Phakic intraocular lenses (PIOLs) are gaining popularity as an alternative to wearing spectacles for correction of myopia in patients who are not appropriate candidates for traditional corneal refractive surgery (CRS). Although the visual outcome of such a procedure is at least equivalent to traditional CRS (i.e., photorefractive keratectomy, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), the risks and complications are different. This risk profile must be considered when evaluating an airman with PIOLs for medical clearance. This case involves an otherwise healthy applicant for Class-3 medical certification who has had these lenses implanted for the correction of myopia.

PURPOSE: This paper investigates the correlation of the electroretinogram (ERG) with fluorescein angiography (FAG) and the color vision test among those who have acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). METHODS: The study was performed with 30 patients who had one CSCR-affected eye but the other unaffected. RESULTS: ERG showed that the b-wave amplitudes in the affected eyes decreased significantly compared to those in the unaffected eyes (P<0.05) and that there were no significant changes in a-wave or implicit time. FAG revealed that the b-wave amplitude decreased significantly when the leaking point was within a distance of 1/4 disk diameter from the fovea center, compared to when it was more distant (P<0.05). The amplitude also reduced significantly when the size of retinal detachment was more than 1 disk diameter compared to when it was less (P<0.05). The affected eyes which showed abnormality in color vision test decreased significantly a- and b-waves compared to the unaffected eyes in the test (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In acute CSCR patients, the correlation of ERG with FAG showing size of retinal detachment, the location of leaking point and the color vision test was statistically significant. Therefore, ERG could be used to assess the affecting degree of the disease.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy* ; Color Vision* ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Fluorescein* ; Humans ; Retinal Detachment

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate our experience on laparoscopic appendectomy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on 2,856 patients who had been operated by laparoscopic appendectomy under diagnosis of acute appendicitis at the Sung-Ae Hospital and Kwang-Myoung Sung-Ae Hospital from October 1991 to July 1998. RESULTS: Among 2,856 patients who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy,2,379 patients (83.3%) were operated due to simple acute appendicitis, 275 patients (9.6%) due to perforated appendicitis. Operation time was 44.6 minutes for simple acute appendicitis and 60.3 minutes for perforated appendicitis. In perforated appendicitis, intra-peritoneal irrigation and drain insertion was performed. The length of hospital stay in patient with simple acute appendicitis was 3.7 days (5.82 days in conventional appendectomy) and patients with perfotrated appendicitis was 6.1 days (9.91 days in conventional appen-dectomy). Complications such as wound infection, intra-abdomen abscess, trocar site bleeding, subcutaneous emphysema developed in 43 (1.5%) patients (79/1,947, 4.5% in conventional appendectomy). In 202 (7.1%) patients, appendix was normal, but another diseases were detected, including acute pelvic inflammation, ovarian cyst, mesenteric lymphadenitis, enteritis, diverticulitis in order. CONCLUSION: Overall complication rate was lower in laparoscopic appendectomy compared with conventional appendectomy and the length of hospitalization of laparoscopic appendectomy was shorter. When the acute appendicitis is suspected, especially in the reproductive women, the laparoscopic approach would be better diagnostic and therapeutic value than conventional method. Therefore laparoscopic appendectomy would be replaced with conventional appendectomy.
Abscess ; Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Diagnosis ; Diverticulitis ; Enteritis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Length of Stay ; Mesenteric Lymphadenitis ; Ovarian Cysts ; Retrospective Studies ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Surgical Instruments ; Wound Infection

OBJECTIVE: As an electronic health record system is implementing in Korean health care sectors, concerns about key functionalities of electronic health record systems are increasing. The purpose of this study was to identify core functions and set the priority in electronic health record systems under the Korean contexts in order to assure and improve the quality of the systems. METHODS: A survey was conducted using questionnaire developed by the study team based on literature review. The subjects were medical record administrators working at medical record department in general hospitals. RESULTS: The response rate was 59.8%(55/92). The functions which more than ninety percent of subjects responded as necessary right now and/or in near future related to 'drug alert', 'clinical guideline', 'chronic disease management', 'automated real-time surveillance', 'coded data', 'result reporting', 'de-identifying data', 'disease registry', and 'provider-provider communication and connectivity'. CONCLUSION: The results showed the high prioritized functions were decision support and health information/data management.
Electronic Health Records* ; Health Care Sector ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Medical Record Administrators ; Medical Records ; Needs Assessment* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of oxidative stress and antioxidantson heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: Cultured RPE cells were challenged with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the HO-1 mRNA level was determined by RT-PCR after 24 hours and 48 hours of incubation independently. Additionally, the HO-1 mRNA level was measured after preincubating RPE cells with N-acetylcystein (NAC) as the antioxidant for 30 minutes and then challenging the cells with H2O2. RESULTS: The expression of the HO-1 mRNA level increased after H2O2 exposure, and this level was proportional to the increased H2O2 concentration (p<0.05). Expression of the HO-1 mRNA level decreased when the RPE cells were preincubated with NAC (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In human RPE cells, the HO-1 level increased in proportion to the degree of oxidative stress and decreased with exposure to antioxidants. Expression of HO-1 may be helpful in preventing retinal disease, which occurs due to oxidative stresses such as age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidants ; Heme ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Macular Degeneration ; Oxidative Stress ; Retinal Diseases ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of oxidative stress and antioxidantson heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: Cultured RPE cells were challenged with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the HO-1 mRNA level was determined by RT-PCR after 24 hours and 48 hours of incubation independently. Additionally, the HO-1 mRNA level was measured after preincubating RPE cells with N-acetylcystein (NAC) as the antioxidant for 30 minutes and then challenging the cells with H2O2. RESULTS: The expression of the HO-1 mRNA level increased after H2O2 exposure, and this level was proportional to the increased H2O2 concentration (p<0.05). Expression of the HO-1 mRNA level decreased when the RPE cells were preincubated with NAC (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In human RPE cells, the HO-1 level increased in proportion to the degree of oxidative stress and decreased with exposure to antioxidants. Expression of HO-1 may be helpful in preventing retinal disease, which occurs due to oxidative stresses such as age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidants ; Heme ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Macular Degeneration ; Oxidative Stress ; Retinal Diseases ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde ; RNA, Messenger

A 60-year-old woman who had experienced two episodes of amaurosis fugax in her right eye presented with vision loss. Two weeks earlier, at a private clinic, she was diagnosed with impending central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) of the right eye and received an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. Two weeks after this injection she was diagnosed with ischemic CRVO. At 11-weeks post-presentation, extremely ischemic features were observed with fluorescein angiographic findings of severe vascular attenuation and extensive retinal capillary obliteration. At 22-weeks post-presentation she was diagnosed with neovascular glaucoma; she experienced no visual improvement over the following several months.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/*administration & dosage ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Glaucoma, Neovascular/complications ; Humans ; Injections, Intraocular ; Ischemia/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Retinal Vein Occlusion/*complications/*drug therapy/physiopathology ; *Retinal Vessels ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors ; Visual Acuity/drug effects ; Vitreous Body

An observation of prostatic secretion culture was performed on 145 cases of the chronic prostatitis in the Department of Urology, Kyung Hee University Hospital from March 1980 to February 1981. The following results were obtained: 1. Of 145 cases who performed prostatic secretion culture, 114 cases (78.6%) revealed positive culture and the remained 31 cases (21.4%) revealed negative culture. 2. Of 114 cases who revealed positive culture, 112 cases (98.4%) were Gram positive organisms. The details are as follows: Staphylococcus epidermidis, the most common organism, 74 cases (61.2%); Staphylococcus aureus, 25 cases (20.7%); Streptococcus fecalis, 8 cases (6.6%); Alpha streptococcus, 7 cases (5.8%): Diphtheroid, 4 cases (3.3%); Bacillus species, 1 case. 3. Of 114 cases, Gram negative organism, Klebsiella pneumoniae, was found in only 1 case. And the other 1 case was Candida species. 4. The culture of prostatic secretion is of great value and important procedure in the treatment and differential diagnosis of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis and bacterial prostatitis.
Bacillus ; Candida ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Prostatitis* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Streptococcus ; Urology

PURPOSE: To reduce complications and provide proper management for better clinical outcomes in the treatment of macular edema through a large-scale analysis of the incidence and risk factors for complications of intravitreal triamcinolone injection. METHODS: The medical records of 490 eyes that received intravitreal triamcinolone (4.0 mg) injection for treatment of macular edema caused by various diseases were retrospectively reviewed, and relevant parameters were included in a multivariate regression model. RESULTS: Vitrectomized (p < 0.001) and pseudophakic (p = 0.054) eyes were less likely to exhibit an intraocular pressure increase, but glaucoma (p < 0.001) and young age (p = 0.073) were found to be significant risk factors for this complication. Vitrectomized eyes (p = 0.011), diabetic macular edema (p < 0.001), secondary ocular hypertension (p = 0.029) and old age (p = 0.059) were associated with cataract progression. Three consecutive case of sterile endophthalmitis, which differs from bacterial endophthalmitis in clinical course and prognosis, occurred during the same period. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors and the incidence of complications after intravitreal triamcinolone injection should be evaluated through regular follow-up evaluation to ensure proper management and a better prognosis.
Cataract ; Dietary Sucrose ; Endophthalmitis ; Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Incidence ; Intraocular Pressure ; Macular Edema ; Medical Records ; Ocular Hypertension ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Triamcinolone ; Triamcinolone Acetonide

Urodynamic studies including uroflowmetry, CO2 cystometry, electromyography, urethral pressure profilometry were performed on 15 cases of the chronic prostatitis in the Department of Urology, Kyung Hee University Hospital recently. The following results were obtained: 1. The uroflowmetry was performed in 15 cases. The average of the maximum flow rates was 16.57+/-4.68ml/ sec (M+/-SD). In only 4 cases the maximum flow rate was within normal range, but the other 11 cases revealed decreased rates than normal. 2. The CO2 cystometry was performed in 14 cases. In only one case the bladder capacity was 1,003ml, but the other findings were normal. The other 13 cases revealed normal findings. In 12 cases the external anal sphincter EMG was performed with cystometry simultaneously, there was no detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia. 3. The urethral pressure profilometry was performed in 14 cases. The average of the functional profile length was 3.06+/-0.78cm (M+/-SD). The average of the maximum urethral pressure was 85.36+/-27.99cmH
Anal Canal ; Ataxia ; Contracture ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Neck ; Prostatitis* ; Reference Values ; Urethritis ; Urinary Bladder ; Urodynamics* ; Urology