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

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*

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

A 31-year-old female patient has had a translucent cystic papule on the genitalia since 2 years ago. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings. This is the rare case of apocrine hidrocystoma occring in the fernale genitalia in the literature.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Female* ; Genitalia ; Genitalia, Female* ; Hidrocystoma* ; Humans

Tricilemmoma is a benign, solitary tumor that may be clinically misdiagnosed as basal cell carcinoma or verruca. It affects frequently the face of elderly rnen. We present herein a case of trichilemrnoma in a 70-year-old Korean wornan who had a slowly growing tumor on the scalp for 50 years. The histopathologic findings revealed lobular acanthosis of glycogeri rich clear cells and palisade of columnar cells resting on prominent basement membrane.
Aged ; Basement Membrane ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Humans ; Scalp* ; Warts

Friction melanosis is frequently developed in thin, young woman, on thc covered skin of spinc, rib, elbow, knee and tibia. These lesions range from brown to rcddish-brown in color, appear in either band shapes or reticular patterns, and exhibit no overt syrnptoms. They do not show any inflamatory changes, and the skin remains smooth. According to histopathological findings, the main changcs arc perivascular melanophages on the papillary derrnis and upper dermis, and also increased melanin granules on the basal layer. The following case concern a relatively thin 20-year-o1d female patient. She had a syrwptoniless brown color changcs above the ribs of back, growing in dircction of the ribs for a period of three years. This change was band shaped, but there were no signs of inflammatory reaction, leaving the skin smooth. A biopsy was performed on the relevant tissue, and clinical-histopathological analysis was resulting in diagnosis of friction melanosis.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Dronabinol ; Elbow ; Female ; Friction* ; Humans ; Knee ; Melanins ; Melanosis* ; Ribs ; Skin ; Tibia

Comedones were induced at external ears of rabbits by daily application of 50% oleic acid in paraffin oil for 3 weeks. 13 cis-retinoic acid(RA) solution(0.1%)wae apllied to experimentally induced comedones. The morphologic changes around the epithelial lining of comedones were observed by transmission electron microscopy to define the effect of RA on comedones. In follicles treated with RA, the results were summarized as follows: l) The thickness of the stratum corneum of the epithelium was markedly decreased with widening of intercellular spaces. 2)The number of desomosomes and desmosoma1 bodies between horny cells was decreased. 3) Abnormally appeared tight junction in the stratum corneum and disappearance of membrane coating granules in the straurn granulosum were reversed to normal state, disappearance of tight junction and increment of membrane coating granule respectively by the application of RA. These observations suggest that RA has comedolytir. effect by decreasing cohesive- ness between horny cells.
Ear, External ; Epithelium ; Extracellular Space ; Membranes ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Oleic Acid ; Paraffin ; Rabbits ; Tight Junctions ; Tretinoin* ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

We present two cases of angiosarcoma occuring on the scalp of aged person. The case 1 was a 74 year-old male who have had purplish colored, slightly raised irregular surfaced plsque on frontal scalp. The other case was a 69-year-old man who have had purplish nodule with satellite lesions on the right frontal area. The cases were confirmed by clinical picture, histologic findings. Treatment was not done because of refuse by patient.
Aged ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Male ; Scalp

Porokeratosis is a familial, chronic, progressive disorder which demonstrates a characteristic clinical and histologic picture. Since Mibelli described three cases in 1893, several clinical variants have been identified, all of which are delineated by a diagnostic histopathologic pattern. We reported a case of atypical linear porokeratosis that had three types of skin lesions. One was the plaque type, as originally described by Mibelli. And others were atypical lesions, as papules and verrucoid hyperkeratotic plaques.
Porokeratosis ; Skin