BACKGROUND: Although palmoplantar epidermal cysts have long been associated with develop ment following implantation of an epidermal fragment as a result of a penetrating or blunt injury, the pathogenic mechanism is still not fully understood. Since 1987, many cases have been reported in which human papillomavirus(HPV) could be associated with palmoplantar epidermal cysts. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the clinicopathological findings of palmoplantar epidermal cysts and investigated them for the presence of HPV in order to examine the role of HPV in the pathogenesis of this disorder in Korea. METHODS: The clinical, histological, immunohistochemical studies were performed on seven cases of plantar cysts, and two cases of palmar cysts. RESULTS: No previous trauma history was seen. Histopathologically, parakeratotic nuclei, or vacuolar strutures within the keratinous mass in the cyst cavity were found. However, we could not find intracytoplasirnic eosinophilic bodies in the wall, the cyst content, or the overlying epidermis. The dyskeratotic keratinocytes were observed in 3 cases. Papillomavirus common antigens were not detected by immunohissochemical staining. CONCLUSIONS: Palmoplantar epidermal cysts in Korea have some different histological features compared to those of HPV 60-associated cases in Japan and we could not detect the immunohistochemical evidence of HPV infection in our cases.
Eosinophils ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Japan ; Keratinocytes ; Korea ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating

PURPOSE: Authors reviewed CT and MR findings of patients with parapharyngeal masses, and their incidence and characteristic findings were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 27 CT and 9 MR of pathologically proven 29 patients with primary parapharyngeal mass Neurogenic tumor (17 cases) and other rare masses (3 carotid body tumors, 2 pleomorphic adenomas, 2 cavernous hemangiomas, 1 cavernous lymphangioma, 2 carotid artery pseudoaneurysms, 1 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 1 idiopathic cervical fibrosis) were included and the characteristic CT and MR findings were studied. RESULTS: Neurilemmoma was seen as a well-demarcated, solid mass of heterogeneous attenuation or intensity, so that pleomorphic adenoma of minor salivary gland origin could not be differentiated by demarcation, attenuation, or signal intensity of the tumor itself. The direction of carotid artery displacement was not constant in cases of neurilemmomas while the styloid process was constantly displaced laterally in all cases. Characteristic CT and MR findings of other rare tumors were described. CONCLUSION: Neurogenic tumor is the most common parapharyngeal space mass and the direction of displacement of styloid process might be helpful in differential diagnosis from pleomorphic adenoma. Other rare tumors showed very characteristic CT and MR finidings and could be differentiated easily.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Aneurysm, False ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Body Tumor ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphangioma ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Neurilemmoma ; Salivary Glands, Minor

BACKGROUND: Pap smear is well known as a useful method for early detection of the cervical cancer and known to be widely performed by women. But the cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Korean women until now. So we surveyed to find out the status of womens practice and the result of Pap smear. METHODS: A questionnaire was filled up by the 270 women who had taken Pap smear from June to July in 1994 at the department of family medicine of Kyung Hee Medical Center. The family physicians gynecological findings at Pap srnear and the results of Pap smear were obtained. Af ter then we analyzed the data by SAS(Statistical Analysis System). The data which were not answered at each item were excluded in the analysis of each item. RESULTS: Among the 270 women, thirties were 98 persons(36.3%), forties were 115 persons(42.6%). The women who had never been taken Pap smear before were 34.6%. At the age performed Pap smear first, 30-39 years old was most common as of 39.8%. In the interval of Pap smear among the performed, 2 years interval was 36.8%. The medical facility usually being performed Pap smear was obstetrics and gynecological clinic as of 49.7%. At the opinion of int,erval which they think they should take Pap smear, the women answered that 1 year interval was appropriate were 50.7% and the opinions of the experienced group were statistically different from those of the non-experienced group(P<0.01). Gynecological findings showed normal in 74.8%, the cytological results of Pap smear showed class I as of 88.9%, class II 6.3%, class III 4.4% and class IV 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Almost of them knew correctly the appropriate interval of Pap smear they should take, but the practice rate was very low. They had good results in the final cytological results of Pap smear, but the cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in Korean women until now. So they should continuously get public informations and be educated to take Pap smear at the appropriate interval for the reduction of death due to cervical cancer.
Female ; Humans ; Obstetrics ; Physicians, Family ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Electrocardiography*

We evaluated the characteristics of HMB-45 monoclonal antibody(MoAb) and compared it with a polyclonal anti-S-100 antibody in immunohistochemical staining of 22 primary melanomas of the skin ; 13 acral lentiginous melanomas(ALM), 3 superficial spreading melanomas(SSM), 4 lentigo maligna melanomas(LMM), 3 nodular melanomas(NMM). All speimens were formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded, and were studied with the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique. The results can be summarized as follows : l. In all tissue specimens, all or some of the melanoma cells in the dermis reacted with HMB-45 MoAb and anti-S-100 protein. 2. HMB-45 MoAb is more sensitive in detecting malignant melanoma cell heterogeneity t,han anti-S-100 protein. 3. Melanoma cells within the epidermis in 6 of 12 ALMs and 3 of 4 LMMs did not react with anti-S-100 antibody, whereas most melanoma cells within epidermis of 12 ALMs and 4 LMMs reacted with HMB-45 monoclonal antibody. These results indicated that immunohistochemical staining with HMB-45 MoAb and anti-S-100 protein is very useful in the study of biologic behavior of malignant, melanoma.
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle ; Melanoma* ; Population Characteristics ; Skin

No abstract available.
Osteoma*

Posteroanterior radiographs of normal wrist were taken in seventeen volunteers, and analysed to determine the dynamic relationships between the radiocarpal and midcarpal joint during radioulnar deviation. The total arc of radioulnar deviation was 59 degrees, and the motion was 44% radiocarpal and 56% midcarpal. During radioulnar deviation, the motion at the midcarpal joint was more than that at the radiocarpal joint. It is suggested thst dorsoradial and palmar-ulnar flexion as it occurs at the midcarpal joint can be correlated in radio-ulnar deviation of the wrist more than the coronal sliding motions as it occurs mainly at the radiocarpal joint.
Joints ; Volunteers ; Wrist

Annular erythema associated with lupus erythematosus/ Sjogrens syndrome has recently been described in Orientals. We present a patient with recurrent annular erythema who partially demonstrated features of lupus erythematosus. A 32-year-old man was referred to us for recurrent annular erythema. Laboratory findings revealed mild leukopenia and the presence of antinuclear antibodies at a titer of 320 with a finely speckled pattern on Hep-2 substrates. Anti-Ro/La antibodies were also detected. A skin biopsy specimen revealed the findings of perivascular and periappendageal lymphocytic infiltration without prominent hydropic degeneration of the basal layer. Skin lesions subsided with hydroxychloroquine (400-200mg/day).
Adult ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Biopsy ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Leukopenia ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; Skin

BACKGROUND: It is a popular notion that cutaneous ageing includes two distinct phenomenon; true ageing, a universal presumably inevitable change attributable to the passage of time alone, and photoageing, changes attributable to chronic habitual sun exposure that are neither universal nor inevitable. Numerous investigations with experimental animals, in vitro skin models have been conducted, although, few histological studies to date have attempted to announce fundamental morphological changes with innate ageing. OBJECTIVE: We compared skin derived from the breast of old and young persons using light microscopy to discern structural changes in epidermal and dermal morphology with advancing age. METHODS: The histological, immunohistochemical studies were performed with normal skin sections of thirty donors who were diagnosed with breast cancer. They were classified into three age cohort groups; nine into group I (22 to 38), twelve into group II(40 to 52), and nine into group III(54 to 87). We chose the breast as an area that might closely resemble intrinsically aged skin. This region is relatively shielded from photoageing by its anatomical location. Analysis of data was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA test for dermal parameters based on a 5-point rating scale, and a simple regression test for a positive rate of immunoreactants. Results : 1. Light microscopic appearance of aged skin revealed a more flattened epidermis than young skin. There was no trend for an increase in epidermal melanin content per unit area on Fontana-Masson staining. There was an age-associated decrease in the Ki-67 positive rate(p<0.001), the density of Ki-67 positive cells declined approximately 1.16% per decade in photoprotected skin(p<0.001). The number of S-100 positive cells declined approximately 4.4/mm width along the dermo-epidermal juction per decade in photoprotected skin(p<0.001). The expression of differentiation markers(keratin 1, involucrin, filaggrin, loricrin) were not different among the three age cohort groups. 2. With advancing age, there was an attenuation in the number and diameter of elastic fibers in the papillary dermis and an increase in the number and straightness of the same fibers in the reticular dermis. The collagen fibers are arranged in sparse bundles in disarray, and/or aggregates of loosely woven, straight fibers in the aged skin. There was an apparent, age-related decrease in the stainability of ground substances in the papillary dermis on colloidal iron staining. Conclusions : Our data documents semi-quantitative differences among three groups in intrinsically aged breast skin and provide the framework for future research to evaluate the ageing process.
Animals ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cohort Studies ; Collagen ; Colloids ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Iron ; Melanins ; Microscopy ; Skin* ; Solar System ; Tissue Donors

Metastasis to bone with destruction of the skeletal system is a common problem in old patients with malignancy. Destruction of the musculoskeletal system poses major problems for the patients, including uncontrollable pain, forced immmobilization, pathologic fracture and hypercalcemia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical treatment and to suggest treatment guidelines for impending or established pathologic fractures due to metastasis of the femur. Between 1985 and 1995, thirty six patients who had pathologic or impending fractures in the femur underwent surgical treatment. The indications of surgery for pathologic fractures are 1) the possibility of survival time more than three months, 2) more benefits of sungical treatment than those of conservative treatment, 3) the possibility of rigid internal fixation, 4) patient s general condition allowing surgery, and those in impending fractures are 1) cortical destruction more than 50% or lytic lesion more than 2.5cm. The method of surgery was excision of the tumor and rigid internal fixation to allow early ambulation with or without bone cement augmentation. The results were analyzed by three criteria, the performance status, pain relief and survival time. Pain relief more than Lots was achieved in 80.6% of patients according to the Kaiko's criteria. The performance status improved more than one grade in all patients except one who died of acute respiratory failure and the mean improvement was 1.8 grade by the Functional Classification of the New York Heart Association. Postoperatively, most of the patients had only slight to moderate limitation of physical activities and felt comfortable at rest and ordinary activities. The survival time was 20.9 months in patients with single metastasis and 10.2 months in patients with multiple metastases. But there was no statistical significance due to large deviation of survival time in each case. In summary, surgical stabilization of the pathologic lesion involving the femur provided definite improvement of quality of life including pain relief and early ambulation. In selected patients with single metastasis, low grade malignancy, or good performance status, postoperative survival time may be expected to be prolonged. More aggressive treatment for the metastatic lesion of the femur is suggested.
Classification ; Early Ambulation ; Femur* ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Motor Activity ; Musculoskeletal System ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory Insufficiency