BACKGROUND: If the corrections of the cryptorchid testes are delayed, it may lead the patients to suffer loss of testes or fertility. So we purposed to analyze the present status of correction and the causes of delay and tried to emphasize the needs to educate and inform the ideal age for correction. METHODS: Total 363 cryptorchid patients who visited our hospital in 10 years from January 1987 to December 1996 were divided into 3 groups according to their ages at visit as under 2, 3 to 5 and over 6 years groups. We analyzed the operative findings of the 3 groups, compared the ratio of the over 6 group during the half ten years till 1991 to the same ratio after 1992 and also analyzed the causes of delay in 81 patients for whom the causes of delay could be identified in over 6 years group. RESULTS: The age distributions showed 88 patients(24.2%) of under 2 years group, 118 patients(32.5%) of 3 to 5 years group and 157 patients(43.3%) of over 6 years group. When we compare the former 5 years till 1991 to the latter 5 years after 1992, the number of the patients who underwent orchiopexy under the age of 2 were increased from 34 (19.1%) to 54(29.2%) and those over the age of 6 were decreased from 88(49.4%) to 69 (37.3%) but still in higher proportion. The intraoperative findings showed that the rate of atropic or smaller testes than normal size in over 6 years group(128 testes, 73.1%) were higher than those of under 2 years(10 testes, 9.8%) and 3 to 5 years group(28 testes, 20.2 %). The most common causes of delay in over 6 years group was recommendation by relatives or neighbors(36 patients, 48.1%) and the remainders were advices of doctors other than urologists(27 patients, 33.3%), poor economic status(8 patients, 9.9%) and unawareness of the anomaly(7 patients, 8.6%). CONCLUSIONS: To prevent the loss of testicular function or testis itself in patient with cryptorchidism, the early correction should be performed because the recommended age for the correction tends to be decreased. The public information for the recommended age should be provided and also educational programs for the primary physicians are supposed to be performed.
Age Distribution ; Cryptorchidism ; Fertility ; Humans ; Male ; Orchiopexy ; Testis

The present study was performed to evaluate clinical manifestations and histopatological findings of 95 patients with pityriasis roses who visited the Department of Dermatology in National Medical Center from October of 1979 to September of 1982. The results are as follows, 1. Clinical Manifestations: 1. The number of patients with pityriasis roses were 95, which occupied 0. 98/o of new out-patients in the department of dermatology in the same period. 2. In sex distribution, males were 36 and females were 59, with male to female ratio of I: l. 6. R. Age of onset varied from 13 months to 58 years with a mean of 26. 0 years and 68% of cases belonged to 15 years to 84 years. 4. Seasonal incidence was 32% in winter, 27% in summer, 22% in autumn and l9% in spring. 5. iMild prodromal symptoms developed in 8 cases(%) and itching was noted in 58 cases (61%), which was mild to moderate exeept for severe itching in 2 cases. 6. Herald patch was found in 42 cases (44%) and the predilection sites were the trunk and the thighs. 7. Daughter lesions could be classified into macular type 69 cases (73g), pa.pular type 22 cases (23%), pustular type 2 cases (2%), urticarial type 1 case (I,3 and purpuric type 1 case (1%) They appeared on the back (79%), the chest (74%), the abdomen(73%), the thighs (47%), the upper arms (40%), the lower legs (24%),the forearrns (22%), the neck (16%), the face (7 %), dorsa of the hands (4%) and dorsa of the feet(2%). (countinue..)
Age of Onset ; Arm ; Dermatology ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Male ; Neck ; Nuclear Family ; Outpatients ; Pityriasis Rosea* ; Pityriasis* ; Prodromal Symptoms ; Pruritus ; Seasons ; Sex Distribution ; Thigh ; Thorax

No abstract available.

STUDY DESIGN: Changes of morphology and phenotype of cultured cells in media added lactate were observed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of lactate on morphology and phenotype of cultured intervertebral disc cell. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: It was reported that lactate and pH were important factor in the degeneration of intervertebral disc. However the effect of lactate on morphology and phenotype of cultured intervertebral disc cell have not been studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells were dissociated enzymatically from rabbit nucleus pulposus. After attaining monolayer growth, the cells were incubated in media added 2mM or 5mM lactate. Total cell counts and morphological changes of the cells were periodically observed. Changes in cell phenotype were investigated by use of anti-collagen antibody stain. RESULTS: The cell groups added no lactate and 2mM lactate showed no difference in cell counts, morphology and phenotype. The cell group added 5mM lactate showed a reduction in final cell Counts and highel'ratio of fibroblastic cell in total population. Anti-collagen I Ab stained the Intra-and extra-cellular area of fibroblastic cells and intracellular area of chondrocytic cells. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that high concentration of lactate inhibit intervertebral disc cell proliferation and accelerate morphological and phenotypical change to fibroblastic cell.
Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Lactic Acid* ; Phenotype*

Agminated lentigines may be defind as a circumscribed grouping of small pigmented macules arranged in a small or large group, often in a segmental pattern, each macule consisting of a lentiginous epidermal proliferation of melanocytes. We report five cases of agminated lentigines in otherwise healthy persons. Histologic exarnination of the pigmented lesion revealed findings consistent with lentigo simplex.
Humans ; Lentigo* ; Melanocytes

Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita(CMTC) is a rare congenital cutaneous vascular anomaly. The major skin findings are persistent, fixed cutis marmorata, telangiectasia, and phlebectasia. In approximately 50 % of patients, the disorder tends to be associated with various con-genital anomalies. We describe in this report a 4-month-old male infant with CMTC. The patient had red or violet marbled patches, telangiectases, and atrophy on the right arm present at birth. During the follow up period of 12 months, there was no change in the cutis marmorata pattern and telangiectases, whereas the atrophy has been less prominent than at the initial visit.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Parturition ; Skin ; Telangiectasis ; Viola

We describe herein four cases of childhood dermatomysitis of Brunsting type. The ages of these patients were between 7 to 10 years at the time of the disease. All four patients had pathognomOnic cutaneous changes, such as heliotrope erythema and Gottron's papules, which are not seen frequently in adult type dermatomyositis. These patients did not show any marked serologic abnormalities suggestive of having other connective tissue diseases or autoimmune diseases. All patients were initially treated with prednisolone and chloroquine, and have been under control with low dose prednisolone, or chloroquine alone.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Chloroquine ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Dermatomyositis* ; Erythema ; Humans ; Prednisolone

Perforating calcific elastosis, referred to as periumbilical perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum that can occur in middle-aged, multiparous, obese women with a possible genetic predisposition to pseudoxanthoma elasticum. We report two cases which showed the clinical and histopathologic fundings of perforating calcific elastosis in a 77 year-old and; 69 year-old woman. Clinically, the losio is were well-demarcated, yellow to brownish hyperpigmentcd and verrucous plaques with discreted ratotic papules just above the umbilicus. Histopathologically, altered basophilic calcified elastic fiber were extruded through the hyperplastic epidermis to the surface of the skin and were present in the eticular dermis.
Aged ; Basophils ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Female ; Financial Management ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum ; Skin ; Umbilicus

Oxygen supply is considered to one of the most important local factors influencing the contractility of smooth muscle. However, the effect of anoxia on the contractility is not uniform throughout the organs containing smooth muscle. This study was undertaken to evaluate the changes of the contractility of rat seminal vesicle to field stimulation, phenylephrine (Phe), acetylcholine (Ach), and KCI in anoxia. Seminal vesicle was rapidly removed from Sprague-Dawley rats which had been killed by cervical dislocation. Spiral segments were mounted in organ bath containing Tyrode's solution at 37'C and equilibrated with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 for 1 hr. Anoxia was produced by changing the gas mixture to 95% N2, 5% CO2. The effect of anoxia on the contractile responses to field stimulation, Phe, Ach, and KCI was determined at different times after the initiation of anoxia. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. Anoxia induced a time-dependent decrease of the contractile responses to field stimulation (30 and 60 Hz). 2. Anoxia potentially inhibited the rhythmic contractions to Phe and Ach. However, the basal tension showed a transient relaxation followed by a contraction after 10 min. 3. In tonic contraction produced by KCI, anoxia caused a transient relaxation followed by a further contraction. However, this anoxic contraction was not inhibited by verapamil (0.1M). This study demonstrated that anoxia may cause poor contractile responses to field stimulation and increased basal tension to Phe, Ach, and KCI. But anoxic contraction by KCI was not inhibited by verapamil, which means that this anoxic contraction of rat seminal vesicle is not mediated by Ca++ influx.
Acetylcholine* ; Animals ; Anoxia* ; Baths ; Dislocations ; Muscle, Smooth ; Oxygen ; Phenylephrine* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Relaxation ; Seminal Vesicles* ; Verapamil

No abstract available.
Humans