BACKGROUND: During the past half century we have learned much about the functions of the stratum corneum but very little has been proven. Stratum corneum daes not represent the anatomy of this layer in the usual formalira fixed histological preparation. Several techniques have been developed over, the past decades to study the desquamating portion of the humain stratum corneum. There are several methods to measure the serface area of keratinocyte such as a plar,imeter, a graphic tablet and an automatic cytographic counter. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to find out the accuracy of different measuring devices. METHOD: Standard figures such as a pentagon, a hexagon and a circle, simulating the figure of keratinocyte are used toneasure srea. Repeated measurements of the areas by planimeter, graphic tablet and automatic cytographic counter were analysed by statiatic. RESULT: The planimeter had the advantage of measuring the entire visible area by microscope and a low mean absolute percent error (MAPE) (0.3%), but it needed skill to reduce error and more MAPE (0.5%). Graphic tablet was less time consuming, but had similar advantages of the plarimeter, and needed also skill. On the other hand, the automatic cytographic counter(YK-1) had a very short measuring time and needed less skill, but required good contrast stairing of in order to measure area. CONCLUSION: Comparing the accurracy of three measuring devices of area, the MAPE of the planimeter was 0.3%, the MAPE of YK-1 was 0.5% and the MAPE of graphic tablet was 0.5%.
Hand ; Keratinocytes

No abstract available.
Korea*

Nevus lipomatosus superficialis is a rare. disease entity characterized by ectopic dermal fat cells. The lesions are usually either congenital or present by the second decade of life and occur pre-dominantly in the pelvic area. There´are usually no associated abnormalities and familial incidence is not yet reported in English language literature. The authors report a familial case of nevus lipomatosus superficialis with characteristic light and electron microscopic findings.
Adipocytes ; Incidence ; Nevus*

We Report a hibernoma which ocurred in a 30-year-old male, who had 2cm sized, well-marginated, subcutaneous mass on the right side of the scapula. Histopathologic finding showed the tumor was composed of uniform granular or multivacuolated, eosinophilic, round to ovoid cells with small and peripherally plnced nuclei. Total exrision of the tumor was performed. No recurrence was observed for 5 months after surgical excision.
Adult ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Lipoma* ; Male ; Recurrence ; Scapula

Syringomas are relatively common benign adnexal tumors that are usually located on the lower eyelids, although affecting other areas, including cheek, axillae, abdomen and vulva. Acral syringomas, located on distal extremities are vary rare and there is only one case reported in Korea. We report a case of a healthy 21-year-old woman with multiple, reddish brown syringomas located on both forearms and the dorsa of hands. The histologic findings were typical of syringomas.
Abdomen ; Axilla ; Cheek ; Extremities ; Eyelids ; Female ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Korea ; Syringoma* ; Vulva ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell*

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is an inherited disorder of connective tissue in which joint hypermobility, hyperelasticity of skin, bleeding tendency, and scar formation are the most prominent features. It is a generalized disease with essentially universal involvement. A 3-year-old female child had velvety skin, skin hyperextensibility, joint hypermobility, subcutaneous mobile masses on the left shin, many scars on both knees, subcutaneous hematoma, and thick and very folded skin on both palms and soles, but no evidence of internal disorder. Cutaneous histopathologic findings were nonspecific without increase of dermal elastic fibers on Verhoeff stain. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings as Ehlers-DanIos syndrome.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix ; Connective Tissue ; Diagnosis ; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; Knee ; Skin

A few cases of a dermatosis characterized by "music box spine" keratotic papules limited to the palms and soles have been reported. There have been several names for this dermatosis The Most commonly incorporated term is porokeratosis, but Osman et at suggested the name "spiny keratoderma of palms and soles" because the clinical, histologic and electron microscopic features of this lesion are distinct from porokeratosis. We report a case of spiny keratoderma on the digit showing a single lesion, as a variant of the classic spiny keratoderma of palms and soles.
Porokeratosis ; Skin Diseases

BACKGROUND: The epidermal permeability barrier necessary for terrestrial life resides in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum and is composed of lipids. OBJECTIVE: Since strrtum corneum lipid may be important for the permeability barrier, we studied the differences and effects of experimentally altered barrier function using acetone and tape-stripping technique. METHODS: The permeability barrier of hairless mouse was disrupted by tape-stripping and acetone treatment and the recovery rate was assessed by histochemical staining, electron microscopic examination and lipid analysis. RESULTS: Although the transepidermal water loss recovered completely by 48 hours in both of the acute models, acetone treated samples seem to have on over-all better recovery rate than tape-stripped samples. The return of barrier function to normal in both tape-stripped and acetone-treated skin was accompanied by a comparable return of normal nile red and ruthenium tetroxide staining. The amount of lipid in stratum corneum paralleled both the return of barrier function towards normal and the extent of prior damage to the barrier in acetone treated skin, yet, the lipid synthesis in tape-stripped skin showed a slower return of lipid content. CONCLUSION: The difference in the recovery rate of the two acute models may be due to the fact that acetone mainly extracts intercellular lipids, whereas, tape-stripping has a prolonged effect by removal of comeocyte in addition to the intercellular lipids. This shows the importance of comeocytes as well as the intercellular lipid bilayer in the recovery of normal barrier function.
Acetone* ; Animals ; Extracellular Space ; Lipid Bilayers ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless ; Permeability ; Ruthenium ; Skin ; Water

BACKGROUND: Stratum corneum lipids are arranged as intercellular membrane bilayers presumed to mediate the epidermal permeability barrier. Acute disruption in barrier function will initiate epidermal lipid synthesis, which can be prevented by occlusive membrane. Whereas, occlusion of the skin is known to cause an increased transepidermal water loss(TEWL) and enhanced percutaneous absorption of a variety of compounds. OBJECTIVE: Previous reports with electron microscopy showed varying sizes of lacunae and disorganized intercorneocyte lipids after tape stripping and occlusion with a water impermeable membrane on the murine skin. Hence we studied the effects on stratum corneum lipids and changes in barrier function after occlusion with a water-impermeable membrane. METHODS: Male hairless mice were occluded with one finger of a Latex glove for 24, 48 and 60 hours. After occlusion, TEWL was measured and biopsy specimens were taken from skin. For electron microscopic examination the samples were treated with osmium tetroxide, ruthenitum tetroxide, and tracer (lanthanum) and infrared spectroscopy were also applied. RESULTS: Occlusion with a water-impermeable membrane on the skin induced higher TEWL Values and greater penetration of the tracer than normal. Alterations of the lipid bilayer membrane and lacunae forwation in the stratum corneum interstices were also induced after 24 hours of occlusion. However, the orderness of the lipid alkyl chain in the stratum corneum was not changed until 60 hours of occlusion. CONCLUSION: These studies indicate that the increased epidermal permeability after occlusion may be due to the abnormal lipid membrane structures and volume expansion of existing lacunar domains in the stratum corneum interstices.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Fingers ; Humans ; Lanthanum ; Latex ; Lipid Bilayers ; Male ; Membranes ; Mice ; Mice, Hairless* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Permeability ; Skin ; Skin Absorption ; Spectrum Analysis ; Water