Recently cryogenic therapy is widely used for the treatment of herpes simplex keratitis. We had experimental studies on the effect of iodine cautery and cryocautery upon the regeneration of corneal ulceration. On 10 adult albino rabbits, one eye was treated by iodine, and the other by cryocautery in area of 0.6cm X 0.6cm. The epithelium in this area was completly removed by cotton applicator. There after, the rate of epithelial regeneration was observed every 12 hours. The results were as follows: (1) The average period of complete epithelial regeneration was 48 hours in animal treated with cryocautery and 78 hours in animals treated with iodine cautery. This difference is statistically highly significant. (2) Corneal opacity was not demonstrated in eyes treated with cryocautery. Six eyes treated with iodine, however, showed various degree of corneal opacities. These results support the view that the healing time in human herpes simplex keratitis is shortened in patients with cryocautery as compared with iodine.
Adult ; Animals ; Cautery* ; Corneal Opacity ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Iodine* ; Keratitis, Herpetic ; Rabbits ; Regeneration*

It is widely blieved that the new bone formation is provoked by fine electrical stress to bone. There have been maay experimental studies that showed much efforts to define these small amounts of electricity, and these fine electricities are being used in the orthopedic field for the treatment of various fractures, nonunions and pseudsrthrosia The auther has checked the electrical potentials changing in the course of fractvre hesling in rabbits femur. Comparing these data with that of the normal control group, the following results were obtained. 1. In the normal rabbit's femur the electrical potentisl was 13.6mV less on the concave side than on the convex side. This finding can be explained by the existence of stress generated potential or piexoelectricity. 2. Electrcal potentials on the fractured femoral sites were lowered significantly from that of the control group. So auther could confirm the existence of bioelectrical generated by increased electrical activity of the living bone. 3. The electrical potential of the fractured femoral site has been decreased 50% and 20% as low as that of the normal site at 8 weeks respectively. It is expected that these lowered electrical potentials may become dose to the normal values when the changed metabolic process due to the fractured bone is no longer functioning and it is believed to take human 2 years to get the normal value.
Electricity ; Femur ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Orthopedics ; Osteogenesis ; Rabbits ; Reference Values

Retinitis pigmentosa has been recognized as a symmetrical, bilateral, hereditary, tapetoretinal degeneration with night blindness, visual field loss, and abnormal ERG. Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa is a rather rare disease. Pedraglia described first reported a case of suspected unilateral retinitis pigmentosa in 1865. Francois and Verriest proposed the following four criteria of the unilateral retinitis pigmentosa: the presence of functional changes ophthalmoscopically typical primary pigmentary degeneration in the affected eye, the absence of a tapetoretinal dystrophy in the fellow eye with normal ERG over five years and exclusion of the inflammatory cause in the affected eye. We report a case of unilateral retinitis pigmentosa in 29 year-old female who has been followed for over five years.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Night Blindness ; Rare Diseases ; Retinitis Pigmentosa* ; Retinitis* ; Visual Fields

In 44 out of 218 cases of contact lens related infectious keratitis from 19 hospitals throughout the country, contact lenses or contact lens storge cases were cultured. Microorganism was detected in 40 cases[90.9%]. Two or more organisms were isolated in 31 cases[77.5%]. Pseudomonas was the most common organism isolated from contact lens or contact lens storage medium[31 out of 84, 45.2%], followed by Serratia[15 out of 84, 17.9%], fungi [4], and acanthamoeba[4]. Acanthamoeba was found only in one hospital. Antibiotic sensitivity test for isolated pseudomonas showed that 96%of cases was sensitive to ciprofloxacin and 88%to ceftazidime.
Acanthamoeba ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Contact Lenses ; Fungi ; Keratitis* ; Pseudomonas

Epidemiologic study of contact lens related infectious keratitis was performed in 19 hospitals which were located nation wide, Two hundred eighteen cases of contact lens related infectious keratitis(male 55 patients, female 163 patients) were diagnosed among 649 infectious keratitis patients between April 1995 and September 1997. Patients were mainly in twenties (54.6%) and residents of Seoul and Pusan(65.6%). Their major occupations were student(31.7%) and office worker(25.5%). Soft contact lens was involved in infectious corneal ulcer in 96.8% and disposable lens in 13.3%. Lenses were puchased at optical shop in most cases (72%). Unfortunately, 51.6% of patients was not aware of possible contact lens complication and 66.7% was not able to use contact lens properly due to improper education. Pseudomonas was isolated from corneal ulcer in 65.4% of cases and Serratia in 9%. This study reveals that contact lens related infectious keratitis can be devastation disease especially socially active age group, and proper education of both contact lens usage and proper lens dispense system should be needed.
Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic ; Corneal Ulcer ; Education ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Occupations ; Pseudomonas ; Seoul ; Serratia

PURPOSE: Alternaria spp. is opportunistic fungus and the most prevalent cause of asthma and allergic disease. Keratitis caused by the fungus Alternariaspp. is quite rare. The authors performed an epidemiological study to identify the risk factor and to evaluate clinical manifestations, methods and results of treatment in Alternaria keratitis. METHODS: Epidemiological study of Alternaria keratitis was performed prospectively under the identical protocol from April 1995 to May 2000 in 5 hospitals. RESULTS: Seven cases of Alternaria keratitis were identified by culture with corneal scraping or corneal biopsy. They were 8.5% of the 82 cases of fungal keratitis. Of the 7 patients, 5 were men (71.4%). All patients were over 50 years and 5 of them (71.4%) were farmers. In terms of trauma history, 6 out of 7 patients had previous history of corneal traumas, and most of these corneal traumas were vegetable matter-related. CONCLUSIONS: The most common (83.3%) predisposing factor for Alternaria keratitis was vegetable matter-related corneal trauma. The prompt referral for diagnostic studies and specific antifungal management, or surgical therapy might be helpful to reduce the incidence rate of complication of keratomycoses.
Alternaria* ; Asthma ; Biopsy ; Causality ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Incidence ; Keratitis* ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Referral and Consultation ; Risk Factors ; Vegetables

Through the review of 137 cases of ankle fracture treated and followed up in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, National Police Hospital, we got the following results. 1. Slipping was the most frequent cause of the fractures(45.3%). 2. Supination-external rotation type of Lauge-Hansen classification was more common than any other types(67.9%). 3. 94 cases out of 137 cases were treated by open reduction and internal fixation, and remaining 43 cases were treated conservatively. 4. The average duration of cast immobilization was 7.3 weeks for the operatively treated cases and 9.1 weeks for the conservatively treated cases. 5. The result of treatment was good or excellent in 87 cases(92.6%) of operatively treated 94 cases and in 36 cases(83.7%) of conservatively treated 43 cases. 6. We think that the anatomical reduction of the lateral malleolar or distal fibular fracture is necessary for better end results.
Ankle Fractures ; Ankle ; Classification ; Clinical Study ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Orthopedics ; Police

Retinal hamartomas are the most common ocular abnormalities in up to 50% of patients with tuberous sclerosis. Other ocular lesions are retinal pigment epitheliallesions and salmon-colored nodules in the eyelid and conjunctiva. We have experienced two cases of tuberous sclerosis. The first patient was a 13 year-old female with type 1 and type 2 of retinal hamartomas and retinal pigment epithelial lesion. The second patient was a 19-year-old male with type 1 and type 3 of retinal hamartomas and intracranial calcifications.
Adolescent ; Conjunctiva ; Eyelids ; Female ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Male ; Retinaldehyde ; Tuberous Sclerosis* ; Young Adult

We report herein our surgical experience of Hartmann's procedure reversal using laparoscopic technique in a 72-year-old woman who underwent Hartmann's procedure for an obstructing sigmoid colon cancer 6 month earlier. The purposes of this report are to describe our technique of laparoscopic reversal of Hartmann's procedure, to introduce several technical tips in avoiding pitfalls, and to review its safty and efficacy. In brief, the colostomy was freed from the abdominal wall using a conventional technique, then a center rod and an anvil of a circular stapler were inserted into the colon. CO2 insufflation was performed through this insertion. Using a five-cannula technique, rectal stump was mobilized, then colorectal anastomosis was performed laparoscopically via a transanal stapled approach. The operating time was 130 minutes and blood loss was 50 ml. There were no intra- and postoperative complications. Up to now, with a 4-month follow-up period, the patient has been well without having any problems associated with this operation
Abdominal Wall ; Aged ; Colon ; Colostomy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopy ; Postoperative Complications ; Sigmoid Neoplasms

To compare the antimicrobial efficacy of several antibiotics in the treatment of ciprofloxacin and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus(MCRSA)keratitis, we established a rabbit keratitis model by using MCRSA isolated from keratitis patient. A strain of MCRSA, approroximately 100 colony forming units in 10 microliterof phosphate buffered saline was injected intrastromally into the each cornea of New Zealand white rabbits. 30 rabbtits(30 eyes)were randomly divided into 5 groups and treated with either 0.3%ciprofloxacin, 0.3%trovafloxacin, 5%vancomycin, 5%cefazolin, or sterile deionized water.Topical antibiotics were administered every 15 min for 6 hours(750microliter). Rabbits were sacrified 1hour after the last eyedrop, and excised corneas were homogenized, diluted, and plated on BAP medium.Bacterial colonyforming units per cornea were quantified after 48-hour incubation. Aqueous humor were collected from each eye and drug concentration was counted with HPLC. The log1 0 value of colony forming units(CFUs)of vancomycin treated group was 4.85+/-0.64;ciprofloxacin, 6.16+/-0.46;trovafloxacin, 6.58+/-0.29;cefazolin, 6.25+/-0.25;and sterile deionized water, 6.57+/-0.33.In view of mean CFU, vancomycin showed greater antimicrobial activity and it was statistically significant(p<0.05). However, all of these treatment did not completely sterilize any corneas with 6-hour treatment. From these results, only topical vancomycin(5%)represented effective antimicrobial activity with short-term treatment in rabbit keratitis with MCRSA.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Aqueous Humor ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cornea ; Humans ; Keratitis* ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Rabbits ; Staphylococcus ; Stem Cells ; Vancomycin ; Water