Background: Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) is a rare disease that causes irreversible destruction of hair follicles and affects the quality of life (QOL). Objective: We aimed to investigate the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, and real-world diagnosis and treatment status of patients with PCA. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was administered to patients with PCA and their dermatologists. Patients aged between 19 and 75 years who visited one of 27 dermatology departments between September 2021 and September 2022 were included. Results: In total, 274 patients were included. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.47, with a mean age of 45.7 years. Patients with neutrophilic and mixed PCA were predominantly male and younger than those with lymphocytic PCA. Among patients with lymphocytic PCA, lichen planopilaris was the most common type, and among those with neutrophilic PCA, folliculitis decalvans was the most common type. Among the total patients, 28.8% were previously diagnosed with PCA, 47.0% were diagnosed with PCA at least 6 months after their first hospital visit, 20.0% received early treatment within 3 months of disease onset, and 54.4% received steady treatment. More than half of the patients had a moderate to severe impairment in QOL. Topical/intralesional steroid injections were the most common treatment. Systemic immunosuppressants were frequently prescribed to patients with lymphocytic PCA, and antibiotics were mostly prescribed to patients with neutrophilic PCA. Conclusion This study provides information on the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, diagnosis, and treatment status of Korean patients with PCA. This can help dermatologists educate patients with PCA to understand the necessity for early diagnosis and steady treatment.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of MSH6 and PMS2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a screening method for Lynch syndrome in endometrial cancer patients. Methods: Through multidisciplinary discussions, an institutional MSH6 and PMS2 IHC-initiated cascade test (MSH6, PMS2 IHC→microsatellite instability [MSI] assay→germline mismatch repair [MMR] gene sequencing) was developed to screen for Lynch syndrome in endometrial cancer patients. Testing was performed on a consecutive cohort of 218 newly diagnosed endometrial cancer patients who underwent surgery at a tertiary hospital in the Republic of Korea between August 2018 and December 2020. The number of MMR deficiencies (MSH6 or PMS2 loss in IHC) and results of subsequent tests (MSI assay and germline MMR gene sequencing) were examined. Results: MMR deficiency was detected in 52 of the 218 patients (24.0%). Among these 52 patients, 34 (65.0%) underwent MSI testing, of which 31 (91.0%) exhibited high MSI. Of the 31 patients with MSI-high status, 15 (48.0%) underwent germline MMR gene sequencing. Subsequently, Lynch syndrome was diagnosed in five patients (33.0%). Conclusion Lynch syndrome screening using MSH6 and PMS2 IHC-initiated cascade testing is a viable strategy in the management of endometrial cancer. A simplified strategy (MSH6 and PMS2 IHC→germline MMR gene sequencing) was proposed because most women with MMR deficiencies exhibited high MSI.

Background: Dermatophyte infection is one of the most common skin diseases affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Despite widespread recognition of the disease, missing details and misperceptions are commonplace in the general population. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the public perception and behavior regarding dermatophytosis of the hands and feet. Methods: This results from an online survey conducted between July 2022 and August 2022. The survey included 1,000 Korean participants aged 20 to 69 years, of whom 60% experienced symptoms of tinea pedis or onychomycosis. The questionnaire focused on the awareness and personal experience of tinea pedis and perception of the treatment of dermatophytosis. Results: Of the 1,000 participants, nearly 80% regarded tinea pedis as a common skin condition by which anyone can be affected. Furthermore, 88.4% had heard that the treatment of tinea pedis could be harmful, causing skin rash (60.4%) and worsening liver function (48.5%). Among 896 participants who noticed suspicious symptoms, 81.2% did not visit the clinic because it was not severe (50.1%) and seemed easily manageable (25.7%). Of the respondents, 84.4% preferred to meet dermatologists rather than non-dermatologist doctors regarding skin diseases, mainly because of trust in experts and belief in a faster cure. Conclusion Providing accurate and detailed information via online media, educational campaigns, and medical papers can rectify misconceptions and improve patient appliance, contributing to public skin health.

Objectives: . Inferior turbinate (IT) hypertrophy is the main cause of chronic nasal obstruction. We developed a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation device to treat patients with IT hypertrophy. Methods: . First, computed tomography images of patients with no evidence of sinonasal disease were evaluated to measure and compare the IT, medial mucosal thickness (MT), and space between the nasal septum and IT according to clinical characteristics such as septal deviation. A HIFU prototype was developed based on the above human anatomical studies. The experimental study was performed in five pigs; the nasal volume and histological changes at 1 and 4 weeks postoperatively were evaluated to compare the efficacy of HIFU turbinoplasty with that of radiofrequency turbinoplasty and a control group. Results: . The mean medial MT of the anterior, middle, and posterior portions of the IT were 4.66±1.14, 4.23±0.97, and 6.17±1.29 mm, respectively. The mean medial space was 2.65±0.79 mm. The diameter and focal depth of the prototype were 4 mm and 3 mm, respectively. HIFU showed no postoperative complications, including bleeding or scar formation. After HIFU treatment, the nasal volume increased by 196.62 mm3 (7.8%) and 193.74 mm3 (8.3%) at 1 week and 4 weeks, compared with the increase of 87.20 mm3 (3.1%) and 213.81 mm3 (9.0%), respectively,after radiofrequency therapy. A qualitative histological analysis after radiofrequency turbinoplasty showed epithelial layer disruption at 1 week and increased fibrosis, along with decreased glandular structure, at 4 weeks. The HIFU group had an intact epithelial layer at 1 week postoperatively. However, significant differences were observed at 4 weeks, including increased fibrosis and decreased glandular structure. Conclusion . The efficacy and safety of HIFU turbinoplasty were demonstrated in an animal study. Our results warrant further human clinical trials.

Background: Pediatric alopecia areata (AA) can affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their family members. Research on the QoL and burden on family members in pediatric AA is limited. Objective: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study described the QoL and burden of the family members of patients with pediatric AA. Methods: This nationwide multicenter questionnaire study enrolled AA patients between the ages of 5 and 18 years from March 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018. Enrolled patients and their parents completed the modified Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the modified Dermatitis Family Impact (mDFI). The disease severity was measured using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) survey scores. Results: A total of 268 patients with AA from 22 hospitals participated in this study. Our study found that the efficacy and satisfaction of previous treatments of AA decreased as the severity of the disease increased. The use of home-based therapies and traditional medicines increased with the increasing severity of the disease, but the efficacy felt by patients was limited. CDLQI and mDFI scores were higher in patients with extensive AA than those with mild to moderate AA. The economic and time burden of the family members also increased as the severity of the disease increased. Conclusion The severity of the AA is indirectly proportional to the QoL of patients and their family members and directly proportional to the burden. Physicians need to understand these characteristics of pediatric AA and provide appropriate intervention to patients and their family members.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease showing recurrent painful nodules and abscesses. Many treatment modalities, such as topical antibiotics, systemic antibiotics, retinoids, immunomodulators, biologics, and surgical treatment are used to treat the disease, but there is no single effective treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to compare the clinical outcomes of treatment with systemic antibiotics and systemic retinoids. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical features, treatment modalities, and clinical outcomes of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and compared the clinical outcomes of treatment modalities. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients were enrolled. Male patients were predominant, and the mean age was 28.1 years. Buttock (42.0%) was the most commonly affected site and 63 patients (81.8%) had lesions at Hurley stage I. Forty-eight patients (62.3%) were treated with systemic antibiotics and 29 (37.7%) with systemic retinoid. Seventy-one patients (92.2%) showed improvement after a mean treatment duration of 8.3 weeks, and 69 (89.6%) experienced recurrence after improvement. Systemic antibiotics showed a relatively high improvement rate, short mean treatment duration, and low recurrence rate compared with systemic retinoids, but the differences were not statistically significant. Among systemic antibiotics, both tetracycline and macrolide showed good therapeutic effects for HS, but the differences were also not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In this study, systemic antibiotics were associated with superior treatment outcomes compared to systemic retinoids, though without statistical significance. In the case of mild lesions, treatment with systemic retinoids appears to show comparable effectiveness to systemic antibiotics.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Biological Products ; Buttocks ; Hidradenitis Suppurativa* ; Hidradenitis* ; Humans ; Immunologic Factors ; Isotretinoin ; Male ; Recurrence ; Retinoids* ; Skin Diseases ; Tetracycline ; Therapeutic Uses

Estrogens are commonly used in gynecologic area, such as oral contraception, hormone replacement therapy, and in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Although estrogen is a common cause of acute drug-induced pancreatitis, there has been paucity of report in Korea. Clinical course of estrogen-induced acute pancreatitis is usually mild to moderate, but fetal case can occur. In addition, there can be a latency from the first administration to the symptom. Therefore, physicians should consider the possibility of the disease when a woman taking estrogen or previous history of taking estrogen presents with acute abdominal pain. Here, we report a case of estrogen-induced acute pancreatitis that occurred during the preparation for embryo transfer.
Abdominal Pain ; Contraception ; Embryo Transfer ; Estrogens ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Korea ; Pancreatitis*

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a retrospective data analysis to review the results of robot-assisted arm rehabilitation in post stroke patients during past 2 years and find out positive influences of the outcomes. METHOD: We measured improvements of arm function longitudinally in a group of sixty-four stroke patients, who participated in the robot-assisted arm therapy from January 2012 to December 2013. Treatment session lasted 30 to 40 minutes, 2 to 5 times a week. For at least more than one month, we used the InMotion2.0 (Interactive Motion Technologies, Watertown, MA, USA) and measured outcomes with the Fugl-Meyer assessment-upper extremity (FMA-UE), Korea-modified Barthel index (K-MBI) and InMotion robot arm evaluation index. Also, analysis on the subgroup was carried out. RESULTS: Following the robot-assisted arm rehabilitation, FMA-UE, K-MBI and InMotion robot arm evaluation index were significantly improved compared to baseline. Mean FMA-UE and K-MBI gain were 4.22 +/- 0.76, 7.63 +/- 1.18 in each. However, in the subgroup analysis, the group with less intensity treatment (640 repetition) did not show any significant improvement. CONCLUSION: This is an observational study showing improvements in arm function following robot-assisted arm rehabilitation compared to baseline, which was significant only in the subgroup who received the intervention longer and more intensity.
Arm* ; Extremities ; Humans ; Observational Study ; Rehabilitation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics as Topic ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity

Here, we report a case of Cowden syndrome with an unusual clinical course of late-onset oral papillomatosis and a novel germline PTEN mutation. Cowden syndrome is the most common phosphatase and tensin homolog hamartomatous tumor syndrome. It is characterized by multiple hamartomas in the gastrointestinal tract and mucocutaneous lesions such as trichilemmomas, oral papillomatosis, facial papules, and acral keratoses. Patients with Cowden syndrome have a higher risk of malignancies, especially breast, colon, and thyroid cancers. A 53-year-old female presented with cobblestone-like papillomatous papules on the lower gums that developed 1 year earlier. She had no other mucocutaneous lesions besides oral papillomatosis. Gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy revealed multiple hamartomas in the stomach and colon. The patient had a history of breast cancer and multinodular goiter diagnosed 4 and 5 years ago, respectively. She was diagnosed with Cowden syndrome and a novel PTEN mutation was confirmed by direct sequencing.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Gingiva ; Goiter ; Hamartoma ; Hamartoma Syndrome, Multiple* ; Humans ; Keratosis ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a common dermatologic disease that can largely affect psychosocial aspects of the patient. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to survey the perception of acne vulgaris, including the cause of acne vulgaris, and patient attitude towards the disease, as well as preference for treatment methods in Busan. METHODS: A total of 170 patients with acne vulgaris, seeking treatment at 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-grade hospitals in Busan, were surveyed by questionnaire. Patient informed consent was obtained. RESULTS: With regards to the cause of acne, increased sebum secretion was the most selected answer, followed by stress and eating habits. Most of the patients believed that all of the acne treatment modalities were effective; however, negative recognition about the safety and durability of each treatment was also reported by a majority of the patients. Acne extraction and laser therapy were the most preferred treatment methods, and the most important reason to choose the treatment method was effectiveness. CONCLUSION: In this study, we could recognize a patients' overall perception about acne vulgaris. It is suggested that dermatologists should try not only to help patients gain a better understanding about acne but also to cope with their demands.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Busan ; Eating ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Laser Therapy ; Sebum ; Surveys and Questionnaires