PURPOSE: To report a case of fulminant toxoplasmic chorioretinitis following intravitreal dexamethasone implantation monotherapy in a stabilized toxoplasmic chorioretinitis patient with initial treatment. CASE SUMMARY: A 60-year-old healthy female presented with decreased visual acuity in the left eye. On fundus examination, focal chorioretinitis and yellow-white infiltration were observed. Laboratory work-up, including blood chemistry, complete blood count, and serum serology, was negative; however, toxoplasmic chorioretinitis could not be ruled out. The primary lesion improved with antibiotics and prednisolone treatment. However, the patient did not come in for her follow-up visit, as she had already received an intravitreal dexamethasone implant for recurrent vitreous inflammation elsewhere. On her return, she presented with necrotic retinitis with extensive infiltration. She underwent diagnostic vitrectomy and implant removal. A diagnosis of toxoplasma antigen was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction analysis; the lesions stabilized after anti-toxoplasmic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal dexamethasone implant monotherapy with stabilized toxoplasmic chorioretinitis without systemic antibiotics can lead to fulminant toxoplasmic chorioretinitis and should be used with caution.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Blood Cell Count ; Chemistry ; Chorioretinitis ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intravitreal Injections ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prednisolone ; Retinitis ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) in Korea. METHODS: Diagnosis was made based on clinical features and confirmed by a mutation in the cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome 1 (CIAS1) gene. Especially, osteocartilaginous overgrowth in the patella or distal femur was so characteristic that its presence warranted a diagnosis of chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous and articular/NOMID. RESULTS: We observed the clinical features of 9 Korean CAPS patients. All the patients suffered from an urticarial rash with recurrent fever. Among the 9 patients, 6 presented with rash and 4 with fever on the 1st or 2nd days of birth. Eight patients showed myalgia, and 7 patients showed arthralgia in the joints, and 6 patients showed radiologic findings of arthropathy including cupping of the metaphysis, excessive growth of the epiphysis, osteopenia or overgrowth of the cartilage. Four patients showed brain atrophy, enlarged ventricles or leptomeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Intellectual disability was observed in 1 patient. Five patients had eye involvement as conjunctivitis, uveitis, chorioretinitis, avascular area or papillary edema, and 3 patients showed progressive hearing loss. All 9 patients showed increased C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). CONCLUSIONS: All the patients carried a mutation on exon 3 of the CIAS1 gene. After the anakinra (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) therapy, the fever and rash immediately disappeared, and CRP and ESR were improved.
Arthralgia ; Atrophy ; Blood Sedimentation ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Brain ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cartilage ; Child ; Chorioretinitis ; Conjunctivitis ; Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Epiphyses ; Exanthema ; Exons ; Femur ; Fever ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; Joints ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myalgia ; Parturition ; Patella ; Uveitis

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular Apicomplexan parasite and a causative agent of toxoplasmosis in human. It causes encephalitis, uveitis, chorioretinitis, and congenital infection. T. gondii invades the host cell by forming a moving junction (MJ) complex. This complex formation is initiated by intermolecular interactions between the two secretory parasitic proteins—namely, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) and is critically essential for the host invasion process. By this study, we propose two potential leads, NSC95522 and NSC179676 that can efficiently target the AMA1 hydrophobic cleft, which is a hotspot for targeting MJ complex formation. The proposed leads are the result of an exhaustive conformational search-based virtual screen with multilevel precision scoring of the docking affinities. These two compounds surpassed all the precision levels of docking and also the stringent post docking and cumulative molecular dynamics evaluations. Moreover, the backbone flexibility of hotspot residues in the hydrophobic cleft, which has been previously reported to be essential for accommodative binding of RON2 to AMA1, was also highly perturbed by these compounds. Furthermore, binding free energy calculations of these two compounds also revealed a significant affinity to AMA1. Machine learning approaches also predicted these two compounds to possess more relevant activities. Hence, these two leads, NSC95522 and NSC179676, may prove to be potential inhibitors targeting AMA1-RON2 complex formation towards combating toxoplasmosis.
Chorioretinitis ; Drug Design ; Encephalitis ; Humans ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Machine Learning ; Membranes* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Molecular Dynamics Simulation ; Neck ; Parasites ; Pliability ; Toxoplasma* ; Toxoplasmosis ; Uveitis

A case of a female patient with local and systemic complications of metallosis, following catastrophic wear of a revised hip arthroplasty, is presented. The patient had a history of a fractured ceramic-on-ceramic implant, exchanged with a metal-on-polyethylene prosthesis. Systemic complications included sarcoidosis-like reactions, presenting as granulomatous lung disease, along with chorioretinitis, erythema nodosum, and cardiomyopathy. High local and circulating cobalt and chromium levels established the diagnosis. The patient underwent extensive debridement and implant revision. One year postoperatively, she had no respiratory symptoms or functional impairment. Local and systemic complications of metallosis after hip arthroplasty should be promptly recognized and treated operatively.
Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Cardiomyopathies ; Ceramics ; Chorioretinitis ; Chromium ; Cobalt ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Erythema Nodosum ; Female ; Hip* ; Humans ; Lung Diseases* ; Lung* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Reoperation ; Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary

PURPOSE: To report a patient with ocular syphilis, who showed variable ocular manifestations, including optic neuritis and chorioretinitis in both eyes over a short time period. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-male visited our clinic for central scotoma in the left eye. The visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left eye. The fundus of the left eye showed a slightly hyperemic optic disc and multiple yellowish deposits. One week later, visual acuity and fundus lesion improved to 20/20 without a definitive treatment. However, 1 month later, he reported a new deterioration of vision in his right eye to 20/40. The right eye had a relative afferent pupillary defect and the fundus examination showed a blurred optic disc margin. Serological work-up was recommended but the patient refused. He returned 3 weeks later with an improvement in the right eye vision (20/25) and a worsening in the left eye (20/200). The examination revealed an improvement of the previously blurred disc margin in the right eye and newly developed chorioretinitis with vasculitis in the left eye. A serological test was performed. The venereal diseases research laboratory titer was 1:32. The fluorescent treponemal antigen absorbance test as positive for IgG and IgM. He was diagnosed with ocular syphilis and referred to the infectious disease department. He was treated with antibiotics. Six months later, the visual acuity was 20/20 in both eyes and the previous fundus lesions had disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular syphilis should be considered in patients with atypical and variable clinical course.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chorioretinitis* ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Optic Neuritis* ; Pupil Disorders ; Scotoma ; Serologic Tests ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Syphilis* ; Vasculitis ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report a case of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to candida chorioretinitis initially treated with an intravitreal bevacizumab injection. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old female presented at our clinic with decreased vision and metamorphopsia in her left eye of 5 days duration. She received an anti-fungal treatment 2 months prior due to the presence of endogenous candida choroiditis in both eyes. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed juxtafoveal CNV in her left eye. Three monthly intravitreal injections of bevacizumab were administered as the initial loading dosage. Her visual symptoms improved and CNV regression was observed on OCT. No recurrence or complications were observed during the 6 month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the present study results we suggest that intravitreal bevacizumab injection can be used to effectively treat CNV and improve visual symptoms during the treatment of juxtafoveal CNV associated with candida choroiditis.
Candida* ; Chorioretinitis* ; Choroid ; Choroidal Neovascularization* ; Choroiditis ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Vision Disorders ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: In recent, years, an increase of syphilis infections has become an issue in Korea as well as globally. Herein, we report a recent clinical manifestation of syphilitic uveitis in a Korean population. METHODS: Over a 5-year period (2007-2012), we collected and analyzed the medical records of 16 patients with syphilitic uveitis in three tertiary eye clinics in Pusan. Sixteen patients were confirmed to have syphilis based on serological tests. Retrospective chart review was performed to determine the best corrected visual acuity, anterior and posterior segments, and treatment regimen, as well as ancillary test results including fluorescein angiogram (FAG). RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, 12 were males and four were females. The mean age of the patients was 51.16 years. Non-granulomatous anterior uveitis was observed in nine eyes (47.4%). Vitritis was the most frequently observed posterior segment finding (16 eyes, 84.2%). Retinal vasculitis and chorioretinitis were found in 11 (57.9%) and five eyes (26.3%), respectively. All patients had negative results in the serum HIV antibody test. Of the 16 patients, 15 were treated with penicillin or ceftriaxone due to neurosyphilis. Mean visual acuity improved from 1.33 +/- 1.1 to 0.58 +/- 0.68 after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical manifestation of syphilitic uveitis in Korean patients is different from occurrences in Western countries. Ophthalmological findings of syphilitic uveitis are diverse; thus, serological testing for syphilis is recommended for all uveitis patients. Further research regarding long-term treatment, relapse of syphilitic uveitis, and complications is necessary.
Busan ; Ceftriaxone ; Chorioretinitis ; Female ; Fluorescein ; HIV ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neurosyphilis ; Penicillins ; Recurrence ; Retinal Vasculitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis ; Uveitis* ; Uveitis, Anterior ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report a case of recurrent uveitis associated with autoimmune liver disease. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old female with severe fatigue and arthritis visited the ophthalmology department due to decreased visual acuity and discomfort in her right eye for ten days. She had intermittent injection and blurred vision in both eyes for 30 years. Slit lamp examination of her right eye showed keratic precipitates, pigment deposits on the anterior capsule of the lens and anterior chamber cells; fundus examination was normal without any sign of chorioretinitis. Inflammatory reaction was improved after steroid and cycloplegic eye drop treatment. Two months later, her left eye developed anterior uveitis. Inflammation was well controlled with steroid and cycloplegic eye drop treatment. To evaluate the cause of uveitis and associated systemic disease, serological testing was performed, and abnormal elevation of liver enzymes was detected. The patient was referred to the Gastroenterology Department and diagnosed with autoimmune liver disease. Oral ursodeoxycholic acid was prescribed. Liver function profile improved to normal range, and the patient is currently under routine follow-up with no sign of recurrent uveitis. CONCLUSIONS: When a patient with recurrent uveitis presents symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice or abnormal liver profile, association with autoimmune liver disease should be considered.
Abdominal Pain ; Anterior Capsule of the Lens ; Anterior Chamber ; Arthritis ; Chorioretinitis ; Fatigue ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastroenterology ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Jaundice ; Liver ; Liver Diseases* ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Ophthalmology ; Reference Values ; Serologic Tests ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid ; Uveitis* ; Uveitis, Anterior ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To report an atypical case of ocular toxoplasmosis presenting as isolated unilateral papillitis. CASE SUMMARY: A 53-year-old female presented with visual difficulty in her right eye that had begun 1 week previously. Best corrected visual acuity was 0.8 in the right eye and 1.0 in the left eye. On fundoscopic examination, optic disc swelling and focal edema with hard exudates in the nasal parapapillary retina were found in her right eye. Fluorescein angiography revealed marked leakage of dye from the swollen optic disc. There was no evidence of vasculitis and chorioretinitis. Pupillary light reflex and color vision were normal. Visual field (VF) showed generalized reduction in the right eye, and was normal in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed right optic disc swelling. Serology was positive for toxoplasma IgM and IgG. The patient was treated with oral steroids and antitoxoplasma antibiotics. Two months later, visual acuity was 1.0 in the right eye. There was no disc swelling on fundoscopy or OCT and VF was normal. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular toxoplasmosis can present atypically as isolated papillitis without chorioretinitis and mimic idiopathic optic neuritis. A thorough serologic examination for toxoplasmosis along with proper treatment should be performed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chorioretinitis ; Color Vision ; Edema ; Exudates and Transudates ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Humans ; Hydrazines ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Light ; Middle Aged ; Optic Neuritis ; Papilledema ; Reflex ; Retina ; Retinitis ; Steroids ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis ; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular ; Vasculitis ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

This article traces early career of Kong Pyung Woo, a public figure famous for being the first doctor of medicine in ophthalmology with Korean ethnicity in 1936, for founding and running the oldest and still the most successful private eye clinic in Korea since 1937, and also for his engagement in development of Korean mechanical typewriter since 1949. His case is an illustrative example of how a Korean under the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) could build up a career to become a medical doctor, taking full advantage of the chances available. Kong, born in 1907 in a rural province in northwestern Korea, acquired a doctor's license in 1926 by passing the qualifying examination of the Government General in Korea. The qualification test was in itself an outcome of colonial education system, in which the supply of medical doctors by only a few tertiary schools could not meet the demands. After working for a state hospital for one year, Kong volunteered to be a visiting student at Keijo Medical College, to fulfill his dream of "becoming a prominent bacteriologist like Noguchi Hideyo." He was soon officially appointed as a tutor at Department of Ophthalmology, as he had been endorsed by professor Satake Shyuichi for his diligence and earnestness. Satake also encouraged Kong to pursue a doctoral degree and recommended him to Tokumitsu Yoshitomi, a professor in the Department of Pathology at Keijo Imperial University, so that Kong could experience cutting-edge research at the imperial university. Kong reported on his experiments on the pathology of chorioretinitis centralis by 1935. He submitted the reports to Nagoya Imperial University, Japan, as a doctoral thesis, and eventually obtained the degree in 1936, which was the first Korean doctor of medicine in ophthalmology. The doctorate made Kong a public figure and he opened his own private clinic in 1937. The Kong Eye Clinic was the first private eye clinic owned and run by Korean, and soon became popular in Seoul. Kong's fame as a successful practitioner gradually made him express his opinion on various social issues. Kong did not hesitate to utilize his influence to advocate the new "modern" way of living, with special emphasis on speed and efficiency. His engagement in typewriter business since 1949 may also be attributed to his firm belief in the value of speed and efficiency. Although he could not fulfill his dream of being an academic, Kong still remains as an important figure in the history of medicine in modern Korea, not only for his publicity. By closely analyzing Kong's personal story, one can see various aspects of opportunities, personal networks, social norms, and limitations within the colonial setting.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chorioretinitis ; Commerce ; Education ; Education, Medical ; History of Medicine ; Hospitals, State ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea* ; Licensure ; Ophthalmology* ; Pathology ; Running ; Seoul