Increased melanin pigmentation following ultraviolet irradiat.ion is due to increasing tyrosinase activity and multiplicatian of functioning melanocytes. After UV-irradiation, the size of melanocytes increases, and melanocyte dendrites elongatc, and branch. In this experiment, we induced the activation of melanocyts in the epidermis of C57BL black mice by ultraviolet-B(UVB) irradiation and observcd ihe effect of azelaic acid and retinoic acid on the UVB activated epidermal melanocytes. Sixty C57BL black mice were irradiated by UVB 100mJ/cm daily for 10 days, and then azeiaic acid and retinoic acid were topically applied daily for 7 weeks. For the estimation of morphologic change of epidermal melanocytes, light microscopic observation with split DOPA stain was performed at the end of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th week of topical application. The results are summerized as follows : 1. The number, size and circumference of DOPA-positive epidermal melanocytes were significantly decreased in 20% azelaic acid applied group and 30% azelaic acid and 0.05% retinoic acid applied group. 2. In 20% azelaic;i.cid and 0.05% retinoic acid applied group, the number, size and circumference of DOPA-positive epidermal melanocytes were nore significantly decreased than in 20% azelaic acid applied group. In summary, the present study suggets that azelaic acid act as a depigmenting agent on epidermal melanocyte; and such depigmenting effect of azelaic acid was increased by addition of retinoic acid.
Animals ; Dendrites ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Epidermis ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Mice* ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Pigmentation ; Tretinoin*

A 31-year-old female patient has had a translucent cystic papule on the genitalia since 2 years ago. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings. This is the rare case of apocrine hidrocystoma occring in the fernale genitalia in the literature.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Female* ; Genitalia ; Genitalia, Female* ; Hidrocystoma* ; Humans

Tricilemmoma is a benign, solitary tumor that may be clinically misdiagnosed as basal cell carcinoma or verruca. It affects frequently the face of elderly rnen. We present herein a case of trichilemrnoma in a 70-year-old Korean wornan who had a slowly growing tumor on the scalp for 50 years. The histopathologic findings revealed lobular acanthosis of glycogeri rich clear cells and palisade of columnar cells resting on prominent basement membrane.
Aged ; Basement Membrane ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Humans ; Scalp* ; Warts

The pretent study was performed to study the epiderrnal changes of ultraviolet irradiation and PUVA treatment in the black mice. The following results were obtained: 1) The histologic changes of the epidermis, number of DOPA positive melanocytes and ultrastructural changes of keratinocytes due to UVB and PUVA were rnore prominent than those of UVA irradiation. 2) The histological changes after 8-MOP photosensitization closely mirnic those of UVR irradiation, and constant, finding was hyperkeratosis. 3) Early histological change after UVL irradiation & IUVA treatment was appearance of dytkeratotic cells. 4) Pro]onged exposure to UVB & PUVA resulted in transient epidermal hyperplasia, and epidermal atrophy occurred 3 weeks after PUVA treatment. 5) Early electron microscopic changes was perinuclear edema, juxtanuclear vacuoles and clumping of tonofilament.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Edema ; Epidermis ; Hyperplasia ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratinocytes ; Melanocytes ; Methoxsalen ; Mice* ; Photosensitivity Disorders ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Vacuoles

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of sulfhydryl compounds, cysteine and glutathione, on the size of melanosomes and the ratio of melanosormai stages of epidermal melanocytes in UV-irradiated black mice. The results were as follows; 1. Both of cysteine and glutathione showed significant diminution in the short axis of melanosomes and the percentage of stage 4 melanosomes of epidermal melanocytes in C57BL black mice skin. 2. The length of short axis of melanosomes in glutathione-treated group is smaller than those in cysteine-treated group at the end of 3rd week of intraperitoneal injection. The percentage of stage IV melanosomes significantly decreased in glutathione-treated group and cysteine-treated group at the end of 3rd week and 5th week respectively. 3. In glutathione-treated group, the short axis of melanosomes and the percentage of stage 4 melanosomes both decreased in proportional to the period of intraperitoneal in]ection.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cysteine ; Glutathione ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Melanocytes* ; Melanosomes ; Mice* ; Skin ; Sulfhydryl Compounds*

It is well known that circulating antibodies are produced by plasma cells derived from B lymphocytes, and T lyphocytes are endowded with the capacity to regulate the type and intensity of virtually all immune responses. Therefore, the measurement of relative and absolute number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of myasthenia gravis patients could be of value. We have studied the distribution pattern of lymphocytes and helper/suppressor ratio in the peripheral blood of 28 myasthenic patients in comparison with 10 patients of other neurologic diseases as control by using immunobead method. There was no significant differences between 17 myasthenic patients who had taken only anticholinesterase and control. But in 17 patients who had taken steroid, Helper T lymphocyte was decreased significantly compared to control. Both T lymphocyte and B lymphocyte were also decreased significantly compared to 17 myasthenic patients who had taken only anticholinesterase without steroid therapy. In 3 patients who had undergone thymectomy, there was significant decreases of suppressor T lymphocyte. Plasma exhange as a treatment for myasthenia gravis is currently the subject of clinical interest and research. Clinical response and muscle power measured by using sphygmomanometer were followed in 2 patients in myasthenic crisis and in 4 patients with severe disease refractory to all other treatment modalities, received 4-6 cycles of plasma exchange with Hemonetics 30-S. 2 patients had a recurrence 1.5 and 6 months after first course of plasma exchange respectively, Therefore, they had to take a second course of plasma exchange. The satisfactory increment of muscle power was noticed in 5 out of 6 cases after fourth plasma exchange.
Antibodies ; B-Lymphocytes ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Plasma Cells ; Plasma Exchange* ; Plasma* ; Recurrence ; Sphygmomanometers ; Thymectomy

MEN type 1 is characterized primarily by the presence of functioning and nonfunctioning tumors or hyperplasia of the pituitary gland, parathyroid glands, and pancreatic islet cells. Pancreatic islet tumors in MEN type 1 produce different kinds of hormone which were pancreatic polypeptide, gastrin, glucagon, insulin and so on. To date, ten cases had been reported in Korea. We report another case with MEN type 1 having prolatin-secreating pituitary adenoma, parathyroid hyperplasia and insulinoma. A 36-year-old woman was admitted because of long-standing amenorrhea and recently diagnosed osteoporosis. Otherwise, she had been in good health except experiencing one episode of loss of consciousness after skipped meal. The blood chemistries were normal except hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia. Hormonal studies revealed elevated levels of intact PTH and prolactin and decreased value of estradiol with low LH and FSH. The neck CT revealed 1 cm-sized nodule at posterior portion of right thyroid gland and 99mTc-sestamibi sintigraphy showed a increased uptake in left lower and right lower parathyroid glands. The sella MRI showed 0.7 cm-sized enhanced lesion in the left pituitary gland. The ratio of immunoreactive insulin to glucose was elevated and 3-4 pancreatic masses of variable size were identified by endoscopic ultrasonography and angiography. Subtotal parathyroidectomy and pyrolus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy with spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy was done. Postoperative she had been doing well with normocalcemia and normoglycemia. Transsphenoidal adenonectomy was done 5 months later. Histologic examination of removed tissues revealed a single insulinoma, prathyroid hyperplasia and prolactin-secreating pituitary adenoma.
Adult ; Amenorrhea* ; Angiography ; Endosonography ; Estradiol ; Female ; Gastrins ; Glucagon ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperplasia ; Hypophosphatemia ; Insulin ; Insulinoma ; Islets of Langerhans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meals ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia* ; Neck ; Osteoporosis* ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Polypeptide ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Parathyroid Glands ; Parathyroidectomy ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Prolactin ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi ; Thyroid Gland ; Unconsciousness

Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare disorder which involves multi-organs including cerebellum and retina. Recently we have experienced 2 cases of von Hippel-Lindau disease. The case 1 was a 19-year-old female with chief complaint of severe headache accompanied by vomiting on admission. Computed tomogram of brain showed space occupying lesion in the posterior fossa. She was rapidly deteriorated and diagnosed as brain death on the basis of physical and neurological examination and electroencephalogram. Kidney specimens removed for the transplantation and cerebellum obtained by partial autopsy reveled bilateral renal cell carcinomas and hemangioblastoma, respectively, on the microscopic examination.. The case 2 was a 23-year-old male who visited to our hospital due to headache, gait disturbance, and visual loss in the right eye. The findings of brain CT, vertebral angiography, ophthalmoscope, retinal angiogram, and operation were compatable to cerebello-retinal angiomatosis. With reviewing of some literatures, we present 2 cases of von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Angiography ; Angiomatosis ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Brain Death ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Cerebellum ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Gait ; Headache ; Hemangioblastoma ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Ophthalmoscopes ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Vomiting ; von Hippel-Lindau Disease* ; Young Adult

Moyamoya disease is characterized by a bilateral progressive narrowing of the distal internal carotid and proximal portions of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries. The cerebral vessels of the 11 to 14 mm embryonic period are extremely similar to these moyamoya vessels. The vertebral arteries unite with a contralateral homologue to form the basilar artery during embryonic development and rarely, the failure of complete fusion results in duplication of these arteries. It is well known that moyamoya disease sometimes is accompanied by persistent primitive arteries, cerebral aneurysm, or rarely arteriovenous malformation. However, no case of the moyamoya disease with complete duplication of basilar artery has been previously reported. These two types of vascular abnormality are probably associated in certain developmental period, and moyamoya disease causes hemodynamic load in the basilar artery system as a collateral pathway and these effects are also involved in duplication of basilar artery. The relationship between these two varieties of vascular abnormality and possible pathogenesis of the moyamoya disease are discussed.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Basilar Artery* ; Cerebral Arteries ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Pregnancy ; Vertebral Artery

Recent studies have demonstrated that the patients with psoriasis have various immune alternation in both humoral and cellular immunities. However the results of these are still controversial. These facts promoted us to analyze the immune cells (T cell, T subsets and B cell) by rosette method for these cells in peripheral blood of 15 patients with psoriasis. And we also analyzed the effects of photo- chemotherapy(PUVA) on these cells. The results were summerized as follows; 1. The mean values of T cell, T, T, cell and B cell in peripheral blood of the- patients with psoriasis before PUVA therapy were 56. 2+-5.7%, 35.1+-6.9%, 5. 5+l.4%, 11.6+4. 0% respectively, These results of immune cells showed signi- ficantly lower mean values when these were compaired with the mean values. of nomnal control group(T cell; 65. 2+-2.9%, TM cell; 45.8+-3.2%, T cell; 7.3+ 1.3% B cell; 16.2+2.4%), respectively (T cell, Tm Tg, p<0.01, B cell; p<0.05). 2. The mean values of T cell, T, T, cell and B cell in peripheral blood (countinue..)
Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Photochemotherapy* ; Psoriasis* ; PUVA Therapy