Background: This study aimed to analyze the prehospital process and reperfusion therapy process of acute ischemic stroke in Busan metropolitan area and examine the impact of living arrangement on the early management and functional outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: The patients who diagnosed with AIS and received reperfusion therapy at the Busan Regional Cardiovascular Center between September 2020 and May 2023 were selected. We investigated the patients’ hospital arrival time (onset to door time) and utilization of 119 emergency ambulance services. Additionally, various time matrices related to reperfusion therapy after hospital were examined, along with the functional outcome at the 90-day after treatment. Results: Among the 753 AIS patients who underwent reperfusion therapy, 166 individuals (22.1%) were living alone. AIS patients living alone experienced significant delays in symptom detection (p<0.05) and hospital arrival compared to AIS patients with cohabitants (370.1 minutes vs. 210.2 minutes, p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of 119 ambulance utilization and time metrics related with the reperfusion therapy. Independent predictors of prognosis in AIS patients were found to be age above 70, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, tissue plasminogen activator, living alone (odds ratio [OR], 1.785; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.155–2.760) and interhospital transfer (OR, 1.898; 95% CI, 1.152–3.127). Delay in identification of AIS was shown significant correlation (OR, 2.440; 95% CI, 1.070–5.561) at living alone patients. Conclusion This study revealed that AIS patients living alone in the Busan metropolitan region, requiring endovascular treatment, face challenges in the pre-hospital phase, which significantly impact their prognosis.

Purpose: The incidence and prognostic implications of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are controversial, especially for Korean patients. Furthermore, the pattern of antithrombotic therapy for these patients is unknown. The present study sought to identify the impact of AF on Korean patients undergoing TAVI and demonstrate the status of antithrombotic therapy for these patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 660 patients who underwent TAVI for severe AS were recruited from the nationwide K-TAVI registry in Korea. The enrolled patients were stratified into sinus rhythm (SR) and AF groups. The primary endpoint was all-cause death at 1-year. Results: AF was recorded in 135 patients [pre-existing AF 108 (16.4%) and new-onset AF 27 (4.1%)]. The rate of all-cause death at 1 year was significantly higher in patients with AF than in those with SR [16.2% vs. 6.4%, adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 2.207, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.182–4.120, p=0.013], regardless of the onset timing of AF. The rate of new pacemaker insertion at 1 year was also significantly higher in patients with AF than in those with SR (14.0% vs. 5.5%, adjusted HR: 3.137, 95%CI: 1.621–6.071, p=0.001).Among AF patients, substantial number of patients received the combination of multiple antithrombotic agents (77.8%), and the most common combination was that of aspirin and clopidogrel (38.1%). Conclusion AF was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality and new pacemaker insertion in Korean patients undergoing TAVI.

A wave of new technologies has created opportunities for the cost-effective generation of high-throughput profiles of biological systems, foreshadowing a "data-driven science" era. The large variety of data available from biological research is also a rich resource that can be used for innovative endeavors. However, we are facing considerable challenges in big data deposition, integration, and translation due to the complexity of biological data and its production at unprecedented exponential rates. To address these problems, in 2020, the Korean government officially announced a national strategy to collect and manage the biological data produced through national R&D fund allocations and provide the collected data to researchers. To this end, the Korea Bioinformation Center (KOBIC) developed a new biological data repository, the Korea BioData Station (K-BDS), for sharing data from individual researchers and research programs to create a data-driven biological study environment. The K-BDS is dedicated to providing free open access to a suite of featured data resources in support of worldwide activities in both academia and industry.

Purpose: To report a case of acute angle-closure attack resulting from hemorrhagic retinal detachment after a double retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tear in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with large pigment epithelial detachment (PED).Case summary: A 66-year-old female visited with a complaint of poor vision in left eye, which began 1 month prior. She was diagnosed with exudative AMD with a large PED using optical coherence tomography and indocyanine green angiography. Intravitreal aflibercept injection was performed. The RPE tear occurred at 2 weeks after the intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection for AMD, after which the range of the RPE tear expanded and included the macular area at 4 weeks after the second injection. At 3 months after the third injection, massive submacular hemorrhage occurred; aflibercept injection was repeated. At 3 days after the fourth injection, the patient’s intraocular pressure (IOP) was 60 mmHg, and massive hemorrhagic serous retinal detachment and anterior movement of the lens with total angle closure were observed. Therefore, we performed a sclerotomy; a large amount of dark blood and subretinal fluid was drained. The IOP decreased, and the retinal detachment improved somewhat. The patient was kept under observation for careful monitoring of her condition. Conclusions It is very rare to experience a double RPE rupture after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection in AMD. We report on our experience and treatment of acute angle-closure attack. The IOP increased due to hemorrhagic retinal detachment after a double RPE tear over the treatment course.

Purpose: To report a case of acute angle-closure attack resulting from hemorrhagic retinal detachment after a double retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tear in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with large pigment epithelial detachment (PED).Case summary: A 66-year-old female visited with a complaint of poor vision in left eye, which began 1 month prior. She was diagnosed with exudative AMD with a large PED using optical coherence tomography and indocyanine green angiography. Intravitreal aflibercept injection was performed. The RPE tear occurred at 2 weeks after the intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection for AMD, after which the range of the RPE tear expanded and included the macular area at 4 weeks after the second injection. At 3 months after the third injection, massive submacular hemorrhage occurred; aflibercept injection was repeated. At 3 days after the fourth injection, the patient’s intraocular pressure (IOP) was 60 mmHg, and massive hemorrhagic serous retinal detachment and anterior movement of the lens with total angle closure were observed. Therefore, we performed a sclerotomy; a large amount of dark blood and subretinal fluid was drained. The IOP decreased, and the retinal detachment improved somewhat. The patient was kept under observation for careful monitoring of her condition. Conclusions It is very rare to experience a double RPE rupture after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection in AMD. We report on our experience and treatment of acute angle-closure attack. The IOP increased due to hemorrhagic retinal detachment after a double RPE tear over the treatment course.

Purpose: To compare the effect on changes in anterior chamber depth (ACD) and refractive error between subjects after combined phacovitrectomy with posterior capsulotomy using a vitrectomy probe and control subjects after combined phacovitrectomy without posterior capsulotomy. Methods: A total of 20 eyes of 20 subjects who underwent combined phacovitrectomy with posterior capsulotomy using a vitrectomy probe were compared with 20 eyes of 20 control subjects who underwent only phacovitrectomy without posterior capsulotomy. The ACD was measured with Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam ® ; OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) before and after surgery. Also the preoperative desired refraction and postoperative refraction were compared using an auto keratorefractometor. Results: The preoperative ACD of subjects with posterior capsulotomy was 2.56 ± 0.233 mm. The ACD was 3.54 ± 0.366 mm and 3.71 ± 0.424 mm at one and three months after surgery in subjects with posterior capsulotomy. The preoperative ACD of subjects without posterior capsulotomy was 2.53 ± 0.204 mm. The ACD was 3.09 ± 0.197 mm and 2.95 ± 0.295 mm at one and three months after surgery in subjects without posterior capsulotomy. There was no significant difference between the two groups in preoperative ACD, but ACD at one and three months after surgery was significantly different between the two groups.The desired refractory error was -0.32 ± 0.124 D in subjects with posterior capsulotomy, and -0.33 ± 0.142 D in the control group.The postoperative refraction was -0.62 ± 0.132 D in patients who underwent phacovitrectomy with posterior capsulotomy, and -0.91 ± 0.292 D in the control group. There was a significant difference in refraction three months after the surgery. Conclusions Combined phacovitrectomy with posterior capsulotomy using a vitrectomy probe may be a useful way to prevent myopic change caused by anterior migration of an intraocular lens compared with control subjects, without posterior capsulotomy, for three months after surgery.