The hair growth of the scalp is influenced by many systemic and local factors. So the study of standard hair growth rate is very important for the diagnosis and treatment of some pathological conditions. That study has not been done well in Korea. The present study was to establish the standard hair growth rate of the scalp of healthy Koreans at different ages. The investigations were carried out on 509 individuals of both sexes whose ages ranged between 2 and 69 years. The subjects were grouped according to 5 age periods. The results of this study were as follows: 1. The mean value of the daily scalp hair growth rate was 0.401+ 0.037mm. 2. The daily hair growth rate of each groups were as follows: under 10 years of age; 0.367+0.032mm, in the teenagers; 0.419,+0. 032mm, in the twenties0.398+0.037mm, in the thirties and fourties; 0.394+0.034mm, above 50 years of age 0.386+029mm. 3. Sex differences of each age groups in the scalp hair growth were not statistically significant.
Adolescent ; Diagnosis ; Hair* ; Humans ; Korea ; Scalp ; Sex Characteristics

The clinical observation was done on 126 patients of Ota's nevus, 113 of whom were seen at Department of Dermatology, Chonnam National University Hospital from January 1973 through July 1983, and 13 of whom were found among 45, 87l male and female students of high school in Kwangju City, Korea. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The incidence of male and female students of Ota's nevus were respectively 0. 013% and 0.043%, with the incidence,as a whole being 0.03%, whereas the frequency of Ota's nevus among the outpatients was 0. 24% with the ratio of male to female being 1: 2. 67. 2. There was only one family of familial occurrence, in which 2 sisters were involved among 5 siblings. 3. Thirty three percent of Ota's nevus showed the onset at birth. 4. According to Tanino's classification, our patients showed that Type II was 41.7% and then Type Ia, III, Ib, and IV being respectively 33. 3%, 16. 7, 4.2, and 4. 2%. 5. Seleral involvement was 54.2%, especially in type III and Type II. 6. The color was increased in 54%, especially Type II by internal and external factors such as fatigue, warm temperature, menstruation and cold temperature. 7. The color intensification was prominent at the age of 10 to 14.
Classification ; Cold Temperature ; Dermatology ; Fatigue ; Female ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Male ; Menstruation ; Nevus of Ota* ; Outpatients ; Parturition ; Siblings

PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of dacryoscintigraphy in the assessment of patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dacryoscintigraphy was performed in symptomatic 35 lacrimal drainage systems in 18 patients (age range: 37~76, 8 males, 10 females) that were patent on syringing. RESULTS: Abnormalities were detected with dacryoscintigraphy in 75.8% of systems. The positive scintigrams were subdivided into those demonstrating prelacrimal sac delay (31.8%), delay at the lacrimal sac/junction (40.9%), or delay within the duct (27%). CONCLUSION: Dacryoscintigraphy is noninvasive useful technique in the assessment of the functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction and very sensitive at detecting abnormalities in patients with lid laxity caused by senile change and facial nerve palsy.
Diagnosis* ; Drainage ; Facial Nerve ; Humans ; Male ; Nasolacrimal Duct* ; Paralysis

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia and purpura have boon developed by many various agents. Rifampin and Pyrazinamide have been known as bactericidal antituberculous drugs, but, the above side effects have been a problem. Especially, hematologic side effects art fatal to patients occasionally. Rifampin-induced thrombocytopenia and purpura have been well known, also, pyrazinamide-induced thrombocytopenia have been reported. A new quilonone agent Ciprofloxacin, has been commonly used in clinics now, but it's side effects are not known well. So, we report a case of a 23-year-old female with thrombocytopenia and purpura after taking Rifampin, Pyrazinamide, and Ciprofloxacin as antituberculous agents.
Ciprofloxacin* ; Female ; Humans ; Purpura* ; Pyrazinamide* ; Rifampin ; Thrombocytopenia* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: Dopamine transporter concentrations have been known to decrease in Parkinson's disease(PD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between SPECT measurements of [I-123]N-(3-iodopropene-2-yl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane(IPT) as an imaging agent for measuring changes in transporter concentrations with PD. PATIENTS AND METHODS:IPT labelled with 4.87+/-1.29mCi(180.19+/-47.73 MBq) of [I-123] was intravenously injected into 23 patients(age:58+/-12) with PD and three normal controls(NC)(age:37+/-7) as bolus. Brain SPECT were then performed at 1 hour and 2 hours after injection on a double headed camera. The statistical parameters were the contrast ratio of left basal ganglia(BG) and right basal ganglia to occipital cortex(OCC) per milli curies of injected radiotracer at 1 hour and 2 hours. The correlations were evaluated between these parameters and Hoehn-Yahr classification of the patients. RESULTS: The(BG-OCC)/OCC/mCi ratios at 1 hour and 2 hours for PD and NC were 0.14+/-0.07 and 0.27+/-0.07(1 hour) and 0.12+/-0.07 and 0.34+/-0.04(2 hour), respectively. The(BG-OCC)/OCC/mCi ratios of Parkinson's disease were decreased with higher grade of Hoehn-Yahr classification of the patients. The ratio between BG and OCC for PD were clearly separated from NC and may be useful outcome measures for clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that IPT may be a very useful tracer for early diagnosis and treatment of PD and study of dopamine re-uptake site.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins* ; Dopamine* ; Early Diagnosis ; Head ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Parkinson Disease ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Nicolau syndrome, also known as livedoid dermatitis or embolia cutis medicamentosa, is a rare cutaneous adverse drug reaction characterized by the acute onset of cutaneous and soft-tissue necrosis following intramuscular drug injection. The typical presentation is pain around the injection site, developing into erythema, a livedoid patch, and necrosis of the skin, subcutaneous fat, and muscle tissue. We report a 72-year-old man who presented with a painful, erythematous patch on his left buttock. The patient was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac sodium) injection.
Aged ; Buttocks ; Dermatitis ; Diclofenac ; Drug Toxicity ; Erythema ; Humans ; Muscles ; Necrosis ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat

The cytokine pattern on viral antigen recognition is believed to exert a profound influence on the resolution of viral infections and viral clearance. This study was initiated to investigate whether a cytokine imbalance oriented toward Th2 type response plays a role in chronic hepatitis B. Cytokine profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells associated with chronic hepatitis B were analysed by RT-PCR. Upon HBsAg stimulation, expression of IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 was detected in 41%, 8%, 41%, and 50% of the patients, respectively. Among these cytokines, the expression of IFN-gamma was associated with high levels of serum AST/ALT. However, we could not prove that Th2 type cytokines had a protective effect on hepatocytes. Upon HBxAg stimulation, there was no recognizable association of cytokine patterns with AST/ALT levels. In conclusion, production of a Th1 cytokine, IFN-gamma, by HBsAg-reactive cells was associated with hepatocyte damage in chronic hepatitis B, while no counteracting effect of Th2 cytokines produced by those cells was observed.
Cytokines/genetics ; Cytokines/biosynthesis* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/pharmacology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/immunology* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/immunology* ; Human ; Interferon Type II/genetics ; Interferon Type II/biosynthesis ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology ; Liver/cytology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/pharmacology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/immunology ; Th1 Cells/immunology* ; Th1 Cells/drug effects ; Th2 Cells/immunology* ; Th2 Cells/drug effects ; Trans-Activators/pharmacology ; Trans-Activators/immunology*

Superficial epithelioma with sebaceous differentiation (SESD) is a histologically distinct, rare, benign neoplasm characterized by a superficial plate-like proliferation of basaloid cells with broad attachments to the overlying epidermis. Clusters of sebaceous cells were present within the lobules. We herein report a case of SESD in a 73-year-old female.
Aged ; Carcinoma ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans

Topical phenylephrine is used in nasotracheal intubation to prevent nasal mucosal bleeding. The administration of topical phenylephrine can result in severe hypertension secondary to alpha-adrenergic stimulation. A high incidence of pulmonary edema is present in the patients given drugs with beta-blocking activity after phenylephrine administration. We report upon a pediatric patient in whom severe hypertension and pulmonary edema occured following the administration of topical phenylephrine.
Anesthesia, General* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Phenylephrine* ; Pulmonary Edema*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We examined the chemical composition and the effect of fermented deer antler on hematopoietic factors in bone marrow cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: For the preparation of fermented deer antler extract (FAB), fermentation was carried out using Bacillus subtilis at 30degrees C for 7 days. The hematopoietic effect of FAB was investigated hematopoietic factors in marrow cells. RESULTS: The contents of total sugar, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and uronic acid and the dry weight gradually increased with fermentation time. The sialic acid content (from 0.14 mg/mL to 0.54 mg/mL) was the highest on the 4th day of fermentation after which it decreased. The proliferating activity of bone marrow cells increased with fermentation times. The levels of various hematopoietic growth factors were determined to verify the beneficial effect of deer antler extract fermented by B. subtilis on hematopoiesis. FAB increased the number of stem cell factors and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in bone marrow cells. In addition, FAB augmented the burst-forming unit erythroid and total colonies in splenocyte-conditioned medium compared with non-fermented antler extract (NFA). However, FAB did not affect the mRNA levels of erythropoietin, an important factor for erythropoiesis. CONCLUSIONS: FAB, like NFA, did not directly affect hematopoiesis, but contributed to hematopoiesis by stimulating the production of hematopoietic factors.
Animals ; Antlers* ; Bacillus subtilis* ; Bacillus* ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Bone Marrow* ; Deer* ; Erythropoiesis ; Erythropoietin ; Fermentation ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Hematopoiesis ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; N-Acetylneuraminic Acid ; RNA, Messenger ; Stem Cell Factor