BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is a relatively common dermatological disease and there have been several reports on the epidemiological study of herpes zoster in Korea. However there has not been any report on the epidemiology of herpes zoster in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province. METHODS: The authors evaluated about 461 cases of herpes zoster with retrospective methods with regard to annual, monthly and seasonal incidences, age, sex ratio, associated conditions, anatomical distribution and complications at the department of dermatology in Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University during a 3-Year-Period from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1996. RESULTS: The annual incidence of herpes zoster in new patients from our dermatology clinic ranged from 4.3% to 4.8%(mean 4.5%), and the ratio of male to female was 1:1.12. The peak incidence of monthly and seasonal analysis was in December and in the Fall. The majority of cases occurred most frequently over the 6th decade. The most common anatomical distribution of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) was thoracic dermatome(52.9%), followed by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve(17.0%), cervical(13.6%), lumbar(6.3%), sacral(4.4%), maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve(3.9%) and two different dermatomes (2.8%). Associated conditions of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) were observed in 108 patients (51.2%); hypertension(31.9%), gastritis(15.1%), diabetes mellitus(11.8%), hepatitis(9.2%), malignancy (8.4%), tuberculosis(4.2%), and so on. The complications including postherpetic neuralgia were observed in 58 patients(27.5%) and were common after the age of 50 years. The rnost common complication of herpes zoster inpatients(211 cases) was postherpetic neuralgia(14.7%), followed by ophthalmologic complications(8.1%), secondary bacterial infections(1.4%), neurogenic bladder(1.4%), otologic complications(0.9%), and so on. CONCLUSION: Most of the other results of our study were similar in comparison with reports from other regions in Korea, except for a higher annual incidence and significant differences in the monthly incidence. These differences reflected the regional characteristics of medical service delivery systems in Chuncheon and the Northern Kangwon Province.
Dermatology ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Gangwon-do* ; Heart ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Sex Ratio

Lichen nitidus is an uncommon chronic dermatosis characterized by its typical clinical and histopathologic findings and has rarely been described in association with other diseases. We observed a patient with an association of lichen nitidus and molluscum contagiosum, which to the best of our knowledge has not been previously reported in the literature. It remains to be further studied about a possible pathogenesis of lichen nitidus secondary to some viral infections such as molluscum contagiosum, etc.
Humans ; Lichen Nitidus* ; Lichens* ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Skin Diseases

The multiple lentigines syndrome or LEOPARD syndrome is an autosomal dominantly inherited disorder with a variety of abnormalities and a familial occurrence. This syndrome is characterized by the presence of numerous dark brown macules on the skin but not the mucous surface, and by a marked increase in the number of lentigines from birth to puberty. The eponym LEOPARD stands for lentigines, EKG abnormalities, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary stenosis, abnormalities of the genitalia, retardation of growth and deafness. We report a case of multiple lentigines syndrome in 7-year-old boy. He had numerous pinhead to pea sized, dark brownish macules scattered on the entire body and also had pulmonary stenosis, EKG abnormality, ocular hypertelorism and right exotropia. Interestingly, he also had a labial melanotic macule on the lower lip, which is usually spared in the multiple lentigines syndrome. Histologically, the biopsy specimen taken from the macule revealed an elongation of rete ridges, an increase of melanin pigments in the basal layer and mild inflammatory infiltrates intermingled with the melanophages in the upper dermis.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Deafness ; Dermis ; Electrocardiography ; Eponyms ; Exotropia ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Lip ; Male ; Melanins ; Panthera ; Parturition ; Peas ; Puberty ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Skin

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of nifedipine gastrointestinal system push-pull osmotic pump formulation in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. METHODS: After 2 weeks placebo run-in period, nifedipine 60 mg was administered once daily for 8 weeks in thirty-two patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. RESULTS: At the end point of treatment, sitting blood pressure decreased as much as 33/16mmHg in average and rewarded 88% of efficacy and 69% of normalization. The ambulatoy blood pressure monitoring in 10 patients also revealed 11% decrease in 24 hr mean diastolic blood pressure and 32% decrease in % elevated blood pressure. The most frequent side reactions were constipation in 7 patients and polyuria in 6 patients which were tolerated during entire trial period. There were no significant changes in biochemical parameters and hematologic data, thus making the rate of safety 91% and overall rating of usefulness was 84%. CONCLUSION: Nifedipine GITS 60 mg once daily regimen is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitors ; Constipation ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Nifedipine* ; Polyuria ; Reward

Osteoblastomas were originally thought to be lesions that could be controlled with minimal local therapy, including curettage. However, at least some of the osteoblastomas with an unexpectedly active clinical course had histologic features which differed from ordinary osteoblastomas, and the term aggressive osteoblastoma was given to these lesions. In the aggressive osteoblastoma the osteoblasts are cytologically atypical. In addition, the well organized trabecular patterns of typical osteoblastoma is partly lacking, especially in the areas that are rich in atypical osteoblasts. The case report deals a case of aggressive osteoblastoma of the left iliac wing in a 44 year old male. The interesting radiologic manifestationa(plain x-ray CAT and radionuclide bone scan) and characteristic histologic findings are presented along with review of pertinent literatures.

Authors experienced a case of acute myocardial infarction confirmed by analysis of LDH isoenzyme. 53-year-old male was admitted to Sacred Heat Hospital, Chung Ang University Because of severe precordial pain radiating to both arm, shoulder and back. Chest X-ray film & electrocardiogram were within normal limit and SGOT was 110 unit/ml on the day of admission. Determination of total LDH value and analysis of LDH isoenzyme by agar gel electrophoresis were made on the second hospital day. Total LDH was 315unit/ml, but there was significant increased percentage of LDH isoenzyme(LDH1). Electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation only on the 8th hospital day.
Male ; Humans

No abstract available.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee*

BACKGROUND: A desmoid tumor is a rare neoplasm of a mature fibroblast within an extensive collagen matrix. These tumors are classified pathologically as aggressive fibromatosis with local invasiveness, showing recurrences after surgical treatment, although they do not metastasize. Complete surgical excision without leaving a remnant tumor seems to be the primary treatment option, but these tumors often recur after resection. Therefore, alternative treatment strategies, including radiation therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, anti-estrogen compounds, and cytotoxic chemotherapy, have been employed. METHOD: The authors report the clinical characteristics and prognoses after treatment for seven patients who were diagnosed as having desmoid tumors and who underwent surgical excision for therapy during the ten-year period from 1986 to 1997 at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. RESULTS: There were two males and five females. The most common chief complaint was a slowly growing painless mass. The duration of the symptom before diagnosis was quite different from patient to patient. The locations in the trunk were scattered diffusely: the shoulder, the chest wall, the abdominal wall, the retroperitoneum, and the pelvic cavity. The tumors were well visualized by imaging techniques such as ultrasonograms, CT scans, and MRI. Four of the seven patients experienced recurrent tumors after surgical excision; two are dead. The tumors in the recurrent patients were excised incompletely at initial surgery. CONCLUSION: Although the uncommon, solid desmoid tumors which develop in the musculoaponeurosis of the trunk are benign pathologically, they were recurrent after surgical excision when the resection margin is incomplete. Therefore, complete excision is the only curative therapeutic modality.
Abdominal Wall ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Collagen ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibroma ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Shoulder ; Thoracic Wall ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

In our preliminary study to find antiviral or antitumor agents from Korean natural products, we found that the Shope fibroma virus (SFV) induced fibromas reaching maximum size at 5~6 days with spontaneous disappearance at 15~20 days after SFV intracutaneous inoculation into Korean domestic rabbits. However, the sizes of fibromas of rabbits at day 5 after virus inoculation were significantly different individually. Assuming that the variation of tumor size was due to either susceptibility or the preexisting antibodies against SFV in the Korean domestic rabbits, the rabbits were checked for the antibodies against SFV by IFAT using SFV infected RKl3 cells. The antibody positive rate of normal Korean domestic rabbits was 32.8% and the sizes of the fibromas of the positive rabbits were significantly smaller than those of negative rabbits (p<0.0001). The fibroma sizes were dependent on the antibody titers of rabbits to SFV. The sizes of fibromas after inoculation of SFV into immunized rabbits were about one tenth of those by the first inoculation into normal rabbits. This is the first report on the antibody prevalence against SFV among normal Korean domestic rabbits and it suggest the existence of a wild fibroma virus or related virus in Korea.
Antibodies* ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Biological Products ; Fibroma Virus, Rabbit* ; Fibroma* ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Rabbits* ; Tumor Virus Infections*

PURPOSE: To analyse the MR imaging characteristics of the soft tissue hemagiomas of the extremity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed histopathologically proven 18 cases of hemangiomas of the extremity including 15 cavernous hemangiomas, 2 venous hemangiomas and 1 capillary hemangioma. The lesions were frequent in female and low extremity. We analyzed the site, extent, margin, signal intensity, enhancement pattern, the homogeniety of internal architecture, and abnormal vessels near the lesion. RESULTS: The extensive lesions involving multiple muscle and tissue layers were more frequent than localized lesions (12/18). Twelve cases had ill defined margin. In most cases, the lesion was heterogeneous mass composed of nodular and septal components. The nodular component showed intermediate signal intensity in T1WI and hign signal intensity in T2WI. The setal component showed mixed inconstant signal intensity. One case of capillary hemangioma showed relatively homogeneous signal intensity than cavernous hemangioma and the main portion of 2 venous hemangiomas had mutilple tubular signal voids. At least some portion of the lesion was enhanced in all enhanced cases. CONCLUSION: The soft tissue hemangiomas of the extremity showed characteristic MR findings and MRI would be an useful method in the diagnosis of the soft tissue hemangiomas of the extremity.
Diagnosis ; Extremities* ; Female ; Hemangioma* ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Retrospective Studies