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

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 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*

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

We report two cases of proliferating trichilemmal cyst in a 61-ear-old woman and a 44-year-old woman who had a solitary tumor, on the left temporal area of the scalp and right flank, respectively. Histologically, the tumors were localized in the dermis and corisised of multilobulated cysts. The cyst walls were composed of liquamous epithelium showing trichilemmhl keratinization. Some of the cells had clear cytoplasm and were positive on PAS staining. Individiial cell keratinization, mild nuclear atypia were also found in the cyst walls. For the treatment, surgical excision was performed with sufficiert margin.
Adult ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Scalp

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*

No abstract available.
Granular Cell Tumor*

BACKGROUND: Many physiologic, pharmacologic and immunologic abnormalities were reported in atopic dermatitis but the cause and pathogenesis of the disease remain obscure. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate the systemic immunologic abnormalities in atopic dermatitis. METHOD: To evaluate the cell mediated immunity, me quantified pei ipheral blood T lymphocytes and their subsets, using flow cytometery, and assessed plasma neopteiin levels by means of radioimmunoassay. To evaluate the abnormal humoral immunity, we assessed the serum IgE levels by means of enzyme-immunoassay. RESULTS: Mean proportions of peripheral blood T lymphocytes and, heir subsets in atopic Dermatitis patients were within normal limits. Hut the suppvessor/cytotoxic T lyrphocytes(T8) were significantly decreased in the group of se"ere atopic dermatitis compared with the group of mild atopic dermatitis(P<0.05). Plasma neopterin lervels in the group of atopic dermatitis were found to be significantly elevated as compared vith the control group(P<0.01), but no significant cifference was found between the mild and severe group of atcpic dermatitis(P>0.05). Mean serum IgE levels in the patients with atopic dermatitis were higher than reference value. But there was no significant difference between the mild and severe atopic dermatitis group. Serum IgE levels ivere negatiiely correlated with T8(r=-0.3774, P<0.05) and positively with T4/T8 ratio(r =0.5007, P<0.05). Conclusions : These data;uggest that the atopic der matitis has abr ormalities in cell mediated immunity as well as elevated IgE level.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunoglobulin E ; Neopterin* ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets* ; T-Lymphocytes

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

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