PURPOSE: We intended to analyze the characteristics of a pediatric low vision population. METHODS: Among 430 patients who visited our low vision clinic from May 1995 to April 2000, 137 patients(31.9%) aged 15 years or less were reviewed to study epidemiologic characteristics, prescribed aids and required magnification. RESULTS: The percentage of pediatric low vision patients was higher than that of developed countries. Male predominance was found. Optic atrophy(41.6%), congenital cataract(12.4%), macular degeneration and dystrophy(9.5%) were the major causes of low vision in this population. The most commonly prescribed low vision aid was a telescope. For near task, light-gathering magnifiers were prescribed most commonly. The visual acuity was improved significantly at near and far distance after correction with low vision aid. The mean required magnification was 3.5 xand this means that a low magnification was sufficient in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation and long-range planning for the low vision child are required because of profound effect of childhood visual impairment.
Child ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Optic Atrophy ; Rehabilitation ; Telescopes ; Vision Disorders ; Vision, Low* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a reproductive health program to improve reproductive health of women immigrants. METHODS: The participants in the study were 58 immigrant women who lived in Vietnam, China, Philippines, or Cambodia before marriage. They were assigned to the experiment group (n=29) or the control group (n=29). The reproductive health program for this study consisted of reproductive health education, health counseling, phone monitoring, and emotional support based on Cox (1982)'s Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior and was implemented for four weeks. RESULTS: There were significant differences in reproductive health knowledge (t=9.78, p<.001), reproductive health attitude (t=6.59, p<.001), and reproductive health behavior (t=5.11, p<.001) within and between groups after the reproductive health program. But there were no significant differences in clinical indicators between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate the that reproductive health program for the women immigrants is effective in terms of reproductive health knowledge, reproductive health attitude and reproductive health behaviors. Therefore, nurses in public and private facilities, such as multicultural centers and public health centers in each community, should develop strategies to expand and provide reproductive health programs for women immigrants.
Adult ; Counseling ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Health Status ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Marriage ; *Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; *Reproductive Health ; Telephone ; Women/*psychology

No abstract available.
Paget Disease, Extramammary*

Split hand split foot(SHSF) is a rare human developmental defect characterized by mi-ssing digits, fusion of remaining digits, and a deep median cleft in the hands and feet. Cy-togenetic studies of deletions and translocations associated with this disorder have indicated that an autosomal dominant split hand/split foot locus maps to 7q21-q22. We have experienced a case of ectrodactyly in a 25-year-old primigravida woman and her baby and reported out our experience with a review of related literature.
Adult ; Female ; Fetus* ; Foot ; Hand ; Human Development ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Overstimation of blood pressure(BP) by clinic measurements occur in about 20 to 30% of subjects(white-coat hypertension) who may, consequently, be misdiagnosed as hypertensives and received unnecessary medications. The clinical significance of white-coat hypertension and its effects on the cardiovascular wystem have not been studied systematically.This study was designed to evaluate the influences of white-coat hypertension and white-coat effect, defined as difference between clinic and ambulatory BP, on the LV mass and diastolic function. METHODS: LV mass index was calculated and LV systolic and diastolic function were assessed by the analysis of mitral and pulmonary venous flow velocity in 45 untreated essential hypertensives and 20 normotensives(NT). Ambulatory BP monitoring classified hypertensives as white-coat hypertensives(WCHT,n=20) and sustained hypertensives(SHT, n=25). RESULTS: 1) Left ventricular systolic indices were not different among the three groups. 2) Left ventricular mass inedx of WCHT(114.5+/-36.3g/m2) was similar to that of SHT(115.6+/-34.9g/m2) and was significantly greater than that of NT(86.5+/-37.7g/m2)(p<0.05). 3) Some of left ventricular diastolic parameters(isovolumic relaxation time, E/A ratio, A velocity, pulmonary systolic fraction, ratio of systolic to diastolic forward flow velocity) of WCHT and SHT were significantly different from those of NT(p<0.05), but there were no differences between two hypertensive groups. 4) Even though both systolic and diastolic white-coat effect in WCHT were significantly greater than those of SHT(o<0.05),white-coat effect did not influence on the left ventricular mass or function in both groups. CONCLUSION: An increased left ventricular mass and diastolic dysfunction in WCHT suggests that white-coat hypertension could not be considered as an entirely innocuous clinical condition.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Hypertension* ; Relaxation

PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic factors for neovascular glaucoma after vitrectomy in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: In the present study we retrospectively reviewed intraindividual and interocular differences in 14 patients (28 eyes) who underwent pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage and having only 1 eye neovascular glaucoma. The patients underwent vitrectomy between March 2008 and July 2014 at Maryknoll Hospital. The patient clinical data on preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative factors were compared. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank (Mann-Whitney) test and chi-square test to evaluate the significance of differences within the patient groups. RESULTS: The decrease of photopic b-wave amplitudes on the preoperative electroretinogram significantly correlated with the development of neovascular glaucoma after vitrectomy for proliferative retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results from the present study, decreased photopic b-wave amplitudes on preoperative electroretinogram is an effective prognostic factor for the development of neovascular glaucoma after vitrectomy for proliferative retinopathy with vitreous hemorrhage.
Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Glaucoma, Neovascular* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Vitrectomy* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

Bone involvement is a common finding in many types of lymphomas, particularly in advanced stages. However, cranial vault affliction has been regarded as an exceedingly rare presentation. Here, we report the case of a patient with cranial vault lymphoma who presented with a scalp mass. An 81-year-old woman presented with a gradually growing and non-painful frontal scalp mass that she noticed one month before admission. It was a flatly elevated, round mass measuring about 6x4x4 cm. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a contrast-enhancing intracranial extradural mass at the counter-location of the scalp mass. The superior sagittal sinus was involved at the tumor site. Cerebral angiography showed that the tumor feeding vessels originated from the bilateral external carotid arteries. An operation was performed and the tumors were removed together with the involved bone. The pathologic diagnosis was malignant diffuse large B-cell type lymphoma. The patient was transferred to the Hemato-Oncology department for chemotherapy. Primary lymphoma of the cranial vault with scalp mass is very rare but it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of scalp masses. Although the results of reported cases are variable, the combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy appears to offer favorable outcomes.
Aged, 80 and over ; B-Lymphocytes ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, External ; Cerebral Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Scalp ; Superior Sagittal Sinus

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated lumen-dwelling extracellular protozoan parasite that causes human trichomoniasis via sexual intercourse. Human neutrophils play a crucial role in acute tissue inflammatory responses in T. vaginalis infection. In this study, we investigated the signaling mechanism of neutrophil responses when stimulated with T. vaginalis-derived secretory products (TvSP), which were collected from 1x10(7) live trichomonads. Incubation of human neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood with TvSP induced up-regulation of IL-8 protein secretion. In addition, stimulation with TvSP induced phosphorylation of NF-kappaB and CREB in neutrophils. Moreover, TvSP-induced IL-8 production was also significantly inhibited by pretreatment of neutrophils with ikappaB inhibitor or CREB inhibitor. These results suggest that transcription factors NF-kappaB and CREB are involved in IL-8 production in human neutrophils induced by stimulation with T. vaginalis infection.
Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/*metabolism ; Human Experimentation ; Humans ; Interleukin-8/*metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B/*metabolism ; Neutrophils/*immunology ; Phosphorylation ; Trichomonas vaginalis/*immunology

BACKGROUND: Many autopsy studies have shown that the extent of extracranial carotid and coronary artherosclerosis is correlated and B-mode ultrasonographic intima-media thickness(IMT) and histologic IMT have been good correlation. In recent years. as it has been reported that IMT of carotid artery had something to do with risk factors of atherosclerosis and occurrence of coronary artery disease, in this study, we tried to investigate if the grade of atherosclerosis in B-mode ultrasonography of carotid artery could predict coronary artery disease and have something to do with the severity of coronary artery disease. METHODS: We classified the patients who were examined coronary angiography into control group without significant(>50%) stenosis(11 patients) and coronary artery disease(CAD) group(45 patients) according to the existence of significant stenosis, and we subdivided CAD group into single vessel disease(SVD) group(25 patients) and multivessel disease(MVD) group(20 patients). Practicing B-mode ultrasonography of common carotid artery(CCA), carotid artery bifurcation(BIF) and internal carotid artery(ICA), we measured IMT and IMT/L(lumen diameter) of each segment. Adding all values of each segment, we got mean aggregated IMT and mean aggregated IMT/L. RESULTS: 1) As IMT of left BIF in both six segments, control group was 0.55+/-0.16mm, SVD group was 0.71+/-0.36mm and MVD group was 1.02+/-0.61mm. So compared with control group and SVD, MVD group were significantly thick. As IMT/L, control group was 0.07+/-0.02, SVD group 0.08+/-0.05 and MVD group was 0.13+/-0.08. So compared with control group and SVD, MVD group was ignificantly high. 2)IMT of BIF in three segments, control group was 0.59+/-0.16mm, CAD group was 0.82+/-0.47mm and MVD group was 0.90+/-0.54mm. So compared with control group and CAD, MVD group were significantly thick. Also as IMT/L of BIF, compared with control group(0.07+/-0.02) and CAD(0.10+/-0.06), MVD(0.11+/-0.07) group was high.= 3) As mean aggregated IMT, control group was 0.57+/-0.34mm, CAD group was 0.69+/-0.45mm, SVD group was 0.63+/-0.12mm and MVD group was 0.74+/-0.21mm. So CAD group was thicker than control group and MVD group was thicker than SVD group. As mean aggregated IMT/L, control group was 0.07+/-0.03, CAD group was 0.10+/-0.05, SVD group was 0.09+/-0.01 and MVD group was 0.11+/-0.03. So CAD group was higher than control group and MVD group was higher than SVD group. CONCLUSION: These data support use of the mean aggregated B-mode ultrasonographic IMT and IMT/L in carotid bifurcation for correlation with the status of coronary atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis ; Autopsy ; Carotid Arteries* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Up to 10% of the mortality rate of asthmatics within a year from the near-fatal attacks has been reported. We previously reported that not a few patients with acute severe asthma died after discharge from the hospital. This study investigated whether our efforts to improve clinical outcomes of patients after recovery from severe asthma exacerbation did work or not. METHODS: Follow-up data from asthmatic patients who had been hospitalized due to severe exacerbation between 2007 and 2014 (present) were compared with that the previous one (1998–2006) (previous). RESULTS: Sex, age, near-fatal asthma, and mortality (9.8% vs. 9.6%) were not significantly different between the previous (n=225) and present (n=397) studies. However, rehospitalization rate was significantly lower in the present study (29.3% vs. 52.4%, P=0.000). The patients in the present study used inhaled steroid more frequently (78.5% vs. 68.0%, P=0.006), had better asthma knowledge (P=0.000), and higher proportion of regular hospital visitors to total subjects (75.6% vs. 64.9%, P=0.004) than did the previous patients. The regular hospital visitors (n=300) showed a significantly lower mortality (3.3% vs. 28.9%, P=0.000), better knowledge (P=0.000) and higher inhaled steroid use (85.8% vs. 54.1%, P=0.000) than did the other group (n=97) in the present study. CONCLUSION: Clinical outcomes after recovery from severe asthma exacerbation in the present study were better than the previous one. Our efforts to educate patients might contribute to these better results.
Asthma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mortality