Observation of hair roots by simple plucking is a comnon methad in trichology. But the plucking method is subject to artificial deformation of hair roots during the procedure and the possibility of the artifact may be greater when hair roots are in pathological state. Treatment of the scalp tissue with 1 M CaC12 permits epidermodermal separation and subsecuent harve.sting of hair follicles without any damage on the structures. To make sure if the possible artificial deformation of the hair roots of plucking method could affect significantly the overall evaluation of the hairs in alopecia areata, authors compared the results of plucking method(total 171 hair roots) with the results of CaCl2 method(total l94 roots) in 15 cases of alopecia areata. The sites of taking hair roots by the two rnethocds were located side by side at the edges of the bald areas. The results were as frllows: 1. The average percentages of actual dystrophic hairs in 15 alopecia areat.a patients are 55% by plucking method and 53% by CaCl2, method, thus showing no significant difference in overall evaluation of the hair roots. 2. The shapes of proximal hair shafts obtained by plucking were similar with the shape obtained by CaCl2 method.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Artifacts ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Humans ; Scalp

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis*

Eosinophilic cellutitis occurred in an otherwise healthy 38-year-old woman. The patient had 4 months history of extremely pruritic erythematous wheal-like lesions on the extremities with blood eosinophilia. The individual lesions persisted for up to 12 weeks and responded well to systemic corticosteroid therapy. Elistopathologically the lesion showed diffuse tissue eosinophilia, histiocytic granuloma and characteristic flame figures in the dermis.
Adult ; Cellulitis* ; Dermis ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Extremities ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans

Four cases of acrokeratoelastoidosis are reported. All four patients had symmetrically situated asymptomatic keratotic plaques along the margin of first interdigital space of the hand, The patients were all elderly korean farmers. Elastic stain showed aggregated thickened black elastotic materials occupying mainly the upper dermis. Epidermis showed marked hyperkeratosis and acanthosis. Although this cutaneous condition is not well known to physicians in the country, we think it may be not an uncommon condition in the rural part of Korea.
Aged ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea

The Harlequin fetus-ichthyosis fetalis-is known to be rare. Recently, we experienced a case of Harlequin fetus in stillborn infant due to autosomal recessive inheritance likely. A review of literature was done briefly.
Humans ; Ichthyosis, Lamellar* ; Infant ; Wills

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychological health status in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to find out affecting factors on psychological health status. METHOD: Eighty-six adults with CP and 146 age matched controls participated in this study. Psychological health status of all participants was evaluated by the interview and questionnaire including Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) and Affect Balance Scale (ABS). RESULT: Depressive symptom on BDI was common in adults with CP. Study group showed significantly higher scores in BSI and lower scores in ABS compared with the control group (p<0.05). Employment, severity of disability and health perception were significantly related to the psychological health status in adults with CP (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that psychological problems were greater in adults with CP, compared with the controls. Psychological health status in adults with CP was related to employment, severity of disability and health perception. Therefore, active medical and social interventions for providing employment, minimizing disability and improving health perception will be helpful for enhancing their psychological health.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Depression ; Employment ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the colonic motility and nutrients intake in adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the results with those of normal adults. METHOD: Thirty-nine adults with CP were participated. They took the radioopaque markers for 3 successive days. Then, abdominal X-ray was taken on the fourth day. The total and segmental colon transits were estimated by the simplified assessment of a single-film technique by Metcalf et al. The amounts of nutrients intake for 3 days were recorded and nutritional factors were analyzed by ESHA(r) Food Processor. Then, daily intakes of the nutrients were compared with Recommended Dietary Allowance of Korean Nutrition Society. RESULT: Colon transit time were more than 2 times delayed in adults with CP as compared with those of normal controls. Colon transit time was significantly prolonged in non- functional ambulators (p<0.05). Colon transit time tended to be delayed in subjects with spastic type, but not related with the degree of cognitive function. On the evaluation of daily nutrients intake, several nutritional factors were inadequate in adults with CP. CONCLUSION: Adults with CP had the problems in colonic motility and nutritional intake. Also, delayed colon transit time was significantly related with poor mobility, and possibly related with spasticity.
Adult* ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Colon* ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Recommended Dietary Allowances

he purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of whole body F-18 FDG PET scan for deceting postoperative recurrence of cancer. One hundred four cancer patients after operation were enrolled(l4 brain tumor, 15 head and neck cancer, 23 gynecologic cancer). Besides conventional images(CI) including CT and MRI, F-18 FDG PET scan was obtained on ECAT EXACT 47 scanner(Siemens-CTI), beginning 60 minutes after injection of 370MBq(10mCi) of F-18 FDG. Regional scan was also obtained with emission image. Transmission images using Ge-68 were carried out for attenuation correction in both whole body and regional images. Findings of PET and CI were confirmed by pathology or clinical follow up. The sensitivity and specificity of PET for detecting recurrence were 94% and 92%, respectively. Contrarily, the sensitivity and specific it of CI were 78% and 68% CI results were negative and PET results were positive in 11 cases. The biopsy or clinical follow-up of those cases confirmed recurrence of tumor. False negative cases of CI were frequent in patients with gynecologic cancers. Also we measured the Serum concentration of tumor markers in patients with gynecologic cancer(CA125), thyroid cancer(thyroglobulin), and colorectal cancer(CEA). The sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers were 71% and 84%, respectively. We conclude that F-18 FDG PET can be used valuably in detecting recurrent foci of a wide variety of malignancy compared to conventional diagnositic methods.
Biopsy ; Brain Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pathology ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Recurrence* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Gland ; Biomarkers, Tumor