Pityriasis lichenoides chronica is characterized by unknown etiology, chronicity and by being essentially asymptomatic and refractory to therapy. Nine patients with pityriasis lichenoides chronica were treated with orally administrated 8-Methoxypsoralen and UVA irradiation(PUVA Therapy). After S-45 PUVA treatments, lesions were completely cleared.
Humans ; Methoxsalen ; Pityriasis Lichenoides* ; Pityriasis* ; PUVA Therapy*

Agminated lentigines may be defind as a circumscribed grouping of small pigmented macules arranged in a small or large group, often in a segmental pattern, each macule consisting of a lentiginous epidermal proliferation of melanocytes. We report five cases of agminated lentigines in otherwise healthy persons. Histologic exarnination of the pigmented lesion revealed findings consistent with lentigo simplex.
Humans ; Lentigo* ; Melanocytes

No abstract available.

Sixty-three patients with permanent sigmoid colostomy were surveyed to evaluate their satisfaction and complications with the "irrigation technique" and the "atural evacuation" of the colostomy management (irrigation technique; 32 patients, natural evacuation; 31 patients). All patients had colostomy for at least 12 months without disease recurrence. Each patient was interviewed in addition to standard questionnaire. The irrigation was not associated with any major complication including colonic perforation. The irrigation was used younger age group than the natural evacuation (53+/-10 vs. 62+/-12, P=0.01). The frequency of bowel movement was lower in the irrigation than in the natural evacuation (5.1+/-2.5/wk vs. 10.8+/-9.0/wk, P=0.04). Five patients (16%) of the irrigation experienced spontaneous bowel action but only one patient suffered from it. The time spent for managing irrigation was 59+/-13 minutes. Twenty-three patients (74%) of the natural evacuation suffered from one or moreproblems such as expensive apparatus, leakage, skin irritation or odor. Sixteen patients (52%) of the natural evacuation and 2 patients (6%) of the irrigation were restricted in social activity (P=0.0001). Thirteen patients (42%) of the natural evacuation and 1 patient (3%) of the irrigation were dissatisfied with colostomy management (P=0.002). Thus, the irrigation technique seems to be more effective and satisfactory method for managing colostomy without compromising patient's social activity when it is performed in appropriately selected patients.
Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colostomy* ; Humans ; Odors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Skin

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Evening primrose oil(EPO) is a rich source of cis-linoleic acid and gammalinolenic acid(GLA) and has been used as a therapeutic agent in various skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suppressive effect of EPO on murine contact sensitivity. METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into 3 groups, positive control, experimental and negative control groups: the positive control group represents a group of mice which were sensitized and challenged with DNFB, the experimental group represents EPO-pretreated positive control group and the negative control group represents a group of mice which were challenged only. The changes of ear thickness were measured, and H & E staining and immunohistochemical staining for ICAM-1 expression of ear skin were performed to evaluate the histological changes of each group. RESULTS: The Pretreatment of mice with EPO resulted in suppression of contact sensitivity by more than 82%. On H & E staining, only a mild inflammatory reaction was observed in the dermis. Also ICAM-1 expression of keratinocytes, the intensity of the staining was significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with positive group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that EPO was able to suppress the induction of contact sensitivity.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dermis ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Ear ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Keratinocytes ; Mice ; Oenothera biennis* ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

CD44, also known as the Hermes antigen, H-CAM, pgp-1 antigen, and extracellular matrix receptor ECM-III, is a widely distributed integral membrane protein that exists in a variety of forms with different molecular sizes ranging from 85kd to 160kd. A number of evidence implicates CD44 as a cell adhesion molecule with a possible role in tumor progression. To evaluate the possible roles of CD44 in the metastatic process of gastric carcinoma to the regional lymph nodes, we applicated immunohistochemical stains with the CD44H and CD44v6 primary antibodies onto the 2 groups of gastric adenocarcinomas. Each group was comprised of 22 primary tumors extending to the subserosa, and one group showed nodal metastasis, while the other group did not. Seventeen primary tumors (77%) out of the 22 cases with the nodal metastasis demonstrated positivity to the CD44v6, while only 9 primary tumors (41%) out of the 22 cases without nodal metastasis did. However CD44H immunoreactivity was demonstrated in tumor cells of all cases (100%) of both groups as well as in the normal cell components. These results suggest that CD44H form is not related to the metastasis to the regional lymph nodes of gastric carcinoma. However, the expression of CD44v6 seems to play a certain role in the metastatic process of the gastric carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Antibodies ; Cell Adhesion ; Cellular Structures ; Coloring Agents ; Extracellular Matrix ; Lymph Nodes ; Membrane Proteins ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance is associated with hyperlipidemia. Recently, visceral fat adiposity is reported to be associated with insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. We investigated insulin resistance and visceral fat adiposity in hyperlipidemic patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Hyperlipidemic group included 14 hyperlipidemic patients (total cholesterol > or = 220 mg/dl and triglyceride < or = 400 mg/dl) without hypertension, angina, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus (DM). Control group included age, sex and body mass index (BMI) matched 25 healthy volunteers. We measured plasma lipid profiles and the insulin and glucose during the oral glucose tolerance test. We measured visceral fat area and abdominal subcutaneous fat area with computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: There were no differences of age, sex and BMI in both group. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, area under curve (AUC) of the glucose and insulin and the Insulin / Glucose (IG) ratio increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. Significant positive correlations were demonstrated between visceral fat area and the fasting plasma glucose, AUC of glucose and insulin at 120 minutes after glucose load. However, there was no difference in visceral fat area between both groups. After adjustment of visceral fat area, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, area under curve (AUC) of the glucose and insulin and the Insulin / Glucose (IG) ratio still remained increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. CONCLUSION: We observed significantly increased insulin resistance in hyperlipidemic group. There was partial relationship between visceral fat area and the glucose and insulin profile. However, we did not find increased visceral fat area in hyperlipidemic group.
Adiposity ; Area Under Curve ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Obesity* ; Plasma ; Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal ; Triglycerides

PURPOSE: To evaluate the difference of retinal nerve fiber layer measurements as obtained by Nerve Fiber Analyser according to visual field defects in subjects with large Cup-to-Disc ratio (C/D ratio>or=0.6) and to determine which predictable parameters are useful in glaucoma diagnosis. METHODS: Fifty one normal subjects, 17 patients with glaucoma, 18 glaucoma suspects based on optic disc appearance and visual field defect participated. Nerve fiber layer thickness assessments using scanning laser polarimeter (Nerve Fiber Analyzer II software version 2.1.; Laser Diagnostic Technologies, Inc., San Diego, California, U.S.A.) were measured in normal subjects, patients with glaucoma, and glaucoma suspects. Measured nerve fiber layer thickness parameters were compared each other. RESULTS: Superior to inferior ratio (S/I ratio) was only statistically significant parameter to differentiate glaucoma from glaucoma suspects having glaucomatous optic nerve head. CONCLUSIONS: Superior to inferior ratio (S/I ratio) is useful parameter to predict differentiating patients with glaucoma from glaucoma suspects.
California ; Diagnosis ; Glaucoma* ; Humans ; Nerve Fibers* ; Optic Disk ; Retinaldehyde* ; Scanning Laser Polarimetry ; Visual Fields

The use of recombinant DNA technology to produce human growth hormone has resulted in a marked increase in availability of Growth Hormone(GH) to treat short stature due to GH deficiency and other conditions, such as Turner syndrome, familial short stature, chronic renal insufficiency and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). But, the GH therapy may result in the adverse events such as sodium and water retention, pseudotumor cerebri, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, growth of nevi, recurrence of tumor. We experienced a case of severe hypertension associated with GH therapy in a 14-year-old male who presented high blood pressure up to 190/100 mmHg and normalized at 2-3 weeks after discontinuation of GH. Therefore, we think that the blood pressure should be carefully monitored during GH therapy.
Adolescent ; Blood Pressure ; DNA, Recombinant ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Growth Hormone* ; Human Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Nevus ; Noonan Syndrome ; Pseudotumor Cerebri ; Recurrence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses ; Sodium