BACKGROUND: Common environmental allergens play a role in the pathogenesis of urticaria via type I hypersensitivity reaction. Changes in the number of eosinophils and serum IgE in circulating blood in various allergic disorders have been reported by several investigators. However, there are only a few reports about the measurement of those numbers according to a clinical type of urticaria. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to measure the peripheral blood eosinophil and serum IgE levels in 514 patients with different types of urticaria. METHOD: We measured the peripheral blood eosinophil and serum IgE levels in 514 patients who visited the Department of Dermatology, Kyungpook National University Hospital from November 1993 to December 1996. Of these patients there were 122 with acute urticaria (23.7%), 160 with chranic urticaria (31.2%), 164 with dermographism (31.9%), 11 with acute urticaria plus dermographism (2.1%) and 57 with chronic urticaria plus dermographism (11.1%).
Allergens ; Dermatology ; Eosinophils* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Research Personnel ; Urticaria*

BACKGROUND: Many physiologic, pharmacologic and immunologic abnormalities were reported in atopic dermatitis but the cause and pathogenesis of the disease remain obscure. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate the systemic immunologic abnormalities in atopic dermatitis. METHOD: To evaluate the cell mediated immunity, me quantified pei ipheral blood T lymphocytes and their subsets, using flow cytometery, and assessed plasma neopteiin levels by means of radioimmunoassay. To evaluate the abnormal humoral immunity, we assessed the serum IgE levels by means of enzyme-immunoassay. RESULTS: Mean proportions of peripheral blood T lymphocytes and, heir subsets in atopic Dermatitis patients were within normal limits. Hut the suppvessor/cytotoxic T lyrphocytes(T8) were significantly decreased in the group of se"ere atopic dermatitis compared with the group of mild atopic dermatitis(P<0.05). Plasma neopterin lervels in the group of atopic dermatitis were found to be significantly elevated as compared vith the control group(P<0.01), but no significant cifference was found between the mild and severe group of atcpic dermatitis(P>0.05). Mean serum IgE levels in the patients with atopic dermatitis were higher than reference value. But there was no significant difference between the mild and severe atopic dermatitis group. Serum IgE levels ivere negatiiely correlated with T8(r=-0.3774, P<0.05) and positively with T4/T8 ratio(r =0.5007, P<0.05). Conclusions : These data;uggest that the atopic der matitis has abr ormalities in cell mediated immunity as well as elevated IgE level.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunoglobulin E ; Neopterin* ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets* ; T-Lymphocytes

We report a case of multiple cutaneous focal mucinosis in a 22 year-old male, who presented with multiple, asymptomatic, nodular lesions on the left upper trunk and left arm which had persisted for about one year. They were 2 to 17 mm in size, firm, yellowish, dome-shaped elevated, slightly movable papules or nodules which were distributed over the area of the left C3-7 and TI-3 sensory dermatomes. The histopathologic findings showed homogeneous mucinous material in the upper dermis. The material was confirmed to be hyaluronic add by, alcian blue stain. Some of the lesions showed improvement with intmlesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide. Such an entity, to the best of our knowledge, has not yet been reported.
Alcian Blue ; Arm ; Dermis ; Humans ; Male ; Mucinoses* ; Mucins ; Triamcinolone Acetonide

Acquired digital fibrokeratomas are uncommon, benign, acquired, firm, more or less hyperkeratotic projections, arising most frequently from the fingers but rarely from the nail beds. We experienced a case of acquired digital fibrokeratoma arising from the nail bed of the left 4th toe in a 20-year-old female.
Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Toes ; Young Adult

We are reporting a case of molluscum contagiosum in a 3-year-old boy who showed a good response to diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) immunotherapy. The lesions were multiple, 2 to 7mm in size, centrally umbilicated, normal skin-colored papules of 7 months' duration which were distributed on the penoscrotal area, extremities and trunk. In spite of several treatments using extraction and curettage, new lesions developed continuously. The patient was sensitized with 0.1ml of 1% DPCP solution in acetone on his right shoulder and there-after challenged with solution of varying concentrations (0.05 to 0.1%) on his left shoulder once or twice a week to maintain a mild eczema. Clinical improvement was noted 1 week after sensitization and almost all of the lesions cleared after 8 week's treatment.
Acetone ; Child, Preschool ; Curettage ; Eczema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Male ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Shoulder

This study was carried out to determine the effect of long term administration of vitamin A on the changes of lipids in liver tissue and serum in rat. The animals were fed with control diet(200 ug/day) and high vitimin A diet(2, 000 ug/day) for 24 weeks. Vitamin A contents of liver in high vitamin A fed rats were increased linearly accordance with duration of the vitamin A administration, but levels of serum vitamin A showed unremarkable changes during the experimental period. Contents of cholesterol and triglycerides of vitarnin A fed rats were significantly higher than those of controls. Levels of HDL-triglycerides in v:itamin A fed rats were significantly higher than those of control rats during experimental period, while levels of HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipids showed unremarkable changes during experimental period. Levels of individual cholesteryl esters showed undremarkable changes during experimental period in both animal groups.
Animals ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol Esters ; Liver* ; Rats* ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

Subepidermal calcified nodule(SCN) is a form of calcinosis cutis which is usually present as a single small, raised, hard nodule with verrucous surface. A 13-year-old girl presented with a 10-month history of a ricegrain-sized, hard, yellowish white papule on both upper eyelids. The lesions were asymptomatic and had increased slowly in size. An excisional biopsy specimen of the left upper eyelid showed acanthosis and narrow pointed rete ridges of the epidermis, and closely aggregated deposition of basophilic material in the uppermost dermis. The material in the dermis did not stain with von Kossa. It was confirmed as calcium deposition by staining with alizarin red S which is far more specific for calcium than the von Kossa stain.
Adolescent ; Basophils ; Biopsy ; Calcinosis ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Eyelids ; Female ; Humans

We report a patient with pachydermoperiostosis accompanied by hypertrophic gastritis. A 26-year-old man showed deep folds and furrows of the face and scalp, and terminal spade-like expansion of fingers and toes. Physical examination revealed no abnormalities except a grotesque appearance. Results of routine laboratory tests were unremarkable. Mild periosteal reactoins of both femurs and humeri were noted on long bone series, and hypertrophic gastritis on fibroscopic examination drew our attention. The relationship between pachydermoperiostosis and hypertrophic gastritis is uncertain. However it is probable that hypertrophic gastritis may be the endodermal counterpart of the ectodermal manifestations of pachydermoperiostosis.
Adult ; Ectoderm ; Endoderm ; Femur ; Fingers ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Humans ; Osteoarthropathy, Primary Hypertrophic* ; Physical Examination ; Scalp ; Toes

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

We report herein a case of vesicular pemphigoid in a 39 year-old female, who had 1 month history of multiple, pruritic vesicles with erythematous maeules on the whole body, especielly on the flexural surface. The histological findings showed subepidermal vesicle which contained many neutrophils. Direct immvnofluorescent study of perilesional skin revealed linear deposits of C along the dermoepidermal junction and indirect immunofluorescent study revealed linear deposits of immunoglobulin G and Cy along the dermoepidermal junction. Initially, dapsone was tried without any benefit but skin lesions were controlled by a combination therapy of prednisolone and cyclphosphamide.
Adult ; Dapsone ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Neutrophils ; Pemphigoid, Bullous* ; Prednisolone ; Skin