Retinoid, Ro l0-9359 is an aromatic analog of vitamin A acid or retinoic acid. The orally administrable retinoid has a therapeutic effect on the treatment of psoriasis, ichthyosis, Darier's disease, pustulosis palmoplantaris and skin cancer. However, some results have been reported previously, indicating that oral retinoid alone does not clear psoriatic lesions although some improvement may he noted. Morcover, promising results of combination treatment of psoriasis with the retinoid and local dithranol or PUVA have been reported. In the present study we report the clinical results obtained in 16 psoriatics after oral retinoid treatment, with and without the addition of topical cotricosteroid. We employed a new retinoid regimen orally in 16 adults with widcspread psoriatic lesions, Most of them bad been treated earlier with topical corticosteroids without beneficial effect. Of 16 cases 8 were treated with retinoid alone and the other 8 patients with topical corticosteroids in addition to the oral regimen, The results are summarized as follows: 1. Complete to good clearing of the lesions was seen in 5 of 8 patient with retinoid alone and in 7 of 8 patients using the combination treatment. 2. Side-effects appeared in all patients, the most prominent being dryness of the mouth or cheilitis in cases and pruritus in 10 cases. However, there were no abnormalities shown in liver function tests during or after treatment. From the above results the combination treatment with topical corticosteroids seems to be more effective than retinoid alone in the treatment of psoriasis. It is considered that the oral retinoid could be an alternative on the treatment of psoriasis.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Anthralin ; Cheilitis ; Darier Disease ; Humans ; Ichthyosis ; Liver Function Tests ; Mouth ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis* ; Skin Neoplasms ; Tretinoin

Collodion baby is one of the rare congenital ichthyosiform dermatoses first described by Seeligmann in 1841. It is a phenotypic expression of several genotypes such as aex-linked ichthyosis and bullous and non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. The infant is enveloped in a smooth and shiny collodion-like membrane at birth, which temporarily may deform the facial feature and extremities. The skin clears almost completely in the first month of life and remains free of ichthyosis. Etiology of this condition is still controversy, but it has been known that abnormalities of other organs are not accompanied but prematurity frequently. We present two cases of collodion baby with electron microscopic findings. In the upper stratum spinosum, keratinosomes and desomoaomes were increased in the keratinocytes, and intercellular spaces widened, however, desmosomes and tonofilaments were intact. These findings were similar to those of nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. But in some widened intercellular spaces of the upper stratum spinosum, multiple finely granular electron dense particles were seen within large round membranous structures.
Collodion* ; Desmosomes ; Extracellular Space ; Extremities ; Genotype ; Humans ; Ichthyosiform Erythroderma, Congenital ; Ichthyosis ; Ichthyosis, Lamellar ; Infant ; Intermediate Filaments ; Keratinocytes ; Membranes ; Parturition ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

The serologic tests for syphilis including VDRL and TPHA tests were performed on generaI entertainers in Jung Ku and Young Deung Po Ku, and prostitutes including general entertainers in the Pa Ju area from January 1978 to June 1978. In the same period, direct vaginal smear with Gram stain and culture in Thayer-Martin media were carried. aut for all the general entertainers in Jung Ku and Young Deung Fa Ku as well as for the prostitutes in the Pa Ju area. The results were as follows: 1. An overall VDRL reactive rate of 5, 6 A was found among the 6, 666 general entertainers and prostitutes studied. The reactive rate of VDRL test was 5.3, in 5,289 general entertainers, and 7.6% among the 837 prostitutes in the Pa Ju area. 2. With regard to the VBRL quantitative test, the reactive rate of the group with a titration of 1: 8 or higher rvas 34.8, among the general entertainers of Young Deung Po Ku and Jung Ku. 3. The overall biologic false positive rate of VDRL test was 16.8% in the Young Deung Po Ku and Pa Ju areas using the TPHA test as the standard. 4. The positive rates of culture in Thayer-Martin media were 8.6% out of 1,387 general entertainers of Young Deung Po Ku and l.3% out of 4,352 in Jung Ku respectively, and 2.5 out of 326 prostitutes in the Pa Ju area. The findings seem to be probable that no remarkable change of the incidence of syphilitic and gonococcal infection has taken place recently among the genera. entertainers and prostitutes.
Humans ; Incidence ; Serologic Tests* ; Sex Workers* ; Syphilis ; Vaginal Smears

Speckled lentiginous nevus is a clinical variant of nevus-cell nevus first described by Stewart et al. in 1978. It is characterized by small, dark hyperpigmentated speckles superimposed on a tannish-brown background. The speckled areas show varying histologic patterns ranging from nevus incipiens to junctional or compound nevus. The back ground shows histologic features of Ientigo simplex. Recently, we observed clinical and histological features of 5 cases of speckled lentiginous nevi. The age of onset ranges from birth to infancy, The locations are face, thigh, back and scapula. One has zosteriform distribution in upper extrernity, chest and back. Histologic features of speckles are junctional or compound nevus. We suggest that the origin of dark speckles may be from the tannish-brown background, lentigo simplex.
Age of Onset ; Lentigo ; Nevus* ; Parturition ; Scapula ; Thigh ; Thorax

The present study has been undertaken, using 307 seemingly "normal" male rabbits sold in Korea, which were tested for sysphilis with two serologic tests, the RPR card test and the TPHA test. Among thc rabbits which were seropositive in these tests, 10 rabbits were selected for further tests, namely, the FTA test a.nd FTA-ABS test. The following results have been obtained. Nine rabbits(2.9%) were reactive in both the RPR card test and the TPHA test; 10(3.2%) were reactive in the RPR card test and non-reactive in the TPHA test; 8(2. 6%) were reactive in the TPHA test and non-reactive in the RPR card test, and 27(8.7%) were reactive in either tests. 2. The rabbits which were reactive in the TPHA test were also reactive in the FTA and FTA-ABS test. As can be seen in the results, 8.7% of the normal male rabbits sold in Korea are seropositive in the serologic tests for syphilis. Cnnsequently, all rabbit's undergoing syphilis experiments should be screened for possible reactive serologic tests and excluded from the experiments.
Dronabinol ; Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male* ; Rabbits* ; Serologic Tests* ; Syphilis*

Necrobiosis Lipoidica is a skin disorder of unknown cause, which shows characteristic clinical and histological findings. With histochemical studies, we report of a case which oecurred on the both pretibial surfaces in a 5]-year-old female. Having had treatment with aspirin and dipyridarnole for 9 months. The results were successful.
Aspirin ; Female ; Humans ; Necrobiosis Lipoidica* ; Necrobiotic Disorders* ; Skin

Actinomycosis, in which the principal causative agent in man is known to Actinomyces israelii, is a chronic, suppurative diseases characterized by extensive fibrosis, multiple abscesses, and formation of sinus tracts that drain suppurative exudates. On the basis of the anatomical sites involved; it can be subclassified into the cervicofacial form, which is the most common form, pulmonary form and abdominal form. Kidneys are rarely affected. Clinically, radiologically, and at operation it is difficult to differentiate the renal actinomycosis from renal tuberculosis and renal carcinoma. The prognosis is excellent after nephrectomy followed by appropriate antibiotic therapy. We presented a case of renal actinomycosis with a brief review of the literatures.
Male ; Humans

From May, 1978 through Oct., 1979 the effect of Coenzyme Q10 was evaluated on 10 patients with chronic heart failure. The subjects selected for this study consisted of 7 patients with cardiomyopathy and 3 patients with valvular heart disease admitted to Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, All these patients had symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure which was stable for at least one month before starting Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 was administered 30mg daily for eight weeks, one hour before meal and in combination with digitalis and/or diuretics. The drug effects were determined by measuring the cardio-thoracic ratio by chest X-ray, the sum of 'S' wave in V1 and 'R' wave in V5 in electrocardiogram, and PEP/LVET (pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time) by simultaneous tracings of carotid pulse and phonocardiogram every two weeks during medication. The cardio-thoracic ratio was improved in 4 of 10 cases, the sum of RV+SV5 was decreased in all 5 cases who showed voltages above 40mm before medication, and PEP/LVET ratio was decresed in 4 of 10 cases. The difference of average values before and after medication were not statistically significant(p<0.05) in all 3 parameters when examined by t-test. During treatment, there was improvement, if any, from two weeks after medication and no significant side effects were noted throughout the study period.
Cardiomyopathies ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Electrocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Meals ; Thorax

From May, 1978 through Oct., 1979 the effect of Coenzyme Q10 was evaluated on 10 patients with chronic heart failure. The subjects selected for this study consisted of 7 patients with cardiomyopathy and 3 patients with valvular heart disease admitted to Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, All these patients had symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure which was stable for at least one month before starting Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 was administered 30mg daily for eight weeks, one hour before meal and in combination with digitalis and/or diuretics. The drug effects were determined by measuring the cardio-thoracic ratio by chest X-ray, the sum of 'S' wave in V1 and 'R' wave in V5 in electrocardiogram, and PEP/LVET (pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time) by simultaneous tracings of carotid pulse and phonocardiogram every two weeks during medication. The cardio-thoracic ratio was improved in 4 of 10 cases, the sum of RV+SV5 was decreased in all 5 cases who showed voltages above 40mm before medication, and PEP/LVET ratio was decresed in 4 of 10 cases. The difference of average values before and after medication were not statistically significant(p<0.05) in all 3 parameters when examined by t-test. During treatment, there was improvement, if any, from two weeks after medication and no significant side effects were noted throughout the study period.
Cardiomyopathies ; Digitalis ; Diuretics ; Electrocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Meals ; Thorax

No abstract available in English.
Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Arthritis ; Rabbits ; Synovial Membrane