The ability of photochemotherapy(PUVA) or UVA phototherapy to stimulate melangenesis is well known. It is now recognized that the PUVA lentigines, irregular in outline and often more darkly and unevenly pigmented than solar lentigines, are related to the additional pigmentary effects of the PUVA therapy. We present herein four cases of unusual pigmentation after one month of UVB irradiation. Raticulated dark brown pigmentation appeared on the lower extremities of the patients. Histopathologicially, an increase in melanin in the basal layer was found, but no dysplasia or malignant change. We suggest UVB as the cause of this unusual hyperpigmentation.
Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lentigo ; Lower Extremity ; Melanins ; Phototherapy* ; Pigmentation* ; Psoriasis* ; PUVA Therapy

A 31-year-old male patient had malignant atrophic papulosis that afected the skin only. He had multiple typical porcelain-white skin lesion on the face and trunk without abdominal symptoms. Histopathologic studies showed moderate inflammatory infiltration in addition to the typical cone-shaped region of necrobiosis, There are no satisfactory treatment modes, and in the present case, the patient's condition improved transiently on oral medication of aspirin, but we lost the contact with him afterwards.
Adult ; Aspirin ; Humans ; Male ; Malignant Atrophic Papulosis* ; Necrobiotic Disorders ; Skin

To investigate MR artifacts induced by metallic implants, scans were obtained using both the ferromagnetic Drake lip and the non ferromagnetic Yasargil clip. Scan were taken through the area of clips using geometrical phantom. The MRI was performed by spin echo technique and gradient echo technique on both 2.0T and 0.5T MR unit. The luthors evaluated the nature and differences of artifacts in each sequence and parameter. Artifacts induced by both lips were noted in the direction of frequency encoding gradient, and consisted of region of signal loss abutted in one side by survilinear region of bright signal. Geometric distortion of image was marked in the Drake clip, out was minimal in the Yasargil clip under both 2.0T and 0.5T. Artifacts were more pronounced in the gradient echo technique than those of the spin echo technique on both 2.0T and 0.5T. Although there were no differences n the nature of artifacts induced by the Drake clip among each parameter in the spin echo technique under 2.0T, artifacts were slightly more pronounced on T2 weighted image under the 0.5T field, but no differences were found in the nature of artifacts induced by the Yasargil clip in the spin echo technique under, both the 2.0T and 0.5T fields. Marked artifacts were induced through the small area of the Drake clip which were included in the scan plane, but induced artifacts were small when a small area of the Yasargil clip was included in the scan plane. It seemed likely hat artifacts were slightly more pronounced in the 2.0T than the 0.5T field in both clips, but objective evaluation of the difference was difficult, In conclusion, these results can be an essential basis for the interpretation of MR images or patents with metallic inplants.
Aneurysm* ; Artifacts* ; Lip ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Magnets

No abstract available.
Uterus*

We observed a 51-year-old male, who developed depigmented patches on the lower abdomen after photochemotherapy(PUVA) of psoriasis without evidence of phototoxic reaction. The depigmented patches did not orginate from the sites of previous psoriatic lesions. Fontana-Masson stain of the biopsy specimen revealed nearly absent melanin pigments in the epidrmis of the hypopigmented patch, while lots of pigments were obsereved on the surrounding hyperpigmented area. Electron micrograph showed no melanocytes in the hypopigmented patch. Thus we report this case as having vitiliginous patches induced by photochemotherapy of psoriasis.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; Melanins ; Melanocytes ; Middle Aged ; Photochemotherapy* ; Psoriasis* ; Vitiligo

Transcatheter infusion of absolute ethanol was applied clinically in 3 cases of artificial embolization; 25yrsold female with bilateral renal angiomyolipoma, 19yrs old female with right paralumbar liposarcoma and 25 yrs oldmale with hypernephroma of right kidney. Selective or subselective manual infusion was made and 9 to 22cc of pureethanol was delivered in a speed of 1 to 2cc per second. The sclerosing effect of absolute ethanol was potent.However, all 3 cases revealed mild post-emboliaztion syndrome.
Angiomyolipoma ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Ethanol ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liposarcoma

No Abstract Available.
Latex Hypersensitivity* ; Latex* ; Operating Rooms*

A22-year-old male patient presented with typical features of pachydermoperiostosis. Thickening and oiliness of the facial skin, clubbing of the fingers, and hyperhidrosis of the palms and soles were the most prominent features. Osteosclerosis and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy were present in the bones of the hands, feet and tibia. We administered isotretinoin with the rationale that the drug inhibits sebum and collagen production. The patient was quite satisfied with the reduction of facial oiliness.
Adult ; Case Report ; Clinical Trials ; Human ; Isotretinoin/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Osteoarthropathy, Primary Hypertrophic/diagnosis/*drug therapy

PURPOSE: Although adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of gastric cancer is a popular practice in Korea, there are still controversies about the effectiveness of the treatment. The fact that the relatively less effective drugs have been used and the rarity of large-scaled controlled studies may be partially responsible for the controversies. FP(5-FU, Cisplatin) combination is one of the most active regimen against advanced gastric cancer, consistently showing a response rate of 50~60%. We tried the FP chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients after curative resection of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1992 and June 1996, 35 patients with completely resected high-risk gastric cancer(postoperative stage III or IV except thase with M1) received six courses of FP chemotherapy. Endpoints were toxicities of treatment, relapse free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 17.1 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year overall survival was 63.3% and relapse free survival estimates was 49%. There were no differences between stage III and IV patients in terms of overall survival or relapse free survival. Hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable for most of the patients. CONCLUSION: Postoperative FP combination chemotherapy was tolerable for patients with high-risk(stage III and IV) gastric cancer. It is too early to determine the long term survival rates for this patients, but 2-year overall and relapse free survival were comparable to that of historical non-cisplatin containing regimens. Randomized phase III studies are warranted.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

Several observation suggest that the antimelanocyte autoantibodies could play a role in melanocyte destruction. Some experiments indicate that melanocyte antibodies from patients with vitiligo can kill melanocyte in vitro. In these experiments, we demonstrated that vitiligo patient's sera containing antimelanocyte antibodies can lyse cultured human melanocytes by complement activation. Melanocyte cytotoxicity was measured using the ethidium bromide/ acridine orange viability assay. Significant melanocyte cytotoxicity was seen in sera from patients with both active and inactive vitiligo(p<0.01). Melanocyte cytotoxicity measured with complement-mediated cytotoxicity decreased after systemic steroid treatment(p<0.05) ; however melanocyte cytotoxicity showed no significant change with systemic PUVA therapy.
Acridine Orange ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies* ; Complement Activation ; Ethidium ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; PUVA Therapy ; Vitiligo*