Purpose: To report a modified rectangular loop suture technique for patients with refractory pupillary optic capture after intraocular lens scleral fixation. Methods: A modified rectangular loop suture was performed in four patients with persistent pupillary capture despite medication and laser iridotomy. A loop suture pattern was designed in the two quadrants without the scleral fixation knot. A 2 mm loop suture point was marked 2 mm away from the corneal limbus. The suture point was similarly marked in the opposite quadrants. Small conjunctival incisions were made at a marked point and a non-absorbable 10-0 prolene long needle was passed. The needle was inserted at the 1 o’clock position through the conjunctival incision and passed between the intraocular lens and the iris plane. Then it was withdrawn using a 26-gauge (G) syringe from the 8 o’clock position in the opposite quadrant. Similarly, the needle was passed from the 7 o’clock position under the conjunctiva, and pulled out of the sclera at the 2 o’clock position. It was then passed to the 1 o’clock position under the conjunctiva and a knot was made and buried. The operation was completed without closure of the conjunctival incision. Results: In all four eyes, pupillary optic capture was corrected and remained stable without recurrence for an average of 7.25 months. Conclusions The modified rectangular loop suture may be useful for refractory pupillary capture cases. The procedure is relatively simple and minimizes scleral exposure to the conjunctival suture. It is expected that this may reduce patient discomfort.

Purpose: To investigate the characteristics and treatment results of patients aged ≥ 85 years who were diagnosed with treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with treatment-naïve nAMD who were ≥ 85 years old at the time of diagnosis with at least 12 months follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. The number of intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and agents used during the entire period were investigated. Best-corrected visual acuity and optical coherence tomography results before and after treatment were analyzed. Visual acuity of the fellow eye was also collected. Results: A total of 40 eyes of 40 patients with mean age of 87.5 ± 2.4 were included in the study. The mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution visual acuity was 0.85 ± 0.57, and the mean of the fellow eye was 0.93 ± 0.99. Compared to before the treatment, there was no significant difference after intravitreal injection in terms of visual acuity. Central retinal thickness showed significant reduction at all time points after treatment. Conclusions In patients aged ≥ 85 years at the time of diagnosis, intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF prevented deterioration of visual acuity and showed successful anatomical outcomes. Especially, many had poor visual acuity in the fellow eye, suggesting the importance of maintaining visual acuity. Therefore, active treatment is necessary in the elderly.

Purpose: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are medications generally prescribed for patients with high cardiovascular risk; however, they are suboptimally used due to frequent adverse events (AEs). The present study aimed to identify and replicate the genetic variants associated with ACEI-related AEs in the Korean population. Materials and Methods: A two-stage approach employing genome-wide association study (GWAS)-based discovery and replication through target sequencing was used. In total, 1300 individuals received ACEIs from 2001 to 2007; among these, 228 were selected for GWAS. An additional 336 patients were selected for replication after screening 1186 subjects treated from 2008 to 2018.Candidate genes for target sequencing were selected based on the present GWAS, previous GWASs, and data from the PharmGKB database. Furthermore, association analyses were performed between no AE and AE or cough groups after target sequencing. Results: Five genes, namely CRIM1, NELL1, CACNA1D, VOPP1, and MYBPC1, were identified near variants associated with ACEIrelated AEs. During target sequencing of 34 candidate genes, six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs5224, rs8176786, rs10766756, rs561868018, rs4974539, and rs10946364) were replicated for association with all ACEI-related AEs. Four of these SNPs and rs147912715 exhibited associations with ACEI-related cough, whereas four SNPs (rs5224, rs81767786, rs10766756, and rs4974539 near BDKRB2, NELL1, NELL1 intron, and CPN2, respectively) were significantly associated with both categories of AEs. Conclusion Several variants, including novel and known variants, were successfully replicated and found to have associations with ACEI-related AEs. These results provide rare and clinically relevant information for safer use of ACEIs.

Purpose: Considering the risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission through infected droplets, emergency department (ED) operations in response to febrile patients should be planned. We investigated the general and clinical characteristics of febrile patients visiting the ED and changes in admission rates via the ED during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected patients who visited 402 EDs in the Republic of Korea with febrile symptoms between January 27 and May 31, 2020 and compared them to those enrolled before the COVID-19 outbreak. The primary outcome was admission rate; the secondary outcome was length of stay (LOS) in the ED. Results: In total, 266519 patients had febrile symptoms at ED presentation after the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2019, before the outbreak, there were 437762 patients. The rate of ED visits among pediatric patients (aged <15 years) decreased to 21.4% after the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with 41.8% in 2019. The proportion of patients admitted after ED management was higher after the outbreak (31.3%) than before (25.2%). The adjusted odds ratio for admission was 1.04 (95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.05) after the outbreak. Compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak, the median ED LOS increased by 16 min after the outbreak. Conclusion This study confirmed that admission rates and ED LOS increased for febrile patients visiting the ED after the COVID-19 outbreak. This could provide evidence for developing ED-related strategies in response to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and other infectious disease pandemics.

Background and Objectives: Prior studies have shown that stroke patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) experience better outcomes than similar patients treated with warfarin. We investigated the impact of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure on post-stroke neurological outcomes in NVAF patients, compared with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy. Methods: Medical records for 1,427 patients in multiple registries and for 1,792 consecutive patients at 6 Korean hospitals were reviewed with respect to LAAO or NOAC treatment.Stroke severity in patients who experienced ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack after either treatment was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scoring at hospital discharge and at 3 and 12 months post-stroke. Results: mRS scores were significantly lower in LAAO patients at 3 (p<0.01) and 12 months (p<0.01) post-stroke, despite no significant differences in scores before the ischemic cerebrovascular event (p=0.22). The occurrences of disabling ischemic stroke in the LAAO and NOAC groups were 36.7% and 44.2% at discharge (p=0.47), 23.3% and 44.2% at 3 months post-stroke (p=0.04), and 13.3% and 43.0% at 12 months post-stroke (p=0.01), respectively.Recovery rates for disabling ischemic stroke at discharge to 12 months post-stroke were significantly higher for LAAO patients (50.0%) than for NOAC patients (5.6%) (p<0.01). Conclusions Percutaneous LAAO was associated with more favorable neurological outcomes after ischemic cerebrovascular event than NOAC treatment.

Background and Objectives: Prior studies have shown that stroke patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) experience better outcomes than similar patients treated with warfarin. We investigated the impact of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure on post-stroke neurological outcomes in NVAF patients, compared with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy. Methods: Medical records for 1,427 patients in multiple registries and for 1,792 consecutive patients at 6 Korean hospitals were reviewed with respect to LAAO or NOAC treatment.Stroke severity in patients who experienced ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack after either treatment was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scoring at hospital discharge and at 3 and 12 months post-stroke. Results: mRS scores were significantly lower in LAAO patients at 3 (p<0.01) and 12 months (p<0.01) post-stroke, despite no significant differences in scores before the ischemic cerebrovascular event (p=0.22). The occurrences of disabling ischemic stroke in the LAAO and NOAC groups were 36.7% and 44.2% at discharge (p=0.47), 23.3% and 44.2% at 3 months post-stroke (p=0.04), and 13.3% and 43.0% at 12 months post-stroke (p=0.01), respectively.Recovery rates for disabling ischemic stroke at discharge to 12 months post-stroke were significantly higher for LAAO patients (50.0%) than for NOAC patients (5.6%) (p<0.01). Conclusions Percutaneous LAAO was associated with more favorable neurological outcomes after ischemic cerebrovascular event than NOAC treatment.

Purpose: To evaluate the one-year efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injection in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20 / 40 or better. Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study. The medical records of patients diagnosed with treatment-naïve PCV were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with an initial BCVA of 20 / 40 or better and who had undergone intravitreal aflibercept injection were included. Patients were treated with three consecutive monthly injections, followed by pro re nata regimen according to the clinician’s discretion at variable interval visits. The proportions of eyes for which BCVA was maintained (≤ 0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution change) or improved at 12 months were evaluated. The changes of BCVA, central subfield macular thickness (CSMT), pigment epithelial detachment, and subretinal fluid also were assessed. Results: A total of 86 eyes were included. The mean number of injections for 12 months of treatment was 5.4 ± 1.7. BCVA was maintained or improved in 94.2% (81 / 86) of cases. Mean BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) had changed from the baseline (0.23 ± 0.09) at 3 months (0.21 ± 0.14), 6 months (0.24 ± 0.22), and 12 months (0.20 ± 0.18), but with no statistical significance. CSMT had improved significantly from the baseline (336.1 ± 97.3 μm) at 3 months (223.6 ± 47.22 μm), 6 months (239.6 ± 64.2 μm), and 12 months (223.8 ± 47.9 μm). Pigment epithelial detachment was observed in 93% of cases at the baseline, 72.1% at 3 months, and 69.8% at 12 months, showing a significant decrease at all observation points. Subretinal fluid was observed in 91.9% of cases at the baseline, 20.9% at 3 months, and 29.1% at 12 months, showing a significant decrease at all observation points. Conclusions In cases of PCV with good visual acuity, intravitreal aflibercept injections decreased CSMT and were effective in maintaining visual acuity.

Purpose: This study aimed to construct a database of the effective doses (ED) from F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) torso positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in Korea to provide data that supports the reduction of the CT dose of PET/CT and optimization of PET/CT protocols in Korea. Methods: We investigated data of ED and CT parameters of FDG PET/CT. The data were analyzed by body weight groups. Results: A total of 31 hospitals participated in the survey (99 adults). The mean total EDs (± SD) were 8.77 ± 2.76, 10.93 ± 3.14, and 12.57 ± 3.79 mSv for the 55-, 70-, and 85-kg groups, respectively. The FDG EDs were 4.80 ± 0.98, 6.05 ± 1.15, and 6.89 ± 1.52 mSv, and the CT EDs were 4.00 ± 2.12, 4.88 ± 2.51, and 5.68 ± 2.89 mSv, respectively. Of the enrolled hospitals, 54.5% used ultra-low-dose CT protocols, and their CT ED was significantly lower than low-dose CT group in all groups (2.9 ± 1.0, 3.2 ± 1.1, and 3.3 ± 1.0 mSv vs. 6.6 ± 1.6, 7.2 ± 2.1, and 7.9 ± 2.2 mSv, all p < 0.001, respectively). In the ultra-low-dose CT group, the CT ED with the iterative reconstruction was significantly lower than that of CT without iterative reconstruction in the 55-kg group (2.4 ± 0.9 vs. 3.3 ± 0.9, p = 0.04). Conclusions These results and current recommendations can be helpful for optimizing PET/CT diagnostic reference level (DRL) and reducing unnecessary PET/CT radiation exposure.

Purpose: To compare long-term disease-free survival (DFS) between patients receiving tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1) or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX) adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for gastric cancer (GC). Materials and Methods: This retrospective multicenter observational study enrolled 983 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy with consecutive AC with S-1 or CAPOX for stage II or III GC at 27 hospitals in Korea between February 2012 and December 2013. We conducted propensity score matching to reduce selection bias. Long-term oncologic outcomes, including DFS rate over 5 years (over-5yr DFS), were analyzed postoperatively. Results: The median and longest follow-up period were 59.0 and 87.6 months, respectively. DFS rate did not differ between patients who received S-1 and CAPOX for pathologic stage II (P=0.677) and stage III (P=0.899) GC. Moreover, hazard ratio (HR) for recurrence did not differ significantly between S-1 and CAPOX (reference) in stage II (HR, 1.846; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.693–4.919; P=0.220) and stage III (HR, 0.942; 95% CI, 0.664–1.337; P=0.738) GC. After adjustment for significance in multivariate analysis, pT (4 vs. 1) (HR, 11.667; 95% CI, 1.595–85.351; P=0.016), pN stage (0 vs. 3) (HR, 2.788; 95% CI, 1.502–5.174; P=0.001), and completion of planned chemotherapy (HR, 2.213; 95% CI, 1.618–3.028; P<0.001) were determined as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Conclusions S-1 and CAPOX AC regimens did not show significant difference in over-5yr DFS after curative gastrectomy in patients with stage II or III GC. The pT, pN stage, and completion of planned chemotherapy were prognostic factors for GC recurrence.

PURPOSE: To report a case of corneal and lenticular pigmentation after prolonged clozapine therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old male visited our hospital with a progressive decline in vision that affected both eyes. He had a history of schizophrenia. He was being treated with 200 mg clozapine and 1 mg lorazepam daily, and had been treated with clozapine for 5 years. At the first visit, his best-corrected-visual acuity was 20/32 in both eyes. Slit lamp examination of the corneas showed bright, fine, grayish-brown deposits on the endothelium, and on dilation, bilateral central stellate opacity of the anterior portion of the lens capsule was revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Clozapine may induce corneal and lenticular pigmentation and thus may lead to a decline in vision. Patients on long-term clozapine therapy should be considered for regular ophthalmic review.
Clozapine ; Cornea ; Endothelium ; Humans ; Lorazepam ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation ; Schizophrenia ; Slit Lamp