Purpose: To analyze the clinical manifestations of culture-proven infective keratitis patients over a recent 10-year period. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 956 cases of infective keratitis between January 2008 and December 2017 at eight tertiary hospitals. The study was performed to analyze the risk factors, causative microbial organisms, therapeutic outcomes, and prognosis. Results: The most common risk factor of keratitis was trauma (33.2%). Initial visual acuity (V/A) was finger count or less in 449 eyes (47.0%). The common location of keratitis was central, and the size was 4 mm2 or less. Hypopyon was observed in 295 eyes (30.9%). Of the 1,039 cultured isolates, 443 (42.6%) grew Gram-negative bacteria with the most common being Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The most prevalent Gram-positive bacteria was Staphylococcus epidermidis, and fungi was Fusarium species. Surgical treatments were performed in 201 eyes (21.0%), followed by amniotic membrane transplantation (66 eyes) and evisceration (44 eyes). Final V/A was 20/100 or more in 422 eyes (44.1%). Gram-positive organisms were highly susceptible to moxifloxacin and vancomycin, and Gram-negative organisms were highly susceptible to levofloxacin and ceftazidime. An increase in resistance to these antibiotics was detected for Enterococcus and Pseudomonas. Conclusions In South Korea, infective keratitis occurs frequently in eyes with trauma. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Fusarium species are commonly identified etiologies of microbial keratitis. The appropriate administered medical and surgical treatments of suspected infectious keratitis can lead to visual improvement with particular care taken to minimize infection related to resistant bacteria and fungal microbes as needed. An initial V/A of 0.02 or less, the presence of hypopyon, age of 65 years or more, and a central lesion were associated with poor clinical outcome of bacterial keratitis. Age of 70 years or more was a significant risk factor for poor clinical outcome of fungal keratitis.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical manifestations of culture-proven infective keratitis patients over a recent 10-year period. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 956 cases of infective keratitis between January 2008 and December 2017 at eight tertiary hospitals. The study was performed to analyze the risk factors, causative microbial organisms, therapeutic outcomes, and prognosis. Results: The most common risk factor of keratitis was trauma (33.2%). Initial visual acuity (V/A) was finger count or less in 449 eyes (47.0%). The common location of keratitis was central, and the size was 4 mm2 or less. Hypopyon was observed in 295 eyes (30.9%). Of the 1,039 cultured isolates, 443 (42.6%) grew Gram-negative bacteria with the most common being Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The most prevalent Gram-positive bacteria was Staphylococcus epidermidis, and fungi was Fusarium species. Surgical treatments were performed in 201 eyes (21.0%), followed by amniotic membrane transplantation (66 eyes) and evisceration (44 eyes). Final V/A was 20/100 or more in 422 eyes (44.1%). Gram-positive organisms were highly susceptible to moxifloxacin and vancomycin, and Gram-negative organisms were highly susceptible to levofloxacin and ceftazidime. An increase in resistance to these antibiotics was detected for Enterococcus and Pseudomonas. Conclusions In South Korea, infective keratitis occurs frequently in eyes with trauma. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Fusarium species are commonly identified etiologies of microbial keratitis. The appropriate administered medical and surgical treatments of suspected infectious keratitis can lead to visual improvement with particular care taken to minimize infection related to resistant bacteria and fungal microbes as needed. An initial V/A of 0.02 or less, the presence of hypopyon, age of 65 years or more, and a central lesion were associated with poor clinical outcome of bacterial keratitis. Age of 70 years or more was a significant risk factor for poor clinical outcome of fungal keratitis.

OBJECTIVE: The definition of psychological trauma, which was traditionally restricted to immediate and direct experience, is now expanding to include mediated or vicarious experience. So the present study aims to examine the relationship between the negative effects and the positive outcomes to a national disaster by assessing the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic growth of the general public. METHODS: A nationwide survey of the Korean population (n=811) who were exposed to the Sewol ferry disaster through the media participated in this research, completing a self-report questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, Impact of Event Scale-Revised- Korean, and Korean-Stress-related Growth Scale-Revised. The participants were divided into three groups according to the severity of PTSD symptoms, then one-way ANOVA were conducted. RESULTS: The results revealed 30.4% of the sampled participants reported stress symptoms equivalent to partial or full PTSD. Posttraumatic growth was significantly higher in the full and the partial PTSD symptom groups when compared to the normal group [F (2, 759)=20.534, p < 0.001]. At a subscale level, mature thinking showed a more significant result [F (2,759)=23.146, p < 0.001] than religious growth [F (2, 180.984)=4.811, p < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: The results indicated a general linear trend between the severity of PTSD symptoms and posttraumatic growth level, suggesting that indirect trauma also induces both PTSD symptoms and posttraumatic growth like direct trauma does. The theoretical implications based on these findings were discussed.
Disasters* ; Psychological Trauma ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Thinking

In the original publication, reference number 20 was incorrect.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the cervical range of motion (ROM) of cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients, before and after open door laminoplasty. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Majority of the cases regarding the change of cervical range of motion after cervical laminoplasty showed decreased range of motion, and the results were diverse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 487 patients, who underwent open door laminoplasty at our hospital from March 1997 to March 2008, 98 had been followed for at least 2 years and had cervical flexion-extension lateral x-rays. In all patients, open door laminoplasty involved at least three segments: three, four, and five segments in 11, 52, and 35 patients, respectively. In previous cases, fixation involved sutures using suture anchors. The lordosis or kyphosis between C2 and C7 was analyzed using cervical flexion-extension lateral radiographs before and 2 years after the operation. RESULTS: The average patient age was 62.7 (range 32-82) years; 65 patients were male and 33 were female. From preoperatively to postoperatively, the average kyphosis of cervical flexion decreased from 10.7degrees to 7.8degrees, average lordosis decreased from 21.2degrees to 14.2degrees, and cervical ROM decreased from 31.9degrees to 22.0degrees, respectively (mean 9.9degrees, 31.0%). CONCLUSIONS: We could observe decreased cervical range of motion after cervical laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathic patients. Thus, the treatment to prevent the postoperative decrease of cervical range of motion and further study to find a new treatment are thought to be essential.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Male ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine ; Suture Anchors ; Sutures

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Environmental factors such as food, lifestyle and prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection are widely different in Asian countries compared to the West, and physiological functions and genetic factors of Asians may also be different from those of Westerners. Establishing an Asian consensus for functional dyspepsia is crucial in order to attract attention to such data from Asian countries, to articulate the experience and views of Asian experts, and to provide a relevant guide on management of functional dyspepsia for primary care physicians working in Asia. METHODS: Consensus team members were selected from Asian experts and consensus development was carried out using a modified Delphi method. Consensus teams collected published papers on functional dyspepsia especially from Asia and developed candidate consensus statements based on the generated clinical questions. At the first face-to-face meeting, each statement was reviewed and e-mail voting was done twice. At the second face-to-face meeting, final voting on each statement was done using keypad voting system. A grade of evidence and a strength of recommendation were applied to each statement according to the method of the GRADE Working Group. RESULTS: Twenty-nine consensus statements were finalized, including 7 for definition and diagnosis, 5 for epidemiology, 9 for pathophysiology and 8 for management. Algorithms for diagnosis and management of functional dyspepsia were added. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus developed by Asian experts shows distinctive features of functional dyspepsia in Asia and will provide a guide to the diagnosis and management of functional dyspepsia for Asian primary care physicians.
Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Consensus ; Dyspepsia ; Electronic Mail ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Life Style ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Politics ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: Despite recent advances in laparoscopic pancreatic surgery, few studies have compared laparoscopic central pancreatectomy (LCP) with open central pancreatectomy (OCP). The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between LCP and OCP as a single institutional study. METHODS: During the study period (From January, 1998 to December, 2010), we performed central pancreatectomy in 95 cases. Among them, 26 cases of totally LCP and 55 cases of OCP were compared retrospectively. RESULTS: Benign pancreatic neoplasm was the main indication. The mean operation time for the LCP group (350.2 min) was longer than that for the OCP group (283.4 min). And there was no significant difference in mean actual blood loss (477 ml versus 714 ml, p=0.083) between the LCP and OCP groups. Return to a normal bowel movement and resumption of a liquid diet were achieved 5.5+/-2.6 days after the operation in the LCP group and 6.6+/-2.0 days after the operation in the OCP group (p=0.039). The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 13.8 days for the LCP group, which was significantly shorter than the 22.5 days for the OCP group (p=0.015). The overall complication rate was 42.3% (11 cases) in the LCP group and 45.5% (25 cases) in the OCP group (p=0.790). CONCLUSION: Use of LCP for benign or low grade malignant lesions of the pancreatic neck portion is feasible and safe. Compared to the open method, the laparoscopic approach to central pancreatectomy appears to provide advantages of early resumption of a normal diet and reduction of postoperative hospital stay without further complications.
Diet ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Neck ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Fistula ; Pancreatic Neoplasms

Single ascospore isolates of Cordyceps bassiana were observed for their colony pigmentation on Sabouraud Dextrose agar plus Yeast Extract (SDAY) plates and were inoculated in a brown rice medium for production of fruiting bodies. Colony pigmentation did not show any relationship with perithecial stromata formation. The isolates were also grown on opposite sides of SDAY agar plates and were observed for vegetative compatibility. Neither vegetative compatibility nor perithecial stromata could be found to be related to each other. It was concluded that fertile fruiting body production was independent of colony pigmentation and vegetative compatibility. Synnemata formation was found to be more common than perithecial stromata formation. This might be due to its highly conidiogenous anamorphic stage, i.e., Beauveria bassiana.
Agar ; Beauveria ; Cordyceps ; Cultural Characteristics ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Pigmentation ; Yeasts

PURPOSE: The endoscopic surgery has been widely used and developed in operations of the thyroid and parathyroid gland because of the cosmetic advantage and the development of laparoscopic instrument. Since the first endoscopic thyroid surgery in late 1990's, many endoscopic operations for thyroid tumors have been performed in Korea. The authors analyzed the current status of endoscopic thyroid surgery performed in Korea. METHODS: We have collected and analyzed the data of endoscopic thyroid operations using survey. RESULTS: The surgeons working in 16 hospitals answered the questions in survey. The total endoscopic thyroid operations were performed over 1,200 cases until the end of 2004. In the pathologic diagnosis, nodular hyperplasia was most frequent in 64.5%. The axillary approach was most frequently applied in 9 hospitals (56.2%). Most of endoscopic thyroid operations were performed in 2~3 hours. The operation time was decreased according to the experience. The endoscopic surgery for malignant tumors were also performed in 11 hospitals, The hospital stay was usually 3~4 days. The most common complications in endoscopic thyroid surgery were temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and anteior chest wall discomfort or paresthesia. The most common reason for conversion to conventional surgery was the intraoperative diagnosis as for a malignancy. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic thyroid surgery has been perfomed in many hospitals not only special thyroid clinic in Korea. The operation cases are increasing rapidly in these days. According to the development of technique and instrument, the endoscopic surgery are applied to various neck disease involving malignancy. The safety and efficacy of endoscopic surgery for malignancy should be further evaluated with accumulation of experience of endoscopic operation and long term follow-up of thyroid cancer patients.
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Korea* ; Length of Stay ; Neck ; Paralysis ; Parathyroid Glands ; Paresthesia ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ; Surgeons ; Thoracic Wall ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy*

Imatinib-mesylate (Gleevec, Glivec) is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase created by the Philadelphia chromosome abnormality in CML. Imatinib is also used to treat patients with c-kit (CD 117)-positive unresectable tumors, or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or both. Imatinib is a well- tolerated drug with few side effects. However, it has been associated with gastrointestinal irritation, fluid retention and edema, skin rashes, depigmentation, hepatotoxicity, hemorrhage, and hematological toxicity (anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia). In addition, imatinib has been associated with dyspnea and cough, which are mainly secondary to the pleural effusion and pulmonary edema, which represent local or general fluid retention. These events appear to be dose related and are more common encountered in the elderly. However, there has been no report of hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with imatinib-mesylate in Korea. We report a case of 51-year old woman who developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis that might have been induced by imatinib-mesylate during the treatment of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
Aged ; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic* ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Neutropenia ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Pleural Effusion ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Pulmonary Edema ; Imatinib Mesylate