A case of giant ureteral stone on the left lower third is presented with a review of literature. The patient reported herein was 54 year-old woman with only mild flank and suprapubic discomfort but relatively silent process. Excretory urogram revealed a hen-egg sized lower ureteral stone with marked hydronephrosis on the left side The right one is of an appearance of normal urogram. She underwent ureteronephrectomy en the left side for poor function, urinary infection and marked hydronephrosis At operation, a large calculus was revealed in the left lower ureter, which was a grayish brown color. 4.2/6.1/7.0 cm in size and weighed 16.8Gm.
Calculi ; Female ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Middle Aged ; Ureter*

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of aflibercept-bevacizumab alternate dosing (AD) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with a limited response to bimonthly aflibercept injections. Methods: This retrospective study included patients given aflibercept-bevacizumab AD to treat neovascular AMD with bevacizumab given every alternate month between bimonthly aflibercept injections when they had a limited response to bimonthly aflibercept alone. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were compared before AD and after the last AD. The incidence of subretinal fluid (SRF) and intraretinal fluid (IRF) before and after AD was also examined. Results: The study included 18 patients. The mean period between the diagnosis and AD was 37.9 ± 18.8 months and a mean of 3.1 ± 2.2 ADs were performed. The BCVA improved significantly from 0.45 ± 0.28 before AD to 0.36 ± 0.23 after AD (p = 0.036). The CRT decreased significantly from 440.3 ± 122.9 μm before AD to 317.7 ± 103.5 after AD (p = 0.001). The SRF was present in 94.4% and IRF in 55.6% before AD and in 22.2% and 11.1%, respectively, after AD. Conclusions Aflibercept–bevacizumab AD was effective at resolving SRF/IRF in neovascular AMD with a limited response to bimonthlyaflibercept injections and should be a useful treatment option.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results and complications in difficult periarticular fractures of the knee treated with a circular(Ilizarov) external fixator. The mean follow-up period was 34 months(range: 12-55 months). Of the 27 cases, 12 cases involved fractures of distal femur (two M ller type A3, four type C2, six type C3) and 15 cases involved fractures of the proximal tibia (one Schatzker type V, eight type VI, two segmental, four metaphyseal comminuted fractures). Twenty-two cases(81%) were open fractures and most of the cases were open intra-articular comminuted fractures. The average duration of external fixation was 7.7 months (9.8 months for the distal femur cases, 6.5 months for the proximal tibia cases and 11.5 months for the cases which required lengthening, and 6 months in the non-lengthening group). In 8 cases, in which bone lenthening was done, no leg length discrepancy occurred after lengthening. The mean length gained was 5.9 cm and the mean healing index was 1.8 months/cm (1.8months/cm in distal femur cases and 1.9 months/cm in proximal tibia cases). According to Neers criteria, the treatment results for cases involving distal femur fracture were as follows: six satisfactory, three unsatisfactory, three failures; cases with proximal tibia fractures had these results: nine excellent, three satisfactory, three unsatisfactory. Average range of motion was 67 degrees in distal femur fracture cases and 114 degrees in proximal tibia fracture cases. According to Paleys complication grading system, six problems, six obstacles, and eight com- plications occurred. In conclusion, the Ilizarov external fixator can be a useful treatment method in periarticular fractures of the knee with severe intra-articular or metaphyseal comminution, bone loss, severe soft tissue injury, or multiple associated injury. Its use can reduce the associated complications such as leg length discrepancy, infection, and nonunion.
External Fixators* ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Fractures, Open ; Knee* ; Leg ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tibia

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of shortening the injection interval to < 2 months in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with limited response to bimonthly aflibercept injections. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records for neovascular AMD patients who received aflibercept injections with < 2 month intervals (shortened injection) because of limited response to bimonthly injections. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were compared before and after shortened injections. The incidence of complete resolution of retinal edema was also analyzed. Results: A total of 28 patients were included, with a mean duration between diagnosis and shortened injection of 43.0 ± 20.5 months. The interval of the first shortened injection was 5 weeks in 8 eyes and 6 weeks in 20 eyes. BCVA changed from mean logarithm of minimal angle of resolution of 0.37 ± 0.21 to 0.32 ± 0.20 after shortening (p = 0.075). The mean CRT reduced significantly from 389.3 ± 73.7 μm to 242.1 ± 91.9 μm after shortening (p < 0.001). Retinal fluids resolved completely in 11 (39.3%) eyes after a single shortened injection, and in 15 (53.6%) eyes after two or more shortened injections. Conclusions Shortening the injection interval to < 2 months had good anatomical efficacy in neovascular AMD with limited response to bimonthly aflibercept injections. However, the efficacy for improvement in visual acuity was limited. Further studies are required to investigate the long-term outcomes.

No abstract available.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term clinical course and prognostic factors of branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO). Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with BRAO were reviewed retrospectively. Visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) at diagnosis were compared with those measured at the final visit. Patients with a decimal VA ≥ 0.6 (good prognosis group) were compared with those with a decimal VA ≤ 0.5 (poor prognosis group) at the final visit. Results: Fifty-five patients were enrolled and the mean follow-up period was 45.8 ± 27.8 months. The mean logarithm of minimum angle of resolution improved from 0.53 ± 0.57 at diagnosis to 0.36 ± 0.61 at the final visit (p = 0.026). The decimal VA was ≤ 0.1 in 13 (23.6%) patients, ≥ 0.2 and ≤ 0.5 in 16 (29.1%) patients, and ≥ 0.6 in 26 (47.3%) patients at diagnosis; the respective values were 9 (16.4%), 8 (14.5%), and 38 (69.1%) at the final visit. The mean CRT significantly decreased from 273.9 ± 34.7 µm at diagnosis to 248.9 ± 27.0 µm at the final visit (p < 0.001). The poor prognosis group (n = 17) was older (p = 0.044) and had a higher incidence of papillomacular bundle involvement (p < 0.001) than the good prognosis group (n = 38). Conclusions Patients with BRAO generally showed relatively favorable long-term outcomes. However, the final VA was ≤ 0.1 in 16.4% of them, suggesting the need for further treatment modalities to improve the outcome of patients with a poor prognosis.

Pheochromocytoma is derived from the chromaffin cells and patients with pheochromocytoma present with several signs and symptoms by producing, storing and secreting catecholamine. Spontaneous rupture or necrosis of pheochromocytoma is extremely rare, but it can be lethal because of the dramatic change in the circulation such as an acute abdominal emergency or shock. Spontaneous remission of the clinical symptoms due to necrosis of the pheochromocytoma is rare. We describe such a case that presented with cardiogenic shock due to extensive necrosis of the pheochromocytoma and this was followed by spontaneous remission of the clinical symptoms without removal of the pheochromocytoma.
Chromaffin Cells ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Pheochromocytoma ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Rupture, Spontaneous ; Shock ; Shock, Cardiogenic

Purpose: To evaluate long-term visual prognosis and changes in the retinal microstructure in patients with macular telangiectasia type 2. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records were performed for 61 eyes (32 patients) diagnosed with macular telangiectasia type 2. The visual acuity at diagnosis was compared with that at the final visit. In addition, cases were classified into three grades based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings: grade 1, inner retinal cavities only; grade 2, outer retinal cavities with ellipsoid zone disruption; and grade 3, ellipsoid zone disruption with proliferation of retinal pigment epithelium. Change in the grade during the follow-up was verified. In addition, visual acuities were compared between eyes with and without a change in grade. Results: The mean follow-up period was 41.5 ± 33.2 months. Visual acuity had deteriorated significantly from the mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution 0.23 ± 0.26 at diagnosis to a mean of 0.31 ± 0.31 at the final visit (p < 0.001). When classified using OCT, 65.6%, 22.9%, and 11.5% were grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively, at diagnosis and 47.5%, 36.1%, and 16.4% at the final visit. Progression of grade was noted in 22.9%. A higher degree of visual deterioration was noted in eyes showing progression than in eyes without (p = 0.002). Conclusions During the long-term follow-up period, visual deterioration was noted in patients with macular telangiectasia type 2. However, the degree of deterioration was not high. Progression in the disruption of the retinal microstructure was the likely cause of visual deterioration.

Purpose: To evaluate the proportion of bevacizumab and the reason for its usage in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records was performed for 1,541 patients who received ranibizumab, aflibercept, or bevacizumab injection to treat wet AMD. The proportion of bevacizumab among the entire set of injections was identified. The reason for selecting bevacizumab was additionally identified. Results: During the study period, a total of 2,929 anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections were performed; 2,236 (76.3%) were ranibizumab or aflibercept injections and 693 (23.7%) were bevacizumab injections. The most common reason for bevacizumab usage was ‘having a 0.1 or worse best-corrected visual acuity or being unable to assure reimbursement due to the development of extensive scarring or geographic atrophy’ (297 bevacizumab injections, 42.9%). The second most common reason was ‘the inability to assure reimbursement such as extrafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) or early CNV without definite fluid in the foveal region’ (201 bevacizumab injections, 29.0%). Conclusions Bevacizumab was used in 23.7% of the anti-VEGF injections to treat wet AMD. When analyzing patients’ treatment burden and financial impact, the results of the present study may provide useful information. Further multi-center studies are required to evaluate more precisely the usage of anti-VEGF drugs.

Purpose: To evaluate the proportion and reasons for ineligibility to re-register for extended health insurance at 5 years in patients diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and registered for extended health insurance. Methods: This retrospective study was performed in patients diagnosed with neovascular AMD and registered for extended health insurance with follow-up for at least 5 years. The criteria for re-registration for extended health insurance were determined along with the ineligibility for re-registration. Results: In total, 263 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 148 (56.3%) did not satisfy the criteria for re-registration. No active treatment was performed in 98 patients during the last 6 months of the study period (no recurrence, 51 patients; additional treatment was not considered beneficial due to retinal damage even without disciform scar formation, 44 patients). Macular disciform scar formation was noted in 50 patients (33.8%). Older age (p = 0.013), poor visual acuity (p = 0.004), and retinal angiomatous proliferation (p < 0.001) were associated with ineligibility for re-registration due to severe retinal damage. Conclusions Among the patients who were initially registered for extended health insurance, 56.3% failed to satisfy the re-registration criteria. The primary reason was advanced retinal damage. The results of this study provide useful information for patient education and to establish long-term treatment strategies.