Erythema dyschromicum perstans is a cutaneous pigmentary dermatosis of unknown etiology chararcterizd by asymptomatic macules of an ashy gray color which was first presented by Ramirez. We reported a case of Erythema dyschromicum perstans in 57 year old female patient. The skin lesion were characterized by the presence of discreated or confluented bluish-gray colored pigrnentation on the lateral surface of hoth upper extremities. Histologically, the lesion showed hydropic degeneration of the epidermis witb in continence of pigmcnt and an apperence of malanin-hearing macrophages in upper dermis which are compatible with Erythema dyschromicum perstans.
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Erythema* ; Female ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Upper Extremity

Multiple lentigines syndrome is characterized by the presence of numerous dark brown macules on the skin but not mucous surfaces and known also by the mnemvnic "LEOPARD syndrome" are, besides the lentigines, electrocardiographic conduction defect, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonary stenosis, abnormalities of the genitalia consisting of gonadal or ovarian hypoplasia, retardation of growth, deafness and inherited by autosomal dominant trait. We experienced a case of multipIe lentigine syrrdrome in 20-year old woman. She had numerous pinhead to pea sized, dark brownish macules on the entire body skin a,nd had no associated anomalies of other organ. On laboratory examinations including the CBC, urinalysis., chest X-ray, EKG; EEG, Hormone assay was all normal except for the slight anemic finding. On histologic examina,tion of biopsied macular skin showed a slight elongation of rete ri.dges, an increase in the concentration of melanocyte in the basal layer and mild inflammatory infiltration in the upper dermis. Treatment was done by cryotherapy on the face with marked improvement.
Cryotherapy ; Deafness ; Dermis ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Genitalia ; Gonads ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Lentigo ; LEOPARD Syndrome* ; Melanocytes ; Peas ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Skin ; Thorax ; Urinalysis ; Young Adult

Hydroa Vacciniforme is a rare, light sensitive dermatitis characterized by discrete vesicles followed by varioliform scar formation, which was first described by Bazin on 1862. We have expe"ienced three cases of hydroa vacciniforme in childhood. The first case was a 6-year-old boy who had discrete vesicles, crusts and pitting scars on forehead, both cheeks, ears and dorsum of the hands in symmetrical distribution with itching sensation, which had used to recur in every summer since last three years ago. Histologic section of a primary lesion showed necrosis and severe edema in the epidermis and adjacent dermis with the dermal inflammatory cell infiltration. The second case was a 10-year-old girl who had discrete vesicles, crusts, erosive and depigmented patch and scars on face, lip, dorsum of the hand and forearm with itching sensation, which had also developed on last spring. The third case was a 7-year-old boy who had vesiclee, erosive patch, crusts and pitting scars on face, Iower lip, both dorsum of the hand and forearm with itching sensation, which had recurred in every summer since last two years ago, On urine examination, porphyrin, was negative in all three cases. Diagnosis was established by clinical characteristics and laboratory findings and histological pictures. Symptomatic treatment was done in all three cases. The literatures were briefly reviewed.
Cheek ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Dermatitis ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Ear ; Edema ; Epidermis ; Female ; Forearm ; Forehead ; Hand ; Humans ; Hydroa Vacciniforme* ; Lip ; Male ; Necrosis ; Pruritus ; Sensation

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

The recent prevalence of syphilis has known to be increased progressively throughout the world, since middle of 1950. In Korea, current trend of increased syphilic infection has became a major public health problem. The authors selected sero-positive patients, among the outpaients of department of dermatology, urology, OB & GY, and physical examination, and performed statistical analysis of this sero-positive patients. Results are as following; 1) Of the 2,007 patients taken physical examination, 30 patient(1.49%) were reactive to VDRL. 2) 0.71% of the total out patients of the dermatologic dcpartment were sero-positive. Annual ratio of the syphilitic patient were increased progressively. 3) Ratio of the syphilitic patients to the total outpatients of OB & GY department was 0.55% and somewhat increased since 1976. 4) In the age distribution, the third decade shared 51.8% of the total sero-positive patients 5) In the sexual ratio. male:female=l: l. 62 in the total sero-positive patients. (male:female=l: 1.06 in the dermatologic department.) 6) In the stage distribution, latent syphilis patients were 59.14% of the total syphilitic patients.
Age Distribution ; Dermatology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Physical Examination ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Latent ; Urology

OBJECTIVE: Our previous study demonstrated that the placental GnRH and GnRH mRNA did not parallel the time course of hCG secretion, though it is thought to be one of the potential paracrine regulators of hCG secretion from the trophoblasts. The present study was designed to examine the potential variation in GnRH-receptor mRNA expression in the placenta, which may account for the GnRH-mediated action of hCG secretion during pregnancy. METHODS: Human placentas in firt, second, and third trimester of normal pregnancy were obtained. These placentas were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and embedded in OCT compound, and sectioned by cryostat. For in situ hybridization, S labeled RNA probes were used and followed by autoradiography. RESULTS: The GnRH-receptor mRNA signals were present in both cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cell layers. Signal intensities varied with gestational ages and were abundant at 6-7 weeks, peaked at 9-12weeks, declined at 14 and 24 weeks, and were barely detectable at term. The present study demonstrates that GnRH-receptor mRNA exhibits changes paralleling the time course of hCG secretion during pregnancy CONCLUSION: These data provide mechanistic understanding that the paracrine/autocrine regulation of hCG secretion by placental GnRH is mediated through an increase followed by a decline in GnRH-receptor mRNA expression from the first trimester to term placenta.
Autoradiography ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Placenta* ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; RNA Probes ; RNA, Messenger* ; Trophoblasts

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the influence of coculture with human amnion cell on growth, development, implantation in mouse embryos. METHODS: Two-cell and Eight-cell stage mouse embryos were cocultured for 96 hrs with amnion cell. Embryos not treated with amnion were served control. The percentages of embryos which developed to the expanded, hatched blastocyst stage and in vitro implantation at 24hrs, 48hrs, 72hrs were determined. RESULTS: The percentages of fully expanded murine blastocysts in coculture with amnion cell were not significantly different from control. The percentages of hatched blastocysts were significantly higher in coculture group at two-cell stage (71.6%) compared to control (47.0%; p<0.05). The percentages of hatched blastocysts were significantly higher in coculture group at eight-cell stage (74.0%) compared to control (56.1%; p<0.05). In two-cell stage embryos, the percentages of implanted blastocyst in vitro were significantly higher following coculture with amnion cell (31.6%) compared to control (13.7%). CONCLUSION: Amnion cell coculture may have a stimulatory role in embryonic development, implantation compared to control. The coculture condition which induces the best effect on in vitro growth and development might be the mimics of the physiologic natural condition, just like the coculture with the tubal epithelium.
Amnion* ; Animals ; Blastocyst ; Coculture Techniques* ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Epithelium ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Humans* ; Mice* ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: As the prevalence of elderly depression increases, it becomes urgent problem to provide preventive and management measures. But in practice, it is difficult to detect depression in early stage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between sociodemographic factors and depression in elderly welfare facility users in a city. METHODS: In this research, the severity of depression and sociodemographic factors(gender, age, education, comorbid disease, housing type, number of children, number of family members living with the subjects) was evaluated through PHQ-9 and interview. Using the data, the associations of depression and sociodemographic factors were analyzed. Based on PHQ-9 depression cut-off value(10 points), the subjects were divided into two groups, and the difference of the variables between groups were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: ‘Own house’(YES/NO), education(less than elementary school graduation/more than elementary school graduation) were sociodemographic factors which showed significance difference in mean PHQ-9 scores. Group with Over PHQ-9 10 points showed less ‘having their own house’ and less education level than group with less PHQ-9 10 points. CONCLUSIONS: With this research, it is expected that the risk factors for the elderly depression can be understood and the measures for early detection and invention of elderly depression would be provided.
Aged* ; Child ; Depression* ; Education ; Housing ; Humans ; Inventions ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

We studied the seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc and the vaccination histories among health care workers (HCWs) at a large suburban referral hospital in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the immune status of HCWs against hepatitis B virus and we also wanted to prepare a practical guideline to protect HCWs from occupational exposure. During December, 2003, 571 HCWs (56 physicians, 289 nurses, 113 technicians and 113 aid-nurses) aged between 21 and 74 yr were included in the surveillance. The positive rates of HBsAg and anti-HBs were 2.4% (14/571) and 76.9% (439/571), respectively. The positive rate of anti-HBs was lower in the physician group, and this was associated with the male gender and older age. Of the 439 anti-HBs positive cases, 320 cases (73.1%) were anti-HBc negative and this was significantly associated with a past history of HBV vaccination. The distribution of the anti-HBs levels was not associated with age (except for HCWs in their sixties), gender or occupation. Our study revealed that the seroprevalence rates of HBsAg and anti-HBs in HCWs in Korea were not different from those of the general population. Based on this surveillance, we can make reasonable decisions in case of occupational exposure to hepatitis B virus.
Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; Female ; *Health Personnel ; Hepatitis B/*epidemiology/virology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood ; Hepatitis B virus/immunology ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Diseases/*epidemiology/virology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Vaccination/statistics & numerical data

Androgen insensitivity syndrome is a genetic syndrome characterized by complete or partial resistance of end organs to the peripheral effect of androgen. The phenotype of this condition is female, despite the normal male karyotype 46,XY. This is the third most common cause of primary amenorrhea after gonadal dysgenesis and mullerian agenesis. There is a congenital insensitivity to androgens, transmitted by means of a maternal X-linked recessive gene responsible for the androgen intracellular receptor. Prophylactic gonadectomy in usually performed due to increased risk for development of malignancy and possible virilization. Pelviscopy provides a minimally invasive technique for the accurate diagnosis and also provides the opportunity for therapeutic management of these patients. Recently we experienced two cases of this syndrome and removed the gonad by pelviscopic surgery, so we presented them with brief review of literature.
Amenorrhea ; Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome* ; Androgens ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Genes, Recessive ; Gonadal Dysgenesis ; Gonads ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Male ; Phenotype ; Virilism