Background/Aims: It remains unclear which maintenance treatment modality is most appropriate for mild gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).We aimed to compare on-demand treatment with continuous treatment using a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in the maintenance treatment for patients with non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis. Methods: Patients whose GERD symptoms improved after 4 weeks of standard dose PPI treatment were prospectively enrolled at 25 hospitals.Subsequently, the enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either an on-demand or a continuous maintenance treatment group, and followed in an 8-week interval for up to 24 weeks. Results: A total of 304 patients were randomized to maintenance treatment (continuous, n = 151 vs on-demand, n = 153). The primary outcome, the overall proportion of unwillingness to continue the assigned maintenance treatment modality, failed to confirm the noninferiority of on-demand treatment (45.9%) compared to continuous treatment (36.1%). Compared with the on-demand group, the GERD symptom and health-related quality of life scores significantly more improved and the overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the continuous treatment group, particularly at week 8 and week 16 of maintenance treatment. Work impairment scores were not different in the 2 groups, but the prescription cost was less in the on-demand group. Serum gastrin levels significantly elevated in the continuous treatment group, but not in the on-demand group. Conclusions Continuous treatment seems to be more appropriate for the initial maintenance treatment of non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis than on-demand treatment. Stepping down to on-demand treatment needs to be considered after a sufficient period of continuous treatment.

Objective: : It is challenging to make solid fusion by posterior screw fixation and laminectomy with posterolateral fusion (PLF) in thoracic and thoracolumbar (TL) diseases. In this study, we report our experience and follow-up results with a new surgical technique entitled posterior thoracic cage interbody fusion (PTCIF) for thoracic and TL spine in comparison with conventional PLF. Methods: : After institutional review board approval, a total of 57 patients who underwent PTCIF (n=30) and conventional PLF (n=27) for decompression and fusion in thoracic and TL spine between 2004 and 2019 were analyzed. Clinical outcomes and radiological parameters, including bone fusion, regional Cobb angle, and proximal junctional Cobb angle, were evaluated. Results: : In PTCIF and conventional PLF, the mean age was 61.2 and 58.2 years (p=0.46), and the numbers of levels fused were 2.8 and 3.1 (p=0.46), respectively. Every patient showed functional improvement except one case of PTCIF. Postoperative hematoma as a perioperative complication occurred in one and three cases, respectively. The mean difference in the regional Cobb angle immediately after surgery compared with that of the last follow-up was 1.4° in PTCIF and 7.6° in conventional PLF (p=0.003), respectively. The mean durations of postoperative follow-up were 35.6 months in PTCIF and 37.3 months in conventional PLF (p=0.86). Conclusion : PTCIF is an effective fusion method in decompression and fixation surgery with good clinical outcomes for various spinal diseases in the thoracic and TL spine. It provides more stable bone fusion than conventional PLF by anterior column support.

PURPOSE: This study reports a case of bilateral acute angle-closure crisis induced by two kinds of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), duloxetine and tramadol.CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old female visited our clinic, complaining of bilateral visual impairment, ocular pain, and headache, which began 2 days after taking several drugs including duloxetine and tramadol for the purpose of back pain relief. On the day of the first visit, her uncorrected visual acuity was 0.04 in the right eye and 0.02 in the left eye, and the intraocular pressure (IOP) was 45 mmHg in the right eye and 51 mmHg in the left eye. The anterior chamber was shallow and the anterior chamber-angle was closed in both eyes on gonioscopy. There was mild nuclear sclerosis of both lenses. Assuming drug-induced bilateral acute angle-closure crisis, all medications were discontinued, and IOP-lowering agents were prescribed. The symptoms, visual acuity, and IOP improved; however, both anterior chambers were still shallow and the iridocorneal angle was still closed in both eyes. Laser iridotomy was tried in the right eye but failed because the pupils were not completely constricted, and iris bleeding occurred. Phacoemulsification and posterior chamber lens insertion were conducted in both eyes, and her visual acuity, IOP, anterior chamber depth, and iridocorneal angle have been stable at 9 months since her first visit. CONCLUSIONS The combined administration of SNRI may cause bilateral acute angle-closure attacks.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of inferior tear meniscus measurements using two different spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to compare the inter-device agreements between these devices. METHODS: Two examiners evaluated the tear meniscus depth (TMD) and tear meniscus height (TMH) of 20 eyes in 20 normal subjects using Cirrus OCT and Spectralis OCT with the examiners calculating the TMD and TMH. We analyzed intra-examiner repeatability, inter-examiner reproducibility, and inter-device agreement. RESULTS: The average TMD measurements using the Cirrus OCT and Spectralis OCT devices were 151.25 ± 41.53 µm and 139.10 ± 40.56 µm by examiner 1, respectively, and 152.03 ± 42.77 µm and 138.35 ± 39.70 µm by examiner 2, respectively. The TMHs were 291.90 ± 100.19 µm and 245.43 ± 66.44 µm by examiner 1, respectively, and 288.25 ± 98.72 µm and 244.23 ± 60.69 µm by examiner 2, respectively. The TMDs and TMHs measured using these OCT devices were not statistically significant for intra-examiner and inter-examiner measurements (all, p > 0.05). These devices showed high repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.991) for intra-examiner TMD and TMH measurements and the inter-examiner coefficient of variation ranged from 2.04% to 4.32%. The 95% limits of agreement between the two devices were −66.13 to 91.95 µm for TMD and −127.18 to 217.68 µm for TMH. CONCLUSIONS: Both OCT devices are useful for conducting inferior tear meniscus measurements. The inter-device agreement was poor, and the devices were not interchangeable.
Tears

PURPOSE: To evaluate the morphological changes of meibomian glands and dry eye syndrome in patients with type II diabetes. METHODS: The medical records of 72 diabetic patients referred to the ophthalmology clinic for the evaluation of diabetic retinopathy, who had dry eye symptoms, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients, with an age of 56.3 ± 13.3 years, were analyzed. The group with diabetic retinopathy (52 patients) had a significantly lower tear film break-up time (p = 0.046), lower Schirmer's test value (p = 0.005), and higher percentage of upper (p = 0.036) and lower (p = 0.017) meibomian gland area losses than the group without diabetic retinopathy (20 patients). According to multilinear regression analyses considering sex, age, and diabetes-related characteristics, the Schirmer's test value was significantly lower with increasing stage of diabetic retinopathy (β = −1.180, p = 0.016). The percentage of upper meibomian gland area loss was significantly increased with increasing age (β = 0.605, p < 0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin (β = 1.881, p = 0.011), and stage of diabetic retinopathy (β = 4.458, p = 0.001). The percentage of lower meibomian gland loss area was significantly increased with increasing age (β = 0.443, p = 0.001) and stage of diabetic retinopathy (β = 4.879, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with type 2 diabetes, the more severe the diabetic retinopathy, the more likely the meibomian gland loss will occur, so careful and appropriate treatment should be conducted.
Diabetic Retinopathy ; Dry Eye Syndromes ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Meibomian Glands ; Ophthalmology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tears

BACKGROUND: To analyze the results of court rulings about medical litigations related to cataract surgery in Korea. METHODS: We collected 50 anonymized judgements regarding cataract surgery between 2000 and 2016 and analyzed the reasons for the medical litigations, the court rulings, the reasons for compensation, and the amount claimed and finally awarded. RESULTS: Forty-eight litigations (96%) resulted from errors in treatment, and the reasons were as follows: endophthalmitis, dissatisfaction of visual outcome or ocular discomfort, bullous keratopathy or corneal opacity, retinal detachment, glaucoma or vitreous hemorrhage due to the progression of an underlying diabetic retinopathy, and others in order. Two litigations (4%) arose due to errors in diagnosis. Among the 50 final cases, 21 litigations (42%) were decided in favor of the plaintiff, and 29 litigations (58%) were decided against the plaintiff and dismissed. Ten cases awarded damages to the plaintiffs because of a violation of duty of care, and 11 cases awarded damages due to a violation of informed consent. When comparing cases with errors in diagnosis to cases with errors in treatment, there was no significant difference in the relative risk of a defendant's verdict (P = 0.503). The total amount of awarded damages was KRW 439,124,496 (USD 399,204), and the average amount was KRW 20,910,690 (USD 19,010). CONCLUSION: Nearly half of the cases were decided in favor of the plaintiff due to the violation of informed consent. This study's results will be helpful in understanding the results of medical litigations regarding cataract surgery and reducing future lawsuits.
Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Awards and Prizes ; Cataract* ; Compensation and Redress ; Corneal Opacity ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnosis ; Endophthalmitis ; Glaucoma ; Informed Consent ; Jurisprudence* ; Korea* ; Ophthalmology ; Retinal Detachment ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the results of arthroscopically guided suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) and blinded axillary nerve block with those of blinded SSNB in terms of postoperative pain and satisfaction within the first 48 hours after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. METHODS: Forty patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for medium-sized full thickness rotator cuff tears were included in this study. Among them, 20 patients were randomly assigned to group 1 and preemptively underwent blinded SSNB and axillary nerve block of 10 mL 0.25% ropivacaine and received arthroscopically guided SSNB with 10 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine. The other 20 patients were assigned to group 2 and received blinded SSNB with 10 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine. Visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain and patient satisfaction score were assessed 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean VAS score for pain was significantly lower 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours postoperatively in group 1 (group 1 vs. group 2; 5.2 vs. 7.4, 4.1 vs. 6.1, 3.0 vs. 5.1, 2.1 vs. 4.2, 0.9 vs. 3.9, and 1.3 vs. 3.3, respectively). The mean patient satisfaction score was significantly higher at postoperative 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours in group 1 (group 1 vs. group 2; 6.7 vs. 3.9, 7.4 vs. 5.1, 8.8 vs. 5.9, 9.2 vs. 6.7, 9.5 vs. 6.9, and 9.0 vs. 7.2, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopically guided SSNB and blinded axillary nerve block in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for medium-sized rotator cuff tears provided more improvement in VAS for pain and greater patient satisfaction in the first 48 postoperative hours than blinded SSNB.
Humans ; Nerve Block* ; Pain, Postoperative ; Patient Satisfaction ; Rotator Cuff* ; Tears ; Visual Analog Scale

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and visual field (VF) progression in normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 78 eyes of 78 NTG patients who were treated with eye drops for more than 18 months. Age, sex, existence of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), refractive error, baseline intraocular pressure (IOP), IOP reduction ratio, baseline VF indices including mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation, VF progression rate (MD slope, dB/year), number of eye drops, and BMI were analyzed. The progression of VF was determined by glaucoma change probability analyses (STATPAC 2) using a Humphrey field analyzer. RESULTS: The mean follow-up in consecutive eyes was 4.4 ± 2.7 years. A total of 18 eyes showed progression and 60 eyes did not. The VF progression rate (p < 0.001) and number of eye drops (p = 0.024) showed statistical differences, but age, sex, existence of HTN and DM, refractive error, baseline IOP, IOP reduction ratio, baseline VF index, and BMI did not show a statistical difference between the two groups (all, p > 0.05). However, multiple linear regression analyses showed that a lower BMI was significantly associated with faster VF progression in the progression group (β = 0.078; standard error = 0.030; p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: In the group in which VF loss progressed despite treatment with eye drops, a lower BMI was associated with progression of VF loss in NTG patients.
Body Mass Index* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intraocular Pressure ; Linear Models ; Low Tension Glaucoma* ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Refractive Errors ; Visual Fields*

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between corneal biomechanical properties and initial visual field defect pattern in normal tension glaucoma using an Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA; Reichert Instruments, Depew, NY, USA). METHODS: Forty-one patients with normal tension glaucoma were divided into 2 subgroups, 21 patients with initial paracentral scotomas and 20 patients with initial peripheral scotomas. The corneal biomechanical properties of corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), corneal-compensated IOP (IOPcc) measured by the ORA, central corneal thickness, and Goldmann applanation tonometry were comparatively analyzed between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The patients with initial peripheral scotomas were significantly younger than those with initial paracentral scotomas (49.45 ± 13.33 years vs. 58.14 ± 12.49 years, p = 0.035) and showed more myopia (− 2.42 ± 2.22 diopter vs. − 0.89 ± 2.22 diopter, p = 0.034). The mean CRF was significantly lower in the initial paracentral scotoma group than in the initial peripheral scotoma group. (9.45 ± 1.95 mmHg vs. 10.58 ± 2.05 mmHg; p = 0.041). No significant difference in CH, IOPg, or IOPcc was seen between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: CRF was significantly different between the initial paracentral scotoma group and initial peripheral scotoma group in normal tension glaucoma. Thus, CRF may be useful to predict initial central field loss in normal tension glaucoma.
Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Low Tension Glaucoma* ; Manometry ; Myopia ; Scotoma ; Visual Fields*

Although the incidence and mortality for most cancers such as lung and colon are decreasing in several countries, they are increasing in several developed countries because of an unhealthy western lifestyles including smoking, physical inactivity and consumption of calorie-dense food. The incidences for lung and colon cancers in a few of these countries have already exceeded those in the United States and other western countries. Among them, lung cancer is the main cause of cancer death in worldwide. The cumulative survival rate at five years differs between 13 and 21 % in several countries. Although the most important risk factors are smoking for lung cancer, however, the increased incidence of lung cancer in never smokers(LCINS) is necessary to improve knowledge concerning other risk factors. Environmental factors and genetic susceptibility are also thought to contribute to lung cancer risk. Patients with lung adenocarcinoma who have never smoking frequently contain mutation within tyrosine kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene. Also, K-ras mutations are more common in individuals with a history of smoking use and are related with resistance to EFGR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Recently, radon(Rn), natural and noble gas, has been recognized as second common reason of lung cancer. In this review, we aim to know whether residential radon is associated with an increased risk for developing lung cancer and regulated by several genetic polymorphisms.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Developed Countries ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mortality ; Phosphotransferases ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Radon* ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survival Rate ; United States