We reoprt an unusual case of Sweet's syndrome associated with bacterial meningitis in a 38-year-old woman. Sweet's syndrome is associated with various diseases. The etiology and pathogenesis are still undefined. The patient presented with fever, headache, and cerebrospinal fluid finding of bacterial meningitis. This is the first reoprted case of Sweet's syndrome assoclated with bacterial meningitis.
Adult ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Female ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Meningitis, Bacterial* ; Sweet Syndrome*

No abstract available.

We report a case of xanthelasma palpebrarum (XP) with bilateral extensive and disfiguring involvement of all four eyelids. The patient was a 28-year-old woman and noticed this condition eight years ago. Physical examination showed yellowish flat topped bilateral extensive plaques around the eyes. Laboratory result was remarkable for a decrease of a serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Other laboratory findings were within normal limits. Histopathologic findings showed diffuse infiltrations of foamy cells, histiocytes and foreign body giant cells in the dermis. Electronmicroscopic examination showed that the dermal infiltrate was composed of lipid laden histoncytes showing multiple villi which indicated an activated state of histioncyte. Bilateral and extensive XP is very rare. Only two cases have been reported in the literatures as far as we know.
Adult ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Dermis ; Eyelids ; Female ; Giant Cells, Foreign-Body ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Physical Examination

We report a case of an uncommon cutaneous neoplasm of nerve sheath myxoma in a 25-year-old woman who had a papule on the left cheek of her face. The histologic findings of the lesion showed that lobulated tumors were composed of spindle shaped and stellate tumor cells in an abundant matrix of mucosubstances. The electron microscopic findings showed numerous cytoplasmic myelin figures, and interdigitating long cytoplasmic processes. 5-100 protein was not discovered and alcian blue and PAS stain showed positive. After surgical excision of tumor, the patient did not have any evidence of disease for one year.
Adult ; Alcian Blue ; Cheek ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Humans ; Myelin Sheath ; Neurothekeoma*

Tinea faeiei is an unusual fungal infection which often is not recognized by clinieians. Because of light sensitivity, the frequent absence of typical clinical manifestation, and secondary changes due to steroid treatment, this condition is frequently misdiagnosed with other dermatoses. We described two patients who showed atypical facial lesions which were histologically diagnosed as tinea faciei. The case I was a 54 year old male who had multiple discoid plaques and nodules on the face. The other case was a 83 year old female who showed scaly plaques, nodules, pustules, and photosensitivity on the face. Histologic exarnination revealed fungus spores and mycelia within the inflamed hair follicles.
Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fungi ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photophobia ; Skin Diseases ; Spores ; Tinea*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Behcet's disease is characterized with multifactorial etiopathogenesis and multiclinical pictures. The treatment of patients with Behcet's disease is based on the severity of illness, and the most appropriate management of Behcet's disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. Although various therapeutic modalities have been employed for Behcet's disease, treatment is far from satisfactory. Treatment of Behcet's disease includes local, systemic, or surgical therapies. Limited success has been found with colchicine, azathioprine, indomethacin, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, levamisole, transfer factor, fibrinolytic therapy, and systemic corticosteroid. New therapeutic approaches have been introduced for Behcet's disease using cyclosporine, thalidomide, interferon, acyclovir, high-dose corticosteroids or cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, and FK 506. We suggest that therapeutic agents should be selected after thorough evaluation of the immune state of each patient by using various tests and by determining any aggravating or provoking factors involved. In general, a combination-agent regimen is more effective than a single-agent regimen. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can inhibit or at lease slow the progress of the disease remarkably.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use ; Behcet's Syndrome/therapy* ; Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use ; Human ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Tetracycline/therapeutic use ; Thalidomide/therapeutic use ; Zinc Sulfate/therapeutic use

We investigated the biochemiesl change of keratin by the methods of SDS-PAGE and Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and observed electron microscopic ultrestructural changes in five Unna-Thost palmoplantar keratoderma patients and two normal adults. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The increased bands of 51 kd and newly appearing 48 kd, 56 kd keratins were observed on the SDS-PAGE and compared to the normsl control. 2. The newly appearing 48 kd(acidic) paired with 56 kd(basic) keratins and 51 kd keratin and the disappearance of 59 kd(basic), 64 kd(basic) keratins were observed on the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and compared to the normal control. 3. The variable sized, numerous, globular, irregularly beam-shaped and granular kerstohyaline granules were scattered in the granular cell and corneocyte. Numerous ribosomes were noted between the clumped tonofibrils and around the keratohyaline granules. The lipid droplets were seen in the corneocytes and granular cells on the electron microscope.
Adult ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar* ; Ribosomes

BACKGROUND: Neopterin is released from monocytes/macrophages specifically by stimulation with interferon-γ. Therefore the increase refers to the activation of T lymphocytes. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to examine the potential role of neopterin in the cell mediated immune response to Behçet's disease. METHODS: We studied 67 patients of Behçet's disease classified by Shimizu and a control group of 30 normal healthy people. Serum neopterin was detected by radioimmunoassay technique. RESULTS: The serum neopterin concentration of the group with Behçet's disease was significantly elevated, compared with the control group (6.36 nmol/ml vs 3.63 nmol/ml). The increase of neopterin concentration was well correlated to the clinical severity of the diseases in increasing order. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the T lymphocyte derived IFN-γ which stimulates the production of neopterin has some role in the pathogenesis and clinical severity of Behçet's disease.
Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Lymphocytes ; Neopterin* ; Radioimmunoassay ; T-Lymphocytes