There are many reports about the deposition of immunoglobulins and complement by direct immunofluorescence(DIF) in the lesion of scabies. The authors investigated the immunoglobulins and C, for the purpose of studying the immunologic reactivity of the host to scabies mites by DIF. The results are summerized as follows: Total number of the cases investigated were 20 (18 males, 2 females), of whom 11 were in their third decade of age. The clinical forms of the tested lesions were papular type (7 cases), nodular type (12 cases), and Norwegian type (1 case). The durations of the patients were mostly within 2 months, but was 9 months in 1 case of nodular type, Deposition of immunoglobulin and C, was demonstrated by DIF in 10 of 12 cases (83. 3%) of nodular type, and 1 of 7 cases (14. 3%) of papular type. The Norwegian type showed negative results. There seemed to be no relation between the duration of scabies and positive rates. Of 20 cases tested, immunoglobulin and C, were deposited in the vascular wall in 11 lesions (55%), and at the dermoepidermal junction in 3 lesions (15%). While in 1 of 7 cases of papular type both IgM and C, were observed, IgM and C, were noted in 7 and 9, respectively, in 12 cases of nodular type.
Complement System Proteins ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Male ; Mites ; Scabies*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans

Isolation of Microsporum canis from home environment was carried out for 30 tinea capitis patients infected by M, canis. M. canis was isolated in 84.2-100% of patients caps, mattresses, clothes and pillows and families' clothes. The greatest mean number of M. canis colonies per petri dish was found in the patients pillows and followed by caps, mattresses, outerwear, and underwear. Mean number of M. canis colonies in the clothes of mothers, grandmothers, brothers, sisters and roommates of patients was smaller than that of the M. canis colonies in the clothes of patients but greater than that isolated from the clothes of other family members. Frequency of isolation and mean number of colonies decreased drarnatically after 2 weeks therapy and rarely isolated after 6 weeks therapy. M. canis was isolated in 100% of the house dust of patients. Isolation index was greater in the house dust of patients with concomittant infection of other family members and with lesions of scaly and inflammatory type. M. canis was isolated from cats and goat of patients by the hair brush technique.
Animals ; Beds ; Cats ; Dust ; Fungi* ; Goats ; Hair ; Humans ; Microsporum* ; Mothers ; Siblings ; Tinea Capitis* ; Tinea*

This report presents a case of a 17-year-old-girl who developed a, Kaposis varicelliforrn eruption(eczema herpeticum) during oral prednisolone therapy in order to control pemphigus foliaceus. Diagnosis was made by the history, clinical feature and histologic examination. Within 24 hours after the initiation of therapy with ribavirin(Viramid), new lesions had ceased to develop.
Diagnosis ; Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption* ; Pemphigus* ; Prednisolone

This study examined the expression of the bcl-2 protein in 59 cases of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) of the bladder and evaluated the relationship of bcl-2 and p53 with apoptosis. The cases were divided into 41 low-grade TCCs, 18 high-grade TCCs, 32 superficial TCCs, and 27 invasive TCCs. p53 and bcl-2 protein were detected by the immunohistochemical method and apoptosis was analysed by using hematoxylin-eosin stained slide. The results were as follows: bcl-2 protein was detected in 8 (14%) TCCs and all of these cases were low grade TCCs. Expression of bcl-2 protein was not correlated with clinical stage. There was no correlation between bcl-2 and p53 protein. According to the immunohistochemical results of bcl-2 and p53 protein, the cases were divided 4 groups. Apoptotic index (AI) was higher in p53 positive/ bcl-2 negative group than other groups but the significance was recognized only between p53 positive/bcl-2 negative group and p53 negative/bcl-2 negative group (p<0.05). p53 protein was detected in 20 (36%) TCCs and its expression was correlated positively with histologic grade and clinical stage (p<0.05). AI correlated positively with histologic grade and clinical stage (p<0.01). These data indicate that overexpression of bcl-2 protein is rare in TCC of the bladder and associated with low grade TCCs. Overexpression of p53 is associated with the tumor progression in the TCCs. AI correlates with p53 positivity but does not correlate with bcl-2 positivity.
Apoptosis* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Urinary Bladder*

Sea urchin granuloma is a rare skin disorder, considered to be allergic or foreign body reaction caused by stick of spines of sea urchin. However, detection of the spine in the granuloma is quite difficult. A 27 year-old marine was seen with several asymptomatic hard nodules on the dorsum of hands, fingers, forearrns and knees at the injured site of the spines after a latent period of 6 rnonths. Histolagical examination revealed dermal granulomatous inflamation with hyperkeratotic and acanthotic epidermis. On examination with polarized microscopy, sea urchin spines in the granuloma were seen as bright white fragments in the dark field. Those nodules were regressed with intralesional injection of triamcinoIone.
Adult ; Epidermis ; Fingers ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Granuloma* ; Hand ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Knee ; Microscopy ; Sea Urchins* ; Skin ; Spine

No abstract available.
Miller Fisher Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: Intrathecal (IT) neostigmine produces analgesia in animal and human. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IT neostigmine for post-cesarean section analgesia. METHODS: Forty-five women undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned into 3 groups to receive; normal saline 0.2 ml, or neostigmine 12.5 microgram, or neostigmine 25 microgram intrathecally with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 12 mg. Degrees of sensory and motor blocks, maternal hemodynamic changes, and side effects were recorded. Apgar scores and umbilical vein blood gas analysis (UVBGA) were checked for evaluation of fetal status. Postoperative analgesia was provided by intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) using fentanyl 500 microgram and ketorolac 150 mg in 100 ml. Pain scores with 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS), time to first PCA use, cumulative PCA consumptions, and side effects were assessed at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hr after IT injection. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the three groups in characteristics of spinal anesthesia, maternal blood pressure and heart rate, Apgar scores, and UVBGA data. Compared to saline group, IT neostigmine significantly prolonged time to first PCA use and decreased 24 hr- and 48 hr-PCA consumptions (P<0.05). Pain scores in neostigmine groups were significantly lower than those in saline group for first 4 hr after which there were no differences among the three groups. There were significantly higher incidences of nausea and vomiting in neostigmine groups than in saline group. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that IT neostigmine can be an alternative postoperative analgesic without adverse fetal effects for cesarean section. However, high incidence of nausea and vomiting seem to limit its clinical usefulness. Further studies are necessary to enhance its analgesic effects and to decrease its adverse effects.
Analgesia* ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Animals ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Bupivacaine ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ketorolac ; Nausea ; Neostigmine* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Pregnancy ; Umbilical Veins ; Vomiting

The incidence of conjoined twins is so rare that few anesthesiologists have an opportunity of managing them. Especially in Korea, there are only a few reports describing the anesthetic management for surgical separation of newborn conjoined twins. We experienced the successful anesthetic management for surgical separation of thoraco-xiphopagus conjoined twins without any particular problems. After applying the noninvasive monitors (ECG, pulse oximeter), one of the twins (twinA) with congenital heart disease was administered with intravenous ketamine for induction of anesthesia and intubated without neuromuscular blocker. Anesthesia was maintained with N2O-O2 and hand ventilation using Mapleson D breathing circuit. After maintaining airway of the twinA, the twinB was intubated and maintained with the same manner. Eighteen days after the separation procedure, the twinA with congenital heart disease died and the other one, twinB has been alive with normal growth and development.
Anesthesia ; Growth and Development ; Hand ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Ketamine ; Korea ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Respiration ; Twins, Conjoined* ; Ventilation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, clinical outcome, and change in higher-order wavefront aberrations (HOAs) of Advanced Surface Ablation-Photorefractive Keratectomy (ASA-PRK) for the correction of mild to moderate myopia in cases with a thin cornea. METHODS: ASA-PRK was performed, using a rotary epithelial scrubber, post-laser chilled BSS(R) irrigation, and bandage contact lens, in 127 eyes of 70 patients who had a preoperative spherical equivalent within -7.0 D and who were followed-up for more than six months. The patients were divided into two groups, according to their central corneal thickness (CCT), by ultrasonic pachymetry (Group: CCT< or =520 micrometer, 32 eyes, mean 506.6+/-8.6 micrometer; Group: CCT>520 micrometer, 95 eyes, mean 552.3+/-24.8 micrometer). The clinical outcomes of Group I and II were compared. RESULTS: At six months, 100% of Group I (32/32 eyes) and 93.7% of Group II (89/95 eyes) had an UCVA of 1.0 or better (p>0.05). At six months, a spherical equivalent within 0.5 D of emmetropia was observed in 100% (32/32) of the eyes in Group I and in 94.7% (90/95) of the eyes in Group II (p>0.05). At the 12-month follow-up, all eyes showed good stability of the refractive errors, and none showed corneal haze of grade 1 or more, loss of two or more lines of BSCVA, or serious iatrogenic keratectasia. The magnitude of total HOAs, spherical ablation, and coma were significantly higher six and 12 months after surgery in both groups (p<0.05). The postoperative changes in the HOAs at six and 12 months were similar in both groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ASA-PRK performed on patients with mild to moderate myopia and a thin cornea (> or =490 micrometer) showed a high level of efficacy, predictability, stability, and safety. There was no statistically significant difference in surgically induced HOAs between Groups I and II. The authors suggest that ASA-PRK be used for the correction of mild to moderate myopia, especially in cases with a thin cornea. Further study will be needed to determine the safety of this procedure for thinner corneas in surface keratorefractive surgery.
Bandages ; Coma ; Cornea* ; Emmetropia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Myopia* ; Refractive Errors ; Ultrasonics