BACKGROUND: Suction auto epidermal graft for the treatment of stable vitiligo has become popular clinically. In general, depigmented epidermis is removed by liquid nitrogen freezing for preparation of the recipient site. There have been some problems with the nitrogen freezing method, uneven repigmentation, appearance of Koebner's phenomenon on normal colored skin around the graft site, scar formation on recipients sites. In our view these resulted in unwanted damage to the dermis and epidermal and skin appendageal melanocytes of normal skin by freezing. OBJECTIVE: To introduce a method to remove the depigmented epidermis of recipient site with minimal unwanted damage to melanocytes and dermal tissue. METHODS: Using Ellman surgitron, irradiation equipment of 3.8MHz frequency the depigmented epidermis was removed with a blade electrode under rated electric power around 10 watts depending on the thickness of the epidermis. Operating mode was fully filtered current for minimal charring and destruction of tissue through pure micro-smooth cutting. RESULTS: In the case of removal of the epidermis with Ellman surgitron, oozing and inflammation decreased markedly compared with those applied with liquid nitrogen. And it was confirmed histopathologically that there was no significant unwanted destruction of healthy tissue. Moreover, the electrode of Ellman surgitron is designed to be apt to trace the margin of depigmented lesion. And Ellman surgitron features a continuously linear intensity setting for precise, predictable control to minimize tissue destruction and charring. So we were able to remove the epidermis of the shallow lesion looking like a pseudopod and of the thinnest part of the body like eyelid also. And we grafted normal epidermis successfully on the depigmented lesion. CONCLUSION: The removal of depigmented epidermis by radio-frequency gave satisfactory results in the suction auto epidermal graft by overcoming the defects shown as depigmented epidermis which were removed by liquid nitrogen freezing. And this method made patients comfortable because of less pain, a one day operation procedure and good results.
Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Electrodes ; Epidermis* ; Eyelids ; Freezing ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Melanocytes ; Nitrogen ; Skin ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Trout ; Vitiligo

BACKGROUND: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is an uncommon but distinctive tumor. Definitive diagnosis requires biopsy of the lesion and immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemical study using anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibodies may be helpful for differentiating EMPD from other similar skin lesions and primary EMPD from pagetoid spread of underlying regional internal malignancy (secondary EMPD). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify clinical findings, histopathologic features and immunohistochemical characteristics of EMPD. METHODS: The twelve cases diagnosed as EMPD at our institution over ten years were included. Clinical records and pathology slides of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. Immunohistochemical stains for CK7, CK20, CEA, EMA, PSA, GCDFP15 and mucin stains such as PAS, d-PAS, alcian blue (pH 2.5) were done using paraffin blocks. RESULTS: 1. In most cases, EMPD developed on the scrotum of senile male patients. 2. In the pathologic findings, Paget cells were observed from the epidermis only in 2 cases, from the epidermis and intradermal skin appendages in 7 cases and from the dermis in 3 cases. 3. In all cases except for the single case associated with a transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, there were histochemical findings of alcian blue-, PAS- and immunohistochemical findings of CK7+, CK20-, CEA+, EMA+. 4. In the single case associated with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, there were histochemical findings of alcian blue-, PAS- and immunohistochemical findings of CK7+, CK20+, CEA-, EMA-. CONCLUSION: The combination of CK7 and CK20 demonstrates these to be useful markers in distinguising primary EMPD from a pagetoid spread of extracutaneous malignancies. Namely, immunophenotypes other than CK7+/CK20- in Paget cells suggest underlying regional internal malignancy.
Male ; Humans ; Biopsy

Nutraceuticals link nutrition with medicine. They cover dietary supplements, functional foods, and medical foods. The definition of functional foods is the foods that promote health and possibly prevention and curing of certain diseases, in addition to basic nutritional supplementation. This concept is becoming popular with consumers because of a heightened awareness of the link between health and food and nutrition. Food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies are enthusiastic about developing functional foods because their global market is growing very rapidly. In this article the authors overview the trends and current developments in the markets of functional foods, especially of USA, Europe, Japan, and Korea. The market shares of USA, Europe, and Japan cover more than 85% of the world functional food market. Dietary supplements including vitamin/minerals, herb and phytochemicals also keep growing. We expect a variety of functional foods will play an important role to promote the human health and to create new medical markets in the future.
Dietary Supplements ; Europe ; Functional Food* ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Phytochemicals

Transepidermal elimination (TE) is a spontaneously developed phenomenon in certain skin disorders in which altered connective tissue or foreign material is expelled via epidermis to the exterior. TE may occur either as a primary process such as elastosis perforans serpiginosa and reactive perforating collagenosis, or a secondary phenomenon, such as perforating granuloma annulare and pseudoxanthoma elasticum. We experienced a case of eccrine poroma on the scalp with keratinized tumor cells expelled through transpeidermal cannal microscopically.

The authors presented an unusual case of an occipital artery aneurysm which developed spontaneously. The patient was a 41-year-old woman who suffered from the sudden onset of right hemiparesis and slurred speech. Computerized tomography scans of the brain demonstrated an intracerebral hemorrhage in the left parietal lobe. The carotid angiography revealed an incidental saccular aneurysm in the left occipital artery. The aneurysm was not treated because the patient's relatives refused operation and there were no subjective complaints by the patient. Certain particularities of this lesion are discussed in the context of the literature.
Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Arteries* ; Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Female ; Humans ; Paresis ; Parietal Lobe

The histology of herpes virus infection of the skin is characterized as an intraepidermal vesicle formed as the result of acantholysis and ballooning degeneration of kerationocytes. Dermal changes is limited to polymorphous inflammatory cells infiltrate, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and herpetic folliculitis. Involvement of eccrine epithelium is very rare finding. We report two cases of herpes zoster with prominent viral infection of the eccrine sweat glands.
Acantholysis ; Eccrine Glands ; Epithelium ; Folliculitis ; Herpes Zoster ; Skin ; Sweat Glands ; Vasculitis

Almost all cases of acute methanol intoxication result from ingestion. Absorption of methanol following oral administration is rapid and peak concentration occurs within 30-60 min. Foromic acid converted metabolites of methanol are responsible for its toxic effect. Methanol poisoning typically induces nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and mild central nervous system depression. Then there is a latent period lasting, followed by an uncompensated metabolic acidosis and visual dysfunction, depending on the dose of methanol ingested. Here we report on three patients who were victims of methanol intoxication due to ingestion of windshield washer fluid, which was misidentified as an alcoholic beverage. One patient had a mild form, which included abdominal discomfort, another patient had a moderate case, which included nausea, vomiting, and acidosis, and the other patient had severe acidosis and altered mentality and visual dysfunction. Except one case of visual dysfunction, all three patients recovered successfully following medical treatment and hemodialysis.
Abdominal Pain ; Absorption ; Acidosis ; Administration, Oral ; Alcoholic Beverages ; Alcoholics ; Central Nervous System ; Depression ; Eating ; Humans ; Methanol ; Nausea ; Renal Dialysis ; Vomiting

A patient with cutaneous sarcoidosis was treated with thalidomide for steroid unresponsive sarcoidal granulomas of the skin. The duration of the therapy was 16 weeks, during which time, the skin lesions showed clinically and histologically improvement. The initial dosage was 50mg a day, which was increased to 100mg a day after 5 weeks. No side effect was noted. The good response of sarcoidal granulomas of the skin to thalidomide observed in this patient demonstrates the usefulness of this drug as a possible long-term monotherapeutic or steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of cutaneous sarcoidosis.
Granuloma ; Humans ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin ; Thalidomide*

BACKGROUND: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has been described as an important candidate for mediation of neurotoxicity after brain ischemia. This study was purposed to evaluate the effects of a PARP inhibitor on hypoxic-ischemic injury in the neonatal rat brain. In this study, a highly potent inhibitor of PARP, 3, 4-Dihydro-5-[4-(1-piperidinyl) butoxy]-1 (2H)-isoquinolinone (DPQ) was investigated. METHODS: Seven-day old Sprague-Dawley rat pups were used. The right common carotid artery was ligated under halothane anesthesia. After a recovery period of 3 hours, they were exposed to 8% oxygen at 37degreesC for about 120 minutes. The animals were divided into four groups: the pre-treatment group (n = 13) and post-treatment group (n = 21) were given DPQ 10 mg/kg and the pre-control group (n = 7) and post-control group (n = 14) were given a vehicle for controls. Pre-treatment and pre-control groups were injected 30 minutes prior to the hypoxic injury while post-treatment and post-control groups were injected 30 minutes after the hypoxic period intraperitoneally. The right cerebral hemisphere of the rats were examined with localized (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy on day 1 and 7 after the hypoxic insult. Lipid/N-acetyl aspartate (Lip/NAA) and lipid/creatine (Lip/Cr) ratios were used as apoptotic markers. On day 14, the degree of brain injury was scored by morphological changes. RESULTS: In the DPQ treated groups, the Lip/NAA and Lip/Cr ratios were lower than those of the control groups on day 1 after the hypoxic-ischemic injury (P < 0.05). However on day 7, only the ratios of the pre-treatment group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The degree of morphological changes of the brain injury on day 14 were lower in the DPQ treated groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DPQ exerts a neuroprotective effect in cerebral hypoxic-ischemic injury probably by inhibiting apoptosis especially in the early stage after an insult. Acute inhibition of PARP can have a therapeutic value in preventing ischemic brain injury.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Aspartic Acid ; Brain Injuries ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cerebrum ; Halothane ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Negotiating ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Oxygen ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the color stability of resin cements with accelerated test. Four dual curing resin cements: Panavia-F (KURARAY), Duolink (BISCO), Variolink-II (Ivoclar Vivadent), and RelyX Unicem (3M ESPE) and 1 self curing resin cement: Resiment CE (j. l. Blosser) were used in this study. In control group, Gradia Anterior (GC) composite resin and Tescera Dentin (Bisco) indirect composite were used. Ten disk shape specimens were made from each resin cement. The specimens were subjected to an accelerated aging process in a refrigerated bath circulator at 60degrees C for 15 and 30 days. Spectrophotometric analyses were made before and after 15 days and 30 days of accelerated aging time. The color characteristics (L*, a*, b*) and the color difference (DeltaE*) of the specimens before and after immersion were measured and computed. Regardless of type of the resin cements, L* value was decreased and a* value was increased, but there were no significant difference. But b* value was increased significantly (p < 0.05). Tescera inlay showed least color change (p < 0.05), but Gradia showed notable color change after 15 days. After 30 days on accelerated aging, DeltaE* value was increased (Panavia-F < Variolink-II < Resiment CE < Duolink < Unicem) (p < 0.05), but there were no significant difference among Panavia-F, Variolink-II, and Resiment CE groups. After 30 days of accelerated aging, DeltaE* value of all resin cements were greater than 3.0 and could be perceived by the human eye.
Aging ; Baths ; Composite Resins ; Dentin ; Dentin-Bonding Agents ; Eye ; Humans ; Immersion ; Inlays ; Resin Cements