An Adenocarcinoma Associated with Bilateral, Diffuse, Uveal Melanocytic Proliferation

Purpose@#We report bilateral, diffuse, uveal melanocytic proliferation caused by a stomach adenocarcinoma.Case summary: A 78-year-old male complained of visual impairment 3 months in duration. He had diabetes and had undergone cataract surgery on both eyes 4 years prior. His best-corrected visual acuity was counting fingers in the right eye and 20/160 in the left eye. Both intraocular pressures were normal. The anterior segments yielded no specific findings. The maculae exhibited multiple, round, patchy, pigmented or depigmented lesions with exudative retinal detachment. Fluorescein angiography revealed multiple hyperfluorescent lesions. Optical coherence tomography revealed that the hyper-reflective exudates lay between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium. We diagnosed bilateral, diffuse, uveal melanocytic proliferation and performed a systemic evaluation. Computed tomography revealed several mass lesions in the lung, stomach, and lymph nodes; these appeared to be malignant. An esophagogastroduodenoscopic biopsy confirmed that the lesions were adenocarcinomas. @*Conclusions@#A bilateral, diffuse, uveal melanocytic proliferation induced by a primary malignant tumor exhibited multiple, pigmented subretinal exudates associated with exudative macular retinal detachment. In patients with such findings, it is necessary to evaluate the malignant tumor status of remote organs.

Intraocular Cytokine Changes in Patients with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy Treated with Ranibizumab

Purpose@#To investigate the changes in intraocular cytokines after ranibizumab treatment in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). @*Methods@#This multicenter, prospective study enrolled patients with PCV treated with three monthly ranibizumab followed by a pro re nata regimen for 24 weeks. Best corrected visual acuity, slit lamp examination, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography were performed every 4 weeks. Aqueous humor was collected to measure intraocular cytokines at baseline, week 8, and the time of recurrence or week 20. The association of changes in intraocular cytokines with visual acuity, central macular thickness, central choroidal thickness, area of abnormal vessels, and polyp closure was assessed. @*Results@#This study included 25 eyes. The mean patient age was 70.3 ± 6.1 years. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration decreased at week 8, but only interferon (IFN)-γ, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-2 decreased at the time of recurrence. The recurrence interval was positively associated with the baseline epithelial-neutrophil activating peptide (ENA)-78, interleukin (IL)-17, leptin, and transforming growth factor-β1, and baseline central macular thickness was positively correlated with the baseline fibroblast growth factor-4 and IL-10. Thick central choroidal thickness was associated with a low basic fibroblast growth factor and high IFN-γ at baseline. The MCP-3 and Tie-2 levels decreased in two eyes with polyp closure. @*Conclusions@#Ranibizumab significantly reduced intraocular VEGF concentrations and consequently improved PCV. However, the cytokines IFN-γ, TIMP-2, and MCP-2, rather than VEGF, were associated with PCV recurrence. Further studies of intraocular cytokines involved in neovascularization in PCV are needed.

Atypical Retinal Hemorrhages after Vitrectomy for Idiopathic Macular Hole: Possible Toxicity of Brilliant Blue G

Purpose@#To describe the development of multiple retinal hemorrhages after uncomplicated macular hole (MH) surgery, and to determine the associated factors. @*Methods@#The medical records of 163 patients (167 eyes) diagnosed with idiopathic MHs and who underwent surgery at Pusan National University Hospital between March 2016 and July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The development of retinal hemorrhages was evaluated using ultra-widefield fundus photographs. Multiple retinal hemorrhages were defined as three or more dot or blot hemorrhages that had not been observed before and during the surgery. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of multiple retinal hemorrhages. The variable parameters were compared between the two groups to find the risk factors. The associated factors were evaluated further for the independent factor using multiple logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Multiple retinal hemorrhages were observed in 31 eyes (18.6%) after MH surgery. The associated factors were the surgical induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) (p = 0.003), use of the internal limiting membrane flap technique (p = 0.028), and staining with Brilliant Blue G (BBG) (p = 0.003). Retinal hemorrhages were exclusively observed in eyes in which BBG was used. Surgical PVD induction was the only independent risk factor (odds ratio, 13.099; p = 0.013). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the postoperative visual outcomes and MH closure rate. Additionally, patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membrane during the study period were reviewed to validate the above findings. Multiple retinal hemorrhages were noted in only one case (0.4%) in which BBG was used after surgical induction of PVD. @*Conclusions@#Multiple retinal hemorrhages after MH surgery appear to be related to the intravitreal use of BBG in eyes that sustained mechanical damage because of surgical induction of PVD; however, they did not affect surgical outcomes.

Surgical Management of Complications after Dexamethasone Implant Injection

Purpose@#To report complications requiring surgical management related to intravitreal dexamethasone implant. @*Methods@#The medical records of patients who received intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection from June 2013 to March 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who had undergone intraocular surgical management within 6 months after implant injection, with the exception of cataract surgery, were included. Of them, only the cases in which the surgery was definitely related to complications with the Ozurdex implant were included. In these patients, underlying disease, intraocular pressure change, and the number of injections were analyzed. @*Results@#A total of 1,168 injections of 473 eyes (439 patients) were enrolled in the study. The mean number of injections was 2.5 per eye. The mean age was 61.4 ± 11.3 years. The complications requiring an additional surgical procedure occurred in six (0.5%) injections. Of them, four, one, and one eyes showed uveitis, diabetic macular edema, and branch retinal vein occlusion, respectively. Surgical management was performed to control the increased intraocular pressure in two eyes, inappropriate implant location in two eyes, scleral wound leakage in one eye, and retinal detachment in one eye. The incidence of severe complications requiring surgical management was high in cases with a history of previous vitrectomy (p = 0.007, Fisher’s exact test) and uveitis (p = 0.007, Fisher’s exact test). @*Conclusions@#Severe complications requiring surgical management occurred in 0.5% of cases (six cases) after intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections. These complications were related to a history of previous vitrectomy and uveitis. Five eyes recovered to favorable visual function after surgery, with the exception of one eye with retinal detachment.

The Effect of an Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant for Refractory Posterior Scleritis

Purpose@#To report the effect of an intravitreal dexamethasone implant on refractory posterior scleritis. @*Methods@#The medical records of patients treated with an intravitreal dexamethasone implant for non-infectious refractory posterior scleritis were retrospectively reviewed, including age, sex, duration of follow-up, and presence of associated systemic diseases. The duration until relapse, changes in visual acuity, number of implants, and side effects associated with the implant were also analyzed. @*Results@#Seven eyes from five patients were included. The mean age was 73.2 ± 12.5 years (59-92 years). Although all patients had been treated with high-dose systemic steroid, and immunosuppressants were added, the posterior scleritis was poorly controlled. The duration from the diagnosis to the first dexamethasone implant was a mean of 8.2 months (3-27 months). The scleritis was well controlled in all eyes until at least 2 months (2-5 months) after inserting the implant. An average of 2.1 (total of 15 times in the seven eyes) implants were inserted. No complications related to the implant were observed other than a temporary increase in intraocular pressure in one eye. @*Conclusions@#Intravitreal dexamethasone implants were an effective treatment option for refractory posterior scleritis.

Infectious Scleritis Featuring Kissing Choroidal Detachment and Serous Retinal Detachment

Purpose@#We report a case of infectious scleritis featuring kissing choroidal detachment and serous retinal detachment.Case summary: A 65-year-old female presented with ocular pain and hyperemia of the right eye 1 week in duration. Anterior chamber inflammation was evident. After pterygium excision, a thinned sclera and loss of conjunctiva around a necrotic lesion were observed. Necrotizing scleritis with anterior uveitis was diagnosed and topical and systemic steroids commenced. After 1 week, the scleral thickness increased, but conjunctival injection and choroidal detachment were newly noticed. Infectious scleritis was suspected and the pterygium excision site cultured. Although empirical antibiotics (fortified ceftazidime and tobramycin) were prescribed, the choroidal and serous retinal detachments became aggravated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified on scleral culture, and topical piperacillin/tazobactam and systemic cefepime (2 g) commenced. Although the antibiotics were appropriate, the choroidal and serous retinal detachments became further aggravated. Necrotic tissue was subjected to surgical debridement. Two days later, the infectious signs had diminished and a systemic steroid was added. Over the next few weeks, all of the choroidal and serous retinal detachments, and the infectious signs, improved. @*Conclusions@#Patients with infectious scleritis featuring severe choroidal detachment and serous retinal detachment resistant to appropriate antibiotics may require surgical debridement of necrotic tissue. After controlling the infectious signs, systemic steroids should be considered to ensure a good prognosis.

Atypical Retinal Hemorrhages after Vitrectomy for Idiopathic Macular Hole: Possible Toxicity of Brilliant Blue G

Purpose@#To describe the development of multiple retinal hemorrhages after uncomplicated macular hole (MH) surgery, and to determine the associated factors. @*Methods@#The medical records of 163 patients (167 eyes) diagnosed with idiopathic MHs and who underwent surgery at Pusan National University Hospital between March 2016 and July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The development of retinal hemorrhages was evaluated using ultra-widefield fundus photographs. Multiple retinal hemorrhages were defined as three or more dot or blot hemorrhages that had not been observed before and during the surgery. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of multiple retinal hemorrhages. The variable parameters were compared between the two groups to find the risk factors. The associated factors were evaluated further for the independent factor using multiple logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Multiple retinal hemorrhages were observed in 31 eyes (18.6%) after MH surgery. The associated factors were the surgical induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) (p = 0.003), use of the internal limiting membrane flap technique (p = 0.028), and staining with Brilliant Blue G (BBG) (p = 0.003). Retinal hemorrhages were exclusively observed in eyes in which BBG was used. Surgical PVD induction was the only independent risk factor (odds ratio, 13.099; p = 0.013). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the postoperative visual outcomes and MH closure rate. Additionally, patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membrane during the study period were reviewed to validate the above findings. Multiple retinal hemorrhages were noted in only one case (0.4%) in which BBG was used after surgical induction of PVD. @*Conclusions@#Multiple retinal hemorrhages after MH surgery appear to be related to the intravitreal use of BBG in eyes that sustained mechanical damage because of surgical induction of PVD; however, they did not affect surgical outcomes.

Surgical Management of Complications after Dexamethasone Implant Injection

Purpose@#To report complications requiring surgical management related to intravitreal dexamethasone implant. @*Methods@#The medical records of patients who received intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection from June 2013 to March 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who had undergone intraocular surgical management within 6 months after implant injection, with the exception of cataract surgery, were included. Of them, only the cases in which the surgery was definitely related to complications with the Ozurdex implant were included. In these patients, underlying disease, intraocular pressure change, and the number of injections were analyzed. @*Results@#A total of 1,168 injections of 473 eyes (439 patients) were enrolled in the study. The mean number of injections was 2.5 per eye. The mean age was 61.4 ± 11.3 years. The complications requiring an additional surgical procedure occurred in six (0.5%) injections. Of them, four, one, and one eyes showed uveitis, diabetic macular edema, and branch retinal vein occlusion, respectively. Surgical management was performed to control the increased intraocular pressure in two eyes, inappropriate implant location in two eyes, scleral wound leakage in one eye, and retinal detachment in one eye. The incidence of severe complications requiring surgical management was high in cases with a history of previous vitrectomy (p = 0.007, Fisher’s exact test) and uveitis (p = 0.007, Fisher’s exact test). @*Conclusions@#Severe complications requiring surgical management occurred in 0.5% of cases (six cases) after intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections. These complications were related to a history of previous vitrectomy and uveitis. Five eyes recovered to favorable visual function after surgery, with the exception of one eye with retinal detachment.

The Effect of an Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant for Refractory Posterior Scleritis

Purpose@#To report the effect of an intravitreal dexamethasone implant on refractory posterior scleritis. @*Methods@#The medical records of patients treated with an intravitreal dexamethasone implant for non-infectious refractory posterior scleritis were retrospectively reviewed, including age, sex, duration of follow-up, and presence of associated systemic diseases. The duration until relapse, changes in visual acuity, number of implants, and side effects associated with the implant were also analyzed. @*Results@#Seven eyes from five patients were included. The mean age was 73.2 ± 12.5 years (59-92 years). Although all patients had been treated with high-dose systemic steroid, and immunosuppressants were added, the posterior scleritis was poorly controlled. The duration from the diagnosis to the first dexamethasone implant was a mean of 8.2 months (3-27 months). The scleritis was well controlled in all eyes until at least 2 months (2-5 months) after inserting the implant. An average of 2.1 (total of 15 times in the seven eyes) implants were inserted. No complications related to the implant were observed other than a temporary increase in intraocular pressure in one eye. @*Conclusions@#Intravitreal dexamethasone implants were an effective treatment option for refractory posterior scleritis.

Infectious Scleritis Featuring Kissing Choroidal Detachment and Serous Retinal Detachment

Purpose@#We report a case of infectious scleritis featuring kissing choroidal detachment and serous retinal detachment.Case summary: A 65-year-old female presented with ocular pain and hyperemia of the right eye 1 week in duration. Anterior chamber inflammation was evident. After pterygium excision, a thinned sclera and loss of conjunctiva around a necrotic lesion were observed. Necrotizing scleritis with anterior uveitis was diagnosed and topical and systemic steroids commenced. After 1 week, the scleral thickness increased, but conjunctival injection and choroidal detachment were newly noticed. Infectious scleritis was suspected and the pterygium excision site cultured. Although empirical antibiotics (fortified ceftazidime and tobramycin) were prescribed, the choroidal and serous retinal detachments became aggravated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified on scleral culture, and topical piperacillin/tazobactam and systemic cefepime (2 g) commenced. Although the antibiotics were appropriate, the choroidal and serous retinal detachments became further aggravated. Necrotic tissue was subjected to surgical debridement. Two days later, the infectious signs had diminished and a systemic steroid was added. Over the next few weeks, all of the choroidal and serous retinal detachments, and the infectious signs, improved. @*Conclusions@#Patients with infectious scleritis featuring severe choroidal detachment and serous retinal detachment resistant to appropriate antibiotics may require surgical debridement of necrotic tissue. After controlling the infectious signs, systemic steroids should be considered to ensure a good prognosis.

Streptococcus infantarius Endophthalmitis after XEN Gel Stent Implantation

Purpose@#To report a case of Streptococcus infantarius endophthalmitis related to the use of a XEN® Gel Stent.Case summary: A 75-year-old male was referred to our practice with a diagnosis of endophthalmitis 55 days after XEN® Gel Stent implantation. He had primary open-angle glaucoma. Visual acuity was 20/50. Slit-lamp examination revealed conjunctival injection and anterior chamber inflammation with hypopyon. Fundus examination showed inflammatory cells with exudative materials in the vitreous. The aqueous sampling for culture of causative micro-organisms was followed by removal of the XEN® Gel Stent, along with anterior chamber irrigation and intracameral and intravitreal injection of antibiotics. Streptococcus infantarius was isolated after 5 days. Vitrectomy, anterior chamber lavage, and intravitreal injection of antibiotics were additionally performed to control the intraocular inflammation. Sixteen days after vitrectomy, the intraocular inflammation disappeared. The choroidal detachment was resolved 34 days after vitrectomy. Visual improvement was limited to 20/100 at 6 months. @*Conclusions@#XEN® Gel Stent-related bacterial endophthalmitis was successfully treated by implant removal, vitrectomy, and proper intraocular antibiotic treatment.

Acute Noninfectious Endophthalmitis after Removal of Silicone Oil and Posterior Capsulectomy in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose@#Here, we report a case of acute noninfectious endophthalmitis after removal of silicone oil (SO) and posterior capsulectomy in a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy.Case summary: SO removal and posterior capsulectomy were performed in a 61-year-old man who had undergone vitrectomy with combined cataract surgery, membrane peeling, laser photocoagulation, and SO injection to treat vitreous hemorrhage and tractional retinal detachment three months previously. The patient’s best-corrected visual acuity on the day after surgery was 20/50; it decreased to hand motion at five days after SO removal. Exudative membrane with hypopyon, anterior chamber cell (trace), and mild conjunctival injection were observed. The patient did not complain of ocular pain. Topical steroid was applied following a diagnosis of postoperative noninfectious endophthalmitis. The exudative membrane and hypopyon decreased after three days of treatment and had resolved completely after one month of treatment. The patient’s visual acuity improved to 20/50. @*Conclusions@#Noninfectious endophthalmitis can develop after removal of SO and posterior capsulectomy. Topical steroid treatment is effective in such cases.

Behçet’s Disease Initially Presenting as a Macular Hole with Exudative Retinal Detachment

Purpose@#To report a case of Behçet’s disease presenting as a macular hole with exudative retinal detachment and an examination of its mechanism.Case summary: A 19-year-old woman presented with decreased visual acuity in her right eye for a month. The visual acuity of the right eye was finger count. Inflammation was evident in the anterior chamber cells and vitreous. Optical coherence tomography revealed a macular hole with retinal detachment. Retinal vasculitis was observed in fluorescein angiography imagery. Vasculitis was well controlled with administration of 1 mg per kg oral prednisolone. Vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling were performed with ILM flap creation. The macular hole was closed after the surgery. Behçet’s disease was diagnosed based on a manifestation of genital and oral ulcers during tapering of prednisolone. Subcutaneous adalimumab has been used to control uveitis due to repeated relapse. @*Conclusions@#This is a case of Behçet’s disease initially presenting as macular hole retinal detachment. Uveitis such as that occurring with Behçet’s disease should be considered if the macular hole retinal detachment is noticed in a young patient without posterior staphyloma.

Retinal Toxicity Following the Injection Ganciclovir into Silicone Oil-filled Eye to Treat Acute Retinal Necrosis

PURPOSE: To report a case of retinal toxicity after an intravitreal ganciclovir injection to treat acute retinal necrosis in an eye filled with silicone oil.CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old male presented with ocular pain and visual loss in his right eye. His best-corrected visual acuity was 20/25, inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber, multiple retinitis lesions and retinal vessel occlusions in the peripheral retina and vitreous opacity were showed. Acute retinal necrosis was suspected, anterior chamber polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was done. Aciclovir 2,400 mg/day intravenously and ganciclovir 2.0 mg were administered by intravitreal injection. After 4 days, retinitis was worsened and PCR test was positive for varicella zoster virus. Ganciclovir intravitreal injections were increased twice a week. After 16 days, retinal detachment occurred, so scleral encircling, vitrectomy, laser photocoagulation, and silicone oil tamponade were conducted. Ganciclovir 1.0 mg was injected at the end of surgery. The patient's visual acuity decreased to hand motion, and multiple crystal deposits with multiple retinal hemorrhages were observed in the right eye the next day. Visual acuity did not recover and optical coherent tomography showed that the macula was thinned.CONCLUSIONS: Visual loss seemed to be related with the retinal toxicity of ganciclovir. The increased local concentration due to the silicone oil tamponade is thought to have caused the toxicity.

Behçet’s Disease Initially Presenting as a Macular Hole with Exudative Retinal Detachment

Purpose@#To report a case of Behçet’s disease presenting as a macular hole with exudative retinal detachment and an examination of its mechanism.Case summary: A 19-year-old woman presented with decreased visual acuity in her right eye for a month. The visual acuity of the right eye was finger count. Inflammation was evident in the anterior chamber cells and vitreous. Optical coherence tomography revealed a macular hole with retinal detachment. Retinal vasculitis was observed in fluorescein angiography imagery. Vasculitis was well controlled with administration of 1 mg per kg oral prednisolone. Vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling were performed with ILM flap creation. The macular hole was closed after the surgery. Behçet’s disease was diagnosed based on a manifestation of genital and oral ulcers during tapering of prednisolone. Subcutaneous adalimumab has been used to control uveitis due to repeated relapse. @*Conclusions@#This is a case of Behçet’s disease initially presenting as macular hole retinal detachment. Uveitis such as that occurring with Behçet’s disease should be considered if the macular hole retinal detachment is noticed in a young patient without posterior staphyloma.

Initial Clinical Manifestations of Ocular Ischemic Syndrome in Koreans

PURPOSE@#To evaluate the clinical features of ocular ischemic syndrome in Koreans.@*METHODS@#The medical records of patients who were presumed to have ocular ischemic syndrome by ophthalmic examination, and confirmed by carotid artery imaging, were retrospectively reviewed from 2010 to 2017.@*RESULTS@#A total of 22 patients and 27 eyes were included in the study. Twenty patients were male. The average age was 64.2 years. Fifteen patients had hypertension and fifteen patients had diabetes mellitus. Twenty-one patients presented with acute visual impairment at the initial visit. The average best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was a LogMAR of 0.89 ± 0.65, with an average IOP of 16.1 ± 6.9 mmHg. Elevated IOP > 21 mmHg was noted in five eyes (18.5%). Iris neovascularization was the most common (13 eyes, 48.1%) feature in the anterior segment. Retinal hemorrhage was the most common feature in the fundus examination (23 eyes, 85.2%). The average central submacular thickness was 255.0 µm, and there was no macular edema except for one case with vitreomacular traction syndrome on optical coherent tomography.@*CONCLUSIONS@#A total of 90.9% of patients with ocular ischemic syndrome were males > 50 years of age. Most patients presented with acute visual impairment. There was no macular edema on optical coherent tomography of all eyes.

Prognostic Significance of Immunohistochemical MSH2 Expression in Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE: There are numerous prostate cancer-related genes that involve in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Among the genes, DNA mismatch repair genes recognize and repair misincorporated nucleotides during DNA replication. In this analysis, we evaluated the association of hMSH2 which is one of the mismatch repair genes, with risk of aggressive prostate cancer and prostate cancer recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed in 46 patients who diagnosed prostate cancer and underwent radical prostatectomy between January 2006 and December 2012 at Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong. We evaluated an association between the degree of hMSH2 immunohistochemical staining and various clinical variables including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score, pathological stage, and biochemical recurrence. The intensity of immunostaining for hMSH2 was divided into 2 groups: low expression group (immunostaining score < 2) and high expression group (immunostaining score ≥2). RESULTS: Although seminal vesicle invasion was marginally associated with the degree of hMSH2 immunohistochemical staining, PSA, Gleason score, lymph node metastasis, presence of lymphatic, perineural, vascular invasion, and extracapsular extension were not associated with the degree of hMSH2 immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, the association of biochemical recurrence free survival with hMSH2 expression was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The hMSH2 expression was marginally associated with risk of aggressive prostate cancer such as seminal vesicle invasion. Further evaluation with a larger number of cases is needed to verify these results.

Trends in Testicular Injury in Korea, 1986–2015

The objectives of this study were to investigate patients treated for scrotal trauma at our institute for the last three decades to describe our experience with an emphasis on the etiologies and ultrasonographic findings in these patients. We reviewed medical records of patients who underwent scrotal ultrasonography for evaluation of testicular trauma at our institutes from 1986 to 2015. Trends regarding the etiology of scrotal trauma were evaluated during each decade. The echo pattern and contour definition of the testicular parenchyma and the pattern of hematoma development were recorded to evaluate radiographic findings of testicular injury. The correlation between ultrasonographic and intraoperative findings was assessed. A total of 115 patients were analyzed. Most patients (92.2%) presented with blunt trauma. The most common etiology of testicular trauma was assault during the first and second decades, while injury related to a fall was most common during the third decade. Of the 77 patients (67.0%) who underwent urgent exploration, 46 patients (59.7%) had testicular rupture. Loss of contour definition, heterogeneous echo pattern of the testicular parenchyma, and testicular hematoma showed a moderate to strong degree of correlation with testicular rupture (Spearman correlation co-efficient: 0.5–0.8). Over the past 30 years, the etiology of testicular injury changed from assault to falls or athletic injury and the severity of injury has decreased. Our findings demonstrate the importance of ultrasonography for determining an appropriate management strategy in scrotal trauma. Surgical exploration should be considered in patients with abnormal ultrasonographic findings.

Higher Order Aberration and Astigmatism in Children with Hyperopic Amblyopia

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes in corneal higher-order aberration (HOA) during amblyopia treatment and the correlation between HOA and astigmatism in hyperopic amblyopia children. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 72 eyes from 72 patients ranging in age from 38 to 161 months were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on the degree of astigmatism. Corneal HOA was measured using a KR-1W aberrometer at the initial visit and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Correlation analysis was performed to assess the association between HOA and astigmatism. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were enrolled in this study, 37 of which were classified as belonging to the higher astigmatism group, while 35 were assigned to the lower astigmatism group. There was a statistically significant difference in success rate between the higher and lower astigmatism groups. In both groups, all corneal HOAs were significantly reduced during amblyopia treatment. When comparing the two groups, a significant difference in coma HOA at the 12-month follow-up was detected (p = 0.043). In the Pearson correlation test, coma HOA at the 12-month follow-up demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with astigmatism and a stronger correlation with astigmatism in the higher astigmatism group than in the lower astigmatism group (coefficient values, 0.383 and 0.284 as well as p = 0.021 and p = 0.038, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: HOA, particularly coma HOA, correlated with astigmatism and could exert effects in cases involving hyperopic amblyopia.

Analysis of factors affecting spontaneous expulsion of ureteral stones that may predict unfavorable outcomes during watchful waiting periods: What is the influence of diabetes mellitus on the ureter?

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of several factors with spontaneous stone expulsion, including ureteral stone characteristics (size, location, hydronephrosis, perinephric stranding), types of medications prescribed (alpha-blocker, low-dose steroid), and other possible demographic and health-history factors (gender, age, serum creatinine, underlying diabetes mellitus [DM], and hypertension). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 366 patients with ureteral stones were enrolled. All patients underwent watchful waiting without any invasive procedures. Initial diagnoses of ureteral stones were confirmed by computed tomography scans, which were taken at approximately 1-month intervals to check for stone expulsion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify significant factors that contributed to stone expulsion. RESULTS: Among 366 patients, 335 patients (91.5%) experienced spontaneous stone passage during a mean follow-up period of 2.95+/-2.62 weeks. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the success of spontaneous stone passage. Univariate analyses revealed that stone location (p=0.003), stone size (p=0.021), and underlying DM (p<0.001) were significant predictors of stone passage. Multivariate analyses confirmed that stone size (p=0.010), stone location (p=0.008), and underlying DM (p=0.003) were independent predictive factors affecting stone passage. CONCLUSIONS: Stone size, location, and underlying DM were confirmed to be significant predictive factors for spontaneous passage of ureteral stones. Urologists should consider active procedures, such as shock wave lithotripsy or ureteroscopy, rather than conservative management in patients presenting with proximally located stones, large ureteral stones, or underlying DM.