The authors studied the plasma cholesterol levels in 39 rats (Sprague-Dawley) after 4 weeks administration of etretinate and/or fish oil. The study groups were as follows.'13 rats recieved etretinate only;13, fish oil only;13, both ertetinate and fish oil. Cholesterol levels were determined by standard enzymatic methodology. The results were as follows. Tot,al-cholesterol levels in rats following administration of ertetinate only were increased(p<0.05), but the levels in rats receiving fish oil only and both etretinate and fish oil were markedly decreased(p<0.01). HDL-cholesterol levels in rats following administration of fish oil and both etretinate and fish oil were decreased(p<0.01). The ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total-cholesterol in rats receiving fish oil only and both etretinate and fish oil were increased(p<0.05) because of markedly decreased total-cholesterol levels.
Acitretin* ; Animals ; Cholesterol* ; Etretinate* ; Plasma* ; Rats*

STUDY DESIGN: Thirteen patients with cervical interlocked facets dislocation in whom closed reduction by skull traction was failed were evaluated about the patterns of ruptured disc fragment. Objects : To evaluate the causes of failure at closed reduction, and the relation between ruptured discs and interlocked facets, and the treatment results through an anterior approach. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In traumatic dislocation of the cervical facet joints, spinal cord or nerve roots injury associated with the ruptured disc fragment has been reported. However, there is few report evaluating the patterns of ruptured disc fragment as a cause of reduction failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1988 and 1997, thirteen patients were treated by anterior fusion with plate after complete removal of the intervertebral disc through anterior approach and reduction of interlocked facets by O1iveira method. They have been followed for an average of 36 months(range : 12-96 months). The interlocking was bilateral in seven cases and unilateral in six cases. We assessed the types of ruptured disc fragment by preoperative MRI and CT and the clinical and radiological results. RESULTS: Ruptured disc fragment was found in all thirteen patients with interlocked facets dislocation. The patterns of ruptured discs were within the uncovertebral joints in 5 cases, posterioly under the posterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases, anteriorly under intact anterior longitudinal ligament in 3 cases and combined under the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligament in 2 cases. The displacement of ruptured disc fragment were seemed to be the cause of failure in closed reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Intervertebral disc injury should be evaluated carefully with MRI and CT in the lower cervical interlocked facet dislocations before trial of reduction or decision makings of treatment.
Dislocations* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Joints ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Skull ; Spinal Cord ; Spine* ; Traction ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Etretinate is a synthetic retinoic acid which has been reported effective in hyperkeratotic disorders. Recently, it has also been tried, on a limited number, for the treatment of viral wart. A 33-year-old male patient presented with multiple, tender, confluent, verrucous lesions on the scalp, both hands and feet of 4 years duration. Before coming to us, he had been treated with intralesional injection of bleomycin and electrodesiccation with little effect. We started etretinate therapy in a daily dose of 70mg(1mg /kg). After 3 weeks treatment, most of his skin lesions were flattened and softened: but an abrupt elevation of serum aminotransferases was noticed, which was normalized soon after cessation of medication. Unfortunately, the drug stop page aggravated most of skin lesions. After two weeks of withdrawal we started again the drug in a daily dose of 30mg and observed a good response without hepatic dysfunction.
Acitretin* ; Adult ; Bleomycin ; Etretinate* ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Male ; Scalp ; Skin ; Transaminases ; Tretinoin ; Warts*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Insemination* ; Pregnancy*

BACKGROUNDS: A splenectomy is often performed simultaneously with a total gastrectomy for lymph node dissection in gastric cancer. The therapeutic value of a splenectomy in a curative total gastrectomy is controversial. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the impact of a splenectomy combined with a total gastrectomy on the survival and the postoperative morbidity in gastric cancer. METHODS: From among 343 patients with total gastrectomy for gastric cancer between September 1983 and December 1996, we analyzed 237 patients who underwent a curative resection : 107 patients with a splenectomy and 130 patients without a splenectomy. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the patients with and without a splenectomy with regard to type of cancer, tumor size, and depth of invasion. In those who underwent a splenectomy, the tumor was larger, Borrman type III lesions were more frequent, the depth of invasion was greater, and an advanced stage was more frequent. The 5-year survival rate of the patients with a splenectomy was insignificantly less than that of those without splenectomy (50.6% vs. 57.7%, P> 0.05). There was no significant difference in the survival time according to the stage. Postoperative complications occurred more commonly in the patients of a splenectomy than those without a splenectomy (22.4% vs. 14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that a splenectomy did not affect the prognosis for patients with gastric cancer and that efforts should be made to preserve the spleen during a gastrectomy. A prospective study should be done to better define the relationship between a splenectomy and the survival time of patients with gastric cancer.
Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spleen ; Splenectomy* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

Kerion celsi caused by Trichophyton(T.) rubrum is rare endemically and there has been no report of it in Korean literatures. We report a case of karion celsi caused by T. rubrum in a 71-year-old male, who showed anindurated, swollen, boggy mass exuding pus on the right parietal scalp for about 7 weeks. The colonies and microconidia were identified as T. rubrum by fungus culture in potato dextrose agar. After administration of itraconazole for 11 weeks, the lesion was healed and the regrowing of new hairs was observed.
Adult* ; Agar ; Aged ; Fungi ; Glucose ; Hair ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Male ; Rabeprazole ; Scalp ; Solanum tuberosum ; Suppuration ; Tinea Capitis* ; Trichophyton*

No abstract available.
Lymphangioma, Cystic*

No abstract available.
Islets of Langerhans* ; Pheochromocytoma*

Venous hemangioma is a vascular tumor that has been reported by such diverse names as; "cirsoid aneurysm", "arteriovenous hemangioma", "acral arteriovenous tumor" according to the author's opinions of its origin and histopathologic classification. It is benign and rarely biopsied, and it is also rarely reported in dermatology literature. We present two cases of venous hemangioma. The first case was a 64-year-old man who was presented with an elliptical dark-red plaque with overlying several grouped papules on the left periorbital area which had been present for 7 years. The second case was a 56-year-old man who was presented with a single red papule on the right postauricular area which had been present for 4 months. Histopathologically, there were a well-circumscribed proliferation of thick-walled muscle-containing blood vessels in the dermis. Intermingled with the thick-walled blood vessels, there were also thin-walled dilated blood vessels. In both cases, the thick-walled blood vessels resembled arteries, but they lacked elastic fibers on the Verhoeff van Gieson stain.
Arteries ; Blood Vessels ; Classification ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Hemangioma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: Although one hair usually arises from a single follicular opening in normal healthy subjects, we can see two or more hairs emerging from the single opening through close inspection. The latter is called "compound hair", described by Lowenthal in 1946, however, few reports on this have been made since. Histopatholoigcally two or more hairs which have an independant external root sheath arise from one follicular opening like its clinical appearance. We examined the distribution and density of compound hair in order to define its difference according to anatomical sites and aging process. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: We counted the number of hairs in the circle(2 cm in diameter) at te frontal, temporal and occipital scalp of 24 old young men(22.5+/-2.0 years old) and 24 old men(64.4+/-12.9 years old), respectively. RESULTS: The summated number of grouped hair, which was mostly regarded at compound hair, was greater in the young group than in old group in the frontal area, but was smaller in young group than in old group in from the temporal and occipital areas. The proportion of grouped hair to total hair in the older group was lower in the frontal area, but higher in the temporal and occipital areas(p<0.05, p<0.01) according to aging process, however, no significant change was seen between the frontal area and the sum of single hair to compound hair was significantly decreased in the temporal and occipital areas(p<0.05, p<0.01) according to aging process, however, no significant change was seen between the frontal area and the sum of the three tested areas. CONCLUSION: Compound hairs are observed frequently on the scalp of normal healthy subjects and are most frequently seen on the occipital scalp in both of the young and old.
Aging ; Hair* ; Scalp* ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous