Argon laser trabeculoplasty(ALT) is commonly used in the treatment of uncontrolled open angle glaucoma. The authors retrospectively reviewed the efficacy of ALT in 52 patients(57 eyes) with primary open angle glaucoma. The mean follow-up was 28 months(range 2-48 months). The decrease in intraocular pressure 10P) was 10.1 +/- 3.5 mmHg at 1 month, 8.2 +/- 2.8 mmHg at 1 year, 6.2 +/- 5.1 mmHg at 2 years and 51% at 3 years. Failure was most common in the first 6 months after treatment(29%) and thereafter failure occurred at a rate of 5% to 15% per year. The sex and age of patients had no significant effect on success rate. The success rate was high in the patients with baseline IOP of 26 to 30 mmHg. A mild iritis in all cases, transient rise in IOP, peripheral anterior synechia and microscopic hyphema were noted as early complications of ALT.
Argon* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle* ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iritis ; Retrospective Studies ; Trabeculectomy*

Osteoblastoma is a rare tumor which forms osteoid and bone with highly vascular stroma, account for less than 1 percent of all bone tumors. The lesion had been though to be controlled with curettage and local excision. In recent years, osteoblastomas have been described as aggressive osteoblastoma or malignant osteoblastoma, separated from the innocuous behavior of usual osteoblastoma. It represents the histologic characteristics of the presence of epithelioid osteoblasts, trabecular rather than lace-like osteoid, low mitotic rate with no atypical form with prominent giant cells of osteoclastic type. The differential diagnosis between aggressibe osteoblastoma and osteogenic sarcoma is extremely difficult, but its peculiar histologic pattern and its different clinical and radiologic features and better prognosis are helpful. We report here a case of aggressive osteoblastoma of 17 years old female patient with 3 years and 4 months follow-up period and review the literature.
Curettage ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Osteoblastoma ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteosarcoma ; Prognosis

Neuroblastoma occurs most frequently in children. It, however, may occur in adults. The peripheral neuroblastoma in adult is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor arising from peripheral tumor arising from peripheral nerve. It is exceedingly rare and estimated less than 1% of all malig-peripheral nerve tumors. We report a case of adult peripheral neuroblastoma arising in left lower extremity, who was treated with local excision and radiation.
Adult ; Child ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Neuroblastoma ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive ; Peripheral Nerves

Neuromyelitis optica(Devie's disease) is a demyelinating disorder of unknown etiology that is characterized by bilateral acute optic neuritis, associated with transverse myelitis. The authors experienced a case of Neuromyelitis optica in a 28 year old female who developed acute visual disturbance, sensory loss under the thoracic dermatome 8, and paraplegia, shortly after upper respiratory infection. Bilateral acute optic neuritis was noted with abnormal visually evoked potential. We confirmed this case by neurologic features, magnetic resonance imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid finding, and treated with Corticosteroid "pulse therapy".
Adult ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Evoked Potentials ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myelitis, Transverse ; Neuromyelitis Optica* ; Optic Neuritis ; Paraplegia

Pheochromocytoma is a rare endocrine tumor arising from the chromaffin tissue, and it is able to produce and secrete catecholamines. Lymph nodes, liver, lung and bone are the most frequent sites of metastasis. We report here on a case of pheochromocytoma arising from the dura in a patient who was surgically treated for bilateral pheochromocytoma five years previously.
Catecholamines ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pheochromocytoma*

The Flash Light Emitted Diode Flash Visual Evoked Potential(Flash VEP) is useful when patients are unable to cooperate sufficiently for a Pattern Reversal Visual Evoked Potential(RP-VEP). In order to evaluate the clinical utility of Flash VEP, we performed the PR-VEP and Flash VEP in 208 eyes of 104 normal persons. The average P100 latency(LaP100) was analyzed according to check size, age, sex, and the laterality of the eye. The LaP100 of PR-VEP stimulated with 8 X 8(120' X 96'), 16 X 16(60' X 48'), 32 X 32 (30' X 24') and 64 X 64(15' X 12') check size were 98.88 +/- 7.57msec(mean S.D msec) , 97.68 +/- 7.44msec, 96.31 +/- 7.21msec, 101.20 +/- 7.81msec, respectively. The LaP100 of PR-VEP stimulated with 32 X 32 check size at 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th decades were 93.95 +/- 5.61msec, 94.70 +/- 7.71msec, 92.92 +/- 6.28msec, 97.78 +/- 6.24 msec, 102.79 +/- 5.27msec, respectively. The LaP100 of PR-VEP remained relatively stable until over 6th decade when it increased significantly (p<0.05). The LaP100 of FlashVEP in age of 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th decade were 87.08 +/- 7.82msec, 91.07 +/- 8.46msec, 99.37 +/- 6.36msec, 105.30 +/- 7.82msec, and 111.62 +/- 5.54msec, respectively. The LaP100 of Flash YEP increased progressively with aging changes(p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the left and right eyes(p>0.05), and between male and female(p>0.05) in the LaP100 of both VEP. These results showed that LaP100 of PR-VEP changes according to the check size and patient's age. We should interprete the LaP100 of PR-VEP or Flash VEP after the processing of averaging its P100 according to the patient's.
Aging ; Humans ; Male

To evaluate the refractive error and glasses wering state, we performed screening eye examination on elementary school children living in rural area. Among 1254 shcool children(male : 542, female : 712), 352(28.1%) children were emmetropia and 902(71.9%) children ametropia. Three hundred ninety two(72.3%) of 542 male students and 510(71.6%) of 712 female students were not emmetropia. There was no statistical significance in sexual difference of refractive errors. As refractive errors, 38.3%(481) were myopia, 27.8%(348) hyperopia, and 5.8%(73( mixed astigmatism respectively. In diopteric distribution of refractive errors, refractive error under +/-2.0D was 72.0%(650/902). Among children with refractive errors, 333(36.9%) children did not require glasses, but rest of childfen needed glasses. Three hundred nine(34.3%) children did not wear glasses inspite of refractive errors, 33(3.7%) children were wearing incorrect glasses and 2 children were wearing glasses unnecessarily. In children, early eye examination is essential for their eye health. Therefore attention to early eye examination and correct glasses wearing seem to be very important especially for child living in rural area.
Astigmatism ; Child* ; Emmetropia ; Eyeglasses ; Female ; Glass ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Myopia ; Refractive Errors

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accompanying abnormal findings of Schmorl's nodes(SN), a normal variants of thelumbar spine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five patients with one or more SN, as seen on lumbar spine MRI werestudied. Using a 1.5T MR unit, the number and location of SN, their site of the end plate, adjacent disc changesand lesion associated and not associated with SN, and accompanying associated bony spinal stenosis wereretrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Among the 75 patients, 230 SN were noted in 375 vertebral bodies; theywere relatively frequently located on the second(65, 28.2%) and third(65, 28.2%) lumbar vertebrae. The most commonend-plate site of SN was the posterior one-third portion(160;69.6%). In 450 discs of these 75 patients, 172lesions were noted;those associated with SN(76/167, 45.5%) was more common than those not thus associated (96/283,33.9%)(p <0.05), and those associated with SN were relative frequently located on intervertebral disc L2-3 orL3-4(p <0.05). Thirty-seven SN (16.1%) were associated with bony spinal stenosis. CONCLUSION: Because it isfrequently associated with disc lesions and bony spinal stenosis, SN of the lumbar spine may be a pathologiccondition rather than a normal variant.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine*

PURPOSE: To obtain the findings of normal variant types of lower cervical body configuration for the purpose of differention from compression fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed simple true lateral radiographs of cervical spine from C3 to C7 in 157 pediatric patients who did not have definitive clinical symptoms of cervical spinal injury. We classified the variations of normal cervical spine into 5 types by their configuration. In case of rounded upper corner or anteriorly wedged type, we measured the height and the width of vertebral body to classify these types, and undertook ANOVA test and multiple range test to determine the correlation between the gross configuration and the measured values. RESULTS: Type 1 was similarly observed at each of C3 to C7 in age of 1-4 group but the frequency was markedly decreased in age of 5-8 group. Type 2a was frequently observed at both age groups, and its incidence increased considerally at C3 and C4 with advancing age. Type 2b was more frequently observed at C3 body and Type 3 was observed only at C3 body in age group 1-4. Type 4 was markedly increased at 5-8 age group. Type 2b and 3 were seen mostly at C3, but sometimes at C4 body. Height of body was statistically more significant than width of body in classification of type 2a, 2b and 3. CONCLUSION: The configuration of lower cervical spine in infants and children changes from immature oval type(type 1) to mature rectagular type(type 4) with increasing age. Among the 4 types, the rounded upper corner type or anterior wedging type of lower cervical spine should be differentiated from compresson fracture. We concluded that the height of cervical body is more significant than the width of body in simple radiographic classification of types 2a, 2b and 3.
Child* ; Classification ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Injuries ; Spine

No abstract available.
Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Urinary Bladder*