OBJECTIVETo probe into a treatment method for increasing clinical therapeutic effect on xerophthalmia.

METHODSForty-five cases were randomly divided into acupuncture group 1, acupuncture group 2 and control group. The acupuncture group 1 were treated with acupuncture based on syndrome types, and the acupuncture group 2 with acupuncture at local acupoints, and the control group with dripping of artificial tears. Local symptoms of eyes, S1T, BUT and FL were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSS1T and BUT increased after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), but did not significantly change in the control group (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in change of FL as the control group compared with the acupuncture group 1 and 2. The total effective rate was 86.7%, 66.7% and 33.3% in the acupuncture group 1, 2 and the control group, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe integral syndrome differentiation acupuncture can improve secretion of tear, increase stability of tear film, improve local symptoms of eyes with a therapeutic effect better than acupuncture at local acupoints and artificial tears.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Syndrome ; Tears ; secretion ; Xerophthalmia ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of the method for nourishing blood and moisturizing eye on xerophthalmia.

METHODSFifty-one cases of xerophthalmia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group were treated by acupuncture, moxibustion with Chinese medicine, and auricular point pressing, and the control group were treated with dripping of artificial tears. Local symptoms of eyes, tear secretion amount (Schirmer method) and BUT were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 88.5% in the treatment group was better than 52.0% in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe method for nourishing blood and moisturizing eye is a better therapy for xerophthalmia.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Eye ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Xerophthalmia ; therapy

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of two artificial tears, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and hyaluronate (HA), was compared in the treatment of patients with dry eye disease. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. The efficacy was compared in terms of the mean change from baseline in tear break-up time. The meta-analysis was conducted using both random and fixed effect models. The quality of the selected studies was assessed for risk of bias. RESULTS: Five studies were included involving 251 participants. Random effect model meta-analysis showed no significant difference between CMC and HA in treating dry eye disease (pooled standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.452; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.911 to 0.007; P=0.053). In contrast, fixed effect model meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in the CMC group when compared to the HA group (pooled SMD=-0.334; 95% CI, -0.588 to -0.081; P=0.010). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of CMC appeared to be better than that of HA in treating dry eye disease, although meta-analysis results were not statistically significant. Further research is needed to better elucidate the difference in efficacy between CMC and HA in treating dry eye disease.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium* ; Eye Diseases* ; Humans ; Lubricant Eye Drops ; Tears ; Xerophthalmia

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features of orbital and ocular adnexal malignant lymphoma and the effectiveness of radiotherapy for its treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 54 eyes in 44 patients who were diagnosed with orbital and ocular adnexal malignant lymphoma and who underwent radiotherapy. RESULTS: The main symptoms of malignant lymphoma patients were conjunctival mass, lid mass, lid swelling, and exophthalmos. Histopathologically, MALT-lymphoma was the most common in 39 patients (88.6%). In all 54 eyes of the 44 patients, the mass either decreased or disappeared completely after radiotherapy. The mean follow-up period was 31 months, ranging from 4 to 68 months. There was no recurrence of malignant lymphoma in the orbit or ocular adnexa during this period. However, there were three cases where the tumor recurred in other systemic organs. Complications of radiotherapy included mild punctate epithelial erosion, xerophthalmia, cataract, and retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Localized radiotherapy is an effective and safe way to treat malignant lymphoma of the orbit and the ocular adnexa. In order to decrease complications, the use of lens shielding and optimized radiation amount should be considered.
Cataract ; Exophthalmos ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Medical Records ; Orbit* ; Radiotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Xerophthalmia

OBJECTIVE: Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management works for signal detection and safety information generation by analyzing spontaneous adverse event reports database. As the number of reports and detected signals of aripiprazole by each data mining indices were more than other drugs, aripiprazole was selected as a subject of study. METHODS: 1989-2012 spontaneous reporting database was analyzed and the model drug ingredient was aripiprazole. We estimated proportional reporting ratio, reporting odds ratio, and information component for data mining. Then we assessed the causality through review of local and foreign drug labels and literatures. RESULTS: In reconstructed 1989-2012 spontaneous reporting database, there were 2,062 reports on aripiprazole and 2,565 aripiprazole-adverse events pairs. As a result of data mining analysis and signal prioritization, 78 adverse events were detected, 20 adverse events of them were not included in drug label. After literature review, back pain, epistaxis, xerophthalmia and ejaculation disorder were generated as novel safety information on aripiprazole. CONCLUSION: Those 4 novel safety informations of Aripiprazole, back pain, epistaxis, xerophthalmia and ejaculation disorder had become listed on the local label in April 2013.
Back Pain ; Data Mining ; Ejaculation ; Epistaxis ; Korea ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Management ; Xerophthalmia ; Aripiprazole

OBJECTIVETo observe the differences in the efficacy on xerophthalmia treated with the needling technique for warming-promotion at Fengchi (GB 20) as the main acupoint in comparison with the conventional needling technique.

METHODSThirty cases were randomly divided into a warming-promotion needling group (n = 15) and a routine needling group (n = 15). In warming-promotion needling group, the needling technique for warming-promotion was applied to Fengchi (GB 20). Additionally, the local and distal acupoints [such as the point beneath Cuanzu (BL 2), Neiguan (PC 6), Guangming (GB 37), Taichong (LR 3), Fulio (KI 7) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6)], as well as the scalp acupuncture (bilateral supraoccipital lateral line and supraoccipital midline) were selected and stimulated with even-needling technique by rotating the needle. In routine needling group, the acupoints were same as warming-promotion needling group and were stimulated with even-needling technique by rotating the needle. After 2 sessions of treatment, the efficacy, tear secretion volume and the total score of symptoms were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 86.7% (13/15) in warming-promotion needling group, which was superior to 66.7% (10/15) in routine needling group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the tear secretion volume and the total score of symptoms were all apparently improved in two groups (all P < 0.05), in which, the improvement in warming-promotion needling group was much obvious (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of warming-promotion needling technique is apparently superior to that of conventional one.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Xerophthalmia ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effect of spanishneedles leaves on middle and severe xerophthalmia of menopausal females.

METHODThis study was a prospective random controlled trial. Ninty-six menopausal females diagnosed with xerophthalmnia (aged from 40 to 50) were randomly divided into in two groups: group A' the spanishneedles leaves group (n=48) and group B' the control group (n=48). Both groups were treated with Forte eye drops. All patients were detected at 3, 7, 28 h before and after treatment to evaluate subjective symptoms, OSDI and four tear film indicators. Variance analysis and differential analysis on sample average or median were made on both groups before and after treatment.

RESULTThere were no significant difference in symptom and diction indicators between both groups before treatment. For 28 d after treatment, among middle and severe xerophthalmia samples of the spanishneedles leaves group, the mean differences showed significant improvement compared with that before treatment , OSDI and four tear film indicators also showed improvement to varying degrees. For 28 d after treatment, among middle and severe xerophthalmia samples of the vitamin C group, the mean differences showed no significant improvement compared with that before treatment , OSDI and four tear film indicators also showed no remarkable improvement. There were significant differences in OSDI, BUT, SIT, height of tear meniscus and FL between both groups.

CONCLUSIONSpanishneedles leaves can effectively improve symposiums and signs of middle and severe xerophthalmia among menopausal females and thus showing clinical significance to some extent.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; Treatment Outcome ; Xerophthalmia ; drug therapy

This study aims to determine the effects of formaldehyde exposure on self-reported symptoms of respiratory-eye mucosa and integumentary system during anatomy practices among Korean medical students. Data were collected using the web-based survey. Study subjects in 1st and 2nd grade medical student, and having anatomy dissection in medical college and medical graduate school. A total of 463 students from the 14 medical college and medical graduate school participated in this study. The results show that 261 (56.4%) of the participants responded feeling discomfort above moderate at anatomy dissection. After anatomy dissection, 104 (43.2%) students responded aggravating the symptom allergic rhinitis, xerophthalmia and so on. 209 (95.0%) of them responded the new symptom's appearance. In the result of multiple logistic regression, women (OR: 2.000, 95% CI: 1.169~3.421) and the students with feeling discomfort (OR: 3.190, 95% CI: 1.807~5.632) were more likely to increase the risk of pre-existing respiratory · eye mucosal system symptom's aggravation than the counter parts. For pre-existing integumentary system symptom's aggravation, risk is significantly higher in elder age group (OR: 2.612, 95% CI: 1.187~5.750) and with disapproval protective equipments (OR: 2.217, 1.006~4.885). In case of new symptom's appearance, people with feeling discomfort above moderate (OR: 5.097, 95% CI: 1.075~24.160) in respiratory · eye mucosal system were more likely to increase the risk of new symptom's appearance. And for integumentary system, risk was higher in people with feeling discomfort (OR: 1.921, 95% CI: 1.218~3.031), in woman (OR: 1.711, 1.090~2.686) and without enough protective equipments preparation (OR: 1.953, 1.189~3.210). This study confirms the protective equipments for minimizing exposure from chemicals for cytological fixation (e,g formaldehyde) is not worn enough and students in anatomy dissection experience discomfort and disease after anatomy dissection. Therefore, this study indicates that the safe guideline in anatomy dissection should be enhanced and institutional strategy to protect student's right of health should be provided.
Female ; Formaldehyde* ; Humans ; Integumentary System* ; Logistic Models ; Mucous Membrane* ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Students, Medical* ; Xerophthalmia

Professor ZHOU Yun-xian's clinical experience of acupuncture combined with Chinese material medica for xerophthalmia is introduced. Her treatment for xerophthalmia is firstly focused on syndrome differentiation, indicating that different syndrome has different treatment of acupuncture and Chinese material medica. It is emphasized that by following the holistic concept of TCM, the local acupoints and whole-body acupoints cooperate closely, forming her special combination method of acupoints. In clinic, attention is focused on the application of many acupuncture techniques and extra points. With the combination of acupuncture and Chinese material medica, the treatment is flexible with superior clinical efficacy.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Xerophthalmia ; drug therapy ; therapy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate longitudinal changes in the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Sjögren's syndrome patient reported index (ESSPRI) and to study the clinical features associated with favorable ESSPRI changes in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: At baseline and after a median period of 6.6 years, 41 pSS patients were evaluated using the ESSPRI, EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI), short-form 36, xerostomia inventory (XI), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores for symptoms. The favorable subgroup included patients who were stable or showed improved to satisfactory symptom status (ESSPRI<5) and the unfavorable subgroup included those with stable or worsening to an unsatisfactory symptom status (ESSPRI ≥5). RESULTS: Median ESSPRI increased from 4.11 to 5.33 (p<0.05), although XI scores (p=0.01) and oral dryness (p<0.05) were significantly decreased. Serum immunoglobulin G level was significantly reduced (p<0.001) but ESSDAI scores were unchanged. Six (14.6%) patients showed clinical improvement in ESSDAI, and 11 (26.8%) showed improvement in ESSPRI. On comparing the favorable (n=17) and unfavorable (n=24) subgroups, the former exhibited significantly lower VAS scores for sicca and depression and XI and ESSPRI scores at baseline (all p<0.05) and more lacrimal flow (p<0.05). The favorable subgroup received a significantly lower cumulative dose of pilocarpine and glucocorticoids (both p<0.05). CONCLUSION: About 25% of pSS patients showed clinically significant ESSPRI improvement and about 40% showed a favorable ESSPRI course. Because the favorable subgroup had more lacrimal flow and less sicca symptoms at baseline, long-term patient-derived outcomes could depend on residual exocrine function at pSS diagnosis.
Depression ; Diagnosis ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Patient Outcome Assessment ; Pilocarpine ; Quality of Life ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Visual Analog Scale ; Xerophthalmia ; Xerostomia