A 53-year-old man developed some erythematous follicular macules accompanied with tingling sensation on both shoulders. Histologic finding showed a dense lymphocytic infiltrate around the infundibular portion of the follicle, where separation of the dermoepidermal junction was seen. The insect, obtained from the skin lesion, was identified as a larva of an Ap- hid
Aphids ; Cryptococcosis* ; Humans ; Insect Bites and Stings ; Insects ; Larva ; Middle Aged ; Sensation ; Shoulder ; Skin

BACKGROUND: The high concentration of plasma total homocysteine is recently considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to provide reference ranges for plasma homocysteine levels and to investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy Korean men. METHODS: Anthropometric parameters, alcohol intake, cigarette use and nutrient intake were determined in 166 healthy men within a wide age range(30-69 yr). Serum levels of lipids, glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT), plasma amino acid concentrations and levels of antioxidant nutrients and enzymes were also measured. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as plasma homocysteine levels above the 90th percentile(> or =15micromol/L) of respective plasma homocysteine distribution in study subjects. Characteristics of hyperhomocysteinemic men(n=16) were compared to normohomocys- teinemic men(n=16) matched for age and body mass index. RESULTS: Plasma total homocysteine values ranged from 2.4 to 38.1micromol/L, a skewed, right-tailed distribution. The homocysteine levels of 25th, 50th and 75th percentile were 7.02, 9.61 and 12.4micromol/L, respectively. The mean concentration of plasma total homocysteine was 10.7micromol/L. Plasma total homocysteine level was positively correlated to body mass index, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels and alcohol intake, but negatively correlated to serum bata-carotene concentration. In multivariate analysis, serum triglyceride level was the strongest determinant of plasma total homocysteine concentration. There were no significant differences between two groups in waist to hip ratio, alcohol intake, cigarette use, blood pressure and serum levels of glucose and insulin during OGTT. Hyperhomocysteinemic men had significantly higher mean values of serum triglyceride(258mg/dl), total cholesterol(226mg/dl), and LDL-cholesterol(140mg/dl) than normohomocysteinemic men. Hyperhomocysteinemic men showed a decrease in lipid corrected values of serum bata-carotene and alpha-tocopherol and plasma concentrations of serine and taurine, when compared to normohomocysteinemic men. The mean intakes of vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12 and bata-carotene tended to decline by 25-30% in hyper- homocysteinemic group, when compared to normohomocysteinemic group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that healthy Korean men with hyperhomocys- teinemia show signs of hyperlipidemia and decreased antioxidants nutrients and these factors increase risk for coronary artery disease. In addition, hyperhomocysteinemia may affect amino acid metabolism related to homocysteine.
alpha-Tocopherol ; Antioxidants ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Folic Acid ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Insulin ; Male ; Metabolism ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma* ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors* ; Serine ; Taurine ; Tobacco Products ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 6 ; Waist-Hip Ratio

The incidence of skin diseases in the hospital practice cannot give a true picture of their prevalence in the population served. Nevertheless the hospital incidence figures usually offer the only available means of assessing prevalence, and therefore provide us with a potentially valuable source of information on the ecology of many skin disorders. (countinued..)
Ecology ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Statistics as Topic*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide* ; Calcitonin* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Interferons* ; Lymphocytes*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Male*

Rickets is a syndrome, characterised pathophysiologically by a failure of normal mineralization of bone and epiphyseal cartilage and clinically by skeletal deformity in growing children. The four principal causes of rickets are; vitamin D deficency, renal tubular insufficiency, chronic renal insufficiency, and hypophosphatasia. Of these, vitamin D resistant rickets may result from primary defect in function of the renal tubular reabsorption for phosphorus, later accompsnied with secondary hyperparathyroidism. We experiened a rare case of hypophosphstemic vitamin D resistant rickets accompanied with secondary hyperparathyroidism in adolescence.
Adolescent ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Familial Hypophosphatemic Rickets ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Hypophosphatasia ; Miners ; Phosphorus ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Rickets ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

The purpose of this investigation was to study the changes in the epiphyseal plate of growing mice by histological, histochemical and electron microscopic observation through the administration of radioactive isotope I which induced hypothyroidism. To confirm hypothyroidism induced, radioimmunoassay for triiodothyronine was carried out and the morphologic changes of thyroid gland were observed by a light microscope. Of the total of eighty ICR strain of mice, fifty received single intraperitoneal injection of 20ue/gm of radioactive isotope I which were dissolved in 0.2ml of saline. Thirty received single intraperitoneal injection of only 0.2ml of saline and these mice were used as control groups. At the end of first, second, third, fourth, sixth and eighth week after injection, both saline injected and I treated mice were sacrifised. The thyroid gland and epiphyseal plate being removed were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, alcian blue and with uranyl acetate lead citrate in each for histological, histochemical and electron microscopic studies, The results obtained are as follows: 1. The thickness of epiphyseal plate was narrowed in the I treated animals. In each zone of epiphyseal plate the cell size was reduced although the cell numbers of each cell column were not changed. This means that the reduction of thickness in the epiphyseal plate was due mainly to decreased cell size and scanty territorial matrix not to decreased cell number. 2. Alcianophility was markedly decreased ln proliferative zone, indicating that acid mucopolysaccharide diminished markedly or was absent in the proliferative zone. 3. In electron microscopic examination, the number of rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was decreased and their cisternae were narrowed. Decreasing tendency of dilatation and sacculation of cisternae, .reduced number of attached ribosomes on the endoplasmic reticulum, and atrophy of the Golgi apparatus with diminished number of its vesicles were noted, However glycogen particlea were accumulated. 4. The number and length of each trabeculae in the metaphysis just adjacent to the epiphyseal cartilage plate were reduced markedly, and occasionally chondrocytes which were not consumed by endochondral ossification were observed in the cartilage lattice.
Alcian Blue ; Animals ; Atrophy ; Cartilage ; Cell Count ; Cell Size ; Chondrocytes ; Citric Acid ; Dilatation ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Glycogen ; Golgi Apparatus ; Growth Plate ; Hematoxylin ; Hypothyroidism ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Mice ; Radioimmunoassay ; Ribosomes ; Thyroid Gland ; Tibia ; Triiodothyronine

Spondylolisthesis has been become of considerable causative disease for low back pain in orthopedic field recently. Twenty-seven patients with spondylolisthesis, who were taken operation during a 7-year period from Jan. 1978 to Dec. 1984 at Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Presbyterian Medical Center, were studied and analized on clinical and radiological aspects and the results of obtained were as follows: 1. The averake age was 41.7 years with a range of 20 to 63 years, and the incidence was more common in female than male in all types. 2. By Wiltse's classification, isthmic type was most common and 19 patients were included and level of spondylolisthesis was common at fourth lumbar vertebra in degenerative type and fifth lumbar vertebra in isthmic type. 3. By Meyerding's grading, 14 patients (52%) were Grade 1, which was most common and the slipping measured by Taillard's method was most common with a range 10% to 19%, which included 13 patients (48%) and average slipping was 21.4%. 4. Meschan's angle was ranged from 5° to 19° with an average of 13.3°. 5. Myelogram was done in 13 patients and 9 of them showed positive findings. 6. Spina bifida was most common developmental abnormal finding and 11 patients (41%) were included. 7. Posterolateral fusion was done in 24 patients and anterior interbody fusion was done in 3 patients. 8. 24 patients who had taken posterolateral fusion were permitted to ambulate early at 2 weeks with Norton-Brown back brace. 9. After over a year follow-up, 23(85%) of 27 patients had satisfactory result. 10. After follow-up, 21(88%) of 24 patients who had taken posterolateral fusion had successful fusion.
Braces ; Classification ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Protestantism ; Spinal Dysraphism ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis

Poland's syndrome is congenital anomaly which was described first by Alfred Poland in 1841. The clinical features are variable but always include congenital aplasia of fingers and syndactyly. We have experienced a case of Poland's syndrome. This case was male children and revealed thoracic anomaly of right side (absence of pectoral muscles and anterior axillary fold), atrophy of forearm muscles, ipsilateral syndactyly with aplasia of thumb and middle phalanges of 2, 3, 4, 5,th fingers, and ipsilateral congenital radio-ulnar synostosis.
Atrophy ; Child ; Fingers ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Poland ; Syndactyly ; Synostosis ; Thumb