Characteristics and reproducibility of anterior chamber angle assessment by anterior‐segment optical coherence tomography

Purpose: To evaluate the basic characteristics and reproducibility of anterior chamber angle (ACA) measurements determined by anterior‐segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT) in open‐angle and primary angle closure suspect (PACS) patients. Methods: Thirty‐nine open‐angle and 18 PACS patients were imaged for ACA by AS‐OCT. Subjects underwent imaging of the nasal, temporal and inferior ACA under conditions of constant light, and darkness. For analysis, we used three ACA parameters handled by the Visante OCT software: angle opening distance at 500 μm (AOD₅₀₀), trabecular‐iris space area at 500 μm (TISA₅₀₀) and angle recess area at 500 μm (ARA₅₀₀). For determination of inter‐session reproducibility, a single well‐trained operator (D.Y.K.) scanned all patients at two different visits. For determination of inter‐operator variability, a second operator (S.B.P.) acquired another set of images independently. Three sets of images were acquired at least 24 hour apart. Results: All parameters were significantly different when measured both in light and darkness, and in the nasal and temporal quadrants. There were no significant differences between the left and right eyes in the three ACA parameters in all quadrants. The temporal angle was wider than the nasal and inferior angles. All parameters of the nasal, temporal angles had excellent inter‐session and inter‐operator reproducibility [intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.796–0.981], but these values were slightly lower for inferior angle measurements (ICC 0.662–0.892) in both open‐angle and PACS groups. Conclusion: AS‐OCT provides quantitative and reproducible assessment of ACA. Reproducibility was lower in the inferior angle compared with the nasal and temporal angles, perhaps because of variable placement of the scleral spur.     

Bronchoscopic management of airway obstruction in pediatric endobronchial tuberculosis

The present report describes a case of severe airway obstruction caused by endobronchial tuberculosis in an 11-year-old girl who was successfully treated by bronchoscopic balloon dilation. This case illustrates the insidious presentation and the increasingly important role of bronchoscopic intervention in the management of endobronchial tuberculosis. In addition, a brief literature review of the condition in the pediatric age group is included.     

Effect of Intra-Coronary Nicorandil Administration Prior to Reperfusion in Acute ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background Intravenous nicorandil infusion with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been reported to reduce reperfusion injury events and improve cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, there is limited information on the use of intracoronary nicorandil. Methods and Results In the present study, 73 patients with acute ST segment elevation MI undergoing PCI were randomly assigned to the Nicorandil Group (n=37) or the Control Group (n=36). The composite endpoints were the incidences of ventricular arrhythmia, no-reflow and slow flow. A significant difference in the composite endpoint was observed in the Nicorandil Group when compared with the Control Group (p=0.037). The occurrence of post Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 3 was significantly higher in the Nicorandil Group (p=0.019). Major adverse cardiac events during hospitalization and within 30 days of treatment were similar between the 2 groups. Conclusion Administration of intracoronary nicorandil reduced the occurrence of no-reflow, slow reflow, and reperfusion arrhythmia, and improved the myocardial perfusion grade, TIMI flow during PCI and improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute MI. (Circ J 2008; 72: 1425 - 1429).     

Minimally invasive surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic disease deteriorating patient's quality of life. With the advent of proton pump inhibitors, treatment failures have decreased considerably. However, surgical therapy offers the potential for cure in more than 90% of patients with GERD. Specific indications for antireflux surgery are: incomplete response to medical therapy, frequent recurrences despite the medical treatment, laryngopharyngeal, and/or respiratory symptoms, and complications of GERD, such as esophageal stricture, erosive esophagitis, esophageal ulcer, and/or Barrett's esophagus. The introduction of laparoscopic surgery in early ninties had a profound impact on many surgical fields, including the treatment of GERD. In this review, laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is described and controversial topics, such as total vs. partial fundoplication, and the natural history of Barrett's esophagus after antireflux surgery are addressed.