Atopic dermatitis is one of the common dermatoses characterized by its chronicity with an uncertain prognosis and usually occurs in patients with a personal or familial history of atopy. There is a dearth of information on the incidence and clinical manifestation of atopic dermatitis in Korea. This study was aimed to elucidate the relative frequency of atopic dermatitis on the hospital base during 1973~1981 period, and to investigate the clinical manifestation hy analysing 333 patients with atopic dermatitis seen from March, 1981 to July, 1982 at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hoapital. (countinued..)
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Skin Diseases

BACKGROUND: Trauma is the third leading cause of death, irrespective of age, and the leading cause of death in persons under 40 years of age. Computed tomography (CT) is an effective technique in the initial emergent evaluation of the abdomen and head following blunt trauma. Most chest indies are not seen on conventional chest radiography, or may be underestimated. But routine use of CT in the initial emergent evaluation of chest trauma is controversial. CT, however, has been shown to be useful in the diagnosis of unsuspected chest injuries and in directing therapeutic interventions. This review discusses the efficacy of emergent CT in patients with blunt trauma on the chest. METHODS: To evaluate the efficacy of CT of the thorax, a retrospective study comparing early thoracic CT scanning with initial chest roentgenogram(CXR) was carried out on 121 patients with blunt trauma on the chest. The interval between CXR and CT was less than 1 hour. RESULTS: Among 121 patients, 42 patients had normal initial chest roentgenogram in whom 19 patients showed normal CT findings. Sensitivities of diagnosing pneumothorax and pleural effusion by CXR were low (49.3%and 45.1%respectively), whereas 65.7% (44/67) of patients had thoracostomy only by CXR. CONCLUSIONS : Although sometimes abused in patients with chest trauma, CT of the thorax is an effective method of detecting thoracic injuries and provides accurate information regarding their pattern and extent in the initial emergent diagnosis.
Abdomen ; Cause of Death ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Head ; Humans ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumothorax ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracostomy ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We experience a case of plexiform neurofibroma in a 10-year-old girl who had unusual giant pigmentation and multiple skcletal abnormalities including pectus cariimtum. Histologic examination of the lesion taken from right upper arm permitted a diagnosis of plexiform neurofibroma.
Arm ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform* ; Pigmentation*

We experience a case of plexiform neurofibroma in a 10-year-old girl who had unusual giant pigmentation and multiple skcletal abnormalities including pectus cariimtum. Histologic examination of the lesion taken from right upper arm permitted a diagnosis of plexiform neurofibroma.
Arm ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform* ; Pigmentation*

Positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[F-18]-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) was performed in ninteen patients who had benign musculoskeletal tumors in order to determine if there was a relationship between histologic grade of tumor and FDG uptake of tumor. These patients had been evaluated previously with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or both. The diagnoses were confirmed with incisional or excisional biopsy or by radiographic follow-up. Generally high-grade tumors had significantly greater uptake of FDG than low-grade lesions . Benign lesions such as giant cell tumor, fibrous dysplasia, and osteofibrous dysplasia showed significant elevation of SUV (Standardized Uptake Value) above 4.0. On the contrary. The current studies suggest the utility of FDG-PET imaging as an adjunct to CT or MR imaging in the evaluation of benign tumors. And results of PET suggest benign tumors with high SUV are histologically active lesion and tend to be locally aggressive.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Electrons* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography

In this experiment, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 100mg/kg of alltrans retinoic acid at 10th day of gestation. Pregnant rats were sacrificed at gestation day 14, 15, 16 and 18. Fetuses were delivered, and palatal processes were dissected. The specimens were prepared with fibronectin immunohistochemical stain, and mesenchymal changes were observed with electron microscope. The results were as follows. 1. In the findings fo fibronectin immunohistochemial stain, a part of the mesenchyme of the palatine process of the control group showed weak positive reaction at 14th gestation day, and the reactivity increased progressively by each day. In retinoic acid treated group, the positive reaction was trace at 14th day of gestation, and the reactivity increased progressively, but it was weaker than that of the control group. 2. Examination under transmission electron microscopy revealed well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, Goigi apparatus, mitochondrias which were found at the palatine process of the control group. In the retinoic acid treated group, at 16th and 18th day of gestation, the mesenchymal cells of the elevated palatine process had fragmented, sacculated rough endoplasmic reticulums, their mitochondrias were swollen and dissolved, In all cases with retinoic acid treated group, mitotic cells at various stages were more frequently found than in control group. In conclusion, the retinoic acid induces alterations of the intracytoplasmic organells. This finding suggests that retinoic acid is ditectly cytotoxic to mesenchymal cells. Positive fibronectin reaction was demonstrated before palatal elevation at th 15th day of gestation. Therefore, it could be postulated that mesenchymal cells synthesize and release the fibronectin. In the retinoic acid treated group, fibronectin showed positive reaction before and after palatal elevation, and it suggests that fibronectin would be involved in palatal elevation.
Animals ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Fetus ; Fibronectins ; Mesoderm* ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Mitochondria ; Pregnancy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tretinoin*

PURPOSE: This study is to assess the occurence rate, severity, and duration of the back pain after lumbar puncture. METHODS: The occurence rate, severity and duration of the back pain that developed after lumbar puncture were recorded prospectively in patients with aseptic meningitis who had been admitted to the department of Pediatrics, St. Benedict Hospital in Pusan, from May 1993 to July 1993. The cases with traumatic taps, repeated taps, undelying diseases and age group below 2 year were excluded. The overall number of cases included in this study was 136. RESULTS: 1) In the 136 patients, back pain was developed in 53 cases (39.0%) after lumbar puncture and mean age of 53 cases was 5.4+/-2.8 years and male to female ratio was 1.4:1. 23 cases (16.9%) were mild, 17 cases (12.5%) were moderate and 13 cases (9.6%) were severe. 2) On each age group, the incidence of back pain was as followed : These were 21 patients (38.9%) out of 54 cases in group 1 (2-4 yrs), 22 patients (37.3%) out of 59 cases in group 2 (5-8 yrs) and 10 patients (43.5%) out of 23 cases in group 3 (9-12yrs). After lumbar puncture, there were no significant correlations between occurence rate of back pain and age groups. 3) The mean intervals between onset of back pain and lumbar puncture were 0.5 day in 8 patients, 0.5-1.0 day in 25 patients (47.2%), 1.0-1.5 days in 12 patients (22.6%), and 1.5-2.0 days in 4 patients. 4) The mean duration of the back pain was 2.4+/-1.3 days, and 1.4+/-0.8 days in mild pain group, 2.9+/-1.2 days in moderate pain group and 3.3+/-1.2 days in severe pain group. The mean duration of the back pain was significantly longer in moderate and severe pain groups than mild pain group (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In the patient with aseptic meningitis, occurence rate of the back pain after lumbar puncture was 39.0%. All back pain were subsided within six days after onset of pain.
Back Pain* ; Busan ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Meningitis, Aseptic* ; Pediatrics ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Puncture*

This study was designed to observe more closely about clinical course, complication, predilection site of skin eruption and associated diseases with herpes zoster. Total 122 cases of herpes zoster were prospectively observed from April 1986 to July 1987. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The ineidence of herpes zoster versus the total number of outpatients was 20.6%. There was no difference in sex ratio of male(52.5%) to female(47.5%). 2. Herpes zoster was observed most frequently in the 50-59 year age group (25.4%). 3. There were no marked monthly or seasonal difference in herpes zoster without an explosive outbreak or an epidemic cycle. 4, We found that 68 cases(55.7%) were associated with underlying diseases : the most common disease was hypertension(23 cases), the next one was malignsncy(10 cases), namely, lung cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, other malignant lymphoma, leukemia and mediastinal mass, and the other diseases were tuberculosis of intenal organs, diabetes mellitus, hepatic diseases, cardiac diseases, chronic pulmonary diseases, cord injury, gastric ulcer, brain damage, burn, renal diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and measles. 5. It was suggested that the distributuon of skin lesion were related to dermatome. The incidence of skin lesion was distributuon in the following region in order : T5-T8(25.4%), C6-T4(24.6%), Cl-C5(20.5%), Ll-S3(13.9%), Vl-V3 (12.3%), and T9-T12(3.3%), there was involvement of the entire thoracic dermatome(C6-T12) in 65 cases(53.3%). A great many cases of malignancy, chronic pulmonary disease, cardiac disease, tuberculosis and gastric ulcer were most frequently distributed in the thoracie dermatome, but the involvement of ophthalmic dermatome was found only in the patients with hypertension. 6. The most common complication was postherpetic neuralgia for 31 cases(25.4%) with the highest frequency in 60's(32.3%). Other complications were ophthalmic complication, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, secondary bacterial infection, moter nerve involvement, difficulty of urination, and recurrent herpes zoster.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Bacterial Infections ; Brain ; Burns ; Chronic Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Heart Diseases ; Herpes Zoster* ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Leukemia ; Lung Diseases ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymphoma ; Measles ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Outpatients ; Prospective Studies ; Seasons ; Sex Ratio ; Skin ; Stomach Ulcer ; Tuberculosis ; Urination

Pneumomediastinum is a relatively uncommon, infrequently reported entity, In the evaluation of these entity, it is important to exclude pathological causes, including Boerhaave's syndrome which carries a high mortality. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is related to excessive intraalveolar pressure leading to rupture of perivascular alveoli in the setting of a Valsalva maneuver without communication to gut material. So, it has a benign self-limited course and rarely requires medical intervention. On the contrary, secondary pneumomediastinum caused by instrumental, traumatic, and spontaneous perforation of esophagus. Although the prognosis have been improved since the advent of broad-spectrum antibiotics and nutritional support, pneumomediastinum due to esophageal perforation still has a high morbidity and mortality. The most important prognostic factor is the time interval between perforation and initiation of therapy, and an awareness and a high clinical suspicion is critical in the early diagnosis and treatment. Recently, we have experienced 2 cases of pneumomediastinum, one case was spontaneous pneumomediastinum and the other may be caused by instrumental esophageal perforation. We report the clinical course of the patients with a current literature review.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Early Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation ; Esophagus ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Mortality ; Nutritional Support ; Prognosis ; Rupture ; Valsalva Maneuver

Hyperglycemia has been noted to occur in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with hypothermia. Because even moderate hyperglycemia during cerebral ischemia may predispose patients to an increased risk of neurologic deficit, the authors wished to determine whether the large dosage of fentanyl might contribute significantly to the decrease in blood glucose, The authors examined 20 infants who underwent cardiac surgery with small dosage of fentanyl(Group I, n= l0) or large dosage of fentanyl (Group II, n=10), none of whom received dextrose in the clear cardiopulmonary bypass pump prime, maintenance iv fluids, or cardioplegic solution. Blood samples were obtained after induction, during cardiopulmonary by-pass, after cardiopulmonary bypass and after operation. There was no hypoglycemia during the entire surgical periods in all patients. During cardio-pulmonary bypass in group I and group II, after cardiopulmonary bypass, after operation in group II, blood glucose levels were significantly decreased compared with after induction values(p<0.05). Compared with group L the rates of changes from the values after induction were significant during cardiopulmonary bypass and after operation in group II(p<0.05). In conclusion, large dosage of fentanyl is valuable in control the hyperglycemia during open heart surgery in infants.
Blood Glucose* ; Brain Ischemia ; Cardioplegic Solutions ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Fentanyl ; Glucose ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypoglycemia ; Hypothermia ; Infant* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Thoracic Surgery*