BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a disease of unknown etiology. Disturbances in lipid metabolism have been suggested as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. OBJECTIVE: The study was performed to investigate the blood lipid, lipoprotein and apolipo-protein levels and their difference according to family history in Korean psoriasis patients. METHODS: Blood samples from seventy three psoriasis patients and twenty three normal persons were measured for total ciolesterol(TC), VLDL-cholesterol(VLDL-C), LDL-cholesterol(LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C), lipoprotein(a) (LPA), triglyceride(TG), apolipoprotein A-I(APO-AI), and apolipoprotein B(AFO-B). Psoriasis patients were divided according to their family history of psoriasis. RESULTS: Compared to ccntrols, TC, LDL-C, LPA, TG, APO-B were significantly elevated in psoriasis patients. Mean varues of LPA and APO-B in psoriasis group were above normal range. VLDL-C were significasitly elevated only in female patients. There was a tendency for psoriasis patients with family history to have higher values than those without family history. CONCLUSION: TC, LDL-C, L,PA, TG, APO-B was increased in psoriasis, especially in the patients with family history, cornpared to control. It is recommended that we must pay attention to the possible risk for the development of cardiac or cerebral vascular disease in psoriasis patients, especially in the presence of family history of psoriasis.
Apolipoproteins ; Apolipoproteins B ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoprotein(a) ; Lipoproteins* ; Psoriasis* ; Reference Values ; Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND: Oral etretinate treatment is associated with the changes in serum lipid concentration and the elevation of serum liver enzymes. In Korea, chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes and hypertension are increasing and the prevalences of HBsAg and chronic liver diseases are much higher than those in western countries. Therefore these changes in serum lipids and liver enzymes during etretinate treatrment are important in Korea as risk factors for atherosclerosis and aggravation of preexisting liver diseases. OBJECTIVE: We tried to observe the sequential pattern, frequency, severity, and relationship between pretreatment value and posttreatment values in the changes of serum lipids and liver enzymes in patients with psoriasis luring etretinate treatment. METHODS: Fourty-one patients with psoriasis were studied during etretinate treatment with the starting dose of 0.5-1.0mg/kg/day. The levels of serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and sGOT, sGPT was repeatedly determined until the 16th week of etretinate treatment. RESULTS: l. In serum triglyceride and cholesterol, the average of concentrations in each treatment period was usually higher than pretreatment value during the 16 weeks of treatment, but no sequential pattern of changes was observed 2. The number of patients with the maximum of posttreatment values higher than the normal limit were 12(29.3%) in triglyce side, 6(14.6%) in cholesterol, 0 in sGOT, and 5(12.5%) in sGPT. The number of patients with the minimum of posttreatment values lower than the normal limit were 15(36.6%) in HDL-cholesterol. 3. In serum cholesterol, patients with an abnormal pretreatment value are more prone to elevation above the normal limit duriing etretinate treatment than patients with a normal pretreatment value. CONCLUSION: In patients with psoriasis the increases in serum triglyceride, serum cholesterol, sGOT, sGPT and the decrease in HDL-cholesterol were occurred frequently during etretinate treatment. Therefore monitoring of serum lipid concentration and serum liver enzyme levels on a regular basis during etretinate treatment is essential for its safe use in patients with psoriasis, es- pecially in cases of long term etretinate treatment.
Acitretin* ; Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Etretinate* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Liver* ; Prevalence ; Psoriasis* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

Actinic reticuloid is a rare, chronic photosensitivity dermatosis with clinical and histologic femtures resembling a cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Phototesting in these patients typically reveals extreme sensitivity to UVB, to UVA, and sometimes to visible light. has site of lymphomatoid histologic appearance, actinic reticuloid is now regarded as a histologic arant of chronic actinic dermatitis, which is the spectriam of several photosensitivity dermatosis, delet to its benign course and transition to or from other photosensitivity dermatosis. We present a case of actinic veticuloid in 58-year-old male, who has severely edematous infiltrated lichenified erytherratous patches on sun-exposed skin, lynptmatoid histologic features with selective T cell infiltrat,ion, and selective photosensitivity to UV.
Actins* ; Humans ; Light ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Photosensitivity Disorders ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

BACKGROUND: The erythromycin-resistance rate and phenotype distribution of Streptococcus propenes are quite different by geographical variation and study period. The aim of the present study was to determine the evolution of resistance to erythromycin and the frequency of erythromycin resistance phenotype of S. pyogenes isolated from Wonju Christian Hospital. METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of erythromycin and clindamycin for 94 S. pyogenes isolated from clinical specimens between 1990 to 1998 were investigated. Double disk test of erythromycin (78microgram) and clindamycin (25microgram) were performed for 15 isolates of erythromycin resistant S. pyogenes to evaluate the erythromycin resistance phenotype. RESULTS: The resistance rates of 94 isolates of S. pyogenes were 16%(15/94) to erythromycin and 4%(4/94) to clindamycin. The frequency of erythromycin resistance phenotype in decreasing order were M phenotype (47%), inducible resistance phenotype (40%), and constitutive resistance phenotype (13%). Erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes did not exist until 1993, but was isolated since 1994, and ranged from 14.0% to 24.0% during the period of 1994-1998. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding documents the emergence of high resistance rates to erythromycin in S. pyogenes at Wonju area since 1994. The M phenotype (47%) and inducible resistance phenotype (40%) account for the majority of erythromycin-resistant S. pyogenes.
Clindamycin ; Erythromycin* ; Gangwon-do ; Phenotype* ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP) is an uncommon from of psoriasis in which a widespread eruption of sterile oustules occurs. In Korea some cases of generalized pustular psoriasis have been reported, but clinical reviews on generalized pustular psoriasis are not available. OBJECTIVE: We investegated the clinical and laboratory findings in some patients with generalized pustular psoriasis in Korea. METHODS: We studied the clinical and laboratory findings in 27 patients with generalized pustular psoriasis who visited Seoul National University hospital during the past 10 years. All the data were analyzed in total of patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, and analyzed after the patients were separated into 4 clinical types. RESULTS: 1. The male to female ratio was 1:2, and the average age of the first onset of GPP was 27.1 years. 2. The number of patients with previous history of psoriasis vulgaris were 19(70.4%). In these patients, the average age at the onset of psoriasis vulgaris was 23.4 years, and average age at the onset of GPP was 34.3 years. 3. The number of patients with a family history of psoriasis were 2(7.4%) 4. The number of patients with possible provocative factors were 16(59.3%). Systemic corticosteroid therapy was done before the onset of GPP in 7 patients, and was the most common provocative factor. 5. Fever(70.4%), chill(33.3%), and arthralgia(18.5%) were common systemic symptoms associated with GPP. 6. In laboratory tests, leukocytosis(63%), elevated ESR(62.5%), hypoalbuminemia(40.7%), and decreased cortisol(32.5%) were often found. 7. With the clinical types, the acute generalized type was 59.3%, juvenile and infantile type 25. 9%, annular and circinate type 7.4%, and GPP during pregnancy was 7.4%. In juvenile and in fantile type, patients with a previous history of psoriasis vulgaris and possible provocative factors of GPP were much less common than in the other types. CONCLUSION: In patients with GPP in Korea, a family history of psoriasis is much less frequent than in western countries. In the possible provocative factors of GPP, systemic corticosteroid therapy was the most common, so it is recommended that systemic steroid therapy should be avoided in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In the comparison of the 4 clinical types, juvenile and infantile type showed a marked iifference in that GPP occurred spontaneously without any previous history of psoriasis and with no provocative factors.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Psoriasis* ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP) is an uncommon from of psoriasis in which a widespread eruption of sterile oustules occurs. In Korea some cases of generalized pustular psoriasis have been reported, but clinical reviews on generalized pustular psoriasis are not available. OBJECTIVE: We investegated the clinical and laboratory findings in some patients with generalized pustular psoriasis in Korea. METHODS: We studied the clinical and laboratory findings in 27 patients with generalized pustular psoriasis who visited Seoul National University hospital during the past 10 years. All the data were analyzed in total of patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, and analyzed after the patients were separated into 4 clinical types. RESULTS: 1. The male to female ratio was 1:2, and the average age of the first onset of GPP was 27.1 years. 2. The number of patients with previous history of psoriasis vulgaris were 19(70.4%). In these patients, the average age at the onset of psoriasis vulgaris was 23.4 years, and average age at the onset of GPP was 34.3 years. 3. The number of patients with a family history of psoriasis were 2(7.4%) 4. The number of patients with possible provocative factors were 16(59.3%). Systemic corticosteroid therapy was done before the onset of GPP in 7 patients, and was the most common provocative factor. 5. Fever(70.4%), chill(33.3%), and arthralgia(18.5%) were common systemic symptoms associated with GPP. 6. In laboratory tests, leukocytosis(63%), elevated ESR(62.5%), hypoalbuminemia(40.7%), and decreased cortisol(32.5%) were often found. 7. With the clinical types, the acute generalized type was 59.3%, juvenile and infantile type 25. 9%, annular and circinate type 7.4%, and GPP during pregnancy was 7.4%. In juvenile and in fantile type, patients with a previous history of psoriasis vulgaris and possible provocative factors of GPP were much less common than in the other types. CONCLUSION: In patients with GPP in Korea, a family history of psoriasis is much less frequent than in western countries. In the possible provocative factors of GPP, systemic corticosteroid therapy was the most common, so it is recommended that systemic steroid therapy should be avoided in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In the comparison of the 4 clinical types, juvenile and infantile type showed a marked iifference in that GPP occurred spontaneously without any previous history of psoriasis and with no provocative factors.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Psoriasis* ; Seoul

The orbital varices are rare venous malformation of the orbit. These lesions typically present in childhood or adolescence with mild to moderate proptosis that increase on crying, coughing, jugular vein compression, and Vasalva's maneuver. Barely, orbital varices are associated with venous malformations outside the orbit: the buccal mucosa(the uvula, the soft palate, and the hard palate), in the upper and lower limbs, in the side of the neck, and in the face and head. Diagnosis is made by clinical findings, simple skull X-ray, and orbital venography. Recently, orbital C-T scanning gives some beneficials in diagnosis for orbital varices. The authors experienced a case of the orbital varix with varix in the buccal mucosa. So, the brief literature of the orbital varix was reviewed.
Adolescent ; Cough ; Crying ; Diagnosis ; Exophthalmos ; Head ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Lower Extremity ; Mouth Mucosa* ; Neck ; Orbit* ; Palate, Soft ; Phlebography ; Skull ; Uvula ; Varicose Veins*

The orbital varices are rare venous malformation of the orbit. These lesions typically present in childhood or adolescence with mild to moderate proptosis that increase on crying, coughing, jugular vein compression, and Vasalva's maneuver. Barely, orbital varices are associated with venous malformations outside the orbit: the buccal mucosa(the uvula, the soft palate, and the hard palate), in the upper and lower limbs, in the side of the neck, and in the face and head. Diagnosis is made by clinical findings, simple skull X-ray, and orbital venography. Recently, orbital C-T scanning gives some beneficials in diagnosis for orbital varices. The authors experienced a case of the orbital varix with varix in the buccal mucosa. So, the brief literature of the orbital varix was reviewed.
Adolescent ; Cough ; Crying ; Diagnosis ; Exophthalmos ; Head ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Lower Extremity ; Mouth Mucosa* ; Neck ; Orbit* ; Palate, Soft ; Phlebography ; Skull ; Uvula ; Varicose Veins*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of a modular total hip system for combined anteversion in cementless modular total hip arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed twenty cementless modular total hip arthroplasty procedures. The patients lay in lateral position and 15degreesinternal rotation of the thigh. The surgeon inserted an acetabular cup component first, followed by a femoral component. He selected an appropriate modular neck component using an intra-operative manual combined anteversion test. All patients underwent post-operative computed tomography. RESULTS: The average measurement of anteversion of the acetabular cup was 15.9+/-2.9degrees and anteversion of the femoral stem was 15.2+/-11.9degrees. Then, the combined anteversion was calculated to 24.0+/-8.2degrees. Significant difference was observed between combined anteversion and theoretical combined anteversion. CONCLUSION: The method using an intra-operative manual combined anteversion test cannot realize the theoretical combined anteversion in cementless modular hip arthroplasty.
Arthroplasty ; Hip ; Humans ; Neck ; Thigh

PURPOSE: The residual intrahepatic stones with biliary strictures are difficult to remove percutaneously via T-tube tract after surgery in patients with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis. We evaluated the effectiveness of percutaneous balloon dilatation of benign biliary strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The balloon dilatations with 6-12mm angioplasty balloon catheter and stone extractions were performed via a T-tube tract after surgical treatment in 15 patients with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis. The balloons were inflated for 3-4minutes under 5 atm. until disappearance of waist of the stricture site, from one to seven session. After balloon dilatation, residual stones were extracted with saline irrigation or stone basket. RESULTS: Among total 42 strictures, the balloon dilatation was succesful in 27 strictures(64.3%), partially successful in 12 strictures(28.6%), and failed in three strictures(7.1%). Single or central biliary strictures were dilated easily rather than multiple ductal strictures. Of 26 sites with residual intrahepatic stones, stone extraction was complete in 17 sites(65.4%), incomplete in seven sites(26.9%) due to impacted or large stone and acute ductal angulation, and failed in two sites(7.7%). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous balloon dilatation of benign biliary strictures is an effective procedure for extraction of residual intrahepatic stones associated with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis.
Angioplasty ; Catheters ; Cholangitis ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Dilatation* ; Humans