Cutaneous smooth muscle hamartomas are benign proliferations of smooth muscle bundles within the dermis. They can be congenital or acquired, and most cases are congenital. Congenital smooth muscle hamartomas (CSMHs) usually manifest at birth as well-circumscribed, frequently hypertrichotic, hyperpigmented or skin-colored patches or plaques on trunk or extremities. We report a case of CSMH in a 10 year-old girl, who showed a localized skin-colored patch showing prominent follicular papules on the lateral aspect of her right upper arm, which were found at birth. There was no hypertrichosis and the pseudo-Darier sign was negative. This patchy follicular variant is the less common clinical type of the disease.
Arm ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Female ; Hamartoma* ; Humans ; Hypertrichosis ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Parturition

OBJECTIVE : To analyze the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation in recurrent spontaneous abortion associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The blood Sample of habitual aborter with high fasting homocysteine level was tested by PCR-RFLP method. RESULTS: The patient was found to be a homozygosity for MTHFR gene mutation that was confirmed by the finding which is consistent with the mutation at the nucleotide 677 C to T, Corresponding to Ala to Val. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperhomocysteinemia due to MTHFR mutation is a cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion. Therefore, the MTHFR mutation should be examined in the workup of recurrent spontaneous abortion showing hyperhomocysteinemia.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Fasting ; Female ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia* ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)* ; Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: With the recent development in arterial reconstructive procedure such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or atherectomy, the incidence of vascular complications involving femoral artery is increasing due to greater use of larger percutaneous instruments(including arterial sheath) and periprocedural anticoagulant therapy. Femoral pseudoaneurysm requires rapid diagnosis and management to prevent limb ischemia, worsening of the arterial injury or repair of the arterial defect. Recently, accurate diagnosis of these injuries can be made nonivasively with duplex sonography and Doppler color flow imaging, and nonsurgical treatment may be possible by using external compression guided by ultrasound even in patients requiring prolonged anticoagulant therapy. METHOD: Three patients, one undergoing coronary angiography and two undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, developed expansile groin masses at the vascular access sites diagnosed as femoral artery pseudoaneurysm s by Doppler ultrasound. All patients were hypertensives, taking aspirin and two patients who underwent PTCA received intravenous heparin after procedure. After diagnosis of femoral pseudoaneurysm, all patients underwent mechanical(C-clamp) external compression guided by ultrasound for 3 hours. RESULT: Follow up color flow scans were obtained after 24 hours and in one patients, blood flow in the tract was eliminated but persistent blood flow was observed in two patients who underwent PTCA. Before closure of pseudoaneurysm, one patient needed another 6 hours of ultrasound guided compression and the other needed more 12 hours. All patients were discharged without complication or recurrence of pseudoaneurysm. CONCLUSION: These cases suggest that nonsurgical closure of femoral pseudoaneurysms is feasible even in patients requiring prolonged antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy.
Aneurysm, False* ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Aspirin ; Atherectomy ; Cardiac Catheterization* ; Cardiac Catheters* ; Coronary Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Heparin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Recurrence ; Ultrasonography

Although a number of remedies like corticosteroids, retinoids, griseofulvin, PUVA, cyclosporine, antibiotics, dapsone, cyclophosphamide, surgery, methotrexate, radiation therapy, antimalarial drugs, psychotharapy and psychiatric medications have been used to treat lichen planus, there were no specific methods until now. We report herein an interesting case of lichen planus in which complete healing was achieved by griseofulvin administration. The patient was a 54-year-old male who for 3 months had variouly sized and shaped, flat-topped, scaly, violaceous papules and plaques on the whole of his body. We confirmed the patients disease as lichen planus by a histopathologic examination of a skin biopsy specimen and gave him 500mg ultramicronized griseofulvin daily in divided dosages. After 12 weeks of the medication nearly all of the skin lesions were regressed, and by 14 weeks all skin lesions had disappeared leaving hyperpigmentation. Up to now, l9 months after discontinuation of the medication, no recurrence of the disease has been noted.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antimalarials ; Biopsy ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cyclosporine ; Dapsone ; Griseofulvin* ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Male ; Methotrexate ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Retinoids ; Skin

Sequestration of disc herniation is important cause of failure of chemonucleolysis. It is important to recongnize this particular variety of disc herniation before considering enzymatic discetomy. Disc herniation were classified into three-anatomical categories. type I: Subligamentous Herniation type II: Extra-ligamentous Herniation type III: Free-extraligamentous Herniation, Sequestratid disc. one-hundred and eight-six cases of herniatid intervertebral disc were evaluated in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University and in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Inchon Christian Hospital from March 1982 to March 1988. The results of study are as follows; l. Among 186 patients, type III sequestrated disc patients were 32 cases(17.2%). 2. The ratio between male and female was about 2:l. 3. The duration of symptoms in type II,III were longer than type I. 4. On examination, the physical changes were more common in type III than in other types. Positive well leg rasing test was prominant finding especially in type III. 5. The myelographic findings, in type III, were irregularity of dural sac at the level of vertebra body both on obligue and lateral view. 6. The C-T findings, in type III, were irregular protruded disc, or caudal or cephalsd migrated disc materials.
Clinical Study ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Incheon ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis ; Leg ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Spine

Intramural hematoma(IMH) and penetrating aortic ulcer have been increasingly recognized as causes of acute aortic pathology in addition to aortic dissection. The presence of the intimal tear and a flap traversing the aortic lumen is considered to be a most reliable differential point of aortic dissection and IMH. Transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) has become a valuable modality for the diagnosis, prognosis and management of acute aortic syndrome with the unique advantages of portability and the ability to obtain high-resolution real time images. Endovascular Stent-graft placement over the primary entry tear may be an alternative to open surgery because it can close the intimal tear, which leads to thrombosis of the false lumen, excluding flow through the intimal tear and redirecting aortic flow exclusively into the true lumen. We report 88 year-old male with aortic dissection in descending thoracic aorta, successfully treated with endovascular Stent-graft implantation, which was mimicking intramural hematoma by its appearance and subclinical intimal tear diagnosed exclusively by TEE against other imaging studies.
Aged, 80 and over ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Diagnosis ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Pathology ; Prognosis ; Thrombosis ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic* ; Wegener Granulomatosis*

Pulmonary embolism is the impaction of material into branches of the pulmonary arterial bed. It usually occurs in patients with primary hypercoagulable states or secondary hypercoagulable states like cancer, preganancy, and estrogen replacement therapy. We report a case of a pulmonary embolism in a patient with positive lupus anticoagulant who received estrogen replacement therapy. The patient was referred due to suddenly developed shortness of breath and echogenic mass densities in the right atrium on 2 dimensional echocardiography. The patient was markedly improved with intravenous urokinase and subsequent oral anticoagulant therapy. Related articles are also reviewed.
Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor* ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Soft rot in apple caused by Rhizopus oryzae was found for the first time in Korea. A detailed description of the specimen is given along with its internal transcribed spacer rDNA sequence. The fungus was identified as Rhizopus oryzae based on the mycological characteristics, molecular data, and pathogenicity testing.
DNA, Ribosomal ; Fungi ; Korea ; Oryza ; Rhizopus

The purpose of this study was to predict the prognosis of class III malocclusion treatments. 25 patients selected for this study were devided into two groups by the stability of dentitional, skeletal and soft tissue profile improvement. One was stable group which consisted of 12 children and the other was relapse group with 13 children. Various measurements in initial lateral cephalogram were calculated and analyzed by t-test, correlation coefficient and discriminant analysis. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. In both stable and relapse groups, there was not distinct difference in the antem-posterior skeletal relationship(P<0.05). 2. As the result of wits, AB to occlusal plane angle and occlusal plane to mandubular plane angle, the occlusal plane of relapse group was stopper than that of the stable group. 3. In correlation coefficient analysis, the overjet and the occlusal plane to mandibular plane angle showed significant correlations (P<0.001, P<0.01). 4. The discrminant function was obtained from three major influential measurements; overjet, AB to occlusal plane angle and articular angle, and this function could discriminate correctly in 88% of these samples.
Child ; Dental Occlusion ; Discriminant Analysis ; Humans ; Malocclusion* ; Prognosis* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies*