Purpose: We report a case of ocular toxoplasmosis that caused bilateral optic atrophy secondary to papillitis.Case summary: A 52-year-old male with no history of systemic disease was referred to our clinic because of visual field blurring in the left eye for four weeks. The visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. A relative afferent pupillary defect and diffuse field loss were noted in the left eye. On fundus examination, left-side blurring of the disc margin and a peripapillary hemorrhage were evident, but there was no sign of inflammation in the right fundus. Systemic evaluation, including brain magnetic resonance imaging, was performed for differential diagnosis of left papillitis. Immunoserologically, he was positive for toxoplasma immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG. We diagnosed ocular toxoplasmosis presenting as left papillitis, and systemic antibiotics and a steroid were started. After six weeks, the left disc swelling was reduced but disc pallor was evident and his visual acuity decreased to 20/40. A new inflammatory lesion of the right optic disc developed two weeks after the medication was stopped, so the treatment was applied for a further two months. However, bilateral optic atrophy developed. Conclusions Bilateral papillitis caused by ocular toxoplasmosis may trigger optic atrophy secondary to optic nerve involvement.When a patient presents with disc swelling suggestive of papillitis caused by ocular toxoplasmosis, rapid and aggressive antitoxoplasma treatment is essential to avoid a poor visual outcome.

Background: With the increase in the number of single-person households, the number of people eating alone is increasing, and several previous studies have been published that this eating culture affects health, including the latest data on the risk of metabolic syndrome caused by eating alone. Methods: Of the 24,229 people who participated in the 2017-2019 National Health and Nutrition Survey, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 10,717 adults under the age of 65 who responded to questions to determine whether they ate together and metabolic syndrome for 1 year. Results: It was found that the risk of metabolic syndrome increased when eating alone, and further analysis by gender showed that the risk of metabolic syndrome increased in women as they ate alone (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.210-1.771). As a result of dividing the metabolic syndrome indicators, it was found that men showed significant differences only in neutral fat levels, while women showed significant differences in all indicators. Conclusions According to the results of this study, it is found that eating alone affects the risk of metabolic syndrome in adults under the age of 65, especially women, so it is considered necessary to prevent and manage metabolic syndrome in the population of eating alone in the future.

Coronary artery fistula draining into lung parenchymal vasculature has not been reported. Herein, we describe a case of an 81-year-old woman who presented with a localized pulmonary edema on right upper lobe associated with coronary fistula emptied into vasculature in right upper lobe. She underwent transcatheter closure of the fistula with an Amplatzer Vascular Plug 4, which resulted in complete occlusion and improved localized pulmonary edema.
Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Lung* ; Pulmonary Edema*

PURPOSE: To report a case of candida endogenous endophthalmitis in healthy women who had received extraction of wisdom tooth. CASE SUMMARY: A 65-year-old medically healthy woman who had received extraction of wisdom tooth two weeks ago, presented with floater symptoms in her left eye. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/40 and intraocular pressure was 17 mmHg in her left eye. Inflammatory cells were found in the anterior chamber and vitreous. Fluorescein angiography showed multiple hypofluorescence without vascular leakage. With provisional diagnosis of intermediate uveitis, she was prescribed oral steroid for two weeks. After that, inflammatory cells in anterior chamber was reduced but vitreous imflammatory cell was increased and fundus examination detected newly developed infiltrated lesion at superotemporal area. The patient was presumed to have fungal endophthalmitis and immediate intravitreal voriconazole injection was performed. Three days after intravitreal voriconazole injection, diagnostic vitrectomy and intravitreal voriconazole injection were performed. Vitreous cultures revealed the growth of Candida albicans. Despite the treatment, inflammatory response in anterior chamber and vitreous rapidly increased and visual acuity was decreased to hand movement. We changed anti-fungal agent, voriconazole to Amphotericin B. Additional three-time intravitreal injection was done and therapeutic vitrectomy with oil injection were performed. After treatment, the patient's fundus markedly improved and inflammatory response was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: This case report shows candida endophthalmitis in healthy woman who had received extraction of wisdom tooth. So to diagnose endophthalmitis, patient's medical history should carefully be checked including dental care history who presented with vitreous inflammation and inflammatory infiltrated lesion at fundus.
Aged ; Amphotericin B ; Anterior Chamber ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Dental Care ; Diagnosis ; Endophthalmitis ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intravitreal Injections ; Molar, Third ; Uveitis, Intermediate ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Voriconazole

Purpose: To report a case of metastatic breast cancer to the optic nerve with a favorable response to an increased dose of intravitreal bevacizumab injection.Case summary: A 60-year-old female presented to our clinic with blurred vision in her left eye for 3 weeks. The patient had a history of intraductal breast cancer carcinoma, metastasized to the mediastinum lymph nodes, liver, and bone and had received palliative chemotherapy and radiotherapy for 16 months. At her first presentation, best-corrected visual acuity of the left eye was 20/50 and the intraocular pressure was 11 mmHg. A yellowish elevated mass with hemorrhage at the optic disc with peripapillary swelling was observed in the left eye. Fluid at the subperipapillary and subfoveal areas and choroidal thickening with folds were observed with optic coherence tomography. The patient was diagnosed as having breast cancer metastasis to the optic nerve head. Three monthly intravitreal bevacizumab injections (0.05 mL, 1.25 mg) were administered, but showed limited effect. Two more intravitreal bevacizumab injections having twice the concentration of the previous dose (0.1 mL, 2.50 mg) were given. Tumor infiltration of the optic nerve head decreased, and serous retinal detachment subsided. No malignant cancer cells were detected in the anterior chamber. Conclusions We report a rare case of breast cancer metastasis to the optic nerve. Administering intravitreal bevacizumab injections with twice the dosage concentration could be an alternative treatment option, to alleviate exudative retinal detachment associated with metastatic tumor progression to the optic nerve head.

Objective: To examine the prognostic value of electroneuronography (ENoG) in predicting functional recovery in severe cases of acute facial palsy. Methods: Patients with severe degrees of facial palsy (initial House–Brackmann [HB] grades IV to VI) with available electrodiagnostic studies conducted 2–4 weeks after symptom onset were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were categorized into “good recovery” and “poor recovery” groups, with the former showing mild to no dysfunction (HB I to III) and the latter exhibiting moderate to severe dysfunction (HB IV to VI) on follow-up evaluation, 2 months after onset. ENoG amplitudes in four facial muscles (frontalis, nasalis, orbicularis oculi, and orbicularis oris), as well as age, sex, affected side, disease etiology, comorbidities, and laboratory findings, were compared between the two groups. Results: Thirty-seven patients were included. Twenty-nine of the patients showed “good recovery,” and eight showed “poor recovery” at 2 months after symptom onset. Univariate analysis yielded no significant difference in age, sex, affected side, disease etiology, comorbidities, and laboratory findings between the two groups. Preserved ENoG amplitudes (individual, average, and trimmed means) were significantly higher in the good recovery group than in the poor recovery group (p<0.005). Sex (p=0.038) and the ENoG of the nasalis muscle, acquired 2–4 weeks from symptom onset (p=0.004), showed significant differences in multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion This study suggests that the female sex and lower ENoG of the nasalis muscle, acquired 2–4 weeks from symptom onset, have negative prognostic value for the 2-month functional outcome of severe facial palsy cases.

Objective: To determine the factors affecting the amount of weight-bearing during gait training in the elderly patients who underwent internal fixation after femur or pelvic fractures and how well they performed the weight-bearing restriction as directed by the physiatrist. Methods: In this retrospective chart review study, we measured the amount of weight-bearing on the affected side in 50 patients undergoing internal fixation surgery and rehabilitation after femur or pelvic fracture using a force plate. Patients receiving non-weight-bearing or partial weight-bearing education were considered to perform weight-bearing restriction well when the amount of weight-bearing was <50 lb. Furthermore, regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of postoperative complications, age, cognitive function, and pain on weightbearing restriction. Results: Variables affecting the amount of weight-bearing were age (r=0.581, p<0.001), weight-bearing education type (r=0.671, p<0.001), manual muscle strength of hip flexion on the non-affected side (r=-0.296, p=0.037), hip abduction (r=-0.326, p=0.021), knee extension (r=-0.374, p=0.007), ankle plantar flexion (r=-0.374, p=0.008), right hand grip strength (r=-0.535, p<0.001), Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (r=-0.496, p<0.001), Clinical Dementia Rating (r=0.308, p=0.03), and pain visual analog scale scores (r=0.318, p=0.024). The significant predictor of the amount of weight-bearing among these variables was age (β=0.448, p=0.001). The weight-bearing restriction adherence rate was significantly lower, at 22%, for patients aged ≥65 years as compared to 73% for those <65 years. Conclusion Age was a major variable affecting the amount of weight-bearing. Compliance with weight-bearing restriction was significantly lower in patients aged ≥65 years than in patients <65 years.

BACKGROUND: Meningitis is a clinically important disease because of its high mortality and morbidity. The epidemiology of this disease has changed remarkably due to the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine. Therefore, it is required to continuously monitor and research the organisms isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures. METHODS: We analyzed trends of bacteria and fungi isolates obtained from CSF cultures between 1997 and 2016 in a tertiary care hospital according to year, month, gender, and age. RESULTS: Out of a total of 38,450 samples, we identified 504 (1.3%) isolates. The isolation rate in the first tested decade (1997–2006) ranged from 1.3% to 3.1%, while that in the second decade (2007–2016) ranged from 0.4% to 1.5%. The most common organisms was coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (31.9%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (9.5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.5%), Acinetobacter baumannii (5.8%), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (5.8%). Monthly isolation rates were highest in May and July and lowest in February and December. Male to female ratio was 1.5:1. The isolation rates of S. pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, and Escherichia coli were similar in children and adults, but those of S. aureus, E. faecalis, A. baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, M. tuberculosis, and Cryptococcus neoformans were higher in adults than in children. CONCLUSION: During the last two decades, the isolation rate of CSF culture per year has decreased, with monthly isolation rates being highest in May and July. CoNS, S. aureus, and S. pneumoniae were most common in males, whereas CoNS, S. pneumoniae, and M. tuberculosis were most common in females. While Group B Streptococcus was most common in infants younger than 1 year, S. aureus and C. neoformans were more common in adults.
Acinetobacter baumannii ; Adult ; Bacteria* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Child ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Enterococcus faecium ; Epidemiology ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Fungi* ; Haemophilus influenzae type b ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis ; Mortality ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Pneumococcal Vaccines ; Pneumonia ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Tertiary Healthcare* ; Tuberculosis

Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy caused by arrest of normal endomyocardial embryogenesis. Isolated right ventricular noncompaction (IRNC) is an even rarer form of this disease. We report herein on a 68 year-old male diagnosed with IRNC who presented with right-sided heart failure, without involvement of the left ventricle. Diagnosis was achieved with the aid of echocardiography and ventriculography. Medical treatment including prescription of diuretics, a calcium channel blocker, and digitalis, improved both the symptoms and right ventricular function.
Calcium Channels ; Cardiomyopathies ; Diagnosis ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Echocardiography ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardium ; Pregnancy ; Prescriptions ; Ventricular Function, Right

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*