A Case of Flavobacterium Indologenes Keratitis

PURPOSE: Flavobacterium indologenes is known to cause keratitis very rarely. Authors have experienced 1 case of keratitis from Flavobacterium indologenes with history of diabetes mellitus, thereby reporting it. METHODS: History taking, slit lamp examination, staining and culture, sensitivity test about antibiotics were performed on 1 case of keratitis. RESULTS: Flavobacterium indologenes was detected in staining and culture that was performed on the first visit. Piperacillin was used based on the sensitivity test about antibiotics. Improvement of corneal lesion and symptom was observed with the use of piperacillin. CONCLUSIONS: Flavobacterium indologenes can be considered as a casual pathogen in keratitis with condition susceptible to opportunistic infection such as systemic illness or abnormal ocular immunity.

Effects of Glutathione on Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Cytotoxicity in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Line

PURPOSE: Oxidative stress is the well known causative factor for retinal damage. This study investigated the effects of glutathione on reactive oxygen species(ROS) induced injury in human retinal pigment epithelial(HRPE) cells. OBJECTS AND METHODS: HRPE cells (ATCC:CRL-2302) were cultured with DMEM media and exposed to oxidative stress (paraquat, hydrogen peroxide) and/or glutathione modulator[(buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), glutathione (GSH), 2-oxo 4-thiazolidine carboxylic acid (OTC)] for 2 days. The cell viability was determined by measuring the amount of reduced 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT). RESULTS: The rate of MTT reduction of HRPE cells decreased by either paraquat or hydrogen peroxide treatment. BSO as a inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis potentiated paraquat- or hydrogen peroxideinduced HRPE cells injury. On the other hand GSH or OTC reduced the rate of decrement of MTT reduction in HRPE cells by paraquat and hydrogen peroxide. CONCLUSIONS: Glutathione seemed to play some role in prevention of ROS-induced HRPE cells injury and OTC may be used as an agents for prevention of free radical induced HRPE cell injury.

A Comparative Study of Recurrence Rate in Bilateral Pterygium Surgery: Conjunctival Autograft Transplantation Versus Bare Scleral Techinque

PURPOSE: When the patients with both recurrent and primary pterygia, We performed conjunctival autograft transplantation for recurrent pterygium and bare sclera technique for primary pteygium. We then compared the recurrence of each case in order to find out the usefulness of each surgery and effective mothod of surgery. METHODS: We performed follow-up on 26 eyes of 13 patients for 14 months (mean); 8 patients (16 eyes) were female, and 5 patients (10 eyes) male. The mean age of the patients was 49.5 years ranging from 37 to 63. In the operation, all patients received with 0.02% Mitomycin C for 1 minute. RESULTS: Pterygium recurred in 3 of 13 eyes which underwent bare sclera technigue, and did not recur in 13 eyes undergoing conjunctival autograft transplantation, but there was no significant difference because of a small number of study cases (P=0.07). We found postoperative complications such as corneal fila-ment and conjunctival granuloma in the case of bare sclera technique; but none in conjunctival autograft transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend a conjunctival autograft transplantation with application of low concen-tration of Mitomycin C as a safe and effective method for recurrent pterygium or pterygium with high recurrence rate.

Clinical Result of Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Argon laser trabeculoplasty(ALT) is commonly used in the treatment of uncontrolled open angle glaucoma. The authors retrospectively reviewed the efficacy of ALT in 52 patients(57 eyes) with primary open angle glaucoma. The mean follow-up was 28 months(range 2-48 months). The decrease in intraocular pressure 10P) was 10.1 +/- 3.5 mmHg at 1 month, 8.2 +/- 2.8 mmHg at 1 year, 6.2 +/- 5.1 mmHg at 2 years and 51% at 3 years. Failure was most common in the first 6 months after treatment(29%) and thereafter failure occurred at a rate of 5% to 15% per year. The sex and age of patients had no significant effect on success rate. The success rate was high in the patients with baseline IOP of 26 to 30 mmHg. A mild iritis in all cases, transient rise in IOP, peripheral anterior synechia and microscopic hyphema were noted as early complications of ALT.

A Case of Neuromyelitis Optica

Neuromyelitis optica(Devie's disease) is a demyelinating disorder of unknown etiology that is characterized by bilateral acute optic neuritis, associated with transverse myelitis. The authors experienced a case of Neuromyelitis optica in a 28 year old female who developed acute visual disturbance, sensory loss under the thoracic dermatome 8, and paraplegia, shortly after upper respiratory infection. Bilateral acute optic neuritis was noted with abnormal visually evoked potential. We confirmed this case by neurologic features, magnetic resonance imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid finding, and treated with Corticosteroid "pulse therapy".

An Ultrastructural Study of Recovery of Photoreceptor Layer from Visible Light-Induced Damage

Visible light can induce damage to the susceptible retina and its injurious effect has been studied morphologically and functionally in detail. In order to evaluate the regenerative processes of the retina damaged by visible light in correlation with the degree of the cellular damage, the rat retina was exposed to blue visible light (400-500nm) for 30, 60 and 120 minutes, and examined electron microscopically, immediately and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks after the exposure. The results were as follows. The more increased time of exposure by visible light, the more damage to the photoreceptor, and the more delay in the recovery. We observed the recovery of damage was generally slow, and the pigment epithelium necessary for regeneration of discs was not destroyed in spite of long term exposure of visible light.

A Clinical Observation of Ocular Injuries of Inpatients

The author analyzed 514 patients with ocular injuries among 2676 inpatients who were admitted to Chosun University Hospital from January 1986 to December 1991. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of ocular injuries was 19.2% of all inpatients. 2. The incidence was more common in male (82.6%) and in the order of 3rd decade (26.7%), 4th decade (20.7%) and teenage (16.4%). 3. The ocular injuries were more common in the spring (31.9%), and in March. 4. The most common cause of ocular injuries was industrial accident (25.5%), followed by individual accident, traffic accident and violence. Trauma inflicated while staging demonstration was 6.6%. 5. The most common ocular injury was traumatic hyphema (21.0%), followed by corneal laceration, canalicular disruption, and lid laceration. 6. The most common surgical procedure was corneoscleral suture (34.6%), followed by primary lid suture and canalicular reconstruction. 7. The final visual acuity was improved to 0.5 or more in 41.4%. 8. The most common complication of ocular injuries after treatment was corneal opacity (41.2%), followed by vitreous opacity and traumatic cataract.

A Study on Arteriovenous Crossing Sites in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

Retinal arteriovenous crossing sites are important because they are generally the points at which. in branch retinal obstruction, a blockage of venous blood flow occurs. We evaluated retrospectively the cases of 54 patiens wIth a recent temporal branch retinal vein occlusion to determine the relative anatomic position of the obstructed vein in relation to its crossing artery. In 54 (100%) of 54 eyes, the artery lay antenor to the vein, toward the vitreous cavity. In the control corssing site, the artery lay anterior to the vein 41.3% (J9/46) of the time (p<0.01) The second control group, which was obtained by examining all of the first-and second-order, without BRVO, consisted of 103 crossing sites. In this second control group's artenovenous crossmgs, the arteries were situated anteriorly in 83 (80.6%) of 103 crossing sites (p<0.005). Our observation that the artery lies anterior to the vein at the all of BRVO crossing sites contributes further evidence that mechanical factors play a prominent role in the causing BRVO.