We report a case of nasal BCC in which the skin defect is reconstructed by a local labial-alar transposition flap. In nasal reconstruction, the local flap is the preferred methods. This flap has the advantage of a more acceptable scar, is easy to make, and less edematous than a superiorly based flap. However, for defects larger than 1cm, this flap is not advisable and the defect has to be located adjacent to th nsolabial fold.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Cicatrix ; Nose* ; Skin*

Cutaneous protothecosis sometimes poses diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Isolation of the causative organism may not be successful and spores may be mistaken for other skin diseases unless the characteristic sporangia are detected in tissue sections. Because there are few cases, the optimal therapy is still being debated. On Liebs crystal violet staining we found charateristic purplish dots in Prototheca spores; these correspond to the amyloplasts or dense bodies found under electron microscopy. The isolated organisms were inhibited in vitro by itraconazole, amphotericin B, ketoconazole, and amorolfine and we were able to successfully treat two patients with itraconazole.
Amphotericin B ; Gentian Violet* ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Itraconazole* ; Ketoconazole ; Microscopy, Electron ; Plastids ; Prototheca ; Skin Diseases ; Sporangia ; Spores

No abstract available.
Urinary Retention*

Both eruptive vellus hair cyst and steatocystoma multiplex are uncommon conditions. There are clinical similarities between these two entities, but histological features are distinctive. We describe a patient with multiple subcutaneous nodules on the chest and both axilla, showing combined histological features of both an eruptive vellus hair cyst and steatocystoma multiplex. This case suggests that eruptive vellus hair cyst and steatocystoma multiplex are variants of one disorder which originate in the pilosebaceous duct.
Axilla ; Hair* ; Humans ; Steatocystoma Multiplex* ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Glycolic acid is currently reported to have beneficial effects on the photoaged skin. These effects may be through the modulatory action of glycolic acid in the production of dermal extracellular matrix proteins of fibroblast. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the specific effect of glycolic acid on the collagen and elastic fiber gene expression in vitro. METHODS: Human skin fibroblasts were cultured from normal skins of excised specimens and glycolic acid (75 µg/ml) was treated. After 24 hours of treatment, six each cell lines were processed for extraction of RNA and subjected to Northern analysis. RESULTS: Type I collagen mRNA expression was significantly increased in the glycolic acid-treated fibroblasts. Elastin mRNA expression did not show any significant change. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that glycolic acid induced the increase of type I collagen mRNA expression and had the specific biologic effect on fibroblast.
Cell Line ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen* ; Elastic Tissue ; Elastin ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Skull Base* ; Skull*

The accepted radiographic method to determine cervical spinal stenosis is the direct measurement of the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal on the routine lateral view of the cervical spine. The reported normal and abnormal values for this measurement are inconsistent because of various methods of obtaining the roentgenograms and different body types which affect the size of the X-ray image. According to Pavlow, the ratio method of determining crevical spinal stenosis, in which the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal is divided by the sagittal diameter of the corresponding vertebral body, is independent of technical factor variables and is a reliable method for determining cervical spinal stenosis. In order to determine the Pavlov's ratio of normal Koreans, and compare it with that of radiculopathic group, we measured the diameter of cervicl canal in 47 normal persons(28 male, 19 female), and 32 patients( 9 male, 23 female) who had transient tingling sensation and radiculopathic symtom from the second to fifth decades. The results were as follows :1) The average Pavlov's ratio from C3 to C7 in normal Korean men are 0.906(0.70–1.13), 0.899 (0.070–1.13),0.948(0.70–1.67) and 0.948(0.67–1.17), respectively, and those of normal Korean women are 0.977(0.83–1.15), 1.021(0.83–1.13), 1.014(0.84–1.33) and 1.055(0.88–1.18), respectively. 2) The average Pavlov's ratio from C3 to C7 in radiculopathic Korean men are 0.88(0.65–1.12), 0.90(0.68–1.12), 0.95(0.79–1.12) and 0.95(0.78–1.06), respectively, and those of radiculopathic Korean women are 0.902(0.70–1.27), 0.905(0.69–1.27), 0.939(0.70–1.33) and 0.931(0.70–1. 18), respectively. 3) There are not statistically differences of the Pavlov's ratio between the control group and the radiculopathic group. 4) We believe that the Pavlov's ratio is an effective method in detection of cervical stenosis and is able to eliminate technical factor such as body position, target and object-to-film distanc.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Sensation ; Somatotypes ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To investigate long-term visual outcomes and prognostic factors to predict visual outcomes in patients with anatomic success after macular hole surgery. METHODS: Medical records of 36 eyes with successfully repaired stage 3 or 4 idiopathic macular hole and with at least 24 months of follow-up were reviewed. Hole height, stage of macular hole, base diameter, minimum diameter, hole form factor, macular hole index, and hole closure type were measured or calculated, and the correlations of visual outcomes with variables of preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients were classified into 3 groups according to the time period necessary to achieve the best corrective visual acuity. The visual acuity of 16 eyes (44.4%) recovered in a mean of 6 months, 13 eyes (36.1%) improved slowly and continuously, and 7 eyes had no improvement despite successful anatomical closure. There were no statistical differences in hole height, base diameter, minimum diameter, hole form factor, macular hole index, or closure type among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in visual acuity after successful macular hole surgery persisted at the 24-month follow-up and after. There were no correlations between delayed visual acuity after macular hole surgery and minimum diameter, base diameter, hole height, hole form factor, macular hole index, or closure type.
Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Retinal Perforations ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity