BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is replete with data from studies using variuos therapeutic approaches, none of which is clearly superior to another. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cryotherapy in alopecia areata. METHODS: Thirty three patents with AA(M:13, F:20) well conduted in this study, precluding 3 patients with the moderate and extensive lesions. Cryotherapy using a cotton swab dipped with liquid nitrogen was applied to the involved areas, repeated with 2 times of freeze thaw cycle of two seconds. In 13 cases of AA multiplex, the lesions were divided into two groups, each of which was undertaken cryotherapy and intralesional injection of triamcinolone(3mg/ml) for evaluation of their respeetive effects. The treatment was done weekly method of 1 to 11 times, Th therapeutic response was determined as the regrowth of terminal hairs on the treated area(s) at 12 Weeks. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients with AA, the overall responders were 22(66.7%). There seemed good response rates of 70.0 % in females, 71.4 % in AA multiplex and 72.2 % in third decade as well as 72.4 % in those with lower than 1 year of duration. The remarkable resionse had 3-4 times in treatment numbers. There were no untoward side effects in patients except mild erythema. In the 13 patients treated with both modalities, cryotherapy had a slightly higher esaonse than triamcinolone therapy (69.2% vs 61.5%, p>0.05 by x-test). CONCLUSION: The effect of cryotherapy therapy in AA patients is not less than the intralesional therapy of triamcinolone. In addition, cryotherapy may be recommendec as the new, safe therapeutic modality.
Alopecia Areata* ; Alopecia* ; Cryotherapy* ; Erythema ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Nitrogen* ; Triamcinolone

No abstract available.
Cartilage* ; Rabbits* ; Ribs*

We herein report three cases of pararneatal urethral cyst, which developed on the male urethral meatus. These cysts occurred since birth or childhood, and did not interfere with urinary of sexual function. Histologically, these cysts were lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with variable thickness. No recurrence was evident after simple excision.
Epithelium ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition ; Recurrence

A 25-year-old woman had a 2-month history of a 1.7 x 1.4cm sized lirm nodule, which was deeply located in 5.0 x 4.0cm sized soft fatty tissue on the right axilla. There was no history of axillary swelling with the symptoms or signs related to her menstrual periods. She underwent an excisional biopsy of the firm nodule and a simple biopsy of the soft tissue. The histopathologic findinga associated with both lesions revealed the usual feat Ures of fibroadenoma with accessory breast tissue. There was no occurrence or relapse of any other lasions during the careful one-year follow-up after excision of the firm nodule. This is an unusual case in a review of Korea literatures.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Axilla ; Biopsy ; Breast* ; Dapsone ; Female ; Fibroadenoma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Management of massive rotator cuff tears can be challenging because of the less satisfactory results and a higher retear rate regardless of the use of open or arthroscopic repair technique. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 102 cases of massive rotator cuff tear treated with either open or arthroscopic repair. Open repair was performed in 38 patients; and arthroscopic repair, in 64 patients. The mean age at the time of surgery was 59.7 years in the open group and 57.6 years in the arthroscopic group. RESULTS: The Constant score increased from the preoperative mean of 55.9 to 73.2 at the last follow-up in the open repair group and from 53.8 to 67.6 in the arthroscopic repair group (p<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score increased from a preoperative mean of 17.7 to 30.8 at the last follow-up in the open group and from 17.5 to 28.7 in the arthroscopic group (p<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). No statistically significant difference in the Constant and UCLA scores was observed between the two groups at the last follow-up (p=0.128 and 0.087, respectively). Retear was found in 14 patients (36.8%) in the open group and 39 patients (60.9%) in the arthroscopic group (p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Open and arthroscopic repairs of massive rotator cuff tears may provide satisfactory clinical results with no significant difference. However, a significantly lower retear rate was observed for the open repair group compared with the arthroscopic repair group.
Arthroscopy ; California ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Tears* ; Tendon Injuries

No abstract available.
Hypoglycemia*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of combined transvaginal ultrasound and beta-hCG discriminatory zone for diagnosing intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy in early abnormal pregnancy. METHODS: Initial ultrasound findings and beta-hCG level were compared with final pregnancy outcome in 164 early pregnant women who visit our hospital with vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value by the combination of two diagnostic tools were calculated. Statistic analysis of collected data used x2 of SPSS(9.0). RESULTS: Of 90 women with normal outcome, 64(71.1%) had a gestational sac 5mm, and in 47 cases, the hCG level was above 1,800 mIU/ml. Transvaginal ultrasound was non-diagnostic in 47(28.6%) of 164 women, and especially, 43(53.1%) of 81 cases with beta-hCG levels below 1,800 mIU/ml. The portion of accurate ultrasound diagnosis was significantly higher in women above 1,800 mIU/ml (85.5%, 71 of 83 cases) compard with levels below 1,800 mIU/ml (37.0%, 30 of 81 cases) : P < 0.001; Relative Risk(RR) 2.31; CI 95%. Sensitivity of transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis of intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy was 90.2%, 79.3%, and 66.7% in women who presented with beta-hCG levels above 1,800 mIU/ml, and 41.0%, 23.5%, and 75% below 1,800 mIU/ml, respectively. And, negative predictive value was 83.9%, 89.7%, and 98.8% in each of intrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and ectopic pregnancy above 1,800 mIU/ml, and 64.6%, 60%, and 97.3% below 1,800 mIU/ml, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of transvaginal ultrasound for diagnosing abnormal early pregnancy were poor except cases of ectopic pregnancy when beta-hCG levels were low than discriminatory zone. Ultrasound impressions were well related with beta-hCG levels.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gestational Sac ; Humans ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Pregnant Women ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography* ; Uterine Hemorrhage

We have encountered a rare case of erythema nodosum-like leukemia cutis associated with acute myelocytic leukemia(AML) in a 57-year-old male. He was in good health until about 2 weeks prior to admission, when the systemic symptoms of high fever, anorexia, general weakness and malaise, and subcutaneous nodules developed. The nodules were multiple, red and noted bilaterally on the pretibial areas. Histological findings of his skin lesions showed diffuse cellular infiltrates intermingled with leukemic cells predominantly involving the adipose tissues. The cells displayed negative stainirig to antibodies CD3 and CD20, but positive staining to LCA. The diagnosis of AML(M4) was made by blood and bone marrow studies. He had a rapid downhill course and was discharged after 2 weeks of admission, with no anti-cancer chemotherapy.
Anorexia ; Antibodies ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Erythema* ; Fever ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin

A 34-year-old female had an unusual case of cellular blue nevus which had behaved in a locally aggressive fashion. The lesion infiltrsted the adjacent soft tissue of left nail bed and extended into deep phalangeal bone. The involved left thumb was partially amputated because complete excision was impossible and we were quite concerned about malignant transformation. Histologically biphasic pattern without cellular atypism, a characteristic features of cellular blue nevus, was shown. About 2 years later, the lesion had not recurred.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Nevus, Blue* ; Thumb

No abstract available.
Liposarcoma, Myxoid*