Any type of urticaria may affect as many as 20% person during their lifetimes, yet the causes of this disorder is established in no more than 20% of cases. So, 308 patients with urticaria(acute ; 73, factitial; 120, chronic;115) were evaluated for results of historical and laboratory tests. The results were summerized as follows,' 1. The disesse primarily affected 2nd % 3rd decade(46.2%) with predominance of woman than man (M: F=1: 1.4). 2. Ninety-seven(31.5%) had at least one abnormal finding in the laboratory tests but, may be twenty-three(7.5%) would have causal relationship. 3. We sought serologic markers of Hepatitis B virus infection in serum from 8(14%) of 57 patients with urticaria. Of these, 4 were found to have abnormal liver function. 4. Sixty-five had taken at least one sort of drug previously or just before urticaria developed, but, may be forty-six(14.9%) would have a causal relationship and the predisposing drugs were analgesics, antibiotics, common cold medication & vitamin etc. 5. The predisposing conditions were as follows ; pulmory tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, tonsillitis & ascariasis, etc. Of these, eleven(3.6%) of this patients were newly found to have underlying diseases. 6. This study showed inciting factors of urticaria in 27.2%(84/308).
Analgesics ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ascariasis ; Common Cold ; Female ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Liver ; Palatine Tonsil ; Tonsillitis ; Tuberculosis ; Urticaria* ; Vitamins

A 16-year-old girl developed pyoderma gangrenosum without underlying disease at first. She was treated with local cutaneous dressing and systemic oral prednisolone and minocycline for 10 months, imtermittently. After that, acute leukemia, which was undeterminated type, was developed 4 years after first onset. Since pyoderma gangrenosum may be a preindication of underlying disease, continual follow up check for systemic disease is required.
Adolescent ; Bandages ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Minocycline ; Prednisolone ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum* ; Pyoderma*

This clinical and histopatholgical study was performed with 149 cases of acquired melanocyticnevi, which were obtained as surgical specimens from 1975 to 1985 at Depa.rtment of Clinical Pathology, Seoul Red Cross Hopital. The results were as follows: 1) Histologic subdivision of melanocytic nevus into junctional(,J), IJC, compound (C,"), ICI, and intradermal(I) is used. IJC is a lesion in an intermediate state between ,junctional and compound nevus, and ICI, between compound and intradermal nevus. 2) The age distribution of the excisional melanocytic nevus peaks during the third decade of life, with 47% of patients between 21 40 year old of age. 3) Of l49 specimens with excisional melanocytic nevus, the number of junctional, IJC, compound, ICI and intradermal nevus were 17, 4, 21, 32 and 75 in each group And so, it is likely that evolution of the melanocytic nevus have an increased opportunity for surgical excision. 4) Among the 17 cases of junctional nevus, one case is found in 5th and the other one in 7th decade. 5) In distvibution of melanocytic nevus, head including face is the most common site among the body area and then trunk, neck, lower and upper extremity in decreasing orders.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Head ; Humans ; Neck ; Nevus ; Nevus, Intradermal ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Pathology, Clinical ; Red Cross ; Seoul ; Upper Extremity

We report a case of Dariers disease which showed a more effective result using a combined treatment with oral etretinate and topical tretinoin cream than treatment with oral etretinate alone in a 17-year old male patient. Oral etretinate 40mg was given daily and topical therapy with tretinoin cream was applied to lesions of neck and face. Two weeks later, lesions of neck and face showed good improvement compared with the not applied lesions. Topical therapy was then extended to other lesions. Six weeks after treatment, there was a marked improvement. Three months after treatment, most of lesions were nearly gon.
Acitretin* ; Adolescent ; Darier Disease ; Etretinate* ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Tretinoin*

We report a case of hidradenoma papilliferum of the left nipple in a 23-year-old female patient. Hidradenoma papilliferum occurs only in women, usually on the labia majora or in the perineal or perineal region and represents an adenoma with apocrine dif ferentiation. Histologic examination of the lesion revealed findings consistent with hidradenoma papilliferurn. She had been performed surgical excision
Acrospiroma* ; Adenoma ; Female ; Humans ; Nipples* ; Young Adult

Breast cancer is a common cancer in women and the most common primary tumor metastatic to the skin. Cutaneous metastasis from breast cancer occurs predominently through lymphatic dissemination. Alopecia neoplastica is rare and probably caused by the hematogenous spread of the internal carcinoma. It has diagnostic importance because it may be the first sign of an undiscovered internal malignancy. We report a case of a 40-year-old female who showed alopecia neoplastia secondary to an invasive intraductal carcinoma of the breast.
Adult ; Alopecia* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Skin

We report a case of a 59 year-old female with hyperlipoproteinernia who had xanthoma tuberosum, xanthoma tendinosurn and xanthoma planum. Yellowish nodules appeared on the right elbow 26 years ago and the lesions gradually increased in size and spread to the elbow, hand, knee, foot and achilles tendon. Except for the skin lesion, she was normal on physical examination. The laboratory findings showed that the serum cholesterol, beta lipoprotein and total lipid were increased. The beta band was rnarkedly elevated on electrophoresis, which suggested type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia. Histopathological findings shc wed many aggregates of foam cells and foreign body giant cells were seen in the dermis.
Achilles Tendon ; Cholesterol ; Dermis ; Elbow ; Electrophoresis ; Female ; Foam Cells ; Foot ; Giant Cells, Foreign-Body ; Hand ; Humans ; Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II* ; Knee ; Lipoproteins ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Skin ; Temazepam* ; Xanthomatosis*

Eccrine angiomatous hamartoma or sudoriparous angioma is a hamartoma in which histologically, hyperplasia of eccrine sweat apparatus and vascular elements is present in the same lesion and clinically has tenderness and hyperhidrosis over the lesion. We present a case of eccrine angiomatous hamartoma developed on the medial side of the right knee in a 5-year-old female patient.
Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hamartoma* ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Hyperplasia ; Knee ; Sweat

BACKGROUND: Skin contact with metalworking fluid(MWF) remains a frequent cause of occupational dermatitis. However, no precise data is available about sensitization in metalworkers exposed to MWF in Korea. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of contact sensitivity among metalwokers who handle MWFs and to investigate the suitability of a screening test with MWFs being actually used in metalworkers. METHODS: An epidemiological study was performed using a'questionnaire in 771 workers in 9 derpartments of a motor company. 278 out of 771 workers had actual contact with MWF. Patch tests were performed in 73 metalworkers who had suspected dermatits in relation to exposure of MWF, which was selected via interviews and dermatologic examinations. Patch tests were included with a routine series of common components of MWF(materials obtained from Chemotechnique, Sweden), a solvent series and several dilutions of various crude MWFs(8 species) RESULTS: Contact sensitization was established in 14 metalworkers(5% of 278). Sensitising substances were biocide(6 cases), corrosion inhibitors(2 cases), emulsifiers(2 cases), biostatic substances(1 cses) and others(4 cases). Therefore 10 out of 14 metalworkers had true occupational allergic contact dermatitis. 10 out of 73 screening patch tests showed positive reactions to MWF elements, and 9 people who were positive to MWF elements showed positive reactions to crude MWF, but 1 person did not. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of occupational allergic contact dermatitis(3.5% of 278) was low. The screening patch test by crude MWFs actually used in metalworkers may give false negatives. Therefore for the purpose of diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis, we need a process of patch tests with MWF elements.
Corrosion ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Patch Tests ; Prevalence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases*

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferases(GST) are a family of multi-functional enzymes involved in cellular detoxification and excretion of a variety of exogenous and endogenous toxic or carcinogenic compounds. The GST family has been divided into three classes, alpha, mu, and pi, based on substrate specificity and sequence homology. GST-pi is an acidic type and predominant in skin, small intestine, breast, lung and prostate. The overexpression of GST-pi associated with skin tumor and tumor-like lesion suggests that GST-pi is a major detoxifying enzyme in skin tumors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe the expression and the distribution pattern of GST-pi in the human fetal skin. METHODS: Skin was obtained from the scalp, chest, and sole of 49 human fetuses, ranging from 8th to 40th weeks of gestational age. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using avidin biotin peroxidase complex method on paraffin embedded tissue using antirabbit polyclonal antibody against the human GST-pi. RESULTS: GST-pi was expressed in intermediated layer of epidermis at 8th week, and gradually increased in strength of expression stronger in suprabasal layer. In hair unit, GST-pi was expressed in sebaceous gland, bulge, hair matrix cell and outer root sheath cell from 15th week. In eccrine gland, also GST-pi was expressed in central differentiated cells of intradermal eccrine duct from 18th week, and in terminal duct and acini from 26th week of fetal age. CONCLUSION: GST-pi was expressed from the 8th week of gestation suggesting that GST-pi plays an important role in detoxification for the protection of the skin in fetal stage from the various toxic agent.
Avidin ; Biotin ; Breast ; Eccrine Glands ; Epidermis ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Glutathione Transferase* ; Glutathione* ; Hair ; Humans ; Intestine, Small ; Lung ; Paraffin ; Peroxidase ; Pregnancy ; Prostate ; Scalp ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sequence Homology ; Skin* ; Substrate Specificity ; Thorax