Forty one male workers employed in an underwater construction field were surveyed in the viewpoints of epidemiological analysis of decompression sickness (caisson's disease). Nineteen out of the entire forty one workers have been, or had been suffering from decompression sickness (as 46.3% of incidence rate) after decompression. The results obtained were as follows: 1. There was a significant relation between duration of work and incidence of disease. 2. Type II (severe type) comprised majority of cases (16 cases, 84.2%) despite any significant correlations were not present between severity types and recompression times. 3. Most frequently cited symptoms were lower limb pain (89.5%), upper limb pain (79.0%), pruritus (68.4%) and so on, however, 10% of patients complained of neurological symptoms. 4. There were not any significant correlations between incidence and worker's age or relative body weight.
Body Weight ; Decompression Sickness* ; Decompression* ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Pruritus ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopahty (CSC). METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter study. We collected demographic and ophthalmic data for patients with chronic CSC who were treated with PDT from 16 institutions in Korea. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ophthalmoscopic finding and optical coherence tomography at baseline and follow-up visits were compared longitudinally. RESULTS: Sixty-five eyes of 65 patients were recruited. Males (51 patients, 78.5%) outnumbered females (14 patients, 21.5%). The mean age was 46.4+/-10.0 years of age (28~69). By 1 month, mean BCVA improved from 0.47 to 0.37 (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) (P <0.01). This BCVA increased throughout 6 months. Subretinal fluid resolved partially or completely in 89.1% of the patients. Central macular thickness (CMT) decreased from 303.4 to 168.7 micrometer. The amount of change in CMT after PDT was correlated to the female sex and prePDT CMT. At 3 months after PDT, the amount of change in BCVA was significantly related to that of change of CMT (p <0.05). Adverse events were reported in 4 cases, however, most were mild. CONCLUSIONS: PDT was effective and safe for treating chronic CSC.
Eye ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Photochemotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Subretinal Fluid ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Triazenes ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Korean patients. METHODS: Clinical data of patients who were treated with PDT for PCV and followed up for more than 6 months were collected from 14 hospitals around the country. The changes in the best corrected visual acuity, angiographic outcome, retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and adverse effects of treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: Eighty six patients (86 eyes) were recruited (male: 75.6%, age: 65.9+/-8.3 years, mean follow-up: 14.8+/-10.2 months). The mean logMAR visual acuity at baseline was 0.55+/-0.32 and did not show any statistically significant difference from the final mean logMAR visual acuity (0.53+/-0.54) (p=0.639). The mean treatment session number of PDT was 2+/-1.2. Visual acuity stabilized or improved in 70.9% of patients. Visual acuity improved by more than 2 lines in 33 eyes (38.4%) and worsened by more than 2 lines in 21 eyes (24.4%) of patients. Vascular leakage decreased in 62.5% of patients in fluorescein angiography and polypoidal lesions disappeared or were reduced in 57.3% of patients in indocyanine green angiography. There was no systemic adverse effect of PDT, but increased subretinal hemorrhage after PDT occurred in 10 eyes (11.6%). CONCLUSIONS: In polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, photodynamic therapy with verteporfin is safe and effective for preserving visual acuity and reducing vascular leakage and retinal thickness.
Angiography ; Choroid ; Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green ; Photochemotherapy ; Porphyrins ; Retinaldehyde ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Triazenes ; Visual Acuity