Serum zinc is an essential element in men and animals. Recently on the dermatologic fields, the serum and the skin levels and the roles of zinc have been studied especially in acne vulgaris, but the results were controversial. So to confirm the previous reports and for evaluation of the relationship between the various aspects of acne vulgaris and the serum levels of zinc, the serum levels of zinc were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer in 13 healthy controls and 46 patients with acne vulgaris. In the healthy controls, their mean values of zinc were 0.843+0.251 ppm in total, 0.920+0.219 ppm, in females and 0.777+0.260 ppm in males. There was no statistical difference attributable to sex. In the 46 patients with acne vulgaris, their mean value of zinc was 0.741+0.195 ppm. There was no significant difference in the mean serum zinc level compared with the controls. In the males with acne, the mean va1ue of zinc was 0.727+0.166 ppm, and 0.748+0.208 ppm in females with acne. There was no significant statistical difference between males and females with acne. And females, but not males, with acne had significantly lower serum zinc levelss than controls of the corresponding sex. (p<0.1) By clinical severity, classifying the 46 patients with acne vulgaris into three groups: mild type (only comedones), moderate type (comedones with pa.pules) and severe type (includes pustules, comedones, and papules, etc.), the serum zinc levels of each group were 0.774+0.185 ppm, 0.7880. 200 ppm and 0.666+0.176 ppm. The significant statistical difference was found only in the severe type of acne compared with the healthy controls (p<0.05). Also classifying the patients into three groups (acute, moderate and chronic types of acne) by duration of acne, the serum values of zinc were 0.738+0.158 ppm, 0.692+0.283 ppm and 0.769+0.241 ppm, respectively. Only in the moderate type of acne, the mean serum level of zinc was significantly reduced compared with the control group (p<0.1)
Absorption ; Acne Vulgaris* ; Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Zinc*

A case of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) was presented in 46 year-old male patient. The characteristic skin lesions of TEN were developed after some medictions and tetanus anti-toxin (TAT) injection due to trauma. Probably, the cause of the disease was drugs, TAT injection or trauma inself. On the pathologic findings, lower epidermis and dermo-epidermal cleavage were noticed. He was treated with massive antibiotics and steroid. About 7 days after therapy, much improvement achived. However foul odorous yellowish discharge was noticed since 20 days of hospitalization. Wide debridement of necrotic tissue was carried without improvement. Patient expired on 48th hospital day due to sepsis and impending hepatic coma.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Debridement ; Epidermis ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odors ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome* ; Tetanus

No abstract available.

Incontinentia pigmenti is an uncommon genodermatosis. It affects female infants predominantly, described first by Bardach in l925, with the diagnosis of systematized nevus and Bloch in 1926, and Sulzberger in 1928 rnore compIetely. Skin lesions are characterized by 3 stages such as vesicobullous, verucous and finally pigmentary lesions and leave brownish pigmentation on the extremities and trunk. Hesides skin lesions some ectodermaI and mesodermal organs are affected and show developmental abnormalities. We experienced a case of incontinentia pigmenti in a 45-day-old female infant and present it with the review of literature. She showed extensive vesicobullopustular eruption with linear and reticular pigmentation on the extremities and trunk. Clinical and histopathologic findings of these lesions are compatible with Bloch-Sulzberger type of incontinentia pigmenti.
Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Incontinentia Pigmenti* ; Infant ; Mesoderm ; Nevus ; Pigmentation ; Skin

PURPOSE: To date, the high spatial frequency algorithm (HSFA) which reduces image smoothing and increases spatial resolution has been used for the evaluation of parenchymal lung diseases in thin-section high-resolution CT. In this study, we compared the ultrahigh spatial frequency algorithm (UHSFA) with the high spatial frequency algorithm in the assessment of thin section images of the lung parenchyma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Three radiologists compared the UHSFA and HSFA on identical CT images in a line-pair resolution phantom, one lung specimen, 2 patients with normal lung and 18 patients with abnormal lung parenchyma. RESULTS: Scanning of a line-pair resolution phantom demonstrated no difference in resolution between two techniques but it showed that outer lines of the line pairs with maximal resolution looked thicker on UHSFA than those on HSFA. Lung parenchymal detail with UHSFA was judged equal or superior to HSFA in 95% of images. Lung parenchymal sharpness was improved with UHSFA in all images. Although UHSFA resulted in an increase in visible noise, observers did not found that image noise interfered with image interpretation. The visual CT attenuation of normal lung parenchyma is minimally increased in images with HSFA. The overall visual preference of the images reconstructed on UHSFA was considered equal to or greater than that of those reconstructed on HSFA in 78% of images. CONCLUSION: The ultrahigh spatial frequency algorithm improved the overall visual quality of the images in pulmonary parenchymal high-resolution CT.
Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Lung* ; Noise

We report a case of kerion celsi caused by Trichophyton(T.) verrucosum in a 15-year-old male, who showed a trender, indurated, swollen, boggy mass exuding pus on the frontal scalp for 15 days. Culture from a scalp lesion of patient and infected cattles on Sabouraud dextrose agar showed T. verrucosum. Therapy was initiated on with 100mg of itraconazole daily with almost complete resolution of scalp lesion one month after treatment. During the one month follow up reriod, scalp lesion showed new black hairs and no recurrence.
Adolescent ; Agar ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Hair ; Humans ; Itraconazole* ; Male ; Recurrence ; Scalp ; Suppuration ; Tinea Capitis ; Trichophyton*

AFX is a fibrohistiocytic tumor which usually shows benign clinical rocess despite malignant histolgy. We report a case of AFX showing storiform pattern distribution of tumor cells which developed on the right temple area of a 70-year-old woman.
Adenoids* ; Aged ; Bowen's Disease* ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Female ; Humans

Authors performed film mammography in 2167 patients with breast complaints who had visited to Yong DongSeverance hospital, Yonsei University from October 1, 1983 to September 30, 1985. Authors analysed 62 cases offilm mammographic findings and 35 cases of ultra mammographic findings among confirmed 62 fibroadenomas and alsoauthors analysed histopathologic cell type and ultra mammographic findings of confirmed fibroadenomas. The resultsfollowed: 1. The most prevalent age group was 3rd and 4th decade(74%). 2. The common dense breast pattern by Wolfeclassification were P2 and DY patterns(80%) in film mammograhy. 3. The most common size of fibroadenomas was1.1-3.0cm (71%) in long diameter. 4. Film mammographic findings of fibroadenoma generally showed single mass in 54lesions(87%), well defined margin of mass in 45 lesions (58%) and halo sign in 62 lesions(80%). Well definedmargin of mass is prominant in ductal cell dominant fibroadenoma(71%) , however lobulation of margin is commonlyseen instromal component dominant fibroadenoma(15%) and spiculated margins of mass can be seen in mixedfibroadenoma(6%) and stromal component dominant fibroadenoma(3%). Halo sing of fibroadenoma was commonly seen inductal cell dominant fibroadenoma(86%) and stomal component dominant fibroadenoma(85%). 5. Ultra mammographicfindings of fibroadenoma showed oval shaped mass in 26 lesions(15%) with smooth margin of mass in 43 lesions(84%)and showed mostly intermediate internal echo in 48 lesions(94%). Relationship between histopathologic cell typeand ultra mammographic findings were. Round shaped mass(67%), lateral shadowing (74%) was common in mixed type offibroadenoma, lobulated margin of mass(45%), intermediate(94%) with unifrorm(78%) internal echo was common instromal dominant type of fibroadenoma and smooth contour (100%), uniform internal echo fo mass(83%) was common inductal cell dominant type of fibroadenoma. Most ultra mammographic L/T Iratio of fibroadenoma was 0.5-1.0 in 37lesions(73%) 6. The diagnostic accuracy of film mammogahy in fibroadenoma was 92%, however combined imagingmodalities raised the diagnostic accuracy into 95%.
Breast ; Clothing ; Fibroadenoma ; Humans ; Mammography ; Shadowing (Histology)

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a demyelinating disease of probable autoimmune etiology. The MR images of patients with clinically suspected ADEM were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical symptoms occurred 5 days to 1 month after viral upper respiratory infection (4) and Coxsakie viral infection(1). The symptoms had begun with fever(3), headache(3), sore throat(1), and drowsy mental state (1), which progressed with monophasic course to altered mental change(2), extremity weakness(2), seizure(1) and/or cerebellary symptom(I) MRI findings of ADEM showed patchy(4), nonhemorrhagic(5), asymmetric(5) high signal intensity lesions on T2-weighted images. The number of the lesions was mostly multiple(4). The lesions mainly involved the brain stem(3) and subcortical white matter(3). Follow-up MR images of 13 days to 20 days after high dose steroid therapy showed marked improvement in two of three, which well correlated with clinical manifestations. MR findin of multiple, patchy, nonhemorrhagic and asymmetric lesions in subcortical white matter and brain stem on T2-weighted images seem to be characteristic features of ADEM, but nonspecific. Therefore, clinical correlation is required in evaluating ADEM.
Brain ; Brain Stem ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Retrospective Studies ; White Matter

A new technical method using bone plugs with oblique posterior interbody fusion(OPIF) was designed to increase the fusion rate. One hundred-seventy-five patients were operated for lumbar instability between November 1990 and December 2000. The L5/S1 segment was affected in 129 cases(74%) of the patients. Oblique posteior interbody fusion with bone plugs by unilateral approach was performed in all patients. Eight-nine percent of these patients showed good surgical results. This stable transplant interbody fusion has the several advantages. Foreign substance is not used and this method increases fusion rate and cost-effective. OPIF using bone plugs along with Oh's screw could provide sufficient stability for segmental instability of the lumbar spine including spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine, with or without concurrent herniated intervertebral disc or spondylotic narrowing.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis