The Effect of VDT Work on Vision and Eye Symptoms among Workers in a TV Manufacturing Plant / 예방의학회지

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of VDT work on eyes and vision among workers in a TV manufacturing plant. The study subjects consisted of 264 screen workers and 74 non-screen workers who were less than 40 years old male and had no history of opthalmic diseases such as corneal opacities, trauma, keratitis, etc and whose visual acuity on pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 1.0 or above. The screen workers were divided into two groups by actual time for screen work in a day; Group 1, 60 workers, lesser than 4 hours a day and group 11, 204 workers, more than 4 hours a day. From July to October 1992 a questionnaire was administered to all the study subjects for the general charateristics and subjective eye symptoms after which the opthalmologic tests such as visual acuity, spherical equivalent, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, slit lamp test, fundoscopy were conducted by one opthalmologist. The proportion of workers whose present visual acuity was decreased more than 0. 15 in comparison with that on the pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 20.6% in Group Ii, 15.0% in Group I and 14.9% in non-screen workers. However, the differences in proportion were not statistically significant. The proportion of workers with decreased visual acuity was not associated with the age, working duration, use of magnifying glass and type of shift work (independent variables) in all of the three groups. However, screen workers working under poor illumination had a higher proportion of persons with decreased visual acuity than those working under adequate illumination (P<0.05). The proportion of workers whose near vision was decreased was 27.5% in Group II, 18.3% in Group I, and 28.4% in non-screen workers and these differences in proportion were not statistically significant. Changes of near vision were not associated with 4 independent variables in all of the three groups. Six out of sever-subjective eye symptoms except tearing were more common in Group I than in non-screen workers and more common in Group II than in Group I (P<0.01). Mean of the total scores for seven subjective symptoms of each worker (2 points for always, 1 point for sometimes, 0 point for never) was not significantly different between workers with decreased visual acuity and workers with no vision change. However, mean of the total scores for Group II was higher than those for the Group I and non-screen workers (P < 0. 01). Total eye symptom scores were significantly correlated with the grade of screen work, use of magnifying glass, and type of shift work. There was no independent variable which was correlated with the difference in visual acuity between the pre-employment health examination and the present state, the difference between far and near visions, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, and spherical equivalent. Multiple linear regression analysis for the subjective eye symptom scores revealed a positive linear relationship with actual time for screen work and shift work(P<0.01). In this study it was not observed that the VDT work decreased visual acuity but it induces subjective eye symptoms such as eye fatigue, blurred vision, ocular discomfort, etc. Maintenance of adequate illumination in the, work place and control of excessive VDT work are recommended to prevent such eye symptoms.

A Case of Posterior Ciliary Artary Occlusion

The clinical picture of central retinal artery occlusion is well known. Little is known, however, about the clinical picture of occlusion of the posterior cilliary arteries. The effects of such condition have been investigated by Hayre(1972) with the experimental occlusion of the various posterior ciliary arteries individually or together in rhesus monkey. The authors have experienced a case of 21 years old woman with the visual field defects developed by the human posterior ciliary arterial occlusion via a pathologic embolic process. A bridf review of the related literatures is presented.

Two Cases of Goldenhar's Syndrome

Goldenhar's syndrome is a rare congenital disorder consisting of epibulbar dermoids or lipodermoids, auricular appendages and skeletal anomalies. There are anomalies resulting from faulty development of the first and second branchial arches and the first branchial cleft. We have seen a female infant with coloboma of left upper eyelid, symblepharon, epibulbar dermoid and a young male with epibulbar dermoid and lipodermoid.

A Case of Extrascleral Extension of Choroidal Malignant Melanoma

The authors have experienced a case of extrascleral extension of choroidal malignant melanoma. The patient has suffered from the ocular pain and proptosis of right eye. We performed Kronlein operation under the clinical impression of the retrobulbar mass and obtained the histopathological diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Fifteen days after the operation, we performed exenteration and the rotation flap of temporalis muscle was inserted into the right eye ball socket through the lateral wall of the orbit.