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

A case of tonic pupil in a 32 years-old Korean male has been reported. This is a rare disease and hitherto it is not reported in Korea. A brief review of literatures has also been described.
Adult ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Tonic Pupil*

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*

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*

Ganglioneruroblastoma and neuroblastoma are among commonest types of childhood malignancy and a number of unique paraneoplastic syndromes have associated with both localized and disseminated neuroblastoma. The coincidence of neuroblastoma and myoclonic encephalopathy or other paraneoplastic syndromes occurs relatively rare, and therefore, failure to recognize this association could result in delays in both diagnosis and treatment, and the result could prove to be unfortunately fatal. The mechanism which underlies the remote damaging effect of neural crest tumor, especially neuroblastoma, on the nervous system resulting in myoclonic encephalopathy is by no means clear. In addition the nature and the extent of the pathologic lesion are inconsistent. We experienced a case of myoclonic encephalopathy associated with an occult mediastinal ganglioneuroblastoma in a 22-month-old girl who was hospitalized for inability to walk without support and tilting of the head to the left side. She became increasingly ataxic, and during the hospitalization myoclonic jerks of upper extremities and head along with chaotic, rapidly flickering, multidirectional spontaneous eye movements, were noted. Laboratory data included normal complete blood count, urinalysis, BUN and creatinine, electrolytes and bone marrow. Chest X-ray and chest CT revealed a relatively well marginated right posterior mediastinal mass. In a 24 hours urine excretion test, VMA and catecholamines were increased. Over the next 2 weeks, a surgical exploration revealed a right posterior mediastinal mass. Microscopically the mass proved to be a ganglioneuroblastoma, extending to right innominate artery and right axillary lymph nodes. Within 2 weeks after the surgery, radiotherapy (2,400 rads) and chemotherapy (CTX, DTIC, VCR) were started, but corticosteroid was not used. She has been free of tumor and abnormal neurological systemic symptoms and signs for 1 1/2 year since the completion of chemotherapy. In the 3 1/2 years follow-up period, her neurologic symptoms has completely resolved by the completion of 2 years chemotherapy. We report a case of mycoclonic encephalopathy associated with hidden ganglioneuroblastoma in 22-month-old girl.
Blood Cell Count ; Bone Marrow ; Brachiocephalic Trunk ; Catecholamines ; Creatinine ; Dacarbazine ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Electrolytes ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic* ; Eye Movements ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglioneuroblastoma* ; Head ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infant ; Lymph Nodes ; Myoclonus ; Nervous System ; Neural Crest ; Neuroblastoma ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes* ; Radiotherapy ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Upper Extremity ; Urinalysis

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