BACKGROUND: Epidermal cysts are the most common of all cysts. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to report the clinical and histopathologic features of epidermal cysts. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and histopathologic features of 205 cases that were diagnosed with epidermal cysts at the department of dermatology in Anam Hospital of Korea University for 11 years, from January 1983 to December 1993. RESULTS: 1. Of the 3,400 cases of skin biopsy specimens, 205 cases were epidermal cysts(6%). There were 141 male cases (68.8%) and 64 female cases (32.2%). The ratio of male to female was 1:0.45. 2. Most patients with epidermal cysts belonged to age ranging from 20 to 59 with the highest incidence in the 3rd decade. 3. The site of predilection of the epidermal cysts were face 94(45.9%), trunk 37(18.0%), neck 23(11.2%), leg 21(10.2%), arm 19(9.3%),scalp 7(3.4%), scrotum 2(1.0%), and vagina 2(1.0%). 4. Histopathologically, 61 cases (29.3%) were ruptured. The most common cystic wall change was acanthosis followed by atrophy, hyperplasia, hypergranulosis, parakeratotis, basalioma-like change, squamous eddies, dyskeratosis. The most common cystic content was keratinous material followed by parakeratotic cells, pigment, bacterial colony, RBC, inflammatory cells, hair shaft, calcification, trichilemmal keratinization, pilomatricoma-like change. The most common stromal change was giant cells followed by fibrosis, granulation tissue formation,vessel proliferation, pigment. CONCLUSION: According to our results, which agree with those of Chung, the epidermal cysts occur as a disease particular to young men, especially on the face. Histopathologically, when an epidermal cyst ruptures and the contents of the cyst are released into the dermis, a considerable foreign body reaction with numerous multinucleated giant cells results.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Giant Cells ; Granulation Tissue ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Neck ; Rupture ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Vagina

Contact allergy to clindamycin is rare, especially in relation to its widespread use in topical formulation. Neverthless, when patients using topical clindamycin complain of itching, patch testing with this preparation and its separate ingredients should be considered. We report a case of allergic contact dermatitis due to clindamycin solution for acne vulgaris therapy in a 24-year-old woman.
Acne Vulgaris ; Clindamycin* ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Patch Tests ; Pruritus ; Young Adult

It has been well known that human sera exert an inhibitory effect on the growth of dermatophytes and candida. Several different inhibitory serum factors have been isolated and investigated by some workers. In clinical aspects, the patients with diabetes are prone to derrnatophyte and candida infections. The authors attempted to investigate whether diabetic sera would have any difference in inhibitory effect on in vitro candidial growth compared with norma1 sera, Fifty and 30 serum samples were obtained from patients with diabetes and bealtby adults respectively, Aliquots of candida albicans were mcubated in the test tubes containing nutrient kiroth with addition of eacb serum. Iron was also added to saturate transferrin in the serum. The degree of candidial growth was determined by the change of percent transmission on spectrophotometry of the candida-inoculated nutrient broth in the test tubes during 24-hour incubation. The results were as followings: 1. The sera from both patients with diabetes and healthy adults were found to retain the inhibitory effect on in vitro candidial growth, though the transferrin, a known serum inhibitor, was removed by saturation with iron. 2. The inhibitory effect of diabetic sera was weaker than that of normal sera. 3. The degree of the inhibitory effect of each diabetic serum was not correlated with corresponding serum glucose level.
Adult ; Arthrodermataceae ; Blood Glucose ; Candida albicans* ; Candida* ; Humans ; Iron ; Spectrophotometry ; Transferrin

A case of cutaneous cartilaginous tumor was diagnosed from solitary nadular skin lesion on a toe of 59-year old female. Lack of information about cartilage tumors in the dermatologic literature suggest that they rarely develop as supeficial lesions. General clinico-pathologic feature of the tumor is reviewed.
Cartilage ; Chondroma ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Toes

We roport herein three cases of pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy in two primigravidas and one multigravida in erythematous papules and urticarial plaques on both thighs, buttock and upper extremites. In the second case, lesions initially developed on both thighs and then preaded on abdomen, back and exter ities. Abdomen, thighs and extremites were involved in the third case. Histopathologic findings revealed acanthosis orfocal spongiosis in epidermis and lymphocytic perivascular infiltration with or without eosinophilsn dermis. They were treated with systemiror topical steroids and, mtihistamines. Itching was relieved within a few days after therapy and skin lesions resolved spontaneously after delivery.
Abdomen ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Pregnancy* ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Steroids ; Thigh

Baboon syndrome is used to denote a systemic allergic contact dermititis with a characteristic color and distribution pattern. It is also referred to as mercury exanthem, because inhalation of mercury vapor usually causes the skiri lesion in a sensitized person. Diffuse pi,ikish erythema of the buttock, upper inner thigh, and axilla are characteristic features. We report a case of baboon syndrome developed after exposure to the smoke of a burning amulete a charm written on a piece of paper in a 12 year-old female. Mercury sensitivity was confirrned by a patch test. Atomic absorption by a spectrographic method and Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive for analysis X-ray detected mercury in the urine and the ed scraped pigments from the amulet, respectively.
Absorption ; Axilla ; Burns ; Buttocks ; Child ; Erythema ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Papio* ; Patch Tests ; Smoke* ; Thigh

A 21-year-old male suffered from generalized anhidrosis and heat intolerance for about 15 years. Other clinical features included multiple angiokeratoma on the back, scrotum and extremities, together with ocular involvement. The electronmicroscopic studies of the skin demonstrated laminated intracytoplamic inclusions in the endothelial cells, pericytes of dermal vessels, fibroblasts and eccrine glandular cells. a Galactosidase assay of leukocytes from the patient and his uncle showed nearly absence of the activity,
Angiokeratoma ; Endothelial Cells ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Galactosidases ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypohidrosis* ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Pericytes ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Young Adult

Though many effort,s have been made to develop a safe and effective treatment to control osmidrosis, no such goal has been achieved yet. A subcutaneous shaving method, developed by Inaba, appeared to be a favorable choice because of minimal postoperative scar formation. The authors, with this method operated on 112 cases of osmidrosis and compared the results with those of conventianal surgical therapy performed earlier in our department. The results were as follows : 1. The. average age at the time of the operation was 22.0 years old, and the sex ratio between male and female was 37 to 75. 2. The age onset ranged from 11 to 36 years with average of 15.5 years. 3. Family history for osmidrosis was found in 84.8%. 4. General anesthesia were used in 13 cases, while 99 cases were operated under local anesthesia. 5. The mean duration for operation were 75 minutes. 6. Flematoma were observed in 4.5%, wound disruption in 1.3%, and skin necrosis in 3.1%. 7. The results of analysis in 72 follow up cases for more than 6 months showed: 1). Rate for successful reduction of the malodor was 91.7%. 2) The rate of suppression of sweating was 88.9%. 3) The rate of skin tensian with motion was 2.8%. 4 ) The, pstoperative scars were mild or invisible in 95.1%
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Local ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Necrosis ; Sex Ratio ; Skin ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Wounds and Injuries

Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) is a widely used antiseptic for the skin and mucous membrane. It is known that povidone-iodine rarely induce contact sensitization. Recently, we have experienced 2 cases of povidone-iodine contact dermatitis. Standard patch test with PUP-I, PVP and, iodine were performed.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Iodine ; Mucous Membrane ; Patch Tests ; Povidone-Iodine* ; Skin

63 of 348 patients patch tested with an European standard series, had positive reaction to either a fragrance mix or Balsam of Peru. Twelve showed positiv reaction to bot,h patches. The number of positive patch tests to the fragrance mix was 56, while those to Balsarn of Peru was 19 out, of the 63 patients, manifesting sensitivities of 83% and 30% repectively. The fragrance mix was considered a useful screening patch for fragrance allergies. Twenty-five of the patients showing fragrance allergy were further analysed with 8 individual fragrance ingredients at 2% petrolatum. Cinnamic aldehyde and cinnamic alcohol were considered as she most frequent and important. sensitizers.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Mass Screening ; Patch Tests* ; Peru ; Petrolatum