Forty-two volunteers with recurrent herpes simplex virus infections were entolled in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of topical Ginseng saponin ointment. Ten percent Ginseng saponin in a water-micible ointment base was applied. 3 times daily until crust formation on 42 patients. As control hydrophilic ointment was applied 3 times daily on 10 patients. Auther compared the length of time required for the herpetic vesicles to form crust in these two groups. The time required in the group treated with Ginseng saponin for crust formation was 21.9+/-10.29 hours. In the control group it was 58.2+/-23.64 hours(P<0.01). There was no untoward effect to Ginseng saponin ointment. The Ginseng saponin ointment seems to be one of the best topieal antiviral agents in the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex virus infections.
Antiviral Agents ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Panax* ; Saponins* ; Simplexvirus* ; Volunteers

The idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum (Shapiro, 1970) is usually multiple, asymtomatic nodules of the scrotal skin which begins m childhood or early adult life, increase in the size and numbers, and sometimes breakdown to discharge chalky contents. Clinically they are most often misdiagnosed as cysts. The forty eight years old male patient visited our hospital on Oct. 14, 1980, because of multiple asymtomatic scrotal masses which are pin head to walnut sized. There is no family history of calcification, scrotal or otherwise. Histology shows naked amorphous masses in the dermis without any evidence of residual cysts, and is acicular clefts in the masses. Most of the tumors were surgically removed in 5 sessions.
Adult ; Calcinosis* ; Dermis ; Head ; Humans ; Juglans ; Male ; Scrotum* ; Skin

The recent discovery of plasmid derived beta-lactamase production by N. gonorrhoeae has changed the outlook of treatment of gonococcal infections and may well become the single most important factor in gonorrhoea control. Penicillinase is a beta-lactamase that splits the beta-lactam ring of penicillin hetween the C and N atoms to form penicilloic acids. We have been trying to assess the prevalence of PPNG in Korea since May 1980. We report here 7 strains of beta-lactamase producing N. gonorrhoae detected by chrornogenic cephalosporin method from Jan. 1981 to Mar. 1981 at the Joong Ku puhlic health center in Seoul. In January, I strain (l.3%); February, 2 strains (5.0%); and March, 4 strains .(6 4%) have been isolated. All restrains were confirmed by sugar feriventation test. Previously only one strain of PPNG had been reported among Korean laymen. The sudden appearance of PPNG among Korean laymen in 1981 may mean the barruer between U.S. Army enc1aves and Korean public has been broken recently and/or direct irnport of PPNG frorn abroad especially from South East Asia.

Seventeen volunteers with cutaneous dermatophytosis were enrolled in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of oral ketoconazole. The group included six patients with tinea cruris(6 malcs), four with tinea corporis, including one with tinea faciai, (3 males, 1 female), three with tinea versicolor(3 males) and four with tinea capitis(3 males, 1 female). The oral ketoconazole was taken within 10 minutes after a meal. The patients under the age of 10 received 100mg of ketoconazole per day, whereas those aged over 11 received 200mg of ketoconazole until the skin lesions are cured. Seventeen patients had complete clinical and mycologic cure, one responded clinically. It required one to four weeks to become culturally negative for tinea cruris, four to seven weeks for tinea corporis, three to eight weeks for tinea capitis. For tinea versicolor it required three to five weeks to become negative by scotch tape method. Adverse reactions to ketoconazole were absent and no patients required discontinuation of the drug. The results indicate that ketoconazole is a safe and effective drug for the treatment of dermatophytosis.
Humans ; Ketoconazole* ; Male ; Meals ; Skin ; Tinea Capitis ; Tinea Versicolor ; Tinea* ; Volunteers