BACKGROUND: It is the Year of Rabbit in 1999 in Korea, so rabbit becomes an popular pet animal. At the same time, there seems to be an important increase in dermatophytoses in human as a result of frequent contact with rabbits in early 1999 in Taegu, Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to investigate the clinical and mycological features of rabbits and human, and their correlation. METHODS: Twenty-one cases with dermatophytoses, transmitted from infected rabbits, were evaluated from January to March, 1999. Mycological study were carried out from the lesions of rabbits and human. RESULTS: Trichophyton (T.) mentagrophytes, granulosum-asteroides form, were isolated from all the lesions of rabbits and human as an causative dermatophyte. The infected rabbits aged 8~12 weeks. The lesions showed 1.0?4.0 cm-sized, inflamed alopecia covered with whitish-gray crusts. Predominant sites were face, neck, abdomen, and legs. Human infections showed a high incidence of teens (76.2%), and female predominance (2 times), and mainly being tinea faciale and tinea corporis. The lesions were 0.5 ~ 4.0 cm-sized ring-shaped scaly patches with intense inflammation, averaging 4.5 in number per capita. The presumed incubation period was about 2 weeks. Experimental rabbit inoculation test with isolates of rabbits and human resulted in the same typical tinea lesions about 15~20 days after inoculation. It took almost 4 weeks for treatment of both rabbits and human infections. CONCLUSION: Zoophilic T. mentagrophytes, as an etiological source and/or reservoir in rabbits, can be frequently transmitted to human. In the epidemiologic respects, prevention of spread of dennatophytes from rabbits or other pet animals is the most important.
Abdomen ; Adolescent ; Alopecia ; Animals ; Arthrodermataceae ; Daegu ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Leg ; Neck ; Rabbits* ; Tinea ; Trichophyton*

Hepatoblastoma is a rare malignant liver tumor found in children. Its biological characteristics and prognostic factors have not been well known. We investigated 29 cases of hepatoblastoma, registered in university hospitals in Seoul from 1984 to 1996. By the immunohistochemical method, p53, Waf-1 (p21), bcl-2, heat shock protein 70 (hsp70), c-jun, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) expressions were studied. Those data were compared with clinico-pathologic features; age, sex, tumor size, tumor stage and histologic subtypes. Expression of p53 and bcl-2 were each observed separately in single cases. Expression of c-jun was more frequently noted in patients at higher stages. Expression of TGF-alpha decreased in the order of pure fetal, mixed, embryonal and small cell anaplastic subtypes. Cumulative survival rate was lower in females than in males and in patients with a higher tumor stage. According to histologic subtypes, survival rates decreased in the order of pure fetal, mixed, embryonal and small cell anaplastic subtypes. Survival rate was lower in patients with c-jun expression. Group of TGF-alpha labelling index under 19 showed a lower survival rate than that over 19. In conclusion, we found that tumor associated proteins, c-jun and TGF-alpha, are closely related to the prognosis of hepatoblastoma but p53 and bcl-2 may not be related to it.
Child ; Female ; Hepatoblastoma* ; Hospitals, University ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Survival Rate ; Transforming Growth Factor alpha

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a rare, chronic non-inflammatory bullous disease, which easily forms bullae by minor mechanical trauma or spontaneously, is inherited either in an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive fashion. We report herein two cases which presented with bullae, erosions and ulcers on extremities, buttock, chest, abdomen and face and loss of all nail since birth in two sisters. Bulla occured bencath the basal lamina histopathologically, anchoring fibrils were almost absent on electron miaoscopy in both cases. The two sisters represented dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa considering the absence of family history inheritcd in an autosomal dominant fashion and the clinical, histological and electronmicroscopic findings.
Abdomen ; Basement Membrane ; Buttocks ; Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Parturition ; Siblings* ; Thorax ; Ulcer

Nevus sebaceus is a common hamartoma that has a variety of appendage tumors. We report a case of nevus sebaceus with multiple appendage tumors on the scalp of a 43-year-old male. The exudative inflamed patches were admixed with darkly pigmented small nodules which had developed secondarily within a 4.0 × 1.5cm lesion 2 years previously. Histologically, on serial sectioning, there were various types of basal cell carcinoma, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, tubular apocrine adenoma and sebaceous adenoma. Some parts of a biopsy specimen, showed a tumor of the follicular infundibulum-like epidermal changes. There were also calcium depositions in the stroma and apocrine tumors, There was no relapse at 1-year follow-up after surgical treatment.
Adenoma ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Calcium ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Recurrence ; Scalp

A 28-year-old man presented with a 6.0 * 5.0 cm sized ulcer on the anterior chest and widespread copper-red colored maculopapular eruptions. There was no past or family history of syphilis sign or STS. He had been taken imposition of hands twice to treat chronic hepatitis about 4 months prior to presentation. Thereby, the ulcerative lesion on the anterior chest developed as a result of erosive trauma through contact with infected fingernails. The clinical features and serologic tests as well as biopsy findings were consistent with syphilis. Spirochetes were observed under the dark field examination of the anterior chest lesion. On Warthin-Starry staining, spirochetes were identified in the epidermal area of the papular lesion. We report a case of unusual transmission of syphilis.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Hand* ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Nails ; Serologic Tests ; Spirochaetales ; Syphilis* ; Thorax ; Ulcer

Secondary cutaneous cryptococcosis may occur earlier than other manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis. A 68-year-old woman presented with multiple ulcerative lesions on the right calf of 2 weeks duration. She had been treated with antibiotics, but the lesions spread rapidly. The initial clinical impression was necrotizing fasciitis, but routine KOH mounting from the ulcerative lesions showed numerous budding yeast cells with peripheral clear zones and further investigations including a skin biopsy, tissue cultures and India ink preparations allowed a rapid and definitive diagnosis of cutaneous cryptococcosis. Studies for other evidence of infection elsewhere revealed an asymptomatic pulmonary lesion. We report a case of secondary cutaneous cryptococcosis clinically mimicking necrotizing fasciitis that occured before other manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Cryptococcosis* ; Diagnosis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing* ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Ink ; Saccharomycetales ; Skin ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst ; Pilomatrixoma

Cutaneous metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is not unusual, occurring in 3 to 7%, although it may be overlooked. We report a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in a 74-year-old man who was presented with a 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.5 cm-sized nodule on the right zygoma for 3 months. A skin biopsy demonstrated the typical clear cell adenocarcinoma with PAS(+) granules in the cytoplasm and honeycombed or glandular configuration, compatible with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Kidney ultrasonogram and abdomina1 CT scanning showed a large cystic mass on the upper pole of the left kidney. Furthermore radiologic studies revealed multiple metastatic lesions in the lung, liver and brain. He died 4 months later.
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Skin ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Zygoma*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide immunohistochemical evidence of micrometastasis in patients with node-negative Dukes' B colorectal cancer and to evaluate the clinical implications, including prognostic significance, of lymphatic metastasis. METHODS: A retrospective study of 90 patients who underwent a curative operation due to colorectal neoplasms from 1996 to 2001 was performed. Two consecutive sections of lymph nodes were prepared: one for ordinary hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the other for immunohistochemistry with pancytokeratine antibody. All clinical factors, including survival rate, were compared between patients with and without lymph-node metastasis. The mean follow- up period was 36.1 months. RESULTS: Micrometastasis was confirmed in 115 nodes (7.9%) from 32 patients (35.6%). No correlations were observed between micrometastases and prognostic factors, including survival rate, except for lymphatic invasion and postoperative TNM staging. Twenty-six of the 32 (81.3%) patients with micrometastases belonged to stage T3N0M0 (P<0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The immunohistochemical assay may be a useful way to identify micrometastasis in patients with Dukes' B colorectal neoplasms, but we were not able to demonstrate the prognostic significance of micrometastasis.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis* ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

A newly developed third generation enzyme immunoassay(Lucky HCD 3.0 EIA) for hepatitis C virus(HCV) antibodies was added with the envelope(E1E2)/NS4 fusion proteins and expanded NS5 proteins as well as the core/NS3 fusion proteins. Authors evaluated the HCD 3.0 EIA with the previously available second generation EIA(HCD 2.0) in 10,435 Red Cross blood donors. Among 10,435 donors who were screened for the presence of HCV antibodies by HCD 2.0 assay, 22(0.21%) sera were repeatedly reactive. All of these sera were tested for further testing. Only 13 of all tested sera were reactive by HCD 3.0 EIA, and nine sera were not reactive. Nine of 13 HCD 3.0 positive sera were reactive by recombinant immunoblot assay(Lucky-Confirm). Also seven of these 13 sera had detectable HCV genomic RNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). None of nine HCD 3.0 negative samples had detectable immunoblot assay and HCV genomic RNA. It is concluded that the new HCV EIA can decrease a significant false positivity of second generation EIA in a blood donor population. This new assay correlates well with detection of HCV-RNA by RT-PCR and identifies donors who are truly infected.
Antibodies ; Blood Donors* ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; Humans ; Immunoblotting* ; Red Cross ; RNA ; Tissue Donors