PURPOSE: Racemose hemangiomas of the retina are rare developmental vascular anomalies with abnormal arteriovenous anastomoses. We report our observations of a retinal racemose hemangioma with marked dilation and tortuosity of the retinal vessels in the entire left retina. METHODS: In a 9-year-old boy with loss of vision and mild esotropia who presented with hugely dilated and tortuous retinal vessels in left retina, we examined fundus, fluorescein angiography, cerebral angiography, brain CT and MRI. RESULTS: Fundus and fluorescein angiography of the left eye showed marked dilation and tortuosity of the retinal vessels. Angiographic finding showed rapid filling of all vessels and no dye leakage. MRI finding revealed small tortuous vessels around left optic nerve, optic chiasm and tract. Brain CT and cerebral angiography showed nothing abnormal.
Arteriovenous Anastomosis ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Child ; Esotropia ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Hemangioma* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Optic Chiasm ; Optic Nerve ; Retina ; Retinal Vessels ; Retinaldehyde*

Testicular carcinoid tumor is uncommon and most of these tumors occur in fourth decade' of life. A 33-year-old man presented with intrascrotal painless mass, which was initially misdiagnosed as epididymal tumor. Epididymectomy including the mass was performed and pathologic examination revealed a carcinoid tumor confined to the rete testis. There was no evidence of carcinoid syndrome. The 24 hour urinary 5-HIAA level was normal. Abdominal CT scan and GI contrast study showed no evidence of carcinoid in other organ including the gut. Radical orchiectomy and hemiscrotectomy were undergone as a curative therapy. He has been well for 40 months without recurrence.
Adult ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Humans ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ; Orchiectomy ; Recurrence ; Rete Testis* ; Testis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

In 38 patients with traumatic wound dehiscence after cataract surgery, we evaluated the causes and degrees of the injury, surgical methods of repair and the final visual outcome from Aug. 1993 to Apr. 1977. Among 38 patients, twenty-five were men and thirteen were women. In 34 patients, wound dehiscence occurred within one month after cataract surgery. The common causes of wound dehiscence were trauma by the finger or fist (9 patients) and by the contusion (7 patients). But in 16 patients, the exact causes of trauma were not identified. Accompanied ocular findings were prolapsed iris (29 patients) , hyphema (9 patients) , and dislocation of intraocular lens (7 patients). All patients received operations for wound closure, iris reposition, anterior vitrectomy, intraocular lens reposition or removal, and iris partial resection. At the end of follow-up, 27 patients achieved corrected visual acuity 20/40 or over. To prevent wound dehiscence after cataract surgery, we suggest that protective eye shield should be applied at least for a month after surgery.
Cataract* ; Contusions ; Dislocations ; Female ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Intraoperative Complications ; Iris ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Male ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Wounds and Injuries*

Aging of the population in industrialized countries, as a result of increased life expectancy, is known to be associated with an increased risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. Estrogen use by postmentopausal women has been reported to have favorable effects on health, cognitive function, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease in old age, which now represents a revitalized area of clinical research. And may investigator reported that estrogen promotes the growth and survival of cholinergic neurons and could decrease cerebral amyloid deposition, both of which may delay the onset or prevent Alzheimer's disease. But more propective studies are needed to establish the dose and duration of estrogen required to provide these benefits and to assess its safety in elderly postmentopausal women.
Aged ; Aging ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Cholinergic Neurons ; Dementia ; Developed Countries ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Research Personnel

Thirty eyes of thirty patients with coexisting cataract and vitreoretinal disease underwent combined cataract extraction, pars plana vitrectomy and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantaion.Surgical procedures of cataract extraction included phacoemulsification(14 eyes), pars plana lensectomy(11 eyes) and extracapsular lens placed in the capsular bag in 19 eyes following phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction. Eleven eyes had sulcus fixation of posterior chamber lens following lensectomy.Postoperatviely visual acuity improved in 26 eyes(86.7%), unchanged in 3 eyes(10%) and decreased in 1 eye(3.3%). Final visual acuity was 20/200 or better in 26 eyes(86.75), and 20/40 or better in 11 eyes(36.7%). Postoperative complications included rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, neovascular glaucoma and endophthalmitis.Pars plana vitrectomy combined with cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation maybe useful in reducing cost and providing rapid visual rehabilitation.
Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Phacoemulsification ; Postoperative Complications ; Rehabilitation ; Retinal Detachment ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy* ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

Surface ECG findings in 29 patients with left isomerism were reviewed. Among the total 46 wave axis distributions, 25(54%) were abnormal axis, not originated from sinus node. Congenital atrioventricular block was found in 2 children. 6 patients showed the bradycardia and junctional escape rhythm intermittently or persistently. 4 of them, not related with heart surgery, were much older than 2 patients who showed these ECG findings after heart surgery. These ECG findings suggested the possibility of occurrence of sinus node or subsidiary pacemaker dysfunction in the patients with left isomerism, especially in the older patients. So we thought that electrophysiologic evaluation is necessary in some patients with left isomerism.
Atrioventricular Block ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bradycardia ; Child ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Isomerism* ; Sinoatrial Node ; Thoracic Surgery ; United Nations

PURPOSE: Detrusor instability (DI) is a main cause of persistent voiding difficulty after TURP in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). So we retrospectively estimated the effect of TURP in BPH patients with DI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 81 patients who had undergone TURP due to prostatism, 35 patients with BPH were followed at 3 weeks and 6 months postoperatively (21 without DI cases vs. 14 with DI; 6 persistent DI, 7 resolved DI, 1 missing case at 3 weeks and 4 persistent DI, 7 resolved DI, 2 missing cases at 6 months). We compared each group using symptom score (IPSS) and urodynamic parameters. RESULTS: Each irritative and obstructive symptoms were significantly improved in both group (p<0.05). The maximal flow rate (from 12.2 to 25.4ml/sec), average flow rate (from 8.9 to 15.2ml/ sec), residual urine volume (from 135.9 to 39.1ml) in patients without DI and maximal bladder volume (from 150.0 to 203.7ml), maximal flow rate (from 12.5 to 18.6ml/sec), residual urine volume (from 65.7 to 26.0ml) in patients with DI were improved significantly (p<0.05) after TURP, but other parameters were not improved (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in all parameters between 3 weeks and 6 months postoperative period (p>0.05). The amplitude of improvement had no significant difference between two group. There were no significant differences in IPSS and urodynamic parameters between persistent and resolved DI group. CONCLUSION: We suggest that TURP is good therapeutic option even in BPH patients with DI at short term postoperative period, but attempt to predict which patients would have persistent DI following TURP was failed.
Humans ; Postoperative Period ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatism ; Retrospective Studies ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urodynamics*

The major presenting manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Korea are known to be cutaneous manifestations, arthritis, nephritis, and fever. The ascites due to peritoneal involvement in SLE is quite common. However, it is unusual for massive ascites to be major presenting manifestations of SLE. In this report, we describe a case of SLE patient whose disease manifested as intractable ascites. This illustrates an unusual presentation and natural history of a complex autoimmune disease.
Arthritis ; Ascites* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Fever ; Humans ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Natural History ; Nephritis

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to find factors related to clinical aspects of patients with histiocytosis syndrome. METHODS: We performed a retrospective clinical study with chart review in twenty patients with histiocytosis syndrome from January 1987 to June 1997. RESULTS: The sex incidence revealed female predominance with a ratio of 1.2 : 1. Of twenty cases, fifteen were classified as class l, three cases as class ll, and two cases as class lll. The mean age of symptom onset was 7 and 9/12 years. Common clinical symptoms and signs at diagnosis were fever, mass, headache, pain on lower extremities, skin rashes and weight loss. The most common involved organ was the skeleton. Abnormal hematologic findings (hemoglobin;<10g/dL and/or white blood cell<4,000/mm3 and/or platelet<150,000/mm3) were found in four cases. Common findings on tissue biopsies were histiocytic proliferation and infiltration. Two patients with malignant histiocytosis (MH) and one patient of eosinophilic granuloma (EG) received chemotherapy. Among three patients who started chemotherapy, one patient was discharged freely, one patient died because of recurrence, and one patient had been treated with a maintenance regimen until now. CONCLUSION: The survival rate depends mainly on onset age, severity, Lahey's organ dysfunction score, histologic findings and sites of involved organs. But most patients had nonspecific symptoms before diagnosis. Therefore, early recognition and aggressive medical treatment before development of serious symptoms improved the prognosis.
Age of Onset ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophilic Granuloma ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; Histiocytic Sarcoma ; Histiocytosis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity ; Organ Dysfunction Scores ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Skeleton ; Survival Rate ; Weight Loss

The coronary arteries are also subject to congenital anomalies of both minor and major consequence. Hemodynamically significant primary anomalies of the coronary arteries are those which alter myocardial perfusion. There are four major types : coronary artery fistula, origin of the left voronary artery from the pulmonary artery, congenital coronary stenosis or atresia and origin of the left or right coronary artery from the opposite sinus of Valsalva with subsequent passage of the vessel between the aorta and right ventricular infundibulum. Minor anomlies are the variation of the origin of the coronary arteries from the aorta with normal distal circulation. We can see more coronary anomalies associated with congenital cardiac anomalies, probably representing a circulatory response to the primary intracardiac defect. We present a total of 76 cases of congenital coronary anomalies, reviewing 3946 cases of angiocardiography or selective coronary arteriography, performed during last 8 years at Sejong General Hospital.
Angiocardiography ; Angiography ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Fistula ; Hospitals, General ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Artery ; Sinus of Valsalva