Livedo vasculitis is thought to be a thrombogenic disorder that is related to the autoimmune disease. It clinically shows purplish mottling and recurrent painful ulcers in the lower extremities, leaving atrophie blanche after healing of the ulcers. Histopathologic finding are thrombotic occlusion in the mid-dermal vessels without necrotizing vasculitis. The therapeutic approach has largely been made by the use of drugs that stimulate endogenous fibrinolytic activitiy, that inhibit thrombus formation, or that cause vasodilation, but surgical intervention by excision and skin graftion has rarely been reported as a primary treatment.In our experience, two patients with livedo vasculitis, who had been unresponsive to various medications, were treated with wide excision and several times of skin grafting. And they experienced complete healing without recurrence.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Transplantation ; Thrombosis ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis* ; Vasodilation

To delineate the coronary anatomy and left ventricular function during early myocardial infarction, coronary arteriography and left ventriculogrphy were performed, prospectively in 23(22%) of 105 patients who were admitted to the coronary care unit at Masan Koryo Hospital from June 1986 to June 1988 within 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms(medium:21 days, range:18 days to 25 days). 1) Among 23 patients, male is 20 patients and female is 3 patients. The ratio of male to female was 6.6:1. The mean age was 55.4+/-10.3 years(range:34-77 years). 2) Coronary artery narrowing state which related to myocardial infarction was as follows; 2 patients(7%) had normal, 1 patients(4%) had insignificant narrowing(below 50%) 5 patients(22%) had moderate narrowing(50-75%), 10 patients(43%) had severe narrowing(75-99%), 5 patients(22%) had complete occlusion(100%). 3) The range of coronary artery disease was as follows; 9 patients had one vessel disease, 10 patients had two vessel disease, 1 patients had three vessel disease, and ejection fraction had no significant difference among 3 groups but lowest in three vessel disease. Among 23 patients, 13 patients had anterior infarction, 10 patients had inferior infarction. 4) Left ventricular ejection fraction and multiple vessel disease had no significant difference between i) the young(under 45 years old) and the old(over 45 years old) age groups, ii) presence or non presence of previous angina, iii) Killip classification I, II and III, IV) anterior infarction and inferior infarction. 5) In left ventriculography, akinesis and dyskinesis were shown at similar ratio in anterior infarction and inferior infaraction. Dyskinesis was shown in 27% of patients who have 0-1 vessel disease, 50% of patients who have 2-3 vessel disease, 62% of patients who have collateral circulation, 26% of patients who dose not have collateral circulation. 6) Collateral circulation was found in 8 patients(35%). Age and left ventricular ejection fraction were high in patients without collateral circulation than with collateral circulation, but there is no significant difference and collateral circulation exists regardless of infarction site and range of coronary artery disease. 7) As for the complication of angiocardiography in this study, there was ventricular tachycardia in 3 patients(13%) without mortality. It is concluded that coronary arteriography can be safely performed in early stage after acute myocardial infarction. Also good prognosis is anticipated since three vessel disease and complete occlusion were low in acute myocardiaol infarction of Korean People. Since these are not much case performed study, however more study on this area is required.
Angiocardiography ; Angiography* ; Classification ; Collateral Circulation ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Care Units ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke Volume ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Ventricular Function, Left

Broussonetia papyrifera and Lonicera japonica have long been used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders in Chinese medicine, especially respiratory inflammation. Previously, a new phytoformula (BL) containing B. papyrifera and L. japonica was found to exert strong anti-inflammatory activity against several animal models of inflammation, especially against an animal model of acute bronchitis. In the present investigation, the effects of BL on animal models of septic inflammation and chronic bronchitis are examined. Against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic inflammation in mice, BL (200-400 mg/kg) reduced the induction of some important proinflammatory cytokines. At 1 h after LPS treatment, BL was found to considerably inhibit TNF-alpha production when measured by cytokine array. At 3 h after LPS treatment, BL inhibited the induction of several proinflammatory cytokines, including IFN-gamma and IL-1beta, although dexamethasone, which was used as a reference, showed a higher inhibitory action on these biomarkers. Against chronic bronchitis induced by LPS/elastase instillation in rats for 4 weeks, BL (200-400 mg/kg/day) significantly inhibited cell recruitment in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Furthermore, BL considerably reduced lung injury, as revealed by histological observation. Taken together, these results indicate that BL may have a potential to treat systemic septic inflammation as well as chronic bronchitis.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomarkers ; Bronchitis ; Bronchitis, Chronic* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Broussonetia* ; Cytokines ; Dexamethasone ; Humans ; Inflammation* ; Lonicera* ; Lung Injury ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Rats ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign, normolipaemic, self-healing condition and a type of histiocytosis that occurs most frequently in infants and children, although adults may also be affected. This condition usually presents with a solitary or multiple cutaneous lesions and occasionally with extracutaneous lesions, especially the eye, lung, liver, kidney and pericardium. Histologically, JXG represents an accumulation of histiocytes lacking Birbeck granules (non-Langerhans cell), which can be differentiated from the Langerhans cells by specific staining techniques. The lesions may be excised for diagnostic, cosmetic or symptomatic reasons. We report a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma that occurred in the nasal cavity and testis for the first time.
Adult ; Child ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Kidney ; Langerhans Cells ; Liver ; Lung ; Nasal Cavity* ; Pericardium ; Testis* ; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile*

Schwannoma or neurilemmoma is a benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor that arises from Schwann cells. Approximately 25–45% of all schwannomas occur in the head and neck regions, and the intraoral presentation of these is only 1%. We report a rare case of a patient presenting tongue base schwannoma with characteristic imaging features on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma ; Peripheral Nerves ; Schwann Cells ; Tongue

Purpose: Corosolic acid (CA), also known as 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, is present in numerous plants, and is reported to exhibit anti-cancer and anti-proliferative activities in various cancer cells such as osteosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and colon cancer. However, the anti-cancer activity of CA on human breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of CA in the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. Methods: Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis marker protein expression, migration, invasion rate, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were assessed by treating MDA-MB-231 cells to increasing concentrations of CA. Results: The results showed that CA significantly inhibited the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. To assess the effect of CA on apoptosis, nuclei of MDA-MB-231 cells were stained with DAPI solution. Chromatin condensation, which indicates apoptosis, was observed to increase dose-dependently. In addition, western-blot analysis revealed elevated levels of the apoptosis marker proteins (Bax and cleaved caspase 3) subsequent to MDA-MB-231 exposure to CA. ROS production was also increased in the CA-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 treated cells. Interestingly, CA exposure resulted in significantly decreased migration and invasion rates in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Data further revealed that exposure to CA markedly decreased the VEGF concentration, thereby contributing to a reduction in angiogenesis. Conclusion Our results determined that exposure to CA induces anti-proliferation, apoptosis, and ROS production, and suppresses cell migration and invasion rate in MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, these results indicate the potential of CA to be applied as an effective chemotherapeutic agent for treating breast cancer.

Growth factors are polypeptide molecules that regulate cell growth and function by binding with high affinity to specific receptor molecules in the plasma membrane and stimulating receptor mediated action of intracellular signal transduction pathway.Epidermal growth factor(EGF) and their receptors(EGFR) regulate normal cellular growth, proliferation, and differentiation of various cells in vivo and in tissue cultures. And also may contribute directly to oncogenesis.Overexpression of EGFR and autocrine stimulation of growth involving this receptor system has been identified in several types of human neoplasia. There is evidence that the EGF and receptor system is involved in the regulation of follicular cell growth in the thyroid gland especially with immunohistochemical technic. But there was a challenge about the validity of previously performed immunohistochemical studies.In the study we investigated the relationship between EGFR mRNA expression and tumorigenesis by rapid in situ hybridization method. Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections of 10 normal, 17 nodular hyperplasia, 6 follicular adenoma, and 15 papillary cancer were examined. The results were as follows:1) EGFR mRNA positivity were 20%(2/10) in normal thyroid, 70%(12/17) in nodular hyperplasia, and 100% in follicular adenoma and papillary cancer.2) There was a significantly increased EGFR mRNA expression in papillary cancer compare to normal and nodular hyperplasia(p<0.05). But no difference was found with papillary cancer and follicular adenoma.3) There was a significantly increased EGFR mRNA expression in follicular adenoma compare to normal (p<0.05). But no difference was found with follicular adenoma and nodular hyperplasia. These results suggest that an overexpression of EGFR mRNA may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of thyroid tissue.
Adenoma ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Membrane ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; In Situ Hybridization ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Methods ; Paraffin ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction ; Thyroid Gland

A lymphatic cyst of the stomach is rare benign tumor which is composed of thin-walled lymphatic space lined by benign-appearing endothelial cells. It rarely manifests clinical symptoms, so it is found incidentally in most cases. Recently, a case of submucosal lymphatic cyst associated with early gastric cancer was experienced. An endoscopy revealed a slightly elevated, edematous lesion adjacent to the malignant ulcer. This case is herein reported with a brief review of related literature.
Endoscopy ; Endothelial Cells ; Lymphocele* ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: We wished to compare the amount of mediastinal and extrapleural fat on high resolution CT for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with that of normal individuals, and we wished to evaluate the correlation between the amount of fat and the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We selected a group of 25 patients with radiologically and clinically diagnosed IPF and we also selected another group of 25 age and gender-matched patients having no abnormalities on pulmonary function testing as well as HRCT as controls from our radiologic database search (mean age: 59 years, M:F=11:14). We measured the area of mediastinal and extrapleural fat at the levels of the aortic arch and at the origin of the right pulmonary artery and right inferior pulmonary vein on three sections of HRCT by using software (Rapidia; 3DMED, Seoul, Korea). The total amount of fat was calculated by summing up the areas of the mediastinal and extrapleural fat, which is corrected by the body mass index; we also evaluated statistical differences between the two groups. At same sections of CT, the ratio (%) of the honeycombing area to the total areas of the lung was calculated. We evaluated the relationship between the amount of extrapleural or mediastinal fat with the ratio (%) of the honeycombing area. RESULTS: The total amount of fat in patients with IPF and normal individuals were 67.24+/-19.03 cm2 and 32.55+/-11.91 cm2, respectively. The fat amount corrected by body mass index was 280.48+/-74.43 mm2/kg/m2 in the IPF patients and 137.06+/-41.76 mm2/kg/m2 in normal individuals. The differences between two groups for the total amount of fat and fat amount, as corrected for by the body mass index, were statistically significant (p<0.0001). The ratio (%) of the honeycombing area and the total amount of fat showed a moderate correlation (rho= 0.43, p= 0.032). CONCLUSION:Patients with IPF have a larger amount of mediastinal and extrapleural fat than normal individuals. The hypertrophy of mediastinal and extrapleural fat in IPF may be affected by the severity of the interstitial fibrosis of the lung.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Body Mass Index ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Hypertrophy* ; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Lung ; Mediastinum ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; Pulmonary Veins ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Seoul

This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and its associated factors in rural Korean patients with type 2 diabetes. A population-based, cross-sectional diabetic retinopathy survey was conducted from 2005 to 2006 in 1,298 eligible participants aged over 40 yr with type 2 diabetes identified in a rural area of Chungju, Korea. Diabetic retinopathy was diagnosed by a practicing ophthalmologist using funduscopy. The overall prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in the population was 18% and proliferative or severe non-proliferative form was found in 5.0% of the study subjects. The prevalence of retinopathy was 6.2% among those with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 2.4% of them had a proliferative or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The odds ratio of diabetic retinopathy increased with the duration of diabetes mellitus (5-10 yr: 5.2- fold; > 10 yr: 10-fold), postprandial glucose levels (> 180 mg/dL: 2.5-fold), and HbA1c levels (every 1% elevation: 1.34-fold). The overall prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in rural Korean patients was similar to or less than that of other Asian group studies. However, the number of patients with proliferative or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy was still high and identified more frequently at the time of diagnosis. This emphasizes that regular screening for diabetic retinopathy and more aggressive management of glycemia can reduce the number of people who develop diabetic retinopathy.
Aged ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications ; Diabetic Retinopathy/complications/*epidemiology/ethnology ; Female ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated/analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population