Purpose: To evaluate degree of insight, accessibility to medical care, and availability of regular ocular screening examinations before diagnosis for Korean patients with wet age-related macular degeneration. Methods: Data were collected from 95 patients by questionnaire and analyzed at Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center. Results: Although 80.0% of the patients considered themselves old, only 2.1% thought they were susceptible to wet age-related macular degeneration. Of the overall patients, 48.4% thought their disease was serious despite treatment with intravitreal injections. A majority (71.6%) thought that medical care was easily accessible, 67.4% answered that hospitals were located close by, and 90.5% answered that it was easy to make appointments and they had time to visit the hospital. However, only 15.8% answered that they had undergone regular ocular examinations before being diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration. Conclusions Although most patients believed that they had easy access to medical care, only 15.8% underwent regular ocular examinations. Therefore, regular ocular examinations, including fundal examinations, are required in national health screening programs. It is also important to raise public awareness of wet age-related macular degeneration by educating the general population.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The extract from Dendropanax morbifera exhibited diverse therapeutic potentials. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of D. morbifera leaf extract for improving metabolic parameters in human. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A 12-week, double blind, placebo-controlled and randomized trial included a total of 74 adults, and they were assigned to the placebo group (n = 38) or 700 mg/day of D. morbifera group (n = 36). The efficacy endpoints were changes in glycemic, lipid, obesity, and blood pressure (BP) parameters, in addition to the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the numbers of MetS components. Safety was assessed by monitoring adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level significantly decreased in the D. morbifera group compared to that of the placebo group (difference: −0.13 ± 0.20% vs. 0.00 ± 0.28%, P = 0.031; % of change: −2.27 ± 3.63% vs. 0.10 ± 5.10%, P = 0.025). The homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance level also decreased significantly from its baseline in the D. morbifera group. The systolic BP of D. morbifera group decreased significantly than that of placebo group (difference: −3.9 ± 9.8 mmHg vs. 3.3 ± 11.7 mmHg, P = 0.005; % of change: −2.8 ± 7.7% vs. 3.3 ± 10.2%, P = 0.005). However, the lipid parameters and body composition including body weight did not differ between the groups. The prevalence of MetS (36.8% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.022) and the incidence of MetS (10.5% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.027) at 12 weeks was significantly lower in the D. morbifera group than it was in the placebo group. No serious AEs occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS Supplementation with D. morbifera extracts over a 12-week period improved metabolic parameters such as HbA1c and BP and reduced the prevalence of MetS.

Purpose: To investigate longitudinal changes in foveal retinal sublayer thicknesses during axial elongation. Methods: From February 2013 to September 2014, a prospective cohort was established comprising pediatric patients aged < 13 years exhibiting myopia with a spherical equivalent of less than -0.75 diopters (D). At each visit, the foveal retinal thickness was measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and sublayers were distinguished as follows: 1) total retinal layer, 2) inner retinal layer, 3) retinal nerve fiber layer, and 4) ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer. The average thickness was calculated based on the nine subfields of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) map and compared between the initial and final visits. Intra-individual correlations were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. Results: Twenty-three subjects (46 eyes) were observed for 2.7 ± 1.0 years. During that period, the myopia progressed (spherical equivalent of cycloplegic refraction: from -4.26 ± 2.34 to -6.09 ± 2.64 D; p < 0.001, paired t-test), and the axial length increased from 24.80 ± 1.28 to 25.58 ± 1.38 mm (p < 0.001, paired t-test). Nevertheless, the thicknesses of foveal retinal layers (total retinal layer, inner retinal layer, retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer) showed no significant change in any of the nine ETDRS subfields (all p > 0.05, linear mixed-effects model). Conclusions The foveal retinal sublayers maintained their thicknesses despite axial elongation, indicating that the foveal retinal structure, which is critical to visual acuity, is preserved even in elongated, myopic eyes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of BOTULAX® in subjects with essential blepharospasm.METHODS: In this study, a total of 250 subjects with essential blepharospasm were enrolled at 15 investigational sites and a total of 220 subjects completed the study. The efficacy and safety were evaluated at weeks 4 and 16 after treatment compared with baseline. In total, 240 subjects were enrolled, treated with the investigational product, and evaluable for the primary efficacy assessment at week 4 after treatment; these subjects were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. With the ITT set as the main efficacy set, efficacy assessment included Jankovic rating scale (JRS), functional disability score, investigator evaluation of global response and quality of life. Safety assessment including the incidence of adverse events was also performed.RESULTS: In terms of the primary efficacy endpoint (i.e., change in JRS total score at week 4 after treatment from baseline [ITT set]), mean change indicated a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.0001) and demonstrated the non-inferiority of the test drug to similar drugs. In terms of the secondary efficacy endpoints, mean change in JRS total score at week 16 after treatment and mean change in functional disability score at weeks 4 and 16 after treatment both exhibited a statistically significant reduction compared with baseline (p < 0.0001 for all). Among the 249 subjects treated with the investigational product in this study, 44 (17.67%) experienced 76 treatment emergent adverse events but no serious adverse events were observed.CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study results, BOTULAX® is considered to be an effective and safe treatment for essential blepharospasm.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, with additive manufacturing, can aid in the production of various kinds of patient-specific medical devices and implants in medical fields, which cannot be covered by mass production systems for producing conventional devices/implants. The simulator-based medical image demonstrates the anatomical structure of the disease, which can be used for education, diagnosis, preparation of treatment plan and preoperative surgical guide, etc. The surgical guide is used as a patient-specific medical device for guiding incision, resection, insertion, and marking. As 3D printers can output materials that can be inserted into the human body, the patient-specific implant device that reflects the patient's anatomy and surgical plan could be of relevance. In addition, patient-specific aids, including gibs, splints, prostheses, and epitheses, could be used for a better outcome. Finally, bio-printing is also used to cultivate cells to produce functional artificial tissues.

No abstract available.
Capecitabine ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Nasolacrimal Duct

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma

No abstract available.
Eyelids ; Neurilemmoma ; Nevus

PURPOSE: To analyze stereopsis change before and after inferior oblique weakening surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 31 patients who had undergone inferior oblique weakening surgery. The factors analyzed included sex, age at surgery, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), time from first detection to surgery, degree of inferior oblique overaction (IOOA), primary/secondary IOOA, exotropia/hypertropia, bilaterality, and type of surgery. RESULTS: Eighteen patients with a mean age 7.3 ± 3.1 years exhibited stereopsis of 60 arc seconds or better before surgery and 17 had stereopsis better than 60 arc seconds after surgery. Postoperatively, stereopsis improved in 13 patients and deteriorated in 9. Better preoperative VA and the absence of superior oblique underaction were associated with better preoperative stereopsis. Better preoperative VA, postoperative VA, and the presence of head tilt were associated with better postoperative stereopsis. Unilateral inferior oblique weakening surgery and accompanying hypertropia were associated with improved stereopsis, while the absence of hypertropia was associated with deteriorated stereopsis. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective study, 58.1% of patients tended to have bifoveal fixation. When a vertical deviation is present in the primary position due to unilateral IOOA, IO weakening surgery can be expected to improve binocular function.
Depth Perception* ; Head ; Humans ; Jupiter ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Strabismus ; Telescopes ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Child* ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome*