BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a disease of unknown etiology. Disturbances in lipid metabolism have been suggested as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. OBJECTIVE: The study was performed to investigate the blood lipid, lipoprotein and apolipo-protein levels and their difference according to family history in Korean psoriasis patients. METHODS: Blood samples from seventy three psoriasis patients and twenty three normal persons were measured for total ciolesterol(TC), VLDL-cholesterol(VLDL-C), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C), lipoprotein(a) (LPA), triglyceride(TG), apolipoprotein A-I(APO-AI), and apolipoprotein B(AFO-B). Psoriasis patients were divided according to their family history of psoriasis. RESULTS: Compared to ccntrols, TC, LDL-C, LPA, TG, APO-B were significantly elevated in psoriasis patients. Mean varues of LPA and APO-B in psoriasis group were above normal range. VLDL-C were significasitly elevated only in female patients. There was a tendency for psoriasis patients with family history to have higher values than those without family history. CONCLUSION: TC, LDL-C, L,PA, TG, APO-B was increased in psoriasis, especially in the patients with family history, cornpared to control. It is recommended that we must pay attention to the possible risk for the development of cardiac or cerebral vascular disease in psoriasis patients, especially in the presence of family history of psoriasis.
Apolipoproteins ; Apolipoproteins B ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins* ; Psoriasis* ; Reference Values ; Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Oral etretinate treatment is associated with the changes in serum lipid concentration and the elevation of serum liver enzymes. In Korea, chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes and hypertension are increasing and the prevalences of HBsAg and chronic liver diseases are much higher than those in western countries. Therefore these changes in serum lipids and liver enzymes during etretinate treatrment are important in Korea as risk factors for atherosclerosis and aggravation of preexisting liver diseases. OBJECTIVE: We tried to observe the sequential pattern, frequency, severity, and relationship between pretreatment value and posttreatment values in the changes of serum lipids and liver enzymes in patients with psoriasis luring etretinate treatment. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with psoriasis were studied during etretinate treatment with the starting dose of 0.5-1.0mg/kg/day. The levels of serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and sGOT, sGPT was repeatedly determined until the 16th week of etretinate treatment. RESULTS: l. In serum triglyceride and cholesterol, the average of concentrations in each treatment period was usually higher than pretreatment value during the 16 weeks of treatment, but no sequential pattern of changes was observed 2. The number of patients with the maximum of posttreatment values higher than the normal limit were 12(29.3%) in triglyce side, 6(14.6%) in cholesterol, 0 in sGOT, and 5(12.5%) in sGPT. The number of patients with the minimum of posttreatment values lower than the normal limit were 15(36.6%) in HDL-cholesterol. 3. In serum cholesterol, patients with an abnormal pretreatment value are more prone to elevation above the normal limit duriing etretinate treatment than patients with a normal pretreatment value. CONCLUSION: In patients with psoriasis the increases in serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, sGOT, sGPT and the decrease in HDL-cholesterol were occurred frequently during etretinate treatment. Therefore monitoring of serum lipid concentration and serum liver enzyme levels on a regular basis during etretinate treatment is essential for its safe use in patients with psoriasis, es- pecially in cases of long term etretinate treatment.
Acitretin* ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Etretinate* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

Actinic reticuloid is a rare, chronic photosensitivity dermatosis with clinical and histologic femtures resembling a cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Phototesting in these patients typically reveals extreme sensitivity to UVB, to UVA, and sometimes to visible light. has site of lymphomatoid histologic appearance, actinic reticuloid is now regarded as a histologic arant of chronic actinic dermatitis, which is the spectriam of several photosensitivity dermatosis, delet to its benign course and transition to or from other photosensitivity dermatosis. We present a case of actinic veticuloid in 58-year-old male, who has severely edematous infiltrated lichenified erytherratous patches on sun-exposed skin, lynptmatoid histologic features with selective T cell infiltrat,ion, and selective photosensitivity to UV.
Actins* ; Humans ; Light ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photosensitivity Disorders ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

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

Leiomyoma is rare. Most of patients present with urinary tract infection, hematuria, dyspareunia, or complaint of mass. A case of leiomyoma on urethrovaginal septum in a 36 years old female was presented. The presenting symptom was a protruding mass at the anterior vaginal wall The mass was removed surgically and confirmed as a leiomyoma pathologically.
Adult ; Dyspareunia ; Female ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Urinary Tract Infections

Purpose: Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) is an eye movement disorder caused by a lesion of the medial longitudinal fasciculus. It typically manifests bilaterally and is commonly caused by multiple sclerosis. We report a case of pediatric unilateral INO, which is rare in the pediatric population.Case summary: A 14-year-old female, with a history of traumatic head injury 9 days previously, presented with diplopia, nausea and vomiting for the past 5 days. Her ophthalmic examination revealed severely impaired adduction of the right eye and abduction nystagmus in the left eye. Orbital computed tomography showed no evidence of orbital wall fracture or muscle impingement. However, an magnetic resonance imaging of her brain demonstrated an infarct in the right paramedian midbrain, leading to a diagnosis of unilateral INO. Diplopia and impaired adduction of the right eye resolved completely 7 weeks after the trauma. Conclusions Demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, account for most of the pediatric INO cases. Although most of these cases are bilateral, this reports highlights a pediatric case of unilateral INO following head injury, which is an uncommon occurrence in this age group.

No abstract available.
Chondromatosis, Synovial* ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Osteoarthritis*

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP) is an uncommon from of psoriasis in which a widespread eruption of sterile oustules occurs. In Korea some cases of generalized pustular psoriasis have been reported, but clinical reviews on generalized pustular psoriasis are not available. OBJECTIVE: We investegated the clinical and laboratory findings in some patients with generalized pustular psoriasis in Korea. METHODS: We studied the clinical and laboratory findings in 27 patients with generalized pustular psoriasis who visited Seoul National University hospital during the past 10 years. All the data were analyzed in total of patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, and analyzed after the patients were separated into 4 clinical types. RESULTS: 1. The male to female ratio was 1:2, and the average age of the first onset of GPP was 27.1 years. 2. The number of patients with previous history of psoriasis vulgaris were 19(70.4%). In these patients, the average age at the onset of psoriasis vulgaris was 23.4 years, and average age at the onset of GPP was 34.3 years. 3. The number of patients with a family history of psoriasis were 2(7.4%) 4. The number of patients with possible provocative factors were 16(59.3%). Systemic corticosteroid therapy was done before the onset of GPP in 7 patients, and was the most common provocative factor. 5. Fever(70.4%), chill(33.3%), and arthralgia(18.5%) were common systemic symptoms associated with GPP. 6. In laboratory tests, leukocytosis(63%), elevated ESR(62.5%), hypoalbuminemia(40.7%), and decreased cortisol(32.5%) were often found. 7. With the clinical types, the acute generalized type was 59.3%, juvenile and infantile type 25. 9%, annular and circinate type 7.4%, and GPP during pregnancy was 7.4%. In juvenile and in fantile type, patients with a previous history of psoriasis vulgaris and possible provocative factors of GPP were much less common than in the other types. CONCLUSION: In patients with GPP in Korea, a family history of psoriasis is much less frequent than in western countries. In the possible provocative factors of GPP, systemic corticosteroid therapy was the most common, so it is recommended that systemic steroid therapy should be avoided in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In the comparison of the 4 clinical types, juvenile and infantile type showed a marked iifference in that GPP occurred spontaneously without any previous history of psoriasis and with no provocative factors.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Psoriasis* ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP) is an uncommon from of psoriasis in which a widespread eruption of sterile oustules occurs. In Korea some cases of generalized pustular psoriasis have been reported, but clinical reviews on generalized pustular psoriasis are not available. OBJECTIVE: We investegated the clinical and laboratory findings in some patients with generalized pustular psoriasis in Korea. METHODS: We studied the clinical and laboratory findings in 27 patients with generalized pustular psoriasis who visited Seoul National University hospital during the past 10 years. All the data were analyzed in total of patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, and analyzed after the patients were separated into 4 clinical types. RESULTS: 1. The male to female ratio was 1:2, and the average age of the first onset of GPP was 27.1 years. 2. The number of patients with previous history of psoriasis vulgaris were 19(70.4%). In these patients, the average age at the onset of psoriasis vulgaris was 23.4 years, and average age at the onset of GPP was 34.3 years. 3. The number of patients with a family history of psoriasis were 2(7.4%) 4. The number of patients with possible provocative factors were 16(59.3%). Systemic corticosteroid therapy was done before the onset of GPP in 7 patients, and was the most common provocative factor. 5. Fever(70.4%), chill(33.3%), and arthralgia(18.5%) were common systemic symptoms associated with GPP. 6. In laboratory tests, leukocytosis(63%), elevated ESR(62.5%), hypoalbuminemia(40.7%), and decreased cortisol(32.5%) were often found. 7. With the clinical types, the acute generalized type was 59.3%, juvenile and infantile type 25. 9%, annular and circinate type 7.4%, and GPP during pregnancy was 7.4%. In juvenile and in fantile type, patients with a previous history of psoriasis vulgaris and possible provocative factors of GPP were much less common than in the other types. CONCLUSION: In patients with GPP in Korea, a family history of psoriasis is much less frequent than in western countries. In the possible provocative factors of GPP, systemic corticosteroid therapy was the most common, so it is recommended that systemic steroid therapy should be avoided in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In the comparison of the 4 clinical types, juvenile and infantile type showed a marked iifference in that GPP occurred spontaneously without any previous history of psoriasis and with no provocative factors.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Psoriasis* ; Seoul

The pulsed laser lithotripsy has been used in the treatment of urinary calculi. We treated 153 patients of stones, via the pulsed dye laser(Technomed Pulsolith) with 7.5 and 6.5 F. rigid ureteroscope between January 1992 and January 1995. Stones were in bladder(4 cases), upper ureter(17), mid ureter(31) and lower ureter(101). The laser lithotripsies were applied for impacted stones and relatively large stones(more than 6 mm) The success rates according to location were 47%(8/17) in upper ureter, 77%(24/31)in middle ureter, 95%(96/101)in lower ureter and 100%(4/4) in bladder and mean success rate was 86% (132/153). There were 21 failures due to upward migration(9 cases), poor visual field(7), laser resistant stone(3) and malfunction of laser(2). Complications were showed in 28 cases that were gross hematuria(16 cases), ureteral perforation(6), fever(4) and ileus(2), but most of them might be related to ureteroscopy rather than laser, and all of them were resolved with conservative management. So laser lithotripsy is safe and effective method of middle and lower ureteral calculi, and upward migration of stones, the major cause of failure may be resolved by use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and flexible ureteroscope.
Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Lithotripsy, Laser* ; Shock ; Ureter ; Ureteral Calculi ; Ureteroscopes ; Ureteroscopy ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Calculi