Soft denture liners or conditioners may be valuable therapeutic materials. The life of these liners is short and varies, but it can be extended by the use of a mono-poly(polymethyl methacrylate coating material). This study determined whether coating three temporary soft denture liners with mono-poly affected the resiliency of soft liners, and evaluated the ability of mono-poly to prevent water absorption and alcohol loss from the underlying soft liners. 20x12mm cylindrical specimens of Coe-Soft, Soft-Liner, Coe-Comfort soft lining materials were made and divided into two groups of mono-poly uncoated(control) and mono-poly coated specimens. Specimens were immersed in water and compressed on an instron universal testing machine and weighted at initial, 24 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. resiliency was determined by measuring the energy absorbed by the soft liners when stressed to a specific yield point. Mono-poly coating significantly increased the resiliency of the Soft-Liner, but had no effect on the other soft liners. Among the 3 soft liners, Soft-Liner showed the hightest resiliency and modulus of elasticity. The weight loss in Soft-Liner was the least among the 3 liners, and the weight loss in Coe-Soft was decreased by monopoly coating.
Absorption ; Denture Liners* ; Dentures* ; Elastic Modulus ; Water ; Weight Loss

We investigated the effect of experimentally induced anisometropia on binocular function. Unilateral myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism(Axis 90degrees) was induced in eighteen adults with normal binocular function using softcontact lenses. Sensory status was assessed by measuring stereoacuity, Worth four dot test, and Bagolini lens test. Binocular function of all subjects decreased with increasing levels of anisometropia. In Worth four dot test, foveal suppression increased in proportion to the levels of anisometropia. Stereoacuity was similarly degraded by the induced anisometropia. Bagolinilens responses were normal in almost all subjects. Our study suggest that experimentally induced anisometropia cause significant abnormalities in binocular function in adults.
Adult ; Anisometropia* ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Myopia ; Telescopes* ; Vision, Binocular*

We investigated the effects of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP)on macular microcirculation in diabetic retinopathy. PRP using argon blue green laser was performed in 23 eyes of 15 patients with early proliferative diabetic etinopathy and very severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy without significant macular edema. The changes in volume, flow, velocity of macular microcirculation were measured before PRP, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month following PRP, using Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter(HRF). Mean volume, flow, velocity of macular microcirculation decreased to a maximal degree 1 hour following PRP, from 14.87+/-0.40, 387.45 +/-101.40, 1.40+/-0.28(before PRP)to 12.44+/-1.39, 347. 33+/-100.39, 1.27+/-0.34(p<0.05). From 1hour to 1 month after PRP, macular microcirculation gradually increased. However, throughout this period, all parameters of macular microcirculation remained lower than pre-PRP level(p<0.05). Our study suggests that panretinal photocoagulation reduces the macular microcirculation in diabetic retinopathy.
Argon ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Humans ; Light Coagulation* ; Macular Edema ; Microcirculation* ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in zone I ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) accompanied with plus signs. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the records of 12 eyes of 7 premature infants with zone I ROP accompanied with plus signs, treated with diode laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab that were followed-up for at least 12 months. RESULTS: Mean gestational age was 30 + 2 weeks, mean birth weight was 1437 +/- 478 g, mean follow-up period was 14.7 +/- 2.0 months and mean age of diagnosis was 36 + 3 weeks. Plus signs were disappeared after an average of 10.1 +/- 2.4 postoperative days in all 12 eyes. The outcome was favorable in 11 (91.7%) of 12 treated eyes after a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. No local or systemic complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab are effective and safe for treatment of zone I ROP accompanied with plus signs and require long-term follow-up.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Birth Weight ; Diterpenes ; Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intravitreal Injections ; Lasers, Semiconductor ; Light Coagulation ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Retrospective Studies ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: In the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells do not undergo apoptosis after separation from the basement membrane. In order to investigate the mechanism by which RPE cells resist apoptosis in PVR, the expression of focal adhesion kinase after cryotherapy was studied. METHODS: After lensectomy and vitrectomy was performed on rabbit eyes, a retinal tear was created. Cryotherapy was applied to the tear site one week after the tear creation. Rabbits were sacrificed at 1, 4 and 7 days after the tear formation and 30 minutes, 1, 4, 7, 9, 21 days after cryotherapy. Eyes were stained with anti-focal adhesion kinase (FAK) antibody. RESULTS: Expression of FAK increased after the tear formation and remained increased until 21days after cryotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that creation of a retinal tear and cryotherapy increases FAK expression and may contribute to resistance to apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Basement Membrane ; Cryotherapy* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* ; Focal Adhesions* ; Phosphotransferases ; Rabbits ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

We used the fluorophotometry to investigate the corneal epithelial barrier function after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Twenty-five eyes of 21 subjects (13 women, 8 men) underwent PRK to correct rnyopia. Corneal epithelial healing time was measured and corneal epithelial permeability to sodiurn fluorescein was evaluated by fluorophotoinetry at I, 2, and 3 weeks after surgery. The corneal epithelial permeability increased significantly 1 week after surgery and returned to preoperative level 2 weeks after surgery. The permeability differences according to epithelial healing days and corrected diopters were not statistically significant(p>0. 05). These results suggest that PRK delays complete reconstruction of corneal epithelial barrier function. The corneal epithelium regained its functional barrier 2 weeks after PRK in patients, so, at least, during the first 2 weeks, care should be taken to miniinize further epithelial trauma from topical inedication or surgical manipulation.
Epithelium, Corneal ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Fluorophotometry ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Permeability ; Photorefractive Keratectomy*

To analyze the effects of the characteristics of the systolic anterior motion(SAM) of the mitral valve on the left ventricular outflow pressure gradient and to determine the relation between the anatomical characteristics of the left ventricle and the left ventricular outflow pressure gradient, mitral valve and left ventricular M mode echocardiogram and continuous wave Doppler echocardiogram of the left ventricular outflow tract were recorded in 7 patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy(HOCM), aged 19 to 66 years(mean 37 years). Mitral-septal distance at the closest apposition(S-SAM;1.1+/-2mm), duration of mitral-septal apposition(89+/-20 msec), time interval from the peak of the R-wave to initial apposition of the mitral valve against the interventricular septum(R-SAM interval ; 222+/-32 msec) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWT; 1.1+/-0.5mm) were observed on mitral valve and left ventricular M-mode echocardiograms and peak flow velocity in the left ventricular outflow(V-LVOT; 3.5+/-1.5 m/sec) was measured from the Doppler echocardiograms of the left ventricular outflow tract. V-LVOT was correlated significantly with degree of mitral-septal apposition(r=-0.70, p<0.05), duration of mitral-septal apposition(r=0.74, P<0.05), R-SAM interval(r=-0.80, p<0.05) and LVPWT(r=0.78, p<0.05). These results suggest that the closer apposition of mitral valve against interventricular septum, the more prolonged mitral-septal apposition, the earlier onset of SAM of the mitral valve and the thicker the left ventricular posterior wall, the more increase the LV outflow pressure gradient in HOCM.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Mitral Valve*

Aneurysms arising from the posterior circulation are 5-19% of total intracranial aneurysms. Althought many neurosurgeons have challended with various innovations but the confinned surgical space, complicated anatomical structure and many small perforators to vital organ of brain were remained the barrier that we we have to overcome. From July 1987 to December 1994, we have been operated on 23 cases of posterior circuation aneurysms among 409 cases of surgically treated all intracranial aneurysms. The present 5.6% of all intracranial aneurysms, the average age of these patients was 49 years old. The ratio of male to female was 1 : 1.8. The number of basilar bifurcation artery aneurysms(BBAA) were 14(61%), the posterior cerebral artery(PCA) aneurysms 3(13%), the upper basilar trunk aneurysm 1, posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA) aneurysm 3(13%), anterior inferior cerebellar artery(AICA) aneurysm 1 and vertebral artery aneurysm 1. Five patients had accompanined with anterior circulation aneurysm and one patient had concomitant arteriovenous malformation. We have successfully clipped 12 cases and wrapped 2 cases of BBAA aneurysms through modified pterional approach and subtemporal approach according to the hight of basilar bifurcation and the other posterior circulation aneurysms are all clipped through most available approaches including lateral, far-lateral suboccipital and interhemispheric approach. Surgical outcome was good in 15 cases, fair in 4 cases, poor in 3 cases and one patient expired.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Brain ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vertebral Artery

PURPOSE: To study the treatment outcomes in patients who were administered multiple intravitreal ganciclovir injections more than 10 times alone without systemic anti-cytomegalovirus therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis. CASE SUMMARY: A 64-year-old man who underwent immunosuppressive therapy after thymectomy due to an invasive thymoma and pure red-cell aplasia, a 60-year-old woman who underwent chemotherapy after diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a 49-year-old man with a history of bone marrow transplantation due to acute myeloid leukemia, a 29-year-old woman with dermatomyositis treated with oral steroids and cyclosporine, and a 47-year-old woman who received intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections, intravitreal and subtenon steroid injections due to Behcet's disease were diagnosed with cytomegalovirus retinitis. All patients showed systemic complications such as pancytopenia after systemic anti-cytomegalovirus therapy, and therefore, they were administered multiple intravitreal ganciclovir injections alone. Best-corrected visual acuities improved in all patients, except in one case, where viral lesions were observed in the fovea. Retinal hemorrhaging and infiltrative lesions decreased in all patients. No severe complication was observed during the injection and in the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple intravitreal ganciclovir injections alone can be used as a treatment modality for cytomegalovirus retinitis to avoid the systemic side effects of systemic anti-cytomegalovirus therapy.
Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cyclosporine ; Cytomegalovirus Retinitis* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Dermatomyositis ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganciclovir* ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Middle Aged ; Pancytopenia ; Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure ; Retinaldehyde ; Steroids ; Thymectomy ; Thymoma ; Visual Acuity

SMAS(Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome) is a disease caused by a chronic obstruction of the duodenum(transverse portion), which is hardly detectable. However, it is known that when the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta form a narrow angle, that the transverse portion of the duodenum is pressed down between the superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal aorta, and that this can lead to obstruction of the duodenum. Measuring this angle is a complicated job using conventional angiography, and results often turns out to be inaccurate. In addition, no attempt has been made to determine the value of this angle in Koreans. In this study, we conducted abdominal CT angiography using MIP(maximum intensity projection) on patients with no clinical evidence of SMAS in order to determine the angle at which the superior mesenteric artery branches from the abdominal aorta by using PC based software(Rapidia ver. 1.2) for the image reconstruction. Accordingly, we found that the mean angle between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery was 50.05+/-15.87 degrees on average, and that the angle in men(53.64+/-16.57 degrees) is higher than in women(46.46+/-14.98 degrees). We hope that the angles determined by our study will serve as an important indicator for detecting SMAS.
Angiography ; Aorta, Abdominal* ; Duodenum ; Hope ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted* ; Mesenteric Arteries ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed