No abstract available.
Osteoma*

We report a case of malignant histiocytosis which began with intermittent fever and scaly skin lesions. A 3-year-old girl presented with erythematous scaly papules on the face and the trunk, and high fever for 3 months. The cutaneous lesions consisted of widespread coin-sized erythematous scaly papules with marginal brownish pigmentation. She was anemic and thrombocytopenic and had impairment of the liver function. Histopathologic study of the skin lesions showed non-specfic findings except for hyperkeratosis. However, bone marrow examination revealed an increased number of histiocytes, mostly immature with active phagocytosis of erythroid cells, myeloid cells, and platelets. She was diagnosed as having malignant histiocytosis and treated with cyclophosphamide and vincristine. She died the next day after the treatment had begun.
Bone Marrow Examination ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; Erythroid Cells ; Female ; Fever* ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Liver ; Myeloid Cells ; Phagocytosis ; Pigmentation ; Skin* ; Vincristine

No abstract available.
Erythema* ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Juvenile*

The allopurinol hypersensicivity syndrome is a rare, but life thereaning immunologic reaction of allopurinol therapy, characterized by multiple abnormalities such as fever, rash, decreased renal function, hepatocellular injury, leukocytosis, and eosinophila. It may require prolonged hospitalization and occasionally involves residual morbidity. Three patients developed erythematous skin eruption three to five weeks after beginning therapy with allopurinol. The clinical, laboratory, and histologic findings of these patients were compatible with a allopurinol hyperensitivity syndrome.
Abnormalities, Multiple ; Allopurinol* ; Exanthema ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Leukocytosis ; Skin

Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor widely used to control plasma uric acid levels. Serious and life threatening adverse effects such as the allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome(AHS) are rare. We describe a 32-year-old female patient who was treated with allopurinol and developed fever, rash, and renal and liver dysfunction.
Adult ; Allopurinol* ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Liver Diseases ; Plasma ; Uric Acid ; Xanthine Oxidase

BACKGROUND: The severity of several chronic inflammatory diseases was reported to be associated with polymorphism of the IL-1 receptor antagonist gene(IL-lrn). OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to study the polymorphism of the IL-1rn in vitiligo and in the normal Korean population. METHODS: Thirty one cases of vitiligo and seventy nine normal Koreans as control were studied for the polymorphism of IL-1 rn. RESULTS: The frequency of allele 2 of the IL- I rn in 31 patients with vitiligo was compared with that of the 79 healthy controls. The frequency of allele 2 was 1.6% in vitiligo patients and 3.8% in the normal controls. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the frequency of allele 2 between the vitiligo patients and normal controls.
Alleles ; Humans ; Interleukin-1* ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: House dust mites have been reported to play an aportant role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis(AD). In fact a high positive rate for house dust mites in the skin prick test was observed in patients of AD. However, it is quite difficult to determine the clinical relevance of positive immediate hypersensitivity to mite antigen by clarical history alone because AD patients are nearly always exposed to these antigens in their daily lives. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical. singficance of a positive immediate hypersensitivity reaction by observing the proliferative respons of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) to mite antigen in the AD. METHODS: The proliferative response of PBMC separated from Dermatopkagoides farinae(Df) positive AD patients to Df antigen was compared with that from Df negative normal controls, Df positive normal controls and Df negative AD patients. RESULTS: PBMC from Df positive AD patients showed signinc not proliferation in response to Df antigen evaluated by comparing stimulation indices(SI) among different experiment groups. CONCLUSION: Significant correlation between responses of PBMC and immediate hypersensitivity of skin to Df antigen in AD was found, and it was suggested the Df may be a real aggravating factor in the Df positiv AD patients. SI may be used as ar objective criteria to select patients for hyposensitization therapy after doing a skin test.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate* ; Mites* ; Pyroglyphidae ; Skin Tests ; Skin*

Ramsay Hunt syndrome or herpes zoster oticus is a viral disease associated with otalgia, vesicular eruption, facial paralysis, hearing disturbance, tinnitus, vertigo and other symptoms. Rarely it can be associated with involvement of IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII cranial nerves, cervical plexus, and diffuse encephalitis. We report a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with vocal cord paralysis which developed prior to facial nerve paralysis.
Cervical Plexus ; Cranial Nerves ; Earache ; Encephalitis ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis ; Hearing ; Herpes Zoster Oticus* ; Paralysis ; Tinnitus ; Vertigo ; Virus Diseases ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords*

BACKGROUND: Thymopentin(TP-5) is an immunomodulatory agent which may be a promising new drug in the treatment of patients with severe atopic dermatitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of thymopentin for treatment of severe atopic dermatitis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifteen patients with severe atopic dermatitis received subcutaneous injections of 50mg thymopentin three times per week for 6 weeks. Clinical extent and severity parameters were assessed at baseline, at regular intervals during therapy and 4 weeks posttherapy. Use of antihistamine and topical steroid were permitted. RESULT: Significant reduction in severity scores and body surface area involvement was observed and no significant side effects were noted(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Thymopentin may be considered to be an effective adjunctive therapeutic agent in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis. Further studies will be needed to determine the action mechanism of thymopentin.
Body Surface Area ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Thymopentin*

We report a case of 4-year-old girl with erythematous papule and nodule on the right knee and left knee, respectively. Histopathologically, the findings of walls of the each cystic lesions were those of the epidermal cyst containing hair shafts of lanugo size on the right knee and the trichilemmal cyst on the left knee. The observation of hair shafts in a cystic cavity represents an important clue for identifying some unusual varieties of cystic lesions. We report a interesting case of epidermal cyst containing hair shafts and trichilemmal cyst simultaneously and independently occurred on the right knee and left knee, respectively.
Child, Preschool ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Female ; Hair* ; Humans ; Knee*