No abstract available.
Brachial Artery

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a chronic, intensely itchy, papulovesicular skin disorder of unknown cause, which is usually symmetrically distributed on extensor surface. Most patients have an associated gluten-sensitive enteropathy which is usually asymptornatic. We report six cases of dermatitis herpetiformis diagnosed by direct immunofluorescence studies. The patients have had characteristic features of dennatitis herpetiformis, such as vesicles, erythernatous papules, urticaria-like plaques, and hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation, dispersed on the neck, back, and arms. None of the patients had subjective symptoms associated with gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Clinicians should be aware of the clinical features of this disease to avoid possible misdiagnosis, and to provide better therspeutic approaches in time.
Arm ; Celiac Disease ; Dermatitis Herpetiformis* ; Dermatitis* ; Diagnostic Errors ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypopigmentation ; Neck ; Skin

In this study, clinical effectiveness of Pharmacia CAP system for determination of allergen specific IgE was evaluated depending on the results of Bencard skin prick tests in 100 atopic and 18 nonatopic asthmatics. The Pharmacia CAP specific IgE positive rates were higher as the SPT grades were increased : negative (n=623) (17.8%); + (n=81) (34.6%); 2+ (n=223) (56.5%); 3+ (n=106) (70.8%); and 4+/-< (n=127)3+ (92.1%), respectively. The overall concordant rate between Bencard SPT and Pharmacia CAP system was 81.7% with range of 70.7~92.1%. The Overall sensitivity of Pharmacia CAP system was 80.7%. The sensitivities for 10 allergens, which ranged from 57.5% to 100 %, were as followed; D.pteronyssinus (96.1%), D.farinae (96.7%), cat dander (61.5%), cockroach (65.2%), Aspergillus fumigatus (57.1%), ragweed (62.5%), mugwort (75.0%), Meadow fescue (100%), birch (62.4%), and oak (80.0%), respectively. Overall specificity of Pharmacia CAP system was 82.2%. The specificity of CAP system in nonatopic subjects (n=18, 160 test) was 94.4% which was quite different with the 77.6% of atopic subjects (n=100, 463 test). SPT A/H ratios were significantly correlated with Pharmacia CAP specific IgE concentration (KU/L) in D.pteronyssinus (r=0.520, p<0.001), D.farinae (r=0.490, p<0.001), A.fumigatus (r=0.315, p<0.01), mugwort (r=0.210, p<0.05), ragweed (r=0.213, p<0.05), birch (r=0.232, p<0.05), M.fescue (r=0.410, p<0.001). But, in cockroach (r=0.192, p<0.1), cat dander and oak pollen, SPT A/H ratios were not correlated with the concentration of specific IgE. These results suggest that Pharmacia CAP system is useful for etiologic evaluation of immediate hypersensitivity and quantitative evaluation of specific IgE in atopic asthma.
Allergens ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; Asthma* ; Betula ; Cats ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Pollen ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin

A retrospective study was made of 10 consecutive patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction with PCBM from December 1994 to July 1996. Free autogenous iliac bone in the from of particulate cancellous bone and marrow was densely packed into the crib that was adapted to bridge the mandibular discontinuity defect. Frozen-treated autogenous mandibular bone, splitted autogenous rib, and titanium mesh(Dumbach, Leibinger) were used as cribs carrying the PCBM. All ten cases underwent successful healing with the formation of a continuous bony union with the remaining mandible. The rate of resorption was assessed by sequential panoramic radiographs. The mean horizontal dimension of the madibular defects was 44mm and the mean vertical dimension of the reconstructed segments was 23mm. The bony height of the reconstructed segments retained about 90% of the bony height of over a 1-year period. We confirmed that PCBM grafts were the most successful and predictable grafts in mandibular discontinuity reconstruction.
Bone Marrow* ; Humans ; Infant Equipment ; Mandible ; Mandibular Reconstruction* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribs ; Titanium ; Transplants ; Vertical Dimension

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: House dust mites have been known as the most important allergens in respiratory allergic disease. Since environmental factors may have influences on the pathogenesis of allergic disease, the study using Korean house dust mites for immune and biologic reactions in house dust mite-sensitive allergic disease is considered as significant. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We made two in-house allergenic extracts of Korean house dust mites (D. farinae and D. pteronpsssinus) and performed this study for the allergen standardization by in vivo methods and for the evaluation of the reliabilities for clinical applications. RESULT: As a results of biologic standardization using skin prick test teachnique, the activity of 1: 1,500w/v of D. farinae extract was estimated 1,000 biology unit(BU), concentration that elicits a wheal of the same size as that of histamine dihydrochloride 1mg/ml. The activity of 1: 1,000w/v of D. pteronyssinus was condiered as 1,000BU. The activity of 1:100w/v of both D. farinae and D. pteronpssiuns extracts were considered as 100,000 Allergy Unit(AU), based on intradermal skin testing of 30 subjects with strong sensitive reaction. The concordant rates between results of skin prick test done with 5,000BU/ml concentration of in-house allergenic extracts and thoae with the commercially available allergen(Bencard Co., UK) were 84.6% and 81.0% for D. farinae and D. pteronpssinus, respectively. The wheal erythema size and A/H ratios induced by in-house extracts were significantly correlated with those induced by Bencard allergen. CONCLUSION: This results suggest that in-house extracts of the whole bodies of two house dust mites have good allergenic activities in vivo. It is considered to be clinically useful and reliable allergenic extracts.
Allergens ; Biology ; Dust* ; Erythema ; Histamine ; Hypersensitivity ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Skin ; Skin Tests

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Lactation* ; Pregnancy*

Nail lacquer is a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Nail lacquer is composed of nitrocellulose(film former), adhesives(also maintain glass), plasticizer, solvent and coloring agent, among these the adhesives-sulfonamide and formaldehyde resin-are the moat common and important antigen. Predilection area of this dermatitis is periungual, face especially upper eye lid, forehead and cheek, and neck. The lesion is usually eczematous, and characteristic lesion is also seen such as mottled, linear or band-like hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation. Recently allergic contact dermatitis due to nail lacquer is increasing in number, so report with the result of patch test and review of literatures.
Cheek ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Forehead ; Formaldehyde ; Hyperpigmentation ; Hypopigmentation ; Lacquer* ; Neck ; Patch Tests ; Plastics

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

Edwards syndrome is first introduced by Edwards and characterized by facial anomalies, multiple cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and skeletal malformations. It results from triplication of part or all of chromosome 18 in some or all of the patient's cells. It has an incidence of 1 in 4,500 live births or less and short life expectancy. Recently we experienced a case of 3-day-old female new born infant with this syndrome. Post mortem examination showed progeric face with prominent occiput, large flabby ears, microphthalmia, and micrognathia, bilateral clenched hands with flexion contraction of middle fingers, and bilateral rockerbottom feet. Internal examination revealed horseshoe kidney, esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, two accessory spleens, and multiple cardiac anomalies. A trisomy 18 was confirmed by the cytogenetic study.
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Incidence

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical implications of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil counts as indices of airway inflammation during the follow-up of asthmatics (BA). METHODS: We repeatedly measured the serum ECP, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and peak expiratory low rate (PFR) during the follow up of 24 symptomatic BA. RESULTS: Mean serum ECP level of BA at uncontrolled status of airflow limitation was significantly higher than that of controlled state (24.5i3.7 ng/ml rs. 16.2+1.9 ng/ml, p<0.05) and the ECP levels of controlled and uncontrolled status were significantly higher than that of health control subjects (n=10, 10.1+/-2.0 ng/ml, p<0.01 respectively). Pe ripheral blood eosinophils were also significantly increased in uncontrolled status than in controlled status of BA (535.7+/-81.0/1tL vs. 300.4+33.4/micro liter, p < 0.05). In controlled status, 8 BA had higher circulating ECP levels than in uncontrolled status, but with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, only 3 BA had higher levels in controlled status than in uncontrolled status. Variations of PFR correlated with the variations of serum ECP level (r=-0.5370, p<0.01) and variations of peripheral blood eosinophil count (r=-0.6215, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Measurement of serum ECP and peripheral blood eosinophil count would be useful tools for monitoring the disease activity of asthma, but we could not obtain any more informations from the measureinert of serum ECP levels than from the peripheral blood eosinophil counts.
Asthma* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation