PURPOSE: To evaluate the short-term effect and safety of a triple therapy on diabetic macular edema (DME) with vitreomacular traction. METHODS: Twenty four eyes from 24 subjects, diagnosed with DME with vitreomacular traction, were subjected to vitrectomy. Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection and macular laser photocoagulation were conducted sequentially at one and 14 days after vitrectomy. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were recorded before surgery and at three and six months after triple therapy. RESULTS: The mean (+/-standard deviation [SD]) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVAs before, three, and six months after the triple therapy were 0.77+/-0.38, 0.48+/-0.27, and 0.47+/-0.36, respectively. The mean (+/-SD) CMTs before, three, and six months after the triple therapy were 407.9+/-127.1 micrometer, 272.4+/-104.6 micrometer, and 263.5+/-131.2 micrometer, respectively. The changes in BCVA at three and six months from treatment were statistically significant. Macular thickness decreased significantly at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Triple therapy is a good therapeutic option for diabetic macular edema with vitreomacular traction to improve visual acuity and macular thickness.
Eye ; Light Coagulation ; Macular Edema ; Traction ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

Primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is a congenital lymphatic disorder characterized by dilated intestinal lacteals resulting in lymph leakage into the small bowel lumen and responsible for protein losing enteropathy. As a result, generalized edema, hypoalbuminemia, and lymphocytopenia are clinically manifested. We could not find the reason by several examinations. Therefore, we performed double balloon enteroscopy (DBE), and intestnal lymphangiectasia was diagnosed histologically by a biopsy. DBE is a safe and effective method to diagnose small bowel lymphangiectasia. We report a case of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia, which occurred in a 54-year-old male patient with generalized edema and ascites.
Ascites ; Biopsy ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy ; Edema ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Lymphopenia ; Male ; Protein-Losing Enteropathies

A 7-year-old Thoroughbred horse was admitted to the Equine Hospital, Korea Racing Association with signs of colic. Based on the size of impactions, the clinical signs, the results of abdominal paracentesis and medical treatment, the prognosis was poor. The horse died 3 hours later following hopeless discharge. At necropsy, the caecum and large colon were fully filled with fecal contents and there was a rupture (10 cm in dia) in the latero- ventral caecum. The mucosa of the ileo-caecal and caeco- colic valves appeared to the hyperemic, edematous and ulcerous. There were many tapeworms in the affected mucosa. Histopathologically, lesions included hyperaemia, a deep necrotic inflammatory lesion and ulcers in the mucosa and submucosa of ileo-caecal and caeco-colic valves. One hundred thirty four faecal samples were obtained from 16 stables and submitted to parasitic examination. A total of 4 genera of eggs were recovered: Stongylus spp (82.1%), Anoplocephala perfoliata (10.5%), Bovicola equi (0.7%) and Parascaris equorum (1.5%). The major findings in this study are the presence of A perfoliata and its suspected association with the colic which led into an eventual caecal rupture. This study indicates the needs for an epidemiological survey of colic that is associated with Anoplocephala.
Animals ; Cecal Diseases/etiology/pathology/*veterinary ; Cestoda ; Cestode Infections/complications/pathology/*veterinary ; Colic/etiology/*veterinary ; Fatal Outcome ; Fecal Impaction/complications/parasitology/veterinary ; Feces/parasitology ; Horse Diseases/etiology/*parasitology/pathology ; Horses ; Ileocecal Valve/parasitology/pathology ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary ; Intestinal Mucosa/parasitology/pathology ; Korea ; Parasite Egg Count/veterinary ; Prognosis ; Rupture, Spontaneous/pathology/veterinary

Although stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCMP) is a reversible disease and the prognosis is usually excellent, several complications can occur and can result in fatal adverse events. The formation of left ventricular (LV) thrombus is one of these critical complications of SCMP. This report describes a case of SCMP complicated by formation of a LV thrombus that became increasingly mobile as LV contractility recovered, and for which surgical removal was performed. Here, we report a case of SCMP complicated by LV thrombus and review the literature regarding this topic.
Cardiomyopathies* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Thrombosis*

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can manifest systemically in many organs. It is most common in women of child-bearing age. Neuropsychiatric SLE is characterized by central nervous system (CNS) symptoms. CNS manifestations of SLE have been discovered in all parts of the brain, although thalamic infarcts associated with SLE are rare, especially in males. Here, we report a thalamic infarction in a 22-year-old male SLE patient.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Male ; Young Adult

Ampullary adenoma is a benign neoplasm with malignant potential that arises from the glandular epithelium of the ampulla of Vater. When the tumor is confined to the ampulla, abdominal sonogram and CT scan can show dilatation of the common bile duct or pancreatic duct, but the mass itself may not be seen. And even biopsies are done, the confirmation of malignant change is frequently missed, and it may be impossible to assess the presence of carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma without complete exicision of the lesion. So complete surgical resection is recommended because of extensive growth of the ampullary adenoma and its malignant potential. Recently, we experienced a case of about 0.8 x 1.0 cm sized tumor of the ampulla of Vater that was diagnosed as villous adenoma on endoscopic biopsy, and malignant change was found on resected surgical specimen.
Adenoma ; Adenoma, Villous* ; Ampulla of Vater* ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct ; Dilatation ; Epithelium ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can manifest systemically in many organs. It is most common in women of child-bearing age. Neuropsychiatric SLE is characterized by central nervous system (CNS) symptoms. CNS manifestations of SLE have been discovered in all parts of the brain, although thalamic infarcts associated with SLE are rare, especially in males. Here, we report a thalamic infarction in a 22-year-old male SLE patient.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Male ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Studies of genotypes and changes in nucleotide and amino acid sequences of hepatitis A virus (HAV) may provide valuable information on the epidemiological aspects of a particular region. In Korea the prevalence of anti-HAV in the 1 - 20 year age group declined from 60% in 1980 to 9% in 1995. As a result this age group has a high risk of HAV infection. Actually over 1,500 cases of clinically overt hepatitis A occurred in 1998 while few cases of clinical hepatitis A had been reported until the early 1990s. The aims of this study are to determine the genotypes of HAV which have been circulating in Korea and to define the phylogenetic relationships of geographically defined isolates. METHOD: From 1994 - 1998 a total of 18 serum specimens was obtained from patients in Korea with sporadic form acute hepatitis A. The HAV nucleic acid from serum specimens was subjected to genomic sequence analysis following viral RNA extraction, reverse transcription and amplification of the cDNA by PCR. DNA sequencing was performed in both directions of each PCR product. RESULTS: All isolates clustered within the subgenotype IA irrespective of the geographic locations and timing of the clinical hepatitis. Among 18 Korean isolates, 9 isolates had 2 amino acid sequence changes and 2 isolates had 1 amino acid sequence change. These changes in the amino acid sequences are unique and have never been reported in HAV subgenotype IA. CONCLUSIONS: All isolated HAV had genotype (IA). Eleven of 18 isolates had unique changes in amino acid sequences. These data indicate that the endemic HAV has been circulating in Korea over a long period of time.
Amino Acid Sequence ; DNA, Complementary ; Epidemiology ; Genotype ; Geographic Locations ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; Hepatitis A virus* ; Hepatitis A* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Molecular Epidemiology* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Viral ; Sequence Analysis ; Sequence Analysis, DNA