The cause of pemphigus vulgaris is autoimmune. The serum containes antibodies against the intercellular substance of stratified epithelium, as demonstrated by means of immunofluorescent staining. Therefore antigen-antibody reaction takes place in the intercellalar spaces of squamous epithelium and leads to acantholysis. The association of pemphigus with malignant conditions was frequently reported. Thus there is now increasing evidence of an association between malignaney and the production of pemphigus antibodies by a tumor itaelf. By the evidence that pemphigus is autoimmune disease, it is used to treat with corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drugs, such as methotrexate. Very high doses of corticosteroid appear to he necesaary for an adequate control of the disease. Even though large doae repersents an effective treatment of pemphigus vulgaris, side effects from thia form of therapy have heen quite significant. Two cases of pemphigus vulgaris are reported. .First patient, a 33 year-old housewife, with flaccid bullae and rupture to form erosions of 3 months duration especialIy on buccal mueosa and genitlia. Second patient, a 66 year-old female, with above skin lesions of 6 months duration on buccal mucosa and whole body. Clinically and histopathologically their eruptions were consistent with pemphigus vulgaris. Large initial dose of predniaolone was employed in these treatment. These patients were improved with treatment prednisolone. Prednisolone therapy gave rise to a large numbar of side effects of varying degrees of severity, such as iatrogenic diabetea mellitus, oral candidiasis, hypokalemia, and pychosis etc. At admission 57days, first case complained of lower abdominal pain and tenderness. At this point it was found clinically that the mass on vaginal vault is present. Punch biopsy was p rformed and confirmed epidermoid carcinoma poorly differentiated (stage V). Cystoscopy showed tumor mass of cervix with extension to bladder posterior wall. We advised. External radiation therapy for carcinoma for about 5 weeks (5,000 Rads) but hopeless she was discharged. Second. Patient was much improved without recurrence. Side effects of prednisolone were also controlled.
Abdominal Pain ; Acantholysis ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies ; Antigen-Antibody Reactions ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Biopsy ; Candidiasis, Oral ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Cystoscopy ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Methotrexate ; Mouth Mucosa ; Pemphigus* ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence ; Rupture ; Skin ; Urinary Bladder

Pretibial myxedema is a rare condition whieh may occur following the active or treated hyperthyroidism. The preeise cause of pretibial myxedema is not known, but it is now established the Long Acting Thyroid Stimulator(LATS) is 7S-gammaglobulin, that it is present in the serum of 80% of patients with hyperthyroidism and that its activity is as being an autoantibody against a thyroid antigen, retroorbital tissues and in the skin. A 28-year old pregnant housewife was well until age 24 when she developed hyperthyroidism with swelling of the thyroid gland, exopbthalmos and clubbing of the fingers. She was treated with subtotal thyroidectomy 2 years ago at other clinic. The skin lesions revealed circumscribed, firm, and elevated nodules with excess hair growth on shin and dorsum of feet since their onset of one and half years to visit to our hospital. The hiatologic findings showed considerable amounts of mucin especially in the midportion of the dermis. The leaions were improved by the local application of 0.01% Fluocinolone acetonide(Synalar') ointment with occlusive dressing technique.
Adult ; Dermis ; Fingers ; Foot ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Mucins ; Myxedema* ; Occlusive Dressings ; Skin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy

For the purpose of the curative effects of oral D-penicillamine in lead Ip0soning,D-penicillamine was orally administered to 7 lead poisoned workers which were employed in glaze product industry dealing with the lead oxide (Pb3O4). The doses of D-penicillamine was 1, 200mg per day which was administered by oral 7days schedules, taking for 5 days and stopping for the following 2days, repeatedly during 3 months period-(All the poisoned workers started working again in that industry after I month treatment, and were treated by oral D-penicillamine for 2 months still being exposed to contaminated environment. In order to evaluate the curative effects of D-penicillamine, IOgm of whole blood and 24 hours urine were collected every 14 days during the curative period for laboratory analysis(hemoglobin, blood lead. urine c-aminolevulinic acid, urine coproporphyrin, and urine lead levels) with the observation of the clinical symptoms. The results were as follows; 1. Oral D-penicillamine effected good curative results as that hemoglobin, blood lead, urine caminolevulinic acid, and urine coproporphyrin levels were decreased belpiv the critical level within 1 month treatment. 2. After re-exposure, oral D-penicillamine effected to some extent as that urine lead level was decreased 'below the critical level after 3 months treatment with disappgarence of the clinical symptoms after 2 months treatment. However, the curative effects of orral D-penicillamine in the lead exposure state is questionable since increasement of blood lead' level and remarkable decreasement of urine lead level after 3 months treatment can be observed.
Appointments and Schedules ; Lead Poisoning* ; Penicillamine*

No Abstract available.
Cross Infection* ; United States*

No abstract available.
Adolescent ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Humans ; Puberty* ; Puberty, Precocious*

No abstract available.
Lymphatic Diseases*

A clinicopathological study of 12 cases of pityriasis lichenoides chronica and 14 cases of small plaque parapsoriasis was performed. Patients with pityriasis lichenoides chranica ranged in age from 15 to 62 years (mean, 30 years) with male predominance. They had erythematous or reddish scaly papules occuring mostly on both trunk and extremities(92%). The lesions were about the size of r ice grains or small peas. Patients with small plaque parapsoriasis ranged in age from 8 to 67 years(mean, 33 years) and presented yellowish or erythematous scaly maculies and patches comrnonly involving the trunk and extremities(64%). The size of the lesions were larger than those of pityriasis lichenoides chronica. Histopatbologically, the distinct feature of pityriasis lichenoides chronica was vacuolar alteration at the dermoepidermal junction characterizing interface dermatitis. The microscopic findings of small plaque parapsoriasis were, although not as distinct as in pityriasis lichenoides chronica, those af either spongiotic dermatitis or superfirial peri vascula dermatitis. We conclude from this study that these two conditions have different clinical and histologic features and we propose that the term guttate parapsoriasis shauld not be used as a synonym of either pityriasis lichenoides rhronica or small plaque parapsoriasis.
Edible Grain ; Dermatitis ; Humans ; Ice ; Male ; Parapsoriasis* ; Peas ; Pityriasis Lichenoides* ; Pityriasis*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cats*

No abstract available.
Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses

We herein report two cases of systemic contact dermatitis probably due to inhalation of mercury. The first case is a 13 year-old boy who developed generalized erythema and dyspnea following the use of a coin-bleaching solution of unknown ingredient in his room. And the second case is a 10 year-old boy who developed generalized scarlatiniform eruptions on his trunk and flexural aspect of his extremities after hreaking a clinical thermometer. The typical clinical feature, the inverted triangular shaped erythema on flexural aspect of inner thigh, were appeared in both patients. On patch testing, they showed positive reactions to mercury and other mercury compounds.
Adolescent ; Child ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dyspnea ; Erythema ; Exanthema* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Male ; Mercury Compounds ; Patch Tests ; Thermometers ; Thigh