According to photothermolysis, the FPDL(flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser) treatment theoretically causes no epidermal damage, however, we have observed blister, crust and scars in clinical experiences, and we have also found that FPDL has limited effect on adults, specially, thick-skinned Asian people with rich melanin pigment. In order to explain these effects, we took biopsies and made a histologic observation and analyzed the results statistically. The biopsies were taken from 15 patients who received first treatment and stained with H&E and NBTC(nitroblue tetrazolium chloride). We measured epidermal melanin content, epidermal damage, vessel wall coagulation depth, RBC coagulation depth, mean vessel diameter and evaluated clinical results at post-treatment 6 weeks. The vessel diameter and darkness of lesion color were increased with ages. Complete vessel coagulation was restricted to small vessels. With increasing epidermal melanin content, epidermal damage increased accordingly. The clinincal results were enhanced with increasing coagulation depth of vessel walls, and deteriorated with increasing epidermal melanin content. The clinical result was not significantly correlated with RBC-coagulation depth or energy used. We observed that melanin pigments have an adverse effect on clinical results. The FPDL treatment can be a choice of treatment to children with light colored lesion, but has a limitation to Asian adults with rich melanin pigment. Therefore, repetitive treatment is necessary for improvement of clinical results.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biopsy ; Blister ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Darkness ; Humans ; Lasers, Dye* ; Melanins

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M*

No abstract available.
Neck*

The computed tomographic(CT) findings of fourteen patients with inflammatory disease and 28 with neoplasm who had an abnormal colonic wall thickening, were retrospectively studied to establish CT criteria for each disorder in differentiating inflammatory from neoplastic lesions. According to homogeneity, density and contour of mural thickening and pericolic inflammatory change in enhanced CT scans, we classified colonic wall abnormalities into 6 patterns: I) multilayering with inner and outer hyper- and middle hypodensities, II) homogeneously hyperdense with pericolic inflammatory change, III) heterogeneously hyperdense with pericolic inflammatory change, IV) homogeneously heperdense with lobulated contour, V) heterogeneously hypodense with lobulated contour and VI) heterogeneously mixed densities with irregular lobulated contour. Type I, II and III were distinctively identified in inflammatory disease, type IV, V in neoplasm, and type VI in boty diseases. We conclude that enhanced CT could be helpful in the initial diagnosis and/or suggestion of abnormal colonic wall disease and differentiation of inflammatory from neoplastic diseases.
Colon* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We introduce a new silicone implanting method to correct facial depression caused by trauma or congenital anomaly. It resulted in good facial aesthetics in patients with facial depression. From August 1997 to January 1999, 5 patient (3 males and 2 females), in ages from 19 to 34 years, underwent silicone implantation for facial depression using our method. Three males were injured by traffic accident and had facial depression with or without bone defect. Two females had congenital forhead depression and requested aesthetic contouring. An impression of the face was taken with alginate backed with quick setting plaster. When set, a further stone plaster model was taken from the alginate-plaster, which was removed after fixation. Wax was then carved into the patient's stone model to fill the depression. Another stone cover was taken to cover this was-stone model. Then wax was melted away and medical implant grade room temperature vulcanized silicone adhesive was squeezed into the empty space. After cured, this precisely-shaped silicone imlant was inserted into the patient. We did not experience major complicaion such as infection, implant extrusion during 4 to 18 months' follow-up periods. All patients were satisfied with the results. The clinical result of this technique would be useful for accurate and excellent aesthetic implantation.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adhesives ; Depression* ; Esthetics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Silicones*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare CO2 DSA and nonionic contrast media angiography in respect to the quality of the opacification of collaterals and incidence of side-effects in peripheral occlusive arterial disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients who were suspected to have peripheral occlusive arterial disease were performed angiography with nonionic contrast media and CO2 at the same location with the same catheter. The causes of the lesions were atherosclerosis(n=7) and Buerger's disease(n:9). CO2 DSA was compared with nonionic contrast media angiography in respect to the quality of image in the diagnosis of the lesions, opacifications of collaterals and side-effects. RESULTS: In atherosclerosis;quality of the images of CO2 DSA was same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 6 patients and was poor in 1 patient;opacifications of collaterals of CO2 DSA were same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 5 patients and was poor in 2 patients. In Buerger's disease;quality of the images of CO2 DSA was same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 2 patients and was poor in 7 patients;opacifications of collaterals of CO2 DSA were same as that of nonionic contrast media angiography in 1 patient and was poor in 8 patients. Leg pain was the only side-effect after CO2 injection occuring in 4 out of 16 patients. CONCLUSION: CO2 could be used as safe contrast media in patient with risk factors for nonionic contrast media and for diagnosis of the atherosclerosis in lower extremity. For the procedures such as vascular intervention reguiring large amount of contrast media CO2 could effectively replace nonionic contrast media.
Angiography* ; Atherosclerosis ; Catheters ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Lower Extremity* ; Risk Factors

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common autosomal dominant disorders in humans. NF1 is caused by mutations in the NF1 gene which consists of 57 exons and encodes a GTPase activating protein (GAP), neurofibromin. To date, more than 640 different NF1 mutations have been identified and registered in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). In order to assess the NF1 mutational spectrum in Korean NF1 patients, we screened 23 unrelated Korean NF1 patients for mutations in the coding region and splice sites of the NF1 gene. We have identified 21 distinct NF1 mutations in 22 patients. The mutations included 10 single base substitutions (3 missense and 7 nonsense), 10 splice site mutations, and 1 single base deletion. Eight mutations have been previously identified and thirteen mutations were novel. The mutations are evenly distributed across exon 3 through intron 47 of the NF1 gene and no mutational hot spots were found. This analysis revealed a wide spectrum of NF1 mutations in Korean patients. A genotype- phenotype correlation analysis suggests that there is no clear relationship between specific NF1 mutations and clinical features of the disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA/chemistry/genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; *Mutation ; Neurofibromatosis 1/*genetics/pathology ; Neurofibromin 1/*genetics ; Phenotype ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most commonly inherited autosomal dominant disorders. In order to determine whether genomic alterations and/or chromosomal aberrations involved in the malignant progression of NF1 were present in a Korean patient with NF1, molecular and cytogenetic analyses were performed on the pathologically normal, benign, and malignant tissues and primary cells cultured from those tissues of the patient. The comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) array revealed a Y chromosome loss in the malignant peripheral nerve sheet tumor (MPNST) tissue. G-banding analysis of 50 metaphase cells showed normal chromosomal patterns in the histopathologically normal and benign cultured cells, but a mosaic Y chromosome loss in the malignant cells. The final karyotype for the malignant cells from MPNST tissue was 45,X,-Y[28]/46,XY[22]. The data suggest that the somatic Y chromosome loss may be involved in the transformation of benign tumors to MPNSTs.
Chromosomes, Human, Y/*genetics ; Humans ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms/*genetics ; Neurofibromatosis 1/*genetics ; Young Adult