PURPOSE: To identify ophthalmologic features of Kawasaki disease (KD), and to evaluate anterior uveitis incidence in typical KD and atypical KD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 60 patients who clinically suspected KD at The Catholic University of Korea Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital between October 2013 and January 2015. RESULTS: Among a total of 60 patients, 46 were diagnosed with KD; 32 (69.57%) were typical KD and, 14 (30.43%) atypical KD. Anterior uveitis was reported in 69.57% of children with KD. Slit-lamp examination showed anterior chamber cells (average Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature [SUN] grade 1.3) and the anterior uveitis fully resolved within 9.4 days after the onset of the disease. There was no significant difference in typical KD and atypical KD in terms of age, gender, or uveitis incidence. CONCLUSIONS: KD may progress with severe cardiac complications, eventually resulting in permanent sequale. Therefore, early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention is important in KD patients. Anterior uveitis as diagnostic criteria for KD has yielded 100% positive predictive value, 69.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Ophthalmologic examination may be useful for suspected KD patients, and a high index of suspicion is necessary in patients with anterior uveitis.
Anterior Chamber ; Child ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Uveitis ; Uveitis, Anterior* ; Vasculitis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for benign thyroid nodules and assess the usefulness of internal factors (ultrasonographic findings) and external factors (treatment-related findings) in prediction of treatment efficacy. METHODS: We evaluated 22 benign thyroid nodules from 19 patients treated with RF ablation between March 2010 and January 2013. The internal and external factors of these nodules were retrospectively reviewed and correlated with the therapeutic success and the volume reduction ratio (VRR). The volume and size of the nodules were determined before treatment, and the VRR was calculated at 6-month and 1-year follow-up examinations after RF ablation. Therapeutic success was defined as a >50% volume reduction. RESULTS: The mean VRRs were 66.1±18.7% at 6 months and 74.3±16.7% at 1 year. The therapeutic success rate after 6 months and 1 year was 81.8% and 90.9%, respectively. At the 1-year follow-up, the margin of the nodule correlated with therapeutic success. Most of the successfully ablated nodules showed well-defined margins on initial ultrasonography (18/20, 90%) (P=0.026). In addition, nodules with ill-defined margins showed a tendency toward having a low VRR at the 6-month and 1-year follow-up examinations. CONCLUSION: RF ablation was effective in decreasing the volume of benign thyroid nodules. Thyroid nodules with well-defined margins tended to show successful outcomes at the 1-year follow-up examination after RF ablation.
Ablation Techniques ; Catheter Ablation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Treatment Outcome* ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships between tear osmolarity and other ocular surface parameters and to determine the diagnostic value of tear osmolarity in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) using tear film break-up time, Schirmer I test, and cornea/conjunctiva staining. METHODS: We included 310 eyes of 155 patients diagnosed with dry eye disease (39 primary SS and 116 non-Sjögren dry eye disease) at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital from August 2010 to January 2015. All subjects completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and underwent ocular examinations including tear osmolarity (TearLab Osmolarity System), Schirmer I test, slit lamp examination for tear film break-up time, and corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining. We used the mean value of both eyes for all parameters. Fluorescein staining was assessed using the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance ocular staining score (OSS). RESULTS: In primary SS patients (n = 39), the mean subject age was 52.5 ± 11.9 years, and 94.9% of the subjects were women. Mean tear osmolarity in SS was 311.1 ± 16.4 mOsm/L, with 16 (41.0%) subjects having values ≥316 mOsm/L. In SS, there was a positive correlation between mean tear osmolarity and OSDI score (ρ = 0.405, p = 0.011) and OSS (ρ = 0.592, p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between mean tear osmolarity and the Schirmer I test (ρ = −0.625, p < 0.001). There was no significant correlation between mean tear osmolarity and tear film break-up time in SS (ρ = 0.110, p = 0.505). CONCLUSIONS: Tear osmolarity measurements using the TearLab Osmolarity System can reflect both symptom severity (OSDI) and objective signs (Schirmer test and OSS) in SS.
Dry Eye Syndromes ; Eye Diseases ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Seoul ; Slit Lamp ; Tears*

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a disease with a wide variety of clinical progressions such as the rate of disease progression or the degree of metastasis. About 30% of ccRCC patients suffer from metastatic diseases, and about 30% develop metastasis after diagnosis. In the case of metastatic RCC, early prediction of the disease is important because of the poor prognosis, but ccRCC-specific molecular markers for clinical use are not available yet. As an alternative, liquid biopsy, which can find molecules released from tumor tissues in circulating blood and obtain information on metastatic dissemination and recurrence of ccRCC, is emerging. In this article, we will introduce molecules such as cell free DNA, cell free RNA, protein, and exosomes available as circulating biomarkers for liquid biopsy. We will also introduce some promising technologies that can compensate for the limitations of liquid biopsy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of epiretinal membrane (ERM) on the outcomes of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®, Allergan, Irvine, CA, USA) treatment for macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: Thirty eyes of 30 patients who received Ozurdex treatment for ME secondary to BRVO, and were followed-up for at least 6 months were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence (ERM [+] or absence ERM [−]) of ERM at baseline. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), recurrence of ME, and retreatment rate were evaluated at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months after Ozurdex injection. RESULTS: Ten eyes of 30 eyes (33%) showed ERM at baseline. While the mean CFT was significantly reduced at 1 month after Ozurdex injection, it began to increase gradually thereafter in both groups. The ERM (+) group showed a significantly higher mean CFT than the corresponding values of the ERM (−) group at 1 (p = 0.022) and 6 months (p = 0.001) after Ozurdex injection. However, no significant difference was found in the BCVA between the two groups at every visit. The proportion of eyes with ME was significantly higher in the ERM (+) group (90%) than that in the ERM (−) group (35%) at 6 months after Ozurdex injection (p = 0.009). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the percentage of retreatment, time to retreatment, and type of materials used for retreatment. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ME secondary to BRVO, the treatment effect of Ozurdex was low and the duration of treatment was short when ERM was concurrently present. However, the presence of ERM did not significantly affect visual outcomes after treatment with Ozurdex.
Dexamethasone ; Edema ; Epiretinal Membrane ; Humans ; Macular Edema ; Recurrence ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; Retinal Vein ; Retinaldehyde ; Retreatment ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Choroid ; Hypopigmentation ; Vitiligo

PURPOSE: To investigate the risk factors of diabetic nephropathy in patients with diabetic retinopathy requiring panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) and the visual prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, comprising 103 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy who underwent PRP from 1996 to 2005. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, non-diabetic renal disease, non-diabetic retinal disease, visually significant ocular disease, high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and advanced diabetic retinopathy were excluded. The patients were divided into three groups: no nephropathy (group 1, n = 45), microalbuminuria (group 2, n = 16), and advanced nephropathy (group 3, n = 42). Duration of diagnosis of retinopathy and nephropathy, glycosylated hemoglobin, visual acuity, complications, and treatment history were investigated. RESULTS: The mean glycosylated hemoglobin of group 3 (8.4 ± 1.2) was higher than that of group 1 (7.7 ± 1.0) or group 2 (7.7 ± 1.0) (p = 0.04). Mean interval from PRP to diagnosis of nephropathy was 8.8 ± 6.0 years in group 2 and 8.7 ± 4.9 years in group 3. The significant decrease in visual acuity in group 3 (28 eyes, 35.9%) was significantly higher than that in group 1 (15 eyes, 18.1%, p = 0.01) or group 2 (6 eyes, 20.7%, p = 0.03). Only vitreous hemorrhage showed a significantly higher incidence in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (p = 0.02). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that female sex and lower glycosylated hemoglobin were significantly associated with a protective effect on development of nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS: In the clinical setting, many patients with PRP-requiring diabetic retinopathy develop nephropathy an average of 8 to 9 years after PRP. Male sex and higher glycosylated hemoglobin could be risk factors of nephropathy.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnosis ; Electronic Health Records ; Female ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Incidence ; Light Coagulation ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retinal Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: To investigate the outcomes of scleral buckling surgery performed under a slit-lamp illumination system (Visulux) with a contact wide-angle viewing lens (Mini Quad) in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and to compare these outcomes with those of surgery performed under an indirect ophthalmoscope. METHODS: By retrospective review of electronic medical records, patients with RRD who had undergone scleral buckling surgery were identified. Scleral buckling surgeries were performed with two illumination instruments, a slit-lamp (SL group) and an indirect ophthalmoscope (IO group). Subretinal fluid drainage, cryopexy, and intravitreal gas injection were performed optionally. At 6 months after surgery, anatomical and functional outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Operation time was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Of the 45 total patients (45 eyes), 28 were included in the SL group, and 17 were included in the IO group. In the SL and IO groups, the primary anatomical success rate was 89.3% and 88.2%, respectively (p = 0.92). The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution change, which reflects improvement in best-corrected visual acuity after surgery, was −0.19 ± 0.38 in the SL group and −0.21 ± 0.63 in the IO group; this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.91). The mean operation time was significantly shorter in the SL group (78.9 ± 11.8 minutes) than in the IO group (100.0 ± 13.9 minutes, p < 0.001), especially for patients who underwent additional procedures such as subretinal fluid drainage and cryopexy (81.4 ± 12.9 and 103.5 ± 12.3 minutes, respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Scleral buckling surgery performed under a slit-lamp illumination system yielded a similar anatomical success rate and similar functional improvement in RRD compared with surgery performed under an indirect ophthalmoscope. The slit-lamp system could save time, especially in bullous RRD, which requires additional subretinal fluid drainage.
Drainage ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Jupiter ; Lighting* ; Ophthalmoscopes* ; Retinal Detachment ; Retrospective Studies ; Scleral Buckling* ; Slit Lamp ; Subretinal Fluid ; Visual Acuity

The effects of several antihypertensive drugs on bone mineral density (BMD) and micro-architectural changes in ovariectomized (OVX) mice were investigated. Eight-week-old female C57/BL6 mice were used for this study. Three days after ovariectomy, mice were treated intraperitoneally with nifedipine (15 mg/kg), telmisartan (5 mg/kg), enalapril (20 mg/kg), propranolol (1 mg/kg) or hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days. Uterine atrophy of all mice was confirmed to evaluate estrogen deficiency state. BMD and micro-architectural analyses were performed on tibial proximal ends by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). When OVX mice with uterine atrophy were compared with mice without atrophy, BMD decreased (P < 0.001). There were significant differences in BMD loss between different antihypertensive drugs (P = 0.005). Enalapril and propranolol increased BMD loss in mice with atrophied uteri compared with control mice. By contrast, thiazide increased BMD in mice with uterine atrophy compared with vehicle-treated mice (P = 0.048). Thiazide (P = 0.032) and telmisartan (P = 0.051) reduced bone loss and bone fraction in mice with uterine atrophy compared with the control. Thiazide affects BMD in OVX mice positively. The reduction in bone loss by thiazide and telmisartan suggest that these drugs may benefit menopausal women with hypertension and osteoporosis.
Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents/*pharmacology ; Atrophy ; Benzimidazoles/pharmacology ; Benzoates/pharmacology ; Bone Density/*drug effects ; Enalapril/pharmacology ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Ovariectomy ; Propranolol/pharmacology ; Thiazides/pharmacology ; Tibia/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Uterus/anatomy & histology/pathology

The effects of several antihypertensive drugs on bone mineral density (BMD) and micro-architectural changes in ovariectomized (OVX) mice were investigated. Eight-week-old female C57/BL6 mice were used for this study. Three days after ovariectomy, mice were treated intraperitoneally with nifedipine (15 mg/kg), telmisartan (5 mg/kg), enalapril (20 mg/kg), propranolol (1 mg/kg) or hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days. Uterine atrophy of all mice was confirmed to evaluate estrogen deficiency state. BMD and micro-architectural analyses were performed on tibial proximal ends by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). When OVX mice with uterine atrophy were compared with mice without atrophy, BMD decreased (P < 0.001). There were significant differences in BMD loss between different antihypertensive drugs (P = 0.005). Enalapril and propranolol increased BMD loss in mice with atrophied uteri compared with control mice. By contrast, thiazide increased BMD in mice with uterine atrophy compared with vehicle-treated mice (P = 0.048). Thiazide (P = 0.032) and telmisartan (P = 0.051) reduced bone loss and bone fraction in mice with uterine atrophy compared with the control. Thiazide affects BMD in OVX mice positively. The reduction in bone loss by thiazide and telmisartan suggest that these drugs may benefit menopausal women with hypertension and osteoporosis.
Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents/*pharmacology ; Atrophy ; Benzimidazoles/pharmacology ; Benzoates/pharmacology ; Bone Density/*drug effects ; Enalapril/pharmacology ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Ovariectomy ; Propranolol/pharmacology ; Thiazides/pharmacology ; Tibia/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Uterus/anatomy & histology/pathology