Purpose: We used a noninvasive ocular surface analyzer to explore changes in the ocular surface parameters of patients who underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods: The medical records of 82 patients (163 eyes) who underwent PPV were retrospectively reviewed. The non-invasive tear film break-up time (NIBUT), the lipid layer thickness, meibomian gland loss status, and the tear meniscus height were measured before, and 1 and 3 months after treatment. Consecutive changes in the ocular surface indices of operative and non-operative fellow eyes were statistically compared. Also, factors that reduced the NIBUT at 1 month after surgery were analyzed. Results: One month after surgery, the NIBUT was significantly decreased in the operative group compared to before surgery (p = 0.006). Compared to non-operative eyes, the NIBUT of operative eyes decreased significantly 1 month after surgery (p = 0.003). Older age and lower preoperative NIBUT (p = 0.029, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with lower NIBUT 1 month after surgery. Conclusions Twenty-five gauge PPV significantly reduces the NIBUT 1 month after surgery.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can have accompanying comorbidities including arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Patients with psoriasis tend to frequently visit medical institutions, and their economic burden for medical services is high. Objective: To investigate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea. Methods: The Korean Society for Psoriasis conducted a multi-center field survey of the patients and analyzed the national insurance claim data. Also, we discussed the medical environment of psoriasis in Korea based on the results. Results: The economic burden of psoriasis patients is substantial and varied by the type of medical institute. Patients also paid the indirect and intangible medical costs. Biological agents, which is used in patients with severe psoriasis, led to an increase in the cost. Conclusion This is the first study to estimate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea comprehensively. To improve the medical environment of psoriasis and alleviate the burden of patients, discussion on the more efficient health policy and medical insurance criteria for psoriasis would be needed.

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease that can have accompanying comorbidities including arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Patients with psoriasis tend to frequently visit medical institutions, and their economic burden for medical services is high. Objective: To investigate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea. Methods: The Korean Society for Psoriasis conducted a multi-center field survey of the patients and analyzed the national insurance claim data. Also, we discussed the medical environment of psoriasis in Korea based on the results. Results: The economic burden of psoriasis patients is substantial and varied by the type of medical institute. Patients also paid the indirect and intangible medical costs. Biological agents, which is used in patients with severe psoriasis, led to an increase in the cost. Conclusion This is the first study to estimate the economic burden of psoriasis in Korea comprehensively. To improve the medical environment of psoriasis and alleviate the burden of patients, discussion on the more efficient health policy and medical insurance criteria for psoriasis would be needed.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of chemical peeling using 83% alcohol in patients with conjunctival nevus. METHODS: Chemical peeling using 83% alcohol was performed in 13 patients (13 eyes) who were clinically diagnosed with benign conjunctival nevus. Effects of procedure and recurrence were analyzed by retrospectively reviewing medical records. After topical anesthesia, conjunctival nevus was eliminated by rubbing with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Conjunctival nevus close to corneal limbus was removed by 15th blades of scalpel. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients, 8 males, and 5 females had a, mean age of 27 years (12-54 years). Eights of the eyes were right eyes, and 5 were left eyes. No recurrence was detected in any patient during the follow-up period (mean 54 months), and there were no cases of conjunctival scar, granuloma, or permanent conjunctival injection. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome of chemical peeling. CONCLUSIONS: Chemical peeling using alcohol for conjunctival nevus is a non-invasive technique and has benefits such as no intraoperative hemorrhage, low recurrence rate, easy method, and good cosmetic results. Based on these, this procedure is a good method for eliminating conjunctival nevus.
Anesthesia ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Limbus Corneae ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nevus* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Because of its anatomical location and function, the costotransverse (CTRV) joint can be a source of thoracic back pain. In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated the clinical effectiveness of the CTRV joint injection in thoracic back pain patients with suspected CTRV joint problems. We enrolled 20 thoracic back pain patients with localized tenderness that was provoked by the application of pressure on the affected CTRV joints. We injected it with 0.5 ml of a ropivacaine and triamcinolone mixture at each level. The mean pre-injection pain score decreased by 37.9% (7.2 ± 1.5 to 4.5 ± 1.7, P < 0.001) two weeks after CTRV joint injection. In addition, 70% of patients reported an excellent or good level of satisfaction. We demonstrated that an ultrasound-guided injection of the CTRV joint reduced patients' pain scores and led to a high level of satisfaction at short-term follow-ups in patients with suspected CTRV joint problems.
Back Pain* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints* ; Observational Study ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome* ; Triamcinolone

PURPOSE: Lynch syndrome, the commonest hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, is caused by germline mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Three recently developed prediction models for MMR gene mutations based on family history and clinical features (MMRPredict, PREMM1,2,6, and MMRPro) have been validated only in Western countries. In this study, we propose validating these prediction models in the Korean population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected MMR gene analysis data from 188 individuals in the Korean Hereditary Tumor Registry. The probability of gene mutation was calculated using three prediction models, and the overall diagnostic value of each model compared using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Quantitative test characteristics were calculated at sensitivities of 90%, 95%, and 98%. RESULTS: Of the individuals analyzed, 101 satisfied Amsterdam criteria II, and 87 were suspected hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. MMR mutations were identified in 62 of the 188 subjects (33.0%). All three prediction models showed a poor predictive value of AUC (MMRPredict, 0.683; PREMM1,2,6, 0.709; MMRPro, 0.590). Within the range of acceptable sensitivity (> 90%), PREMM1,2,6 demonstrated higher specificity than the other models. CONCLUSION: In the Korean population, overall predictive values of the three models (MMRPredict, PREMM1,2,6, MMRPro) for MMR gene mutations are poor, compared with their performance in Western populations. A new prediction model is therefore required for the Korean population to detect MMR mutation carriers, reflecting ethnic differences in genotype-phenotype associations.
Area Under Curve ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; DNA Mismatch Repair* ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genetic Testing ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Humans ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is becoming increasingly recognized as a clinically important symptom in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). In this retrospective study, we have determined risk factors associated with clinical insomnia in CLBP patients in a university hospital in Korea. METHODS: Data from four-hundred and eighty one CLBP patients was analyzed in this study. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used to determine the presence of clinical insomnia (ISI score > or = 15). Patients' demographics and pain-related factors were evaluated by logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors of clinical insomnia in CLBP. RESULTS: It was found that 43% of patients reported mild to severe insomnia after the development of back pain. In addition, 20% of patients met the criteria for clinically significant insomnia (ISI score > or = 15). In a stepwise multivariate analysis, high pain intensity, the presence of comorbid musculoskeletal pain and neuropathic pain components, and high level of depression were strongly associated with clinical insomnia in CLBP. Among these factors, the presence of comorbid musculoskeletal pain other than back pain was the strongest determinant, with the highest odds ratio of 8.074 (95% CI 4.250 to 15.339) for predicting clinical insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia should be addressed as an integral part of pain management in CLBP patients with these risk factors, especially in patients suffering from CLBP with comorbid musculoskeletal pain.
Back Pain ; Demography ; Depression ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Low Back Pain* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Neuralgia ; Odds Ratio ; Pain Management ; Retrospective Studies* ; Risk Factors* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders*

PURPOSE: The pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus, one of the most widely used immunosuppressive drugs, are known to vary by sex, age, and ethnicity during pediatric transplantation. This study assessed the pharmacokinetic characteristics and associated factors of tacrolimus in Korean children receiving a kidney transplant. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the pharmacokinetic data (therapeutic dose, trough level, clearance, and half-life) of 9 children who were given tacrolimus as one of their initial immunosuppressive drugs after kidney transplantation. In addition, we compared the findings to data from 10 adult kidney transplant recipients. RESULTS: The mean age of our pediatric patients was 13.9 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 4:5. The mean dose of tacrolimus was 0.19+/-0.14 mg/kg/day. The mean dose of tacrolimus for males was 0.23+/-0.12 mg/kg/day, which was significantly higher than the dose for females (0.16+/-0.14 mg/kg/day). The trough level was not significantly different between both groups. The clearance rate of tacrolimus for males was also significantly higher than females. Although the dosage of tacrolimus for patients over the age of 12 years was lower (0.18+/-0.13 vs. 0.21+/-0.16 mg/kg/day) and the trough level was higher (8.2+/-4.5 vs. 7.2+/-4.2 mg/mL) than that for patients under the age of 12 years, there was no significant difference between them. However, there were significant differences between children and adults in dose, clearance, and half-life of tacrolimus. CONCLUSION: Out study suggests that the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus tends to vary with sex and age. Therefore, large-scale prospective studies are required to verify the proper therapeutic dosage of tacrolimus in Korean children.
Adult ; Child ; Female ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Male ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tacrolimus* ; Transplantation

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy has been used as a first-line treatment for H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. However, the management strategy for H. pylori-negative MALT lymphoma remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the success rate of each treatment option for H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphomas. METHODS: In total, 57 patients with gastric MALT lymphoma diagnosed between December 2000 and June 2012 were enrolled in the study. The treatment responses were compared between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphomas. RESULTS: Of the 57 patients, 43 (75%) had H. pylori infection. Forty-eight patients received H. pylori eradication as a first-line treatment, and complete remission was achieved in 31 of the 39 patients (80%) with H. pylori-positive MALT lymphoma and in five (56%) of the nine patients with H. pylori-negative MALT lymphoma; no significant difference was observed between the groups (p=0.135). The other treatment modalities, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, were effective irrespective of H. pylori infection status, with no significant difference in the treatment response between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative MALT lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication therapy may be considered as a first-line treatment regardless of H. pylori infection status.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastroscopy/*methods ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/complications/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/complications/*therapy ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Many disinfectants have been used clinically in both single and combination applications, but there have been few studies on disinfective power according to sterilization sequence when using a combination of disinfectants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the disinfective power of a combination of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 10% povidone-iodine (PVP-I) according to sterilization sequence. METHODS: Two hundred healthy volunteers were recruited. Subjects were disinfected with a combination of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 10% PVP-I on both forearms, in varying sequence. The AP group included disinfections on the left forearm with isopropyl alcohol first followed by 10% PVP-I, while the PA group included disinfections on the right forearm with same disinfectants in reverse order. Skin cultures were obtained using cotton swabs 3 min after application of each disinfectant, and then were inoculated on blood agar plates for bacterial culture. Cultures were incubated at 37degrees C under aerobic conditions for 48 hours. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the number of positive cultures after the 1st disinfection (AP, 45; PA, 36, P = 0.262) or the 2nd disinfection (AP, 6; PA, 13, P = 0.157), suggesting that there is no relationship between disinfective power and the sequence of the disinfectants used. The number of positive cultures significantly decreased after the 2nd disinfection (P < 0.01), however. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in disinfective power according to sterilization sequence with 70% isopropyl alcohol and 10% PVP-I in healthy volunteers. The combination of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 10% PVP-I was more effective than disinfection with a single agent regardless of sterilization sequence.
2-Propanol* ; Agar ; Disinfectants ; Disinfection ; Forearm ; Healthy Volunteers ; Povidone-Iodine* ; Skin ; Sterilization