ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To analyze the long-term results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: The clinical data of patients treated with photodynamic therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration between April 2000 and December 2000 were analyzed. Patients were followed-up for at least 10 years after PDT. RESULTS: Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients were enrolled. Mean visual acuity on the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (log MAR) scale was 0.78 +/- 0.34 at baseline, 1.01 +/- 0.42 at 60 months, and 1.02 +/- 0.41 at 120 months. Predominantly classic, minimally classic, and occult without classic choroidal neovascularization was noted in 51.7%, 17.2%, and 31.1% of patients, respectively. Visual acuity was improved by 1 or more lines in 27.6% of patients and was unchanged in 20.7% of patients, while 51.7% of patients had lost 1 or more lines of visual acuity by 120 months. Baseline visual acuity and age were associated with the final visual prognosis (p < 0.05). Four patients developed neovascular AMD in the contralateral eye. CONCLUSIONS: PDT is safe and effective for neovascular AMD. However, AMD can recur at any time and thus patients should be followed-up for a long period of time.
Subject(s)
Humans , Choroid , Choroidal Neovascularization , Eye , Macular Degeneration , Photochemotherapy , Prognosis , Triazenes , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
A 54-year-old man presented with blurred central vision in the right eye of two weeks' duration. On presentation, visual acuity was 40 / 50 in the right eye and fundus examination showed a whitish-yellow inflammatory lesion near an atrophic, pigmented retinochoroidal scar located in the superotemporal quadrant. Serologic assessment was negative for IgM, but serum IgG to toxoplasma was elevated. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed increased reflectivity from the inner retinal layer, retinal thickening, and choroidal shadowing while focal posterior hyaloid thickening and detachment were observed in the new lesion. He was treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, and prednisone. SD-OCT is helpful for definitively differentiating ocular toxoplasmosis from other retinal diseases.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Diagnosis, Differential , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Toxoplasmosis, Ocular/diagnosis , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to tap the influence of the childhood and adolescent family environment and biogenetic temperament/character on the filial piety profile, i.e., its behavioral and emotional aspects in Korean college students. METHODS: Ninety-eight college students(male=49, female=49, the main study group) in the Seoul Metropolitan area were selected using multi-stage(randomized) cluster procedures. Their parents(N=174) became the 'generation' comparison group. The Filial Piety Scale was used to evaluate the perception of filial piety, both in 13 individual items and in two factor-analytically- produced behavioral and emotional aspects of filial piety. The Family Environment Scale was used to evaluate the childhood and adolescent family environment. The Temperament and Character Inventory was used to assess biogenetic temperament and character of the study subjects. RESULTS: Parents of college students scored significantly higher on filial piety items of familial harmony, responsibility/obligation, sacrifice, compensation, neighborhood harmony, and family continuity than their offspring did. There were no significant differences between study subjects and their parents in perceiving their family environment. Childhood environment with high moralethical emphasis and high achievement orientation was significantly correlated with the behavioral aspect of filial piety whereas cohesive and expressive family environment was shown to be linked to the emotional aspect of filial piety. Regarding the biogenetic temperament/character-filial piety relationship, low self-directedness was positively correlated with behavioral aspect of filial piety while high cooperativeness was positively correlated with emotional aspect of filial piety. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports distinct patterns of relationship between childhood family environment and the filial piety profile and between biogenetic temperament/character and the filial piety profile in Korean college students.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Compensation and Redress , Parents , Residence Characteristics , Seoul , TemperamentABSTRACT
No abstract available.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Korean HHBES, conducted in July 1995, was a nationwide population-based survey of the health and health-seeking behavior of Koreans. Prevalence of significant depressive symptomatology was measured by the Korean version of CES-D. METHOD: The Korean HHBES used a complex, multistage, stratified, clustered sampling scheme as a national probability sample. Using 1990 National Census data, 110 Primary Sampling Units were selected out of 185,149 sampling units in whole country after stratification by region. Of the 1,258 elderly aged 55 to 69 years who were sampled, 628 persons completed the CES-D. The response rate was 50%. RESULT: The caseness rates of cutoff score 16 (probable depression) and cutoff score 25 (definite depression), were 25.28 (male 19.10, female 29.32) and 10.81 (male 7.20, female 13.42). And mean CES-D score was 11.03. Women had significantly higher CES-D caseness rates than men (odds ration (O.R.)=1.227,95% confidence interval (C.I.) 0.793-1.901). Respondents without education also had higher rates than did respondents experienced any educational level (O.R.=1.442,95% C.I. 0.941-2.21). Respondents in disrupted marital status also had higher rates than did respondents with spouses (O.R.=1.362, 95% C.I. 0.885-2.168). Current employment seemed not to be a risk of depressive symptomatology in the elderly (O.R.=1.01,95% C.I. 0.624-1.636). Persons earning less than one million won a month had rates more than 6 times as high as any of the other income categories (O.R.=6.138, 95% C.I. 1.545-27.668). There were no clear trends in the area and age. CONCLUSION: Poverty was the only statistically significant risk factor of depression in Korean elderlys. One possible hypothesis is that poor health, physical disability, and social isolation are the major factors responsible for the observed inverse relationship between income and symptoms of depression in economically disadvantaged older populations. Much attention has to be paid to poor elderlys from the standpoint of mental health for the elderly.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Censuses , Surveys and Questionnaires , Depression , Education , Employment , Korea , Marital Status , Mental Health , Odds Ratio , Poverty , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sampling Studies , Social Isolation , Spouses , Vulnerable PopulationsABSTRACT
No abstract available.
ABSTRACT
We report a case of 64-year-old female patient who has had factitious skin lesions for 20 years. She complained formification sense and severe itching on her face. These symptoms were improved with squeezing and bleeding. There were scuare shaped ulcerated nodule on the right cheek and white depressed scar on the left cheek. She was treated with wet dressing and occlussive dressing, and skin lesions were nearly cleared within 3 weeks, but new lesion appeared. Pimozide 2mg #1 p.o were given under the diagnosis of delusion of parasitosis from June, 1984. Her symptoms were improved without recurrence till now. Treatment with pimozide in monosymptomatic hypochondriacal syndrome is discussed.