No abstract available.
Connective Tissue Diseases* ; Connective Tissue* ; Diagnosis*

No abstract available.
Connective Tissue Diseases* ; Connective Tissue* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Connective Tissue* ; Nevus*

Introduction: There are very few reported incidences of juvenile dermatomyositis in the Philippine setting. Case Summary: This is a case of a 9-year-old female from Batangas City, who came in with a 3-year history of multiple non- tender, non-pruritic erythematous papules which started on the dorsal aspect of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and interphalangeal joints of the hands, with some progressing into plaques on the face and extremities. No other associated symptoms such as fever, cough, colds or weakness were noted. Three months prior to consult, there was persistence of the above-mentioned lesions with body weakness described as difficulty getting out of bed and climbing stairs. Consult with a dermatologist and rheumatologist was done. A skin punch biopsy showed hyperkeratosis of the stratum corneum. There was focal vacuolar alteration of the basal cell layer with thickening of the basement membrane zone. The papillary dermis showed pigment-laden macrophages, a calcified nodule, fibrosis, and a sparse perivascular inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes. There was also thickening of the basement membrane zone on Periodic acid-Schiff stain. Both clinical and histopathological findings point to Juvenile Dermatomyositis. Conclusion Juvenile Dermatomyositis requires prompt diagnosis for proper treatment and prognostication. This entails extensive diagnostic procedures such as skin punch biopsy, muscle enzymes such as CK-MB and CK- MM, and blood tests. Co-management with a pediatric rheumatologist is highly advised for initiation and regulation of oral corticosteroids as well as vitamin supplementation.
Dermatomyositis ; Connective Tissue ; Rheumatology

The titanium miniplate osteosynthesis system has been used for fixation of bone fragments in the maxillofacial areas due to easy manipulation and even has been proposed for unnecessity of miniplate removal because of the biocompatibility and the corrosion resistance. But recently, there have been some suggestions for its removal, on the basis of findings that there have been pigmentations around the adjacent tissues during miniplate removal procedure and they are the depositions of metal particles. Purposes of this study are to ascertain the presence and nature of pigmentation observed within tissues adjacent to titanium miniplate, and to suggest possible causes of it. We could observe the black pigmentation during miniplate removal procedure for recent about 1.5 year. Pigmented tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin(H-E) for light microscophic(LM) examination to investigate the black pigmentations and the histomorphology around them. The scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray(EDX) analysis was used to examine the ultrastructural nature of pigmentations. Many metal particles with variable sizes and shapes were seen in the connective tissue by SEM and were identified as titanium by EDX.
Connective Tissue ; Corrosion ; Pigmentation* ; Titanium*

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is an uncommon clinicopathologic entity which is considered to be the oral counterpart of cutaneous focal mucinosis. It is comprised of a clinically-elevated mass with a histological feature of localized areas of myxomatous connective tissue. We herein report a case of oral focal mucinosis in a child, plus a review of the literature.
Child ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Mucinoses*

Oral focal mucinosis (OFM) is an uncommon clinicopathologic entity which is considered to be the oral counterpart of cutaneous focal mucinosis. It is comprised of a clinically-elevated mass with a histological feature of localized areas of myxomatous connective tissue. We herein report a case of oral focal mucinosis in a child, plus a review of the literature.
Child ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Mucinoses*

Transplantation of the scleral homograft was performed with 6 rabbits in order to evaluate its usefulness as a material for frontalis sling operation. Scleral homografts which were surrounded by connective tissue maintained normal scleral architecture until the 12th week of subcutaneous implantation. Under the electronmicroscopic examination, sclenl homografts maintained their proper collagen fiber type I architecture until the 12th week. With these results we considered that homologous scleral shell could be a promising material for frontalis sling operation.
Allografts* ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Rabbits

Favre-Racouchot syndrome, also known as nodular elastosis with cysts and comedones, typically presents with large black open comedones, furrows, and nodules in the periorbital region and over the malar eminence. The pathogenesis of Favre-Racouchot syndrome is still uncertain. However it has been postulated that damage from ultraviolet radiation, combined with some unknown host predisposition, leads to the degeneration of the supporting dermal connective tissue. We report a case of Favre-Racouchot syndrome that developed on the applied area of topical corticosteroid for a preceding post-herpetic neuralgia lesion. This case is unique to suggest that the catabolic effect of corticosteroid is superimposed on the UV-induced degeneration of dermal connective tissue as a pathogenic mechanism of Favre-Racouchot syndrome.
Connective Tissue ; Facial Dermatoses* ; Neuralgia

OBJECTIVES: In the connective tissue disease patients, esophageal dysfunction is often closely associated with the presence of Raynaud's phenomenon. But there are no previous reports concerning the values of esophageal manometry in the connective tissue disease with Raynaud s phenomenon in Korea. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate esophageal function in connective tissue disease with Raynaud' s phenomenon. METHODS: Total 86 subjects were employed in this study including 30 normal control group, 14 mixed connective tissue disease(MCTD), 21 systemic sclerosis, 16 systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE), and 5 Raynaud s phenomenon only. In each subject, esophageal manometric study was performed with lower compliance capillary infusion system. RESULTS: The mean age(+SD) of patients and controls were as follows : MCTD 34.1(+8.9), systemic sclerosis 44.9(+9. 3), SLE 32. 1(+7.9), and normal controls 31. 9 (+ 5. 3). All patients with MCTD and systemic sclerosis had Raynaud s phenomenon. Twelve out of 14 patients with MCTD, 17 out of 21 patients with systemic sclerosis, were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Nine out of 16 SLE had Raynaud s phenomenon. Among 9 SLE with Raynaud s phenomenon, 5 patients(55.5%) were abnormal in esophageal manometry, and among 7 SLE without Raynaud's phenomenon, 2 patients (28. 6%) were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Among 5 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, 3 patients were abnormal in esophageal manometry. Abnormal esophageal manometry finding is more common in the connective tissue disease patients with Raynaud's phenomenon compared with the patients without Raynaud's phenomenon (P=O. 0219). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal esophageal manometry finding is more common in the connective tissue disease patients with Raynauds phenomenon compared with the patients without Raynaud s phenomenon.
Capillaries ; Compliance ; Connective Tissue ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Manometry ; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease ; Scleroderma, Systemic