No abstract available.
Andropause* ; Humans ; Male*

BACKGROUND: Stress has long been known to play a role in many dermatologic disorders and can affect the onset and course of the disorder in some patients. Stress-induced exacerbation or onset of symptoms has been reported in chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and psoriasis vulgaris, and these diseases can be classified as stress-associated dermatoses. Beta beta-endorphin is one of the most important mediators of stress, which is known to be generated upon stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis, and its secretion increases during periods of stress. OBJECTIVE: In order to see wheather beta-endorphin might be related to the onset or recurrence of stress-associated dermatoses, we compared the plasma concentration of beta-endorphin in patients with stress-associated dermatoses with those of healthy subjects. METHODS: The concentration of beta-endorphin. In sera was quantified by radioimmunoassay, using the INCSTAB 125I RIA Kit for plasma beta-endorphin, Each patient was asked to indicate if they believed that their skin problem began after an important stressful event in their lives. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in plasma beta-endorphin levels between patients with chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster and healthy subjects(p>0.05), whereas in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, plasma level of beta-endorphin was significantly increased (p<0.001). There was no relationship between the stressful events and plasma beta-endorphin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma beta-endorphin level is not correlated with the onset or recurrence of stress-associated dermatoses such as chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster. The increase in beta-endorphin in psoriasis vulgaris is more likely that this peptide is generated by the lymphocyte infiltrated in the skin and/or by lymphocytes when they recirculate rather than by the activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis by stress.
Alopecia Areata ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; beta-Endorphin ; Endorphins* ; Herpes Simplex ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Lymphocytes ; Plasma* ; Psoriasis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to determine and compare the practice patterns of management of hypertension of the internists and family physicians in general hospitals and to compare them according to the JNC V guidelines. METHODS: Questionnaires were mailed to total 964 of internists and family physicians in general hospitals during May, 1996. 217 of them were returned with the response rate of 23.5%. Chi-square test and Fishers exact test were performed to examine the statistical difference between two groups. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 39.1 and 77.9% of them were male. 65.4 % of hospitals for respondents were located in metropolitan cities. Concerning the number of measurements of blood pressure, 0.5% of the respondents measured just once before confirmation of the diagnosis. Items for physical examinations for initial evaluation were as follows; cardiac auscultation(94.0%), measurements of body weight and height(58.9%), abdominal examination(52.8%), auscultation for carotid bruit(41.7%), fundoscopic examination (25.6%). Regarding the laboratory tests, the frequency of evaluation of all item were higher than that of the physical examinations. For initial drug therapy, calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors were the most frequently chosen mediations. No difference was found between two specialties or tertiary and secondary hospitals in this trend. With educations for the life-style modification, 60-80% of the respondents educated the patients. No difference was found between two specialties except one item. CONCLUSIONS: As a whole the JNC V guidelines were not followed faithfully for the management of hypertension.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Auscultation ; Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Physicians, Family* ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

In healthy Korean adult males, 6 hour-MED was 51 2+22.6mJ/cm,24 hour-MED was 67. 5+26. 7mJ/cm, and MMD was 86. 5 t21. 3mJ/cm for UVB irradiation respectively. UVB-MED and UVB-MMD was increased by desoxymethasone, hydrocortisone, and bufexama.c creams. Hydrophilic ointment base increased only 24 hour-MED. For 1 MED of UVB, all test agents inhibited erytherna for 48 hours, For 2 MEDs of UVB, desoxymethasone, bufexamac; and hydrocortisone creams inhibited erythema at 6 hours, while desoxymethasone and hydrophilic ointment base could suppress erythema at: 24. hours after irradiation. However, desoxymethasone was the most effective. Hydrophilic ointment base was efficacious only at 24 hours after irradiation. For 1 MMD of UVB, desoxymethasone, hydrocortisone, and bufexamac creams could reduced the delayed tanning (DT) reaction.
Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents* ; Bufexamac ; Desoximetasone ; Emollients* ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Male* ; Pigmentation* ; Tanning ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl

We report herein a case of tuberculosis cutis orificialis in a 50-year-old man. He suffered from well demarcated, 2x5cm sized, slightly tender, pus discharging, perianal ulcer with bluish edges for 3 months. The biopsy specimen from the ulcer revealed tuberculoid structure with Langhans giant cells in the deep dermis and a few acid-fast bacilli. AFB cultures from the sputum, pus, and tissue were successful. Intradermal test with PPD showed positive result. Chest roentgenographic findings disclosed advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. Almost complete healing of the perianal ulcers occurred following 2 months of therapy using antituberculosis drugs.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Giant Cells, Langhans ; Humans ; Intradermal Tests ; Middle Aged ; Sputum ; Suppuration ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive*

We report herein a 53-year-old male patient with a large condyloma acuminaturn of 16 months duration on his penis. Clinically, an approximat;ely 3.5 X 2.0 Cm sized, asyrnptomatic, verrucous-surfaced, papilloma was present on his prepuce and glans. Elistological examination disclosed hyperkeratosis, marked acanthosis, papillomatosis, vacuolated upper malphigian cells, dilated capillaries, and mononuclear infiltrntes in the upper dermis. Trial of DNCB immunotherapy showed a dramatic effect on tumor regression.
Capillaries ; Dermis ; Dinitrochlorobenzene* ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma ; Penis

We herein report a 28-year-old woman with typical marginal keratoderma of the palms of 4 years duration. She denied any chronic pressure or trauma. Histological findings disclosed marked hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, acanthosis, elongation of rete ridges, edema and capillary dilatations of papillary dermis, and infiltration of chronic inflammatory cells. There was no changes in collagenous and elastic fibers. Treatment with oral 13-cis retinoid and topical application of 0.02% flumethasone ointment containing 3%, salicylate resulted in only transit effect.
Adult ; Capillaries ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Dilatation ; Edema ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Flumethasone ; Humans ; Parakeratosis

Various epidermal changes overlying a dermatofibroma can be induced through the proliferation of pluripotential epidermal cells by the stimulation of mesenchymal factors. The authors report a case of dermatofibroma in a 55-year-old male who had a reddish brown, asymptomatic nodule of 5 years duration on his left forearm. The biopsy specimen revealed a dermatofibroma of cellular type associated with epidermal changes: (1) acanthosis; (2) elongation of rete ridges; (3) thin interlacing epidermal strands with increased pigmentation resembling seborrheic keratosis or fibroepithelioma; (4) immature hair follicles and sebaceous lobules; (5) hair germ like buddings; (6) superficial basal cell epithelioma-like proliferations.
Biopsy ; Forearm ; Hair ; Hair Follicle ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous* ; Humans ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation

No abstract available.
Fingers* ; Replantation* ; Transplants*