BACKGROUND: With the increase of cigarette consumption by women and the young, the incidence of lung cancer is expected to increase during the next three or four decades in Korea. The purpose of this study was to analyze the smoking habits in patients with lung cancer and to identify the gender differences in terms of their susceptibility to cigarette related carcinogens. METHODS: This investigation was a hospital-based case control study, which included the data of 178 case subjects(72 females, 106 males) with lung cancer and 218 control subjects(97 females, 121 males) with diseases unrelated to smoking. The information was obtained through a direct personal interview and a questionnaire related to personal smoking history. RESULTS: The relative frequency of the squamous cell carcinoma was substantially higher in males than in females(61.3% in males, and 29.2% in females), while adenocarcinoma including bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma was higher in females(31.9% in females, 18.9% in males). Keryberg Ilung cancer was of relatively higher frequencies in males and smokers. while Kreyberg IIlung cancer was higher in females and never smokers. The odds ratios(ORs) at each exposure level were consistently higher in females than males. For all cell types, the risk of lung cancer was increased with the quantity of smoked cigarettes, duration of smoking, and depth of inhalation. Odds ratio was distinctly higher in Kreyberg Ilung cancer than in total lung cancer and a steeper gradient of risk with increased smoking was observed in females. CONCLUSION: The ralative risk for lung cancer was consistently higher in females than in males at every level of exposure to cigarette smoke. This is believed to be due to the higher susceptibility of females to tabacco carcinogens, such as gender associated differences of carcinogen activation and/or the elimination of smoking related metabolites.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinogens ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products

We report a case of histiocytoid hemangioma (angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia) in a 60 year-old female patient who was effectively treated with dapsone. The therapeutic effect of dapsone may support the hypothesis that immunologically mediated reactive process plays a role in the pathogenesis of histiocytoid hemangioma.
Dapsone* ; Female ; Hemangioma* ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Middle Aged

The mortality and morbidity in tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) overdose still remained high due to fatal cardiac toxicities despite their decreased prescriptions. Also, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) may show relatively high cardiac toxicities in excess or mixed overdoses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and newer antidepressants have been known to be safe in overdose until recently. However, many researchers have found that SSRIs and newer antidepressants also showed serious and fatal toxicities in case of excess or mixed overdoses. Citalopram or escitalopram overdoses showed a relatively high incidence of cardiac toxicity with a dose-dependent manner. Also, venlafaxine, bupropion and trazodone overdoses showed significant cardiac toxicities, although degrees of the toxicities are different each other. Especially, venlafaxine's pattern and incidence of cardiac toxicities are the similar to those of TCAs. Mirtazapine and reboxetine show no significant toxicities in overdose although the present toxicological data are insufficient. To conclude, assessment of compliance, pharmacology education for patients and effective treatment may reduce the incidence and severity of toxicities in overdose.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic ; Bupropion ; Citalopram ; Compliance ; Cyclohexanols ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mianserin ; Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors ; Morpholines ; Prescriptions ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; Trazodone ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride

We report a case of meralgia paresthetica in a 25-year-old man who preferred to wear tight blue jeans. He complained of a tingling sensation and dysesthesia with progressive a nature on the right thigh that had been present for 2 years. The symptoms were relieved after wearing loose trousers.
Adult ; Humans ; Paresthesia ; Sensation ; Thigh

We report a case of Winkelmann granuloma in a 63-year-old man. nstopathological findings of the biopsy specimens from the lesions of the ear, finger and iliac crest area were compatible with Winkelmann granuloma. Winkelmann granuloma is a rare disorder showing an association with systemic immunoreactive disorders. Although our patient did not have any definite systemic disease, he had characteristic clinical and histopathological findings of Winkelmann granuloma, arthralgia, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positivity to the rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies. Therefore, we believed that he was strongly suspected to have an unclassifiable systemic immunoreactive disease.
Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Arthralgia ; Biopsy ; Blood Sedimentation ; Ear ; Fingers ; Granuloma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatoid Factor

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*

In about 20 to 30 percent of cases with organoid nevus (nevus sebaceus), benign and/or ma-al lignant tumors of the epidermis and adnexae may develop. We describe a 71-year-old woman with sebaceous carcinoma and basal cell epithelioma developed in organoid nevus.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Nevus* ; Organoids*

Infection-induced panniculitis develops either through direct inoculation or as a manifestation of sepsis. However, it has rarely been considered as a disease entity within broader context of panniculitis. Moreover, panniculitis associated with a cardiac abscess without the evidence of sepsis has not been reported. We describe a case of infection-induced panniculitis associated with a cardiac abscess. We suggest that infection should be considered as a potentially important etiology of panniculitis, especially in the case of immunosuppression, and in such a case, meticulous efforts should be done to find the focus of infection.
Abscess* ; Immunosuppression ; Panniculitis* ; Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Actinic granuloma is an annular inflammatory reaction that develops in skin that has had long-term sun-exposure. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were aimed to characterize the clinical and histopathologic features of actinic granuloma. METHODS: Examinations were performed on eight patients with actinic granuloma regarding the age, sex, duration, clinical morphology, distribution, associated diseases, and treatment and course. Histo-pathologic studies of ten specimens obtained from eight patients were performed with special stains, such as Verhoeff-van Gieson, Gomori-Methenamin silver and alcian blue.
Actins* ; Alcian Blue ; Coloring Agents ; Granuloma* ; Humans ; Silver ; Skin

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of undetermined etiology and pathogenesis that involves the skin and many of the internal organs. It involves any organ of the body; how-ever, the most common sites are the lung, lymph node, skin, and eye. Psoriasiform eruption is a rare morphologic manifestation of sarcoidosis. We report herein a case of 36-year-old man with psoriasiform papules on the elbows, forearms and knees of 5-year duration. Histopathologic examination revealed sarcoid granuloma throughout the dermis. This is the second case of psoriasiform sarcoidosis in Korea.
Adult ; Dermis ; Elbow ; Forearm ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Knee ; Korea ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin