PURPOSE: We report a case of Purtscher-like retinopathy following the removal of a dislocated IOL and scleral fixation of a new IOL. METHODS: A 60-year-old man presented with sudden visual loss of the right eye. An ophthalmologic examination revealed IOL dislocation. He underwent removal of the dislocated IOL and scleral fixation of the new IOL. Visual acuity was 0.02 in the right eye on the second postoperative day. A fundus examination and fluorescein angiography were performed. RESULTS: A peripapillary multiple cotton wool spot, pale macula and cherry red spot were noted in the right eye. Fluorescein angiography showed arteriolar obstruction around the macula and leakage of the mild arteriolar fluorescein dye. At one month follow-up, macular edema, hemorrhage and peripapillary cotton wool spots were increased. CONCLUSIONS: This case of Purtscher-like retinopathy following scleral fixation of the IOL did not have any obvious etiologic cause.
Dislocations ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Macular Edema ; Middle Aged ; Prunus ; Visual Acuity ; Wool

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify associations between the practice of health behaviors and awareness of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among adults aged 19 to 64 years in the Gwangju-Jeonnam area. METHODS: This study utilized data from the 2010 Community Health Survey (CHS). Health behaviors considered in this study were smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, low-salt diet, and perception of stress. The index for the health behaviors was calculated as the sum of the practice of each health behavior (range: 0-5). The analysis was weighted with a complex sampling design, and the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to identify the association between the practice of health behaviors and awareness of MetS. RESULTS: A total of 19.8% of the population were aware of MetS. The perception of MetS was statistically significantly associated with healthy behaviors, including nonsmoking (aOR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.14-1.56), non-high-risk drinking (aOR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.27-1.88), engagement in physical activity (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.28-1.72), and a low-salt diet (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.13-1.51). The ORs of the perception of MetS were significantly higher in patients with a health behavior index of 2 to 3 (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.01-2.66) and in those with an index of > or =4 (aOR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.51-4.04) than in those with an index of 0. Among all health behaviors, physical activity had the highest OR for the perception of MetS (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.29-1.74). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed associations between health behaviors, especially physical activity, and awareness of MetS. Therefore, integrated health promotion programs may be needed to enhance awareness of MetS and to effectively prevent MetS and non-communicable diseases.
Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Diet, Sodium-Restricted ; Drinking ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Health Surveys* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Motor Activity ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: The acronym POEMS refers to polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, and skin changes. Increased levels of cytokines, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), appear to play a pathogenic role. POEMS syndrome is progressive and eventually leads to death from neurological problem without therapy. METHODS: We treated 3 patients affected by POEMS syndrome with front-line bortezomib treatment and the high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). RESULTS: Bortezomib reduced circulating levels of VEGF in sera. After a median follow-up of 18 months (range, 16~20), all patients are alive with progressive improvement in neurological disease, skin changes, performance status and have no evidence of clonal plasmacytosis or organomegaly. CONCLUSION: ASCT following bortezomib treatment may be a potential treatment option for patients with POEMS syndrome.
Boronic Acids ; Cytokines ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Melphalan ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; POEMS Syndrome ; Polyneuropathies ; Pyrazines ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Bortezomib

Post-menopausal osteoporosis (PMO) is a major global human health concern. Owing to the need for therapeutic drugs without side effects, natural extracts containing various polyphenolic compounds that may exert estrogenic effects have been studied in depth. Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), which has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for centuries in Korea, was recently revealed to exert estrogenic effects attributable to its bioactive ingredients sulfuretin and butein, which have strong estrogen receptor–binding affinities. In this study, the protective potential of RVS in PMO was evaluated by using an experimental animal model of PMO, which was established by ovariectomy (OVX) of female Sprague Dawley rats. The oral administration of RVS at 20 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg for 8 weeks markedly protected against OVX-induced atrophy of the uterine tube and reversed the elevation in the ratio of serum receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand to osteoprotegerin, which is a marker of disease severity. In addition, RVS inhibited OVX-induced tibia bone loss, activated osteogenic activity, and suppressed osteoclastic activity in the tibial epiphyseal plate, a region of bone remodeling. Collectively, these factors indicated that the oral intake of RVS might be beneficial for the prevention of PMO.
Administration, Oral ; Atrophy ; Bone Remodeling ; Estrogens ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Growth Plate ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Korea ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical* ; Osteoclasts ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal* ; Osteoprotegerin ; Ovariectomy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhus* ; Tibia

BACKGROUND: Although maximal exercise stress tests are widely used in the athletic and medical fields, studies on professional soccer players are few. The purpose of our study is to observe the cardiopulmonary response to maximal exercise loading and the AT in professional soccer players. METHODS: Maximal exercise stress tests were carried out by a ramp protocol using a treadmill on 20 professional soccer players with a mean age of 25.2 years and with over 10 career years. The tests were also done on 21 college students majoring in physical education with a mean age of 19.4 years, which served as the control group. The AT was determined by the V-slope method. RESULTS: In the players, the VO2 max, VCO2 max and O2 pulse max were significantly larger than those in the control group, and the HR max was smaller for their ages. The VE max, VT max and RP max showed not much difference between the 2 groups but the VE max/VO2 max and VE max/VCO2 max were significantly lower in the players. The AT was larger in the players but the AT/VO2 max was essentially similar to that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that the professonal soccer players, despite their mean ages were approximately 6 years older than the subjects in the control group, had larger VO2 max and VCO2 max, and smaller HR max for their ages. The VE max was similar in both groups. This suggests that the players have higher aerobic capacity than the control group and exchange respiratiory gases more efficiently.
Architectural Accessibility ; Child ; Exercise Test ; Gases ; Humans ; Physical Education and Training ; Soccer* ; Sports

Angiography is a useful diagnostic tool in cases with massive gastrointestinal bleeding such as angiodysplasia and varicosis when endoscopy is not available. Angiodysplasia and varicosis have distinguishable characteristic features on angiography, such as the presence of a nidus, visible late-draining veins, and the typical vascular tuft. We recently treated a rare case of congenital angiodysplasia without the characteristic angiodysplasia features on angiography. Instead, the patient presented with a very rare case of idiopathic jejunal varicosis. A 42-year-old woman visited the emergency room with the chief complaint of melena for three days and a hemoglobin level of 5.9 g/dL. An abdominal CT angiogram showed varicosis at the jejunal mesentery. Angiography of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries showed tortuous and dilated jejunal and ileal branches during the venous phase, suggesting a vascular malformation such as varicosis of the jejunum. Surgical exploration with intraoperative endoscopy revealed diffuse engorged veins and a 1.0-cm-diameter superficial ulcer covered with a blood clot that was 70 cm from the ligament of Treitz. A 100-cm segment of jejunum was resected. Histological examination revealed that the lesion was angiodysplasia, not varicosis. The final diagnosis was congenital angiodysplasia.
Adult ; Angiodysplasia ; Angiography ; Emergencies ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Ligaments ; Melena ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior ; Mesentery ; Ulcer ; Vascular Malformations ; Veins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is beneficial for improving endothelial dysfunction and preventing atherosclerosis-related diseases. We evaluated the affect of ALA on stent restenosis in a porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The First experiment: Balloon overdilation injuries were performed in two coronary arteries in 12 pigs. Four weeks after the balloon overdilation injury, 24 bare metal stents were placed for 24 injured coronary arteries. We randomized into two groups (12 stents per group; control group: aspirin and clopidogrel only, ALA group: aspirin and clopidogrel plus 100 mg/kg ALA during 4 weeks). The Second experiment: Stents were randomly implanted in 2 coronary arteries in 8 pigs. Group I was the control stent group (n=8), and group II was the ALA coated stent group (n=8). Follow-up coronary angiogram and histopathologic assessment were performed at 4 weeks after stenting in both experiments. RESULTS: The First experiment On histopathologic analysis, the injury score and internal elastic lamina area did not differ significantly between the two groups. The neointimal area was 7.3+/-0.9 mm2 in the control group and 2.2+/-1.1 mm2 in the ALA group (p<0.001), and the histopathologic area of stenosis was 75.9+/-8.5% in the control group and 23.5+/-10.5% in the ALA group (p<0.001). The Second experiment: The injury score and internal elastic lamina area were not significantly different between the two groups. The neointimal area was 7.4+/-1.1 mm2 in the control group and 1.4+/-0.8 mm2 in the ALA group (p<0.001), and the histopathologic area of stenosis was 77.6+/-10.9% in the control group and 15.6+/-7.6% in the ALA group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Both a high dose of oral ALA and ALA coated stents inhibited neointimal hyperplasia in this porcine coronary artery stent restenosis model.
Administration, Oral* ; Aspirin ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hyperplasia ; Stents* ; Swine ; Thioctic Acid*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors which affect pulmonary function in shipyard workers in order to build a body of basic information that can be used to prevent and manage pulmonary disorders in the future. METHODS: We studied the respiratory symptoms, smoking history, chest radiographies, and pulmonary functions of 793 workers associated with two shipyards from April 2009 to July 2009. The workers were subdivided into 3 groups by job type: welders, grinders, and machinist-managers. The data was analyzed according to job type and other possible impact factors. RESULTS: Significant differences among job type were seen with dyspnea and coughing during working hours and in the morning. In pulmonary functions, there were significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) (except FEV1/FVC%) among job types. Grinders especially showed significantly lower figures in the indices of FEV1, FVC, and MMEF. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary function was significantly lower in grinders. Grinders seem to be affected by exposure to a combination of dust particles (silica, lead, and manganese) and irritant gases in the workplace. These results suggested that workers and health officials should work together to adopt technical preventive measures, such as having well- ventilated work areas and appropriate respiratory protective devices.
Cough ; Dust ; Dyspnea ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gases ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Protective Devices ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thorax ; Vital Capacity ; Welding

Juvenile dermatomyositis is a common inflammatory muscle disease of childhood, characterized by weakness in proximal muscles and specific skin rash. In case of juvenile dermatomyositis without characteristic clinical features, non-invasive imaging tools such as (99m)Tc-HDP three-phase bone scan are very helpful in diagnostic workup of myopathies. We report a case of 13-year old female with juvenile dermatomyositis, in which (99m)Tc-HDP three-phase bone scan was useful in diagnosis and assessing therapy response.
Dermatomyositis ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Muscles ; Muscular Diseases ; Myositis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The treatment efficacy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is poor. This study examined the efficacy and toxicity of 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in combination with transarterial chemolipiodolization (TACL) for a huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). METHODS: From March 2001 to November 2004, 49 patients with advanced HCC with PVTT (size>8 cm, modified UICC stage IVa) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Twenty two patients underwent more than 2 cycles of TACL (adriamycin 50 mg/m2, cisplatin 60 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil 200 mg/m2 every 4-6 weeks) without 3D-CRT, while 27 patients underwent consecutive TACL with 3D-CRT (40-45 Gy for 4-5 weeks) that was started one week after the 1st TACL. The response was assessed by a computed tomography (CT) and the serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level at 1-2 month intervals. RESULTS: The objective response rates in the TACL group and TACL with 3D-CRT group were 18% and 48% at 3 months (P=0.051), and 10.5% and 42% at 6 months (P=0.024) respectively. The median survival time was 13 months and 13.5 months in TACL and TACL with 3D-CRT groups, respectively (P=0.502). The treatment response was better in the TACL with 3D-CRT group but there was no significant difference in survival between the two groups. Most toxicities in the two groups were mild, not exceeding grade 1 according to the WHO criteria. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with a huge HCC with PVTT, TACL with 3D-CRT achieved some meaningful clinical benefit. Prospective controlled trials will be needed to confirm the real benefit of TACL combined with 3D-CRT.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/radiotherapy/*therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/radiotherapy/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Portal Vein ; Radiotherapy, Conformal/adverse effects/*methods ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Analysis ; Venous Thrombosis/etiology/radiotherapy/*therapy