Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. CMV can cause pneumonia, retinitis, gastrointestinal ulcers, and widely disseminated disease, but cutaneous CMV is rare. We report two cases of cutaneous CMV infection presenting as perianal ulcers. A 54 year-old male who had liver transplantation and a 72-year-old male, who was treated with chemotherapy for angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, presented with perianal ulcers and had systemic symptoms of CMV infection with CMV antigenemia. They had multiple ulcerations with erythematous bases on the perianal area, and histopathologic examinations showed large atypical cytomegalic cells in the dermis, and immunohistochemical stains, with the anti-CMV antibody showed positive reactions.
Aged ; Coloring Agents ; Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Dermis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host* ; Liver Transplantation ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Male ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Retinitis ; Ulcer

Cutaneous pilar leiomyomas are benign, often painful, smooth muscle tumors that usually present as red-brown nodules. They are usually multiple and commonly found on the extensor aspects of the arm, trunk, and face. Multiple lesions may be grouped or widespread. They are rarely distributed in a linear fashion or seem to follow a dermatome. We report a 54-year-old woman with multiple pilar cutaneous leiomyomas distributed in a zosteriform pattern on her right trunk.
Arm ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Middle Aged ; Smooth Muscle Tumor

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma*

No abstract available.
Arteritis* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Nephritis*

Pseudocyst of the auricle presents as a non-inflammatory, fluctuant swelling on the upper half or third section of the ear, due to intracartilaginous accumulation of fluid. Histological examination shows an intracartilaginous cavity without an epithelial lining. The etilogy and pathogenesis of this disorder remains unknown, but the lesion is likely to be due to localized de-generation of cartilage. The degenerated cartilage is replaced by a vascular fibrous tissue from which there is serious exudation, and a clinical cystic swelling is formed. We describe in this report three cases of pseudocyst of the auricle, of which one was treated successfully by surgical excision and a pressure dressing, and the others by aspiration and steroid injection therapy. In all cases, the skin lesions had not recurred, and the patients were left with an excellent cosmetic result.
Bandages ; Cartilage ; Ear ; Humans ; Skin

Generalized plane xanthoma is less common and usually involves the eyelids, lateral side of the neck, upper trunk, and extremities. Lesions, however, may appear on any portion of the body. Cutaneous xanthomas may occur in hyperlipidemic and in normolipidemic states. Generalized normolipidemic plane xanthoma is often associated with multiple myeloma, other reticulo-endothelial malignancies and monoclonal gammopathy with unknown significance(MGUS). We wish to report two eases of generalized plane xanthoma associated with IgG monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance.
Extremities ; Eyelids ; Immunoglobulin G ; Multiple Myeloma ; Neck ; Paraproteinemias* ; Xanthomatosis*

The use of artificial skins for full thickness wounds is an accepted technique, but unfortunately the take rate is low and the aesthetical result is not acceptable. The freeze-drying treatment of allogenic tissues can destroy cells with preserving the structural organization of extracellular matrices, permitting allogenic transplantation. In this study we investigated a new method to process the allogenic skin for transplantable allogenic dermis and this dermis was evaluated in a full thickness wound model. The results are as followings; 1. After treatment with NaCl and SDS solution and then with freeze-drying method, the allogenic dermis shows acellular dermal matrix with preserved normal extracellular matrix. 2. This allogenic dermis became completely incorporated into the wound without evidence of rejection or replacement by scar tissue. 3. The take rate of thin autografts overlying the allogenic dermis that were applied simultaneously was comparable to take rate of autograft alone. 4. The reduction in secondary contraction by allogenic dermis treated wounds was significant. 5. After grafting with cultured keratinocytes, the degree of epithelial coverage was 70% at 2 weeks. In conclusion, the allogenic dermis processed with our method displayed lack of antigenicity, and rapid revascularization. This allogenic dermis can permit simultaneous engraftment of an overlying STSG or cultured kerationocytes, reduce secondary contraction and improve cosmesis of full thickness wounds.
Acellular Dermis ; Autografts ; Cicatrix ; Dermis* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Keratinocytes ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Transplants ; Wounds and Injuries*

We evaluated the effect of the pregnane X receptor agonist, pregnenolone 16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN) on the expression levels of plasma monoamine transporter (PMAT) in the intestine. Male C57/BL6 mice were divided into two 2 groups: mice in the PCN group (n=3) were administered PCN once a day for 4 days, while those in the control group (n=3) received the same volume of vehicle once a day for 4 days. After the mice were killed 24 h after administration of the last dose of PCN or vehicle, and the expression levels of PMAT in the intestine tissues were isolated and measured the expression level of PMAT using immunohistochemical and western blotting analyses. The expression level of PMAT expression levels in the small intestine increased after PCN treatment. These results suggest that the induction of PMAT may play a clinically significant role by increasing intestinal absorption of PMAT substrates such as metformin.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Membrane* ; Humans ; Intestinal Absorption ; Intestine, Small ; Intestines ; Male ; Metformin ; Mice ; Plasma ; Pregnenolone Carbonitrile

BACKGROUND: The number of patients of doxylamine overdose has increased, but there were little clinical reports. The purpose of this study is review the patients of doxylamine overdose for aid clinical decision making of patients disposition. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients who ingested doxylamine succinate retrospectively from Jan. 1, 1996 to Dec. 31. 1996. Data that was recorded were followed: age, sex, psychiatric history, amounts of ingestion, time interval from ingestion to arrival to hospital, initial vital signs and symptoms, EKG, chest PA, Lab. findings, treatment, patients disposition, length of hospital stay, complication. RESULTS : 1) Total number of patients was ninety and average dosage of ingestion was 1062mg. 2) Tachycardia was the most frequent anticholinergic symptom(46%). 3) Routine lab. findings was not abnormal except one patient who was diagnosed as Rhabdomyolysis. 4) Gut decontamination was performed in patients who had arrived at hospital in 2-3 hours, and who had ingested large dose of drug. 5) Five patients were admitted to Psychiatric dept. and one patient was admitted to emergency dept. for treatment of rhabdomyolysis. 6) The mean duration of hospital stay was 6.5 hours. CONCLUSION: The patients who ingested overdose of doxylamine was managed safely in emergency department, but we should warn against the possibility of rhabdomyolysis.
Decision Making ; Decontamination ; Doxylamine* ; Eating ; Electrocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Succinic Acid* ; Tachycardia ; Thorax ; Vital Signs

Transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (THAE) is one of the treatment modalities that can be applied to hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and metastatic tumors of the liver. Complications such as cholecystitis and gallbladder necrosis, are common with THAE, but liver and peripheral bile duct necrosis are rare, and intrahepatic stones with main bile duct necrosis have never been reported. To prevent intrahepatic spread during operative manupulation and to decrease the vascularity and size of the tumor, we performed a THAE on a huge-sized HCC five times before performing the hepatectomy. We succesfully undertook a right lobectomy after the THAE with lipiodol, gelform, and adriamycin. However, severe bile duct stricture and intrahepatic stones were confirmed during the operation.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholecystitis ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Doxorubicin ; Ethiodized Oil ; Gallbladder ; Hepatectomy ; Liver ; Necrosis