In 1957, human skin infection by M. canis were firstly reported in Kyungsang province in Korea. Later, in 1960 new cases were also reported in the other province, the Choongchung. However, M. canis infection has been reported only sporadically in Seoul city. This extremely low incidenc in this area may not represent true negative rate but reflect lack of the alertness of .M. canis infection. During the years 1978 and 1979, 15 out-patients were diagnosed as M canis infection of the skin at the Department of Dermatology of Severance Hoapital, Yonsei University. These 15 patients were found to belong to six different families residing in the central Korea and never resided outside of that area, The Kyungki province. Majority of the cases(11/15) were clinically diagnosed as tinea corporis, as Kerion celsi and 4 cases were tinea capitis. Among them, combined infection by tinea capitis and tinea corporis were confirmed in two patients. Although the ages of the pateints were widely distributed from 2 to 36 years, children under age 10 were the major population among thern. Five domestic cats from 5 families were examined and confirmed to be infected by M. cams.
Animals ; Cats ; Child ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Korea* ; Microsporum* ; Outpatients ; Seoul ; Skin ; Tinea ; Tinea Capitis

The factors determining refractory power are axial length, corneal power and lens power. The author investigated the correlation between axial length and refractory power by research for growing process of axial length in Korean children. The mean values of axial length are obtained by ultrasonography (A-scan) after cycloplegic refraction. The subjects of study were 245 children, 483 eyes, from 4 to 14 years old. The study revealed that axial length increased by aging and axial length change to refractory power tends to lengthen with increasing degrees of myopia, shorten with increasing degrees of hyperopia. Statistical analysis of the research show that the phenomenon is presented remarkably in patients of over-4 diopter.
Adolescent ; Aging ; Child* ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Myopia ; Refractive Errors* ; Ultrasonography

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is characterized by symmetric, velvety, gray-brown hypertrophied plaques most commonly on the axillae and neck. Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CRP) is manifested by papules in the mid-chest that coalesce in the midline, and are arranged in a reticulated pattern peripherally. Both diseases are known to be related to endocrinopathies such as diabetes mellitus (DM), an insulin resistant state and obesity with unknown mechanisms. Herein, we presented three cases of concomitant acanthosis nigricans with confluent and reticulated papillomatosis in obese patients.
Acanthosis Nigricans ; Axilla ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Insulin ; Neck ; Obesity ; Papilloma

Congenital anomaly of the extrahepatic biliary system is relatively common, especially vascular variations are much more frequent than anatomic variations. The normal anatomical structure is encountered in only 35 percent of individuals, many of these variations have little or no clinical improtance, but some cases induce symptoms and signs or may lead to incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate management. These are very important to correct diagnosis of biliary variations observed during ultrasonography, cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) and to accurate management by surgeon or endoscopist since accidental section or ligation of aberrant structures can lead to serious complications. We experienced a very rare case of extrahepatic bile duct anomaly confirmed by ERCP. The right and left extrahepatic ducts were connected at the level of the pancreatic segment of the common bile duct and the cystic duct drains to the right extrahepatic duct. There were several stones in the distal portion of the left extrahepatic duct and gallbladder.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic* ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledocholithiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Cystic Duct ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder ; Ligation ; Ultrasonography

Congenital anomaly of the extrahepatic biliary system is relatively common, especially vascular variations are much more frequent than anatomic variations. The normal anatomical structure is encountered in only 35 percent of individuals, many of these variations have little or no clinical improtance, but some cases induce symptoms and signs or may lead to incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate management. These are very important to correct diagnosis of biliary variations observed during ultrasonography, cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) and to accurate management by surgeon or endoscopist since accidental section or ligation of aberrant structures can lead to serious complications. We experienced a very rare case of extrahepatic bile duct anomaly confirmed by ERCP. The right and left extrahepatic ducts were connected at the level of the pancreatic segment of the common bile duct and the cystic duct drains to the right extrahepatic duct. There were several stones in the distal portion of the left extrahepatic duct and gallbladder.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic* ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledocholithiasis ; Common Bile Duct ; Cystic Duct ; Diagnosis ; Gallbladder ; Ligation ; Ultrasonography

Tumor immunity is primarily mediated by cells as CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) recognize tumor antigen by MHC class I molecules. But most tumors are associated with a decreased expression of MHC class I to escape the antitumor immunity of the host. Our previous data have demonstrated that MPL has an antitumor effect on metastatic lung cancer of B16 melanoma with enhancing cytotoxicity due to increase of IFN-gamma and IL-2, and decrease of IL-4, which indicates the stimulation of type 1 helper T cells (Th1). To determine the effects of MPL, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-1 alpha on MHC class I expression of B16 melanoma cells, we evaluated the expression of MHC class I molecules with treatments of MPL, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-1 alpha by flow cytometry. The supernatant of MPL-treated spleen cells in vitro upregulated the expression of MHC class I molecules of B16 melanoma cells compared to the control supernatant of spleen cells. The MHC class I expression of B16 melanoma cells treated with IFN-gamma, but not TNF-alpha or IL-1 alpha, increased in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, MPL upregulated MHC class I expression of B16 melanoma cells by activating spleen cells via IFN-gamma. These data suggest that increased IFN-gamma by MPL is responsible for the upregulation of MHC class I expression to augment cytotoxicity. Therefore, we suggest that MPL could play an important role in immunotherapy.
Adjuvants, Immunologic/pharmacology* ; Animal ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/biosynthesis* ; Interferon Type II/pharmacology ; Interferon Type II/biosynthesis* ; Lipid A/pharmacology ; Lipid A/analogs & derivatives* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Up-Regulation (Physiology)

Cutaneous leiomyoma is a rare, benign tumor of smooth-muscle fibers. Five types of cutaneous leiomyoma include multiple piloleiomyomas, solitary piloleiomyoma, solitary genital leiomyoma, solitary angioleiomyoma and leiomyoma with additional mesenchymal elements. Genital leiomyoma is uncommon, and leiomyomas of the nipple is a rare type of genital leiomyoma. We report a case of cutaneous leiomyoma presenting as a large nipple in a middle-aged woman.
Angiomyoma ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Nipples*

Angioleiomyoma is a benign tumor arising from the muscle layer of the vein walls and mainly develops on the lower extremities of middle-aged women. We encountered a 31-year-old man who had a 3 year history of a painless but tender, 0.6 x 0.6 cm-sized nodule on the volar aspect of his left third finger. Histopathologically, a well-circumscribed nodular tumor was observed in the dermis, which comprised of numerous, various-sized, vessels and bundles of smooth muscle fibers. It is relatively rare for an angioleiomyoma to occur on the finger.
Adult ; Angiomyoma* ; Dermis ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Muscle, Smooth ; Veins

BACKGROUND: Palmoplantar dermatoses have frequently been encountered in the dermatologic field. Many previous studies have focused on the specific diseases of palmoplantar dermatoses; however, none of them have included a the comprehensive study of palmoplantar dermatoses. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiological aspects of palmoplantar dermatoses, with a brief review of the common palmoplantar dermatoses. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 237 patients who had been biopsied for palmoplantar dermatoses between January 2000 and December 2004 at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea. RESULTS: The results were as follows; Female to male ratio was 1 : 1.01. The mean age at diagnosis was 37.5+/-20.1 years. The mean duration of the disease was 35.9 months and ranged from 2 days to 50 years. Palmoplantar dermatoses appeared on the palms in 49 (20.6%) patients, the soles in 123 (51.9%) patients, and both the palms and soles in 65 (27.4%) patients. The most common five diseases of palmoplantar dermatoses were palmoplantar pustulosis (23.2%), verruca (11.4%), pompholyx (10.1%), palmoplantar keratoderma (8.9%), and contact dermatitis (8.0%). Of the 237 patients, 65 (27.4%) patients were accompanied with other dermatoses; fungal infection (13.9%), eczema (7.6%), onychodystrophy (3.4%), psoriasis (1.7%), erythema multiforme (1.3%), hyperhidrosis (1.3%), drug eruption (0.8%), or lichen simplex chronicus (0.4%). Of the 237 patients, 51 (21.5%) patients were accompanied with systemic diseases; Cardiovascular diseases (8.4%), endocrine diseases (6.6%), hepatobiliary diseases (4.6%), malignancy (3.4%), pulmonary diseases (2.5%), or gastrointestinal diseases (1.3%). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the biopsy of palmoplantar dermatoses is gradually increasing. Further investigation with a wider and larger population is necessary to understand the epidermiology of palmoplantar dermatoses, and, based on the epidermiology of palmoplantar dermatoses, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of palmoplantar dermatoses could then be achieved.
Biopsy ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Diagnosis ; Drug Eruptions ; Eczema ; Eczema, Dyshidrotic ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Erythema Multiforme ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar ; Korea ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Neurodermatitis ; Psoriasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Diseases* ; Warts

Purpose: The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a peptide that has diverse biologic actions in human tissue and is thought to contribute to tumor development and progression. Increased TGF-beta1 levels were found in several types of malignant tumors. TGF-beta1 expression in RCC and adjacent normal kidney tissues was examined to determine the TGF-beta1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TGF-beta1 protein levels in cancer and a normal portion of a specimen were analyzed in 61 radical nephrectomized clear cell type RCC by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), with the results compared with the clinicopathological characteristics. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to localize their expression. RESULTS: Compared with non-tumor kidney specimens, primary renal cell carcinoma demonstrated a significantly higher TGF-beta1 protein level (p<0.001). There were significant differences in the TGF-beta1 level among the histological grade (p<0.01). The tissue TGF-beta1 level was the highest in T4 stage, but there was no statistical significance between the T stages. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that TGF-beta1 was localized to the tumor cytoplasm and their intensity reflected the protein expression level in these tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that enhanced TGF-beta1 expression contributes to carcinogenesis and tumor progression in the later stages of renal cell carcinoma.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Cytoplasm ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Kidney ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1