowed a similar tendency in all quadrants. CONCLUSIONS: PCV exhibits a thick choroid in the peripapillary region. PCT decreases after anti-VEGF in PCV but not in exudative AMD. In exudative AMD, subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased, but that in the peripapillary region did not.
Choroid* ; Endothelial Growth Factors* ; Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: Our study aimed to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) patients without systemic risk factors using a Watch PAT-100 portable monitoring device. METHODS: The study participants included consecutive patients with BRVO of less than 3 months duration without any risk factors known to be associated with OSA (diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, hematologic diseases, autoimmune disease, etc.) except for hypertension. All patients underwent full-night unattended polysomnography by means of a portable monitor Watch PAT-100 device. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was calculated as the average number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep, and an AHI score of five or more events was diagnosed as OSA. RESULTS: Among 19 patients (6 males and 13 females), 42.1% (8 of 19) had an AHI reflective of OSA. In the 13 patients who had no concurrent illness, including hypertension, 30.8% (4 of 13) had positive test results for OSA; three of these patients were ranked as mild OSA, while one had moderate OSA. The OSA group had an average AHI of 12.3 ± 7.8, and the average AHI was 2.0 ± 0.9 in the non-OSA group. Although it was not statistically proven, we found that OSA patients experienced a more severe form of BRVO. CONCLUSIONS: We found a higher than expected rate of OSA in BRVO patients lacking concomitant diseases typically associated with OSA. Our findings suggest that OSA could be an additional risk factor in the pathogenesis of BRVO or at least a frequently associated condition that could function as a triggering factor.
Apnea ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Hematologic Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Polysomnography ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Risk Factors ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive* ; Stroke

This report describes a case of angiographically documented foveal avascular zone (FAZ) enlargement after a single intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). A 71-year-old female was treated with an intravitreal bevacizumab injection for macular edema following CRVO. Despite successfully decreased edema one month after injection, the postinjection best-corrected visual acuity immediately decreased from 20/40 to 20/1000 (Snellen equivalent). The FAZ area increased from 0.37 mm² to 3.11 mm² (8.4-fold increase). While intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor is effective and should be considered as a first-line treatment for macular edema secondary to CRVO, it may aggravate macular ischemia.
Aged ; Bevacizumab* ; Edema ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fovea Centralis ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Ischemia* ; Macular Edema* ; Retinal Vein* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognostic factors and outcomes of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DEX implant) for intravitreal bevacizumab refractory macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: This was a retrospective, interventional case series. Medical records were reviewed, and a total of 38 eyes that were treated with DEX implant for macular edema secondary to BRVO that did not respond to at least two consecutive intravitreal bevacizumab injections (IBIs) were included. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield macular thickness, and central subfoveal choroidal thickness were evaluated at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months after DEX implantation. RESULTS: Patients had undergone an average of 6.32 ± 4.66 prior IBI treatments. The average BCVA improved from 0.53 ± 0.26 to 0.41 ± 0.25 and 0.44 ± 0.23 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) at 2 and 6 months, respectively (p < 0.001). The average central subfield macular thickness was 504.00 ± 121.54 µm at baseline and changed to 293.21 ± 74.17 µm and 427.28 ± 119.57 µm at 2 and 6 months, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). Average central subfoveal choroidal thickness was 237.46 ± 92.21 µm at baseline and changed to 204.75 ± 74.74 µm and 226.86 ± 90.77 µm at 2 and 6 months, respectively (p < 0.001 and p = 0.455). Twenty-two eyes (58%) gained ≥0.1 logMAR at 2 months, while 16 eyes showed no improvement. Low BCVA at symptom presentation, low baseline BCVA, and shorter duration of macular edema were correlated with increased BCVA after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The DEX implant improves functional and anatomical outcomes for up to 6 months in about half of the patients treated with IBI refractory macular edema secondary to BRVO, particularly in patients with low initial and baseline BCVA.
Bevacizumab* ; Choroid ; Dexamethasone* ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema* ; Medical Records ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis of the kidney usually occurs in association with urinary tract infection. obstruction and calculi. The diagnosis is made when a nephrectomy is performed for a nonfunctioning kidney or a mass indistinguishable from carcinoma. We experienced incidentally a case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. so the pathologic features and clinical presentation were discussed and the literature was reviewed.
Calculi ; Diagnosis ; Kidney ; Nephrectomy ; Pyelonephritis, Xanthogranulomatous* ; Urinary Tract Infections

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate antibiotic consumption by adult patients at a single university hospital in Korea between 2001 and 2012. METHODS: We used the 2004 World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System definition of defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 patient-days to calculate the annual antibiotic consumption for 18 antibiotic groups. Chi-square linear-by-linear analysis was performed to evaluate antibiotic consumption trends for each group. RESULTS: Average annual antibiotic consumption during 2001-2012 was 644.6 DDD/1,000 patient-days (standard deviation, 33.3 DDD/1,000 patient-days). Although no statistically significant change was observed during the study period, consumption of first- and second-generation cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides was significantly decreased, while that of beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors, fourth-generation cephalosporins, carbapenem, glycopeptide, linezolid, colistin, and quinolone increased significantly. CONCLUSION: The total amount of prescribed antibiotics did not change, but the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics increased during the study period.
Adult ; Aminoglycosides ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cephalosporins ; Classification ; Colistin ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; World Health Organization ; Linezolid

OBJECTIVE: Cardiomyopathy, a popular diagnosis that always obscures more than it reveals, nevertheless has several characteristic histological features. These prominently include widespread focal myocardial fibrosis and associated hypertrophy of surviving cardiac myocyte. In fact, focal noninflammatory degeneration (not necrosis) has been demonstrated as a feature of many forms of cardiac hypertrophy. We hypothesized that this loss of myocardial cells in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) may result from cell death by apoptosis. METHODS: Endomyocardial biopsy specimens from the right ventricles of six patients who suffered from DCMP were studied, and myocardial specimens from two persons who died in motor vehicle accidents were used as negative controls. For identification of apoptosis, immunohistochemistry with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling was performed. In addition, apoptosis was confirmed morphologically by confocal laser scanning microscopy with propidium iodide. RESULTS: Apoptosis, that was represented by an apoptotic index ranging from 19.8 to 25.4+ACU-, could be extensively seen in myocytes and also rarely in non-myocytes of interstitium and vascular endothelium. Morphologically, there were a lot of nuclei with clumps of condensed chromatin, suggestive of apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that myocyte loss in DCMP might be mainly due to the apoptosis of myocytes and interstitial cells, rather than inflammation or cell necrosis.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Apoptosis/physiology+ACo- ; Biopsy, Needle ; Cardiomyopathy, Congestive/physiopathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Congestive/pathology+ACo- ; Caspases/analysis ; Enzyme Precursors/analysis ; Female ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Middle Age ; Myocardium/pathology+ACo- ; Reference Values ; Statistics, Nonparametric

PURPOSE: To determine whether rat eyes develop increases in intraocular pressure (IOP) in response to a topically applied corticosteroid and to investigate the relationship between ocular hypertension and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells. METHODS: IOP was monitored by rebound tonometry in a group of 10 rats that received topically administered dexamethasone in both eyes (experimental) and in another group of 5 rats that received artificial tears (control) three times daily for 4 weeks after the establishment of baseline IOP values. Only eyes that increased by more than 50% compared with the basal IOP were administered once per day for 5 weeks. After 8 weeks, selective immunofluorescence stain for retinal ganglion cells and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) stain were conducted. RESULTS: Among 20 experimental eyes, 11 eyes (55%) showed a greater than 50% increase in IOP compared with basal IOP. After 8 weeks, the mean IOPs for the experimental and control groups were 11.8 +/- 1.4 mm Hg and 18.5 +/- 1.0 mm Hg, respectively (p < 0.01). The counts of central retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were 2718 +/- 240 and 2612 +/- 443, respectively (p = 0.294). The results of the TUNEL stain also showed no differences. CONCLUSIONS: Rat eyes exhibit a steroid-induced ocular hypertensive response with no local complications. However, maintaining ocular hypertension increased by 50% for two months was not enough to detect changes in RGCs.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Dexamethasone ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Intraocular Pressure ; Manometry ; Mice* ; Ocular Hypertension* ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Rats ; Retinal Ganglion Cells