Recently, acute pseudomonas keratitis is reported to occur more frequently. If treatment is not adequate after the invasion of Pseudomonas into the cornea, corneal perforation ensues within 48 hours. Hence the rapid diagnosis and treatment is required, and the treatment mostly depends on the antibiotics. Pseudomonas keratitis induced in the rabbit cornea by inoculating Pseudomonas aeruginosa (lID 1210). Then the keratitis was treated with topical antibiotics available in Korea Chloramphenicol(R), Polyspectran(R), Tobra(R), Gentamicin(R), Tarivid(R). The effect of the antibiotics on Pseudomonas keratitis was evaluated clinically as well as bacteriologically and irritation of the antibiotics against the eye was also obsesved. 1. Polyspectran(R), tobra(R), gentamicin(R), tarivid(R) treated experimental Pseudomonas keratitis in the rabbit eyes but chloramphenicol(R) and saline did not inhibit the bacterial growth of the rabbit corneas. 2. Against the rabbit eyes, chloramphenicol(R) and polyspectran(R) were the most irritable aptibiotics, where as Gentamicin(R) and tarivid(R) were the moderate, and tobra(R) and saline were the least in the extent of irritation.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Cornea ; Corneal Perforation ; Diagnosis ; Keratitis* ; Korea ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Pseudomonas*

Unilateral retinoblastoma has revealed good prognosis after enucleation in long term follow-up period. But unilateral retinoblastoma with delayed diagnosis may result in poor prognosis due to invasion of the optic nerve or choroid or extraocular spread. Medical records of 26 patients(26 eyes) with unilateral retinoblastoma confirmed by biopsy result after enucleation, were reviewed at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine from December, 1983 through February, 1998. Age of the patient, ocular findings, diagnostic methods, treatment modality and clinical results were analyzed. Age ranged from 1 to 60 months(average 26 months). Leukocoria was the most prominent ocular sign and retinal detachment or mass was observed by funduscopic examination in most cases. Enucleation was performed in all 26 cases. Chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy were carried out in 19 cases(73.1%). During the postoperative period of 7 months to 15 years(average 5.8 years), any of 26 eyes has not developed the second tumor, but distant metastases were observed in 4 eyes. The regions of distant metastasis were bone marrow, brain, combined bone marrow and brain, and abdomen. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed in those 4 cases, yet 3 of them were died. Twenty-two patients who did not develop distant metastasis are still alive at the final follow-up.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Brain ; Choroid ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ophthalmology ; Optic Nerve ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinoblastoma*

PURPOSE: This study is to know a normal orbital volume of adult Koreans. METHODS: We had taken 3-dimension orbital CT of 100 patients who had visited the department of ophthalmology and emergency room. Among them 30 patients who were reported to show abnormal orbital CT finding were excluded. Thereafter we measured orbital CT volume in eyes of 70 patients. We appointed inner sides of orbital wall in coronal plane image and reconstructed 3-dimension images by means of soft ware program(silhouette) in CT to measure the orbital volume. RESULTS: Average of orbital volume was 24.5 mm 3(left orbital vol. 24.25 mm 3, right 24.75 mm 3), in males and 23.5 mm3(left 23.25 mm 3 , right 23.75 mm 3)in females. Difference between right orbit and left orbit was 2% and average of male orbital volume was bigger than female by 4%. CONCLUSION: Adult Korean orbital volume measure was useful for differential diagnosis in orbital desease.
Adult* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Ophthalmology ; Orbit* ; Reference Values*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of recombinant FSH (rFSH) and urinary FSH (uFSH) on the gene expressions of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. METHODS: Endometrial tissue was obtained from a pre-menopausal women undergoing hysterectomy. Primary endometrial stromal cells were isolated and in vitro cultured with FBS-free DMEM/F-12 containing 0, 10, 100, and 1,000 mIU/ml of rFSH and uFSH for 48 hours, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured cells and subjected to real time RT-PCR for the quantitative analysis of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor alpha/beta (ER-alpha/beta), cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), homeobox A10-1 and -2 (HoxA10-1/-2). RESULTS: Both hormone treatments slightly increased (< 3 folds) the expressions of PR, ER-beta and HoxA10-1/-2 gene. However, ER-alpha expression was increased up to five folds by treatments of both FSH for 48 hours. The LIF expression by the 10 mIU/ml of uFSH for 12 hours was significantly higher than that of rFSH (p<0.01). After 24 hours treatment of two kinds of hormones, the expression patterns of LIF were similar. The 100 and 1,000 mIU/ml of rFSH induced significantly higher amount of Cox-2 expression than those of uFSH, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study represents no adversely effect of exogeneous gonadotropins, rFSH and uFSH, on the expression of implantation related genes. We suggest that rFSH is applicable for the assisted reproductive technology without any concern on the endometrial receptivity.
Cells, Cultured ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Estrogens ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Genes, Homeobox ; Gonadotropins ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; RNA ; Stromal Cells*

We performed experimental surgery with Tisseel in rabbit models, to determine whether Tisseeling can replace the classic suture technique. 30 albino rabbits were divided into two groups-one group was Tisseel group(15 rabbits) and the other was Vicryl group(15 rabbits). The superior rectus and inferior rectus were recessed and resected 5mm. Both groups were killed 2,4, and 6 weeks after the surgery respectively and the eyes were enucleated. The tensile strength and pathological findings were compared between the two groups. From this study, we found that Tisseeling had good tensile strength and minimal tissue reaction. Thus Tisseeling is considered to be good method in strabismus surgery.
Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Polyglactin 910 ; Rabbits ; Strabismus ; Suture Techniques ; Tensile Strength

To observe the antihypertensive effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, a daily average dosage of 20mg was administred to 38 patients with essential hypertension for 4 weeks. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate, and the frequencies of adverse reactions during the drug administration were constantly observed. At the end of the 4th week of administration the mean diastolic blood pressure decreased from 104+/-11.3 to 91+/-7.9mmHg(<0.001), and the mean systolic blood pressure from 165+/-16.8 to 142+/-10.6mmHg(P<0.001), An effective antihypertensive action of enalapril was observed in 31 out of 38 cases(82%), and normalization of diastolic blood pressure below 85mmHg was shown in 27 cases(71%). The most remarkable antihypertensive effects were shown at the end of first week, and the effect increased progressively until the end of 4th week of therapy. There were no significant changes in heart rate during the observation period. Adverse reactions occured in only 7 cases(18%). These reactions included headache, dizziness, fatigue, skin rash and facial flushing in the order of frequency. Almost all of these reaction were mild and transient, disappearing spontanously without discontinuation of the medication. In conclusion, enalapril seems to be a safe and effective primary antihypertensive drug for the treatment of essential hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Enalapril* ; Exanthema ; Fatigue ; Flushing ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension

beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) consisting of 40 to 42 amino acid is the principle constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Although, the hypothesis that deposition of AP triggers a cascade of events leading to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease has been widely accepted, direct evidence for triggering accumulation of phosphorylated tau in paired helical filament is rare. In this study, we examined neurotoxicity induced by 3 kinds of beta-amyloid peptides 1 ~28, 25~,35 and 1~40 to elucidate the way of mechanism trading to neuronal cell death caused by Abeta using cultured hippocampal neurons. For this purpose, we measured lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the culture media after treatment with Abeta combined with anti-oxidant drug, trolox, or not. By histochemical and TUNEL method, we studied the change of immunoreaction to anti-MAP-2 (microtubule associated protein -2, the main component of neuritis) and detected apoptotic cells, respectively, in the hippocampal neurons treated with Abeta. To investigate whether tau phosphorylation involve neurotoxicity induced by Abeta, we immunostained the neurons with anti-SMI-31 to recognize phosphorylated Ser 396/404 of tau. From our data, we suggested that Abeta1-40 and Abeta25-35 induced marked neurodegenerative changes, and the mechanism responsible for cell death caused by Abeta -neurotoxicity was associated with the apoptosis. Because Abeta-neurotoxicity was not inhibited by anti-oxidant, trolox, we suggested that anti-oxidant did not protect the neuronal cells against the damage induced by Abeta in ou. expo.imental envi.onment. Finally, we suggested that AP treatment did not potentiate the immunoreactivity to anti-phosphorylated tau antibody and we speculated that Abeta-neurotoxicity led hippocampal cells to apoptosis without tau phosphorylation.
Alzheimer Disease ; Apoptosis* ; Cell Death ; Culture Media ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Neurons* ; Pathology ; Peptides* ; Phosphorylation* ; Plaque, Amyloid

Owing to unique biomechanical loading on hand during rock climbing, finger flexor tendon pulleys injury commonly occurred in rock climbers. Although several previous reports showed clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of flexor tendon pulleys injuries, it has not yet been reported in South Korea. The authors experienced a 29-year-old female patient who sustained digital flexor tendon pulleys injuries while rock climbing. Therefore, we reported this case with a literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) is the major component in commercial liquid epoxy resins, which are manufactured by co-reacting bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin. This study was performed to show the developmental effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures to BADGE in male rat offspring. METHODS: Mated female rats were divided into four groups, each containing 12 rats. The dosing solutions were prepared by thoroughly mixing BADGE in corn oil at the 0, 375, 1500 and 3000 mg/kg/day concentrations. Mated females were dosed once daily by oral gavage on gestation day (GD) 6 - 20 and postnatal day (PND) 0 - 21. Pregnant female dams were observed general symptoms and body weight. Also, male pups were observed the general symptoms, body weight, developmental parameters (e.g. anogenital distance, pina detachment, incisor eruption, nipple retention, eye opening, testis descent), organ pathologic changes and hormone levels of plasma. RESULTS: Pregnant rats treated with BADGE died at a rate of about 70% in the 1500 mg/kg/day group and all rats treated with 3000 mg/kg/day died. Body weight, for male pups treated with doses of 375 mg/kg/day, was significantly lower than in the control group at PND 42, 56, and 63 (p<0.05). Evaluation of body characteristics including; separation of auricle, eruption of incisor, separation of eyelid, nipple retention, descent of testis, and separation of the prepuce in the BADGE treated group showed no difference in comparisons with the control group. AGD and adjusted AGD (mm/kg) for general developmental items in BADGE 375 mg/kg/day treated pups tended to be longer than in controls, however, these differences were not statistically significant. Relative weights of adrenal gland, lung (p<0.05), brain, epididymis, prostate, and testis (p<0.01) were heavier than in control in measures at PND 9 weeks. There were no significant changes in comparisons of histological findings of these organs. Loss of spermatids was observed in the seminiferous tubule at PND 9 weeks, but no weight changes were observed. The plasma estrogen levels were similar in the control and treatment groups at PND 3, 6 and 9 weeks. The plasma testosterone levels in the control group tended to increase with age. However, in the BADGE 375 mg/kg/day treated male pups it did not tend to increase. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that BADGE is a chemical that has developmental effects consistent with it being an endocrine disruptor.
Rats, Sprague-Dawley/growth & development ; Rats ; Pregnancy ; Male ; Korea ; Female ; Epoxy Compounds/administration & dosage/antagonists & inhibitors/*toxicity ; Carcinogens/administration & dosage/antagonists & inhibitors/*toxicity ; Animals

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of an intravitreal amniotic membrane (AM) injection on a rat model of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: Intravitreal injection of AM (12.5 microgram/mL) into the left eyes and phosphate-buffered saline into the fellow eyes of 15 rats was performed immediately after laser injury. At week 2, after angiography, the rats were sacrificed, and histopathologic analysis was performed. Angiographic and histopathologic assessments of the effects of AM injection on CNV growth were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: CNV thickness was found to have increased more in the AM treatment group (141.54+/-8.12 micrometer) than in the experimental control group (65.23+/-16.90 micrometer) (p=0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal AM injection demonstrated histopathologic pro-angiogenic properties in a rat model of CNV.
Amnion ; Angiography ; Animals ; Choroid ; Choroidal Neovascularization ; Eye ; Intravitreal Injections ; Rats