The role of the immune system in pathogenesis of skin cancer has been attracted increasing attention in recent years. Some limited studies and observations suggest that altered immune status may be a factor in the initiation and growth of cutaneous malignancies. Authors experienced a typical case of xeroderma pigmentosum in a 6 year-old girl, who has been suffered from hyper and hypopigmented macules on sun-exposed area, photophobia and also noted eroded lesion on the lower lip. The biopsy finding of the hyperpigmented macule showed that of freckle and the finding of actinic cheilitis was observed from the specimen of eroded 1esion on the lower lip. We performed immunologic test and obtained some evidences of immunologic defect; such as decreased numbers of total T cells, T-suppressor cell and B cell in our patient.
Actins ; Biopsy ; Cheilitis ; Child ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Female ; Humans ; Ichthyosis* ; Immune System ; Immunologic Tests ; Lip ; Melanosis ; Photophobia ; Skin Neoplasms ; T-Lymphocytes ; Xeroderma Pigmentosum*

Authors have quantitated the T cell and T subsets(T and T cell) in the per- ipheral blood of 16 patients with alopecia areata and 16 normal healthy controls. The results are as follows: 1. The mean values of the T cell in total patient group(54,6+7.9g) and AAP group(5,3. 1+8. 1%) showed staticstially significant decrease when it compared with the mean value of the control group(64.6+3.6%) respectively(p<0.005). In ATU group the mean value of the T cell(53. 1+8. 1%) also showed decreasing tendency in comparison with that of control. The mean values of the T cell in total patient group(30.9+8. 9%) RIld AAP group(3'l. 5+8. %) showed statistically significant decrease when it compared with the mean value of the control group(42,6+8.9%) respectively(p<0. 005). In ATU group the mean value of the T< cell(28. 7+10. 9%) also showed decreasing tende- ncy in comparison with that of control. 3. The mean values of the Tr, cell in total patient group(6. 1+2. 2%) and AAP group(5.9+2.4%) showed staticstially significant decrease when it compared with the mean value of the control group(7.9+1.3%) respectively(p(p pl, pgp p25) In ATU group the mean value of the T cell(6. 7+0. 9%) also showed decreasing tendency in comparison with that of control. 4. The mean values of the T/T ratio showed no significant difference between the patient groups(total, AAP, ATU) and control group, respectively. Above data showed that defect of T cell and T subsets may be associated with the pathogenesis of alopecia areata.
Alopecia Areata ; Humans

Metastatic cancers to the skin are rare and usually originate in the lung, breast, large intestine, or ovary. They commonly present with lesions in the area overlying the neoplasm, but the morphology, pattern and distribution may vary. Hepatoma metastasizes to the lungs, adrenal glands, regional lymph nodes, portal vein, gallbladder, pancreas, bone, hepatic vein, kidney, mediastinum, less commonly, the heart, peritoneum, diaphragm, and bone marrow. Cutaneous metastasis from hepatoma occurs very rarely and, if present, it usually presents as solitary or multiple nodules. We report two cases of cutaneous metastases from hepatoma.
Adrenal Glands ; Bone Marrow ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diaphragm ; Female ; Gallbladder ; Granuloma, Pyogenic* ; Heart ; Hepatic Veins ; Intestine, Large ; Kidney ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mediastinum ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Ovary ; Pancreas ; Peritoneum ; Portal Vein ; Skin

Nevus lipomatosus cutaneus superficialis is a very rare skin disease which appears at birth or within the firat two decades of life. This uncommon condition is due to collections of ectopic fat cells within the upper and mid-dermis. There are two clinical forms. The first form is a lesion of zonal distribution, present from birth or childhood, usually on the buttocks or the lower back. The second form, a dome or sessile, papule, begins in adult life and is less restricted in distribution, and occurs also on the limbs Coalescence of soft, yellowish papules tends to form cerebriform plaques. The authors experienced two cases of typical nevus lipomatosus cutaneus superficialis. The first case was a 23-year male who had asymptomatic, soft, skin colored, and pea sized confluent nodules on the right lower back area since at birth. The second case was a 35-year female who had asymptomatic, multiple, soft, skin colored from rice to walnut sized confluent nodules on the coccygeal area which developed at the age of 27. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings.
Adipocytes ; Adult ; Buttocks ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Female ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Juglans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Parturition ; Peas ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis is a rare disease which is extremely variable in its severity. In some patients it may be so severe and generalized during the neonatal period as to be lifethreatening, in others, it is relatively inconspicuous. A bullous eruption is the characteristic finding of the epidermolytic hyperkeratosis The bullous episodes soon become less frequent and more localized and may eventually cesse, but continue into adult life after the age of 20 years in at least 20% of cases. A case of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis is represented. The patient was a 25-year-old male who had ichthyosiform erythroderma and the frequent episades of bullous eruption. The bullous eruption had been subsided under the treatment with oral penicillin administration. The histopathological features of the bullous lesion on his abdomen revealed the features of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Blister ; Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Humans ; Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic* ; Male ; Penicillins ; Rare Diseases

Erythrasma is a chronic, superficial bacterial skin infection involving the body folds and toewebs, and sametimes it may be generalized. The causative organism of this disease is Corynebacterium minutissimum. But, in Korea, there are few reported case about this common condition. We experienced a case of erythrasma on 39-year-old male who have had well defined, brownish fine scaly patches on both crural areas for 15 years. We had treated this patient with topical antifungal agent for 1 month under impression of tinea cruris, But skin lesion was not improved. So, we reexamined the lesion and diagnosed it as genitocrural form of erythrasma with it's clinical appearance, red fluorescence under Wood's light. And we treated it with oral erythromycin.
Adult ; Corynebacterium ; Erythrasma* ; Erythromycin ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Skin ; Tinea

Epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica(EBD) is a rare, hereditary and chronic mechanobullous disease characterized by blistering and erosions of the skin in response to even minor trauma. A 5-year old girl visited with a complaint of continuous vesicobullous skin eruptions since birth. On examination, bullae, vesicles, atrophic scars, crusts and ero:ions were scattered on whole body. Loss of finger and toe nails, partial syndactyly of all toe webs and milia on dorsa of feet were noticed. We present a case of EBD that seems to be a recessive type considering the absence of family history with histopathologic and electron microscopic findings.
Blister ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica* ; Epidermolysis Bullosa* ; Female ; Fingers ; Foot ; Humans ; Parturition ; Skin ; Syndactyly ; Toes

We evaluate the water content, hygroscopicity and water holding capacity in 40 healthy individuals and 17 leprosy patients by skin surface hydrometer(IBS Inc, Japan), and the correlation between the nerve destruction and the hydration state. In Eiealthy individuals the measuring sites were the flexor and extensor surfaces of the arm, forearm, thigh and leg, In leprosy patients we measured on the extensor surface of forearm with shows abnormal sensation, and opposite ar neighboring skin which shows normal sensation. The results are as follows: 1. The water content of healthy individuals is highest in the flexor surface af arm (49. 50 + 18.38ug ) and lowest in the extensor surface of leg(30.75 -12.09ug) 2. The hygrosccpicity of healthy individuals is highest in the flexor surface of arm(296. 30 + 70.75ug ) and lowest in the extensor surface of leg(24$. Q7+5) 5ppg) 3. The water content of the extensor surface of lorearm in leprosy patients, which .hows abnormal sensation, is decreased(16. 35 +20. 82 ug) and it is statisti calli significant when compared with healthy individuals(p<0.005). 4. The hygroscopicity of the extensor surface of forearm in leprosy patients. which shows abnormal sensation, is decreased(94. 29 + 71. 62 ug) and it is statistically significant when compared with opposite or neiphboring skin and healthy individuals(p<0. 005)
Arm ; Forearm ; Humans ; Leg ; Leprosy* ; Sensation ; Skin ; Thigh ; Water* ; Wettability

We observed three patients who showed widespread macular ashy-colored eruptions. They fit clinically and histopathologically with the typical erythema dyschromicum perstans (ashy dermatosis). Erythoma dyschromicum perstans is a peculiar pigmented condition of unknown etiology characterized by persistent ashy-gray colored macule, refractory to any modality. All of them have similar skin lesions which are multiple, variable sized oval-shaped, ash-colored macular eruption on the trunk and extremities. Histologic findings of 2 patients reveal the characteristic feature of focal hydropic degeneration of the basal cell layer of the epidermis, perivascular infiltrates of lymphocytes and histiocytes and melanin-laden macrophages in the corium, however, merely pigmentary incontinence into the corium in 1 patient. Literatures are briefly reviewed.
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Erythema* ; Extremities ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Skin

Acropustulosis of infancy is an uncommon, but not rare syndrome established as a new disease entity by Kahn and Rywlin(1976), which is characterized by recurrent, intensely pruritic vesicopustules on the distal extremities. We'd like to report a case of acropustulosis of infancy. Our patient was 19 month old girl who had been suffering from her skin disease since the age of 12 months. Intensely pruritic, 1 to 2 mm vesicopustules erupted on the palms, soles and the ventral aspects of the fingers. There were no bacteria, fungus and parasites(Sarcoptes scabiei) on the pustular lesions. Histopathologically, biopsy specimen of the left sole revealed large, well circumscribed intraepidermal pustule which was filled wth polymorphonuclear leukocytes. We confirmed our case as typical case of acropustulosis of infancy by it's characteristic clinical features and histopathologic findings. Severity of the skin lesions seems closely related to the dosage of dapsone. The eruptions were unresponsive to topical steroid, antibiotics and antihistaminics. But we observed that dapsone has dose dependent relationship with acropustulosis of infancy.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Biopsy ; Dapsone ; Extremities ; Female ; Fingers ; Fungi ; Humans ; Infant ; Neutrophils ; Skin ; Skin Diseases