No abstract available.
Pregnancy* ; Substance-Related Disorders*

No abstract available.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Gonadotropins* ; Humans ; Ovariectomy*

Mesenteric panniculitis is an extremely rare inflammatory condition of the adipose tissue of unknown etiology. It is characterized by extensive, progressive fibrosis of the mesenteric fat tissue, leading to tumor formation. Clinical manifestations vary according to the process involving the structures. Abdominal pain accompanied by nausea, malaise, pyrexia, and weight loss and a poorly defined mass are common presentations. Major pathologic changes include (1) degeneration of mesenteric fat, (2) an inflammatory reaction, and (3) fibrosis of the adipose tissue. We present four patients with an aggressive form of mesenteric pannicultis with characteristic histopathologic features. We discuss the relationship between the histopathologic features and the surgical intervention in these cases.
Abdominal Pain ; Adipose Tissue ; Fever ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Nausea ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal* ; Weight Loss

Skin metastasis from internal malignancy is relatively rare. Skin metastasis from biliary tract cancer is known to be extremely uncommon (around 0.4~0.7%). In most cases, biliary tract cancer metastasizes into neighboring organs or other internal organs, but rarely into the skin. The authors have experienced a case of skin metastasis into a finger of a patient with carcinoma of Ampulla of Vater. This is thought to be the first case reported in Korea.
Ampulla of Vater* ; Biliary Tract Neoplasms ; Fingers* ; Humans ; Korea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Skin

A neonate was dead 2 days after birth. He seemed to be healthy at birth. In autopsy we revealed severe aortic valve hypoplasia, hypoplasia of the ascending aorta, stenosis of the mitral valve and hypoplasia of the left ventricle. Multiple obstructions in the left heart-aorta complex have been associated with poor survival. We diagnosed this case as hypoplastic left heart syndrome(HLHS). Prenatal diagnosis using echocardiography can identify the fetus that has complex congenital heart disease and may improve early management and surgical outcome such as HLHS. Though HLHS can be frequently diagnosed prenatally, this has not been shown to improve surgical outcome. In forensic medicine field, we propose clinicians to use prenatal diagnostic instrument such as echocardiography to detect HLHS and the forensic pathologists should know HLHS as a primary cause of death of neonate who had normal appearances at birth. Here we report a case of HLHS and review articles.
Aorta ; Aortic Valve ; Autopsy ; Cause of Death ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Echocardiography ; Fetus ; Forensic Medicine ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome* ; Infant, Newborn ; Mitral Valve ; Parturition ; Prenatal Diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Isolated coronary ostial stenosis presumed to be atherosclerosis in origin is a rare condition reported to have peculiar characteristics-that occurs primarily in premenopausal women, low incidence of risk factors, severe symptoms of short duration with absence of collaterals suggesting rapid development. METHODS: From Feb. 1979 to May. 1991, 11 patients with isolated left coronary ostial stenosis were identified among 2520 coronary angiographies and they were presumed to be athreosclerosis in origin by excluding other alleged causes. RESULTS: There were 5 males and 6 females with mean ages of 47.8+/-9.5 and 51.5+/-7.9 respectively. Clinical presentations were stable angina in 4, unstable angina in 6 patients, and unstable angina after myocardial infarction in 1 patient.Number of risk factors per patient was 0.82+/-0.98. Majority showed a relatively short history of angina(mean 3.6+/-2.8 months). Coronary angiographic findings showed collateral circulation in 7 patients-grade III in 5 of them. There was 1 death related to coronary angiography. Coronary artery bypass surgeries were performed in 7 patients and 5 of them were followed for mean 22+/-8 months without coronary events. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the previous reports, isolated left coronary ostial stenosis presumed to be atherosclerosis in orign did not showed female predelication and although their symptom durations were relatively short coronary angiographies showed well developed collaterals in the majority of patients.We experienced one coronary angiography related death in this group of patients. Coronary artery bypass surgery is to be recommended in these patients otherwise contraindicated.
Angina, Stable ; Angina, Unstable ; Atherosclerosis* ; Collateral Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors

Chronic exogenous steroid therapy can result in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction; this usually results from systemic steroid therapy, and is rarely associated with topical steroid therapy. We report a case of suspected iatrogenic Cushing syndrome that developed after the treatment of annular pustular psoriasis. The patient applied clobetasol-17-propionate cream (Betabate(R)) 15~30 g daily, for 4 months, without a dermatologist's prescription. After 4 months of application, the following symptoms developed; a moon face; facial flushing; hypertrichosis; central obesity; purple striae; and multiple erythematous scaly annular patches. The development of Cushing syndrome from exogenous corticosteroid treatment was supported by the typical clinical manifestations and the low basal state of the blood cortisol level, which was perhaps due to secondary suppression of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis. Steroid-containing drugs, especially during childhood, should be used with caution and monitored carefully.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cushing Syndrome* ; Flushing ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypertrichosis ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prescriptions ; Psoriasis

Vitiligo and morphea are two distinct entities of unknown etiology, although their existence implies that the immune system and/or the central or peripheral nervous system has been incriminated. Only a few reports of their simultaneous occurrence are on record. Here we report a case of a 39 year old woman affected with both vitiligo of the face, chest and hand and morphea of shoulder and trunk. Since the two diseases appeared after bone marrow transplantation, if could be deduced that there is a possible association between them. Two diseases observed simultaneously in this patient may be derived from the common pathomechanism. An autoimmune etiology is thought to play a part in both of these diseases.
Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation* ; Bone Marrow* ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Immune System ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Scleroderma, Localized ; Shoulder ; Thorax ; Vitiligo

Chrome may have a corrosive, necrotizing effect on tissue, so repeated skin contact to chromate might induce perforations or ulcers on the skin. This condition is called a "chrome ulcer" or "chrome hole". It appears as a small, punched-out mark with a rolled-out border. It is rarely associated with pain, but a severe itching sensation is common. We report a case of a 33-year-old man who presented with a 3 month history of several ulcers on his abdomen. He was employed at a chromate alloying process. He had several hole-like atrophic scars and unbearable pruritus. After changing his occupation, plus treatment with oral corticosteroids and antihistamines, the lesions were healed and the itching sensation faded away. However, atrophic scarring remained.
Abdomen ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Cicatrix ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Occupations ; Pruritus ; Sensation ; Skin ; Ulcer*

To evaluate the efficacy of pelviscopic surgery in gynecologic patient, we have reviewed 1196 patients treated pelviscopically from June 1992 to November 1996. The results of this study were summarized as follows; 1. The common indication were ectopic pregnancy(44.6%), ovarian cyst(14.0%), and myoma uteri(10.5%). 2. The major types of surgery were salpingectomy(24.8%), cystectomy(12.6%), salpingostomy(9.9%), adhesiolysis(6.5%),and myomectomy(5.8%). 3. The age of the patients ranged from 15 to 79 years and the mean age was 30.8 years. 4. the mean parity of the patients was 1.24. 5. The mean duration of hospitalization was 3.2 days. 6. The most common complication was hemorrhage at the trocar site, but it was controlled without difficulty.
Female ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Myoma ; Parity ; Surgical Instruments