PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of olopatadine and ketotifen to stabilize mast cells using human umbilical cord blood-derived mast cells (hCBMCs). METHODS: Using cultured hCBMCs, we divided the cells into the Ketotifen fumarate treatment group, the Olopatadine hydrochloride treatment group, the positive control group, and the negative control group. The histamine release inhibition rate was then observed. RESULTS: Ketotifen and olopatadine both showed the highest inhibition rate of histamine release at a concentration of 10(-3.5)M (Ketotifen, 48% and Olopatadine, 62%). The histamine release inhibition rate of olopatadine was 28% at a concentration of 10(-5.5)M, but ketotifen demonstrated a low histamine release inhibition rate at the same concentration. Ketotifen and olopatadine showed no histamine release inhibition at concentrations of 10(-2)~10(-2.5)M, and 10(-6)M. CONCLUSIONS: Ketotifen and olopatadine demonstrated histamine inhibition in the concentration range of 10(-3) to 10(-5)M. Olopatadine showed a slightly stronger response than ketotifen in the inhibition of histamine release.
Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Humans* ; Ketotifen* ; Mast Cells* ; Umbilical Cord* ; Olopatadine Hydrochloride

To report keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which occurred in a healthy patient after wearing contact lenses for 6 months. A 24-year-old male patient visited our hospital with ocular pain. This patient had a history of wearing soft contact lenses for 6 months, about 10 hours per day. At initial presentation, slit lamp examination showed corneal stromal infiltrations and small epithelial defect. Microbiological examinations were performed from corneal scrapings, contact lenses, and the contact lens case and solution. The culture results from contact lenses, contact lens case and solution were all positive for Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. Thus, we could confirm that the direct cause of keratitis was contamination of the contact lenses. The patient was treated with 0.3% gatifloxacin. After treatment, the corneal epithelial defect was completely healed, and a slight residual subepithelial corneal opacity was observed. We diagnosed keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in a healthy young male wearing soft contact lenses. We conclude that Elizabethkingia meningoseptica should be considered as a rare but potential pathogen for lens-related keratitis in a healthy host.
*Chryseobacterium ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic/*adverse effects/*microbiology ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Keratitis/*etiology/*microbiology ; Male ; Young Adult

To report keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, which occurred in a healthy patient after wearing contact lenses for 6 months. A 24-year-old male patient visited our hospital with ocular pain. This patient had a history of wearing soft contact lenses for 6 months, about 10 hours per day. At initial presentation, slit lamp examination showed corneal stromal infiltrations and small epithelial defect. Microbiological examinations were performed from corneal scrapings, contact lenses, and the contact lens case and solution. The culture results from contact lenses, contact lens case and solution were all positive for Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. Thus, we could confirm that the direct cause of keratitis was contamination of the contact lenses. The patient was treated with 0.3% gatifloxacin. After treatment, the corneal epithelial defect was completely healed, and a slight residual subepithelial corneal opacity was observed. We diagnosed keratitis with Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in a healthy young male wearing soft contact lenses. We conclude that Elizabethkingia meningoseptica should be considered as a rare but potential pathogen for lens-related keratitis in a healthy host.
*Chryseobacterium ; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic/*adverse effects/*microbiology ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Keratitis/*etiology/*microbiology ; Male ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To report a case of congenital lacrimal outflow dysgenesis with supernumerary lacrimal puncta. CASE SUMMARY: A 45-years-old woman presented with chronic bilateral epiphora with no specific medical history. Slit-lamp examination revealed bilateral upper and lower double puncta. The accessory puncta were situated along the lid margin, medial to the normal one and had a typical slit configuration. Additionally, there was a lower canalicular system block that appeared unresponsive to simple probing. Bilateral endoscopic conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube was performed. Chronic bilateral epiphora was relieved after bilateral endoscopic conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy with Jones tube. CONCLUSIONS: A case of congenital lacrimal outflow dysgenesis with supernumerary lacrimal puncta was observed, which has not been previously reported in Korea. Surgical repair of the congenital lacrimal outflow dysgenesis with supernumerary lacrimal puncta should be considered to achieve a functional recovery of the lacrimal drainage system.
Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of ischemic third, fourth, sixth cranial nerve palsy. METHODS: Retrospectively, we reviewed the medical records of 46 eyes of 46 patients who were diagnosed with ischemic third, fourth, sixth nerve palsy alone such as age of onset, risk factors, recovery rate and recovery time. RESULTS: The mean age of onset was 64.9 years. Of the 46 patients, 15 patients (32.6%) in third cranial nerve palsy group, 15 patients (32.6%) in fourth cranial nerve palsy group, 16 patients (34.8%) in sixth cranial nerve palsy group. The risk factor of hypertension in 30 patients (65.2%) was the most common than other risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, elevated blood hematocrit, ischemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, smoking. The mean number of risk factors was 2.3 +/- 0.5 in third cranial nerve palsy group, 1.6 +/- 1.1 in sixth cranial nerve palsy group, 1.4 +/- 1.1 in fourth cranial nerve palsy group. Of the 46 patients, 42 patients (91.3%) were recovered. There was no significant difference in recovery rate by cranial nerve palsy. Recovery time of intracranial abnormalities group (10.5 +/- 2.9 weeks) in brain imaging study was late as compared with that of no intracranial abnormalities group (7.5 +/- 5.1 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The overall recovery rate of isolated ischemic third, fourth, sixth cranial nerve was high. But if there are intracranial abnormalities in imaging study, it took a long time to recover. Also ischemic third cranial nerve palsy had multiple risk factors characteristically.
Abducens Nerve ; Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Age of Onset ; Cranial Nerve Diseases* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Medical Records ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Neuroimaging ; Oculomotor Nerve ; Paralysis ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Trochlear Nerve Diseases

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of ischemic third, fourth, sixth cranial nerve palsy. METHODS: Retrospectively, we reviewed the medical records of 46 eyes of 46 patients who were diagnosed with ischemic third, fourth, sixth nerve palsy alone such as age of onset, risk factors, recovery rate and recovery time. RESULTS: The mean age of onset was 64.9 years. Of the 46 patients, 15 patients (32.6%) in third cranial nerve palsy group, 15 patients (32.6%) in fourth cranial nerve palsy group, 16 patients (34.8%) in sixth cranial nerve palsy group. The risk factor of hypertension in 30 patients (65.2%) was the most common than other risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, elevated blood hematocrit, ischemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, smoking. The mean number of risk factors was 2.3 +/- 0.5 in third cranial nerve palsy group, 1.6 +/- 1.1 in sixth cranial nerve palsy group, 1.4 +/- 1.1 in fourth cranial nerve palsy group. Of the 46 patients, 42 patients (91.3%) were recovered. There was no significant difference in recovery rate by cranial nerve palsy. Recovery time of intracranial abnormalities group (10.5 +/- 2.9 weeks) in brain imaging study was late as compared with that of no intracranial abnormalities group (7.5 +/- 5.1 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The overall recovery rate of isolated ischemic third, fourth, sixth cranial nerve was high. But if there are intracranial abnormalities in imaging study, it took a long time to recover. Also ischemic third cranial nerve palsy had multiple risk factors characteristically.
Abducens Nerve ; Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Age of Onset ; Cranial Nerve Diseases* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Medical Records ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Neuroimaging ; Oculomotor Nerve ; Paralysis ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Trochlear Nerve Diseases

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between plasma TDRD7 mRNA and lens transparency, and to evaluate plasma TDRD7 mRNA as a potential marker for cataracts and its sub-type by quantitatively analyzing human peripheral blood. METHODS: Plasma RNA was extracted from 40 patients with cataracts, and 30 normal controls of matched age and gender. Blood cholesterol and fasting glucose were measured, and the RNA extracted from the sample was synthesized into cDNA. After polymerase chain reaction, the results were compared after quantifying the TDRD7 mRNA using ABL1 mRNA for normalization. We analyzed the relative gene expression data via the DeltaDeltaCt method. RESULTS: The normalized 2(-DeltaDeltaCt) of plasma TDRD7 mRNA based on ABL1 mRNA was 1.52 ± 0.63 in the case of the control group and 1.05 ± 0.34 in the case of the cataract patients, and the TDRD7 expression level of the cataract patients was lower than that of the control group (p = 0.048). The comparison of the genetic values of different types of cataracts demonstrated that the TDRD7 expression level of the cortical type and mixed type were lower than those of the nuclear type and posterior subcapsular opacity type (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Human cataracts and the TDRD7 gene loss-of-function mutations are strongly causally related, as the expression level of plasma TDRD7 mRNA in patients with cataracts was statistically significantly lower than in the normal control group.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cataract/*blood ; Child ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation/*physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl/genetics ; RNA, Messenger/*blood ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonucleoproteins/*genetics

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and progression of a stage 0 macular hole in the fellow eye of patients with an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole.
Methods: The fellow eyes of 189 patients who underwent idiopathic full-thickness macular hole surgery were examined by biomicroscopy and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A subset of 21 fellow eyes with a stage 0 macular hole was observed. Changes in the macular hole were evaluated by biomicroscopy and SD-OCT for an average of 29 months.
Results: Among the 21 eyes, 15 showed no change in perifoveal vitreous detachment (71.4%). Two eyes (9.5%) developed complete vitreofoveal separation, and one of the two developed a separation after progression to stage 1A. Among 21 eyes, 5 (23.8%) developed above stage 1A, and one of the five progressed to stage 1B after five years, which was successfully treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade.
Conclusions Perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye on SD-OCT, defined as a stage 0 macular hole, occurred at an earlier phase than stage 1A macular holes and may progress to an advanced stage. Therefore, patients who undergo macular hole surgery and have a stage 0 macular hole or perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye should be followed closely.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and progression of a stage 0 macular hole in the fellow eye of patients with an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole.
Methods: The fellow eyes of 189 patients who underwent idiopathic full-thickness macular hole surgery were examined by biomicroscopy and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). A subset of 21 fellow eyes with a stage 0 macular hole was observed. Changes in the macular hole were evaluated by biomicroscopy and SD-OCT for an average of 29 months.
Results: Among the 21 eyes, 15 showed no change in perifoveal vitreous detachment (71.4%). Two eyes (9.5%) developed complete vitreofoveal separation, and one of the two developed a separation after progression to stage 1A. Among 21 eyes, 5 (23.8%) developed above stage 1A, and one of the five progressed to stage 1B after five years, which was successfully treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade.
Conclusions Perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye on SD-OCT, defined as a stage 0 macular hole, occurred at an earlier phase than stage 1A macular holes and may progress to an advanced stage. Therefore, patients who undergo macular hole surgery and have a stage 0 macular hole or perifoveal vitreous detachment in the fellow eye should be followed closely.

Rectal prolapse means an abnormal descent of all layers of the rectum, with or without protrusion through the anus, and is classified into incomplete and complete rectal prolapse. Complete rectal prolapse is further divided into the first, second and third degree based on the severity. The choice of the operation for rectal prolapse is controversial. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the low anterior resection and stapled colorectal end-to-end anastomosis with fixation of the lateral rectal ligaments in rectal prolapse with redundant sigmoid colon. METHODS: We describe our experience from January 1989 through December 1998. During this period, eight cases of complete rectal prolapse were managed at the Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University. They were all men. The average age of the patients was 37 years (range, 19 to 73) and the average at onset before surgery was 19 years (range, 6 months to 33 years). At rectal examination the patients were placed in either a left supine or squatting position and were asked to strain. The duration of the follow-up assessment was ranged from one to seven years after operation. All those patients were investigated by personal interview and physical examination. RESULTS: The most common complaint was protruding anal mass and anal bleeding. Four patients were heavy alcohol abusers. Two patients had mental retardation. Among them four patients had undergone prior anorectal procedure; two men had been treated due to hemorrhoids. The average body weight was 55 kg. The average length of the postoperative hospital stay was 16.8 days (range, 9 to 39 days). Preoperatively, there were 5 cases who had decreased anal sphincter tone. In all cases EEA stapler was used for anastomosis. The rectum was completely mobilized posteriorly and sutured to the sacrum. There was no recurrence and incontinence in all patients. The lengths of removed bowel were 15 to 20 cm (average 16.2 cm). There was no postoperative mortality, but postoperative adhesive ileus was developed in two patients, which were managed by conservative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In rectal prolpase, the low anterior resection of redundant sigmoid colon and stapled colorectal end-to-end anastomosis with fixation of the lateral rectal ligaments is one of the most efficient treatment.
Adhesives ; Anal Canal ; Body Weight ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhoids ; Humans ; Ileus ; Intellectual Disability ; Length of Stay ; Ligaments* ; Male ; Mortality ; Physical Examination ; Rectal Prolapse* ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Sacrum