PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical aspects of amblyopia and the factors affecting the outcome of treatment of amblyopia in school children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 100 patients, who had not been treated previously for amblyopia and been followed for more than 6 months after initiating the treatment of amblyopia. They were divided into two groups, one of which was 4~7 years old (50 patients)and the other was 8~12 years old (50 patients). The evaluation included causes of amblyopia, age and visual acuity at the initial treatment, degree of anisometropia, amount of deviation, and duration of treatment. RESULTS: Strabismus was the most common cause of amblyopia, followed by anisometropia and visual deprivation in that order. The causes of amblyopia did not affect the visual outcome either in the 8~12 years old children or in the 4~7 years old children (p=0.10). The factors not affecting visual outcome were visual acuity at the initial treatment (p=0.23), amount of deviation in strabismic amblyopia (p=0.16), degree of anisometropia in anisometropic amblyopia (p=0.49). Compared with the 4~7 years old children, the 8~12 years old chiliren did not show the significant difference in the final visual outcome (p=0.23). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of amblyopia in school children was as effective as in pre-school children.
Amblyopia* ; Anisometropia ; Child* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity

Mitochondria are subcellular organelles composed of two discrete membranes in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. They have long been recognized as the generators of energy for the cell and also have been known to associate with several metabolic pathways that are crucial for cellular function. Mitochondria have their own genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), that is completely separated and independent from the much larger nuclear genome, and even have their own system for making proteins from the genes in this mtDNA genome. The human mtDNA is a small (~16.5 kb) circular DNA and defects in this genome can cause a wide range of inherited human diseases. Despite of the significant advances in discovering the mtDNA defects, however, there are currently no effective therapies for these clinically devastating diseases due to the lack of technology for introducing specific modifications into the mitochondrial genomes and for generating accurate mtDNA disease models. The ability to engineer the mitochondrial genomes would provide a powerful tool to create mutants with which many crucial experiments can be performed in the basic mammalian mitochondrial genetic studies as well as in the treatment of human mtDNA diseases. In this review we summarize the current approaches associated with the correction of mtDNA mutations in cells and describe our own efforts for introducing engineered mtDNA constructs into the mitochondria of living cells through bacterial conjugation.
Conjugation, Genetic ; Cytoplasm ; DNA ; DNA, Circular ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Eukaryotic Cells ; Genome ; Genome, Mitochondrial ; Humans ; Membranes ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; Mitochondria ; Organelles ; Proteins

PURPOSE: To evaluate the genetic factor in development of comitant strabismus. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 48 patients of 24 twins classified into monozygotic or dizygotic twin and analyzed gestational period and birth weight, refraction, phenotype and age of onset, amount of deviation, surgical history, and associated systemic or other ocular anomaly except strabismus. RESULTS: Seventeen of the 24 twins (70.8%) showed phenotypic concordance. The concordance was significantly higher in monozygotic twins (15 of the 18 pairs, 83.3%) than in dizygotic twins (2 of the 6 pairs, 33.3%) (p=0.038). Out of 15 twins with monozygosity who showed concordance, the predominant phenotype was intermittent exotropia (9 pairs, 60.0%). Concordance rate according to phenotype was high in refractive or nonrefractive accommodative esotropia (3 of the 3 pairs, 100.0%) and intermittent exotropia (9 of the 10 pairs, 90.0%). Most of concordant pairs showed similarity in age of onset and amount of deviation between first and second child. CONCLUSIONS: The concordance rate in monozygotic twin was high, especially in refractive or nonrefractive accommodative esotropia and intermittent exotropia, and therefore genetic factor can be responsible for the development of these types of strabismus.
Age of Onset ; Birth Weight ; Child ; Esotropia ; Exotropia ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies ; Strabismus* ; Twins* ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic

PURPOSE: To evaluate the primary indications, surgical outcomes, causes and risk factors for failure in patients with repeat corneal transplantation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed indications for the initial corneal graft, best corrected visual acuity, survival period, corneal clarity, cause and risk factor for failure in 42 patients (45 eyes) who underwent repeat penetrating keratoplasty with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months. RESULTS: The most common primary indications were herpes simplex keratitis (21.4%), followed by corneal scar (19.0%) and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (9.0%). The average period of repeat corneal transplantation was 19.1 +/- 24.9 months. The most common cause of the failure of penetrating keratoplasty was allograft rejection(79.3%). The risk factors of graft failure were corneal neovascularization, chronic inflammation and the number of regrafts. CONCLUSION: The most common primary indication of repeat corneal transplantation was herpes simplex keratitis. The mean survival period was about 19 months. The factors that appeared to influence the survival period of repeat corneal transplantation were the corneal neovascularization, chronic inflammation and the number of regrafts.
Allografts ; Cicatrix ; Corneal Neovascularization ; Corneal Transplantation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Keratitis, Herpetic ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Transplants* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of fibrin glue for conjunctival autotransplantation in pterygium. METHODS: Forty eyes of 32 patients who underwent conjunctival autotransplantation for primary pterygium with a minimum follow-up period of 6 months were included. Postopertive pain, foreign body sensation, tearing, subconjunctival hemorrhage, surgery time, complication, and recurrence were evaluated prospectively in 20 eyes of 15 patients undergoing surgery with fibrin glue, and in 20 eyes of 17 patients undergoing surgery with sutures. RESULTS: One day postoperative, the scores of pain (P<0.01), foreign body sensation (P<0.01), tearing (P<0.01), and subconjunctival hemorrhage (P=0.01) were significantly lower in the fibrin glue group than in the suture group. One week postoperative, the scores of foreign body sensation (P=0.01) and tearing (P=0.01) were significantly lower in the fibrin glue group than in the suture group. Mean surgery time in the fibrin glue group (18 8 minutes) was significantly shorter than in the sutures group (32 11 minutes) (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the recurrence rates of the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Use of fibrin glue for conjunctival autotransplantation in pterygium can reduce postoperative discomfort and required surgical time.
Autografts* ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Prospective Studies ; Pterygium* ; Recurrence ; Sensation ; Sutures

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy, predictability, stability and safety of the implantable contact lens (ICL) to treat high myopia METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes in 49 eyes of 28 patients with high myopia undergoing ICL implantation with a minimum follow-up period of 3 months. RESULTS: Mean preoperative spherical equivalent was -13.94 +/- 5.47D (range, -25.50 to -7.25D), and mean postoperative spherical equivalent was -1.59 +/- 1.59D (range, -6.38 to +0.50D). Forty one eyes (83.7%) were within 1.0D, and 29 eyes (59.2%) were within 0.5D of predicted refraction at last exam. Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity at last examination was 0.5 or better in 43 eyes (87.8%) and 1.0 or better in 21 eyes (42.9%). A gain of 1 or more lines of best corrected visual acuity was seen in 19 eyes (38.8%) and a lost 1 or more lines of best corrected visual acuity at last time in 7 eyes (14.3%). The refraction remained stable with a statistically insignificant change (p>0.05) at each interval during follow-up. Glaucoma occurred in 3 eyes (6.1%), and pigment deposited on the ICL in 5 eyes (10.2%). Two ICLs (4.1%) of 1 patients were removed due to glare. CONCLUSIONS: ICL Implantation is predictable, stable, and effective in the correction of high myopia, with good short-term safety.
Follow-Up Studies ; Glare ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Myopia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

Multiple rice body formation is a complication of chronic bursitis frequently associated with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis. It resembles synovial chondromatosis on imaging and clinically. We report on a pathologically diagnosed multiple rice body formation in subacromial and subdeltoid bursitis in a 44-year-old man who was treated by surgical removal and bursectomy. At 16 months after the removal, range of motion of affected shoulder was normal. No evidence of recurrence of rice body in plain X-ray and ultrasonography. Multiple rice body formed in chronic subacromial and subdeltoid bursitis could be treated with surgical removal and bursectomy successfully.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bursitis* ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; Humans ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Recurrence ; Shoulder ; Tuberculosis ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord serum in the treatment of persistent epithelial defect of the cornea. METHODS: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients with persistent epithelial defect that had persisted for at least 2 weeks despite conventional treatment were treated with 20% umbilical cord serum eyedrops six times a day. The images of the epithelial defects were captured using a camera attached to a slit lamp biomicroscope and the areas of the epithelial defects were calculated. Treatment was considered effective for epithelial defect healing within 2 weeks, partially effective for healing within 2 to 4 weeks, and ineffective for healing requiring either more than 1 month or additional measures. RESULTS: Mean duration of epithelial defect before treatment was 7.2+/-6.3 weeks, and mean area was 7.86+/-7.32 mm2. Umbilical cord serum therapy was effective in 6 eyes (42.9%), partially effective in 6 (42.9%), and ineffective in 2 (14.2%). Nevertheless, the epithelial defects in both the ineffective eyes were eventually healed within 8 weeks. Mean healing time in effective or partially effective cases was 2.75+/-1.06 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The use of umbilical cord serum eyedrops for the treatment of persistent epithelial defect is effective.
Treatment Outcome ; *Ophthalmic Solutions ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; *Fetal Blood ; Female ; *Epithelium, Corneal ; Corneal Diseases/*therapy ; Aged ; Adult

Phthiriasis palpebrarum is a rare disease in which crab lice infest the eyelashes. It can cause pruritic lid margins or unusual blepharoconjunctivitis and is difficult to diagnose and treat. We diagnosed and managed a case of phthiriasis palpebrarum in both upper eyelids, accompanied by nits, on the scalp of a 6 year-old female child. We removed the eyelashes, including lice and nits, by pulling with fine forceps without sedation. On the second month after treatment, all lice and nits were eradicated without recurrence and the eyelashes grew back. In conclusion, phthiriasis palpebrarum can be diagnosed by close examination of the eyelashes and eyelid margins with slit lamp and can be managed mechanically.
Child ; *Eyelashes ; Eyelid Diseases/*therapy ; Female ; *Hair Removal/methods ; Human ; Lice Infestations/*therapy ; *Phthirus

PURPOSE: Concomitant splenectomy in cirrhotic patients is known to ameliorate the tendency to bleed and it decreases the portal venous pressure (PVP). However, the direct measurement of the change in the PVP after concomitant splenectomy has not yet been reported. We tried to measure the change of the PVP before and after splenectomy. METHODS: From March 2000 to May 2006, 18 patients underwent anatomical liver resection with concomitant splenectomy. All the patients had liver cirrhosis, thrombocytopenia and/or esophageal varix. Through the 5 French feeding tube, which was inserted into the right gastroepiploic vein after laparotomy, we directly measured the PVP before and after splenectomy, and also under portal triad clamping (PTC). RESULTS: After splenectomy, the PVP decreased significantly from 261.11+/-45.87 mmH2O to 221.11+/-38.48 mmH2O (p<0.05). Under PTC, the PVP decreased significantly from 605.00+/-116.48 mmH2O to 513.89+/-70.56 mmH2O (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Concomitant splenectomy in patients with liver cirrhosis resulted in a significant reduction of the PVP.
Constriction ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Factor IX ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Portal Pressure ; Splenectomy ; Thrombocytopenia ; Veins