BACKGROUND: Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus(CCLE) is a well-known disease entity. But there has been no data about its clinical behavior and histopathologic features in Korea. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to elucidate the clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic features of CCLE, and the relationship between CCLE and SLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 48 cases of CCLE that visited the department of dermatology at the Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to June 1997. Medical records and biopsy slides were reviewed.
Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Medical Records ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Congenital hypotrichosis is a non-specific, descriptive term for structural abnormalities of hairs showing variable clinical features. We recently have encountered a group of eleven patients exhibiting abnormal hairs showing similar patterns. OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to clarify the entity of this structural hair disorder. METHODS: Dermatologic examination with routine histopathology, trichograms along with scanning electron-microscopic examination and laboratory studies were undertaken. RESULTS: All cases except one were female, and hair abnormalities had developed at birth or within a year. Diffuse distribution of thin, sparse, soft and hypopigmented hairs were noticed. On hair mounts, four patients showed tapering of roots. The majority of the patients exhibited cuticular changes, as well as pitting and longitudinal axial twisting by scanning electron-microscopic examination; one case demonstrated trichorrhexis nodosa, and another, trans-verse fracture. CONCLUSION: Although our cases bear some similar points with woolly hair, some differences were noted between this type of congenital hypotrichosis and other previously described syndromes.
Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypotrichosis* ; Parturition

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Sterilization, Tubal*

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes*

Taking medication early on for aborting migraines has proved to be more effective, but trials using triptans during the aura phase have not shown significant effectiveness. Isometheptene compounds are popularly used as an anti-migraine OTC drug. We report a 27-year-old male patient with migraine with aura whose headache attacks were consistently inhibited by an isometheptene compound administered at the early aura phase, while he received no benefits from adequate treatment during the headache phase.
Adult ; Epilepsy* ; Headache ; Humans ; Male ; Migraine Disorders* ; Migraine with Aura ; Tryptamines

A relationship between preceding acute paralytic poliomyelitis and the later development of motor neuron disease has only occasionally been suggested since it was first postulated by Charcot in 1875. The authors recently experienced a 20-year-old male who was considered to have postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy. We report this case in view of its rarity and necessity of differential diagnosis from other neuromuscular disorders. Clinical presentation included slowly progressive muscle wasting of left thigh for 4 years, mild weakness of left arm and both thigh, intermittent fasciculation, and previous history of acute paralytic poliomyelitis. Electromyographic findings showed fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, fasciculations, giant motor unit potentials and reduced interference patterns. Muscle biopsy revealed scattered small angulated fibers, individual myofiber degeneration and mild inflammatory cell infiltration.
Arm ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciculation ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Neuron Disease ; Poliomyelitis ; Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome* ; Thigh ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Blood Donors* ; Chemistry* ; Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Prevalence*

The etiological and precipitating factors, clinical features and outcomes of 48 patients over the age of 17 years with generalized major motor status epilepticus were studied. Eleven patients were regarded to have idiopathic epilepsy and the other thirty-seven had symptomatic epilepsy due to intracranial infection, cerebrovascular diseases, cerebral tumors, cerebral trauma, metabolic disorders, unknown and others. Most frequent causes were intracranial infection including nonspecific inflammatory granuloma, cerebral cysticercosis, viral encephalitis and sequela of previous meningitis. The major single precipitating factor of the status was abrupt discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs and this accounted for 57% of the status in 30 patients with previous seizures. Other factors were upper respiratory infection, alcohol intake and physical exhaustion. In 18 patients without history of previous seizure, only six had obvious precipitating factors. Among 48 patients, sixteen patients showed primary generalized tonic-clonic status and the remaineder had generalized tonic-clonic status with focal onset. Twenty-five patients (78%) in the latter group had apparent causes and brain C.T. scans revealed structural lesions in 68% of 28 patients in the latter group. Therefore it is suggested that patients showing the status with focal onset must be screened with laboratory studies as fully as possible, including brain C.T. In 41 patients who had no apparent ifectious process, the episodes of status were accompanied by hyperthermia (69%) and transient leukocytosis (65%). In 16 of them, cerebrospinal fluid was examined and a status-induced cererbrospinal fluid pleocytosis was observed in 3 patients. Forty-two patients in this series recoverd without neurological sequelas from the status and three had some sequelae at the time of discharge, including disturbances of recent memory, calculation, judgement and emotion. Three patients (6%) who died from the status were having idiopathic epilepsy, viral encephalitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage, respectively.
Anticonvulsants ; Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cysticercosis ; Encephalitis, Viral ; Epilepsy ; Fever ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Memory ; Meningitis ; Precipitating Factors ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

The authors studied the diagnostic value of the oligoclonal band in cerebrospinal fluid in various neurological disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid of thirty-one patients including eight cases of multiple sclerosis was tested for oligoclonal band by agarose gel electrophoresis using the Helena Titan Gel High Resolution Protein System. Oligoclonal bands were detected in eleven cases of various disorders (two cases of optic neuritis, three cases of multiple sclerosis, three cases of CNS cysticercosis, and three cases of other disorders). This study suggested that detection of oligoclonal band in CSF was of usdful diagnostic aid in multiple sclerosis in addition to CSF IgG/Albumin ratio and CSF IgG index.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Cysticercosis ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Nervous System Diseases ; Oligoclonal Bands* ; Optic Neuritis ; Saturn