BACKGROUND: A definition of granuloma is a focal chronic inflammatory response to tissue injury evolved by a poorly soluble substwice characterized by the accumulation and proliferation of the mono-nuclear histiocytic cells. The accuracy with which rnononuclear cells may be identified in skir. is much improved by the use of both heteroantisera and monoclonal antibodies directed against selected cellular antigens, OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to examine the staining patterns of anti-lysozyme, anti-a-1-antitrypsin, anti-S-100 protein antibodies, and MAC-387 monoclonal anibody in granulomatous skin diseases. METHOD: We performed imminoperoxidase staining(the labelled str prvidin-biotin peroxidase complex method on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of granulomatous skin diseases. RESULTS: S-100 protein positive dendritic cells were demonstrated in the granulomatous infiltrates as scattered pattern and MAC-387 positive cells were predominantly found in the center of granulomas, The staining pattern and percentage of positively stained cells of a--antitrypsin were similar to those of lysozyme. A1Pha-1-antitrypsin and lysozyme positive cells w re present in the center as well as lymphohistiocytic infiltrates of granulomas. CONCLUSION: These data sugget that histiocytes are composed of heter igeneous groups of cells such as the mononuclear-phagocyte system and dendritic cell system.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Dendritic Cells ; Granuloma ; Histiocytes ; Muramidase ; Peroxidase ; S100 Proteins ; Skin Diseases ; Skin*

A 67-year-old female presented to the emergency department with complaints of dyspnea and chest wall pain after a fall from a cultivator. Initial chest CT showed multiple left rib fractures, a loculated hematoma without active bleeding, and hemothorax. On the third day of admission, the chest X-ray showed an abrupt aggravation of haziness and the chest CT showed that the size of the hematoma had increased with active bleeding from the pulmonary artery. In cases of loculated hematomas adjacent to the hilum on CT scan, the diagnosis of pulmonary artery injury should be considered.
Aged ; Delayed Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Lung* ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Rib Fractures ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A 69-year-old male was admitted for dyspnea and chest pain. The patient had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery and tube thoracostomy three years ago. The chest radiograph showed pleural effusion, which was drained using a percutaneous catheter with CT guidance. However, residual pneumothorax was observed four days later. Despite insertion of the 12 Fr trocar-type tube, pneumothorax did not improve and air leaks were observed. Chest CT showed that the tube was placed in the left main bronchus. After removal of the tube, the patient recovered uneventfully from pulmonary hemorrhage and bronchial perforation without complications.
Aged ; Bronchi ; Catheters* ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Dyspnea ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Pleural Effusion ; Pneumothorax ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thoracostomy* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Despite concern about information of neuropeptide, the has been no baseline study of neuropeptide in Koreans. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the skin sinsitivity of substance P and VIP in normal healthy persoas. METHODS: We prepared 1000pM, 100pM, 10pM solution of substan P 1-11, substnace P 1-7, substnace P 7-11, and VIP. We injected intradermally 50ul of the br ve solutions on 12 sites of both forearms in addition plaebo. We measured the size of the area of flare and wheal along time. We repeated the same test after antihistamine intake. RESULTS: Flare and wheal respinses were dose dependent. Injection of substance P 1-7 did not evoke wheal responses and injection of substance P 7-11 did not wake flare responses. Flare responses of substance P 1-11, ubstance P 7-11, VIP were inhibiteb antihistamine and wheal responses of VIP were inhibitedly antihistamine. CONCLUSION: N-terminal of subtance P is responsible for flarers onses and C-terminal of substnace P is responsible for wieal responses. Flare responses of sisance P were mediated by histamine but wheal responses osubstance P were direct effect on postcapillary venule. Flare and wheal responses of VIF were mediated by histamine.
Forearm ; Histamine ; Humans ; Neuropeptides ; Skin ; Substance P* ; Venules

Cortex mori (Morus alba L.: Sangbaikpi), the root bark of mulberry tree, has been used as an antiphlogistic, diuretic, and expectorant in herbal medicine. Previous studies have demonstrated that the phenolic extract of Cortex mori have hypotensive, hypoglycemic, antifungal, antiviral, antiinflammatory, and anticancer effects, and the hot water extract from Cortex mori has inhibitory effects on compound 48/80- induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs). This study was perforrned to investigate the effects of polysaccharide fraction from Cortex mori (PFCM) on compound 48/80-induced degranulation, histamine release, calcium influx, changes of intracellular cAMP and cGMP level, and morphological changes of RPMCs. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Compound 48/80-induced cytomorphological changes such as swelling, degranulation, intracellular vacuoles, and interrupted cell boundary were significantly inhibited by pretreatment with either hot water or polysaccaride fractions frorn Cortex mori (PFCM), 2) the compound 48/80-induced histamine release from RPMCs pretreated with PFCM was significantly inhibited, compared to that of control without PFCM pretreatment, 3) the PFCM inhibited remarkably the compound 48/80-induced calcium influx into the RPMCs, 4) the PFCM increased significantly the intracellular cAMP levels and decreased the intracellular cGMP levels of RPMCs, compared to those of normal control, and 5) the compound 48/80-induced cAMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were significantly increased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM, and the compound 48/80-induced cGMP levels of RPMCs pretreated with PFCM were remarkably decreased, compared to those of positive control without PFCM. From the above results, it is suggested that PFCM have an activity to inhibit the compound 48/80-induced mast cell activation.
Animals ; Calcium ; Herbal Medicine ; Histamine Release ; Mast Cells* ; Morus ; Phenol ; Rats ; Trees ; Vacuoles ; Water

In normal hurnan dermis, factor XIIIa positive dermal dendrocyte are located in the papillary areas closely associated with blood vessels and the upper reticular dem These cells represent a specific type of bone marrow derived dermal cells, distinct from Langerhans cells having some features in common with rnonocyte/macrophage lineage and with potential antier presenting activity. Although the significance of these cells has not yet been fully established, it been suggested that they play a major role in skin immune iesponses, in collagen synsthesis regultic and in wound repair. We report a case of acaqired fibrokeratoma which is studiec conventional histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Histopathologic findings of this case showed ovascular proliferation and the increased presence of fibroblast like cells as a common fe;ture of these benign tumors. Immunohistochemical staining with anti factor XIIIa antibody deiaoi strates increased numbera of positive dendritic cells in the upper dermis. There finding supports the fat that some fibroblagt like cells in the upper dermis of acquireid fibrokeratoma may be factor XIIIa positive dermal dendritic cells.
Blood Vessels ; Bone Marrow ; Collagen ; Dendritic Cells ; Dermis ; Factor XIIIa* ; Fibroblasts ; Immunohistochemistry ; Langerhans Cells ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: It has recently become most general to use the small bore catheter to perform closed thoracostomy in treating iatrogenic pneumothorax. This study was performed for analysis of the efficacy of treatment methods by using small bore catheter such as 7 F (French) central venous catheter, 10 F trocar catheter, 12 F pigtail catheter and for analysis of the appropriateness of each procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2007 to February 2010, Retrospective review of 105 patients with iatrogenic pneumothorax, who underwent closed thoracostomy by using small bore catheter, was performed. We analyzed the total success rate for all procedures as well as the individual success rate for each procedure, and analyzed the cause of failure, additional treatment method for failure, influential factors of treatment outcome, and complications. RESULTS: The most common causes of iatrogenic pneumothorax were presented as percutaneous needle aspiration(PCNA) in 48 cases (45.7%), and central venous catheterization in 26 cases (24.8%). The mean interval to thoracostomy after the procedure was measured as 5.2 hours (1~34 hours). Total success rate of thoracostomy was 78.1%. The success rate was not significantly difference by tube type, with 7 F central venous catheter as 80%, 10 F trocar catheter as 81.6%, and 12 F pigtail catheter as 71%. Twenty one out of 23 patients that had failed with small bore catheter treatment added large bore conventional thoracostomy, and another 2 patients received surgery. The causes for treatment failure were presented as continuous air leakage in 12 cases (52.2%) and tube malfunction in 7 cases (30%). The causes for failure did not present significant differences by tube type. Statistically significant factors affecting treatment performance were not discovered. CONCLUSION: Closed thoracostomy with small bore catheter proved to be effective for iatrogenic pneumothorax. The success rate was not difference for each type. However, it is important to select the appropriate catheter by considering the patient status, pneumothorax aspect, and medical personnel in the cardiothoracic surgery department of the relevant hospital.
Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Central Venous Catheters ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Needles ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Instruments ; Thoracostomy ; Treatment Failure ; Treatment Outcome

Aging changes on the upper third of the face include brow ptosis, glabellar furrowing and forehead transverse wrinkle caused by an imbalance of the forehead muscles. Surgical methods to correct these phenomena include forehead lift with a coronal incision, endoscopic access, and direct forehead skin excision. In response to a common need for cosmetic improvement in the brow-upper eyelid and a desire for minimal incisions for forehead rejuvenation, an approach through blepharoplasty incision had been developed. This approach has many advantages, such as fewer skin incision, less tissue mobilization and direct excision of the hyperactive depressor muscles. However, this approach is not suitable for those who have significant forehead wrinkle and ptosis. We used a combined subperiosteal approach for forehead lift and transection of the hyperactive corrugator and procerus muscles through blepharoplasty incision. This combined surgical technique is simple and effective to correct aging of the upper third of the face without the usual complication. We performed 10 cases of the transpalpebral approach for the correction of the upper third of the face from January 1997 to September 1998, following them up for from 3 to 6 months and obtained satisfactory results. We report our experiences with a review of the literature.
Aging* ; Blepharoplasty ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Muscles ; Rejuvenation ; Skin

There were 26 children with urolithiasis evaluated clinically who were admitted in Chonnnam University Medical School Hospital between l975 and 1984. Male patients predominated l2 to l. Age ranged from lO months to 14 years with a mean age of 7.3 years. Most of the stones (80.8 per cent) were found in the lower urinary tract. Abnormalities of the urinary tract were presented in 4 patients (l5.4 per cent) but no causative factor was demonstrable in 22 (84.6 per cent). Idiopathic hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria were found in 3 and 2, respectively, of ll patients with idiopathic urolithiasis. The recurrences of urinary stone were observed in 5 of 26 patients (19.2 per cent).
Child* ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria ; Male ; Recurrence ; Schools, Medical ; Urinary Calculi ; Urinary Tract ; Urolithiasis*

PURPOSE: Although alpha-fetoprotein is one of the most commonly used tumor markers in Korea, most of the radioimmunoassay kits for alpha-fetoprotein have been imported from foreign countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a recently developed domestic immunoradiometric kit for alpha- fetoprotein (Riakey AFP IRMA CTR, Sin-Jin Medics, Seoul, Korea). MATERALS AND METHODS: We evaluated intra- and inter-assay precision, recovery rate, parallelism, and sensitivity of serum alpha-fetoprotein measurement using Riakey AFP IRMA CTR kit. The values of alpha-fetoprotein measured by Riakey AFP IRMA CTR kit were compared with those measured by two foreign commercial kits (alpha-fetoproteina of Radim and alpha-feto.riabead of Abbott). RESULTS: Intra-assay coefficients of variation on three different levels were 5.3% for 18.9 ng/ml, 3.4% for 133 ng/ml and 1.6% for 330 ng/ml. Inter-assay coefficients of variation were 9.7% for 20.9 ng/ml, 3.2% for 137 ng/ml and 4.1% for 330 ng/ml respectively. Recovery rate tests on all three different levels showed within 100+/-10%. Parallelism was also good and the sensitivity was 0.63 ng/ml. There was strong correlation between the measurement of alpha-fetoprotein by Riakey AFP IRMA CTR and that by two foreign commercial kits(r=0.98). CONCLUSION: The first Korean domestic immunoradiometric kit for alpha-fetoprotein, Riakey AFP IRMA CTR, performed well for clinical use.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Fetal Proteins ; Immunoradiometric Assay* ; Korea ; Radioimmunoassay ; Seoul ; Biomarkers, Tumor