Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a self-limited infection of the skin caused by Leishmania tropica, a protozoan parasite transmitted by Phlebotomus sandfly. This disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical zone, but recently many cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported in Korean among the peoples who had been worked in the Middle East. We experienced five cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis developed in Korean who had been worked in Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Skin lesions of various sized, central ulcerated and marginal elevated, with serosanguinous discharge and some crust were scattered on exposed area, especially both extremities. Histopathologic findings showed hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, dermal infiltration of histiocytes, lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils, and numerous Leishman-Donovan bodies in and around histiocytes. About 1-4 months treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and metronidazole, two cases were healed with hyperpigmented scar and two cases were improved but one case was not responded.
Cicatrix ; Extremities ; Histiocytes ; Hyperplasia ; Jordan ; Leishmania tropica ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous* ; Lymphocytes ; Metronidazole ; Middle East ; Neutrophils ; Parasites ; Phlebotomus ; Plasma Cells ; Psychodidae ; Saudi Arabia ; Skin ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination ; Ulcer

The incidence of pediatric dermatoses shows a tendency to increase inspite of medical development and environmental improvement. Pediatric dermatoses must be regarded as separate disease entities because child skin differs from adult skin in its structures and functions. Also to be noted are the special, characteristics of the child skin during the growth period. 11,447 childhood patients who had visited the demantologic department of Soon Chun Hyang Hospital, from 1975 to 1980, were analysed. in order to compile the current statistics on the tendencies of pediatric skin dises in Korea. The results are summarized as follows; l. Among the 34, 472 outpatients, 11, 447 were pediatric patients, comprising 33. 2% of the total figure. 2. In order of frequency, the most common dermatoses were atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, impetigo contagiosum, molluscum contagiosum, dermatophytosis, scabies, folliculitis, urticaria, varicella and insect bite. 3. The majority of childhood derrnatitis(65.5%) were shown to develop in the preschool age group, with the peak incidence falling in the 0-3 year age group (41.4%) 4. In analysis of the male: female frequency ratio, the dermatoses which showed a greater male frequency ratio were atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, impetigo contagiosum, scabies, insect bite, urticaria and miliaria. The dermatoses in which the female ratio was greater were seborrheic dermatitis, acne and hemangioma.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adult ; Chickenpox ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Female ; Folliculitis ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Impetigo ; Incidence ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Korea ; Male ; Miliaria ; Molluscum Contagiosum ; Outpatients ; Scabies ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Statistics as Topic* ; Tinea ; Urticaria

The Venereal Disease Research Laboratory microflocculation (VDRL) test, especially the quantitative test is well standardized, simple, rapid and, at present, the most widely used non-treponernal test in serodiagnosis and follow up sturly of syphilis. However, the UDRL test result could be influenced by room ternperature, especially in summer and winter in Korea in the abscence of proper air-conditioning and heating. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of room temperature on the VDRL test result and to determine the critical temperatures which alter the test result. Eighty six VDRL-reactive serum samples collected at the Soonchunhyang Medical College Hospital and the V.D. Clinic of the Chung-Ku Public Health Center in Seoul during the 7 months periods from September 1982 to March 1983 were used. The results obtained were as follows: The change in the VDRL titer was not obscrved at room temperature of between 18 C and 32 C 2. The VDRL titer became weakly reactive on the same titer or lowered to half titer at room temperature of below 18C. R. The VDRL titer increased two fold at room temperature of above 32C.(countinue..)
Follow-Up Studies ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Korea ; Public Health ; Seoul ; Serologic Tests ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Syphilis

Cryptococcosis is an acute, subacute or chronic infectian caused by the encap sulated yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. The case of Cryptococcosis is a 2 5/12 year-old boy with involvement of the skin, lungs, liver, spleen, lymph node and central nervous system is reported. He has suffered from fever, nausea., vomiting and multiple skin lesions for a month. Thcre were various cutaneous lesions consisting of papules, pustules, nodules, crusts and ulcers on the scalp, face, back, buttocks and both extremities. Diagnosis was confirmed by the clinical characteristics, histopathologic findings and culture of the C. neoformans from cerebrospinal fluid and marcerated skin tissue. He was successfully treated with combination of Amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine.
Amphotericin B ; Buttocks ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cryptococcosis* ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Fever ; Flucytosine ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Nausea ; Scalp ; Skin ; Spleen ; Ulcer ; Vomiting ; Yeasts

Superficial migratory thrombophlebitis (SMT) represents multiple, tender, often cordlike nodules, usuallyion the legs but occationally on the arms. In some instances the nodules slowly migrate along the course of a vein. It can occur in association with carcinoma of internal organ or other diseases but also idiopathically. In 1865 Trousseau first wrote about that patients who have carcinoma involving an internal organ are prone to develop thrombophlebitis in one or more superficial veins so he drew attention to the fact that thrombophlebitis may be a first presenting sign of carcinomatosis. In fact, it is not uncommon for the ordinary thrombotic lesions to be observed several months or even a year before the carcinoma would otherwise diagnosed. So the clinical manifestation of SMT may be very important dermatologic finding to find hidden cancer of visceral organ. We present two cases of SMT, first case is a 25-year-old male patient who had multiple, tender nodules on both lower extremities and second case is 32-year-old male patient who had multiple, tender, linear, often cordlike nodules along the inner aspect of right lower extremity. Because we could not find any internal carcinoma or other diseas esexcept histories of hepatitis, we regard them as idiopathic type, but continuous follow up observation must be needed under the importance of possible presence of internal carcinoma.
Adult ; Arm ; Carcinoma ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Thrombophlebitis* ; Veins

Herpes Gestationis is a rare polymorphous, vesiculobullous disease of pregnancy and puerperium. It is characterized by rapidly progressive skin eruption heraled initially by severe generalized pruritus. Erythematous papules and urticaria like plaques rapidly appear followed by grouped, tense, vesiculobullous eruptions. A 23 year-old pregnant woman was admitted to our departrnent of dermatology hecause of erythematous patches with pruritic vesiculobullous and pustular eruption on the whole body since third week of conception, Biopsy specimen of bullous skin lesion showed spongiosis of epidermal cells, mild necrosis of basal cells, subepidermal bulla, edema, of papillary derrnis and perivascular infiltration of inflammatory cells. Ultrastructural findings showed mild necrosis of basal cells, bulla above or below basement membrane zone and partial separation of basal larnina. Direct immunofluorescences of bullous lesion and normal appearing skin demonstrated deposition of IgG in linear pattern along basement rnembra,ne zone. After treatment with systemic corticosteroid and antihistamin, the lesions were cleared, leaving residual hyperpigmentation, and she delivered normal female baby.
Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Blister ; Dermatology ; Edema ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Immunoglobulin G ; Necrosis ; Pemphigoid Gestationis* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Urticaria ; Young Adult

Leukemia cutis, skin lesions in leukemia, are clinically divided into specific and nonspecific types. Specific skin lesions demonstrate malignant cell infiltrate when the biopsy is done. We have encountered a typical case of specific skin lesions of leukemia cutis associated with acute lymphocytic leukemia in a 18-year-old male patient. There were multiple, pinhead to rice sized, skin colored to lemon yellow colored, discrete papules on the face, neck and trunk. A review of the literature is presented with a brief discussion of this case.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Male ; Neck ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Skin

Trichofolliculoma is a benign tumor of hair follicle and is intermediate in differentiation between a hair nevus and a trichoepithelioma. It is a rare dermatosis first described by Fessler in 1924. Clinically, asymptomatic 4-5 mm sized solitary tumor usually occurs on the scalp, head and neck in the adultnood, This tumor may be clinically suspected if occurs as a small domeshaped nodule with a central umbilication showing small wisps fimmature hairs. Microscopically, the turnor shows one or several keratinfilled cysts in the dermis which are surrounded by spuamous epithelium, and contain horny meterial and birefringent fragments af hair shaft. These are primary hair follicles. And there are small secondary hair follicles which appear to radiation from the pimary hair follicles and have fine hair. The surrounding squarnous epithelium of primary follicles form epithelial strands, and interconnection the secondary hair follicles. We presented here a case of trichofolliculoma with typical clinical and histopthological findings in a 41 year-old male patient.
Adult ; Dermis ; Epithelium ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Nevus ; Scalp ; Skin Diseases

Electron microscopic examination of specimens from lesions of eight patients with hyperpigmented and six patients with hypopigmented tinea versicolor and from unaffected skin in each patient was performed. The results are summarized as follows; 1. In hyperpigmented lesions, melanosomes are larger and more singly dispersed than in unaffected skin. 2. In hypopigmented lesions, melanosomes are smaller and less singly diepersed than in unaffected skin. 3. Number of total melanosomes in hyperpigmented and hypopigmented lesions was not different from in unaffected skin.
Humans ; Melanosomes* ; Skin ; Tinea Versicolor* ; Tinea*

During recent years, many investigators studied to confirm the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis but it remains obscure. However, two major proposals, the B-padrenergic blockade hypothesis of Szentivanyi and the immunological hypothesis, have been advanced. The significant role of IgE in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis was considered since the discovery of elevated IgE levels in atopic dermatitis in 1969. However, recent various reports have indicated the existence of immune defects not only in humoral but also in cellular immune status of patients with atopic dermatitis. This study was undertaken to assess the humoral and cellular immune status of patients with atopic dermatitis using in vitro immune parametera The relationship between the humoral and cellular immune status of atopic subjects and the severity of disease was examined reapectively. The effect of the corticosteroid administration on the serum IgE levels of the patients with atopic dermatitis was followed. Eighty-three patients with atopic dermatitis, diagnosed and treated at the Department of Dermatology, Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital from October, 1988 to September, 1981 and twenty-one normal healthy subjects were included in this: study. Serum lgE levels were measured by Phadebas IgE (paper radio-immunosorbent technique) and peripheral blood T-lymphocytes (early and total) wer enumerated by the E-rosette technique.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Research Personnel ; T-Lymphocytes*