Pyoderma gangrenosum is a painful, chronic, ulcerating skin disease associated with a wide variety of disorders, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and Behcet's disease. Etiology of pyoderma gangrenosum is unknown but the lesions frequently appear at points of trauma and it is related with pathergy. We report a case of post-traumatic pyoderma gangrenosum occurring in ulcerative colitis with a review of the literature.
Colitis, Ulcerative ; Crohn Disease ; Pyoderma ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum ; Skin Diseases ; Ulcer

Jessner's lymphocytic infiltration of the skin (JLIS) is a well-known but poorly understood disorder. Some doubt still exists about whether it is a distinct disease or a variant of lupus erythematosus or, less commonly, polymorphous light eruption, cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia. An effective therapy is still unavailable for JLIS. We report a patient with JLIS which was successfully treated with dapsone and intermittent systemic glucocorticoid therapy.
Dapsone ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Light ; Skin

BACKGROUND: For the early detection and prevention of diabetic neuropathy, it is important to identify subclinical diabetic neuropathies. A routine nerve conduction study often fails to detect the early stages of neuropathy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical usefulness of electrophysiological indexes including the residual latency(RL), terminal latency index (TLI) and modified F ratio (MFR) in detecting early diabetic neuropathy with no objective clinical or electrophysiological abnormalities. METHODS: A nerve conduction study of the upper/lower limbs was investigated in 38 subclinical diabetic neuropathy patients with normal nerve conduction studies (group I), 35 clinical diabetic neuropathy patients with normal nerve conduction studies (group II) and 31 normal controls. RL, TLI and MFR were calculated and compared among the groups. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the MFR of the lower limbs and TLI of both the upper/lower limbs were significantly decreased in both group I and II (p<0.05). RL was increased in both groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. Comparing the indexes between group I and II, there was no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: RL, TLI and MFR are useful indexes for reflecting distal conduction slowing especially in slowly progressing polyneuropathies such as diabetic neuropathy. The results also suggest that electrophysiological changes veiled in a routine nerve conduction study were present before the clinical manifestations.
Diabetic Neuropathies* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Neural Conduction* ; Polyneuropathies

Incontinentia pigmenti (Bloch-Sulzberger's disease) is an X-linked dominantly inherited disorder which is usually lethal in hemizygous males, but rarely found in male infants. It can be explained by the presence of an extra X chromosome (Klinefelter's syndrome), hypomorphic mutations, and somatic mosaicism. We herein report a rare case of incontinentia pigmenti with typical course of skin manifestation in normal karyotype (46, XY) male infant.
Humans ; Incontinentia Pigmenti ; Infant ; Karyotype ; Male ; Mosaicism ; Skin Manifestations ; X Chromosome

Plasmodium vivax is more challenging to control and eliminate than P. falciparum due to its more asymptomatic infections with low parasite densities making diagnosis more difficult, in addition to its unique biological characteristics. The potential re-introduction of incidence cases, either through borders or via human migrations, is another major hurdle to sustained control and elimination. The Republic of Korea has experienced re-emergence of vivax malaria in 1993 but is one of the 32 malaria-eliminating countries to-date. Despite achieving successful nationwide control and elimination of vivax malaria, the evolutionary characteristics of vivax malaria isolates in the Republic of Korea have not been fully understood. In this review, we present an overview of the genetic variability of such isolates to increase understanding of the epidemiology, diversity, and dynamics of vivax populations in the Republic of Korea.
Asymptomatic Infections ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Genetic Variation ; Human Migration ; Incidence ; Korea ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Parasites ; Plasmodium vivax ; Plasmodium ; Population Characteristics ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Laterally spreading tumors (LST) were growthed along the colonic wall. These tumors were high malignant potential compared to colon polyp. We analyzed clinicopathological characteristics of these tumors. METHODS: From June 1996 to June 2001, twenty nine patients were diagnosed by colonoscopy. These lesions were classificated macroscopic (granular type and nongranular type) and microscopic findings. RESULTS: 20 male and 9 female were enrolled (mean age, 68.1). Among the LST, 41.4% were 20~30 mm in diameter, and 7% were larger than 30 mm. According to macroscopic findings granular types were 72.4% (21/29) and nongranular types were 27.6% (8/29). In macroscopic findings, tubular types were 48.4% (14/29), malignant changes were 31.3% (9/29). Tumor size was only significant factor in malignant potential of LST (p=0.004). Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed in 72.4% (21/29), operation in 8 (27.6%). Rate of submucosal invasion in LST was 3.4% (1/29, sm1). Recurrent rate of endoscopic treatment group was 9.5% (2/21). CONCLUSIONS: Most of LST were good indication for endoscopic treatment, but larger tumor size and irregular surface of tumor were suspected to be submucosal invasion. Therefore these lesions were performed other procedures as endoscopic ultrasound or computerized tomography for invasion depth.
Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Polyps ; Ultrasonography

The present study was performed to survey the infection status of zoonotic intestinal trematode (ZIT) in stray cats from 5 major riverside areas in the Republic of Korea. Total 400 stray cats were captured with live-traps in riverside areas of Seomjingang (\'gang' means river) (203 cats) from June to October 2010, and of Yeongsangang (41), Nakdonggang (57), Geumgang (38), and Hangang (61 cats) from June to October 2011, respectively. Small intestines resected from cats were opened with a pair of scissors in a beaker with 0.85% saline and examined with naked eyes and under a stereomicroscope. More than 16 ZIT species were detected in 188 (92.6%) cats from Seomjingang areas, and the number of worms recovered was 111 per cat infected. In cats from riverside areas of Yeongsangang, Nakdonggang, Geumgang, and Hangang, more than 9, 8, 3, and 5 ZIT species were recovered, and the worm burdens were 13, 42, 11, and 56 specimens per infected cat, respectively. As the members of family Heterophyidae, more than 10 species, i.e., Metagonimus spp., Pygidiopsis summa, Heterophyes nocens, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Heterophyopsis continua, Acanthotrema felis, Centrocestus armatus, Procerovum varium, Cryptocotyle concava, and Stictodora lari, were recovered. More than 5 species of echinostomes, i.e., Echinostoma hortense, Echinochasmus japonicus, Echinochasmus sp., Echinoparyphium sp., and unidentified larval echinostomes, were collected. Plagiorchis spp. were detected in cats from areas of Seomjin-gang and Yeongsangang. From the above results, it has been confirmed that stray cats in 5 major riverside areas of Korea are highly infected with various species of ZITs.
Animals ; Cat Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Cats ; Female ; Male ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Trematoda/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Zoonoses/epidemiology/*parasitology

The relationship between anti-Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibody levels and the prevalence of malaria in epidemic areas of South Korea was evaluated. Blood samples were collected from inhabitants of Gimpo-si (city), Paju-si, and Yeoncheon-gun (county) in Gyeonggi-do (province), as well as Cheorwon-gun in Gangwon-do from November to December 2004. Microscopic examinations were used to identify malaria parasites. ELISA was used to quantitate anti-circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibodies against P. vivax. A total of 1,774 blood samples were collected. The overall CSP-ELISA-positive rate was 7.7% (n=139). The annual parasite incidences (APIs) in these areas gradually decreased from 2004 to 2005 (1.09 and 0.80, respectively). The positive rate in Gimpo (10.4%, 44/425) was the highest identified by CSP-ELISA. The highest API was found in Yeoncheon, followed by Cheorwon, Paju, and Gimpo in both years. The positive rates of CSP-ELISA were closely related to the APIs in the study areas. These results suggest that seroepidemiological studies based on CSP may be helpful in estimating the malaria prevalence in certain areas. In addition, this assay can be used to establish and evaluate malaria control and eradication programs in affected areas.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malaria, Vivax/*blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasmodium vivax/*immunology/physiology ; Prevalence ; Protozoan Proteins/immunology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Young Adult

Orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) regulates cell growth and tumorigenesis in various cancers. However, the clinical relevance of ERRγ to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Here we examined the clinical significance of ERRγ in HCC and its potential as a therapeutic target. ERRγ levels in tissues from completely resected specimens from 190 HCC patients were examined immunohistochemically and their association with clinical stage and pathological grade was analyzed. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of ERRγ (siRNA-ERRγ) or an ERRγ inverse agonist, GSK5182, were also used to examine the effects of ERRγ inhibition on the proliferation and growth of a human hepatoma cell line, PLC/PRF/5. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that tumor tissues showed higher levels of ERRγ-positivity than adjacent non-tumor lesions. Tumors showing high levels of ERRγ immunoreactivity also had advanced tumor node metastasis (TNM) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages and a higher Edmondson–Steiner grade. In addition, high-level expression of ERRγ in tumors of advanced TNM stage correlated with poorer overall survival. Treatment of PLC/PRF/5 cells with siRNA-ERRγ or GSK5182 inhibited proliferation through G1 arrest, increased expression of p21 and p27 and decreased expression of phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein. GSK5182-induced reactive oxygen species also suppressed the proliferation of PLC/PRF/5 cells. The present study showed that ERRγ expression is clinically significant in HCC; therefore, it can be considered a biomarker for HCC diagnosis. Moreover, the results provide a rationale for the use of ERRγ inhibitors such as GSK5182 as potential therapeutic agents.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation* ; Child ; Child, Orphaned ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms* ; Liver* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Retinoblastoma Protein ; RNA, Small Interfering

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have the effect of regression of left ventricular hypertrophy which has been known as the adverse prognostic factor in the cardiovascular diseases. There are some reports that patients having low ACE activity are prone to have the ACE inhibitorinduced cough. In this study we evaluate the difference of the regression of left ventricular mass according to ACE inhibitor induced cough. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Newly detected hypertensive patients (N=08) from Jan. 1994 to Dec.1997 without cough and other contraindications to ACEI were prospectively prescribed ACEI and followed up for two years whether they have experienced ACE inhibitor induced cough. Cough and non-cough group are analyzed the amount of regression of left ventricular mass by ECG. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass index decreases significantly from 128 38 to 11936 g/m2(deltaLVMI=9+/-22g/m2, p< 0.05), after ACE inhibitors had been used for two years. There is no difference between cough and non-cough group. When subgroup analysis has been done according to sex and the presence of the baseline left ventricular hypertrophy, LVH(+ group and female have the tendency of the larger amount of decreasing of LVMI than LVH(-) group and male respectively [LVH(+:LVH(-)=15+/-26:-3+/-15, M:F=12+/-24:-7+/-19]. After the adjusting of the influence of baseline LVM and sex, the amount of degree of LVMI regresssion in case of the men without baseline LVH is significantly different in cough and non-cough group. LVMI decreases significantly in non-cough group, but not in cough group. CONCLUSION: ACE inhibitors have the effect of the regression of LVMI by ECG. The amount of change of LVMI is greater in female and the patients with baseline LVH. In case of men without LVH, non-cough group has larger amount of decreasing of LVMI than cough group.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cough* ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Male ; Prospective Studies