BACKGROUND: Arsenic is a carcinogenic heavy metal that has a species-dependent health effects and abandoned metal mines are a source of significant arsenic exposure. Therefore, the aims of this study were to analyze urinary arsenic species and their concentration in residents living near abandoned metal mines and to monitor the environmental health effects of abandoned metal mines in Korea. METHODS: This study was performed in 2014 to assess urinary arsenic excretion patterns of residents living near abandoned metal mines in South Korea. Demographic data such as gender, age, mine working history, period of residency, dietary patterns, smoking and alcohol use, and type of potable water consumed were obtaining using a questionnaire. Informed consent was also obtained from all study subjects (n = 119). Urinary arsenic species were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). RESULTS: The geometric mean of urinary arsenic (sum of dimethylarsinic acid, monomethylarsonic acid, As3+, and As5+) concentration was determined to be 131.98 μg/L (geometric mean; 95% CI, 116.72–149.23) while urinary inorganic arsenic (As3+ and As5+) concentration was 0.81 μg/L (95% CI, 0.53–1.23). 66.3% (n = 79) and 21.8% (n = 26) of these samples exceeded ATSDR reference values for urinary arsenic (>100 μg/L) and inorganic arsenic (>10 μg/L), respectively. Mean urinary arsenic concentrations (geometric mean, GM) were higher in women then in men, and increased with age. Of the five regions evaluated, while four regions had inorganic arsenic concentrations less than 0.40 μg/L, one region showed a significantly higher concentration (GM 15.48 μg/L; 95% CI, 7.51–31.91) which investigates further studies to identify etiological factors. CONCLUSION: We propose that the observed elevation in urinary arsenic concentration in residents living near abandoned metal mines may be due to environmental contamination from the abandoned metal mine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not Applicable (We do not have health care intervention on human participants).
Arsenic* ; Cacodylic Acid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drinking Water ; Environmental Health ; Female ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Internship and Residency ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plasma ; Reference Values ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: To report a case of maculopathy after exposure to a high-voltage spark. CASE SUMMARY: A 40-year-old male patient visited our clinic complaining of visual disturbance in both eyes 1 day after exposure to a high voltage arc discharge. His best corrected visual acuity was 4/20 in both eyes. On fundus examination, a yellowish retinal scar was observed at the foveal area. The spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed inner segment/outer segment line disruption. The best corrected visual acuity was 4/20 in both eyes and SD-OCT showed a remaining inner segment/outer segment line disruption after 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Maculopathy can result from exposure to a high voltage arc discharge exposure.
Adult ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Male ; Retinaldehyde ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report the first case of the Raoultella planticola endophthalmitis after the phacoemulsification and posterior chamber multi-focused intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. CASE SUMMARY: A healthy 49-year-old male visited our clinic with a sudden visual disturbance and ocular pain 2 days after phacoemulsification and multi-focused IOL implantation in his right eye. On initial ophthalmic examination, severe corneal edema and hypopyon were observed. The retina could not be visualized due to vitreous opacity and anterior chamber inflammation. Therefore, the patient immediately underwent pars plana vitrectomy. Vancomycin hydrogen chloride (HCl) 0.3 mg/0.1 mL was injected into the anterior part and vancomycin HCl 1.0 mg/0.1 mL and ceftazidime 2.0 mg/0.1 mL were injected into the intravitreal part. The culture test of aqueous humor and vitreous body fluid revealed Raoultella planticola, thus, systemic antibiotic (ceftazidime) and antibiotic eye drops (vancomycin and ceftazidime) were administered. After 4 months of follow-up, best-corrected visual acuity improved to 20/20 in the affected eye after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In the present case, we found that endophthalmitis due to Raoultella planticola can be successfully treated. We suggest that atypical bacteria should be considered in the differential diagnosis of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.
Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Bacteria ; Cataract* ; Ceftazidime ; Corneal Edema ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endophthalmitis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid ; Inflammation ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Phacoemulsification ; Retina ; Vancomycin ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Body

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age, and it is a multifactorial polygenic disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Although pathogenesis is still unclear, androgen receptor (AR) gene polymorphism may be one of the etiologic factors of PCOS. AR gene polymorphism has been also associated with other forms of androgen pattern diseases. We report a PCOS woman with heterozygous AR gene mutation who gave birth to a baby with andorgen insensitivity syndrome.
Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Child* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition* ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Receptors, Androgen*

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical efficacy of simultaneous intracameral and intravitreal injection and intravitreal single injection of bevacizumab in patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: The medical records of 43 eyes of 43 patients, who had treated with simultaneous intracameral and intravitreal injection (Group I) or intravitreal single injection (Group II) of bevacizumab 1.25 mg from January 2010 to December 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), regression time of new vessel in the iris (NVI) and anterior chamber angle (NVA), progression of peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS), and corneal parameters were measured preoperatively and one day, three days, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: There was significant changes of IOP between the two groups at 1, 3 days postoperatively (p = 0.001, p < 0.001). The regression time of NVI and NVA in Group I was significantly faster than Group II (p = 0.026, p = 0.033). In the phakic eyes, regression time of NVI and NVA was significantly longer than aphakic and pseudophakic eyes in group II (p = 0.006, p = 0.005). Also, in the phakic NVG patients, the formation of PAS in Group I was significantly less than in Group II for the postoperative three months (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous intravitreal and intracameral injection of bevacizumab seem to be more effective for the early lowering of IOP and regression of NVI and NVA, and inhibiting further PAS formation in NVG patients, especially in the phakic eyes. Therefore, simultaneous intracameral and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab may be considered as an adjunct to management of NVG in the phakic eyes.
Anterior Chamber ; Glaucoma, Neovascular* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Intravitreal Injections* ; Iris ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: To report a case of a young male patient with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) accompanied by vitritis and neovascularization of the optic disk in both eyes who underwent unilateral vitrectomy for the treatment of vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye. CASE SUMMARY: An 8-year-old boy visited our clinic with a complaint of night blindness. Both eyes showed inflammatory cells in the anterior vitreous and neovascularization of the optic disk confirmed by fluorescein angiography. Extensive vitreous hemorrhage developed in his right eye and he underwent unilateral vitrectomy. His final visual acuity was 0.6 in both eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Vitreous hemorrhage may be related to chronic inflammation in the vitreous and is a very rare RP complication. Vitrectomy can be an effective treatment option for RP complicated by vitreous hemorrhage.
Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Night Blindness ; Optic Disk ; Retinitis ; Retinitis Pigmentosa ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

We report a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia displaying a variant Philadelphia translocation t(11;22)(q25;q11.2). Breakpoint 11q25 has not previously been reported. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence in-situ hybridization demonstrated the BCR/ABL rearrangement.
Fluorescence ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although diagnosis and surgical treatment for distal common bile duct cancer have enormously advanced, survival is not satisfactory and its prognostic factors are still being debated. Thus, we evaluated the outcomes and prognostic factors after major resection for distal extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (dCC). METHODS: One hundred and fifty-four patients who underwent major resection such as pancreaticoduodenectomy for dCC were retrospectively analyzed. We investigated clinical features, postoperative complications, survival, and prognostic factors of dCC. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred and three (66.9%) male and 51 (33.1%) female patients were enrolled and their mean age was 59.6 (31-78) years. Among them, 97 patients (63.0%) underwent Whipple's procedure, 45 (29.2%) pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, 7 (4.5%) total pancreatectomy, and 5 (3.3%) hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy, respectively. Mean follow-up duration was 26.6 (0.4-108.5) months. The postoperative morbidity and mortality were 42.2% and 1.3%, respectively. Five-year survival rate was 32.8% and mean survival duration was 47.2 (39.1-55.3) months. Type of biliary drainage (percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage), lymph node status (positive), and cellular differentiation (moderate or poor) were significant indicators for death in multivariate analysis of resectable dCC. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate or poor cellular differentiation and lymph node metastasis may be independent poor prognostic factors for resectable dCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms/mortality/*surgery ; *Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures ; Cholangiocarcinoma/mortality/*surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

We report a case of a female karyotype that was normal except for double minutes (dmin) in acute myeloid leukemia. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, the amplification of C-MYC was detected in both interphase and metaphase cells. The patient of the present case had received only limited therapy with cytosine arabinoside, but lived for more than one year. It supports the recent notion that dmin may not necessarily be associated with a poor outcome.
Cytarabine ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Interphase ; Karyotype* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Metaphase ; Oncogenes*

No abstract available.
Uterine Prolapse*