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

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

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

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*

PURPOSE: Imaging studies for the diagnosis of breast cancer such as ultrasonography or mammography, play an essential role; however, it is well known that they have some limitations; the low specificity of ultrasonography and the low sensitivity of mammography, especially in the dense breasts of Korean women. Recently, 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography was introduced for the detection of breast cancer, and showed acceptable results in its diagnostic accuracy. In this study, the clinical usefulness of 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography was evaluated for the determination of a better imaging study for the diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS: This study included 75 patients with breast masses, and 3 imaging studies were performed; mammography, ultrasonography and 99mTc-MIBI scintimammography and the results compared on the basis of the pathological reports from core needle or excisional biopsies of the patients. RESULTS: From the pathological reports of 75 patients, 45 cases were confirmed as malignant and 30 as benign diseases. Based on the pathological reports, the sensitivities of mammography, ultrasonography and 99mTc-MIBI scintimammiography were 62.2, 88.9, and 86.7%, and the specificites of 3 imaging studies were 90.0, 76.7, and 90.3% respectively. The positive predictive values were 90.3, 85.1, and 92.9% and the negative predictive values were 61.4, 82.1, and 81.8%, respectively. 99mTc-MIBI mammoscintigraphy showed a comparable sensitivity to ultra-sonography, and a similar specificity to mammography, in the diagnosis of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Clinically, as a primary imaging tool, 99mTc-MIBI mammoscintigraphy showed acceptable results in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Considering the weak points of ultrasonography and mammography, 99mTc-MIBI mammoscintigraphy would be a very useful tool in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Mammography ; Needles ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) occurs without any preceding events such as lumbar puncture, surgery, trauma, or medical illness. It is characterized by a postural headache that is aggravated whilst in the erect or sitting position, and is relieved in the supine position. A postural headache usually resolves either spontaneously or with conservative treatment. An epidural block is a very important treatment for lumbago and is mostly performed for pain control. However, an incidental dural puncture is possible during epidural block and anesthesiology and pain medicine doctor should be familiar with an epidural block. Radioisotope cisternography is a highly sensitive, reliable and safe technique for confirming of the presence and location of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. We report two cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension that was diagnosed by SIH through cisternography in a situation where the post-dural puncture headache was primarily suspected as being the cause. If a postural headache occurs after an epidural block through an epidural needle without CSF leakage, other causes e.g. dural puncture need to be identified.
Anesthesiology ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Headache ; Intracranial Hypotension* ; Low Back Pain ; Needles ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache* ; Punctures ; Spinal Puncture ; Supine Position

BACKGROUND: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation often provoke an undesirable increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Nicardipine-induced reduction in blood pressure was greater with inhalational anesthetics than nicardipine alone. This study was designed to determine the optimal dose of nicardipine for acceptable hemodnamic change during inhalation with sevoflurane. METHODS: Eighty ASA physical status 1 patients were randomly allocated into four groups of twenty patients. Tracheal intubation under direct laryngoscopy was performed. After intravenous thiopental 5 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.13 mg/kg 5, 10 or 15microgram/kg of nicardipine was given intravenously followed by mask ventilation of three minutes with sevoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured at the period of baseline, preintubation, immediately after intubation, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 minutes following intubation. RESULTS: After tracheal intubation, the increase of systolic blood pressure was suppressed significantly by nicardipine 10 and 15microgram/kg group compared with the control group. The increase of heart rate was greatest in the nicardipine 15microgram/kg group. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the appropriate dose of nicardipine during induction with sevoflurane for attenuation of pressor responses to laryngoscopy and intubation in healthy patients is 10microgram/kg.
Anesthetics ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Intubation* ; Laryngoscopy ; Masks ; Nicardipine* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis(CTL) is one of the most common extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Recently overall incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis has decreased, but the incidence of tuberculous lymphadenitis has not decreased. Its duration of treatment is still controversial and the pathogenesis, prognosis and relationship with other site tuberculous are poorly published. So we did a retrograde study of 120 cases of confirmed CTL about its clinical manifestations. METHODS: All patients were applied fine needle aspiration(FNA) of palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes and 114 patients were examined for AFB smear and 34 patients for TB culture with aspirated fluid. 57 patients were examined Mantoux test(5TU with PPD-S). With above methods, a total of 120 patients was diagnosed as having CTL RESULTS: 1) CTL is most prevalent in young women between the age of 20 30 years and the incidence of CTL in female is 2.5 times higher than that of male. It is located most commonly in the posterior cervical area. The most common presenting symptom is painless palpable enlarged cervical lymph nodes. 2) With FNA of enlarged cervical lymph nodes, the percentage of histopathological positivity is 82.3%. The percentage of AFB smear positivity is 38.6%, and that of TB culture positivity is 17.6% (p<0.001). 3) Pulmonary tuberculosis is noted in 79 cases(65.8%). And 42 cases(53.5%) of them had minimal pulmonary tuberculosis. In 14 cases(11.7%),other extrapulmonary tuberculosis coexsisted and pleural tuberculosis was most common in the order. 4) CTL was treated with anti-tuberculous medication(first line drug) and median treatment duration was 18.5months. During treatment, the size of involved lymph nodes decreased gradually in 62 cases(75.8%), newly developed lymph nodes were found in 25 cases(30.4%),fluctuation formation in 22 cases(26.8%) and fistula formation in 14 cases(17.0%). CONCLUISON: CTL is prevalent in women between the age of 20 ~ 40 years and it involves posterior cervical area most commonly. CTL is treated with long-term anti-tuberculous chemotherapy. We think it is one manifestation of systemic disease and frequently coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite anti-tuberculous chemotherapy, the size of involved lymph nodes was increased, new lymph nodes were developed or fluctuation and fistula formed in involved lymph nodes. After sufficient medication, when the patient felt pressure discomfort from enlarged lymph node or fistula was formed, we recommended total excision of involved lymph nodes.
Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fistula ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Needles ; Prognosis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node* ; Tuberculosis, Pleural ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

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*