Congenital constricting band of the trunk is a rare malformation with a wide spectrum of associated congenital anomalies. A 3-year-old boy with a congenital constricting band around the waist and anterior thigh and clubfoot deformity is reported. Laboratory test and chest and abdominal X-ray examination were within normal limits and unremarkable. Histopathologic examination revealed compact fibrocollagenous bundles in deep dermis. The compact fibrocollagenous bundles are parallel to the skin surface and have thin wavy nuclei. We think these bundles caused annular constriction on the trunk. We follow up the patient regularly without specific treatment because the constricting band caused no functional impairment and hypertrophic scar had developed at the biopsy site.
Biopsy ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Clubfoot ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction ; Dermis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Thigh ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: There have been few clinical studies of halo nevi. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was aimed at evaluating the clinical and histopathologic features of halo nevi and correlation between halo nevi and vitiligo. METHODS: The medical records of 40 patients with halo nevi and biopsy specimens of 30 patients with halo nevi were reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 1.The ratio of male to female patients was 1:1.5. 2.The mean age of the onset was 20.1 years (male : 11.5, female : 25.9). 3.Multiple halo nevi were present in 32.5%(male : 25%, female : 37.5%). 4.The areas in which the lesions developed were head and neck(39.1%), back(32.8%), anterior chest(12.5%), abdomen(10.9%), groin(3.1%), and lower extremity(1.6%) in descending order. 5.The mean duration of each color in central nevus was as follows: black(2.7 years), pink(3.5 years), gray(4.9 years) 6.The most common pathology of the central nevus was intradermal(80%). 7.The halo nevi associated with vitiligo were 21 cases(52.5%) out of 40 patients. Among them, the cases with non-segmental vitiligo were 13(61.9%), the cases with segmental vitiligo were 8(38.1%). 8.Out of the 21 cases with halo nevi associated with vitiligo, the cases with halo nevi prior to vitiligo were 4(19.1%), concurrent onset 12(57.1%) and the cases with halo nevi after vitiligo were 5(23.8%).
Biopsy ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nevus ; Nevus, Halo* ; Pathology ; Vitiligo

A 35-year-old housewife was diagnosed with onychomycosis and treated by oral terbinafine, 250mg/day, for 4 months. Clinically all infected nails improved gradually. However, her left great toe-nail was not improved thereafter. At that time the proximal end of the onychomycotic lesion was marked with surgical blade, and terbinafine therapy was continued for four weeks. However, the onychomycotic nail was not improved, and the scratch mark passed by the proximal end of the infected nail. Therefore, we detected the resistance to the therapy and switched the medication to itraconazole 100 mg/day and then another scratch mark was done at the proximal end of the onychomycotic lesion. After another 2 weeks the infected nail went along with the scratch mark distally, and showed clinical improvement. After 8 weeks therapy of itraconazole, she was cured clinically and mycologically. The fungal culture was identified as Aspergillus sydowii.
Adult ; Aspergillus* ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Onychomycosis*

BACKGROUND: Ivory colored hypopigmentation has been frequently observed in morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, and also seen after phenol peels, dermabrasion, cryosurgery and post-laser resurfacing. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to investigate the cause of hypopigmentation following autologous suction blister graft (ASBG) in vitiligo patients. METHODS: The ivory lesion and contralateral normal skin were collected by punch biopsies. And the tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Fontana-Masson, Masson's trichrome, Verhoeff-van Gieson, and S-100 protein to compare the differences between two specimens. RESULTS: H-E and Masson's Trichrome stains showed that compacted hyalinized sclerotic collagens and collapsed, small sized capillaries in the upper dermis were definite in the hypopigmented lesion, whereas norma1 control sites were unremarkable. Elastic fibers were markedly decreased or fragmented in upper dermis of the hypopigmented lesion. Fontanna-Masson stain identified that the lesional epidermis was more hyperpigmented rather than hypopigmented. S-100 stain showed no differences between hypopigmented and contro1 sites. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the ivory colored hypopigmentation is not caused by the failure of procedure, but by scar formation due to deep freeze; therefore, this kind of complication may be prevented by carefully performing the cryotherapy.
Biopsy ; Blister* ; Capillaries ; Cicatrix ; Collagen ; Coloring Agents ; Cryosurgery ; Cryotherapy ; Dermabrasion ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hypopigmentation* ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus ; Phenol ; S100 Proteins ; Scleroderma, Localized ; Skin ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Vitiligo*

A 37-year-old female was presented with an epidermal cyst on her lower back. Histopathologic examination was consistent with an epidermoid cyst with seborrheic verrucalike cyst wall and acantholytic change was also found in the cyst wall. Human papillomavirus(HPV)-specific DNA sequences in paraffin-embedded tissue section were not detected by polymerase chain reaction using HPV consensus primers.
Acantholysis* ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Consensus ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Female ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Hormones influence various normal biological processes in the skin and hairs. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to investigate the presence of estrogen receptors(ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in the skin and to assess differences in sex and age. METHODS: We examined seven normal volunteers' skin. The mouse monoclonal antibodies against human ER and PR were used to identify the localization of ER and PR in the frozen tissue sections by using a standard two stage indirect immunoperoxidase technique. RESULTS: The granular layer of epidermis and infundibulum of hair follicle in all the samples showed strong positivity of PR. Although each skin section did not contain all skin appendages, most of the samples showed that eccrine gland duct, inner root sheath of hair follicle stained weakly positive of PR. ER was not demonstrate in all samples epidermis. CONCLUSION: PR was presented in the granular layer of epidermis, infundibulum of hair follicle, eccrine gland duct, and inner root sheath of hair follicle. Therefore, we might suspect that the progesterone probably contributes to the keratinization of the skin because these positively staining sites are prior to complete keratinization layers.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Biological Processes ; Eccrine Glands ; Epidermis* ; Estrogens* ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Mice ; Pituitary Gland ; Progesterone* ; Receptors, Progesterone* ; Skin

We report a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala(E,) jeanselmei in a 66-year-old female, who showed a mild tender, 4.5x3.5cm sized, erythematous cystic mass with satellite lesions on the left forearm for 4 months. Histopathologically, suppurative granulomatous inflammation, brownish conidia in a chain and hyphae were observed. Fungal culture grew out the typical black-gray velvety colonies of E. jeanselmei after 2 weeks. The isolate grow well at 25 C, but very poorly at 37 C. No growth could be observed at 40 C. Sporulation adequate for evaluation was present on the malt extract agar. We confirmed E. jeanselmei by colony and microscopic morphology, temperature tolerance and sugar assimilation tests. The patient had been treated with itraconazole for 6 momths. Complete remission was observed.
Agar ; Aged ; Exophiala* ; Female ; Forearm ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Inflammation ; Itraconazole ; Phaeohyphomycosis* ; Spores, Fungal

In this report we will highlight an interesting 3 year case of a halo nevus on the back of a 13-year-old Korean girl. This was a single halo nevus with a central pinkish mole and a depigmented patch, 20 mm in diameter. The patient underwent an autologous suction blister graft on the lesion. The halo nevus was completely repigmented except for the marginal rim. At a 4 month follow-up, a new whitish halo was observed around the central pinkish mole. At this point the central nevus was excised and examined with a H & E stain and an immunohistochemical stain with an anti-Ig G antibody. After the excision of the central mole, repigmentation was completed and this condition persisted at a 3-year-follow-up.
Adolescent ; Blister* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nevus ; Nevus, Halo* ; Recurrence* ; Suction* ; Transplants*

A 62 year old female patient was transferred to the operating room for open reduction and internal fixation of the left femur fracture under general anesthesia. At 15min. after femur tourniquet application, there were suddenly decreased oxygen saturation, end-tidal CO2 concentration and blood pressure. We suspected a pulmonary embolism, and attempted vigorous emergency treatment and intensive care including ventilator care, vasopressor drug use, pulmonary artery pressure monitoring. At the 5th day after intensive care unit, she was transferred to general ward and she discharged without any sequelae after 17th day postoperatively.
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Embolism ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Middle Aged ; Operating Rooms ; Oxygen ; Patients' Rooms ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Tourniquets ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: Propofol(2,6 diisopropylphenol) is a potent hypnotic currently formulated as an oil-in-water emulsion. Although previous studies reported decreases in arterial pressures and heart rate, no detailed studies of hemodynamic effects of propofol administration alone are available in Korea. This study is to determine the hemodynamic changes induced by doses of propofol. METHODS: Sixty patients(ASA physical status 1 or 2) were divided randomly into three groups as follows: group I, pmpofol 1.5 mg/kg; group 2, propofol 2.0 mg/kg; group 3, propofol 2.5 mg/kg. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were measured by Datascope 2200I, and cardiac index(CI) and systemic vascular resistance index(SVRI) were obtained by doppler cardiac output monitor(Datascope Accucom 2) at the suprasternal notch before and after induction of propofol. RESULTS: Statistically significant decreases in mean arterial pressure were observed since 2 min after induction. CI was decreased from 2.94+/-0.51 to 2.35+/-0.57 L/min/m(2) at 6 min after induction of propofol 2.5 mg/kg, and no differences among groups. CI was also decreased in group 1 and 2 but without any significance. SVRI was decreased in all groups but there were no significance, and no differences among groups. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the usual doses of propofol do not significantly cause hemodynamic changes, and a decrease in mean arterial pressure is a result of decreased CI and reduced SVRI.
Anesthetics ; Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Korea ; Propofol* ; Vascular Resistance