BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (patterned baldness) occurs in both sexes showing different clinical features respectively. In men the hait thinning develops at about 20 years of age with a receding anterior hair line. In women it develops at about 30 years of age but the anterior hair liae is kept intact. Recently we have noticed female pattern baldness in young adult females in their early twenties. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical and laboratory features of female patients with early onset patterned alopecia and to assess their therapeutic results. METHOD: Twenty-five cases of female pattern baldness who sought medical treatment for hair thinning before the age of 25 were examined for their clinical, laboratorial and treatment results. RESULTS: 1. 22.2 years was the average age at which the first medical care was sought and their onset of noticeable hair thinning was on average 18.3 years of age. 2. Aceording to Ludwigs classification, there were 76%(19 cases) with type I alopecia and 24%(6 cases) wit type II. Type III was not found. 3. A family history of patterned alopecia was seen in 56% of the first degree relatives. 4. Associated diseases were as follows: Seborrheic dermatitis(11 cases), hirsutism(9 cases), acne vulgaris(5 cases), menstrual irregularity(5 cases) and one case of each of polycystic ovarian disease, diabetes melitus and pulmonary tuberculosis. 5. Mild to moderate hirsutism was seen in 9(36%) cases in various anatomical locations. The most frequent location was in the linea alba area (6 cases), which was followed by the extremities and upper lip. 6. Serum iron and femtin levels were lower than the normal range in 10 cases(40%) and in 15 cases(60%) respectively, though hemoglobin levels were all normal. 7. Serum total testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEAS) levels were increased in 52.1% and 52% patients respectively, compared to the normal range in Korean women. 8. In 12 cases who could be followed up for longer than 3 months, 11(90.2%) cases showed improvement in their hair volume on medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Androgenetic alopecia of females can occur as early as in males. The clinical and laboratory findings of such early female androgenetic alopecia were reported in 25 cases alongside their therapeutic outcomes.
Acne Vulgaris ; Alopecia* ; Classification ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; Extremities ; Female* ; Hair ; Hirsutism ; Humans ; Iron ; Lip ; Male ; Ovarian Diseases ; Reference Values ; Testosterone ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Young Adult

This study was conducted to investigate the vibrio flora in sand shrimp, Crangon affinis, which were collected in the estuarine area, Dadaepo near Nakdong River in Korea from in June 1996 to in May 1997. Crangon affinis is very important role in food chain in nature because of food for many seabirds and fishes. Six species of vibrios (Vibrio alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus, Listonella damsela (V. damsela), V. harveyi, V. splendidus biotype I, V. splendidus biotype II, and V. natriegens, an unrecorded species in Korea) were isolated from the intestine of shrimps and characterized by the biochemical tests.
Crangonidae* ; Estuaries* ; Fishes ; Food Chain ; Intestines ; Korea* ; Listonella ; Rivers* ; Silicon Dioxide ; Vibrio*

BACKGROUND: The effects of melanocyte stimulating hormone(MSH) on the integument of many species, including mammals, are well known. The significance of MSH as a physiological regulator of cutaneous pigmentation in humans is still controversial. Although the administration of MSH results in skin darkening, previous reports suggest that cultured human melanocytes are relatively unresponsive to this peptide. This may be related to the conditions under which the melanocytes were cultured. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of alpha-MSH on the morphological changes, survival, and melanization of cultured human melanocytes in a basal medium without any mitogen. METHOD: We examined the morphological changes, number and melanin contents of cultured human melanocytes in control(absence of alpha-MSH) and experimental groups(presence of 10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, and 10(-6) M alpha-MSH). RESULTS: 1. There were no significant morphological changes of cells between the control and experimental groups after 24, 48, and 72 hours' culture. The number and length of melanocyte dendrites showed no significant difference between the groups after 24, 48, and 72 hours' culture. 2. The number of melanocytes in the experimental groups(presence of 10(-7) M, and 10(-6) M alpha-MSH) were significantly higher than the number of melanocytes in control group after 72 hours culture(p<0.05). This effect of alpha-MSH was dose-related. 3. The melanin contents slightly increased in the experimental groups. The significant difference between the groups was showed in the presence of 10(-8) M alpha-MSH. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-MSH has no effect on the morphology, but increases the survival of cultured human melanocytes and has a melanogenic effect.
alpha-MSH* ; Dendrites ; Humans* ; Mammals ; Melanins ; Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones ; Melanocytes* ; Pigmentation ; Skin

No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Pleura* ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors*

Medial orbital wall fracture was described by Converse and Smith in the first time in 1957. These fractures which comprise more than 30% of all the orbital wall fracture are may easily be overlooked in routine orbital radiology. Accordingly, examination with orbital CT is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. These type of fracture are followed frequently by post-oprative complication such as diplopia and enophthalmos because it is very difficult to approach to orbital medial was in these operations. The mechanism of the orbital wall fractures are abruptly increased hydraulic pressure by sudden impact on orbital rim or soft tissue of orbital region. So patients who show the signs of subcutaneous emphysema, edema on the orbital region or diplopia need to get through examination with orbital CT for accurate diagnosis and immediate reconstruction of the fractured orbital wall. Conventional approaches in the operations of the orbital medial wall fractures are that with bicoronal incision, subciliary incision, transconjunctival incision and infra-orbital rim incision. But, approach with bicoronary incision, needs broader dissection and longer time for operation. Operations with transconjunctival incision and that with subciliary incision have difficulty to approach to fractured sites. Operations with other conventional methods may be also followed by scar problem. The authors performed reduction and reconstruction of the fractured orbital medial wall fractures successfully without any complications and difficulties by intra-eyebrow approach with which they made incision of 2 - 2.5 cm on mid-area of eyebrow to expose fractured medial wall with good operative field.
Cicatrix ; Diagnosis ; Diplopia ; Edema ; Enophthalmos ; Eyebrows ; Humans ; Orbit* ; Subcutaneous Emphysema

OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is significantly influenced by the pre-sleep arousal, self efficacy, sleep hygiene, depression and anxiety. The authors tried to explore how these factors are related with the clinical features of sleep. METHODS: Fifty three patients diagnosed as insomnia by DSM-IV criteria were studied. They filled up the pre-sleep arousal scale(PSAS), sleep efficacy scale(SES), sleep hygiene awareness and practice scale, BDI, and state and trait anxiety scales. RESULTS: 1) The mean values of sleep-related variables were as follows : Sleep latency,136.89 minutes ; frequences of awakening during a night, 2.28 ; minutes to get back to sleep, 42.70 ; total sleep time, 180.19 minutes ; duration of illness, 72.00 months. 2) The mean scores of scales were as follows : PSAS(cognitive), 22.40 ; PSAS (somatic), 17.32 ; SES, 20.16 ; sleep hygiene knowledge, 25.96 ; caffeine knowledge, 59.78 ; sleep hygiene practice, 42.12 ; BDI 18.2 ; state anxiety, 41.24 ; trait anxiety ; 44.50. 3) In the subjects with superimposed depression, the mean frequency of awakening during a night and the mean pre-sleep arousal scale score were higher than in those without depression. 4) Frequency of awakening were correlated positively with a PSAS(a tight tense feeling in your muscle) and sleep hygiene awareness. PSAS(cognitive) were correlated positively with a PSAS(somatic). BDI correlated positively with a PSAS item(a jittery, nervous feeling in your body)and a SES item(not allow a poor night's sleep to interfere with daily activities). Anxiety scales were correlated positively with sleep hygiene practice scale sleep and PSAS were correlated negatively with SES. CONCLUSIONS: The mean scores of PSAS, SES, sleep hygiene awareness and practice scale, BDI, state and trait anxiety scales of insomniacs were correlated either positively or negatively in insomnia patients. These factors seem to contribute to the development and maintenance of insomnia.
Anxiety* ; Arousal* ; Caffeine ; Depression* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Hygiene* ; Self Efficacy* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Weights and Measures

A middle-aged female patient showed long-standing multiple or confluent small hyperkeratotic papules on her palms and soles with subsequent development of well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma on the left sole and poorly differentiated pulmonary carcinoma. Arsenic as a possible etiological factor is discussed.
Arsenic ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; Humans

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Scalp* ; Superficial Back Muscles*

Nitric oxide (NO) induces apoptotic cell death in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. To elucidate the roles of SEK1/MKK4, a upstream kinase for both c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) and p38 kinase, on NO-induced apoptosis, we generated clones of RAW 264.7 cells which stably overexpressd kinase inactive SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-Kl) or wild type SEK1 (RAW/SEK1-WT). Treatment of kinase inactive SEK1 transfected RAW 264.7 cells (RAW/SEK1-Kl) with sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO generating agent, significantly decreased the cell viability up to 20% of RAW control cells which were treated with the same amount of SNP. However, RAW/SEK1-WT cells were less susceptible to NO induced apoptosis. For a while, caspase-3 like activity in NO treated RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly increased with parallell to apoptotic death rate. However, caspase1 like activity was not affected by NO in any transfectants. The NO induced apoptosis in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells was significantly prevented by the addition of caspase-3 like inhibitor (N-Ac- DEVD-CHO). In addition, the phosphotransferase activity of JNK1 in NO-treated RAW/SEK1-WT is significantly increased, but not in RAW/SEK1-Kl cells. These results suggest that SEK1 may play anti-apoptotic role in RAW cells from NO-induced apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Clone Cells ; Macrophages ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases