BACKGROUND: The confgurations of the skin surface, as characterized by surface furrows and plateaux, are known to change with ageing. There are many parameters to analyze the effects of ageing processes on the surface configuration. However, there are contradictory results among the authors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity of various parameters being described in other reports with our new parameters used in evaluating the changes of the skin surface in the agein processes. METHODS: 112 healthy Korean males in 4 age groups participated in this study. Silicon skin replicas were taken from medial and lateral aspects of the forearm. Images of the skin replicas were analyzed by means of a digital image processing system (AIC, GA). Most parameters were calculated and measured in the primary skin axis. Image analyses were porformed by 3 different processes i.e., morphometry, densitometry (optical profilometry), and histograms. RESULTS: In Morphometry, the furrow count in the vertical section (VFC), the coefficient of the developed skin surface (CDSS) and mean width at maximal interception (MWMI) showed a tendencies to decrease with ageing.Irregularity of shadow shape (ISS) showed a tendency to increase with ageing. In Densitometry, the mean surface roughness(Ra) and mean depth of roughness(Rz) showed a tendency to increase with ageing. On histogram analysis, skewness was decreased with ageing but kurtosis did not show any significant changes. CONCLUSION:Ra, Rz, and ISS have shown a tendency to increase in the ageing processes (p<0. 05). VFC, CDSS, MWMI and skewness showed tendencies to decrease with ageing but the results were not statistically significant. The different results between morphometry and densitometry are likely to be due to increrr ent angles in the skin furrows with ageing.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Densitometry ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Silicones ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: With the development of medical science and technology, the proprotion of the aged has been significantly increasecl. Therefore it needs to be studied the fuadamental epidemiologic survey of dermatologic diseases and akin care in the elderly. OBJECT: Our purpose was to provide clinically relevant data regaring both dermatologic diseases and skin care in the aged population. MEHTODS: Total 172 volunteers aged 51 to 90 were enrolled in a study of 32-item questionnaire and total cutaneous examination. RESULTS: The sex ratio of male to female of 172 elderly volunteers as 1:1.4 and population of 7th and 8th decades occupied 76.5% with their mean age 74.4. The dermatologic findings which showed higher incidence in this study were seborrheic keratosis, senile lentigines, xerosis, cherry angioma, and generalized pruritus. Through the interviews of 172 elderly, the mot fequent dermatologic complaint was generalized pruritus. As the mean age of the population increasec, the number of the population showing xerosis and complaing of pruritus was elevated(r=0.976. 0.917 respectively). And there was a significant stastical correlation between the finding of xerosis and the the presence of pruritus(P<0.005). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that dermatologic problems in the elilerly are very common ancl further dermatologic studies including substantial medical care will be needed.
Aged ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Lentigo ; Male ; Prunus ; Pruritus ; Sex Ratio ; Skin Care* ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin* ; Volunteers

Recurrent infantile digital fibroma is a peculiar fibrous tumiir that may be single or multiple on fingers and toes of infants and children. We report a 5-year-old gril with recurrent infantile digital fiber oma which was recurrent on the left 5th toe. The lesion had noted at the age of 6 months. and was excised surgically when the child was 3 year old. 2 years after operation, the lesion was recurred in operation site. Microscopically, nodular fibrous mass is attached to flattened,pidermis. The underlying nodule is composed of proliferating fibroblasts surrounded by derse collagenous tissue. We could find eosinophilic inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of fibro ilast. It was stained pink with H&E, bright red with Massons trichrome and purple with PTAH.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Fibroblasts ; Fibroma* ; Fingers ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Infant ; Toes

Background: If phototoxic:ity can be predetermined in vitro, the information will aid in prognosticating whether or not caimpounds have a photosensitizing pczrlial. OBJECTIVE: For the evaluation of the phototoxic potentials of reral drugs, we performed the Candida albicans test and the photohemolysis test. METHODS: The Candida altiicans test is based on growth inhibtion of Candida albicans after application of the drug and ultraviolet light A( UVA ) irradiatior and the photohemolysis test is based on hemolysis of red blood cells caused by irradiation ir the presence of photosensitizing compounds. In the Candida albicans test, clear zones around the drug patches were evaluated, which means positive results for the phototoxic potential of the drugs. In the photohemolysis test, the amounts of hemolysis were evaluated by measuring the relar absorbance at 540nm using a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: In the Candida albicans test, ibuprofen, naldix acid, chlorpromazine and thiodiphenylamine showed positive results, whereas others did not the photohemolysis test, griseofulvin, ibuprofen and nalicdixic acid showed increased amounts hemolysis at UVA and ultraviolet light B(UVB) irracliation, and chlorpromazine, thiodiphenylaiair, chlorothiazide and piroxicam showed increased amounts of hemolysis at UVA irradiation only. CONCLUSION: The results showed that both methods were goodness screening tests for demonstrating the phototoxicity of therapeutic drugs.
Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Chlorothiazide ; Chlorpromazine ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic* ; Erythrocytes ; Griseofulvin ; Hemolysis ; Ibuprofen ; Mass Screening ; Piroxicam ; Ultraviolet Rays

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy(RSD) defines as a chronic pain syndrome with sympathetic manifestations that afflicts individuals who haute suffered a trauma to the hand. Persistent pain and dysfunctions of the hand are frequently overlooked by the surgeons. The exact pathophysiology of RSD is not known but severity of injury and prolonged immobilization of the joints are considered as resonable causes on the retrospective studies. The diagnosis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is based on clinical manifestations, simple X-ray and three-phase bone scan. Confirmative diagnosis absolutely depends on the presence of a diffusely abnormal pattern of uptake in phase III in a patient haying pain with underlying cause and strong clinical signs of sympathetic overactivities. As with most disease processes, early diagnosis and treatment is a goal of management of RSD. Surgical restoration of anatomical structures such as tendon, nerve and joint goes ahead of any kind of procedures and it made the VAS pain score decrease from 7.8 to 3.4 in 16 patients. Also, decrease of pain could be achievable with sympathetic or stellate ganglion block with steroid medication. Active physical therapy after surgery is also verb helpful to functional recovery of the hands. Once the appropriate diagnosis is made, combined therapy composed of surgical restoration of anatomical structure, physiotherapy and steroid medication with sympathetic block will be free from pain and produce early functional recovery.
Chronic Pain ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Hand Injuries* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Joints ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tendons

No abstract available.
Mammography*

Glutaraldehyde is commonly used as a biocide to disinfect delicate instruments such as dental instruments, to treat warts, hyperhidrosis and bullous diseases and as a preservative in various materials. Contact sensitivity to glutaraldehyde may not be detected, because it is not included in the standard screening chemicals recommended in the screening tests. We report a case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by Wydex(2% glutaraldehyde). A 54-year-old female made a visit to our departrnent with eczematous dermatitis of both hands, neck and face. She worked as a cleaner in delivery room and newborn nursery, and had developed the dermatitis 1 month after Wydex' containing 2% glutaraldehyde had been to clean the rooms. She had no family or personal history of atopy or contact dermatitis. Patch tests with Korean Standard(KS-1000) and Wydex were performed, and patch tests with 2% glutaraldehyde, 0.2% gluteraldehyde and rubber mix followed. The positive results were, Wydex 2% ++, 0.2% +, 0.02% + and. glutaraldehyde 2% aq. +, 0.2% aq. + on day 2 and day 4. We confirmed that the skin lesions had been caused by Wydex . The symptoms were eradicated after she changed her work environment and there has been no evidence of recurrence.
Delivery Rooms ; Dental Instruments ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Eczema ; Female ; Glutaral* ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Nurseries ; Patch Tests ; Recurrence ; Rubber ; Skin ; Warts

A 6-year-old girl visited us with a 4-week history of inflammatory, pustular, tender patches and plaques on the scalp, and a 3-day history of multiple, erythematous, indurated, tender, subcutaneous nodules on both pretibial areas. A swab was taken from the scalp lesion and colonies of Tiichophyton mentagrophytes grew on culture. The histopathological findings of the leg nodule were consistent with erythema nodosum. The patient was treated with oral itraconazole and deflazacort, combined with topical potassium permanganate solution. Erythema nodosum regressed two weeks later and the kerion of the scalp regressed six weeks after starting the treatment, leaving residual scarring alopecia. The patient was diagnosed as erythema nodosum probably induced by kerion celsi, that has not been reported in the Korean literature.
Alopecia ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Erythema Nodosum* ; Erythema* ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Leg ; Potassium Permanganate ; Scalp ; Tinea Capitis*

A 12-year-old girl presented with a 1-week duration of hair loss associated with splitting of the hair ends and whitish dots on the occipital hairs. On microscopic examination, a longitudinal splitting of the hair shaft with reconstitution of the normal hair distal to the fracture, nodular swellings, with the appearance of broomsticks pushed into one another, at the site of whitish swellings, and the flattening and twisting of the hair shaft around the long axis were demonstrated. Minor trauma to injury-prone hair is a common cause of hair shaft defects, however the reports with the combined conditions are insufficient in the literature. We describe a patient with central trichoptilosis associated with localized trichorrhexis nodosa and pili torti.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Child ; Female ; Hair ; Humans

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephropathy was induced in a group of Sprague-Dawley rat by a single dose of intraperitoneal injection to study an ultrastructural alteration of glomerular anionic sites by stain with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a cationic probe and to examine whether proliferation of podocytes occur by immunohistochemical stain for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The experimental rats developed proteinuria three days after PAN injection. Electron microscopic studies of glomeruli showed the loss of epithelial foot processes, formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles, microvillous formation and increased numbers of lyso- somes in the cytoplasm of podocytes. PEI method seems to selectively stain heparan sulfate proteogly-can in basement membrane and has been widely used to evaluate the changes of basement membrane in human disease as well as in experimental work. The anionic sites on the basement membrane with foot process fusion were mostly indistinguishable from those seen in control rats, but focal areas of loss or disarray of anionic sites were noted. The anionic sites were not seen on the basement membrane where the overlying epithelium was detached. It is strongly suggested that proteinuria in PAN nephrosis may be primarily due to a glomerular epithelial lesion, leading to focal disarray of anionic sites or focal defects in the epithelial covering of the basement membrane. The loss of anionic s'ites in the basement mernbrane may be resulted partially from the foot process fusion and mostly from the epithelial detachment. The increased numbers of PCNA positive cells after the injection of PAN is suggestive of possibility of podocytic proliferation or regeneration.
Animals ; Basement Membrane* ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Foot ; Heparitin Sulfate ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Nephrosis ; Podocytes ; Polyethyleneimine ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Proteinuria ; Puromycin Aminonucleoside* ; Puromycin* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Vacuoles