Trabeculectomy Following Vitrectomy in Refractory Glaucoma with Vitreous Filling of the Anterior Chamber: a Case Series

Purpose@#To evaluate the 1-year clinical outcome of subsequent trabeculectomy following 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy in refractory glaucoma with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber. @*Methods@#This study was a retrospective and consecutive case series study. We reviewed the medical records of pseudophakic and aphakic glaucoma patients with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber who underwent subsequent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC), following 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy. All patients had been followed up for more than 12 months. Complete surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤18 mmHg and IOP reduction ≥20% without glaucoma medication. Qualified surgical success was defined as IOP ≤18 mmHg and an IOP reduction ≥20% with or without glaucoma medication. @*Results@#Eight eyes of seven patients (four eyes of four patients with pseudophakic glaucoma and four eyes of three patients with aphakic glaucoma) were included in this study. The cumulative probability of qualified success was 87.5%, and the cumulative probability of complete success was 62.5% at 12 months after trabeculectomy. The mean IOP decreased from 28.1 ± 3.5 mmHg preoperatively to 15.0 ± 3.7 mmHg at the final visit (p = 0.012). The mean number of glaucoma medications decreased from 4 ± 0 to 1.5 ± 2.1 at the final visit (p = 0.010). Complications including retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, cystoid macular edema, and vitreous incarceration into the fistula were not observed. @*Conclusions@#Transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy and subsequent trabeculectomy with MMC is an effective method for controlling IOP in pseudophakic and aphakic glaucoma with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber.

Spontaneous Improvement of Visual Function in Suprasellar Meningioma

Purpose@#To report a case of spontaneously improved visual acuity in a patient with suprasellar meningioma.Case summary: A 55-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity for 1 week. She had chronic headache and ocular pain. Her visual acuity of the right eye was 0.1 and temporal and inferior visual field defects were found. Relative afferent pupillary defect was observed in the right eye. On orbital magnetic resonance image, a homogenous enhancing mass with a broad dural base at the jugum sphenoidale was found. This was likely to represent a meningioma and was referred to neurosurgery. The patient refused the surgery and did not receive any treatment. After 1 month, the visual acuity of the right eye improved to 0.5. The improved vision remained until 6 months later. @*Conclusions@#Visual loss associated with meningioma can spontaneously improve and this should be considered when making diagnostic and treatment decisions for meningioma.

Trabeculectomy Following Vitrectomy in Refractory Glaucoma with Vitreous Filling of the Anterior Chamber: a Case Series

Purpose@#To evaluate the 1-year clinical outcome of subsequent trabeculectomy following 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy in refractory glaucoma with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber. @*Methods@#This study was a retrospective and consecutive case series study. We reviewed the medical records of pseudophakic and aphakic glaucoma patients with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber who underwent subsequent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC), following 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy. All patients had been followed up for more than 12 months. Complete surgical success was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤18 mmHg and IOP reduction ≥20% without glaucoma medication. Qualified surgical success was defined as IOP ≤18 mmHg and an IOP reduction ≥20% with or without glaucoma medication. @*Results@#Eight eyes of seven patients (four eyes of four patients with pseudophakic glaucoma and four eyes of three patients with aphakic glaucoma) were included in this study. The cumulative probability of qualified success was 87.5%, and the cumulative probability of complete success was 62.5% at 12 months after trabeculectomy. The mean IOP decreased from 28.1 ± 3.5 mmHg preoperatively to 15.0 ± 3.7 mmHg at the final visit (p = 0.012). The mean number of glaucoma medications decreased from 4 ± 0 to 1.5 ± 2.1 at the final visit (p = 0.010). Complications including retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, cystoid macular edema, and vitreous incarceration into the fistula were not observed. @*Conclusions@#Transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy and subsequent trabeculectomy with MMC is an effective method for controlling IOP in pseudophakic and aphakic glaucoma with vitreous filling of the anterior chamber.

Spontaneous Improvement of Visual Function in Suprasellar Meningioma

Purpose@#To report a case of spontaneously improved visual acuity in a patient with suprasellar meningioma.Case summary: A 55-year-old female presented with decreased visual acuity for 1 week. She had chronic headache and ocular pain. Her visual acuity of the right eye was 0.1 and temporal and inferior visual field defects were found. Relative afferent pupillary defect was observed in the right eye. On orbital magnetic resonance image, a homogenous enhancing mass with a broad dural base at the jugum sphenoidale was found. This was likely to represent a meningioma and was referred to neurosurgery. The patient refused the surgery and did not receive any treatment. After 1 month, the visual acuity of the right eye improved to 0.5. The improved vision remained until 6 months later. @*Conclusions@#Visual loss associated with meningioma can spontaneously improve and this should be considered when making diagnostic and treatment decisions for meningioma.

One-year Result of Trabeculectomy Following a Failed Trabecular Micro-bypass Stent

Purpose@#To evaluate the efficacy of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in eyes refractory to a trabecular micro-bypass stent. @*Methods@#We reviewed the medical records of patients with POAG who underwent trabeculectomy with MMC after failed trabecular micro-bypass stent implantation. All patients had a ≥12 months follow-up. We compared surgical outcomes according to trabecular micro-bypass stent implantation using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Complete surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤18 mmHg and IOP reduction ≥20% without medication. @*Results@#A total of 19 patients (20 eyes) were included; 10 eyes of nine patients in the trabecular micro-bypass stent group and 10 eyes of 10 patients in the control group. The cumulative probabilities of complete success after trabeculectomy with MMC were 80% and 90% after 1 year in the trabecular micro-bypass stent and control groups, respectively (p = 0.584). Mean IOP decreased from 29.0 ± 7.4 mmHg preoperatively to 12.4 ± 3.1 mmHg at the final visit in the trabecular micro-bypass stent group (p < 0.001). Mean IOP decreased from 29.2 ± 7.5 mmHg preoperatively to 12.1 ± 4.1 mmHg at the final visit in the control group (p < 0.001). The preoperative and final IOP were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.828, p = 0.387, respectively). @*Conclusions@#Trabeculectomy with MMC was an effective method for controlling IOP in patients with POAG refractory to a trabecular micro-bypass stent.

A Case of Adult-Onset Vitelliform Dystrophy Treated with Intravitreal Injection of Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: To report a patient diagnosed with adult-onset vitelliform dystrophy (AOVD) who received an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab in both eyes. CASE SUMMARY: A 47-year-old female presented with blurred vision and metamorphopsia in both eyes. On color fundus photograph, small, round, yellowish dots on the foveola and subreitnal fluid were observed. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed thick hyperreflective structures in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer with serous retinal detachment and subretinal fluid. Despite an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab on both eyes, anatomical improvement was not observed on fundus photography and OCT.

Accuracy of Biometry for Intraocular Lens Implantation Using the New Partial Coherence Interferometer, AL-scan

PURPOSE: To compare the refractive results of cataract surgery measured by applanation ultrasound and the new partial coherence interferometer, AL-scan. METHODS: Medical records of 76 patients and 104 eyes who underwent cataract surgery from January 2013 to June 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Biometries were measured using ultrasound and AL-scan and intraocular lens power was calculated using the SRK-T formula. Automatic refraction examination was done 1 month after the operation, and differences between the ultrasound group and AL-scan group were compared and analyzed by mean absolute error. RESULTS: Mean axial length measured preoperatively by the ultrasound method was 23.53 +/- 1.17 mm while the lengths measured using the AL-scan were 0.03 mm longer than that of the ultrasound group (23.56 +/- 1.15 mm). However, there was not a significant difference in this finding (p = 0.638). Mean absolute error was 0.34 +/- 0.27 diopters in the ultrasound group and 0.36 +/- 0.31 diopters in AL-scan group, which showed no significant difference (p = 0.946) in precision of predicting postoperative refraction. CONCLUSIONS: Although the difference was not statistically significant, intraocular lens calculations done by the AL-scan were nearly similar in predicting postoperative refraction compared to those of applanation ultrasound, however more precise measurements may be obtained if the axial length is longer than 24.4 mm. Except in the case of opacity in the media, which makes obtaining measurements with the AL-scan difficult, AL-scan could be a useful biometry in cataract surgery.

Diurnal Blood Pressure Variation in the Retinal Vein Occlusion

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the diurnal blood pressure variation with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-hour ABPM). METHODS: The subjects in this study visited the department of ophthalmology from May 2012 to December 2012 and were diagnosed with RVO but had no history of hypertension (HTN). Non-dipper was defined as a nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) decrease less than 10%. These values were used to compare the 24-hour ABPM values of the RVO and the control groups. RESULTS: The 24-hour ABPM values, with the exception of the mean nightly SBP, were statistically different whne the RVO group was compared with the control group. The odds of an RVO patient being a non-dipper compared to dipper were 1.81 times greater than in the control. Additionally, the clinical SBP and DBP in the RVO group were not significantly different when the HTN group and the non-HTN group were compared. In contrast, the mean 24-hour SBP and the mean DBP were significantly different in regard to HTN. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with RVO have a tendency to maintain high BP throughout the day and also during the night. A patient with non-dipper status can be at risk for RVO, even if the patient does not have HTN. Therefore, 24-hour ABPM is an effective management approach for HTN in addition to strict BP control in patients with RVO.

Clinical Implication of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Bell's Palsy / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) with gadolimiun, an intravenous paramagnetic agent, shows non-enhancement of the cranial nerves in normal subjects. In the presence of inflammation or edema, gadolinium is absorbed into these tissues, resulting in enhancement on T1-weighted images. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical implication of gadolinium-enhanced MRI in Bell's palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1994 to 1998, 19 patients with Bell's palsy were evaluated to assess the efficacy of gadolinium-enhanced MRI in determining the frequency, the site of facial nerve enhancement, and the relationship between electroneuronography(ENoG) findings and gadolinium-enhanced MRI. The data was compared to 40 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss who had temporal bone MRI. RESULTS: On gadolinium-enhanced MRI, 16 of 19 patients had abnormal contrast enhancement of the facial nerve, but nobody had abnormal contrast enhancement of the facial nerve in the control group. In particular, facial nerve enhancement was identified in the distal portion of the internal auditory canal, geniculate ganglion, labyrinthine segment (n=10), tympanic segment (n=10), and mastoid segment (n=7) of the facial nerve. The facial nerve was enhanced more frequently in patients in whom the degeneration of ENoG was more than 50%. The facial nerve was more frequently enhanced in patients who had a higher House-Blackmann grade. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI plays a important role in diagnosing Bell's palsy and in predicting the location of pathology of the facial nerve.

Clinical Usefulness of Laryngeal Electromyography for Patients with Vocal Cord Palsy / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vocal cord palsy is a complex disorder which may result from numerous causes. Laryngeal electromyography is a valuable adjunct in the study of vocal cord dysfunction. It yields objective and reproducible data, and may establish the pathophysiology and prognosis of laryngeal nerve pathology. We investigated the clinical usefullness of laryngeal electromyography for patients with vocal cord palsy. MATERIAL & METHOD: Laryngeal EMG was performed for 35 patients diagnosed as vocal cord palsy. RESULTS: We defined complete denervation when electrical silence, fibrillation potential or positive sharp waves were seen. We defined partial denervation when motor unit potential with low amplitude and low frequency was seen. We planned treatment modality according to the laryngeal EMG findings. In case of complete denervation, phonosurgery was recommended, whereas voice therapy and observation were recommended when partial denervation was noted. CONCLUSION: Laryngeal EMG is clinically valuable for the evaluation of vocal cord palsy and can serve as a guideline for determining the treatment plan. It is also useful in anticipating the prognosis of laryngeal nerve palsy.

A Clinical Analysis of Stomal Recurrence / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stomal recurrence is defined as a diffuse infiltration of neoplastic tissue at the junction of amputated trachea and skin. The incidence of stomal recurrence has been reported to be 5-15% and it is regarded to be related with several risk factors such as subglottic extension of tumor, advanced T stage, paratracheal lymph node metastasis, previous tracheotomy or the invasion of thyroid gland. The principal treatment is an extensive surgery, however, the prognosis is often extremely poor. Therefore, prevention is regarded to be much more important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of stomal recurrence and to clarify the associated risk factors, methods of prevention and proper management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the data of 178 followed-up patients who underwent total laryngectomy for laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancers from 1987 to 1996. Among them, 10 cases of stomal recurrence were studied. RESULTS: The overall incidence of stomal recurrence was 5.6% and there was no significant difference according to primary site, T stage and N stage. Subglottic involvement of tumor and previous tracheotomy were positively correlated with the increased incidence of stomal recurrence. CONCLUSION: For cases with such risk factors as considered here, more extensive and meticulous surgery is required. Considering the high rate of mortality, the effort for prevention of stomal recurrence is much more important.

Streptomycin Perfusion through the Round Window in Meniere's Disease / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many local application methods have been developed for preventing vertigo attacks while preserving hearing loss. Among them, ototoxicity of aminoglycosides has been used for the treatment of Meniere's disease. The etiology and pathophysiology of Meniere's disease remain unknown, however, intratympanic aminoglycoside infiltration has proved to be a very effective treatment method for Meniere's disease. Therefore, currently, variable modalities of intratympanic aminoglycoside inflitration have been attempted in patients with Meniere's disease. We attempted to evaluate streptomycin perfusion for the control of vertigo with the preservation of hearing in patients with Meniere's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Streptomycin powder was administered by filling up the round window niches in 15 patients with menere's disease from 1993 to 1996. Transmeatal approach was used for this technique and streptomycin infiltration was conducted for three consecutive days until patients developed spontaneous nystagmus or dizziness. RESULTS: 13 (83%) patients had no episodes of vertigo, and 2 patients had decreased vertigo attack. The preservation or improvement of hearing was reported in 87% of the patients. We observed that tinnitus disappeared in 33.3% of patients, and ear fullness in 40% of patient. After the operation, all of the patients reported to have no problems in daily activity. CONCLUSION: The streptomycin perfusion is a safe and simple procedure that is effective in controlling the vertigo, tinnitus and earfullness; however, futher further studies must be done on the preservation of hearing.