Branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO), along with central retinal vein occlusion, is second only to diabetic retinopathy as a cause of retinal vascular disease. It has been suggested that eyes with shorter axial length have smaller lamina cribrosa and a narrower scleral canal through which the central retinal vein and artery could pass, causing physical blockage in the vein which predisposes to thrombus formation. The subsequent narrowing of the venous lumen will lead to trubulence. reduced flow, venous stasis and thrombus formation at the level of the arteriovenous crossing. This study was conducted to determine whether there was any difference between the axial lengths of eyes with BRVO and those of control eyes. The axial lengths of the eyes in the group of 37 patients with a unilateral BRVO was compared with those of eyes in the control group. The BRVO group consisted of 23 male and 14 female patients and their mean ages were 61.5+/-7.0 years(51~75years) in male and 63.7+/-7.0 years(52~76years) in female. The control group consisted of 46 male and 28 female patients and their mean ages were 62.5+/-6.5 years(50~73years) in male and 63.9+/-6.1 years(52~75years) in female. The mean axial length of eyes of the BRVO group was 23.08+/-0.57mm(21.92~24.19mm) in male and 22.71+/-0.65mm(21.08~24.00mm) in female. The mean axial length of control eyes was 23.74+/-0.73mm(22.46~25.24mm) in male and 23.18+/-0.81mm(21.62~24.76mm) in female. The difference between the mean axial length of eyes of the BRVO group and that of control eyes was statistically significant(p<0.05). In conclusion, the short axial length may play as a risk factor in the occurrence of a BRVO.
Arteries ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retinal Vein Occlusion* ; Retinal Vein* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Risk Factors* ; Thrombosis ; Vascular Diseases ; Veins

In 189 consecutive non-inflamed anophthalmic patients wearing uniocular prosthesis, the conjunctival flora was evaluated and compared to that of the opposite healthy eye. And this results were compared with that of department of clinical pathology studied from January 1997 to July 1998. The incidence of bacterial isolation on the anophthalmic side (63.5%) was significantly higher than that on the healthy side (28.0%). Especially, the incidence of potential pathogenic bacterial isolation. (S.aureus, streptococci spp. and gram-negative bacilli grouped together) on the anophthalmic side (42.3%) was very significantly higher (p<0.001) than that on the healthy side (6.9%).The antimicrobial susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was high (>90%) in all bacterial isolate from the both anophthalmic socket and fellow normal conjunctiva. The bacteria isolated from the anophthalmic socket and fellow normal conjunctiva were similarly sensitive to vancomycin,clindamycin, gentamicin, imipenem, tobramycin, amikacin, netilmicin, colistin and were resistant to penicillin, ampicillin and tetracycline. No significant difference in the anophthalmic conjunctival flora between our study and the previous report but the antimicrobial susceptibility to clindamycin in coagulase-negative staphlyococcus (CNS) and S.aureus from the anophthalmic socket is higher than that of the previous report. The antimicrobial susceptibility to erythromycin in gram-positive bacteria except coagulase-negative staphlyococcus (CNS) and S.aureus from the anophthalmic socket is lower than that of the previous report. The species isolated from our study were more sensitive to the majority of antimicrobial agents than that of the microbial laboratory report. But,the antimicrobial susceptibilities of our study to chloramphenicol and colistin were very significantly lower than that of the microbial laboratory report (p<0.001).
Amikacin ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteria* ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Colistin ; Conjunctiva* ; Erythromycin ; Eye, Artificial ; Gentamicins ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Incidence ; Netilmicin ; Pathology, Clinical ; Penicillins ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tetracycline ; Tobramycin

PURPOSE: Traditionally, nasogastric decompression has been a routine procedure following major abdominal surgery or gastrointestinal surgery. This prospective, randomized controlled trial was performed in order to evaluate the usefulness of nasogastric decompression following elective gastric cancer surgery. METHODS: This study was carried out prospectively. A total of 95 patients were randomly divided into two groups, group I (45 patients with nasogatric tube) and group II (50 patients without nasogastric tube). Patients receiving emergency surgery due to gastric outlet obstruction were excluded from this study. The data was analysed by chi-square test, T-test and Mann-Whitney U test with the level of significance set at P<0.05. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups in regards to nausea, vomting, distension, anastomotic leak or wound dehiscence. However, longer hospital stay, delayed passage of flatus, delayed initiation of ambulation, delayed start of feeding and sore throat occurred more often in group I patients than in group II patients. CONCLUSION: The result showed that the routine prophylactic use of nasogastric decompression following gastric cancer surgery is an unnecessary procedure and does not offer any considerable advantage.
Anastomotic Leak ; Decompression* ; Emergencies ; Flatulence ; Gastric Outlet Obstruction ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Nausea ; Pharyngitis ; Prospective Studies* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Unnecessary Procedures ; Walking ; Wounds and Injuries

The calcinosis, dystrophic soft tissue calcification, occurs in damaged or devitalized tissues normal calcium/phosphorus metabolism. It is the subcutaneous tissues of connective tissues disease ?primarily systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or dermatomyositis - and may involve a relatively localized area. The calcinotic accumulations may result in muscle atrophy, joint contractures, and skin ulceration complicated by recurrent episodes of local inflammation and infection. Calcinosis may be the source of both pain and disability in connective tissue disease patients. While various therapeutic modality have been used, no treatment has convincingly prevented or reduced calcinosis. We report two cases of calcinosis cutis combined with rheumatic disease.
Calcinosis* ; Connective Tissue ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Contracture ; Dermatomyositis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Joints ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Metabolism ; Muscular Atrophy ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Skin Ulcer ; Subcutaneous Tissue