Using immunohistochemical methods, the authors investigated the distribution of tubulin in normal skin and 31 skin tumors, including 11 benign skin tumors and 20 malignant skin tumors, In normal skin, tubulin was strongly expressed in basal cells of the epidermis, sebaceus celis and dermal nerves. Myoepithelial cells, ductalI cells of sveat ducts and outer root sheath cells of hair follicles stained moderat,ely. Lermal fi broblasts showed no staining. In benign tumors including keratoacanthoma, trichoepithelioma, and nevocellular nevus the strornal fibroblast.s were entirely tubulin negative as well as the turnor cells. In basal cell carcinoma, the stromal fibroblasts were negative',whereas tumor cells were weakly positive. In squarnous cell carcinoma(SCC), tumor cells weri, tubulin positive weakly, the degree of tubulin expression of its stroma1 fibroblasts tencied to be in proportional to the grade of malignanr.u. Tumor cells of malignant melanoma and nevocellular nevus were tubulin positive moderately bist the stromal fibrobla.sts were strongly positive only in the cases of malignant melanoma. These results show that the degree of the tubulin; expression in adjacent, stromal cells of epidermal tumors is in proportiona.l to that of their malignancy, These suggest that the expression of tubulin in fibroblasts surrounding tumor cells of malignant melanoma and SCC reflects a stromal alt,eration that might contribute to tumor in vasion, and play a role for cellular motility.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Epidermis ; Fibroblasts ; Hair Follicle ; Keratoacanthoma ; Melanoma ; Nevus ; Skin* ; Stromal Cells ; Tubulin*

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy(RSD) defines as a chronic pain syndrome with sympathetic manifestations that afflicts individuals who haute suffered a trauma to the hand. Persistent pain and dysfunctions of the hand are frequently overlooked by the surgeons. The exact pathophysiology of RSD is not known but severity of injury and prolonged immobilization of the joints are considered as resonable causes on the retrospective studies. The diagnosis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is based on clinical manifestations, simple X-ray and three-phase bone scan. Confirmative diagnosis absolutely depends on the presence of a diffusely abnormal pattern of uptake in phase III in a patient haying pain with underlying cause and strong clinical signs of sympathetic overactivities. As with most disease processes, early diagnosis and treatment is a goal of management of RSD. Surgical restoration of anatomical structures such as tendon, nerve and joint goes ahead of any kind of procedures and it made the VAS pain score decrease from 7.8 to 3.4 in 16 patients. Also, decrease of pain could be achievable with sympathetic or stellate ganglion block with steroid medication. Active physical therapy after surgery is also verb helpful to functional recovery of the hands. Once the appropriate diagnosis is made, combined therapy composed of surgical restoration of anatomical structure, physiotherapy and steroid medication with sympathetic block will be free from pain and produce early functional recovery.
Chronic Pain ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Hand Injuries* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Joints ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tendons

Atypical fibroxanthoma(AFX) occurs most on sun-exposed area of the head and neck of elderly person. It has an excellent prognosis after conservative, but complete, excision. However, because of its potential, albeit small, for metastasis, it is widely regarded as a low-grade sarcoma. We present herein two cases of atypical fibroxanthoma. The case 1 was a 86-year-old female who had a small egg-sized, dome shaped nodule with eroive surface on the left cheek. The other case was a 60-year-old male who had solitry bean-sized, nodulo-ulcerative lesion on the vertex. Immunohistochemical studies revealed positive reaction for vimntin and a-antichymo trypsin. These patients have received completely total surgical ecis on and remained free of recurrence for a period of about, 2 years follow up.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cheek ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma ; Skin* ; Trypsin

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Seizures, Febrile* ; Spinal Puncture*

We report herein a case of pseudoxanthoma elasticum(PXE) in a 24 year old woman. She had a generalized laxity of the skin which tended to hang in folds along the sides of the trunk and in the axillary areas. There was no similar skin lesion in her family. Histopathological examination revealed clumping and fragmentation of the elastic fibers in the mid and lower dermis. Von Kossa stain showed dense deposition of calcium in these areas. We suspect this case as autosomal recessive type II PXE.
Calcium ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin ; Young Adult

We report two cases of dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria. One is a 12-year- old female and her family had five individuals with similar pigmentary disorder through three generation. The other is a 22-yesr-old female who had no family history of similar disease. Fontana-Masson stain revealed increased and decreased melanin granules in the basal cell layers in the pigmented and depigmented lesions respectively.
Female ; Humans ; Melanins

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Mammaplasty* ; Mastectomy*

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma* ; Stomach*

No abstract available.
Giant Cells* ; Granuloma, Giant Cell*

Papular elastorrhexis is a connective tissue nevus that occurs in the second decade of life as asymptomatic small white-creamy papules scattered over the chest, shoulder, abdomen, or back Histopathologically, there is a decrease in elastic fibers with focal homogenization of collagen. Recognition of this entity is important to prevent use of unnecessary diagnostic procedures and therapy. We present three cases of papular elastorrhexis. All of them occurred in children under the age 10 years.
Abdomen ; Child ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Humans ; Nevus ; Shoulder ; Thorax