Primary success rate of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy has been reported lower than that of conventional cedure. Gradual stenosis of mucosal ostium would progress until 6 to 10 months following operation and a longterm follow-up should be necessary. Endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy was performed in 100 patients[118 eyes]between July 1993 and March 1998 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine. After the follow-up period of 1 to 4 years[average 16.2 months], longterm success rate, postoperative omplications, and factors to affect success rate were studied. The success rate of primary operation was 89.83%, and the success rate after secondary revision of the ostium was up to 99.15%. Granulation tissue formation was the most common postoperative complication, and other complications included protrusion of silicone tube, membranous obstruction, partial obstruction of common canaliculus, canaliculitis and prolapse of orbital fat. Factors to obtain good success rate were careful and acurate surgical technique to achieve large mucosal ostium, postoperative management, antibiotics and steroid medication, etc. Long-term surgical efficacy of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy was similar to skin approach and secondary success rate following revision was very satisfactory.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bezafibrate ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granulation Tissue ; Ophthalmology ; Orbit ; Postoperative Complications ; Prolapse ; Silicones ; Skin ; Canaliculitis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate possible seasonal patterns of pre-term birth in Korea. METHODS: A total number of 2,669,357 single live births reported to the National Statistical Office from 1995 to 1998 were analyzed. Composite monthly cohorts of ongoing pregnancies were constructed for each month of the year and the probability of pre-term birth was estimated. RESULTS: Increases in the probability of a pre-term birth occurred during winter for the birth of first child and during summer for the birth of second or later child. This seasonal variation was similar among groups divided by sex, residency, age of mother, and education of mother. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggests that some environmental factors related to season may partially explain the incidence of premature births.
Child ; Cohort Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internship and Residency ; Korea* ; Live Birth ; Mothers ; Parturition* ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Seasons*

The common causes of visual loss in branch retinal vein occlusion[BRVO] have been reported as the macular edema, macular non-perfusion and the vitreous hemorrhage due to neovascularization.These factors have close relationship with the status of the posterior vitreous. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors of visual prognosis in BRVO and the relationship between visual prognosis and vitreomacular status.Fifty-two patients with branch retinal vein occlusion in the department of ophthalmology, Yeungnam University college of Medicine were included for vitreo macular examination.The eyes were classified as two groups, vitreomacular attachment[Group I]and posterior vitreous detachment[Group II]. The incidence of macular edema was significantly lower in eyes with group I [Fisher's exact Test:p<0.05].Final visual acuity was better than the initial visual acuity, regardless of the presence of posterior vitreous detachment [Paired t-test:p<0.01].Group I developed higher rate of neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage, but statistical significance was not noted.
Humans ; Incidence ; Macular Edema ; Ophthalmology ; Prognosis* ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreous Detachment* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

Background & Objectives: Frontal executive dysfunction, which is hypothesized to reflect dorsolateral prefrontal function, predominates in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Visuospatial dysfunction and episodic memory deficit, which are associated with the posterior cortical area, are critical symptoms of mild cognitive impairment in PD (PD-MCI). The first aim of this study is to investigate whether dominant cognitive deficits are caused by posterior cortical dysfunction in drug naïve, de novo PD-MCI patients. The second aim is to analyze the relationship between parkinsonian motor symptoms and the cognitive domain in these patients. Methods: Newly diagnosed PD patients who had not received treatment were divided into two subgroups as follows: PD-MCI (n=39) and PD patients with normal cognition (PD-NC) (n=39). Various neuropsychological tests were performed in all of the patients. The parkinsonian motor subscores were divided into tremor, rigidity, axial impairment, bulbar dysfunction and bradykinesia by the UPDRS motor scores. Results: Verbal episodic memory (immediate recall; p = 0.0001, delayed recall; p = 0.0001, recognition; p = 0.003), visual episodic memory (immediate recall; p = 0.0001, delayed recall; p = 0.002) and visuospatial function (p = 0.046) were lower in the PD-MCI group than in the PD-NC group. In the analysis of the correlation of the motor components to the cognitive tests, impairment in visual episodic memory correlated with axial symptoms (immediate recall; r = -0.441, p = 0.021, delayed recall; r = -0.393, p = 0.042). The contrast program test correlated with bradykinesia (r = -0.479, p = 0.013) Conclusion: Episodic memory and visuospatial dysfunction, which reflect impairment of the posterior cortical area, are critical cognitive deficits, and memory impairment is correlated with the axial symptoms that are associated with non-dopaminergic pathways in newly diagnosed PD-MCI patients.

Numerous medications have the potential to induce acute pancreatitis. However, isoniazid-induced acute pancreatitis is extremely rare. Drug-induced acute pancreatitis can be diagnosed by improvement after stopping the drug and recurrence of pancreatitis when rechallenged. We present a case of severe acute pancreatitis accompanied by multiple large pseudocysts after isoniazid treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. We confirmed that isoniazid induced pancreatitis by rechallenging after treatment cessation. Most previous reports of isoniazid-induced pancreatitis have been clinically mild forms, and the patient fully recovered with supportive management. However, this case presents severe and permanent pancreatic damage that developed with 5 weeks of isoniazid treatment. When a patient presents with manifestations of pancreatitis during treatment of tuberculosis that includes isoniazid, the physician should consider isoniazid-induced pancreatitis.
Humans ; Isoniazid ; Pancreatitis ; Recurrence ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Withholding Treatment

PURPOSE: To report three cases of orbitofrontal cholesterol granuloma. METHODS: The study subjects were three patients with chief complaints of proptosis and upgaze limitation of ocular movement. Exophthalmometric values were 4~8 mm by Hertel exophthalmometer. Orbital CT and MRI scans were taken in all patients, and regarded as orbitofrontal cholesterol granuloma. In all cases, excisional biopsy was done through the lateral approach. RESULTS: Orbital CT scan showed an isodense to hypodense, well-defined, homogeneous mass and osteolytic lesion in the adjacent superolateral bony orbit. Orbital MRI scan showed a mass with high signal intensity in both T1- and T2-weighted images. Histopathologically, the specimen showed numerous slits like cholesterol clefts surrounded by multinucleated, foreign body type, giant cells with hemosiderin pigments. CONCLUSIONS: Orbitofrontal cholesterol granuloma, although rare, has typical clinical and radiologic features. Surgical excision has a high success rate without recurrence.
Biopsy

PURPOSE: Superior sulcus deformity is the main cosmetic problem in anophthalmic patients. Many methods of correcting enophthalmos have been reported, especially in patients with orbital wall fracture. The purpose of this study is to review the long term results of effectiveness in superior sulcus deformity correction by subperiosteal Medpor (R) sheet implantation in anophthalmic patients. METHODS: Subperiosteal Medpor (R) sheets were used in 11 eyes of 11 anophthalmic patients. To estimate the effectiveness, photographs were taken and exophthalmometric value with their own prosthesis using Hertel exophthalmometer was measured in all patients before and after surgery. RESULTS: The overall cosmetic results in superior sulcus deformity were 'excellent' in 3 (27.3%), 'good' in 6 (54.5%), 'fair' in 2 (18.2%). The overall results in enophthalmos were 'excellent' in 3 (27.2%), 'markedly improved' in 4 (36.4%), 'slightly improved' in 4 (36.4%). Most patients had a marked increase in orbital volume, except two patients. They received irradiation treatment in early childhood so showed unsatisfactory results in both superior sulcus deformity and enophthalmos. CONCLUSIONS: Subperiosteal Medpor (R) sheet implantation is considered to be a reliable and safe procedure without serious complication and with an excellent cosmetic results.
*Surgical Mesh ; Surgery, Plastic ; Retrospective Studies ; *Polyethylene ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Eyelid Diseases/*etiology/*surgery ; Enophthalmos/*etiology/*surgery ; Child ; Anophthalmos/*complications ; Adult ; Adolescent

PURPOSE: We describe a very rare the leiomyosarcoma that developed in the conjunctiva. METHODS: A 59-year-old man was treated at another hospital two months before presenting to our institution. He had not gotten any better and so was admitted to our hospital. He had normal visual acuity and intraocular pressure. However, we found a geographic, highly vascularized mass involving the corneal limbus in the medial bulbar conjunctiva, from which a pterygium had been removed a year previously. An excision of the mass was carried out to detect a suspected conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasm. RESULTS: Tissue obtained from operation had cells with thin nuclei, spindle cells with pleomorphic cigar-shaped nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm, atypical cells, and from four to five mitotic figures under ten high power field. In immunohistochemical staining, Vimentin, Smooth muscle actin (SMA), Desmin, CD68 stained positively and cytokeratin, Cam5.2, S-100, HMB-45, CD 34 stained negatively. We found no clues of other origins from the general physical examination. Considering these factors, we conclude that this was a Stage I, G2T1aN0M0 leiomyosarcoma with moderate differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis by immunohistochemical staining is necessary to detect leiomyosarcoma in the conjunctiva, as it is very rare and hard to diagnose by the histologic method alone. We report a leiomyosarcoma of the conjunctiva after pterygium excision, and suggest that it be considered a differential diagnosis of conjunctival masses, even though it is very rare.
Actins ; Adult ; Carcinoma in Situ ; Conjunctiva* ; Cytoplasm ; Desmin ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Keratins ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Limbus Corneae ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Physical Examination ; Pterygium ; Vimentin ; Visual Acuity

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to estimate the prevalence and possible risk factors of the metabolic syndrome in steel-mill workers, and to evaluate the relation between gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GTP) and the metabolic syndrome. METHODS: The study subjects comprised 1,604 male steel-mill workers. The indices of metabolic syndrome, such as BMI, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and gamma-GTP were analyzed in each subject. We collected information about demographic characteristics, behavioral patterns, such as alcohol drinking, smoking, and exercise, and family medical history through a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done by using the chi-square test, Mantel-Haenszel trend test and logistic regression model. RESULTS: The crude and age-adjusted prevalences of the metabolic syndrome were 21.3% and 15.5%, respectively, in the steel-mill workers. Age (OR: 1.063, 95% CI: 1.033-1.094), alcohol drinking (OR: 1.657, 95% CI: 1.175-2.337) and smoking (OR: 1.359, 95% CI: 1.017-1.816) were risk factors for the metabolic syndrome. Meanwhile, shift work showed a significant relation with hypertension (OR: 1.329, 95% CI: 1.038-1.700), but not with other metabolic syndrome components. However, tenure, exercise and family medical history were not significant factors for the metabolic syndrome in this study. The risk ratio of the metabolic syndrome (OR: 3.345, 95 % CI: 2.534-4.416) and its components, such as obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia, were higher in the high gamma-GTP group (> or =63 IU/ liter) than in the controls (<63 IU/liter). CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the need for health education to control the metabolic syndrome by improving behavioral patterns, such as alcohol drinking and smoking, in factory workers. In addition, it is suggested that gamma-GTP might be a useful candidate in screening for the metabolic syndrome.
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure ; Fasting ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Glucose ; Health Education ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertension ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVES: In the treatment of schizophrenia, treatment compliance is an important prognostic factor. As insight has a significant impact on treatment compliance, an appropriate assessment of insight is essential in the treatment of schizophrenia. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Korean version of Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS). METHODS: Fifty seven adult patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM-5 were recruited from a university hospital. They were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), The Scale to Assessment Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and BIS. Explorative factor analysis was performed to examine the construct validity of the Korean version of BIS. Concurrent validity was evaluated by a comparison with the PANSS G12 item and SUMD. The test-retest correlation was evaluated to examine the test-retest reliability. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the variables affecting insight. RESULTS: Explorative factor analysis showed that the Korean version of BIS was composed of 2 factors, which are ‘Awareness of symptoms’ and ‘Awareness of illness and need for treatment.’ The Korean version of BIS was reliable in terms of the internal consistency. Concurrent validity with the PANSS G 12 item and SUMD was statistically significant. The test-retest reliability was also statistically significant. Multiple regression analysis showed that the PANSS negative factor affects the BIS score, indicating that negative symptoms of schizophrenia may impair insight of the illness. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the Korean version of BIS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the insight of patients with schizophrenia.
Adult ; Compliance ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; Psychopathology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Schizophrenia