OBJECTIVE: It is widely accepted that the estrogen plays an important role in the maintenance of bone mineral density (BMD). The purpose of this study is to compare the BMD between premature ovarian failure (POF) patients and spontaneous menopausal women, both of which are characterized by estrogen deficiency. METHOD: We compared the BMD of Lumbar 2-4 and Femur neck(right) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 17 premature ovarian failure patients and 21 spontaneous menopausal women. RESULTS: POF patients and spontaneous menopausal women showed the BMD of 1.000+/-0.165g/cm2, 1.167+/-0.279g/cm2 at Lumbar 2-4 and 0.793+/-0.132g/cm2, 0.885+/-0.128g/cm2 at Femur neck, respectively. POF patients had lower BMD of Lumbar 2-4 and Femur neck significantly(p<0.05). FSH and estradiol level were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the BMD in POF patients was decreased more severely than that of spontaneous menopausal women. Therefore, more preventive measures against bone loss is required in POF patients than spontaneous menopausal women.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density* ; Estradiol ; Estrogens ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency*

Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, previously called bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma is a dominantly inherited disorcler and usually manifested by blisters at or shortly after birth. We report a case of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis in 9 year old girl vrho developed generalized erythema &: easily eroded vesicles at birth. Later the skin lesions progresed to characteristic thick, grayish-dark brown verruform cais, affecting predominantly flexural and intertriginous areas. Fiistologic findings show typical granular degeneration.
Blister ; Child ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Erythema ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic* ; Parturition ; Skin

We measured serum 1gE by using IgE 'Eiken' radioirnrnunoassay Kit and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity responsiveness by the Multitest CMI Kit (Institut Merieux) that simultaneously administrates 7 standardized recall antigens(tetanus, diphtheria, streptococcus, tuberculin, candida, trichophyton, proteus) and 70% W/V glycerin diluent control by multiple prick puncture. We studied 40 cases comprising 20 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and 20 healthy children as control. The results were obtained as follows; 1) The mean serum level of IgE in AD(63.3+/-395.2 1U/ml) was higher than in control(155.6+/-67.1IU/ml) (p<0.0l), but the intensity of reaction (IR) & rate of reaction (RR) in AD (l.34+/-1.06, 0.38+/-0.23) was not significantly decreased than in control (1.70+/-0.87,0.44+/-0.16). 2) 1n both AD & control group, tuberculin showed highest IR R RR. 3) Anergic state was found in only one patient with disseminated cutaneous lesions Sc 4) serum IgE, but rate of hypoergy was significantly increased in AD(65%) than in control (30%) (p<0.05). 4) Serum IgE was not statistically correlated with IR and RR, but IR was statistically correlated with RR (p<0.001, r=0.9504). 5) IgE level in severe AD (generalized skin lesion) was significantly increased than in both mild AD 8c control group (p<0. 001). but IR & RR were not statistically correlated with disease severity.
Candida ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diphtheria ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed* ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Punctures ; Skin ; Streptococcus ; Trichophyton ; Tuberculin

Objective: Cerebral white matter changes (WMCs) and silent brain infarcts (SBIs) are common radiological findings in neurologically asymptomatic elderly people. Their presence is associated with an increased risk of stroke or dementia. Homocysteine (Hcy) can cause atherosclerosis and may thus act as a useful marker of stroke prior to symptom onset. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of Hcy as a surrogate marker for early intervention for stroke in community-dwelling healthy elderly persons with cerebrovascular lesions such as WMCs and SBIs. Methods: We assessed the relationship between the Hcy level and presence of WMCs/SBIs on brain computed tomography (CT) in 554 elderly individuals aged ≥65 years with no history of stroke or dementia. Results: The mean age of the participants was 74.43±7.32 years. Of the 554 patients, 106 (19.1%) had WMCs and/or SBI findings on brain CT. The mean Hcy level was higher in participants with WMCs/SBIs (P=0.001). The WMCs/SBIs group had a significantly greater number of participants with high Hcy levels than the non-WMCs/SBIs group (P<0.001). High Hcy levels (≥12.3 μmol/L) was significantly associated with WMCs and SBIs even after adjusting for age, Korean Mini Mental Status Examination score, education level, and vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and smoking status. Conclusion: The result of our study suggests that regular monitoring of homocysteine level as a modifiable risk factor may be helpful for predicting the association of cerebrovascular lesions such as WMCs and SBIs for the prevention of future ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Pityriasis versicolor(PV) is a superficial mycosis, theoretically unusual in children. Epidemiologic and clinical data for children with PV under 14 years were collected. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of PV in the young. METHOD: We included all cases of PV in patients under 14 years of age observed in our department from 1981 to 1995. All cases were diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria and were confirmed by microscopic examination. RESULTS: From 1981 to 1995 we encountered 32 cases of PV in children, compared with 637 cases in adults; thus children represented 4.7% of all cases. The ratio of male to female was l. 7:1. Among the age groups, the incidence was the highest in the 10-14 years(43%). The monthly prevalence was the highest in August. Distribution of the lesions were the face(40.9%), neck (25%), chest(13.6%), back(11.3%), extremities(6.8%) and abdomen(2.2%). The incidence of hypopigmented lesions was 70.4% and that of hyperpigmented lesions was 29.6%. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that the face is a predilectionl site for PV in children and all facial lesions are hypopigmented. Other clinical features are variable and similar to those of adults.
Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Neck ; Pityriasis* ; Prevalence ; Tinea Versicolor*

BACKGROUND: It is traditiqnally considered that the non-bullous fonn of impetigo is primarily of streptococcal origin and the bullous form is of staphylococcal origin. However, recent reports have shown that Staphylococcus aureus (SA) has become the predominant cauative pathogen of non-bullous impetigo as well as of bullous impetigo. Objective. Our purpose was to evaluate the predominant causativi. pathogen, and to establish a therapeutic guideline for impetigo. METHOD: We described the characteristics of lesions and gerformed bacterial culture and susceptibility tests in patients with impetigo. Patients were treatecl by one of three frequently used antibiotics(erythromycin, cefuroxime, fusidic acid). RESULTS: Of 77 patients, there were 47 cases of crusted type(61.9%), 18 cases of mixed type with crusted and bullous lesiona(23.3%), 7 cases of mixed type with crusted and pustular lesions(9.1%) and 5 cases of bullous type(6.6%). SA was grown from 90.1% af the cases, in 83.1% of cases it was the only organism to be foind and no gowth of streptococcus was faund even in mixed infections. An antimicrobial susceptibility test of 63 strains of SA demonstrated high susceptibility to vancomycin(98.4%), cefuroxime(97.1%), oxacillin(96.4%), cephalothin(95.2%), fusidic acid(91.7%) etc, and high resistance to penicillin(93.7%), gentamicin(90.5%), tobramycin(88.9%) and erythromicin(80.9%). Of 19 patients treated with erythrornycin, 12(63.1% ) showed treatment failure at a weeks, while no treatment failure occured in groups treated with cefuroxime and usidic acid. There were statistically significant differences iri therapeutic effect between cefuroxirne and erythromycin(P=0.005 by two tailedy test), and betweer fusidic acid and erythromycin(P=0.0040. But there was no significant difference between cefuroxime and fusidic acid. CONCLUSION: The predominant pathogen of non-bullous impetigo a well as bullous impetigo was SA which were highly resistant to erythromycin and highly sensitive to efuroxime and fusidic acid. In the clinical response, cefuroxinie and fusidic acid treatment were most effective and erythromycin was inadequate for treatment of impetigo.
Cefuroxime ; Coinfection ; Erythromycin ; Furosemide ; Fusidic Acid ; Humans ; Impetigo* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Treatment Failure

No abstract available.
Leiomyosarcoma ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is caused by Pneumocystis carinii. It usually occurs in premature or debilitated infants. Recently sporadic cases of human disease in patients who have been on long term steroid therapy, cytotoxic drug therapy, immunosuppressive drug were significantly increased. We recently experienced 35 cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in infants of an institution for foreign adoption in three epidemic period of Feb.1979, Mar. 1980, and Jan. 1980. The clinical review of 35 cases was made. Patients' age was between 1 to 4 months. Twenty-one cases (60%) occurred in 2-month-old infants. Many patients were included in poor weight gain and development. The common symptoms were tachypnea, cyanosis, restlessness, cough, diarrhea in order of frequency. The roentgenological findings were classified into three groups. normal finding, pulmonary emphysema only, and various forms of pneumonic infiltration. The roentgenological findings were somewhat characteristic. The most common finding (24 cases) showed streaky and mottled densities which began in both hill and were spreaded peripherally. The pneumonic infiltrations were spared peripheral lung, but progressed to total involvement. The prominence between alveolar and interstitial infiltration was almostly equal when patients were admitted. Nineteen cases (54%) showed pulmonary emphysema.
Cough ; Cyanosis ; Diarrhea ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Pneumocystis carinii ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Pulmonary Emphysema ; Tachypnea ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Plants, Medicinal* ; Sarcoma 180* ; Sarcoma*

We report a case of 68-year-old male patient who was confirmed as d'emblee type of mycosis fungoides. The skin lesions showed sharply rnargined multiple reddish brown coIarcd papules, ndules, and tumors on the groin, thign, abdomen, and neck. The microscopic findings showed the epidermotropism and pautrier's micruabscess in the epidermis, and the infiltration of atypical cells in the dermis. The electron micrascopic findings showed irregular contour of the nuclear mernbrane within atypical lymphocytes. Thc lesions were gradually diminished by superficial radiation therapy.
Abdomen ; Aged ; Dermis ; Dronabinol ; Epidermis ; Groin ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; Neck ; Skin