Biomedical subjects

Kyoko Fujita

Publications and source records attributed to Kyoko Fujita.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Screening and follow-up of diabetic retinopathy using a new mosaic 9-field fundus photography system.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of a newly developed fundus photographing system and assess its applicability to telemedicine. METHODS: Nine overlapping 45 degrees fundus photographs were taken by a new camera equipped with nine internal fixation targets to provide standardized 9-field photographs. The digitally stored images were either edited in 3x3 form or reconstructed as collage (9F) and compared to the ophthalmological examination (OP) and single-field non-mydriatic photography (SC). In telemedicine, 9-field images derived from 61 adolescent diabetics were sent to ophthalmologists over an analog phone line. RESULTS: The sensitivities of the examinations by 9F without and with mydriasis (78 and 82%) were equivalent to OP (84%) and superior to SC (64%). The diagnosis of severity by 9F was also comparable to those by OP, whereas SC tended to underestimate the severity. An average of 1 min 19 s was required to send one edited 9-field photography (average size 259+/-30 KB) over the Internet. Twelve of these eyes were diagnosed as diabetic retinopathy on a desktop monitor whereas SC gave only seven. CONCLUSION: This new 9-field fundus photography system can be appropriate for the screening and follow-up of diabetic retinopathy in adult and adolescent diabetic subjects, especially when applied to telemedicine over the Internet.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Patterning of human dental arch wire blanks using a vector quantization algorithm.

We objectively and automatically classified arch wire blank forms represented by a series of facial surface points on tooth crowns in human adults with normal occlusions using a vector quantization algorithm on the basis of the generalized Lloyd algorithm. We investigated also the descriptive dental arch form parameters that were most effective in distinguishing the classified groups of dental arch wire blanks and examined if they were associated with specific anatomical traits. Dental casts, taken from 79 adults with complete dentitions, were laser scanned with a computer-assisted stereotaxic device. Coordinates of the tooth crown points (FA points) were measured for each dental arch expressed as a vector having positional elements in a series of 14 FA points and categorized into several codes (ie, patterns) according to the similarity of the quantized vector patterns. We found that classifying the dental arches into four patterns maximized the difference between arch wire blank patterns. The classified patterns were differentiated by a gradual broadening of the interarch widths posterior to the lateral incisor. The code with the narrowest arch had the longest coronal arch, whereas the code with the widest arch had the shortest coronal arch (P < .01). The interpremolar and intermolar basal arch widths determined for the code showing the widest arch were significantly greater than those for the code with the narrowest width (P < .01).

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Colchicine poisoning by accidental ingestion of the bulbs of Sandersonia aurantiaca: report of a case].

We report a case of colchicine poisoning in an 82-year-old woman. She had suffered from senile dementia and in her confused state ingested two bulbs of Sandersonia aurantiaca (Christmas-bells, Chinese lantern lily). She was admitted complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms, mainly severe watery diarrhea. The duration of her diarrhea was approximately 40 hours. On the 3rd day after ingestion, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia occurred. Although 50 micrograms of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor was administered from the 5th day to the 8th day, her white blood cell count did not increase and revealed nadir (100/microliter) on the 7th day. Her platelet count also revealed nadir on the 7th day. She died of respiratory failure in the early morning of the 9th day. The bulb of Sandersonia was found to contain colchicine at a concentration of 4.7 mg/g, and her serum level of colchicine was 6.3 ng/ml on the 6th day. Colchicine is an alkaroid extractable from the plants like Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron, autumn crocus), and Gloriosa supra tuber. These plants belong to the lily family. Sandersonia aurantiaca also belongs to the lily family and we found that its bulb contained colchicine. To our knowledge, this is the first report of colchicine poisoning by Sandersonia aurantiaca.

Aged↗