Rabbit eyes were irradiated with neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet(Nd-YAG) laser and the changes of prostaglandin E and protein levels in aqueous humor were measured. Intraocular pressure and pupil diameter were also determined in the same rabbits. Prostaglandin E and protein in aqueous humor were increase depending upon the number of laser lesion. Increase of intraocular pressure and decrease of pupil diameter occurred at similar dose range of laser irradiation. Tesponse of iris to the photodisruption was rapid. Changes in prostaglandin and protein contents and pupil diameter were already prominent at 15 min after the laser irradiation. Indomethacin pretreatment abolished most of tese responses, suggesting that acute reactions following photodisruption were largely dependent on prostaglandin synthesis in iris tissure.
Aqueous Humor* ; Indomethacin* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris* ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Pupil ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: The objectives were to identify the characteristics of neonates with hydrops fetalis, and to identify the risk factors associated with mortality. METHODS: A retrospective review of AMC (Asan Medical Center) dataset was performed from January 1990 to June 2009. The characteristics of 71 patients with hydrops fetalis were investigated and they were divided into two groups: the survived group and the expired group. Various perinatal and neonatal factors in two groups were compared to find out risk factors associated with mortality based on univariate analysis, followed by multiple regression analyses (SPSS version 18.0). RESULTS: Of those 71 neonates (average gestational age: 33 weeks, birth weight: 2.6 kg), 38 survived, 33 died, resulting in overall mortality rate of 46.5%. The most common etiology was idiopathic followed by chylothorax, cardiac anomalies, twin-to-twin transfusion, meconium peritonitis, cardiac arrythmias, and congenital infections. Factors that were associated independently with mortality in logistic regression analyses were low 5-minutes Apgar score, hyaline membrane disease and delayed in achieving 50th percentile ideal body weight for appropriate gestational age by 10 days. CONCLUSION: In this study, 5-minutes Apgar score, hyaline membrane disease and delayed in achieving 50th percentile ideal body weight for appropriate gestational age by 10 days were significant risk factors associated with mortality in hydrops fetalis. Therefore, the risk of death among neonates with hydrops fetalis depends on the illness immediately after birth and severity of hydrops fetalis. Informations from this study may prove useful in prediction of prognosis to neonates with hydrops fetalis.
Apgar Score ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chylothorax ; Edema ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Hydrops Fetalis ; Ideal Body Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Logistic Models ; Meconium ; Parturition ; Peritonitis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: Infants of diabetic mothers have higher incidence of congenital malformations compared with those of non-diabetic mothers. We investigated the usefulness of prenatal level II or "targeted" ultrasonography (TUS) as a diagnostic tool to identify congenital abnormalities in infants of diabetic mothers. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 218 mothers diagnosed as pregestational or gestational diabetes in whom prenatal TUS was performed in Asan Medical Center between 2004 and 2009. The prenatal TUS findings were compared with the congenital abnormalities found in the infants (n=226) of the diabetic mothers by physical examination and ultrasonography (including echocardiography). Maternal risk factors associated with congenital anomalies were also investigated. RESULTS: The incidence of congenital anomalies was 14.2% (n=32) in prenatal TUS and 15.5% (n=35) postnatally, respectively. Only 7 cases (3.6%) out of the 194 infants with normal prenatal TUS findings were found to have congenital abnormalities diagnosed postnatally. All of the abnormalities in these 7 infants could be detected or suspected by physical examination after birth. Maternal fasting glucose level >120 mg/dL and insulin therapy were significant risk factors for predicting congenital abnormalities in infants of diabetic mothers. CONCLUSION: Prenatal TUS performed by experienced obstetricians had a good reliability in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies in infants of diabetic mothers. Need for universal screening of ultrasound or echocardiography in these infants should be questioned especially in the cases in which prenatal TUS was performed.
Collodion ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diabetes, Gestational ; Echocardiography ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Insulin ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

As part of a study on the effects of dexamethasone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the biological roles of astrocytes in brain injury, this study evaluated the effects of dexamethasone and DHEA on the responses of primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and antimycin A. Dexamethasone decreased spontaneous release of LDH from astrocytes, and the dexamethasone effect was inhibited by DHEA. However, the inhibitory effect of DHEA on the dexamethasone-induced decrease of LDH release was not shown in astrocytes treated with LPS, and antimycin A-induced LDH release was not affected by dexamethasone or DHEA. Unlike dexamethasone, DHEA increased MTT value of astrocytes and also attenuated the antimycin A-induced decrease of MTT value. Glutamine synthetase activity of astrocytes was not affected by DHEA or LPS but increased by dexamethasone, and the dexamethasone-dependent increase was attenuated by DHEA. However, antimycin A markedly decreased glutamine synthetase activity, and the antimycin A effect was not affected by dexamethasone or DHEA. Basal release of (3H)arachidonic acid from astrocytes was moderately increased by LPS and markedly by antimycin A. Dexamethasone inhibited the basal and LPS-dependent releases of (3H)arachidonic acid, but neither dexamethasone nor DHEA affected antimycin A-induced (3H)arachidonic acid release. Basal IL-6 release from astrocytes was not affected by dexamethasone or DHEA but markedly increased by LPS and antimycin A. LPS-induced IL-6 release was attenuated by dexamethasone but was little affected by DHEA, and antimycin A-induced IL-6 release was attenuated by DHEA as well as dexamethasone. At the concentration of dexamethasone and DHEA which does not affect basal NO release from astrocytes, they moderately inhibited LPS-induced NO release but little affected antimycin A-induced decrease of NO release. Taken together, these results suggest that dexamethasone and DHEA, in somewhat different manners, modulate the astrocyte reactivity in brain injuries inhibitorily.
Animals ; Antimycin A* ; Arachidonic Acid ; Astrocytes* ; Brain Injuries ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Dexamethasone* ; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase ; Interleukin-6 ; Nitric Oxide ; Rats*

PURPOSE: To identify neonatal characteristics associated with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) who required early operations and to introduce preoperative interventions to delay definitive operations until stabilized. METHODS: A retrospective review of dataset was performed from January 2000 to December 2011 for neonates admitted to NICU at Asan Medical Center with prenatally diagnosed CCAM. Variable prenatal and postnatal factors were compared for those who required early operations to those asymptomatic neonates who required elective operations at later age. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were enrolled and patients were divided into 2 groups according to time of operation. Median time of surgery for group 1 (n=12, 20%) and group 2 (n=48, 80%) was 5.5 days and 504 days, respectively. Maternal characteristics including age, parity, preterm labor, oligohydramnios were similar in between two groups. Factors associated with early operation included prenatal history of polyhydramnios (OR 23, P=0.001), who had undergone fetal interventions (OR 47, P=0.001), low 1 and 5 minute Apgar scores and increasing fetal fluid-filled cystic sizes (OR 26, P=0.013). Of those 3 neonates who required preoperative interventions to decrease air-filled cysts to relieve initial respiratory symptoms were successful and all underwent for definitive operations during NICU hospitalizations. All survived. CONCLUSION: Most neonates with CCAM undergo elective operations during infancy. However, about 20% neonates with polyhydramnios, fetal intervention, increasing fetal cystic mass and born with low Apgar scores required early operations for whom prenatal and postnatal interventions prior to definitive surgery can improve survival rate.
Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Oligohydramnios ; Parity ; Polyhydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: To report our experiences in the prenatal diagnosis of atrial isomerism and postnatal outcomes. METHODS: A total of 80 fetuses prenatally diagnosed with atrial isomerism were retrospectively analyzed between 1999 and 2011 at a single institution. RESULTS: Of 43 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed right atrial isomerism (RAI), 40 cases were analyzed. The diagnostic accuracy was 93%. The main intracardiac anomalies in RAI were atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), abnormal pulmonary venous connection, bilateral superior vena cava (BSVC), and pulmonary atresia. Among 28 live births, three infants were lost to follow up, and the overall survival rate was 60%. Of 37 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed left atrial isomerism (LAI), 35 were evaluated. The diagnostic accuracy was 97%. The main intracardiac anomalies in LAI were ventricular septal defect, BSVC, AVSD, double outlet right ventricle, and bradyarrhythmia. Among seven patients with bradyarrhythmia, only one showed a complete atrioventricular block. All fetuses had an interrupted inferior vena cava with azygous continuation. The overall survival rate was 90%. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the previous findings of fetal atrial isomerism. We also demonstrates a much lower prevalence of AVSD and complete heart block in LAI and a better survival rate in RAI. Although the postnatal outcomes for RAI were worse than those for LAI, successful postnatal surgery with active management improved the survival rate.
Atrioventricular Block ; Bradycardia ; Double Outlet Right Ventricle ; Echocardiography ; Fetus ; Heart Block ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heterotaxy Syndrome ; Humans ; Infant ; Isomerism* ; Live Birth ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Prevalence ; Pulmonary Atresia ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Vena Cava, Superior

The ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure was introduced to reduce fetal hypoxic damage while establishing an airway in fetuses with upper and lower airway obstruction. Delivery of the fetal head and shoulders while maintaining the uteroplacental circulation offers time to secure the fetal airway. Here, we report two cases of EXIT procedure for fetal airway obstruction, which were successfully managed with extensive preoperative planning by a professional multidisciplinary team.
Airway Obstruction* ; Fetal Therapies ; Fetus* ; Head ; Laryngeal Diseases ; Lymphangioma ; Placental Circulation ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Shoulder