Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Membranes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Traction ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) arising primarily in the lung is an extremely rare and aggressive malignancy with poor chances of patient survival. We present a case of long-term survival by a 29-year-old woman with PNET diagnosed after a hertological and immunohertochemical examination of a biopsy specimen obtained by performing video-assisted thoracic surgery. The patient underwent a left lower lung lobe lobectomy and 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. The patient has been free of any symptoms of the recurrence of the disease for 6 years after treatment completion.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Female ; Humans ; Lung* ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma, Ewing ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of central vision loss in developed countries. The incidence of AMD has increased rapidly in Korea. The objective of this article is to introduce the latest knowledge about the pathophysiology, diagnostic tools and therapeutic modalities of AMD. The risk factors for AMD are age, smoking, familial history, genetic factors related to the complement system, diet, and cholesterol levels. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of AMD and is associated with the complement system. Genes associated with the complement system affect the pathophysiology, expression, progression and therapeutic response of AMD. The use of antioxidants, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids inhibits progression from moderate AMD to advanced AMD. Although there is no established treatment for dry AMD, treatment with agents that inhibit the complement system or through other mechanisms is under study. A number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents have been developed for the prevention of choroidal neovascularization in the treatment of wet AMD and are being used clinically. Therapeutic alternatives to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents are under study.
Antioxidants ; Cholesterol ; Choroidal Neovascularization ; Complement System Proteins ; Developed Countries ; Diet ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Zinc

OBJECTIVES: To assess the current state of anemia evaluation in the elderly over 80 years of age. METHODS: Patients who were more than 80 years old and visited Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital from April 2005 to February 2014 were included. Statistical analysis were assessed using the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Total 548 patients, who had anemia according to WHO criteria, were identified. The median age was 85 years old (range, 82 to 99 years) and median hemoglobin level was 11.0 g/dL (range, 2.7 to 12.9 g/dL). Twenty-eight, 468, and 52 patients were classified as microcytic anemia, normocytic anemia, and macrocytic anemia, respectively. Among them, 397 patients (72.4%) did not undergo proper evaluation for the cause anemia i.e., 8 cases (28.5%) of microcytic anemia, 361 cases (77.1%) of normocytic anemia, and the 28 cases (53.84%) of 52 macrocytic anemia patients. The remaining 151 patients (27.6%) had completed the evaluation, and 24 patients (15.9%) were diagnosed as solid malignancies. In the assessment of iron deficiency anemia, hemoglobin levels, and age had no effect on whether or not to perform esophagogastroduodenoscopy. CONCLUSION: This finding showed that physicians often neglected anemia in individuals over 80 years of age. Though these patients have limited life expectancy, physicians should carefully discriminate the sub-population who will be benefit from adequate evaluation and treatment.
Aged ; Anemia* ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Anemia, Macrocytic ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Logistic Models

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Wall shear stress contributes to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. There are limited studies for statin as a major contributing factor on whole blood viscosity (WBV) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the effect of statin on WBV in ACS patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 189 consecutive patients (mean age, 61.3±10.9 years; 132 males; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=52; non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=84; unstable angina n=53). Patients were divided into two groups (group I: previous use of statins for at least 3 months, n=51; group II: statin-naïve patients, n=138). Blood viscosities at shear rates of 1 s-1 (diastolic blood viscosity; DBV) and 300 s-1 (systolic blood viscosity; SBV) were measured at baseline and one month after statin treatment. Rosuvastatin was administered to patients after enrollment (mean daily dose, 16.2±4.9 mg). RESULTS: Baseline WBV was significantly higher in group II ([SBV: group I vs group II, 40.8±5.9 mP vs. 44.2±7.4 mP, p=0.003], [DBV: 262.2±67.8 mP vs. 296.9±76.0 mP, p=0.002]). WBV in group II was significantly lower one month after statin treatment ([SBV: 42.0±4.7 mP, p=0.012, DBV: 281.4±52.6 mP, p=0.044]). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was not associated with WBV in both baseline (SBV: R2=0.074, p=0.326; DBV: R2=0.073, p=0.337) and after one month follow up (SBV: R2=0.104, p=0.265; DBV: R2=0.112, p=0.232). CONCLUSION: Previous statin medication is an important determinant in lowering WBV in patients with ACS. However, one month of rosuvastatin decreased WBV in statin-naïve ACS patients.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Angina, Unstable ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Viscosity* ; Cholesterol ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prospective Studies ; Rheology ; Rupture ; Rosuvastatin Calcium

PURPOSE: Rebound tonometer has been used to measure the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the supine as well as normal upright positions. We investigated the reliability of IOP measurements using the rebound tonometer in the upright and supine positions. METHODS: IOP was measured in 30 patients (60 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma who had no history of ocular surgery and no anterior segment pathology, in both the upright and supine positions using rebound tonometer (IcarePRO; Icare Finland Oy, Finland). The average IOP value after 6 measurements was recorded. We measured IOP repeatedly until 3 reliable values within normal limits of the measurement's variation were obtained. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation, and number of repeated measurements necessary to obtain 3 reliable IOP values in each position as measured by one examiner. RESULTS: ICC values for IOP measurements were 0.852 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.784-0.903; p < 0.001) in the upright position and 0.684 (95% CI, 0.563-0.784; p < 0.027) in the supine position. Coefficient of variation was 8.7 +/- 0.1% in the upright position and 24.0 +/- 0.1% in the supine position. An average of 3.3 times of repeated measurements in the upright position and 6.2 times in the supine position were necessary to obtain 3 reliable IOP values within the normal range of standard deviation. CONCLUSIONS: When measuring IOP using the IcarePRO rebound tonometer, the measurement reliability was different between the upright and supine positions. Reproducibility of IOP measurements was lower in the upright than the supine position.
Finland ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iron-Dextran Complex ; Pathology ; Reference Values ; Supine Position*

PURPOSE: We compared ocular torsion rates in blow-out fracture patients before and after blowout fracture repair by analyzing mean disc foveal angles. METHODS: The study participants were divided into 2 groups: blow-out fracutre repair patients (n = 36) and controls (n = 36). We measured ocular torsion rates by analyzing mean disc foveal angle. The angle was composed of 2 imaginary horizontal lines which crossed the optic disc center and fovea. We compared statistically ocular torsion rates in blow-out fracture patients based on subsided diplopia, continued diplopia, or absence of diplopia before and after blow-out fracture repair using paired t-test. RESULTS: In the patient group, ocular torsion rates were statistically significantly decreased. In the blow-out fracture repair group with subsided diplopia, ocular torsion rates were decreased statistically from 7.74 +/- 3.48 degrees before blow-out fracture repair to 5.02 +/- 3.11 degrees after blow-out fracture repair. In the blow-out fracture repair group with continued diplopia or absence of diplopia before surgery, ocular torsion rates did not change statistically significantly from 6.36 +/- 2.80 degrees before blow-out fracture repair to 6.51 +/- 3.24 degrees after blow-out fracture repair. CONCLUSIONS: Subsided diplopia after blow-out fracture repair and ocular torsion rate changes were significantly related in blow-out fracture patients. Further research which on the correlation of intraorbital change and movement of orbital position after blow-out fracture repair with ocular torsion rates are necessary.
Diplopia* ; Humans ; Orbit ; Orbital Fractures*

Anaphylactic transfusion reaction is caused by deficiency of certain protein(s) in the recipient. We report on the experience of platelet count recovery using washed platelets for transfusion in a patient who developed an anaphylactic transfusion reaction. A 50-year old male diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma was treated with chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Immediately after starting transfusion of apheresis platelets, he began sweating and complained of visual impairment, chest discomfort, and abdominal pain. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures and oxygen saturation monitored by pulse oximetry were decreased. Platelet transfusion was discontinued immediately and hydrocortisone was administered, and the symptoms and signs were resolved within two hours. Laboratory test using post-transfusion blood showed no apparent evidence of hemolysis. Platelet washing procedure using normal saline three times was newly set to prevent anaphylactic reaction in the patient. Transfusions of washed platelets were performed 20 times for 60 days, and the patient showed no anaphylactic reaction during this period. He showed no evidence of immunoglobulin A, haptoglobin, C3, or C4 deficiencies. We confirmed that washed platelet transfusion is highly effective for prevention of anaphylactic transfusion reaction.
Abdominal Pain ; Anaphylaxis ; Blood Component Removal ; Blood Group Incompatibility* ; Blood Platelets* ; Drug Therapy ; Haptoglobins ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunoglobulin A ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Male ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Platelet Count ; Platelet Transfusion* ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Thorax ; Vision Disorders

PURPOSE: To report a case of serous macular detachment preceding macular retinoschisis in an optic pit patient successfully treated by vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling. CASE SUMMARY: A 76 year old female visited our clinic for visual disturbance in her right eye. Fundus photograph revealed optic pit and OCT showed macular retinoschisis in her right eye. She was followed up in our clinic. The patient revisited our clinic because of sudden decrease of visual acuity in her right eye 3 days before. At that time, the patient's best-corrected visual acuity was 0.05. Macular retinoschisis, subretinal fluid and serous retinal detachment were observed in her right eye on OCT. She was diagnosed with serous retinal detachment associated with optic pit and pars plana vitrectomy was performed. During vitrectomy, we found adhesion and defect of posterior hyaloid membrane which covered the optic pit. Therefore, subretinal fluid was drained via membrane defect and posterior vitreous detachment and fluid-gas exchange were induced. Sixteen days after surgery, we found a macular hole in her right eye on OCT. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed with internal limiting membrane peeling. One month after surgery, macular detachment was not observed. Six months after surgery, the patient's best corrected visual acuity was 0.63 and the macula was reattached completely. CONCLUSIONS: Optic pit maculopathy can be progressed rapidly in aged patients and macular hole would be ocurred as a complication. Additional study will be needed to figure out the role of internal limiting membrane and tractional force of posterior vitreous in these patients.
Female ; Humans ; Membranes ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinoschisis* ; Subretinal Fluid ; Traction ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Detachment

PURPOSE: Recently, the introduction of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) has enabled measurement of retinal thickness in the posterior pole in 64 sectors. SD-OCT was used to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness in detecting glaucomatous abnormality of visual field sensitivity. A normal value for retinal thickness was determined and then compared in corresponding local sectors. METHODS: Thirty healthy controls and 30 glaucoma subjects were evaluated. Macular thickness values from the 4 adjacent square cells in an 8 x 8 posterior pole retinal thickness map were averaged for a mean retinal thickness (MRT) value. A normative database was prepared using the data from the healthy eyes of this study to determine the diagnostic criteria for MRT. If the MRT value was <5% (Criteria A) or <1% (Criteria B) of the normative database, it was considered to be abnormal. The abnormalities of the MRT value for each diagnostic criteria were compared with the visual field sensitivity results in the corresponding positions. RESULTS: The concordance of abnormalities between MRT and visual field sensitivity at 16 measured points was low in both criteria A (Kappa value; -0.418~0.429) and B (Kappa value; -0.363~0.444). Based on the results of the visual field at each focal point, the sensitivities and specificities of MRT values using the 2 criteria ranged from 0% to 100%. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, MRT values showed low correlation and diagnostic ability to detect decreased sensitivity of the visual field in corresponding points, when customized criteria derived from a normative database were applied.
Glaucoma ; Reference Values ; Retinaldehyde* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence* ; Visual Fields