BACKGROUND: The incidence of primary epithelial skin cancers is rising steadily, but little is khown of the clinical features of primary epithelial skin cancers, and limited data are available in Korea. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to analyze the clinical characteristics of primary epithelial skin cancers. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 106 cases of primary epithelial skin cancers observed between 1989 and 1995. RESULTS: 1. Basal cell curcinoma(BCC), 41 cases, was the most common skin cancer. The numbers of cases of squamosis cell carcinoma(SCC) and Bowens disease(BD) were 33 and 24, respectively. There were 3 cases of mixed type(BCC + SCC), 2 cases of Pagers disease and 3 cases of extramammary Pgets disease. 2. The average age at ciragnosis and the mean duration of disease were as follows . BCC(65.5 years old 4.34 years), SCC(70.2 years old-1.63 years), BD(59.3 years old-2.85 years) 3. The face was the most common anatomic site for BCC(93%) and SCC(70%), but the trunk was the most common site for BD. 4. The most common c inical type of BCC was the noduloulcerative type(65% ) and the solid type was t.he most frequert histologic type of BCC. 5. In histologic grading of SCC, grade I and II lesions occupied in 88% of total cases. The numbers of special variants of SCC were as follows aenoid(4), spindle cell(1), verrucous(2) CONCLUSIONS : 1. The average age of patient with primary epithelial skin cancers was older thar: in earlier reports in Korea, and was closer to the recent, reports in western count.ries. 2. The number of cases of BD was much higher than that reported previously. This emphasizeci the importance of tissue examination for the pigmented lesions of the skin, especially on the trunk and extremities.
Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Neoplasms* ; Skin*

Erythr odysesthesia syndrome is a. peculiar toxic reaction due to anti-cancer drug. lt is characterized by a painful, purple-colored patch on the palms and soles, and may form bullae. We report a case of erythrodysesthesia syndrome in a 46-year-old woman. 5-FU and leucovorin were administered for 5 days because of her colon cancer. Two weeks after anti-cancer therapy, purple-colored erosive patch appeared on the face, and 10 days later, purple-colored vesicular patches were seen on both palms and soles, accompanied with pain. Histopathologic examination reveals a severe epidermal necrosis. Individual keratinocyte shows cytologic atypia and apoptotic body.
Colonic Neoplasms ; Female ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Leucovorin ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis

Progressive cribriform and zosteriform hyperpigmentaion (PCZP) is a pigmentary disorder of the skin which was first described by Rower et al in 1978. The disorder is characterized clinically by uniformalyptan cribriform macular pigmentation in a zosteriform distibution and histopathologically by absence of nevus cells and increased melanin in the basal cells. The authors have experienced a case of PCZP in 21 year old Korean man which we believe is the first documented case in Korea. The patient noted light brown macules on his left inguinal area at the age of 17 which has gradually extended to become cribriform macular pigmentation in a zosteriform distribution. Histopathologic examination of the lesion showed an increase in basal melanin pigmentation. No nevus cells were present.
Humans ; Hyperpigmentation* ; Korea ; Melanins ; Nevus ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Young Adult

Direct immunofluorescent (DIF) starining was performed on biopsy specimens from four patients with pityraasis lichenoides chronica. Deposits of IgM and C3 were foundin the dermal vessel walls of the lesional skin in two patients with pityriasis lichenoides chronic. Deposition of C3 and cytoid bodies were detected along the dermo-epidermal junction in one patient. This supports the view that deposition of immune complexes may play a part in the pathogenesis of pityriasis lichenoides chronica.
Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Pityriasis Lichenoides ; Skin ; Vasculitis*

Bee sting therapy is said to have been practised since the age of ancient Egypt. Some people believe in the benefit of apitherapy for articular inflammation, hematoma, sciatica, hay fever, etc. However, honeybee has several venoms that may induce various clinical and histopathological findings. We report a case of foreign-body granuloma after honeybee acupuncture for polyarthralgia. To our knowledge, this is the first report of foreign-body granuloma developing at an acupunctured site in English literature.
Acupuncture* ; Apitherapy ; Arthralgia ; Bees ; Bites and Stings ; Egypt ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body* ; Hematoma ; Inflammation ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal ; Sciatica ; Venoms

Erythema multiforme(EM) is an acute, self-limited eruption of the skin and mucous membrane, characterized by distinctive target lesions. Although a wide range of factors have been implicated as precipitating EM, the pathogenesis is unknown. Recently, several studies on EM have been reportecl, showing the presence of immune complexes in patient with EM, and these authors suggested that such complexes may be cf immunopathogenic significance. The atudy was undertaken to irivestigate the pathogenesis of EM. In ten patients with EM, we performed serological study and direct immunofluorescence study. The reaults obtained were as follows. 1) There was no signifir.ant abnormality in CBC, urinalysis, chest PA, stool, and serology including ASO, CH, Ig quantitation, VDRL, HBsAg, ANA, RF, and cryoglobul in. 2 In direct immunofluorescence study, 4 biopsies showed IgM deposits in the su!erficial blood vessels, 4 demonstrated C, 2 showed IgG deposition and 2 biopsies showed fibrin deposition. All biopsies were negative for lgA. Additionally 1 biopsy demonstrated IgM depnsition along the dermoepidermal junction, and 1 showed both IgG and fihrin deposition. This study supports the view that deposition of immune complexes may play a role in the pathogenesis of EM.
Biopsy

No Abstract Available.
Mucinoses*

No abstract available.

It has been proposed that action spectrum in polymorphous light eruption lies predominantly in the sunburn range, but reaches through the long-wave ultraviolet (UV) into visible part of the spectrum. We examined the efficacy of UUB, UVA and visible light in reproducing skin lesions, and found that the UVA was most suitable in provoking the typical skin lesions in our 3 cases with polymorphous light eruption, Plewig and his associates reproduced the clinical lesions with megadoses of UVA,(60J/cm2); in our experiment, 5 to 10 J/cm2 was sufficient. The reason for this discrepancy is not clear but the method of phototest, light source and energy, the different susceptibility in different races and other factors may influence the phototest results.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of patients over the age of 25 years with acne has significantly increased over the past 10 years. Several etiologic factors such as genetic factor, hyperandrogenism, stress, and cosmetics have been studied. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences between adolescent acne and post-adolescent acne, based on the clinical features, asoociated diseased and aggravating factors of 327 acne patients. METHODS: 327 consective patients, first visited to our hospital with clinical facial acne between March 2000 and February 2001, were enrolled. 220 adolescent patients(AP) were under the age of 25 and post-adolescent patients(PP) were over age of 25. RESULTS: 1. In the face, cheeks and forehead in adolescents, chin and cheeks in post-adolescents were predilection sites. The predominant type was a comedonal type in adolescents and a papulopustular type in post-adolescents(P<0.05). Severity of inflammatory type was not different between two groups. Familial factors were important in both groups, but more frequently found in post-adolescents with persistent acne(P<0.05). 2. Rosacea, chloasma, and hyperandrogenic features such as hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia were more frequently observed in post-adolescents. Seborrheic and atopic dermatitis were more frequent in adolescents. Four patients had all the features of chloasma, acne, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis and hirsutism. 3. Aggravation by weason especially summer, sweating, stress, and cosmetics was more frequent in adolescents. In PP, acne was more frequently aggravated by sunlight, foods and menstrual period. CONCLUSION: Post-adolescent acne was mainly a papulopustular type predominantly located on the chin and cheeks with mild to moderated severity, and family history and hyperandrogenism were strong etiologic factors in persistent acne. Aggravating factors were not significantly different between two group, which suggested cosmetics and stress might not be important in post adolescent acne.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Adolescent* ; Alopecia ; Cheek ; Chin ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Forehead ; Hirsutism ; Humans ; Hyperandrogenism ; Melanosis ; Prevalence ; Rosacea ; Sunlight ; Sweat ; Sweating