PURPOSE: To investigate the visual prognosis, the interval, and the rate of development of after-cataract following cataract surgery in atopic dermatitis. METHODS: Twenty eyes of 13 patients diagnosed as cataract associated with atopic dermatitis were operated between January, 1994 and January, 2000. Visual acuity, postoperative inflammatory reaction, the interval, and the rate of development of after-cataract were investigated and compared with the cataract cases without atopic dermatitis. RESULTS: The average preoperative best corrected visual acuity of 20 eyes was 0.23+/-0.22. The average postoperative best corrected visual acuity at 1, 2, 7, and 12 months after surgery were 0.78+/-0.23, 0.83+/-0.16, 0.78+/-0.23, 0.83+/-0.26, respectively. These values showed no significant difference compared to the postoperative visual acuity of the cataract cases without atopic dermatitis. Aqueous flares measured with laser flare meter were 15.09+/-9.20, 11.15+/-4.68, and 7.38+/-0.75 photon counts/millisecond at 10 days, 1, and 2 months after surgery, which did not seem to influence the final visual acuity and the development of after-cataract (p>0.05). Among the 20 eyes, 66.67% finally developed after-cataract and the average time interval of the development of after-cataract was 11.25+/-4.22 months. CONCLUSIONS: Visual prognosis following cataract surgery in atopic dermatitis is good, while after-cataract seems to develop more frequently and earlier compared to the cases without atopic dermatitis.
Aqueous Humor ; Cataract* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Prognosis* ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and the correlation between TAO and the thyroid function state. METHODS: 40 patients with TAO were selected among 2,000 patients of thyroid disease between September 1, 1995 and December 31, 2000, and classified by the Van Dyk's ''NOSPECS and RELIEF'' classification. T3, T4, TSH and Thyroid stimulating antibody (TSAb) levels were examined before and after treatment of TAO and thyroid disease. Relationship between TAO and thyroid function state was evaluated by using paired t-test and logistic regression test. RESULTS: The prevalence of TAO was about 2% in thyroid disease patients. Clinical manifestations of TAO were eyelid retraction (75%), exophthalmos (62.5%), soft tissue periorbital swelling (42.5%), diplopia and extraocular muscle restriction (20%), keratopathy (2.5%) and optic neuropathy (2.5%). Thyroid function state decided by T3, T4 and TSH level had no correlation with the improvement of TAO (p<0.05). But, TSAb level in improved TAO group (n=8) significantly decreased after treatment of TAO and thyroid disease (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid function restoration may not help to improve the course of TAO. But, low TSAb level can be thought as a significant marker in improvement of TAO.
Classification ; Diplopia ; Exophthalmos ; Eyelids ; Graves Ophthalmopathy* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating ; Logistic Models ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Troleandomycin

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the relationship between genotype of Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) and severity of disability after brain injury as well as serum lipid profile. METHOD: One hundred thirty-five brain injured patients (mean age 54.6 16.7 years, 90 male and 45 female) were enrolled. There were 34 patients with ischemic Stroke, 61 hemorrhagic stroke, and 40 traumatic brain injury. Apo E genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The serum concentra tions of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL-cholesterol were measured. The outcome of brain injury was assessed by functional independence measure (FIM) scores. RESULTS: Most frequent Apo E genotype was E 3/3 (72%). In hemorrhagic stroke patients with Epsilon4 allele, FIM score at admission was significantly lower than that of the patients without Epsilon4 allele (p<0.05). In traumatic brain injury patients with Epsilon4 allele, FIM score change was significantly smaller than that of patients without Epsilon4 allele (p<0.05). The level of total serum cholesterol was lower in the ischemic stroke patients who have Epsilon2 allele in comparison with the patients without that allele. CONCLUSION: The presence of Epsilon4 allele is considered to have relationship with the severity of disability and functional outcome in the patients with brain injury.
Alleles ; Apolipoproteins E ; Apolipoproteins* ; Brain Injuries* ; Brain* ; Cholesterol ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stroke ; Triglycerides

Angiography ; Fires ; Foreign Bodies ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Incidence ; Neck ; Shock ; Vascular System Injuries ; Vertebral Artery ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Achilles tendon injury is one of the most common sports-related injuries. Several studies suggest that Achilles tendon injury is associated with seasonal variation. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between seasonal variations and Achilles tendon injury through Google Trends (GT) and to evaluate the correlation between GT and actual data.METHODS: We identified three articles through PubMed database as control group. The experimental group (GT group) was collected from GT by setting the same conditions as the control group. For GT group, we use the search terms related to the Achilles tendon injury. The exploration period was set from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2018.RESULTS: There is approximately more than 90% (p<0.05) correlation between GT group and control group. The incidences of Ontario were the highest in the summer. Those of New York and Vancouver were higher in spring compared to those of Ontario.CONCLUSION: Our study implies that there is significant seasonal variation for Achilles tendon injury. Most of these injuries seem to occur in spring and summer. Also, there is a significant relationship between GT data and actual data. If the data from GT can be analyzed properly, these approach methods will be useful for epidemiological research.
Achilles Tendon ; Incidence ; Ontario ; Seasons

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: We attempted to establish an efficient diagnosis and treatment modality by analyzing clinical manifestations and operative results of upper lumbar disc herniations. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Upper lumbar disc herniations represented a lower incidence but have become easier to diagnose by predictable clinical aspects and an MRI scan. The operative results have been satisfactory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 41 cases, which were operated with posterior laminectomy and discectomy from September, 1996 to November, 2009. We analyzed pre-operative history, clinical and MRI findings, and then assessed operative results by Kim's criteria and functional change in the follow up. RESULTS: The prevalence of upper lumbar disc herniations in all disc herniations was 8.8%. Pre-operative manifestations were lower back pain (85.4%), radiating pain (80.5%), sensory deficit (53.7%), motor deficit (53.7%), and depressed knee jerk (65.9%). The positive rate of the femoral stretching test (78.0%) was higher than the straight leg raising test (39.0%). The VAS score changed from preoperative 9.0+/-0.8 into postoperative 1.4+/-1.3 points. The operative results were excellent or good in 82.9%. The rate of resuming previous work, including slight modification was 90.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Predictable clinical aspects of the upper lumbar disc herniations are anterior thigh pain with lower back pain, variable motor deficit, sensory deficit, depressed knee jerk and the positive femoral nerve stretching test. Through careful examination and radiological evaluations such as MRI, operative treatment can obtain a symptomatic improvement and satisfactory results.
Diskectomy ; Femoral Nerve ; Incidence ; Knee ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thigh

Primary Pigmented Nodular Adrenal Dysplasia (PPNAD) is a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome in infants and young adults. The familial occurrence, it may be variably associated with a complex of other pathologic characteristics that manifests extraadrenal disorders (includes cardiac myxomas, lentigines, mammary myxoid lesions, testicular tumors, pituitary adenomas, and neuroectodermal tumors) was considered indicative of Carneys complex. This was based on the failure of cortisol suppression by high-dose dexamethasone, either normal or suppressed basal adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels, and normal radiographic studies of the sellar turcica, and adrenals glands is almost normal or slightlg eulaged.. Bilateral adrenalectomy has thus the only effective means of cure. The disease may be a component of a rare, but potentially dangerous complex of abnormalities that follow an autosomal-dominant mode of inheritance. Recently we experienced a case of Carney's complex composed by Cushings syndrome due to PPNAD with familial purple colored lentigines on their lips and report it with reviews of the literatures.
Adrenalectomy ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Infant ; Lentigo ; Lip ; Myxoma ; Neural Plate ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Testicular Neoplasms ; Wills ; Young Adult

To investigate the significance of precordial ST-segment depression in acute inferior myocardial infarction, electrocardiographic findings in 51 consecutive patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction were analysed with clinical findings and coronary artery angiography. Thirty patients(Group A) had no or <1.0mm ST depression, and twenty one patients(Group B) had > or =1.0mm ST depression in two or more precordial(VI-6) leads were included in this study. Patients in Group B thd greater summed ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, AVF(6.3+/-6.1 vs 2.4+/-2.3mm, p<0.05), higher plasma peak CK levels(1776.8+/-1503.3 vs 5666.6+/-587.7 IU/L, p<0.05), higher plasmal peak CK-MB levels(141.2+/-1553.3 vs 34.1+/-35.7 IU/L, p<0.05), more prevalence of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease (46.6% vs 16.6%, p<0.05) than patients in Group A. There was no significant difference between Group A and Group B in the LV ejection fraction, delta area decreasing rate, infarction related asynergy, complications during hospitalization and cardiac events during follow up period. In conclusion, patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction who have associated with precordial ST depression had more extensive myocardial damage probably due to concomitant left anterior descending coronary artery disease.
Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression* ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infarction ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction* ; Plasma ; Prevalence

BACKGROUND: Because acute cholecystitis in elderly hip fracture is not easily distinguishable from other gastrointestinal symptoms and involves atypical clinical behaviors, it may not be diagnosed in the early stage. However, the exact incidences could not be reported. We utilized data from a nationwide claims database and attempted to assess the incidence of acute cholecystitis in elderly hip fracture patients and how cholecystitis affects mortality rates after hip fracture. METHODS: Study subjects were from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort. From a population of approximately 5.5 million Korean enrollees > 60 years of age in 2002, a total of 588,147 participants were randomly selected using 10% simple random sampling. The subjects included in this study were those who were over 65 years old and underwent surgery for hip fractures. RESULTS: A total of 15,210 patients were enrolled in the cohort as hip fracture patients. There were 7,888 cases (51.9%) of femoral neck fracture and 7,443 (48.9%) cases of hemiarthroplasty. Thirty-six patients developed acute cholecystitis within 30 days after the index date (30-day cumulative incidence, 0.24%). Four of the 36 acute cholecystitis patients (11.1%) died within 30 days versus 2.92% of patients without acute cholecystitis. In the multivariate-adjusted Poisson regression model, hip fracture patients with incident acute cholecystitis were 4.35 (adjusted risk ratio 4.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.66–11.37; P = 0.003) times more likely to die within 30 days than those without acute cholecystitis. CONCLUSION: Incidence of acute cholecystitis in elderly patients after hip fracture within 30 days after the index date was 0.24%. Acute cholecystitis in elderly hip fracture patients dramatically increases the 30-day mortality rate by 4.35-fold. Therefore, early disease detection and management are crucial for patients.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Cohort Studies ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip Fractures ; Hip ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Odds Ratio

A phytochemical investigation of Allium macrostemon Bunge (Liliaceae) afforded the new pregnane steroidal glycoside, named allimacroside F (1), along with three known glycosides, benzyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), phenylethyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (Z)-3-hexenyl-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4). The identification and structural elucidation of a new compound (1) was carried out based on spectral data analyses (¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) and HR-FAB-MS.
Allium ; Glycosides ; Liliaceae ; Statistics as Topic