BACKGROUND: Although drug eruption refers to a common dermatologieal condition, there are numerous setbacks in the diagnosis. In addition there are no annual average prevalence rates of drug eruptions according to time sequence in Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to detme the clinical features and causative drugs of drug eruptions, the diagnostic value of various skin tests and to evaluate the dome,stic annual average prevalence rate of drug eruptions according to time sequence. METHOD: 270 patients with drug eruptions were reviewed clinically. In 103 patients, intradennal, patch and scratch-patch tests were performed using suspected drugs. The annual average prevalence rate of drug eruptions was calculated from 10 different general hositals in Korea. RESULT: Exanthematous eruptions(49.3), fixed drug eruptions(30.1), and urticaria(10.0%) were the common types of drug eruptions. The common causative agents were antibiotics/antimicrobials, antipyretics(NSAIDs, and CNS depressants. 52 patients out of 103 had positive results after at least one skin test with suspected drugs. CONCLUSION: In our study, we were ahle to obtain somewhat meaningful results basnl on data from the combination of various skin tests. As a result, physicians need to prescrible drugs with care.
Central Nervous System Depressants ; Diagnosis ; Drug Eruptions* ; Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Skin Tests* ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Hair constitutes an integral part of our self and our self-identity, which is why hair loss may cause a broad range of psychological problems related to our identity. However, the association between quality of life (QOL) in alopecia areata (AA) patients and their clinical characteristics has not yet been investigated in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the QOL in patients with AA and healthy controls by using Hairdex scale. The relationship between their QOL and their clinical characteristics will be investigated. METHODS: 102 AA patients and 82 healthy controls were recruited in this study and compared by use of Hairdex. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between the QOL and the clinical characteristics of patients with AA. RESULTS: The total Hairdex scores and all domain scores, except those of the symptomatic domain, of the Hairdex scales in AA were higher than those of the healthy controls. Clinical characteristics, including the age, disease duration, AA type, AA area, treatment satisfaction, treatment history, anxiety and depression, showed significant correlation with QOL. Of these characteristics, the depression and treatment satisfaction showed strong association with QOL. CONCLUSION: AA can a impair patient's quality of life and has a significant psychological impact.
Alopecia ; Alopecia Areata ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Hair ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: It is a trend that the average life span is prolonged in proportion to the advance of socio-economy and medical science. Consequently, the number of elderly patients with skin diseases is increasing. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to see the change of patterns of skin diseases in elderly patients. METHODS: One thousand four hundred and twenty elderly patients, over the age of 65, who visited the departments of dermatology and in five hospitals, from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 were selected. We surveyed the frequeney of skin disease by types and the distributions by month, season and age.
Aged* ; Dermatology ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Seasons ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin*

An open multicenter trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and tolerability of oral terbinafine in the treatment of onychomycosis during 10 months from April, 1992 to February, 1993. Of patients with clinically and mycologically proved onychomycosis recruited from the Department of Dermatology of 29 university and training hospitals in the Korea, 143 patients who could be followed up at the end of the study were evaluated. The group of fingernail infection received orally terbinafine 250mg once daily for 8 weeks and the group of toenail infection for 16 weeks. After stopping treatment, all patients were followed up for 12 weeks. The results were as follows: 1. On the mycological study at the initial visit, 101 causative organisms were isolated from 99 pateints and Trichophyton rubrum was common organism (40 strains). 2. The length of healthy, unaffected nail were increased significantly more than two-fold after the end of treatment and at the follow-up investigation, those were 11.8mm in fingernail group and 9.8mm in toenail group. 3. The mean of all clinical symptom scores on entry diminished significantly by the time of the end of treatment and cleared mostly at the follow-up. 4. The mycological cure rate(negative microscopy and culture) was 56.5% for fingernails and 69.3% for toenails at the end of treatment and 100% for fingernails and 89% for toenails at the follow-up investigation. 5. overall efficacy assessed by the patient and by the investigator were evaluated as more than moderate in 93.1% and 94.5% of patients and overall tolerability were evaluated as more than moderate in 100% of patients by both of them. 6. The adverse effects of terbinafine were noted in 10 patients(7%) out of the 143. The most frequent drug-related adverse events were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal disturbances. Any changes in liver biochemical tests were not considered clinically relevant. In conclusion, oral terbinafine is effective and safe in the treatment of onychomycosis. Our results demonstrate that a treatment period of 8 weeks for fingernail onychomycosis and 16 weeks for toenail onychomycosis is sufficient.
Dermatology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Microscopy ; Nails ; Onychomycosis* ; Research Personnel ; Trichophyton