BACKGROUND: Becker's mealanosis is not an uncommon entity, and many cases are probably not reported because the diagnosis is usually made clinically and the condition is benign with cosmetic significance only. the etiology remains obscure. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to establish the clinicopathologic characteristics of Becker's melanosis in Korean. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with Becker's melanosis were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: The clinical and histopathologic findings observed in our cases were similar to previous reports except for the following. Nine patients(25%) had abnormal findings in their hair follicles : dilatation of the infundibular portion filled with abnormal keratin, Pityrosporum orbiculare and bacteria(19.4%); formation of intrafollicular cyst(5.6%). Three patients(8.3%) had granulomatous infiltration. Twenty-two patients(61.1%) had increased smooth muscle bundles. CONCLUSION: The findings associated with dermal hair follicles may be related to the pathogenesis of Becker's melanosis.
Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Malassezia ; Melanosis* ; Muscle, Smooth ; Retrospective Studies

Percutaneous cannulatien has become an accepted technique for monitoring central venous pressure and pulmonary wedge pressure via a Swan Gans catheter. The technique is not without hazard. Complications include thrombophlebitis, infection and hydrothorax. These are case reports demonstrating the complications of hydrothorax and broken catehters from central venous catheterization.
Catheterization, Central Venous* ; Catheters* ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Central Venous Pressure ; Hydrothorax* ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Thrombophlebitis

No abstract available.

Many patients whose chief complaint is headache caused by accident such as traffic accident, falling, or assaults visit to emergency center. Majority of these patients has mild or moderate symptoms, and there is no need to treat surgically. However, the fact that head injury can cause SIADH(syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone) is likely to be overseen. Acute hyponatremia might have been associated with death or permanent brain damage. Hyponatremia is best handled by early recognition and correction of a downward trend in the serum sodium. Unfortunately, this is often difficult in the head-injured patient, where hyponatremia may occur fairly rapidly and is confused by symptoms of head injury. when moderate to severe hyponatremia occurs, it is important to determine its etiology and expeditiously initiate corrective action. There has not been any reported case of the occurrence of symptomatic SIADH after mild head injury in Korea yet. The authors report the experience of three cases of symptomatic SIADH after mild head injury with review of the literatures.
Accidents, Traffic ; Brain ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Emergencies ; Head* ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyponatremia* ; Inappropriate ADH Syndrome ; Korea ; Sodium

No abstract available.
Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XY*

No abstract available.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an unusual primary cutaneous tumor, occasionally found con-current with other malignancies. A case of MCC with coexisting squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was studied histologically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. The MCC and SCC occured at the same site, but each preserved its identity and transition between the two was not identified.
Carcinoma, Merkel Cell* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis was first described in 1947 as a distinctive association of cutaneous hemangioma and pigmentary nevi by Ota et al. We describe a 7-year-old boy who, since birth, had three kinds of discolored patches over the various parts of the body: blue spots (dermal melanocytic nevi), reticulated reddish patches (nevus flammeus), and hypopigmented macules (nevus anemicus). No systemic disease was found.
Child ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Male ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes* ; Nevus ; Parturition ; Port-Wine Stain

Lead is one of the most widespread environmental toxins and its poisoning in children was considered a rarity, usually resulting from unique circumstances such as inappropriate use of leadbased body cosmetics or direct administration of lead-containing folk medicines. The increasing concern about children with lower levels of lead exposure has developed, but there are no data regarding the mean blood lead levels and the incidence of symptomatic or asymptomatic lead poisoning in Korean children. We analyzed the zinc protoporphyrine (ZPP) values and blood lead concentrations in 163 pediatric inpatients for a prospective study of lead exposure. The blood lead concentrations in all 163 children were 15~54 g/dl, of whom 111 children (68.1%) were 25~54 g/dl which needs decision to chelate based on the EDTA provocation test. Among 111 children whose blood lead concentrations are 25~54 g/dl, 59 children(53.2%) were between 7 months and 3 years of age, which revealed no significant higher incidence of lead exposure than any other age group. The ZPP values in 126 children (77.3%) were above 35 g/dl. The mean blood lead concentration and ZPP values are 27.8 g/dl and 48.8 g/dl, respectively. We conclude that there are many asymptomatic children with increased absorption of lead in the urban area of Korea, and we need further studies regarding lead poisoning. It is important that there must be a national counterplan and that pediatricians continue to pay attention to lead posioning in children.
Absorption ; Child ; Edetic Acid ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients* ; Korea ; Lead Poisoning ; Poisoning ; Prospective Studies ; Zinc

Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma, eccrine-pilar angiomatous hamartoma and sudoriparous angioma represent the same disease entity, a hamartoma showing hyperplasia of the eccrine sweat apparatus and of vascular elements in the same lesion histologically. We present a case of eccrine angiomatous hamartoma on the medial side of the right thigh in a 3-year-old male patient and review 16 cases reported in Korea.
Child, Preschool ; Hamartoma* ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Korea ; Male ; Sweat ; Thigh