Photodynamic Therapy of Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascularization in Pathologic Myopia

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-term safety and the effects on visual acuity and fluorescein angiography of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: Ten patients with CNV secondary to pathologic myopia were included. The results of refraction, visual acuity testing, ophthalmic examinations, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography were evaluated following photodynamic therapy with verterporfin. RESULTS: Deterioration in visual acuity was not observed. No one lost more than eight letters. Six patients showed visual improvement by at least five letters. Size of fluorescein leakage was reduced in eight of patients after verteporfin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin may safely improve or stabilize vision in patients with subfoveal CNV from pathologic myopia.

The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Cataract Development: A Possible Mechanism of Lens Opacity

PURPOSE: To assess the role of nitric oxide in the development of cataract by detection of nitrotyrosine, which is a reaction product of peroxynitrite with tyrosine. METHODS: We have collected aqueous humor and anterior capsule of lens after cataract surgery from 14 eyes. We classified lens opacities into three types such as nuclear sclerosis, cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity. Nitrite, stable oxidative product of nitric oxide, was measured in the aqueous humor and immunohistochemical staining for nitrotyrosine was performed to examine anterior capsules. RESULTS: The concentrations of nitric oxide in aqueous humor were 0.0698+/-0.0036, 0.0652+/-0.0116, and 0.0700+/-0.0022 mM in nuclear sclerosis, cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity, respectively and no significant differences existed among lens opacity types. In lenses with cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity, the expression of nitrotyrosine was observed around epithelial cell and intercellular space. There was no expression of nitrotyrosine in lenses with nuclear sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that nitration of tyrosine by peroxynitrite is possibly related to the cataractogenesis of lenses with cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity.

Changes in Refractive Power after Strabismus Surgery using Suturing Materials of Different Thickness

PURPOSE: We prospectively examined the effects on refractive power after strabismus surgery using suturing materials of different thickness. METHODS: Postoperative sutures were done using 6-0 vicryl on the right eye and 7-0 vicryl on the left eye in 16 patients (32 eyes) who received bilateral horizontal rectus muscle recessions. Cycloplegic refraction was performed preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: We found a significant decrease in the refractive power at 180 degrees meridian resulting in with-therule astigmatism during the first month after surgery in the 6-0 vicryl group and during the first week in the 7-0 vicryl group. The changes in refractive power gradually returned to preoperative states in each group. There was no statistical significance between the two groups. However, the decrease in refractive power at the 180( meridian resulting in with the rule astigmatism was less in the 7-0 vicryl group. CONCLUSION: With-the-rule astigmatism after horizontal muscle recession surgery is a temporary phenomenon and this tendency is decreased with the use of thinner suture materials.

Thickness of cranial bone: preliminary study

Osteomyelitis Occurring Leukemia Patient: A Case Report

Leukemia is a malignancy caused by precursor cells of white blood cell. It is a malignant tumor of hematopoietic organs, characterized by the disorder of hematopoietic function due to the proliferation of immature bone marrow cells or lymphatic cells and by abnormal tissue infiltration of leukemic cells. The major signs of leukemia are caused by the failure of bone marrow function. As the number of red blood cells decreases, anemia is to appear. The number of white blood cells in leukemia is usually increased but immature white blood cells circulating the body has little defense ability, thus become susceptible to infection. 27 year-old female patient who was treated chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation after diagnosed as chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) was diagnosed as osteomyelitis in mandible after clinical and dental radiographic film examination. Because of the result of examination, the involved tooth of the patient was extracted accompanied by sequestrectomy and saucerization under general anesthesia. After the patient had long term medication of antibiotics, the lesion was healed. Therefore. author, et al. report this case with literature review.