Reconstruction of the auricle is one of the most fastidious fields in plastic and reconstructive facial surgery, because the ear is made up of complex cartilage framework arid its thin skin envelope. Insertion of carved rib cartilage is the most popular method for framework fabrication. But it has some disadvantages such as donor site morbidity, lesser flexibility of rib cartilage, difficulty in carving structure and distortion of cartilage after calving. Furthermore surgeon's talent and sufficient practice are necessary for a satisfactory result. So we introduced the concept of perichondral graft to improve the framework fabrication. In 1972 Skoog and associates reported that free perichondral grafts could be used to produce new cartilage. And several other reports supported the chondrogenesis of free perichondral graft. We molded the human ear using silicone rubbed impression material. And the eat mold was wrapped up in perichodrium of rabbit ear and placed in a subcutaneous pocket in formes of graft and flap. Six and eight weeks later, rabbits were sacrified and the newly formed cartilage framework was harvested. Grossly it showed the same appearance as the human eat and elastic property of normal cartilage. In histologic examination, it showed mature structure of normal cartilage; large lacunae containing spherical chondrocytes surrounded by well defined capsule.
Aptitude ; Cartilage ; Chondrocytes ; Chondrogenesis ; Ear ; Ear Cartilage* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Plastics ; Pliability ; Rabbits ; Ribs ; Silicones ; Skin ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Viral*

No abstract available.
Hedgehogs ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

No abstract available.
Erythema* ; Hydroxychloroquine* ; Sjogren's Syndrome*

Complications after a median sternotomy incision, which is used currently in most open heart surgery, are serious, although it is infrequent. Reconstruction of the sternal defect resulting from dehiscence of median sternotomy is still big challenge to the most plastic surgeons. Since vascularized greater omentum was transposed to eliminate mediastinal wound problems, many vascularized regional muscle flaps became mainstay in reconstruction of median sternotomy wound. We treated 13 patients with median sternotomy dehiscence between October of 1993 and March of 1998. In two patients, the wound problems were so confined to superficial tissue that debrided and closed primarily. Eleven patients with deep wound infection were managed with vigorous debridement of all necrotic tissues and resultant defects were covered with regional muscle flaps: rectus myocutaneous flap(3) and bilateral pectoralis advancement flap(8). We used the pectoralis major advancement flaps without counter incision at humeral insertion site and the dissections were limited only medial to the anterior axillary line to preserve the axillary fold. In five patients with larger defects, we elevated muscle and cutaneous flaps separately to make these flaps more mobile. Large portion of two rectus abdominis flaps could not survive, whereas pectoralis advancement flaps had mo special wound problems. Only one patient developed fistula due to remained wire, regardless to flap surgery.
Debridement ; Fistula ; Humans ; Omentum ; Rectus Abdominis ; Sternotomy* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

We report a case of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis on the left knee of a 67 year-old woman. She had a large ulcerated and indurated plaque with yellowish purulent exudates on her left knee. A histopathological examination from the lesion showed numerous encapsulated, round spores. Cultures from the lesion showed the presence of Cryptococcus neoforrnans. This may have resulted from an immunosuppressive state due to long-term use of oral corticosteroids.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Cryptococcosis* ; Cryptococcus ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Spores ; Ulcer

Silicone gel breast implants may induce local(fibrous capsular contracture) or systemic(rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, etc) complications. The exact mechanism of fibrous capsular contracture has not been fully understood. In the present study, we tried to find out the effect of silicone gel on the fibroblast proliferation which has been known as a major contributing factor in fibrous capsular contracture formation. In vitro, activated macrophages are known to secrete monokines which affect fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis. And tumour necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6(IL-6), which were released by macrophages, were reported as potent stimulator of fibroblast proliferation. The goal of this study is to investigate the role of macrophages and tumour necrosis factor-alphaor interleukin-6 in the interaction of fibroblasts and silicone gel. We designed four groups, two experimental and two control, using Institute for Cancer Research(ICR) mouse peritioneal macrophage and silicone gel. For the preparation of the conditioned medium of macrophages, peritoneal macrophages were prepared and cultured for 24 hours on the silicone gel-coated and naked (not coated) surface [silicone gel-macrophage conditioned medium(SCM; experimental group) and normal polystyrene-macrophage conditioned medium(NCM; control group) respectively]. To correct the effect of 10% fetal bovine serum which was included in Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute (RPMI) 1640 medium and draw the effect only by macrophages, the RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum was cultured by the same method on the silicone gel-coated and naked surface (silicone gel-macrophage free conditioned medium; SFM and normal polystyrene-macrophage free conditioned medium; NFM respectively). Each conditioned medium was added onto NIH 3T3 fibroblasts culture at a final 25% concentration of total culture medium and followed by the cultivation for 24 hours. For antibody neutralizing experiments, each conditioned medium was preincubated with polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse TNF-alpha antibody or polyclonal rat anti-mouse IL-6 antibody for 1 hour and then, conditioned medium with antibody was added to the culture medium of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts by the same method. After 24 hours cultivation, total number of viable fibroblast(cell growth), DNA synthesis and collagen synthesis of fibroblasts with each medium were measured by sulforhodamine B(SRB) assay, 3H-thymidine and 3H-proline incorporation respectively. The results were as follows: 1. In the experiment about the effect of the conditioned medium on the fibroblast activity, the experimental group(SCM), compared with the control group(NCM), showed a significant increase of the cell growth (p<0.01), a significant decrease of DNA synthesis(p<0.001), but no significant difference in the collagen synthesis. 2. In the experiment about the effect of polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse TNF-alpha antibody on the fibroblast activity, after the addition of antibody the experimental group, compared with the control group, showed a significant decrease of the cell growth(p<0.001), a significant increase of DNA synthesis(p<0.01), but no significant difference in the collagen syn thesis. 3. In the experiment about the effect of polyclonal rat anti-mouse IL-6 antibody on the fibroblast activity, after the addition of antibody the experimental group, compared with the control group, showed a significant decrease of the cell growth(p<0.001), a significant increase of DNA synthesis(p<0.0001), but no significant difference in the collagen synthesis. In conclusion, culture supernatants (conditioned medium) of peritoneal macrophages, activated by silicone gel, stimulate the NIH 3T3 fibroblast proliferation. TNF-alpha and IL-6, products of macrophage, are involved in the stimulation of NIH 3T3 fibroblast proliferation in an in vitro condition.
Animals ; Arthritis ; Breast Implants ; Collagen ; Contracture ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; DNA ; Fibroblasts* ; Interleukin-6* ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal* ; Mice ; Monokines ; Necrosis ; Rats ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; Silicone Gels* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Disseminated Fusarium infection has rarely been encountered in neutropenic cancer patients. The clinical features include fever, positive blood cultures, severe myalgias, disseminated ecthyma gangrenosum-like skin lesions, ocular symptoms and multi-organ-system involvement. The mortality rate reported so far exceeded 70% despite antifungal treatments. We report here the first two cases of disseminated fusarial infections in Korea. The first patient contracted pneumonia during severe neutropenic period following consolidation chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia(AML). Fusarium oxyshrum was cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The patient remains free of fungemia after successful antifungal treatment of high-dose amphotericin B and terbinafine. The second patient had relapsed AML and suffered from disseminated fusarial infection involving lungs with characteristic skin lesions. The patient succumbed to refractory leukemia and the fungal infection. A brief review of the literature ensues with the case report.
Amphotericin B ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Child* ; Consolidation Chemotherapy ; Ecthyma ; Fever ; Fungemia ; Fusariosis ; Fusarium ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukemia* ; Lung ; Mortality ; Myalgia ; Pneumonia ; Skin

No abstract available.
Glomerular Basement Membrane*

PURPOSE: Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is believed to result from inadequate blood supply to the posterior ciliary arteries. To date, NAION in a patient with acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) has been reported in only two studies in the English literature. Thus, the authors report a case of NAION following AACG in a Korean patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 59-year-old woman presented with a three-day history of acute ocular pain and decreased vision in her right eye; visual acuity was hand movement and the intraocular pressure (IOP) was 66 mm Hg in the right eye. Slit-lamp examination of the patient's right eye revealed diffuse corneal edema, shallow anterior chamber, and mid-dilated pupil. Gonioscopy revealed a grade 0 angle in the right eye, and a relative afferent pupillary defect was noted. Fundus photography showed disc hemorrhage and swelling of the optic disc. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated hyperfluorescence of the optic disc due to leakage. Visual evoked potential of the right eye at the initial visit showed a decreased amplitude of P100 compared with that of the left eye. A diagnosis of NAION following AACG was made. Laser iridotomy was successfully performed to the right eye. Two months later, IOP decreased from 66 to 21 mm Hg. However, visual acuity remained as hand movement and fundus examination revealed a pale optic disc. CONCLUSIONS: NAION following AACG may be attributed to an acute IOP rise with resultant perfusion pressure decrease in the vessels which supply the optic nerve. The result obtained from the patient in the present study indicates that evaluation for NAION should be considered in AACG cases.
Anterior Chamber ; Ciliary Arteries ; Corneal Edema ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; Gonioscopy ; Hand ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Middle Aged ; Optic Nerve ; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic ; Patient Rights ; Perfusion ; Photography ; Pupil ; Pupil Disorders ; Vision, Ocular ; Visual Acuity