Although this vascular anomaly, angiomatosis retinae, was initially observed over 85 years ago, and although excellent clinical description of the lesion exist in the literature, treatments for the angiomatosis retinae is difficult and unless the condition is in its early stages, impossible but available symptomatic therapy. Two cases of the angiomatosis retinae, the first, 11 year old girl, von Hippel disease, early stage of vascular dilatation and angiomatous formation, and the second, 15 year old boy, von Hippel-Lindau disease, the final stage of glaucoma and destruction of the eye, are reported. Intravenous fluorescein angiography has been demonstrated, the retinal vascular malformations in von Hippel-Lindau disease are distributed focally and not diffusely, The retinal veins showing greater changes than the arteries are disclosed. This paper presents the fluorscein angiographic findings of von Hippel-Lindau disease and discusses the treatments and the pathologic findings of angiomatosis retinae with literatures related to von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Adolescent ; Arteries ; Child ; Dilatation ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Male ; Retinal Vein ; Retinaldehyde ; Vascular Malformations ; von Hippel-Lindau Disease*

The auther has presented recently treated 2 cases of squamous cell cancer, which are found in the lower lid in 25 years old male, and a tumd arising from the lacrimal sac in 47 years old female. It was reviewed clinically with the literature.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Squamous Cell

Authors experienced a case of acute optic neuritis, 12 years old female patient, following scarlet fever which is rare among bacterial origin in ophthalmological aspects. On the first day of admission, the visual acuities of 0.04(N.C.) in right eye and 0.2 (N.C.) in left eye, blurring of disc margins (OU), central scotoma (OD), and high antistreptolysin O titer (A.S.T.O.) were noted. After bed rest and medical treatment with corticosteroid, penicillin, and vitamin B12 for two and a half months, the visual acuities and antistreptolysin O titer were recovered completely.
Antistreptolysin ; Bed Rest ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Optic Neuritis* ; Penicillins ; Scarlet Fever* ; Scotoma ; Visual Acuity ; Vitamin B 12

Authors experienced a case of acute optic neuritis, 12 years old female patient, following scarlet fever which is rare among bacterial origin in ophthalmological aspects. On the first day of admission, the visual acuities of 0.04(N.C.) in right eye and 0.2 (N.C.) in left eye, blurring of disc margins (OU), central scotoma (OD), and high antistreptolysin O titer (A.S.T.O.) were noted. After bed rest and medical treatment with corticosteroid, penicillin, and vitamin B12 for two and a half months, the visual acuities and antistreptolysin O titer were recovered completely.
Antistreptolysin ; Bed Rest ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Optic Neuritis* ; Penicillins ; Scarlet Fever* ; Scotoma ; Visual Acuity ; Vitamin B 12

BACKGROUND: Most current reseatch using prognostic scoring systems in critically ill patients have focused o prediction using the first intensive care unit(ICU) day data or daily updated data. Usually the mean ICU length of stay in Korea is longer than in the western world. Consequently, a more cost-effective and practical prognostic parameter is required. The principal aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the seventh day(7th day : the average mean ICU length of stay) APACHE III score in a medical intensive care unit. METHODS: 241 medical ICU patients from July 1997 to April 1998 were enrolled. The 1st and 7th scores were measured by using the APACHE III scoring system and compared between survivors and non-survivors. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the 1st and 7th APACHE III scores and the mortality risk. RESULTS: 1) The mean length of stay in the ICU was 10.3±13.8 days. 2) The mean 1st and 7th day APACHE III scores were 59.7±30.9 and 37.9±27.7. 3) The mean 1st day APACHE III scores was significantly lower in survivors than in non- survivors(49.9±23.8 vs 86.3±32.3 P<0.0001). 4) The mean 7th day APACHE III scores was significantly lower in survivors than in non- survivors(30.1±18.5 vs 80.1±30.4, P<0.0001). 5) The odds ratios among the 1st and 7th day APACHE III scores and the mortality rate were 1.0507 and 1.0779 respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the seventh day APACHE III scores is as useful in predicting the outcome as is such like the first day APACHE III score. Therefore, in comparison to the daily APACHE III score, measuring the 1st and 7th day APACHE III scores are also useful for predicting the prognosis of critically ill patients in terms of cost-effectiveness. It is suggested that the 7th day APACHE III score is useful for predicting the clinical outcome.
APACHE* ; Critical Illness ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Prognosis ; Survivors ; Western World

BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid hybridization has become an essential technique in the development of our understanding of gene structure and function. The quantitative analysis of hybridization has been used in the measurement of genome complexity and gene copy number. The filter hybridization assay is rapid, sensitive and can be used to measure RNAs complementary to any cloned DNA sequence. METHODS: The authors assessed the accuracy, linearity, correlation coefficient and specificity of the hybridization depending on the added dose(0, 1, 5, and 10 microgram) of non-specific rat spleen RNA to hybridization of surfactant protein A mRNA. Filter hybridization assays were used to obtain the equation of standard curve and thereby to quantitate the mRNA quantitation. METHODS: 1. Standard curve equation of filter hybridization assay between counts per minute (X) and spleen RNA input (Y) was Y=0.13X-19.35. Correlation coefficient was 0.98. 2. Standard curve equation of filter hybridization assay between counts per minute (X) and surfactant protein A mRNA transcript input (Y) was Y=0.00066X-0.046. Correlation coefficient was 0.99. 3. Standard curve equation of filter hybridization assay between counts per minute (X) and surfactant protein A mRNA transcript input (Y) after the addition of 1 microgram spleen RNA was Y=0.00056X-0.051. Correlation coefficient was 0.99. 4. Standard curve equation of filter hybridization assay between counts per minute (X) and surfactant protein A mRNA transcript input (Y) after the addition of 5 microgram spleen RNA was Y=0.00065X-0.088. Correlation coefficient was 0.99. 5. Standard curve equation of filter hybridization assay between counts per minute (X) and surfactant protein A mRNA transcript input (Y) after the addition of 10 microgram spleen RNA was Y=0.00051X-0.10. Correlation coefficient was 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of cpm/filter in a linear range allowed accurate and reproducible estimation of surfactant protein A mRNA copy number irrespective of the addition dosage of non-specific rat spleen RNA over the range 0-10 microgram.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; Gene Dosage ; Genome ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A* ; Rats* ; RNA* ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity* ; Spleen*

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of tuberculosis is slowly decreasing in Korea. However, the drug-resistance of pulmonary tuberculosis is a major risk factor of treatment failure. Moreover, the National Surveillance System has recently been discontinued. Therefore, a continuous survey is necessary for the exact detection of the rate of drug resistance. We studied the recent 4-year drug resistance rate of tuberculosis at a single University hospital in Seoul. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 239 pulmonary tuberculosis patients performed with a tuberculosis culture and a drug-sensitivity test at Hanyang University Medical Center from March 1999 to March 2003. RESULTS: Of the 239 patients included in the study during the 4-year period, 52 patients showed resistance to one or more anti-tuberculosis drug (21.8%). The rate of multi-drug resistance was 12.6%. The resistance rates to isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, streptomycin and pyrazinamide were 18.4%, 13.8%, 11.7%, 6.7% and 8.4%, respectively. Ninety patients had a history of previous anti-tuberculosis treatment, and the rates of the overall drug resistance and multi-drug resistance of these patients were 36.7% and 25.6%, respectively. The patients with drug-resistance showed a higher rate of a previous tuberculosis treatment history (63.5%) than the drug-sensitive group patients (30.5%). CONCLUSION: The rate of drug resistant tuberculosis is 21.8%, and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is 12.6%. The rate of drug resistance is higher in those previously treated for tuberculosis.
Academic Medical Centers ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Ethambutol ; Humans ; Isoniazid ; Korea ; Prevalence* ; Pyrazinamide ; Rifampin ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul* ; Streptomycin ; Treatment Failure ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

BACKGROUND: Rhinovirus(RV) infections frequently trigger dyspnea and paroxysmal cough in adult patients with asthma and are the most prevalent cause of the common cold. However, the mechanisms of a RV-induced airway inflammation is unclear. Since the RV does not directly destroy the airway epithelium, it is presumed that the immune response to the RV contributes to the pathogenesis of the respiratory symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, this study characterized the time-sequenced alterations in interleukin(IL)-8 elaboration from the human bronchial epithelial cells and evaluated the role of NF(nuclear factor)-kappaB in the RV-induced IL-8 production by pretreating the inhibitors of NF-kappaB activation. METHODS: The ability of RV-infected human bronchial epithelial cells and BEAS-2B cells to produce the IL-8 was compared with the controls. This study infected BEAS-2B cells with the RV14 obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. The supernatants were harvested from the RV infected BEAS-2B cells and the controls at 2hr, 4hr, 6hr, 12hr, 24hr, 48hr from the inoculation time. This study measured the IL-8 concentration using the ELISA kits. In order to elucidate the role of NF-kappaB in the RV-induced IL-8 production, the effect of the NF-kappaB inhibitors was evaluated on RV-induced IL-8 production. RESULTS: The BEAS-2B cells produced small amounts of IL-8 that accumulated slowly with time in the culture. The RV was a potent stimulator of the IL-8 proteins production by BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells. Antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine(NAC),\ and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC), blocked the IL-8 elaboration by the RV-infected BEAS-2B cells, which was dose-dependent, but N-Tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone(TPCK) did not. CONCLUSION: Some antioxidants inhibited the RV-induced IL-8 production by blocking the NF-kappaB, which may have a therapeutic potential in asthma.
Adult ; Antioxidants ; Asthma ; Common Cold ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-8* ; Interleukins* ; NF-kappa B ; Rhinovirus

BACKGROUND: Rhinovirus(RV) infections frequently trigger dyspnea and paroxysmal cough in adult patients with asthma and are the most prevalent cause of the common cold. However, the mechanisms of a RV-induced airway inflammation is unclear. Since the RV does not directly destroy the airway epithelium, it is presumed that the immune response to the RV contributes to the pathogenesis of the respiratory symptoms. In order to test this hypothesis, this study characterized the time-sequenced alterations in interleukin(IL)-8 elaboration from the human bronchial epithelial cells and evaluated the role of NF(nuclear factor)-kappaB in the RV-induced IL-8 production by pretreating the inhibitors of NF-kappaB activation. METHODS: The ability of RV-infected human bronchial epithelial cells and BEAS-2B cells to produce the IL-8 was compared with the controls. This study infected BEAS-2B cells with the RV14 obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. The supernatants were harvested from the RV infected BEAS-2B cells and the controls at 2hr, 4hr, 6hr, 12hr, 24hr, 48hr from the inoculation time. This study measured the IL-8 concentration using the ELISA kits. In order to elucidate the role of NF-kappaB in the RV-induced IL-8 production, the effect of the NF-kappaB inhibitors was evaluated on RV-induced IL-8 production. RESULTS: The BEAS-2B cells produced small amounts of IL-8 that accumulated slowly with time in the culture. The RV was a potent stimulator of the IL-8 proteins production by BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells. Antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine(NAC),\ and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC), blocked the IL-8 elaboration by the RV-infected BEAS-2B cells, which was dose-dependent, but N-Tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone(TPCK) did not. CONCLUSION: Some antioxidants inhibited the RV-induced IL-8 production by blocking the NF-kappaB, which may have a therapeutic potential in asthma.
Adult ; Antioxidants ; Asthma ; Common Cold ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-8* ; Interleukins* ; NF-kappa B ; Rhinovirus

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a major cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea. Nosocomial clusters of C. difficile disease have been ascribed to the transfer of the organism form patient to patient. The aim of this study was to survey the nosocomial acquisition of C. difficile infection and to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of epidemiologic typing systems by molecular analysis of the isolates. METHODS: A surveillance study for C. difficile acquisition was performed in patients admitted to neurology ward (NW) and medical intensive care unit (MICU) in an 800-bed tertiary-care hospital from August 1998 to October 1998. Stool specimens were taken weekly for culture of C. difficile. All isolates were examined for toxin B gene by PCR assay. Three molecular typing methods, including pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), ribotyping, and arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) were used to differentiate individual strains of C. difficile isolates. Their performance characteristics were compared according to the consensus guidelines by the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease. RESULTS: A total of 38 C. difficile strains were isolated from 308 stool cultures. The period prevalence was 7.4/1000 patient-days and 21.2/1000 patient-days in the NW and MICU, respectively (P=0.034). The acquisition incidence of C. difficile infection was 1.85/ 1,000 patient-days and 5.33/1,000 patient-days in NW and MICU, respectively. The toxin B gene was detected in 38% (8/21) of C. difficile isolates; 62.5% from diarrheal patients and 23% from asymptomatic patients. In a comparison of the three typing systems, the typeability was 0.444 by PFGE, 0.972 by AP-PCR and 1 by ribotyping, and the discrimination index was 0.975 by PFGE, 0.810 by AP-PCR and 0.777 by ribotyping. All three typing systems were highly reproducible. AP-PCR was the least costly and most rapid method. CONCLUSION: The relatively high prevalence of C. difficile infection in the hospital might indicate a potential nosocomial spread, even though the acquisition incidence was low. AP-PCR appears to be an efficacious and efficient method for the epidemiologic study of C. difficile infection, and its suboptimal discriminative power may be enhanced by complementary PFGE.
Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Communicable Diseases ; Consensus ; Diarrhea ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Molecular Typing* ; Neurology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Prevalence ; Ribotyping*