BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is an important and troublesome disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was the elucidation of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of herpes zoster through patient assessrnent. METHODS: During a 5- Year period, January 1990 to December 1994, 215 patients with herpes zoster were assessed with regard to annual and monthly frequency in occurrence, age and gender incidence. Associated conditions, dermatomic distributions, the relationship of onset of pain and skin lesions, Multi-CMI test and complications were also evaluated. RESULTS: 1. The annual freguency of herpes zoster ranged from 0.88% to 1.78% (mean 1.23%) during the 5-year period. The highest number of herpes zoster patients was observed in winter (p<0.001) especially in January. 2. Herpes zoster was found to most frequently afflict persons aged 50-59 (27.9%). 71% of the patients were over 40 years of age. 3. In 76 patients (41.8%), neuralgia occurred several days (4 days mean) before the development of skin lesions. In 92 patients (50.5%), pain and skin lesions developed simultaneously while skin lesion development occurred before the onset of pain in 14 patients (7.7%). 4. Among the patients, 42.8% had associated conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, pulmonary tuberculosis, liver diseases, peptic ulcer, hypothyroidism, pharyngitis, fracture, etc. 5. The dermatomic invclvement of herpes zoster patients having one dermatome was most frequent in thoracic dermatome ca. es (52.6%). Others included cervical (16.7%), trigeminal (11.6%), sacral (6. 0%), lumbar (4.2%), facial (0.5%). Cases having two different dermatomes constituted 8.4%. 6. The most common complication of herpes zoster was postherpetic neuralgia although instance of ophthalmologic compiications, secondary bacterial infection, scar formation, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, keloid formation, and urinary difficulty were also documented. 7. Multi-CMI (Cell-mediated immunity) tests were done on 88 herpes zoster patients. Thirteen of them (14.8%) were found to have comparatively depressed scores. Ten of the 79 single dermatome involvement patients (12.7%) and three of the 9 two dermatome involvement patients (33.3%) exhibited similar scores. CONCLUSION: These results are in accordance with those of previous reports with the exception of the higher incidence ot two different dermatome involvements and seasonal variation.
Bacterial Infections ; Cicatrix ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Keloid ; Liver Diseases ; Neuralgia ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Peptic Ulcer ; Pharyngitis ; Seasons ; Skin ; Tuberculosis

Lichen nitidus, characterized by its typical clinical and histopathologic findings, is an uncomrnon chronic dermatosis of unknowned etiology. The distribution of this disease is most often localized, but in some cases it may becorne generalized. Some authors suggested that lichen nitidus is a variant of lichen planus in terms of its coincidence, ultrastructural and immunophenot,ypic studies. We report herein a case of lichen nitidus which presents dark brown linear, grouped, or confluent papules on the face, cheat, and upper extremities, accompanying with the histopathologic findings of pigmentary incontirence in the portion of claw clutching a ball appearance. This report suggests that lichen nitidus shows hyperpigmentation clinically and could be one of the dermatoses which exhibit pigmentavy incontinence in a histopathologic study.
Animals ; Hoof and Claw ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lichen Nitidus ; Lichen Planus ; Skin Diseases ; Upper Extremity

Eccrine spiradenoma is a txnign, painful tumor of the skin, which probably originates in the coil of the eccrine sweat glands and presents a characteristic clinical and pa.hological picture. However recently, the weakness and inconsistency of the enzymes histochemican, actions and electron microscopic findings, and the presence of numerous undifferentiated and indetirn, inate cells suggest a rather low degree of differentiation. We present herein four cases of eccrine spiradenoma which show livrse histopat.hologic characteristics including typical rosette-like structure, ductal structure, vacuar structure and mixed type, respectively. This report may support the premise that eccrine spiridinoma is defived not only from the eccrine duct but also from pluripotential stem cells.
Skin ; Stem Cells ; Sweat Glands

No abstract available.
Lichens*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors for pathological gambling of horse race participants. METHODS: The participants, 508 horse race gamblers, completed the DSM-IV criteria of pathological gambling, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-K) and Symptom Checklist-47-Revision (SCL-47-R). Data were analyzed using t-test, chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analyses. Behaviors related to horse racing, alcohol abuse, and mental health were analyzed between problem or pathological gamblers compared to recreational gamblers. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of recreational, problem, and pathological gambling were 36.6%, 39.4%, and 24.0%, respectively. Frequency of gambling (> or =4/day), frequency of racetrack visiting (> or =3/month), accompaniment (alone), and mental health (SCL-47-R scores) were all associated with increased risks of problem and pathological gambling. Expenditure on betting (> or =200,000 won/day) and alcohol abuse (AUDIT-K 8-20 scores) group members had higher levels of gambling pathology than recreational gamblers. CONCLUSION: Problem and pathological gambling are highly associated with alcohol abuse and mental health disorders, suggesting that clinicians should carefully evaluate this population.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Female ; Gambling/*psychology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Interleukin-6* ; Keratinocytes*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze associated factors of primary radial nerve palsy and to evaluate clinical outcome for its treatment in patients with humerus shaft fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We divided two groups of patients with (17 patients) and without (116 patients) primary radial nerve palsy and analyzed correlation between radial nerve injury and various parameters, including age, sex, cause of injury, AO classification, fracture type, fracture location, and presence of open fracture. We also evaluated configuration of nerve injury, presence of recovery, and recovery time. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of primary radial nerve palsy after humerus shaft fracture was 12.8% (17 palsies in 133 fractures). Younger age, AO type B, and distal 1/3 fractures showed significantly higher correlation with radial nerve palsy. No significant correlation was observed between radial nerve palsy and other parameters, including sex, cause of injury, fracture type, and presence of open fracture. Thirteen patients (76.5%) underwent early nerve exploration with internal fixation. Intraoperatively, all patients had continuity of radial nerve except one patient with segmental loss. At the final follow-up, 16 patients (94.1%) with radial nerve palsy had made a complete recovery. The mean time to complete recovery was 6.7 months. CONCLUSION: Primary radial nerve palsy after humerus shaft fracture was more common in young age, AO type B, distal 1/3 fractures. Early surgical exploration can be recommended to confirm the condition of the radial nerve if the fracture should be fixed.
Classification ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Humerus* ; Paralysis* ; Prevalence ; Radial Nerve*

Clear cell sarcoma of the tendon and aponeurosis was first described by Enzinger in 1965, and has become a well-accepted clinicopathological entity as malignant melanoma of soft parts. Although it posesses the ability to produce melanin, it is quite different from conventional melanoma in that, it is more deeply located, usually associated with tendon and aponeurosis, displays pale-staining round to oval-shaped tumor cells and has a longer clinical course and better prognosis.Several cases have been reported in Korea, and we experiened an additional case of this rare tumor that showed ulceration.
Korea ; Melanins ; Melanoma ; Sarcoma, Clear Cell* ; Tendons* ; Ulcer

Although intraosseous ganglion of the carpal bones is an uncommon lesion, it can be a cause of chronic wrist pain. Especially, pathologic fracture as complication of idiopathic intraosseous ganglion of the lunate is extremely rare. We report a rare case of idiopathic intraosseous ganglion with pathologic fracture of the lunate that was successfully treated by curettage and autogenous cancellous bone graft.
Bone Cysts* ; Carpal Bones ; Curettage ; Fractures, Spontaneous* ; Transplants ; Wrist

Reactive perforating collagenosis(RPC) is a kind of perforating dermatosis characterized by transepithelial elimination of an altered dermal collagen. RPC is classified into two forms; childhood or inherited form, and adult or acquired form. Acquired RPC is reported to occur in association with the severe complicated diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure and other diseases. We describe a patient with acquired RPC associated with controlled, non-complicated diabetes mellitus and severe pruritus. Skin lesions showed rapid improvement after the intralesional injection of triamcinolone.
Adult ; Collagen ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Triamcinolone