Prevalence and Risk Factors of Clonorchiasis among Residents of Riverside Areas in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, Korea

We evaluated the status of Clonorchis sinensis infection and potential risk factors among residents of riverside areas (Geumgang) in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do (Province), Korea. From January to February 2010, a total of 349 (171 males, 178 females) stool samples were collected and examined by the formalin-ether concentration technique. Also, village residents were interviewed using questionnaires to obtain information about C. sinensis infection-related risk factors. Overall egg-positive rate of C. sinensis was 13.2%. Egg-positive rates were significantly higher in males, farmers, and residents who had lived there more than 20 years, and in residents who had eaten raw freshwater fish than in opposite groups, respectively. However, there was no significant difference between age groups, education levels, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, health status, past history of infection, and experience of clonorchiasis medication and examination. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for clonorchiasis. On univariate analysis, the odds ratios for males, farmers, those who had lived there more than 20 years, and who had eaten raw freshwater fish were 2.41, 4.44, 3.16, and 4.88 times higher than those of the opposites, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the odds ratio of residents who had eaten raw freshwater fish was 3.2-fold higher than that of those who had not. These results indicate that residents living in Muju-gun, along the Geum River, Korea, have relatively high C. sinensis egg-positive rates, and the habit of eating raw freshwater fish was the major factor for the maintenance of clonorchiasis.

Two Cases of Young Patients with Bilateral Posterior Scleritis Accompanied with Serous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE: To report 2 young female patients with bilateral posterior scleritis and serous retinal detachment. CASE SUMMARY: An 11-year-old girl (Case 1) and a 16-year-old girl (Case 2) visited our clinic with bilateral ocular pain, redness, and blurred vision. Slit lamp examinations revealed severe bilateral scleral injection and mild anterior chamber reactions. Fundus examinations showed bilateral serous retinal detachments in the macular area. In both patients, diffuse multifocal leaking and pooling were found at the macula in the early and late phase fluorescein angiography, respectively. On the B-mode ultrasounds and orbital images (MRI or CT), scleral thickening with retention of subtenons fluid were found. There were no systemic diseases associated with the conditions. We diagnosed the patients with bilateral posterior scleritis and administered systemic steroids. After systemic steroid treatment, all of the symptoms were alleviated. Three months after the regression, bilateral posterior scleritis recurred in patient 2. Oral cyclosporine 100 mg was additionally prescribed in addition to the previous medications that she had taken during her first treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Two young patients diagnosed with posterior scleritis and serous retinal detachment was treated with systemic steroids. With proper examination and treatment, posterior scleritis can be treated with no complications.

Complication Incidence of Day Surgeries with 23 Gauge Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the complication incidence of 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 79 eyes that underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery from September 2009 to September 2010. The main outcome measures included changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and presence of postoperative complications after the day surgery. RESULTS: The mean preoperative log MAR BCVA improved from 1.32 +/- 0.96 to 0.40 +/- 0.41 at 3 months after surgery (p 0.05). At the end of surgery, suture placement was required for sclerotomy site leakage in 4 eyes (5.1%). There were 10 eyes (12.7%) with postoperative complications, including 7 eyes with increased IOP (8.9%), hypotony in 2 eyes (2.6%) and vitreous hemorrhage in 1 eye (1.3%), with no case requiring reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The patients who underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery achieved visual improvement without serious complications postoperatively.

Complication Incidence of Day Surgeries with 23 Gauge Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the complication incidence of 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 79 eyes that underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery from September 2009 to September 2010. The main outcome measures included changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and presence of postoperative complications after the day surgery. RESULTS: The mean preoperative log MAR BCVA improved from 1.32 +/- 0.96 to 0.40 +/- 0.41 at 3 months after surgery (p 0.05). At the end of surgery, suture placement was required for sclerotomy site leakage in 4 eyes (5.1%). There were 10 eyes (12.7%) with postoperative complications, including 7 eyes with increased IOP (8.9%), hypotony in 2 eyes (2.6%) and vitreous hemorrhage in 1 eye (1.3%), with no case requiring reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The patients who underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy day surgery achieved visual improvement without serious complications postoperatively.

Primary 23 Gauge Transconjunctival Sutureless Vitrectomy With Air Tamponade for Simple Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of primary 23-gauge (23G) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) with air tamponade in patients with idiopathic simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). METHODS: A chart review of 38 eyes with idiopathic simple RRD which underwent primary 23G TSV with air tamponade and without prone positioning by a single vitreoretinal surgeon was retrospectively performed. All cases were followed up for a minimum of 3 months after the operation. RESULTS: The primary anatomical success rate was 94.7% (36/38 eyes). Preoperative mean logMAR (Snellen) best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.81 +/- 0.13 and improved to 0.63 +/- 0.37 and 0.48 +/- 0.37 at postoperative 1 week and 3 months (p < 0.05), respectively. The mean 21.35% amount of air bubble remained in the vitreous cavity at postoperative 1 week and the residual air bubble was completely absorbed at postoperative 2 weeks. Complications were sclerotomy site leakage (1 eye), cataract (3 eyes), vitreous hemorrhage (1 eye), epiretinal membrane (2 eyes) and increased intraocular pressure (3 eyes). CONCLUSIONS: The use of 23G TSV with air tamponade in cases with idiopathic simple RRD may be an effective and safe surgical technique.

The Clinical Outcomes of 23-Gauge Transconjunctival Sutureless Vitrectomy for Endophthalmitis after Cataract Surgery

PURPOSE: To report the clinical outcomes and utility of 23-gauge (G) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) in patients with postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery. METHODS: The medical records of 16 patients (17 eyes) who underwent 23-G TSV between January 2008 and December 2009 at Konyang University Hospital due to postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The pre- and post-operative best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA), changes in intraocular pressure, the time from diagnosis to surgery, the intraoperative and postoperative complications, and the average duration of hospitalization were investigated. RESULTS: The mean BCVA significantly improved from log MAR 1.89 +/- 1.03 to log MAR 0.42 +/- 0.82 (p = 0.001), and the mean intraocular pressure changed from 16.1 +/- 4.1 mm Hg at baseline to 16.2 +/- 3.3 mm Hg on the first postoperative day without any significant difference (p = 0.955). In addition, none of the patients required sutures to treat wound leakage or showed hypotony on follow-up observation. The average operation time was 64.7 +/- 22.5 minutes, and the average duration of hospitalization was 5.4 +/- 4.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: The use of 23-G TSV in patients with postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery may offer more convenience for the surgeon and more comfort for the patient. In addition, the patient may return to normal life earlier with a shortened duration of hospitalization.

Morphometric Studies in the Leydig Cell of Hemicastrated Rats / 체질인류학회지

The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of hemicastration and age at hemicastraion on the subsequent Leydig cell morphology and function of male rats. Sprague Dawley rats were left intact or hemicastrated at 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 days of age (n=18 rats per group). At 100 days of age, all rats were sacrificed. Testes were fixed by whole body perfusion using a fixative containing 2.5% glutaraldehyde in cacodylate buffer, processed and embedded in Epon-araldite. Using 1 micrometer sections stained with methylene blue, qualitative and quantitative morphological studies were performed. Testis incubations were used to determine lutenizing hormone (LH; 100 ng/mL) stimulated testosterone secretory capacity per testis in vitro. Testosterone levels in the incubation medium, and testosterone and LH levels in serum of these six groups of rats were determined by radioimmunoassay. Body and testis weights were not changed by hemicastration between experimental and control groups. Volume density of seminiferous tubules, interstitium, and Leydig cells was not significantly affected by hemicastration. Absolute volume of seminiferous and interstitium was significantly increased in unilaterally castrated rats at 20, 30 and 40 days of age compared to control. Significant increases in the total number of Leydig cells per testis occurred in rats hemicastrated at 20, 30, 40 and 50 days of age compared to control. A significant increase in average volume of a Leydig cell was noted in the hemicastrated rats at 30 and 40 days compared to intact rats of the same age but was significantly decreased at 60 days of age. Serum testosterone levels and LH-stimulated testosterone production per testis were significantly (P<0.05) increased in the hemicastrated rats at 30 and 40 days. In summary, when rats were unilaterally castrated at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 days of age, those rats hemicastrated at 30 and 40 days showed compensatory hypertrophy/hypersecretion of Leydig cells when killed at 100 days of age. Especially, these data suggested that compensatory hypertrophy/hypersecretion of Leydig cells in rats hemicastrated around the time of puberty occurs in the remaining testis.

Long-term Follow-up Results of Hyperopic Refractive Change

PURPOSE: To investigate the trend of refractive change in hyperopic patients according to increases in age. METHODS: Eighty-eight children who had hyperopia of more than +1.50 diopters (D) and could be followed up for at least 5 years were included in this study. We divided the patients into two groups according to the level of initial hyperopia and retrospectively analyzed hyperopic refractive changes over a 5-year period according to age at initial diagnosis, presence of esotropia, amblyopia, astigmatism and anisometropia. RESULTS: We gained the following formula about the aspect of hyperopic reduction in 88 patients over a period of 5 years: Diopter (D)=7.99-2.14 Ln (age). The presence of anisometropia and amblyopia did not affect hyperopic reduction. Hyperopic reduction amounts in the group with a hyperopic eye of more than +5D at initial diagnosis were greater than in the group with a hyperopic eye less than +5D, and greater in the group with an astigmatic eye of more than 1D. The presence of esotropia and the age at initial diagnosis did not affect hyperopic reduction. CONCLUSIONS: We show that emmetropization in hyperopic children occurs according to the following formula: Diopter (D)=7.99-2.14 Ln (age). Both the initial level of hyperopia and the concurrent presence of astigmatism affected hyperopic reduction. However, the presence of anisometropia, amblyopia, esotropia and the age at initial diagnosis did not significantly affect hyperopic reduction.

Clinical Results of Centerflex(R) Intraocular Ocular Lenses and Acrysof(R) Intraocular Ocular Lenses in Bilateral Cataracts

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical results of hydrophilic acrylic IOL 570H (Centerflex(R), Rayner, UK) with those of hydrophobic acrylic IOL MA60BM (Acrysof(R), Alcon, USA). METHODS: Centerflex(R) and Acrysof(R) were each implanted in one eye of 31 patients with bilateral cataracts. We evaluated and compared best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMAR), refractive error, anterior capsular fibrosis, and posterior capsular opacification at mean 9.3 months after surgery. RESULTS: BCVA (logMAR) was 0.04 +/- 0.07 in the Centerflex(R) group and 0.03 +/- 0.07 in the Acrysof(R) group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Refractive error was -0.23 +/- 0.76 diopter (D) in the Centerflex(R) group and 0.09 +/- 0.61 D in the Acrysof(R) group. There was a statistically significant difference of refractive error between the two groups (p=0.02). In the Centerflex(R) group, the rates of both anterior capsular fibrosis and posterior capsular opacification were statistically significantly higher than those in the Acrysof(R) group (both, p=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found no statistically significant difference of postoperative visual acuity between Centerflex(R) and Acrysof(R) lenses implanted in the bag after phacoemulsification. However, mean refractive error in eyes implanted with Centerflex(R) lens was -0.23 D at mean 9.3 months after surgery and we recommended that the preoperative target refraction of the Centerflex(R) lens be 0.23 D hyperopic and that postoperative anterior capsular fibrosis and posterior capsular opacification be checked carefully.