PURPOSE: To report a case of endogenous endophthalmitis due to Streptococcus mitis in a patient with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. CASE SUMMARY: A 77-year-old male complained of sudden visual loss and ocular pain in his right eye and was treated with intravenous antibiotics for Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. With a diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis, the patient received pars plana vitrectomy and intravitreal injection of antibiotics. Vitreous fluid was obtained before surgery, and the organism was identified as Streptococcus mitis. Twenty-one days after the surgery, intraocular inflammation was stabilized, and visual acuity was improved from light perception to 20/60. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate sampling and culture of vitreous fluid are important for the diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis. The possibility that the causative organism of endogenous endophthalmitis may be different from the result of blood culture should be considered.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Endophthalmitis ; Eye ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intravitreal Injections ; Light ; Male ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus mitis ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

BACKGROUND: Calcific degeneration is the major cause of clinical failure of glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked bioprosthetic tissues implanted in the body and necessitates the reoperation or causes death. Surface modification of biologic tissues using sulfonated polyethyleneoixde (PEO-SO3) has been suggested to significantly enhance blood compatibility, biostability and calcification-resistance by means of the synergistic effect of highly mobile and hydrophilic PEO chains and electrical repulsion of negatively charged sulfonate groups. This study was designed to evaluate the anticalcification effect of surface-modification of biologic arteries by direct coupling of PEO-SO3 after GA fixation and changes of calcification according to the implantation period through the quantitative investigation of the deposited calcium and phosphorous contents of the biologic arterial tissues in the canine circulatory implantation model. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Total of 16 fresh canine carotid arteries were harvested from eight adult dogs and divided in to GA group(n =8) and PEO-SO3 group(n=8). Sulfonation of diamino-terminated PEO was performed using propane sultone. Canine carotid arteries were only crosslinked with 0.65% GA solution in GA group and modified by direct coupling 5% PEO-SO3 solution after GA crosslinkage for 2 days and stabilized by NaBH4 solution for 16 hours in PEO-SO3 group. In both groups the resected segment of bilateral carotid arteries were reconstructed. Reconstructed segments of the two groups were analysed the quantities of calcium and phosphorous contents after 3(n=4) and 6(n=4) weeks in vivo. RESULT: After implantation of 3 seeks, PEO-SO3 group showed significantly less depositions.
Adult ; Animals ; Arteries* ; Calcium ; Carotid Arteries ; Dogs ; Glutaral ; Humans ; Polyethylene Glycols* ; Propane ; Reoperation

PURPOSE: To determine the lowest limit of signal strength that is still effective for accurate analysis of optic coherence tomography (OCT) values, we investigated the reproducibility of OCT scans by signal strength (SS). METHODS: A total of 668 subjects were scanned for measurements of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using the Stratus OCT twice on the same day. The variability of overall RNFL thickness parameters obtained at different SS was analyzed and compared by repeated-measures of ANOVA and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Values of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and variability (standard deviation) of RNFL thickness were obtained. The false positive ratio was analyzed. RESULTS: When SS was 3, the variability of RNFL thickness was significantly different (low ICC, high variability) in comparison to when SS was 4 or greater. Significant negative correlations were observed between variability in RNFL thickness and signal strength. The difference of variability of average RNFL thickness between SS 4 (4.94 microm) and SS 6 (4.41 microm) was 0.53 microm. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically, the difference of variability of average RNFL thickness between SS 4 and SS 6 was quite small. High SS is important, however, when signal strength is low due to uncorrectable factors in patients in need of OCT for glaucoma and retinal disease. Our results suggest that SS 4 is the lowest acceptable limit of signal strength for obtaining reproducible scanning images.
Adolescent ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Disease Progression ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Glaucoma/complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retinal Diseases/*diagnosis/etiology ; Retinal Ganglion Cells/*pathology

BACKGROUND: Inflammation has been demonstrated to be an important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The relationship of the peripheral leukocyte count to the severity of stable angina remains to be clarified. The present study analyzed the relationship of the peripheral leukocyte count to the severity of stable angina determined by coronary angiography. METHODS: The data from 108 patients with stable angina, and 92 subjects with normal coronary angiograms were reviewed, and the role of the peripheral leukocyte count as a risk factor for stable angina evaluated. In addition, the correlation of the peripheral leukocyte count and the severity of stable angina, as assessed by the Gensini's score in the stable angina group, were analyzed. RESULTS: Age, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, and the fasting blood sugar were significantly higher, and the HDL was lower in the stable angina than the control group. A multivariate analysis showed that a peripheral leukocyte count over 6, 800/mm3 was an independent variable, but with no statistical significance (p=0.067), and diabetes (OR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.29~7.02) and old age (OR=3.62, 95% CI: 1.33~9.87) were independent risk factors for stable angina. A positive correlation between peripheral leukocyte count and Gensini's score was noted in the stable angina group even after adjusting for age, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and lipid profiles (R2=0.198, p=0.015). CONCLUSION: An increased peripheral leukocyte count is considered not so much an indicator of the pathogenesis of stable angina, but as a predictor for disease progression. Furthermore, it is considered that the above correlation will be helpful in screening high-risk groups that require relatively active interventional therapy.
Adult ; Aged ; Angina Pectoris/*blood/epidemiology/*radiography ; *Coronary Angiography ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index

PURPOSE: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of childhood leukemia. We investigated epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and treatment outcome of the children with ALL in Korea during recent 5 years. METHODS: One thousand forty nine patients were enrolled between January 1994 and December 1998 from 37 major hospitals in Korea. The data regarding the clinical and laboratory features including age, WBC counts at diagnosis, immunophenotype, morphology, cytogenetics and treatment outcome of patients were analyzed retrospectively by review of patient's medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. The differences between groups analyzed by log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 597 males and 452 females. The distribution between the age 2 and 5 years is most common in 46.1%. The annual incidence rate per 100,000 population varied from 1.6 to 2.2. The 5 year event free survival (EFS) rates according to good prognostic factors were as follows: 67% bet ween 1-9 year of age at diagnosis, 69% in under 10,000/mm3of initial WBC count, 74% in early pre-B cell CALLA ( ) immunophenotype, 65% in L3 morphology, 68% in no CNS invasion. Most of patients were treated by CCG treatment protocol. The 5 year EFS was 63%. Main complications were sepsis (21.8%) and hemorrhage (12.5%). The relapse rate was 15.6%. The common causes of death were sepsis, DIC, pneumonia, relapse. CONCLUSION: Our results could provide the most recent and important information about acute lymphoblastic leukemia of children in Korea.
Cause of Death ; Child ; Clinical Protocols ; Cytogenetics ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Korea* ; Leukemia ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Treatment Outcome