STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In spite of the progress in techniques and materials in complete denture prosthodontics, patients still complain of discomfort after the insertion of complete dentures. For the last several decades many prosthodontists tried to find factors influencing patient complete denture satisfaction, however the reported results became a controversy. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to verify the factors influencing patient satisfaction with complete dentures using multiple regression analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients who visited the department of prosthodontics, dental hospital of Yonsei University, 4 to 6 weeks after the complete denture delivery, were asked to complete the questionnaires on complete denture satisfaction, social variables and psychological variables. The Prosthodontists who treated the patients with complete dentures were also asked to complete the questionnaires on evaluation of patients' oral condition and technical quality of dentures. The factors influencing patients' satisfaction with their complete dentures were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the patients' sociodemographic variables, the variables of relationship with children, economic status, housing condition, other people's opinions of dentures and gender were the influential factors on patients' satisfaction with complete dentures. Patients showing the symptoms of depression, one of the psychological variables, were dissatisfied with their complete dentures. In spite of the good oral condition, patients were dissatisfied with complete dentures, whereas the technical quality of dentures did not influence patients' complete denture satisfaction. CONCLUSION: According to the results above, patients' sociodemographic and psychological variables rather than clinical variables including oral condition and technical quality of dentures were the influential factors on complete denture satisfaction. The results of this study may not only enable prosthodontists to predict the success and failure of complete denture treatment, but also help both prosthodontists and patients be informed of the essentials of increasing satisfaction with complete dentures.
Child ; Denture, Complete* ; Dentures ; Depression ; Housing ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction* ; Prosthodontics ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: To investigate the effect of latanoprost in IOP after laser iridectomy or filtering surgery Methodology: Patients of chronic angle closure glaucoma post laser iridectomy or filtering surgery were given latanoprost 0.005 percent eye drop in the evening for 2-6 weeks after a washout period ranging from 5 days - 28 days. IOP was measured at 9:00 a. m., 1:00 p.m. and 5: 00 p.m. per patient using a calibrated goldmann applanation tonometer Results: 29 patients were enrolled in study. There was a significant reduction in IOP among these patients Conclusion: Latanoprost 0.005 percent provides a significant reduction in IOP among patients with residual angle closure after laser iridectomy or filtering surgery. (Author)
Human ; Male ; Female ; LATANOPROST ; INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE/DRUG EFFECTS ; GLAUCOMA, ANGLE-CLOSURE ; GLAUCOMA, ANGLE-CLOSURE/DRUG THERAPY ; HUMANS ; MALE ; FEMALE ;

Over the past three decades, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been rapidly increasing in the African, South American, and Asian countries, including Korea. However, in Korea, the public awareness of IBD remains low, and diagnostic delay is not uncommon due to the physicians' lack of clinical experience. It is essential to understand the trends and regional differences in the epidemiology of IBD for proper diagnosis and treatment.Current Concepts: Although lower than those of the West, the prevalence and incidence of IBD in Korea rank among the highest in Asia and are steadily increasing. In the past 10 years, the prevalence of IBD has almost doubled, while its incidence has decreased gradually. As compared to Western IBD patients, Korean patients have higher proportion of proctitis in ulcerative colitis, male predominance, more ileocolonic involvement, and higher incidence of perianal fistula in Crohn disease. There is no single gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD. Thus, diagnosis can be made by clinical evaluation, including a detailed history taking, physical examination, and a combination of endoscopic, radiologic, laboratory, and histologic findings.Discussion and Conclusion: Population-based studies have revealed the current trends and characteristics of the epidemiology of IBD in Korea. Continued education and development of diagnostic tools will help clinicians to diagnose IBD accurately and differentiate it from other diseases such as intestinal tuberculosis.

Over the past three decades, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been rapidly increasing in the African, South American, and Asian countries, including Korea. However, in Korea, the public awareness of IBD remains low, and diagnostic delay is not uncommon due to the physicians' lack of clinical experience. It is essential to understand the trends and regional differences in the epidemiology of IBD for proper diagnosis and treatment.Current Concepts: Although lower than those of the West, the prevalence and incidence of IBD in Korea rank among the highest in Asia and are steadily increasing. In the past 10 years, the prevalence of IBD has almost doubled, while its incidence has decreased gradually. As compared to Western IBD patients, Korean patients have higher proportion of proctitis in ulcerative colitis, male predominance, more ileocolonic involvement, and higher incidence of perianal fistula in Crohn disease. There is no single gold standard for the diagnosis of IBD. Thus, diagnosis can be made by clinical evaluation, including a detailed history taking, physical examination, and a combination of endoscopic, radiologic, laboratory, and histologic findings.Discussion and Conclusion: Population-based studies have revealed the current trends and characteristics of the epidemiology of IBD in Korea. Continued education and development of diagnostic tools will help clinicians to diagnose IBD accurately and differentiate it from other diseases such as intestinal tuberculosis.

Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (cystitis) is the most common bacterial infection among women visiting primary care clinics, and approximately 50% experience recurrence. Recurrent cystitis represents a substantial burden on the patients’ quality of life, healthcare costs, and antibiotics overuse.Current Concepts: Symptoms remain the cornerstone of cystitis diagnosis, and urine culture is necessary if recurrent cystitis is suspected. Antibiotics (typically nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin) are the first-line treatment. Based on the resistance data, cephalosporins and amoxicillin-clavulanate are the second-line treatment recommendations. Fluoroquinolones are not the first-line options because of safety concerns and rising resistance rates. In considering patients with recurrent cystitis, it is important to assess the patient’s risk factors. Postmenopausal women may present differently and require different diagnostic and treatment approaches from that of younger women. Non-antimicrobial approaches to prevent recurrent cystitis are preferred due to tolerability, safety, antimicrobial resistance concerns, and patient choice. Oral immunostimulant is effective for any age, and vaginal estrogen therapy is additionally recommended in postmenopausal women. Self-start and post-coital antibiotic therapy and non-antimicrobial prophylaxis may be combined. Low-dose continuous antibiotic therapy may be considered for women in whom other regimens fail.Discussion and Conclusion: To improve the quality of life and medical care of women, closing the gap between the physicians’ perceptions and patients’ needs is necessary. Furthermore, various preventive therapies for recurrent cystitis should be fully utilized.

The preoperative diagnosis of uterine torsion is very difficult due to the rarity of this disorder and its nonspecific clinical course. A primigravida woman visited our hospital with severe abdominal pain at 34 weeks of gestation. Emergency cesarean section was carried out due to development of fetal distress and severe abdominal pain. During the cesarean section, we noticed the uterus was rotated 180 degrees and the torsion was corrected after the delivery by making a vertical incision at the posterior uterine wall. High degree of suspicion and prompt management are important factors contributing to good prognosis of uterine torsion.
Abdominal Pain ; Cesarean Section ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Prognosis ; Uterus

The preoperative diagnosis of uterine torsion is very difficult due to the rarity of this disorder and its nonspecific clinical course. A primigravida woman visited our hospital with severe abdominal pain at 34 weeks of gestation. Emergency cesarean section was carried out due to development of fetal distress and severe abdominal pain. During the cesarean section, we noticed the uterus was rotated 180 degrees and the torsion was corrected after the delivery by making a vertical incision at the posterior uterine wall. High degree of suspicion and prompt management are important factors contributing to good prognosis of uterine torsion.
Abdominal Pain ; Cesarean Section ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Prognosis ; Uterus

PURPOSE: To evaluate the stability of corneal endothelial cells after ICL (implantable contact lens) implantation. METHODS: Retrospective review of 50 eyes were subjected to implantation of ICL by one surgeon from December 2003 to April 2008. During the follow-up period, the number of eyes with regular follow-up decreased and remained at 18 eyes at the time of a three-year follow-up. Patients were examined preoperatively and at one, three, and six months and one, two, and three years postoperatively. The main outcome measures were the change in corneal endothelial cell density (CD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HA). This analysis was done in all eyes and especially in the 18 eyes with regular follow-up for three years and 11 eyes with changes in CV and HA corresponding to the normal endothelial wound healing process for three years. RESULTS: Corneal endothelial CD, CV, and HA were not significantly changed compared with their preoperative values throughout the three-year follow-up period for all eyes. In the early postoperative period, there was a slight decrease in CD, but it increased after the second year of follow-up (range: -3.12%~+2.84%); there was a slight increase in CV, but it decreased after the six-month follow-up (-6.63%~+5.56%); and there was a slight decrease in HA, but it increased after the three-month follow-up (range: -0.88%~10.64%). Similarly, there were no significant changes in corneal endothelial cell density in the 18 eyes with regular follow-up or the 11 eyes with changes in CV and HA corresponding to normal endothelial wound healing process for three years. CONCLUSIONS: The results show stability of corneal endothelial cells after ICL implantation.
Endothelial Cells ; Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: We compared the apparent accommodative power of acrylic intraocular lens(IOL) with silicone IOL after implantation of IOL into the bag. METHODS: In 36 senile catatact patients(40 eyes)visited St. Mary's hospital from July 1999 to June 2000, the IOL was inserted into the capsular bag after continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis. All of them were over 60 years old. We checked corrected visual acuity, pupil diameter and apparent accommodative power by accommodometer(AA2000, Nidek, Japan) preoperatively and 1 day, 1 month, 2 months after surgery. The used IOLs were two groups, ones are Acrysof (Alcon, U.S.A.) in 20 eyes and the others are Soflex (Chiron vision, U.S.A.) in 20 eyes. RESULTS: The investgation revealed that the apparent accommodative power reached its peak at 1 month after surgery. There was no stastically significant difference(p>0.05) between acrylic IOL and silicone IOL in apparent accommodative power at 2 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis revealed that the pupil size had significant negative correlations with apparent accommodative power at each other group, whereas corrected visual acuity and refraction error showed no relationship with apparent accommodative power.
Capsulorhexis ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Middle Aged ; Pupil ; Silicones* ; Visual Acuity