An 18-year-old man had suffered from intense burning with redness and an increased temperature of both the lower legs, forearms and hands since the age of 5. Symptoms were exacerbated by exposure to heat or walking. The patient obtained temporary relief by immersing his feet and hands in cold water. We observed the increase of skin temperature in relation to pain by thermography. No specific abnormalities were noted in laboratory studies. Treatment with aspirin was ineffective. We report a rare case of primary erythermalgia with typical features.
Adolescent ; Aspirin ; Burns ; Erythromelalgia* ; Foot ; Forearm ; Hand ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Leg ; Skin Temperature ; Thermography ; Walking ; Water

Genital melanosis is an acquired, irregular, brown to black discoloration of the glans or shaft of the penis, or of the vulva and vagina. Although genital melanosis seems similar to malignant melanoma clinically, the histologic findings of genital melanosis show basal layer hyperpigmentation with or without melanocytic hyperplasia and no atypia of the melanocytes. We report a rare case of genital melanosis ; a vulvar melanosis.
Hyperpigmentation ; Hyperplasia ; Male ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma ; Melanosis* ; Penis ; Vagina ; Vulva

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis as one of the relatively common cutaneous disorders, affecting 0.5% to 1.5% of the general popuation in the world. However, it is recorded that the disease is characterized by its highly variable clinical manifestations and incidence influenced by racial, geographic and environmental factors. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate the clinical manifestations and clinical incidence and treatment of psoriasis in the Chinju area. METHODS: This study was based on the analysis of the 208 psoriatics from January, 1991 to December, 1994 at the department of dermatology, Gyeongsang National University Hospital. RESULTS: The results were summarized as follows : 1. Among 208 cases of psoriasis, the number of male and female patients was 110(52.9%) and 98(47.1%), making the sex(male to female) ratio 1: 0.9. 2. The mean age of onset was 31.4 years in males and 30.1 years in females. The peak age group of onset. was between 10 and 19 years. 3. The mean duration of the diseases for the total sample was 5.9 years. 4. Itching was the major subjective symptom in 92 cases(42.3%) of the 208 patients. 5. A family history of psoriasis was noted in 33 cases(15.9%) of the 208 patients. 6. Skin lesions were observed at lower extremities(140 cases; 67.3%), trunk(136 cases; 65.4%), elbow joint(136 cases, 65.4%), upper extremities(132 cases; 63.5%), knee joint(131 cases; 63.0%), scalp(126 cases; 60.5%), palm or sole(43 cases; 20.7%), face(15 cases; 7.2%) in order of frequency. 7. Psoriatic patients were composed of psriasis vulgaris(167 cases, 80.3% ), pustulosis palmoplantaris(26 cases, 12.5%), guttate psoriasis(10 cases, 4.8%), and generalized pustular psoriasis(5 cases, 2.4%). 8. Arthralgia was complained of in 33 cases(15.9%) of the 208 patients. Nail changes were noted in 32 cases(15.4%) of the 208 patients in their finger nails. Toe nails were involved in 13 cases(6.3%) of the 208 patients. 9. We treated psoriatics with topical steroid in 188 cases(90.3%) and emollient in 92 cases(44. 2%). Among them 42 cases(20.2%) were treated with topical therapy only. We treated psoriatics with systemic retinoid in 44 cases(21.1%) and methotrexate in 23 cases(11.1%) and steroid in 13 cases(6.2%), in which all of them received the topical remedies with systemic therapy. In phototherapy, we treated psoriatics with UVB in 65 cases(31.2%) and psoralen plus UVA(PUVA) in 34 cases(16.4%). The 97 cases(46.6%) were treated with topical remedies with phototherapy. CONCLUSION: The clinical analysis of the 208 patients with psoriasis was performed. We could not find the significant difference between our study and other reported studies.
Age of Onset ; Arthralgia ; Dermatology ; Elbow ; Female ; Ficusin ; Fingers ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Knee ; Male ; Methotrexate ; Phototherapy ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis* ; Skin ; Toes

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for athrosclerosis, consist of low density lipoprotein like particle and specific glycoprotein, apolipoprotein(a). The levels of Lp(a) are mainly determined by the genetic pleomorphism of apolipoprotein(a) and has been though not to be influenced by age, sex and other biochemical parameters. Recent reports have shown that the concentrations of Lp(a) are correlated with age in women. The purpose of this study was to invastigate the association of Lp(a) concentration with sex and age. METHODS: The concentrations of Lp(a) were measured in 3,707 women and 389 men, free of diseases and medications known to affect the lipid levels. Plasma Lp(a) concentration were measured by commercial radioimmunoassay kit and other lipid profiles by conventional method. RESULTS: In female, median Lp(a) concentration increased with age till the early sixth decade (P=.0000) and then decreased. If peri- and postmenopausal women were excluded in the fifth decades, the relation between age and Lp(a) disappeared. In male, Lp(a) concentration were not associated with age. Median Lp(a) concentrations were higher in females than in males in the fifth(p=.0039) and the sixth decades(p=.0007), The difference became negligible after the exclusion of peri- and postmenopausal woman in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: The concentrations of Lp(a) were corrected with age only in female. Females had higher levels than males in the fifth and the sixth decades. The relations are thought to be nither due to aging process nor sex but due to postmenopausal increase of Lp(a).
Aging ; Apoprotein(a) ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Menopause ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein(a)[Lp(a)], an independent risk factor for athrosclerosis, consist of low density lipoprotein like particle and specific glycoprotein, apolipoprotein(a). The levels of Lp(a) are mainly determined by the genetic pleomorphism of apolipoprotein(a) and has been though not to be influenced by age, sex and other biochemical parameters. Recent reports have shown that the concentrations of Lp(a) are correlated with age in women. The purpose of this study was to invastigate the association of Lp(a) concentration with sex and age. METHODS: The concentrations of Lp(a) were measured in 3,707 women and 389 men, free of diseases and medications known to affect the lipid levels. Plasma Lp(a) concentration were measured by commercial radioimmunoassay kit and other lipid profiles by conventional method. RESULTS: In female, median Lp(a) concentration increased with age till the early sixth decade (P=.0000) and then decreased. If peri- and postmenopausal women were excluded in the fifth decades, the relation between age and Lp(a) disappeared. In male, Lp(a) concentration were not associated with age. Median Lp(a) concentrations were higher in females than in males in the fifth(p=.0039) and the sixth decades(p=.0007), The difference became negligible after the exclusion of peri- and postmenopausal woman in the fifth decade. CONCLUSION: The concentrations of Lp(a) were corrected with age only in female. Females had higher levels than males in the fifth and the sixth decades. The relations are thought to be nither due to aging process nor sex but due to postmenopausal increase of Lp(a).
Aging ; Apoprotein(a) ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Menopause ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The long-term survival in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) after conventional chemotherapy is about 35% and the rest of the patients tend to have relapse. So, in relapsed or refractory NHL, the outcome of patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation (APBSCT) was evaluated, and the main prognostic factors were determined. METHODS: 17 patients with relapsed or resistant NHL (5 complete response group, 7 partial response group, 4 primary refractory group, 1 resistant relapse) underwent BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) chemotherapy and APBSCT between July 1997 and February 1999. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 17 months (range: 4-47). The response rate was 58.3% (complete response 33.3%, partial response 25.0%) in 12 patients in whom complete response group was not included. The 2-year, 3-year overall response rate were 41.2%, 27.5%, respectively. And 2-year progression free survival was 35.3%. The disease status before high-dose chemotherapy was the only significant prognostic factor in determining overall survival (univariate p=.024, multivariate p=.059) and progression free survival (univariate p=.013, multivariate p=.026). Patients with complete response to salvage regimen had better overall survival (p=.021) and progression free survival (p=.008) than patients with refractory response. WBC (> or = 1,000/uL) was recovered at the median 11 days (range; 8-24), and platelet (> or = 50,000/uL) was recovered at the median 18 days (range; 9-44). There was no treatment-related death and no grade 3 and 4 toxicity. Neutropenic infection was in 4 patients (1 Herpes zoster, 1 typhlitis, 1 perianal infection, 1 otitis externa). CONCLUSION: The pre-transplant disease status was the main prognostic factor. Patients with complete response to salvage regimen had the significant benefit in survival from high-dose chemotherapy and APBSCT, but patients with refractory or resistant relapsed NHL did not have any significant benefit.
Blood Platelets ; Cytarabine ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Follow-Up Studies ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Otitis ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Recurrence ; Typhlitis

Linear focal elastosis is characterized clinically by horizontal yellowish palpable striae on the lower back and histologically fragmentation or aggregation of elastic fibers. We herein report four cases of linear focal elastosis in male patients. They were 12 to 17 years old and the disease duration was 1 to 3 years. We suggest linear focal elastosis is a variant of striae distensae affecting elastic fibers.
Adolescent ; Elastic Tissue ; Humans ; Male ; Striae Distensae

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was a replication of the effectiveness and tolerability of risperidone in the treatment of patients with acute mania in very larger cohort in naturalistic treatment setting to extend the data on the effect and tolerability of risperidone in the treatment of patients with acute mania to Asian population. METHODS: A total of 909 patients with DSM-IV criteria of bipolar disorder current manic and hypomanic episode, entered this large, open, multicentre study. The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Simpson-Angus Rating Scale (SARS) were measured at baseline and weeks 1, 3 and 6, for the assessment of effectiveness and extrapyramidal symptom (EPS). RESULTS: This study showed statistically significant reduction of scores on the YMRS and CGI-s (mean change=-23.5+/-11.8, p<0.0001;mean change=-2.7+/-1.5, p<0.0001, respectively) from the baseline to the endpoint (week 6). Number of patients with 50% reduction or more in the YMRS and CGI-s scores was 693 (77.8%) and 630 (70.7%) at endpoint, respectively. There were no statistically significant increments of scores on SARS. Risperidone was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The present larger open study demonstrates that risperidone add-on therapy is effective and tolerable in treatment of bipolar disorder, replicating results in various controlled and uncontrolled studies from Western countries.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Risperidone*

An aneurysm of the pulmonary artery is a rare entity, but has a potentially fatal prognosis. We report a case of a 28 year-old asymptomatic woman, with an idiopathic pulmonary artery aneurysm. She was admitted to our hospital because of an abnormal bulging contour of the left hilum on chest X-ray. A computed tomographic scan and pulmonary angiography showed dilatation of the main and proximal left pulmonary arteries. She has a stable, non-progressive condition without treatment during the 8 month follow-up period.
Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Dilatation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Thorax

40-years old) was 1.80+/-0.52mm and 1.51+/-0.58mm in younger age(<40-years old). The period between L2-and L3 showed significant changes in marginal bone oss(p<0.05). In conclusion, the marginal bone loss in L2-L3 period was most severe. Thus, the intensive care and follow-up in this period will be required to prevent excessive bone loss.]]>
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Male ; Transplants