PURPOSE: To evaluate mammographic and sonographic breast parenchymal changes and the risk of breast cancer in women on hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 50 patients examined with serial mammograms and/or ultrasonograms during HRT. The control group consisted of 50 patients examined with serial mammogram for a routine health check. Mammographic parenchymal changes in both the study and control groups and so- nographic findings of 27/50 patients in study group were evaluated. RESULTS: Follow-up mammogram of the control group showed no interval change or slight evolution of parenchyma with increasing age, but the study group showed increasing parenchymal densities. Most frequently encountered finding on SOhogram in 11 women treated by estrogen alone, was ductal dilatation (7cases ;64%), whereas in 16 women treated by estrogen and progesteron it was ductal epithelial hyperplasia (8 cases; 50%). Overall, four breast cancers developed;one infiltrating ductal carcinoma and three ductal carcinoma in situ. CONCLUSION: HRT causes the changes of breast parenchyma on mammogram and sonogram of postmenopausal women, and increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Therefore, careful and regular examination should be followed in those on postmenopausal HRT.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Dilatation ; Estrogens ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Ultrasonography

A 45-year-old female noticed a pruritic erythematous firm pea sized nodule on the left earlobe about 18 years prior to uisiting our clinic. The lesion has increased in size gradually and involved the whole earlobe. On March 1988, the earlobe became enlarged with extreme pruritus, and showed a tendency of easy bleeding by scratch. The skin lesions consisted of multiple pea to bean sized, shiny dusky red colored, moderate firm nodules or tumors with edema on the left. ear helix, antehelix, external auditoy meatus, and retroauricular fold. The histopathologic studies revealed vascular proliferation, presence of histiocyt.oid endothelial cells, and prominent inflammatory infiltration including large numtaer of eosinophils with fibrosis in the dermis. Hematological studies revealed eosinophilia(9%). Excision of several nodules and intralesional injection of trinmcinolon acetonide did not show complete favorable effect and treatment with carbon dioxide laser was attempted. With the patient under local anesthesia with 2% lidocaine, the lesion were treated with three t,o four passes at 25,100 second intervals with ieradiance 5W(cm. The pro- cedure was repeated until no abnormal findings could be seen in the treatment zone. Treatment with carbon dioxide Iaser on the patient obtained a satisfactory result.
Anesthesia, Local ; Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia* ; Bezafibrate ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Dermis ; Ear ; Edema ; Endothelial Cells ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Lasers, Gas* ; Lidocaine ; Middle Aged ; Peas ; Pruritus ; Skin

We report a case of sebaceous carcinoma arising from nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn ocurring in a 68-year-old male, who showed a pedunculated cauliflower like tumor mass on verrucoid linear plaque in the fronto-parietal scalp. Histopathologic findings revealed mult,iple irregular tumor lobules composed mainly of foamy cytoplasmic atypical cells suggesting undifferrntiated sebaceous cells. Good result was obtained with wide local excision and primary closure without recurrence for 9 months after surgiral excision.
Aged ; Brassica ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn* ; Recurrence ; Scalp

We experienced a 40-year-old female patient who had vegetating plaques, erosions and a few vesicles on the external genitalia and the oral mucasa, assoeiated with pulmonary tuberculosis. On the skin biopsy specimen of the vegetating plaque, it showed acanthoais, papillomatosis, downward proliferation of the epidermis and eosinophilic microabacess in the epidermis. Direct immunofluorescence of the perilesional skin revealed deposition of IgG, Cq, Cs and C on the intercellular substance of the epidermis. Indirect immunofluorescence disclosed IgCi auto antibody(1: 320) positive to the inter ellular substance of the normal human back skin. The skin lesion had impraved with dapsone therapy.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Dapsone ; Eosinophils ; Epidermis ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Papilloma ; Pemphigus* ; Skin ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

A total of 39 malignant melanoma cases diagnosed at Chonnam National University Hospital for past 10 years from 1980 to April, 1990 were included for the clinicopathologic study. Among the 29 primary cutaneous melanomas, 18 cases(62.1 % ) occurred on the hands and the feet, especially on the heel. The average age of the patients was 54.3 years at the time of diagnosis and the male to female ratio was 1 to 1,4. Acral lentiginous melanoma was the most common (62.1% ) histopathologic type and the invasion level c)f 22 cases(78.4% ) was over 1.50mm by Rreslows thickness.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Foot ; Hand ; Heel ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Melanoma

We performed an immunohistochemical study, using bioti-navidin system to clarify the pattern of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)immunoreactivity in various tumors of the skin, according to its histogenetic origin. Positive reaction was observed in syringorna, eccrine spiradenoma, eccrine angiomatous hamartoma, eccrine carcinoma, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, metastatic breast carcinoma and mammary Pagets disease. But in epithelial tumors, metastatic skin cancer from maxillary sinus, tumors derived from pilar and sebaceous gland structure, mesenchymal tumors and neuroectodermal tumors, CEA was not observed. These results suggest that immunohistochemical study for CEA could be used as an adjunct for the differential diagnosis of sweat gland tumors from others, especially pilar structure and sebaceous-gland-derived tumors, for the detection of the histogenesis of metastatic tumors, and for the diagnosis of Pagets clisease.
Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hamartoma ; Maxillary Sinus ; Neuroectodermal Tumors ; Paget's Disease, Mammary ; Sebaceous Glands ; Skin Neoplasms ; Skin* ; Sweat Glands

Paederus dermstitis (or dermatitis linearis), caused by the insect genus Paederus, is characterized by linear erythernatous, vesicopustular lesions. In 1968, we proved that causative agent is Paederus fuscipes. During the 20-year period since then (from June 1968 to September 1988), we have experienced 156 cases of the diseaes in our clinic, and the clinical features were studied with the following results. (1) They were found only during summer months from June to September. Most prevalent in June(47%), followed by August, July and September, in decreasing order. (2) People in their twenties were affected most often(10%), with females outnumbering males, by approximately 2.8 to 1. (3) The lesions were found exclusively over exposed areas, such as face, neck, and extremities (4) Experiments on a volunteer revealed that the same skin lesions as in the patients can be produced by rubbing the anal portion of the insect. (5) Spongiosis and subcorneal pustule of epidermis were the main histopathological findings. (6) The insects appear ant-like and measures 6.5 to 7mm in length. It has a black, round head with pslpuli black, rectangular, short elytra, yellowish brown pronotum and abdomen composed of 6 segments, of which two caudal ones(hypopygium) were dark brown. The meso and metathorax, and the lower ends of the femurs in meso and metapedes appear dark brown. (7) Wide use of potent pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides as well as the urbanization may have reduced the out breaks of the disease in recent years.
Abdomen ; Dermatitis* ; Epidermis ; Extremities ; Female ; Femur ; Head ; Herbicides ; Humans ; Insecticides ; Insects ; Male ; Neck ; Pesticides ; Skin ; Urbanization ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: Recent developments in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology have brought an extraordinary opportunity for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in clinical specimens for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. In this study, the efficacy of PCR was evaluated for detection of mycobacterial tuberculosis in urine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 115 patients that attended the urology clinic between July 2000 and July 2003, with symptoms suggestive of genitourinary tuberculosis, were evaluated. The male to female patient ratio was 69 to 46, with a mean age of 54.2 (range 19 to 82) years. The results obtained from PCR were compared with those obtained from standard microbiological methods, acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain and culturing. RESULTS: A total of 11 cases were confirmed as genitourinary tuberculosis, and 2 were positive on both PCR and AFB staining, and 4 and 2 cases were positive only in PCR and AFB stain, respectively, and one case on AFB staining was negative, but positive in both PCR and AFB culturing. The sensitivity of PCR, AFB staining and culturing were 63.6, 36.4 and 9.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that PCR is a rapid and sensitive method for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Tuberculosis ; Urology

Endothelin(ET), is the most potent endogenous vasoconstrictor. Myocardial ischemia and chemical stimuli including calcium ionophores are known to release ET-1. Recently, halothane has been shown to block calcium channel. Thus, halothane might attenuate coronary endothelial ET-1 production during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma ET-1 level continuously in open chest dogs subjected to 15 min of left anterior coronary arterial occlusion and 1 hour of reperfusion during fentanly(n=8) or halothane(n=7) anesthesia. The results were as follows. I) Baseline ET-1 levels of both femoral artery and great cardiac vein in the halothane group were lower than in the fentanly group(NS). 2) ET-1 level of femoral artery and great coronary vein in both halothane and fentanyl group remained unchanged 10 min into ischemia. 3) Coronary blood flow increased by 325, 250% in the halothane group and by 315, 258% in the fentanly group 2, 5 min into reperfusion, respectively. 4) ET-1 production increased from baseline of -2.9+/-1.7 pg/min to 66.0+/-21.5(p<0.05), 20.8+/-5.1 (p<0.01), 13.2+/-6.2(p<0.05) pg/min 5, 15, 30 min into reperfusion, respectively in the fentanyl group, but it remained unchanged from baseline of 0.8+/-3.1 pg/min in the halothane group. These findings suggest that ET-1 production or release is diminished by halothane during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. Thus, halothane provides an advantage over fentanyl in patients with myocarial ischemic episodes.
Analgesics ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthetics ; Animals ; Calcium Channels ; Calcium Ionophores ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs* ; Endothelin-1* ; Endothelins ; Femoral Artery ; Fentanyl* ; Halothane* ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Plasma ; Reperfusion ; Thorax ; Veins

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable polymers have increasingly been recognized for various biological applications in recent years. Here we examined the immunostimulatory activities of the novel poly(aspartic acid) conjugated with L-lysine (PLA). METHODS: PLA was synthesized by conjugating L-lysine to aspartic acid polymer. PLA-nanoliposomes (PLA-NLs) were prepared from PLA using a microfluidizer. The immunostimulatory activities of PLA-NLs were examined in mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs). RESULTS: PLA-NLs increased the number of BM-DCs when added to cultures of GM-CSF-induced DC generation on day 4 after the initiation of cultures. Examination of the phenotypic properties showed that BM-DCs generated in the presence of PLA-NLs are more mature in terms of the expression of MHC class II molecules and major co-stimulatory molecules than BM-DCs generated in the absence of PLA-NLs. In addition, the BM-DCs exhibited enhanced capability to produce cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-12, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. Allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions also confirmed that the BMDCs were more stimulatory on allogeneic T cells. PLA- NL also induced further growth of immature BM-DCs that were harvested on day 8. CONCLUSION: These results show that PLA-NLs induce the generation and functional activities of BM-DCs, and suggest that PLA-NLs could be immunostimulating agents that target DCs.
Animals ; Aspartic Acid ; Cytokines ; Dendritic Cells ; Immunomodulation ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed ; Lysine ; Mice ; Polymers ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha