Oak moss is a lichen extract obtained from Evernia prunastri and Pseudovernia furfuracea. It is the potent,ial allergen in contact dermatitis to perfumes. Sensitivity to oak moss has been atributed mainly to atranorin, evernic acid, usnic acid and fumarprotocetraric acid. We report a 44-year-old female patient presenting with features of contact dermatitis due to oak moss in perfumes. Patch test results revealed positive reactions to fragrance mix, oak moss, atranorin and evernic acid.
Adult ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Female ; Humans ; Lichens ; Patch Tests

We report a patient with a cutis laxa-like, generalized PXE without systemic involvement. A 28-year-old woman had loose, pendulous skin of the neck, axillae, thighs, trunk and body folds which resulted in a prematurely aged appearance. She had no family history of related diseases. Histological examination showed considerable accumulations of swollen and irregularly clumped fibers in the middle and lower dermis and von Kossa s stain revealed calcium deposits along the altered elastic fibers.
Adult ; Axilla ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin ; Thigh

We report a patient with a cutis laxa-like, generalized PXE without systemic involvement. A 28-year-old woman had loose, pendulous skin of the neck, axillae, thighs, trunk and body folds which resulted in a prematurely aged appearance. She had no family history of related diseases. Histological examination showed considerable accumulations of swollen and irregularly clumped fibers in the middle and lower dermis and von Kossa s stain revealed calcium deposits along the altered elastic fibers.
Adult ; Axilla ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin ; Thigh

Increased melanin pigmentation following ultraviolet irradiat.ion is due to increasing tyrosinase activity and multiplicatian of functioning melanocytes. After UV-irradiation, the size of melanocytes increases, and melanocyte dendrites elongatc, and branch. In this experiment, we induced the activation of melanocyts in the epidermis of C57BL black mice by ultraviolet-B(UVB) irradiation and observcd ihe effect of azelaic acid and retinoic acid on the UVB activated epidermal melanocytes. Sixty C57BL black mice were irradiated by UVB 100mJ/cm daily for 10 days, and then azeiaic acid and retinoic acid were topically applied daily for 7 weeks. For the estimation of morphologic change of epidermal melanocytes, light microscopic observation with split DOPA stain was performed at the end of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th week of topical application. The results are summerized as follows : 1. The number, size and circumference of DOPA-positive epidermal melanocytes were significantly decreased in 20% azelaic acid applied group and 30% azelaic acid and 0.05% retinoic acid applied group. 2. In 20% azelaic;i.cid and 0.05% retinoic acid applied group, the number, size and circumference of DOPA-positive epidermal melanocytes were nore significantly decreased than in 20% azelaic acid applied group. In summary, the present study suggets that azelaic acid act as a depigmenting agent on epidermal melanocyte; and such depigmenting effect of azelaic acid was increased by addition of retinoic acid.
Animals ; Dendrites ; Dihydroxyphenylalanine ; Epidermis ; Melanins ; Melanocytes* ; Mice* ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Pigmentation ; Tretinoin*

No abstract available.
Gout* ; Hyperuricemia

No abstract available.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Ear*

No abstract available.
Hepatic Encephalopathy*

No abstract available.
Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland*

BACKGROUND: There are many reports showing the efficacy of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum. but only few reports in extrapulmonary specimens. Because of the difficulty in establishing a diagnosis of tuberculosis in the extrapulmonary specimens there have been considerable interest in the development of a rapid sensitive diagnostic test that might be useful. Therefore we used PCR for detection of M. tuberculosis DNA in extrapulmonary specimens and compared the results of conventional acid-fast stain, culture methods and PCR assay. METHODS: Total of 63 clinical samples(10 cerebrospinal fluids, 12 pleural fluids, 1 pericardial fluid, 3 bone marrow aspirates, 1 ascitic fluid, 25 fine needle aspirates of lymph nodes, 7 urine, 1 stool and 3 tissue biopsies) in Ewha Womans University Tongdaemun hospital were analysed by the PCR. We performed the PCR using a species-specific M. tuberculosis DNA fragment(mtp 40 gene) as primers that was cloned and sequenced at recent and a 396-bp fragment was specifically amplified. We analyzed sensitivity and specificity of AFB culture and PCR for the diagnosis of extrapulomonary tuberculosis. RESULTS: The positivity of AFB smear, culture and PCR were 2(10%), 4(20%), 13(65%) out of total 20 cases diagnosed as clinically active extrapulmonary tuberculosis. respectively. All of 2 smear-positive samples and 2 of 4 culture-positive and smear-negative samples were PCR-positive. And 9 of 14 smear and culture negative specimens also gave detectable DNA products in PCR The specificity of PCR(95.4%) is compared with those of smear and culture(100.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This results suggest that the PCR assay is a sensitive and rapid diagnostic alternative to classical procedures for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
Ascitic Fluid ; Bone Marrow ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Clone Cells ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Needles ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis*

Lichenoid drug eruption is lichenoid skin eruptions caused by certain drugs and compounds, and can be identical or similiar to lichen planus. A 75-year-old woman who had taken antituberculosis medication(INH, ethambutol, rifampin) for 4 months developed pruritic generalized erythematous papular eruptions on the trunk and extremities, alopecia and nail dystropy. Histopathologic findings were hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, hyc rophic degenaration of basal layer, band like lymphohistiocytic infiltration in the upper dermis and perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltration in the deep dermis. She was treated with systemic corticosteroid, and then skin lesion were slightly improved. After termination of antituberculosis medication, skin lesions were markedly improved with residual hyperpigmentation. Alopecia and nail dystrophy were also improved.
Aged ; Alopecia ; Dermis ; Drug Eruptions* ; Ethambutol ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lichen Planus ; Skin