No abstract available.
Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Parents* ; Psychopathology*

BACKGROUND: The principle of Mohs micrographic surgery is to examine microscopically the entire peripheral margin of an excised tissue specimen to precisely localize the site of any residual tumor and enable its subsequent removal. In processing in the tissue for frozen horizontal sections, a technical difficulty arises in manipulating the deep and lateral margins into the same flat plane. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to develop a new method allowing the optimal tissue preperation for Mohs micrographic smgery and to evaluate the usefulness of this methad. METHODS: The technique involves conversion of a non-planar surgical margin to a planar surface by applying and freezing the specimen against a flat glass surface. We compared this modified method used in our laboratory with standard methods for tissue preparation of Mohs micrographic surgery.
Freezing ; Glass ; Mohs Surgery ; Neoplasm, Residual

OBJECTIVES: Phencyclidine(PCP) or PCP-like substances such as ketamine have been know to rekindle the cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. The aims of this study were to identify whether PCP-like substances can produce cognitive deficit in schizophrenia, to discuss relation with aging process, and finally to speculate underlying neurochemical mecha-nisms by various drug responses. METHODS: In experiment I, radial maze tests were done in 24 Sprague-Dawley rats for 3 days to get baseline data. Being divided into 4 groups(6 rats respectively) of normal aged, normal adult controls, atropine-treated and ketamine-treated, the radial maze tests were repeated on every week for 6 weeks, and then the rats were sacrificed by intracardiac perfusion with phosphate-buffered 10% formaldehyde solution for histology. The brain specimen was stained with hematoxylin-eosin to count cells in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. In experiment II, radial maze tests were done for 48 rats before any drug treatment and only after ketamine administration. Thereafter, haloperidol, bromocriptine, clonidine, nimodipine, tacrine, valproic acid, naloxone and fluoxetine were intramuscularly injected on every other day in addition to ketamine. Radial maze tests were repeated on every week for 6 weeks, and then rats were prepared by the same procedure for histology. RESULTS: 1) Reaction times of radial maze tests of atropine-treated rats were significantly prolonged than those of normal aged(p<0.05) or normal adult controls(p<0.05). Cell numbers of prefrontal cortex & hippocampus in ketamine-treated rats were significantly reduced than those in normal aged(p<0.05) or normal adult controls(p<0.005). 2) Reduced cell numbers by ketamine became significantly raised by tacrine administration in prefrontal cortex $ hippocampus(p<0.05), while there were no significant changes on radial maze test. Cell numbers also tended to be raised by nimodipine, fluoxetine and haloperidol administration. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the visuospatial memory disorders in ketamine-induced psychotic rats might be partly associated with aging process. Furthermore, the responses to the various drugs suggested cholinergic system might have an important role in the neurochemical mechanism of the cognitive dysfunction in ketamine-induced psychosis. Otherwise, calcium metabolism as well as serotonergic and dopaminergic systems seemed to be possibly related.
Acetylcholine ; Adult ; Aging* ; Animals* ; Brain ; Bromocriptine ; Calcium ; Cell Count ; Clonidine ; Fluoxetine ; Formaldehyde ; Haloperidol ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Ketamine ; Memory Disorders ; Metabolism ; Models, Animal* ; Naloxone ; Nimodipine ; Perfusion ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Psychotic Disorders ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reaction Time ; Schizophrenia* ; Tacrine ; Valproic Acid

A 34-year-old woman presented with several intensely pruritic erythematous serpiginous thread-like skin lesions which began as a small papule on the epigastrium 4 months prior to her visit and was migrating to the left chest area. The laboratory examination showed eosinophilia and the total serum IgE level was slightly increased. Histopathologic examination revealed a pustular burrow in the epidermis with a larva-like cystic lesion apart from the burrow in the epidermis. The patient was treated with topical 10 % albendazole cream 3 times daily for 1 week without recurrence for 22 months up to now. We thought this was a rare case which was confirmed by a skin biopsy showing larva in the epidermis.
Adult ; Albendazole ; Biopsy ; Eosinophilia ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Larva ; Larva Migrans* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Thorax

Neurofibromatosis(NF) is a disorder characterized by its relative commonness, variability, and heterogeneity. It is usually expressed as a generalized form, but is rarely localized in a limited part of the body as a segmental form. In 1981, Riccardi classified NF into 8 types and a segmental form (type V) was defined by limitation of cafe-au-lait spots and/or neurofibroma on a given unilateral segment of the body. Recently we came across two cases of typical segmental neurofibromatosis. The First case was a 53-year-old woman with localized neurofibromatosis on the right T8,9 dermatome. The Second case was a 34-year-old man with localized neurofibromatosis on the right T5,6 dermatome. There were no cafe-au-lait spots, axillary frecklings, Lisch nodules or a family history in both cases. We report these rare cases with a literature review.
Adult ; Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Population Characteristics

BACKGROUND: Accessory tragi contain a central core of cartilage, which is the most important pathological factor, but often are misdiagnosed as soft fibroma/hair follicle nevi if sections cannot show a central core of cartilage. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were aimed at comparing transverse sections with vertical sections and demonstrating the value of transverse sections about histological diagnosis for accessory tragus. METHODS: We studied 14 cases of patients with accessory tragi. All cases were totally excised and all 16 biopsy specimens (bilateral in 2 cases) were obtained. We classified these biopsy specimens into two groups regarding the removal of cartilage.All specimens were vertical or transverse seiral sectioned and we compared these histologic findings with established histologic diagnostic criteria which Satoh et al. reported. RESULTS: On the specimens of group 1 in which there was cartilage, subcutaneous prominent connective tissue framework whirling around cartilage could be observed on all transverse sections, but was not always present on vertical sections. Prominent connective tissue framework and pilosebaceous units with circular arrangement of eccrine glands were simultaneously in the center of transverse sections regardless of the presence of cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, transverse sections showed all diagnostic histologic important features for accessory tragus: presence of central cartilage, prominent subcutaneous connective tissue framework, and various degree of pilosebaceous unit, especially with circular arrangement of eccrine glands. So transverse sectioning could be a useful method for accurate histological diagnosis of accessory tragi regardless of the removal of cartilage when doing excisional biopsy.
Biopsy ; Cartilage ; Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Eccrine Glands ; Humans ; Nevus

Cardiac rupture following blunt thoracic trauma is rarely encountered, since it commonly causes death at the scene. With advances in critical care, blunt cardiac rupture has been successfully treated with well-organized team approach including an emergency physician, anesthesiologist, and cardiac surgeon. We encountered a patient with blunt cardiac rupture of the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium that extended 7 cm to the right ventricular junction. The patient was successfully resuscitated after a closed thoracostomy and pericardiocentesis with fluid loading. Cardiac injury was repaired via mid-sternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient recovered without complications and was discharged on the 7th day after surgery.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Critical Care ; Emergencies ; Heart Atria* ; Heart Injuries ; Heart Rupture* ; Humans ; Pericardiocentesis ; Thoracostomy ; Vena Cava, Superior*

The patient was a 34-year-old male who had the dorsum of his right foot burned with strong alkali. Subsequently, the wound changed to an ulcer 3 days after the accident, and it was resistant to conventional treatment. After seventeen days of a granulation tissue-forming period, we applied a suction blistered epidermal graft using an intrinsic heating system we had devised. Suction blistered epidermal grafting is a less painful method with minimal scarring that is applicable to various skin diseases and researches. However, currently used techniques require patients to be immobile for some time and it makes physicians and patients feel uneasy and uncomfortable. The time needed for the suction blister formation is dependent on many factors. Among them, the temperature and the suction pressure are the important factors that can be modified easily. So, we devised a suction device having the capability to heat itself and used a suction machine with a pressure meter. We applied this to the above patient. We present a case of a chemical burn wound treated with suction blistered epidermal grafting.
Adult ; Alkalies ; Blister* ; Burns ; Burns, Chemical* ; Cicatrix ; Foot ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Skin Diseases ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries*