Recurrent episode of meningitis in infants and children frequently constitute a frustrating and distressing, both in determination of course and treatment. The authors are reporting a infected case of congenital dermal sinus with dermoid cyst in the subarachnoid space of cauda equina and conus medullaris which was cured after complete removal of cyst and sinus tract.
Cauda Equina ; Child ; Conus Snail ; Dermoid Cyst ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis ; Spina Bifida Occulta* ; Subarachnoid Space

No abstract available.

Hyperkeratosis of the nipple and areola is a rare condition. We report a case of hyperkeratosis of the nipple and areola occurrinp in man with no underlying endocrirop thy or synthetic estrogenic drug therapy. The patient was not associated with epidermal nevus orichthyosis and so fitted into the nevoid form of hyperkeratosis of the nipple and areola. The clinical appearance and histological findings of the lesion were the same as those reported before. He showed a slight improvement in the color and hyperkeratcsis of the nipple and areola with 6 months use of a topical keratolytic agent and corticosteroid crearn.
Drug Therapy ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Nevus ; Nipples*

We are reporting a case of molluscum contagiosum in a 3-year-old boy who showed a good response to diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) immunotherapy. The lesions were multiple, 2 to 7mm in size, centrally umbilicated, normal skin-colored papules of 7 months' duration which were distributed on the penoscrotal area, extremities and trunk. In spite of several treatments using extraction and curettage, new lesions developed continuously. The patient was sensitized with 0.1ml of 1% DPCP solution in acetone on his right shoulder and there-after challenged with solution of varying concentrations (0.05 to 0.1%) on his left shoulder once or twice a week to maintain a mild eczema. Clinical improvement was noted 1 week after sensitization and almost all of the lesions cleared after 8 week's treatment.
Acetone ; Child, Preschool ; Curettage ; Eczema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Immunotherapy* ; Male ; Molluscum Contagiosum* ; Shoulder

OBJECTIVES: Predicting maturity of the fetal lung is important in many obstetric situations. Lamellar bodies are synthesized and secreted by the type II pneumocytes of fetal lung. The phospholipids present in these bodies constitute the major component of pulmonary surfactant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of lamellar body count in amniotic fluid as a rapid fetal lung maturity screening test and to determine the cutoff value of lamellar body count that will indicate fetal lung maturity METHODS: From October 1998 to July 2000, 60 patients who delivered before 39 weeks gestation at the Chung-Ang University Hospital were tested for lamellar body count in the amniotic fluid. Indications for assessment of fetal lung maturity included preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, previous cesarean section, pregnancy-induced hypertension and others. RESULTS: 1. The prevalence of RDS in the study population was 15%(9 of 60 cases). 2. The mean lamellar body count and L/S ratio for RDS group were much less than that of non-RDS group(14000 vs 47470, p<0.01 and 1.3 vs 2.5, p<0.01). 3. There was a good linear correlation between lamellar body count and L/S ratio(r=0.86, p<0.01), as did between lamellar body count and gestational age(r=0.679, p<0.01). 4. In the critical function of predicting fetal lung maturity, our data demonstrate that when using a cutoff of 25000/microliter, the lamellar body count showed 88.8% sensitivity, 96.0% specificity, 80.0% positive predictive value, 98.0% negative predictive value, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study, along with those reported previously, confirms that lamellar body count reflects fetal lung maturity sufficiently to assure that the neonate will not develop respiratory distress syndrome. Further evaluation for this purpose is justified.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung* ; Mass Screening* ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Phospholipids ; Pneumocytes ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; Rupture ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Dermatophytes usually do not invade beyond the epidermis. However mechanical breakage of the skin resulting from scratching or trauma and immunocompromised state may allow penetration of the fungi into reticular dermis. We report a patient with an unusual manifestation of Trichophyton rubrum infection. A 39-year-old male presented with 3.5x5 cm sized, erythematous, ulcerated lesion on the left heel for about 1 month. Histologic findings of the skin lesion showed granulomatous change and numerous hyphae in the dermis. Trichophyton rubrum was isolated on the fungus culture. The patient was treated with terbinafine (250 mg/day) for 10 weeks, resulting in the clearing of the skin lesion.
Adult ; Arthrodermataceae ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Fungi ; Granuloma* ; Heel ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Male ; Skin ; Trichophyton* ; Ulcer

Dermatophytes usually do not invade beyond the epidermis. However mechanical breakage of the skin resulting from scratching or trauma and immunocompromised state may allow penetration of the fungi into reticular dermis. We report a patient with an unusual manifestation of Trichophyton rubrum infection. A 39-year-old male presented with 3.5x5 cm sized, erythematous, ulcerated lesion on the left heel for about 1 month. Histologic findings of the skin lesion showed granulomatous change and numerous hyphae in the dermis. Trichophyton rubrum was isolated on the fungus culture. The patient was treated with terbinafine (250 mg/day) for 10 weeks, resulting in the clearing of the skin lesion.
Adult ; Arthrodermataceae ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Fungi ; Granuloma* ; Heel ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Male ; Skin ; Trichophyton* ; Ulcer

Agminated lentigines is characterized by numerous lentigines confined to a body segment, with a sharp demarcation at the midline. We report two cases of agminated lentigines, which were of asymmetric distribution on one side of the body, in a 16-year-old girl and a 27-year-old woman. The Lesions of the first patient were zosteriform, they involved the left side of the chest, axilla and shoulder. Lesions of the second case were involved on the left side of the abdomen and flank. Histologic examination showed hyperpigmentation of the basal layer, elongation of rete ridges, and an increased number of melanocytes.
Abdomen ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Axilla ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lentigo* ; Melanocytes ; Shoulder ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: With the advance of socioeconomy and medical science, the population of the aged has been significantly increased. Therefore it needs to be studied the fundamental epidemiologic survey of dermatologic disease in the elderly. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of common dermatoses in the elderly and to compare these to previous studies. METHOD: 1,916 out-patients over 65 years old who had visited the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital and Yongsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Chung Ang University from January, 1996 to December, 2001 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: 1. The incidence of aged group over 65 years old to total number of out-patients(24,723) was 7.7%(1,916 cases). 2. The ratio of male to female was 1.06 : 1(986:930). 3. The frequent skin diseases were herpes zoster(12.0%), benign tumor(9.0%), pruritus(8.9%), onychomycosis/tinea pedis(7.7%), contact dermatitis(7.2%), seborrheic dermatitis(5.4%). 4. Eczema was the most common disease group which revealed 18.5%. The second most frequent group was viral infection(15.3%), followed by fungal infection(12.7%), tumor(12.0%), urticaria, drug eruption and erythema(9.4%), pruritus(8.9%), papulosquamous disease(2.8%) and bacterial infection(2.6%). 5. The most common disease in each disease group were as follows : contact dermatitis in eczema, herpes zoster in viral infection, onychomycosis and tinea pedis in fungal infection, urticaria in urticaria, drug eruption and erythema group, generalized pruritus in pruritus group, psoriasis in papulosquamous disease and folliculitis in bacterial infection, respectively. 6. Among 235 cases of skin tumor, 175 cases(74.5%) were benign and the remaining 60 cases(25.5%) were premalignant or malignant. The frequency of benign tumor was in order of seborrheic keratosis, epidermal cyst, skin tag and lipoma, respectively. In malignancy, there were basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous metastatic carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Compared to previous studies, tumor and pruritus showed a increasing tendency but eczema a decreasing tendency.
Aged* ; Bacterial Infections ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatology ; Drug Eruptions ; Eczema ; Epidermal Cyst ; Erythema ; Female ; Folliculitis ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Incidence ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Lipoma ; Male ; Onychomycosis ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin* ; Tinea Pedis ; Urticaria

BACKGROUND: Vitamin C is one of the most typical types of water-soluble antioxidants that exerts a variety of biochemical actions on a living body. It acts on the skin by promoting wound healing, preventing skin aging, and inhibiting skin cancer. It also works not only as an antioxidant, protecting the skin from UV radiation but also as an anti-inflammatory agent. It reinforces immunity as well. Recent studies proved the whitening effect of vitamin C, and it can be instilled into the skin by way of iontophoresis. When vitamin C is transported in vivo it is either by simple diffusion or by a transporter. Only a small amount is transported by simple diffusion and the transporter is responsible for most of the vitamin C transport. This study was designed to evaluate the presence of sodium dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT) and to identify which factor controls its expression. METHODS: Expressions of SVCT 1 and 2 mRNA in the rats' dermal fibroblast were measured by RT-PCR at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. RESULTS: The results were used to compare the expression levels of SVCT-1 and SVCT-2 when treated with TGF-beta, estradiol, and retinoic acid. Estradiol showed the highest level of expression of SVCT-1 and SVCT-2. The next highest was TGF-beta, followed by retinoic acid. CONCLUSION: SVCT-1 and SVCT-2 were found to be expressed in the rats' dermal fibroblasts, and exposure to estradiol, TGF-beta and retinoic acid resulted in a higher degree of their expression.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Ascorbic Acid ; Diffusion ; Estradiol ; Fibroblasts* ; Iontophoresis ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Skin Aging ; Skin Neoplasms ; Sodium-Coupled Vitamin C Transporters* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Tretinoin ; Wound Healing