The pinch graft is one type of skin graft and is indicated in small, chronic stubborn wounds or ulcers where cosmetic results are not paramount. It is a common procedure for the rapid healing of leg ulcers in countries where these are very common, such as in western society. However, it is an unfamiliar procedure to dermatologists in Korea where leg ulcers are quite rare. We treated a case of leg ulcer in systemic sclerosis using pinch grafts with satisfactory results. The pinch graft may be a useful treatment method for skin ulcers in dermatologic surgery under adverse conditions.
Dermatologic Surgical Procedures ; Korea ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Scleroderma, Systemic* ; Skin ; Skin Ulcer ; Transplants* ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries

Eosinophilic leukemia is a rare variant of granulocytic leukemia. It has distinct clinical features to involve central nervous system, heart, lung and skin more frequently than other leukemia and laboratory findings to reveal persistent eosinophilia with immature tendency, leukocytosis, anernia, thrombocytopenia and usually negative philadelphia chromosome in cytogenetic study. We describe a 33 year-old male patient who has suffered from generalizid weakness exertional dyspnea and has had well defined, hen eggs ized, oval shaped and non-in-durated ulcerative lesions on the right thigh since about 4 months prior to admission. The laboratory findings were persistent leukocytosis, eosinophilia and immature tendency in peripheral blood, nearly 100% cellularity and eosinophilic tendency (70%) in bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, and negative philadelphia chromosome in cytogenetic study. A biopsy specimen from ulcer margin showed relatively intact epidermis and heavy cellular infiltration composed of eosinophilic cytoplasm, dark and indented nucleus in entire dermis. Normal appearing skin also revealed same cellular infiltration in dermis with perivascular and periadnexal pattern.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Central Nervous System ; Cytogenetics ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Dyspnea ; Eggs ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Epidermis ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; Leukocytosis ; Lung ; Male ; Ovum ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Skin ; Thigh ; Thrombocytopenia ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between MR changes of the nucleus pulposus and the time interval after traumatic disc herniation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: T2-weighted MR images of 132 patients with back pain and/or sciatica were reviewed. The changes of signal intensity, central cleft and height of the nucleus pulposus were used as criteria of disc degeneration and they were graded as normal, mild, moderate and severe degrees of degeneration. Putting these criteria together we provided integrated grade of degeneration of the nucleus pulposus(grade 0-3). To get the preliminary data for normal and age-related disc degeneration, we measured the disc height by age groups and disc levels and analyzed the realtionship between the age of the patients and the signal intensity, cleft and height in normal disc levels of the 132 patients. In 68 patients of 88 levels disc herniation, we analyzed the relationship between symptom duration and the degree of degeneration. Among these 68 patients we selected 14 patients(16 levels) who were under 30 years of age and had history of recent trauma to minimize data distortion from age related degeneration and ambiguity of initiation point of degeneration. In this group we analyzed the relationship between the time period after traumatic disc herniation and the degree of degeneration. RESULTS: The age of the patient had close relationship with the grade of signal intensity, central cleft, and disc height and grade of degeneration of the nucleus pulposus in normal discs. in 88 levels of herniated discs, the duration of symptom and degree of degeneration showed moderate correlation. In 14 patients of disc herniation who were under 30 years old and had trauma history in recent 2 years, grade 1 disc degeneration occured in average 3.7 months after trauma. CONCLUSION: Although it was difficult to proceed statistical analysis in the last group because of small patients number, the degree of degeneration of nucleus pulposus had close relationship with the duration after traumas or duration of symtoms.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Sciatica

Quaternium-15 (Dowicil 200) which is a water-soluble antimicrobial agent and a formaldehyde releaser is widely being used as a preservative in cosmetics and medicaments these days. However, there are scanty reports about it in the Korean literature. Recently, we have experienced two cases of Quaternium-15 contact dermatitis probably related with their cosmetics and topical medicament, respectively. We report our cases with the patch test results.
Dermatitis, Contact* ; Formaldehyde ; Patch Tests

Formalin is a 37 5pg aqueous solution of formaldehyde gas and formaldehyde may be present in products as an active ingredient, preservative or contaminant. This contamination may be from the container, the package material or in situ formation by degradation of the formaldehyde releasers. The free formaldehyde content was determined in the 50 kinds of Korean shampoos by quantitative analysis recently described, the lutidine method, which is simple, rapid and used for colored products which cannot be analysed by the chrornotropic acid method. Formaldehyde has been found in 46 out of the 0 samples, i.e., 90g., and the concentration ranged from 0. 1 to 78. 6 pg/ml(0. 1 78. 6 ppm).
Formaldehyde*

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu disease) is a familial disease that is characterized by delicate, ectatic vessels in the skin, mucous membrane and viscera. These patients have a generalized vascular derangement including pulmonary A-V fistula and angiomatosis. Episodes of hemorrhage in cornbination with a familial history and cutaneous telangiectasia are diagnostic. We preaented a typical case of hereditary hemorrhagic telangieetasia in a 3-year-old female who had. two episodes of hemoptysis and compatible telangiectatic skin lesion. Her pulmonary and hepatic angiornas were also proved by pulmonary and aortic angiography.
Angiography ; Angiomatosis ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fistula ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic* ; Telangiectasis ; Viscera

BACKGROUND: It has been well known that patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to cutaneous infections, but whether superficial mycoses are truly more prevalent in diabetic patients is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the true prevalence of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients as comparing with non-diabetic, non-immunocompromised individuals. METHODS: We examined for evidence of superficial fungal disease in 137 diabetic patients and compared it with 146 non-diabetic non-immunocompromised ones. Potassium hydroxide preparations and fungus cultures were performed from all suspected lesions. RESULTS: Superficial mycoses were more common in diabetic patients(50%) than controls(31%) (p=0.0004), especially in the age group of 4th and 5th decades9p=0.011). The duration of diabetes mallitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of superficial mycoses.The organism most commonly isolated was Trichophyton rubrum in both groups(53% vs 79%) and Candida albicans was more prevalent in diabetic patients(34% vs 7%). More than 2 kinds of superficial mycoses were mose common in diabetic patients than controls(38% vs 16%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the prevalence rate of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients is higher than that in controls and the in controls and the duration of diabetes mellitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with it.
Blood Glucose ; Candida albicans ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fungi ; Humans ; Mycoses* ; Potassium ; Prevalence ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: The differentiation of syphilids from other skin decreases is frequently difficult due to considerable variations of clinical and histologic pattern. The most common histologic changes in secondary syphilis are swelling & proliferation of endothelial cells and the presence of a perivascular infiltrate containing plasmia cells. But often, these findings are absert or inconspicuous. OBJECTIVE: We examined the histopathologic findings of secondary syphilis in relation to the clinical types of the skin lesion. MEHTODS: 36 biopsy specimens from twenty-nine serologically and clinically confirmed cases of secondary syphilis (15 macules, 8 papules, 2 condylomata latas and 11 papulosquamous lesions) were examined. RESULTS: The histopath,ologic findings of secondary syphilis showed comparative differences according to the clinical types of the skin lesion. The plasms cell infltrates were absent or sparse in 14 csses(39%) and the plasma cell infiltration was significantly correhted with the age of skin lesions(p=0.02197). Vascular changes were seen in 32 cases (89%), but the incidence of endothelial proliferation was less(25%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the histopathologic findirigs of secondary syphilis in accordance to the clinical morphology of the eruption and thus, help to differentiate syphilids from other skin diseases.
Biopsy ; Endothelial Cells ; Incidence ; Plasma Cells ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Cutaneous*

No abstract available.
HL-60 Cells* ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Protein Kinases*

The appendiceal mucocele is very rare disease of 0.2% incidence. About 24% of patients are asymptomatic and symptomatic patients present with pain in the right lower quadrant of abdomen in 64%, plapable maas in the right lower quadrant of abdomen in 50%, and rarely, melena, hematochezia, anemia, diarrhea, malaise, and abdominal distension. The gastrointestinal bleeding may be presented in the patient with intussusception, but the massive bleeding is generally absent. We report a case of appendiceal mucocele accompanying with gastrointestinal bleeding and review of literature.
Abdomen ; Anemia ; Diarrhea ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intussusception ; Melena ; Mucocele* ; Rare Diseases