BACKGROUND: Institutionalized subjects were assumedly suggested to be a high-risk for the infectious source of syphilis. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to study the syphilis prevalence institutionalized subjects who were admitted in Taegu Hope Village for the poor or crippled and to evaluate the presence of neurosyphilis among them. MEHTODS: We conducted the serologic tests for syphilis with the qalitative and quantative VDRL and TPHA tests in 1558 subjects(M:936, F:622). The trend of the rcactive rate was compared with those of the two studies dong, in the same institute in 1983-1985 and 1988. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination was perfarmed among the reactive subjects. RESULTS: There were 97(6.2%) reactive subjects. There were 80(82.5%) reactive subjects with titers of 1:4 or below and 17(17.5%) with titers of 1:8 or over The biologic false positive rate of VDRL test was 12.6%, showing 92.3% with the titer below 1:4. The reatest number of the subjects were in their 40s and 50s in both sexes. The rate in subjects in their 40s or over was 3 times higher than in the younger groups. The CSF examination showed 5(5.2%) with significant neurosyphili;ic findings. There were 1 male and 4 females, with an avechge age of 47.8 years. Four had asymplomatic and 1 meningovascular forms. The CSF findings revealed an increased number of white cells in 4 and an increased total protein level in 3. The CSF-VE)RL titers were trended lower than seum titers. From the comparison of the results since 1983, i.e., 11,6% in 1983-1985, 7.5% in 1988 and 6.2 % in 1992, the reactive rate of syphilis was gradually decreasing, but still remained high. CONCLUSION: The drastic control in the sociomedical aspect is needed n institutionalized subjects who are at high-risk for syphilis was well as the CSF examination for the presence of neurosyphilis among the reactive subjects.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Daegu ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Female ; Hope ; Humans ; Male ; Neurosyphilis ; Prevalence* ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis*

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), Keratomileusis In Situ (KM), Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), and clear lens extraction have been performed for high myopic patients. Among the above surgical procedures KM and LASIK are applied to young patients in general. However, comparison of clinical results of these two procedures was not reported yet in Korea. To evaluate the clinical results of KM (n=16) and LASIK (n=11) for high myopic patients between -15 diopter (D) and -23 diopter (D), spherical equivalent (S.E) and uncorrected visual acuity were studied for more than ten months, retrospectively. The mean S.E. was changed from -17.36 D before operation to -3.70 D ten months after operation in KM, whereas it was from -17.41 D to -0.31 D in LASIK. At ten months after operation, uncorrected visual acuity equal or better than best corrected visual acuity before operation was 43. 8% in KM and 63. 6% in LASIK. This results show that the clinical result of LASIK were superior to that of KM for high myopia.
Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ ; Korea ; Myopia* ; Photorefractive Keratectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

BACKGROUND: Although warts are known to be caused by viruses, one of their peculiarities is that they may be treated by suggestion therspy or hypnosis. This suggests that psychologic or emotional factors influence the hosts response to the virus lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze the role of psychologic factors in the therapeutic response of warts. METHODS: The self-concept scale test(Korean Testing Center) was done in all 61 patients with common wsrts before the cryot.herapy from September 1991 to June 1993. Clinical follow-up data were obtained on 50 patients after 2 months, and then were evaluated usir g the self-eoncept scale in treated vs untreated group. RESULTS: 1. The overall cure rate was 56.0%, being higher in females and patients with high education, 1-3 in number of lesions and no previous treatment history as well as in those with less than 1 year of duration. 2. In the comparison of self-concept scale between treated(n=18) and untreated(n=22) groups, the treated group had remarksble results in moral ethical self, personal self and family self scores (p<0.05). Only 14 items were significantly different between two groups(p<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test). 3. Patients of 20 years or more showed a high cure rate(67.79%, p<0.05 by t-test) and demonstrated significance in total positive self score and its self identity, and satisfaction, self behavior, physical self, moral ethical self and family self scores(p<0.05, by t-test). CONCLUSION: The self-cancept significantly related to the positive aersonality, harmonious family, stable self-esteem and high normal ethics, may influence at least the therapy to the warts in the treated patients in contradistintion to the untreated ones.
Cryotherapy* ; Education ; Ethics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Warts*

PURPOSE: To report the effectiveness of Minocin sclerotherapy in the treatment of renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed minocin sclerotherapy to 19 patients with 21 renal cysts composed of 17 cases of solitary renal cyst and three cases of multiple renal cyst and one case of polycystic kidney comfirmed by ultrasound and CT. After aspiration of cyst fluid, if the amount was less than 50ml, 500mg of minocin was mixed with 3ml of normal saline,if more than 50ml, 1000mg of minocin mixed with 5ml of normal saline were injected, and each case was followed-up over 3 months by ultrasound. RESULTS: Of all 21 renal cysts, 14 cases were followed-up three months after minocin sclerotherapy. In 12 of 14 cases, the size of the cysts decreased by 10% or collapsed completely. Of the remaining two cases, one collapsed after 6 months while the other recurred after 6months. Three cases were followed up after 20 months and only one of them recurred. 19 of all 21 cases(91%) were cured, and two of 21 cases(9%) were recurred. Pain was the only complaint. and four of 10'cases needed analgesics. CONCLUSION: Sclerotherapy with minocin has low recurrence-rate and low complication, and relatively early high cure-rate.
Analgesics ; Cyst Fluid ; Humans ; Minocycline* ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Sclerotherapy* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Cholesteatoma* ; Semicircular Canals* ; Temporal Bone* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

We report a case of giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath in a 36-year-old male, who presented an asymptomatic, firm, 1.0 × 0.8 × 0.4cm-sized nodule, involving the volar aspect of the distal phalanx of the right index finger about 1 year ago. Histopathologically, the enucleated lesion showed four lobules surrounded by thin connective tissue, each of which demonstrated the variable cellularity and the polymorphic cell population consisting of foam cells, spindle-shaped fibroblasts, histiocyte-like cells and multinucleated giant cells with heavy hemosiderin deposits near the periphery, in the collagenous stroma. He has done well with no recurrence during one year of follow-up since the operation.
Adult ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Fibroblasts ; Fingers ; Foam Cells ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Hemosiderin ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Tendons*

Authors report herein a case of a 27-year-old male patient who had been suffering from chronic ulcerative dermatitis with scar-like changes and successive involvement of the ankles, limb folds, nape and abdomen, and no tendency to heal from age 4. At the age 14, an immunologic study showed a selective IgA deficiency with partial T-lymphocyte inactivation. Ten years later, at age 24, he showed a severe form of morphea over a generalized area and disabling joint contractures, and was diagnosed as disabling pansclerotic morphea with an IgA value that returned to a near normal level. At the age 27, an adult-fist, 7×6×4cm sized, squamous cell carcinoma with an easy bleeding tendency like an overgrowing granulation tissue vascular tumor had developed on the chronic ulcerative lesion on the posterior aspect of the right ankle for 2 months. Aggressive metastatic lesion occurred on the right popliteal area 3 months later. He died 1 month thereafter.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Ankle ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Contracture ; Dermatitis ; Epithelial Cells* ; Extremities ; Granulation Tissue ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; IgA Deficiency ; Immunoglobulin A ; Joints ; Male ; Scleroderma, Localized* ; T-Lymphocytes ; Ulcer*

Desmoplastic trichiepithelioma is a solitary tumor of the hair follicle with female preponderance, most commonly located on the face. Clinically the lesions appear annular and firm with a raised border and a depressed nonulcerated center, but the appearance is not so distinctive to hair follicle tumors that definite dignosis is established by the histopathologic findings. We report herein a case a case of desmoplastic trichoepithelioma in a 21-yeaar-old woman who had an asymptomatic hard, annular lesion, 0.4cm sized in diameter with a raised border and a depressed center on the right cheek. Histopathologic findings showed narrow strands of basaloid cells, horny cysts and desmoplastic stnoma, the features corresponding to the desmoplastic trichoepithelioma.
Cheek ; Female ; Hair Follicle ; Humans

No abstract available.
Impetigo*

We report a case of fixed-type sporotrichosis in a 12-month-old infant, who presented with a well-defined scaly erythematous patch on the right lateral nasal root area of approximately 2.5 months duration. Hiopsy revealed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia with chronic granulomatous inflammation in dermis and PAS-positive fungal spores in the stroma. Sporothrix schenckii was identified with fungal culture of biopsy specimen. The lesion was responded to treatment. with itraconazole(3mg/kg) for 12 weeks, without relapse at 5-month follow-up.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Infant ; Inflammation ; Itraconazole ; Recurrence ; Spores, Fungal ; Sporothrix ; Sporotrichosis*