BACKGROUND: Chicken pox and herpes zoster are caused by the varicella-zoster virus(VZV). To investigate the epiderniologial relationship between clinical isolates of VZV, it is essential to distinguish different isolate. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to classify the VZV strains according to R5 tandem direct reiterations(TDR) copy numbers and Pst I endonuclease cleavage site mutation, and to analyze the distribution pattern of VZV strains isolated in Korea. METHODS: Strains of VZV were isolated from 61 patients with herpes zoster who had not been immunized with a live vaccine of VZV. Copy numbers of R5 TDR which was located in variable region IV were measured by PCR. The presence of a Pst I cleavage site in a middle portion of the long unique region of VZV genome was analyzed by PCR thereafter restriction enzyme digestion(PCR-RFLP). RESULTS: VZV strains isolated in Korea contained one to three copy numbers of R5 TDR. Of 61 isolates, 43(70%) comtained 2 copies of R5 TDR, while 11(18%) isolates contained only one copy and 7(12%) isolat s contained 3 copies. About 16% of the strains examined did not have a PstI cleavage site, although the majority of strains retained this site. VZV strains could be classified into 6 strains on the basis of the copy number of R5 TDR and PstI cleavage site, in which the strain with 2 copies of R5 TDR and PstI cleavage site positive was the most frequent type (36 out of 61 isolates) in Korea. Four batches of live attenuated vaccine(Biken) that is now used in Korea showed 2 copy numbers of R5 TDR and PstI site negative. CONCLUSION: The copy number of R5 TDR and the presence of PstI cleavage site seems to be a reliable marker for dicrimination of VZV strains in Korea. This discrimination can be used to study the molecular epiclemiology of VZV and as a criterion for identification of vaccine-related isolates.
Chickenpox* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Genome ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid*

Thirty eyes of thirty patients with coexisting cataract and vitreoretinal disease underwent combined cataract extraction, pars plana vitrectomy and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantaion.Surgical procedures of cataract extraction included phacoemulsification(14 eyes), pars plana lensectomy(11 eyes) and extracapsular lens placed in the capsular bag in 19 eyes following phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction. Eleven eyes had sulcus fixation of posterior chamber lens following lensectomy.Postoperatviely visual acuity improved in 26 eyes(86.7%), unchanged in 3 eyes(10%) and decreased in 1 eye(3.3%). Final visual acuity was 20/200 or better in 26 eyes(86.75), and 20/40 or better in 11 eyes(36.7%). Postoperative complications included rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, neovascular glaucoma and endophthalmitis.Pars plana vitrectomy combined with cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation maybe useful in reducing cost and providing rapid visual rehabilitation.
Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Glaucoma, Neovascular ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Phacoemulsification ; Postoperative Complications ; Rehabilitation ; Retinal Detachment ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy* ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

The authors reviewed the charts of 128 patients(160 eyes) who underwent vitrectomy for the proliferative diabetic retinopathy from January 1993 to December 1995 and the results were analyzed in terms of visual efficiency. At the conclusion of the study, visual acuity improved in 96 eyes(60%), unchanged in 33 eyes(21%) and in 31 eyes(19%) became worse. Visual efficiency was increased from 11.9% preoperatively to 37.2% postoperatively in all patients. Patients under the age of 40 showed better results than the patients above the age of 40. The factors which affected the change in visual efficiency were age and preoperative intraocular conditions. The patients who had non-clearing vitreous hemorrhage without proliferative membrane revealed better prognostic results than the other patients. In 50 eyes (31.3%) of cases, maximal postoperative visual acuity was achieved in 4 weeks to 3 months after operation.
Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Humans ; Membranes ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy* ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

No abstract available.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Line* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Etoposide*

In 38 patients with traumatic wound dehiscence after cataract surgery, we evaluated the causes and degrees of the injury, surgical methods of repair and the final visual outcome from Aug. 1993 to Apr. 1977. Among 38 patients, twenty-five were men and thirteen were women. In 34 patients, wound dehiscence occurred within one month after cataract surgery. The common causes of wound dehiscence were trauma by the finger or fist (9 patients) and by the contusion (7 patients). But in 16 patients, the exact causes of trauma were not identified. Accompanied ocular findings were prolapsed iris (29 patients) , hyphema (9 patients) , and dislocation of intraocular lens (7 patients). All patients received operations for wound closure, iris reposition, anterior vitrectomy, intraocular lens reposition or removal, and iris partial resection. At the end of follow-up, 27 patients achieved corrected visual acuity 20/40 or over. To prevent wound dehiscence after cataract surgery, we suggest that protective eye shield should be applied at least for a month after surgery.
Cataract* ; Contusions ; Dislocations ; Female ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Intraoperative Complications ; Iris ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Male ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Wounds and Injuries*

Infantile fibrosarcoma is a rare malignant soft tissue tumor occurring especially in newborn and young children under 2 years. We experienced three cases of infantile fibrosarcoma presenting in the neonatal period. Case 1 presented with a multiseptated cystic mass on his left thigh at birth that was diagnosed as lymphangioma. After picibanil injection, we noted the size of the mass doubled and a solid lesion was prominent in the magnetic resonance image. Case 2 was found to have a reddish mass on his lower back mimicking hemangioma. Over 2 weeks, the mass grew rapidly with internal hemorrhaging. Case 3 was noted to have an encircling mass around the splenic flexure, which developed into congenital bowel obstruction. All of the tumors were resected completely, but microscopic resection margin was not clear in two patients. The two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and all patients are well without evidence of recurrence.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child ; Colon, Transverse ; Fibrosarcoma ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lymphangioma ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Parturition ; Picibanil ; Recurrence ; Thigh

Traumatic hyphema accounts for about 6.7% of ocular trauma and its visual threatening associated ocular injuries are commotio retinae, retinal detachment, macular hole. cataract and rebleeding. The authors reviewed the medical records of 98 patients (98 eyes) having been admitted to the Joongang Gil Hospital between March 1989 and February 1991 with the diagnosis of nonperforating traumatic hyphema. Prospective study was performed as to the effect of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) in the clearance time of blood clot in the anterior chamber and the frequency of rebleeding. The avlrage clearance time of blood clot was significantly longer in the EACA treated group (5.8 days) than in the control group (3.5 days)(t-Test P<0.01). The frequency of rebleeding was not statistically significantly different between the EACA treated group (3.9%, 2/52 patients) and the control group (87%, 4/46 patients)(X2-Test P>0.05).
Aminocaproic Acid ; Anterior Chamber ; Cataract ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyphema* ; Medical Records ; Prospective Studies ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations

One hundred and thirty-two cases(132 eyes) of corneal ulcer were analysed on the clinical and etiologic basis. The history of evident ocular trauma was found in 28.8% of the cases and ocular disease was found in 7.6% of the cases. Positive results were 16/55 in smear and 33/61 in culture, and the most common isolate was coagulase negative staphylococcus in bacteriologic studies. In fungal studies, positive results were 1/42 in smear and 5/42 in culture, and Aspergillus was the most common isolate. Cephalexin was the most sensitive antibiotics for Gram positive organism and carbenicillin and gentamicin were the most sensitive antibiotics for Gram negative orgamsm. These results indicate that gentamicin and cephalexin in combination would be recommended as the initial treatment of wide-spectrum antibiotics coverage for bacterial corneal ulcer until the final culture results and senitivity are available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aspergillus ; Carbenicillin ; Cephalexin ; Coagulase ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Gentamicins ; Staphylococcus

No abstract available.
Cleft Lip* ; Congenital Abnormalities*

In order to investigate causative mechanisms of optic neuropathy, retrospective clinical studies including ophthalmologic examination, imaging study, and molecular biologic analyses were performed on 322 patients with optic neuropathy. The causes include hereditary optic neuropathy(71 patients, 22.1%), optic neuritis(66 patients, 20.5%), traumatic optic neuropathy(40 patients, 12.5%), ischemic optic neuropathy(35 patients, 10.9%), compressive optic neuropathy(31 patients, 9.6%), toxic optic neuropathy(23 patients, 7.1%), etc. In 29 patients of bilateral optic atrophy and 18 patients of unilateral optic atrophy, the causative mechanism was not clear. In conclusion, hereditary optic neuropathy was the most common causative mechanism of optic neuropathy in this study. The importance of meticulous history taking and molecular biologic test should be stressed in differential diagnosis of optic neuropathy.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Optic Atrophy ; Optic Nerve Diseases* ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; Optic Neuritis ; Retrospective Studies