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

Psoriasis is one of the relatively common cutaneous disorders, affecting 0.1% to 3.0% of the general population in the world. However, it is recorded that the disease is characterized by its highly variable clinical manifestations and incidence influenced by the racial, geographic and environmental factors. There is a dearth of information for the incidence and clinical manifestations of psoriasis, with the exception of two small-scale and one questionnaire surveys in Korea. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical manifestations and clinic incidence of psoriasis and was based on analysis of 301 psoriatics seen between January, 1978 and August, 1981 (3 years and 8 months) at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital. The results were summarized as follows; 1. In this series of 301 patients, 50.5%(152) were male and 49.5%(149) were female. No significance was attached to the sex preponderance. More than three quarters were aged between 20 and 29 years. 2. The mean age of onset in male was 25.7 years and in female it was 23.0 years, indicating a slightly earlier onset in female. The peak age of incidence in male was between 20 and 29 years and in female, between 10 and 19 years. 3. The mean duration of t.he diseases for the total sample was 7.9 years.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Incidence

We have performed three total wrist arthroplasty of Meuli type on the dominant wrist of three female patients who have been suffering from the classical rheumatoid arthritis for more than two years, and after follow them for average twenty months postoperatively, we have found, even the complications and reoperation rate after total wrist arthroplasty are reported high in literature, three patients have reasonably satisfied with the remarkable relief of pain and the functional abilities of their wrists. It is our belief, even if the total wrist arthroplasty is also still in controversy, that in those patients with bilateral wrist involvement by the rheumatoid arthritis in whom arthrodesis was done on one wrist, then a total wrist arthroplasty on dominant wrist is a most prefer way to reconstruct the disabled wrists.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthrodesis ; Arthroplasty ; Female ; Humans ; Reoperation ; Wrist

No abstract available.
Biological Products*

This retrospective study comprised patiens with facial bone fractures in various accidents and treated in the department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Pildong hospital, Chung Ang university during the past 5 years from January 1994 to December 1998. The medical records of these patients (fractures) were reviewed and analysed in order to gain insight into a clinical pattern and understnad the therapeutic modalities. The following results were obtained: 1. The monthly incidence was highest in August and most common accident time was between 6:00 p.m and midnight. 2. The mean age of patients was 28.3 years, and age range was 3 to 69 years. The most prevalent age group was the third decade of life (42.9%). Males predominated more than female in the ratio of 4.1:1. 3. The most common etiology was assault (29.6%) followed by traffic accidents (28.5%), fall (23.1%), sports (7.9%). 4. 369 facial fractures in 277 patients were classifed. The most common sites were nasal bone, followed by zygoma, mandible, maxilla, orbit. 5. Associated soft tissue injuries were combined in 168 patients (60.6%), and fractures other than facial bone were developed in 61 patients (22%). 6. Treatment of facial bone fracture consisted of open reduction (42.6%), closed reduction (40.1%), and conservative treatment (17.3%). 7. The complication rate was 11.6% and the most common complication was the eye problem.
Accidents, Traffic ; Facial Bones* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Medical Records ; Nasal Bone ; Orbit ; Plastics ; Retrospective Studies ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Sports ; Zygoma

A reproducible noninvasive technique for measuring right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was developed using first pass quantitative radionuclide angiocardiography. Tests were carried out in the right anterior oblique position with a computerized multicrystal scintillation camera with high count rate capabilities. RVEF was calculated on beat to beat basis from the high frequency components of the background-corrected right ventricular time-activity curve. The following results were obtained; 1) In 10 normal adults, RVEF averaged 50.9+/-8.2. In 20 patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases (COPD), RVEF was 37.9+/-6.1% and significantly lower than that of normal persons(P<0.005). 2) There was meaningful correlation between RVEF and forced expiratory volume (FEVI) in patients with COPD (r=0.51). And there was significant difference of RVEF between 13 patients with FEVI less than IL/min (6 patients with right ventricular failure, 7 patients with patients without that) and 7 patients with FEVI IL/min or more (35.7+/-6.0%, 42.1+/-3.2% respectively. P<0.005). 3) All 6 patients with clinical manifestation of right heart failure had abnormal RVEF and had FEVI less than IL/min, which was significantly lower than that of 14 patients without clinical manifestation of right heart failure (33.6+/-4.8%, 39.8+/-5.6%, respectively. P<0.005). 4) In 14 patients without clinical manifestation of right heart failure, 11 patients among whom 7 patients had FEVI less than IL/min, had abnormal RVEF.
Adult ; Angiocardiography ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gamma Cameras ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Radionuclide Ventriculography* ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Right*

It is well-known that the infection of bone and joints could produce the shortening by destroying the articuiar cartilage and growth plate, or the lengthening hy increased hlood circulation to the epiphyseal and metaphyseal regions of long bone. Since 1985, we have treated total l7 cases of children s pyogenic or tuberculous children s knee with early arthrotomy and continuous irrigation etc. and followed their long hone growth for average 53 months after surgical intervention. Five patients (group I ) were early treated within 2 weeks and twelve patients(group 3 ) were delayed to treat their knees for more than 2 weeks of symptom development. Total 11 patients out of 17 cases(64.7%) (2 cases of group 1 pyogenic arthritis, and 1 case of group l and 8 cases of group II tuberculous arthritis) revealed growth acceleration. Femoral lengthening was much more greater than that of tibial growth, and the size of patella, distal femoral and proximal tibial epiphysis which were measured by computerized digitizer were also significantly larger than that of opposite knee. The total limb length was increased hy average 7mm in 6 months, l4mm in 1 year and 3mm in 2 years after operation. These results suggest the pyogenic and tuberculous arthritis in children s knee should he treated as early as possible after symptoms developed, and followed them to trace their limh inequality for at least 2 years after surgery. That means the early arthrotomy for tuberculous knee or even in pyogenic arthritis can preserve normal articular cartilage and can also prevent the early epiphyseal closure hy infection. and can get the limh lengthening by increased blood circulation around the knee joint.
Acceleration ; Arthritis ; Blood Circulation ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Child* ; Epiphyses ; Extremities ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Lower Extremity* ; Patella ; Socioeconomic Factors

The close similarity of acrokeratosis verruciformis(AKV) to the acral lesions of Dariers disease is well known. However, the exact relationship between the two disorders has not been satisfactorily resolved. A case of Dariers disease associated with guttate leukoderma and AKV is presented. The patient was a 17-year-old male who had dark cursted papules on the neck and lower abdomen, flat-topped keratotic papules on the dorsal surface of hoth hands, and white macules disseminated on the trunk and lower extremities of 7 years duration. The histopathologic examination of the lesion on the lower abdomen revealed parakeratotic plugs, corps ronds, and suprabasal clefts. The lesion on the dorsum of the hand showed compact hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and papillomatosis with the pattern of church spires. The leukodermic lesion revealed decreased melanin content in the epidermal cells.
Male ; Humans

No abstract available.

A case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's Sindrome chiefly affected the anterior uvea has been clinically studied with several references. It was a typical one with hearing disturbances and was complicated with a secondary glaucoma. Following the iridectomy the I.O.P. was back to normal limit and with steroid therapy the inflammatory signs were relieved. After a considerabie period the anterior uveitis recurred. In this case the age of the patient was 10 years older than those Parker presented.
Child ; Glaucoma ; Hearing ; Humans ; Iridectomy ; Uvea ; Uveitis, Anterior