No abstract available.
Cactaceae* ; Dermatitis* ; Humans ; Leprosy*

Prurigo pigmentosa is a rare and recurrent inflammatory dermatosis characterized clinically by severe pruritic erythematous papules and reticulated pigmentation symmetrically distributed on the trunk and neck in young adolescent females. The pathogenesis remains unclear but environmental factors such as friction from the clothing and para-amino compounds used in manufacturing of clothing have been suspected. We report a case of prurigo pigmentosa that was supposedly relevant to the swimming suit and treated with dapsone and minocycline resulting in significant clinical improvement.
Adolescent ; Clothing ; Dapsone ; Female ; Friction ; Humans ; Minocycline ; Neck ; Pigmentation ; Prurigo* ; Skin Diseases ; Swimming*

Focal brainstem encephalitis due to Herpes simplex virus if a very rare infectious disease, occurs with a frequent of 1-2 million population per year. A 3 years old girl is described with infection due to Herpes simplex virus causing brainstem encephalitis. The diagnosis was established by enzyme immunosorbent assays of the cerebrospinal fluid and serum which demonstrated antibody responsed to Herpes simplex virus. The clinicopathological features, radiological findings, laboratories and brainstem biopsies are discussed in the context of the literature.
Biopsy ; Brain Stem* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child, Preschool ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Encephalitis* ; Female ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Simplexvirus*

The authors statistically analysed transferred patients among 110 ocular perforation injury patients who were admitted to the Seoul Paik Hospital between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 1988. Male was 85.9% and third decade was most common decades(30.5%). Left eye was more affected(59.8%) than right eye. The most common cause was traffic accident(37.%) and perforated site was corneo-sclera(43.%). Subconjunctival hemorrhage was the most common accompanied ocular manifestation(47.0%). Most of the perforated eyes were treated with primary closure of the wound. The final visual acuity was better in patients who were treated at only one hospital two or more hospitals before being transferred. With the above results, the final visual acuity may be related with the number of the hospital which the patients were treated before transferred.
Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul ; Visual Acuity ; Wounds and Injuries

Methazolamide is a sulfonamide derivative and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor used to lower intraocular pressure in glaucomatous eyes. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)-toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with methazolamide treatment has been reported in Korean and Japanese patients. We report two cases of SJS-TEN associated with methazolamide treatment. The result of HLA typing of our two patients was a positive reaction for HLA-B59, which is specific to Koreans and Japanese. This suggests a possible relationship between genetic background and SJS-TEN associated with methazolamide treatment. Therefore, methazolamide should be prescribed with caution to Korean or Japanese patients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carbonic Anhydrases ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Methazolamide* ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*

The omentum has been used over the years for a variety of clinical problems. Recently it has shown that placing the omemtum on the brain and spinal cord can lead to an extensive development of vascular connections at the omental/CNS interface. Success with omental transposition to the human brain has led to increasing intreast in placing the omentum onto the human spinal cord. One paraplegic patient was chosen to enter into a feasibility study to see if omental transposition to their spianl cord might result in clinical benefit. The length of time from injury was about 21 months respecively. This patient had little, if any, motor and sensory function below umbilicus level. The operation required surgical lengthening of the pedicled omentum followed by its placement into a subcutaneous tunnel created backward along the lateral chest wall up to T-10, 11 level. An extensive thoracic laminectomy was then performed followed bya wide opening of the dura. In our case the cord showed segmental shrinkage of the spinal cord consistent with previous trauma. The omentum was laid directly onto the underlying spinal cord. Our observation for five months has shown that placement of the omentum onto the chronically injured spinal cord allowed for subsequent improvement in neuroelectrical activity, as manifested by reproducible somatosensory evoked potentials, and, more importantly, in moter function. It is considered that placing the omentum directly upon the brain or spinal cord may have the effect of either improving local vascular perfusion or, possibly, exerting some biochemicals(neurotransmitter), or as yet unknown, influence. But further observation is warranted to determine whether this improvement will be continued and will be observed in another cases.
Brain ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Feasibility Studies ; Humans* ; Laminectomy ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Omentum ; Perfusion ; Sensation ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Thoracic Wall ; Umbilicus

Dermatomyositis is a rare inflammatory myopathy with characteristic skin manifestations and muscular weakness. Vesicle or bulla formation in the dermatomyositis is rare and probably related to the presence of an internal malignant process. We report a case of dermatomyositis associated with esophageal cancer in a 72-year old man who had vesicles and bullae on his arms. He had erythema and edema on the face, chest, abdomen, back and legs for 20 days. Tense vesicles and bullae were found on his forearms and hands. Diagnosis of dermatomyositis was established by clinical manifestations, muscle enzyme study, electromyogram and histopathological findings of the skin. Adenocarcinoma of esophagus was found by gastroendoscopy. He was treated with total esophagectomy and topical steroid, but died of pneumonia and septicemia.
Abdomen ; Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Arm ; Blister* ; Dermatomyositis* ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Erythema ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagectomy ; Esophagus ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Leg ; Muscle Weakness ; Myositis ; Pneumonia ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Thorax ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

PURPOSE: To investigate the preoperative factors affecting the visual outcome after a vitrectomy in a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). METHODS: A retrospective study of 79 eyes was carried out. The 41 eyes were macula-off RRD (group I), the 38 eyes were macula-on RRD (group II). The preoperative factors examined in this study included the preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), age, the duration of macular detachment, the extent of the detached retina, the delay of operation. The correlation between these factors and the postoperative 6 months BCVA were investigated. RESULTS: In group I, preoperative BCVA (r = 0.313, p = 0.037) and preoperative retinal detachment (RD) extent (r = 0.483, p = 0.001) were significantly correlated with postoperative 6 months BCVA. In group II, preoperative BCVA and preoperative RD extent were not significantly correlated with postoperative 6 months BCVA. Regardless of including macula, the patient's age, duration of symptom and delay of operation after clinic visit were not affected to the visual outcome. Patients with symptom duration of 7 days or less achieved better final BCVA (0.36 ± 0.45 log MAR, n = 29) than patients with longer symptom duration (0.79 ± 0.55 log MAR, n = 16) (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: After vitrectomy for macula-off RRD, the factors related to favorable visual outcome were the better preoperative BCVA, the less extent of the detached retina. And surgical repair within 7 days of the symptom onset yielded better visual outcomes. Otherwise, in macula-on RRD, preoperative BCVA, age, the duration of retinal detachment, the extent of the detached retina, the delay of operation did not impact on visual outcome.
Ambulatory Care ; Humans ; Retina ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy*

Calcinosis cutis is the deposition of insoluble calcium salts in the skin. Dystrophic calcinosis cutis is diagnosed when calcium is deposited in the previous damaged tissue and the values of calcium and phosphorus levels are normal. We report a case of dystrophic calcinosis cutis in a 32-year-old man. He had experienced a burn accidentally on the left anterior thigh at 2 years old. About 1 year ago, an ulcer developed on the burn scar. He found the chalky material in an ulcer and removed it, then the ulcer healed. But, new ulcers developed in a linear pattern. Histopathologically, amorphous eosinophilic materials that were black with Von Kossa stain were deposited in the dermis.
Adult ; Burns* ; Calcinosis* ; Calcium ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix* ; Dermis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Phosphorus ; Salts ; Skin ; Thigh ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: Genital skin diseases are common, yet there has been insufficient clinical investigation of these conditions. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the epidemiological aspects of genital skin diseases, and to highlight the clinical features of common dermatoses of the genitalia. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed data of 84 patients biopsied for genital skin lesions at Maryknoll Hospital between September 1991 and August 2004. RESULTS: The ratio of males to females was 2: 1 (56: 28). The most frequent genital skin diseases present were lichen simplex chronicus, condyloma accuminata, irritant contact dermatitis, lichen sclerosus et atropicus and calcinosis cutis in decreasing order of frequency. Of the 84 cases, 42 had patches or plaques, 36 had papules or nodules and 16 had vesicles, erosions or ulcers. CONCLUSION: Our results were similar to other studies in some cases and different from others in other cases. Further investigation with a larger group of patients is necessary to better understand the epidemiology of genital skin diseases.
Calcinosis ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Genitalia* ; Humans ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus ; Male ; Neurodermatitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin* ; Ulcer