PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical manifestations and treatment results of Mooren's ulcer. METHODS: Sixteen eyes in eleven patients who were diagnosed as Mooren's ulcer at Seoul National University Hospital from 1995 to 2000 were enrolled. The clinical manifestations and treatment results were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: The average age was 44.2 years and the male to female ratio was 5:6. The average follow up period was 26 months. Five patients had bilateral involvement. Nine patients were of limited type and two of progressive type. Ocular pain was the most frequently presenting symptom(82%). Topical corticosteroid application was the main therapeutic modality (75%) and all the patients responded well to the treatment. The prognosis was better in patients with unilateral lesion or in younger patients. As complications, one case of corneal perforation and one case of herpes keratitis occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study on Korean Mooren's ulcer cases revealed 1) there were few cases of progressive type, 2) most of them responded well to only topical steroid application, and 3) the prognosis was poor in patients with bilateral lesions or in old patients.
Corneal Perforation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Ulcer*

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-term clinical outcomes following hyperopic laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) in Korean patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included 18 eyes of 10 patients who underwent hyperopic LASEK between May 2005 and March 2013 in Seoul National University Hospital. Visual acuity and spherical equivalent were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 and 3 months postoperatively. High order aberrations and contrast sensitivity were measured before and 3 months after the operation. Alternative prism cover test (APCT) was performed both preoperatively with correction and postoperatively without correction. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 32 +/- 11 years and the mean spherical equivalent refractive error was -2.95 +/- 1.24 diopters (D). Uncorrected visual acuities were log MAR +0.17 +/- 0.15 and log MAR +0.14 +/- 0.15 at postoperative 1 month and 3 months, respectively and showed no significant difference in best corrected visual acuity (+0.25 +/- 0.30). Spherical equivalent was -0.22 +/- 1.22 D at 1 month and 0.38 +/- 0.91 D at 3 months postoperatively. In 6 patients who had esotropia before the operation, APCT was 7.83 +/- 3.60 prism diopters (PD) esotropia at distance with correction preoperatively and 4.67 +/- 5.65 PD at distance without correction postoperatively. Three patients (16.7%) showed delayed wound healing with 1 (5.56 %) having persistent corneal opacity without significant visual loss. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of LASEK may be comparable for correcting hyperopia and esotropia when compared with the effect of LASIK in previous reports; however, delayed wound healing may be a concern.
Contrast Sensitivity ; Corneal Opacity ; Esotropia ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted* ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ ; Refractive Errors ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity ; Wound Healing

BACKGROUND: Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism. The achondroplasia class consists of achondroplasia, thanatophoric dysplasia and hypochondroplasia. Clinical symptoms are variable, but the common gene, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), could account for these variable conditions. We tried to isolate the molecular defects in Korean patients with achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia. METHODS: The sites frequently mutated (G380R and N540K) of the FGFR3 gene of seventeen Korean patients with skeletal dysplasia (16 cases of achondroplasia and one of hypochondroplasia) were analyzed by PCR-RFLP and confirmed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Missense mutations, which cause G380R of the FGFR3, were present in 15/16 (93.7%) achondroplasia patients. Among these, G to A transition was found in 14 of the 15 (93.3%) patients, and a G to C transversion in a single (6.6%) patient. One case did not show any mutation of the FGFR3 gene reported in achondroplasia, including G375C. A patient with suspected hypochondroplasia exhibited the common C to G transversion mutation, resulting in N540K. CONCLUSIONS: The mutations at codons 380 and 540 of the FGFR3 gene were also found to be common causative mutations of achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia, respectively, in Koreans. These mutations could be used as the target of molecular diagnosis. Based on this simple molecular study, genetic counseling for skeletal dysplasia and prenatal diagnosis will be possible.
Achondroplasia* ; Codon ; Diagnosis ; Dwarfism ; Fibroblast Growth Factors* ; Fibroblasts* ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Mutation, Missense ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3* ; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor* ; Thanatophoric Dysplasia

BACKGROUND: Calcium plays an important role in the metabolism of essential nutrients in the human body; recently, it became one of the significant causes of various metabolic disorders including hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. However, data regarding the association between calcium and metabolic disorders in Koreans are limited. The present study aimed to assess the association between serum calcium and elevated blood pressure, overweight, and obesity in Koreans.METHODS: A total of 719 Korean adults who visited the outpatient department of a university hospital were included in this study. The association between serum calcium and obesity and elevated blood pressure in men and women was evaluated separately using multiple regression analysis. Odds ratio was calculated to determine the association between serum calcium levels and overweight, obesity, and elevated blood pressure in men and women.RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis showed that body mass index was significantly increased in men with higher serum calcium levels (β=0.156, P=0.043). In men, the odds ratio for obesity and elevated blood pressure by serum calcium level were 2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–4.06) and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.09–4.69), respectively. In women, the odds ratio for elevated blood pressure by serum calcium level was 1.86 (95% CI: 1.03–3.34).CONCLUSION: In this study, there was a significant positive association between serum calcium level and obesity and elevated blood pressure in men. In women, there was a significant positive association between serum calcium level and elevated blood pressure.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Calcium ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyslipidemias ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Metabolism ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Overweight

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a small double-stranded DNA virus. Of HPV, type 16 and 18 are associated with high risk in the development of cervical cancer. In order to evaluate HPV infections, several HPV typing and detection methods have been developed. The aim of this study was to compare the detection rates of HPV 16 and 18 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ hybridization(ISH), and PCR in situ in uterine cervical cancers. METHODS: PCR, ISH and PCR in situ were performed for the detection of HPV DNA in fifty-one formalin fixed, paraffin embedded blocks of uterine cervical cancer tissues. Twenty uterine cervical specimens from patients with uterine myomas were used as controls. RESULTS: The detection rates of HPV 16 and HPV 18 in cervical cancers were 56.9% (29/51) and 45.1% (23/51) by PCR, 9.8% (5/51) and 5.9% (3/51) by ISH, 17.6% (9/51) and 11.8% (6/51) by PCR in situ, respectively. In control group, the detection rate of HPV 16 and 18 by PCR were 10% (2/20) and 5% (1/20), but HPV was not detected by both ISH and PCR in situ. CONCLUSION: PCR was the most sensitive method for the detection of HPV. However, PCR in situ was more informative fort the specific detection and cell localization of HPV DNA.
DNA ; Formaldehyde ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans* ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Leiomyoma ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation is a definite treatment modality of the patients with end-stage heart failure. Heart transplantation has been performed in Korea since 1992, and currently it is an established procedure for the management of terminal heart failure. The purpose of this study is to clarify the Korean status of heart transplantation. METHODS: Six major heart transplantation centers' 137 cases during the period November 1992 through May 1999 are analyzed to evaluate the general demographics, underlying heart diseases, postoperative management, complications, and survival. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients is 37 years old, and the mean follow-up period is 25 months (1 day - 80 months, median 20 months). Most common underlying disease related to heart failure is cardiomyopathy (86%). Total 16% of patients underwent cellular rejection of ISHLT (International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation) grade 3A or more within 1 year after transplantation. The most common type of clinical infection is bacterial (18%), and the most common organism is Herpes zoster virus (6.4%). Graft coronary artery disease examined by coronary angiography detected in 3.7% of recipients within 12 months after transplantation. One, 2, 3, and 5-year overall survival rates of recipients are 81% , 72%, 71%, and 62%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Distribution of underlying heart diseases and the frequency of graft coronary artery disease of Korean heart transplantation recipients were different from those of the western patients. Although the history of heart transplantation in Korea is relatively short, the early and long-term results are comparable with well-established centers.
Adult ; Cardiomyopathies ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Demography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Heart Transplantation* ; Heart* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lung ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

Objective: To report our experience with management of fetuses with congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of fetuses who were prenatally diagnosed and postnatally confirmed with CHAOS between 2010 and 2019 at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Results: Of 13 fetuses prenatally diagnosed with CHAOS, 7 were lost to follow-up and 6 were postnatally confirmed as having CHAOS. All fetuses, except one were delivered via cesarean section with an ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure. Two patients had coexisting congenital heart diseases requiring several cardiac surgeries following birth. Both of these patients demonstrated developmental delay; however, the remaining 4 had a normal development except for expressive language. Two infants died of respiratory complications, and the remaining 4 were alive at the end of the follow-up period. All 4 live patients underwent tracheostomy with planned reconstruction surgery. Three children are now able to phonate, and 1 can maintain a conservation. Conclusion The proper management of CHAOS using the EXIT procedure results in high survival and low hypoxemia-induced complication rates. Therefore, an accurate prenatal diagnosis is necessary for an appropriate perinatal management.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization