No abstract available.
DNA Topoisomerases* ; DNA*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of wearing rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses on the topographic changes in keratoconus. METHODS: Seventy-seven keratoconic eyes that wore multicurve RGP contact lenses and 30 keratoconic eyes that wore no contact lenses were retrospectively analyzed. The mean follow-ups were 22.6 and 20.5 months in the lens-wearing and control groups, respectively. Visual acuity, comfort, daily wearing time, and corneal staining were evaluated for both groups. The changes in topographic indices were compared between the lens-wearing and control groups. RESULTS: Multicurve RGP lens corrected logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity of the lens-wearing group significantly improved from -0.016+/-0.065 to -0.032+/-0.10 at follow-up (p=0.05). In the lens-wearing group with advanced keratoconus, the Sim Kmax, Sim Kmin, apical power, astigmatic index, and anterior elevation significantly decreased from 57.68+/-4.26 diopter (D), 50.50+/-2.32 D, 62.79+/-5.11 D, 7.20+/-0.55 D and 67.36+/-16.30 microm to 55.51+/-4.28 D, 49.62+/-3.26 D, 60.31+/-5.41 D, 5.90+/-0.51 D and 60.61+/-16.09 microm, respectively (paired t-test, p<0.05). The irregularity index of 3 mm did not significantly change. Meanwhile, in the control group, the apical power and irregularity index increased from 55.56+/-7.25 D and 3.06+/-1.68 D to 57.11+/-7.75 D and 3.25+/-1.71 D, respectively (paired t-test, p=0.008, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Properly fitted multicurve RGP contact lenses are not likely to contribute to the progression of keratoconus.
Adult ; Astigmatism/etiology/pathology/therapy ; *Contact Lenses ; Cornea/*pathology ; *Corneal Topography ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratoconus/complications/pathology/*therapy ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prosthesis Design ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Young Adult

Neurologic complications after open-heart surgery are not only relatively common but also often fatal. In order to know the clinical characteristics and causative risk factors, we carried out the retrospective study on 655 patients who had been admitted and undergone OHS at Seoul National University Children's Hospital during 2-year period from July 1990 to June 1992. The results were as follows; 1) The incidence of neurologic complications after OHS was 4.7% (31 cases) of the total 655 cases. 2) In the viewpoint of the pre-op diagnosis, neurologic complications developed in 20 cases (7.8%) among cyanotic congenital heart disease and in 11 cases (2.9%J among acyanotic CHD. 3) In the viewpoint of the type of operation, the incidence of neurologic complications was 33.3% in Jatene procedure and 12.1% in Fontan procedure. 4) Compared with the group who didn't develp neurologic complications (624 cases), cardiopulmonary bypass time, aorta cross clamp time, and total arrest time were longer and the degree of hypothermia was lower in the group who had neurologic complications (31 cases), which are statistically significant each other(p<0.01). 5) In 25 cases (80.6%), neurologic complications occurred within 72 hours after OHS. 6) Clinical manifestations of neurologic complications were seizures (26 cases, 84%), consciousness change (13 cases, 42%), hemiplegia (1 case), and decreased muscle tone (1 case). 7) Of the 31 cases, 16 cases showed more than one abnormal finding among EEG, Brain CT, or Brain MRI. 8) The possible etiologies of neurologic complications were diffuse hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (16 cases, 51.6%), focal or multiple ischemic stoke that was thought to be due to microembolisms (3 cases, 9.7%), electrolyte or acid-base imbalance (8 cases, 25.8%), and the remainders were unknown (4 cases. 12.9%) 9) In the course of neurologic complications, 11 cases (35.5%) expired, 14 cases(45.2%) recovered at discharge, 3 cases (9.7%) were controlled at discharge, and 2 cases (6.5%) had long-term sequela(one spastic quadriplegia and one hemiparesis). 10) The cause of death among mortality cases were mainly due to brain damage (7 cases), while 4 cases had other direct causes such as heart failure, respiratory failure, or sepsis.
Acid-Base Imbalance ; Aorta ; Brain ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cause of Death ; Child* ; Consciousness ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Fontan Procedure ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Failure ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Quadriplegia ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seizures ; Seoul ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Fanconi's anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by aplastic anemia, pre-malignancy, congenital malformations and chromosome breakage syndromes. As up to 30% of patients have no detectable congenital anomalies, the modern diagnosis of FA rests on chromosomal breakage of patient's cells induced by chemical clastogens such as diepoxybutane (DEB) or mitomycin-C (MMC). METHODS: We have done chromosome breakage test to differentiate FA from 11 aplastic anemia, three Diamond-Blackfan syndrome, three myelodysplastic syndrome, one acute leukemia with congenital anomaly and three siblings of FA. The peripheral blood lymphocytes from each individual were co-cultured in phytohemagglutinin-containing medium by the three methods, i.e., DEB treated, MMC treated and un-treated. RESULTS: Five cases were found to have increased chromosomal breakages to DEB and MMC, confirming diagnosis of FA. Other 21 cases showed no increased chromosomal breakages. No overlap was found between FA group and others (P<0.01). In one FA, there was no increased spontaneous breakage, but increased breakage to DEB and MMC. Of five FA, one case showed no congenital anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: Chromosme breakage test was shown to be simple, reliable and useful in ascertaining the diagnosis of FA.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Chromosome Breakage* ; Diagnosis* ; Fanconi Anemia* ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Lymphocytes ; Mitomycin ; Mutagens ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Siblings

No abstract available.

The objective visual acuity test is mandatory in certain cases, such as infants, nonverbal subjects and subjects who need legal judgements. To produce more reliable objective method, we made a new objective system for visual acuity test which is called Seohan visual acuity test(SVT). The SVT system has three elements such as stimuli, display and evaluation. For the visual stimuli, the computer program for optokinetic nystagmus(OKN)test was set up in personal computer to control the size, speed and direction of the stimuli easily. The visual stimuli are presented on HeadMounted-Display(HMD)to separate the stimuli from the environment to keep the uniform size and distance of screen to the eye of subjects and project the stimulus in full central field of patient. Electrooculography(EOG) was used to assess the visual acuity more objectively. To evaluate the usefulness of SVT, the smallest size of the stimulus to elicit OKN(objective visual acuity)with SVT was obtained in 10 eyes in each twelve grade of subjective visual acuity(decimal V). Objective visual acuity(VA)were distributed from 8.3+/-1.87 to 21.4+/-3.1 and showed high correlation(p<0.00 ). The relationship between the objective VA obtained from SVT and subjective VA make a regression line(y=-12.874X+21.303).Subjective VA could be obtained from conversion of objective VA with 95%confidence belt. In conclusion, the objective visual acuity with SVT is highly correlated with subjective visual acuity and SVT using the OKN response to stimuli presented on HMD by the computer program can be useful in assessing visual function objectively.
Electrooculography ; Humans ; Infant ; Microcomputers ; Nystagmus, Optokinetic* ; Visual Acuity*

The isolation arm test at upper limb for the study of muscle relaxants sensitivity of human muscle is described. In the healthy adults, succinylcholine 100ug/kg or vecuronium 5~6ug/kg combined with 20ml saline is given intravenously at various sites of injection while the circulation to the arm is occluded with upper arm pneumatic tournique. After injection of muscle relaxants, neuromuscular transmission is then studied by TOF stimulation to ulnar nerve with EMG monitor(ABM, Dates) and changes of twitch response in evoked muscle action potential amplitude from hypothenar muscle are recorded. In the results, twitch height is depressed weakly and slowly but incompletely after muscle relaxant is injected intravenously at cubital fossa, and declines further depression following recovery after the release of upper arm tourniquet occiuded systemic circulation(two stage response). There are not any changes of twitch response while muscle relaxants are given intravenously between upper arm and forearm pneumatic tourniquet. But twitch height is depressed rapidely and completely after muscle relaxants are given intravenously at doris hand under the upper arm or forearm pneumatic tourniquet. Conclusively, twitch response under the isolation arm test is influenced from the site of injection, and in order to obtain the correct assessment of neuromuscular blockade, muscle relaxants will be given intravenously at dorsi hand with forearm pneumatic tourniquet.
Action Potentials ; Adult ; Arm* ; Depression ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Succinylcholine ; Tourniquets ; Ulnar Nerve ; Upper Extremity ; Vecuronium Bromide

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of herpetic keratitis in Korea. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 90 eyes of 84 patients who were clinically diagnosed with herpetic keratitis and were followed for at least 4 months or more. Information on prior herpetic keratitis, type of keratitis, time to remission, recurrence rate, administration of oral acyclovir, final visual acuity was reviewed. Remission time and recurrence rate were compared according to types of herpetic keratitis and the application of oral acyclovir in epithelial, stromal or endothelial keratitis; and the relation of history of previous herpetic keratitis, recurrence and final vision, was analyzed. RESULTS: Sex ratio (M:F) was 1.31 and the mean age was 54.6 years. Of 90 eyes, the proportion of infectious epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis, endothelitis and neurotrophic ulcer was 51.1, 17.8, 25.6 and 5.6%, respectively. The mean remission time was 1.92+/-1.01, 4.13+/-5.05, 5.52+/-5.08, 4.00+/-1.00, respectively (p=0.001, one-way Anova). Recurrence occurred in 21 (42.9%) eyes of 49, which were followed up for more than 12 months, in a year after the previous attack. The rates of recurrence of infectious epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis and endothelitis were 25.0%, 63.6% and 53.8%, respectively. Oral acyclovir neither shortens the remission nor prevents the recurrence. The percentage of final vision over 20/40 in infectious epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis and endothelitis was 81.1, 57.1 and 60.0%, respectively. The final vision was worse in the group with a history of herpetic keratitis. CONCLUSIONS: Stromal keratitis and endothelitis showed a higher recurrence rate and longer remission time than infectious epithelial keratitis. Because recurrent and severe keratitis may result in corneal opacity and vision loss, aggressive and proper treatment is needed. However, these cases are often resistant to therapy.
Acyclovir ; Corneal Opacity ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Keratitis, Herpetic* ; Korea* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Ulcer ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Several methods have been used to evaluate the engraftment and to monitor residual disease after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Among them, karyotyping have been useful in gauging engraftment following opposite sex BMT. More recently, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has also been applied to determine engraftment and residual status. In order to establish the utility of this method in clinical practice, we have evaluated the data from FISH and several methods. METHODS: We performed FISH using chromosome X alpha-satellite probe (Oncor , USA) on twenty eight peripheral blood and nine bone marrow nuclear cells from eleven patients who underwent sex mis-matched transplant and from a patient who had a loss of X chromosome. RESULTS: In nine patients with well engrafted BMT, signals of host cells showed less than 5% in all patients, evaluated 21-210 days post-transplant. Mixed chimerism was detected in six patients; transiently in early post-transplant period in four, in a patient with engraftment failure, and in a patient with relapse, respectively. CONCLUSION: FISH using X probe is a rapid, quantitative and sensitive 'interphase cytogenetic method' for the evaluation of engraftment and monitoring of residual disease following sex mis-matched BMT or BMT in a patient with a loss of X chromosome; It is especially useful in early post-transplant period when ony a few cells are available during severe cytopenia.
Bone Marrow Transplantation* ; Bone Marrow* ; Chimerism ; Cytogenetics ; Fluorescence* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Karyotyping ; Recurrence ; X Chromosome

No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital* ; Fetal Therapies* ; Lung*