For the more practical and convenient application of the Tzanck test, we evaluated several staining methods and cytological findings 98 cases of vesicobullous skin diseases. Fixation by air-drying of specimen aad modified Giemsa staining method were thought to be the most appropriate procedure in clinical use. The disease studied were chickenpox, herpes zoster & simplex, contact dermatitis, Id reaction, tinea pedis, urticaria pigmentosa, incontinentia pigmenti, farnilial benign pemphigus, hand-foot-mouth disease, erytherna multiforme, toxic epiderrzal necrolysis, fixed drug eruption, and septic vesicle. Among these, herpes and chickenpox vesicles shawed the most characteristic and specific findings. And degenerating giant cell could be added as an useful diagnostic marker for these diseases in relatively old lesions. In the other diseases, cytological findings were neither charcteristic nor specific. But these findings suggested the possibility of picking up useful findings by more elaborated study including more large number of cases.
Azure Stains ; Chickenpox ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Drug Eruptions ; Giant Cells ; Herpes Zoster ; Incontinentia Pigmenti ; Pemphigus ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin* ; Tinea Pedis ; Urticaria Pigmentosa

No abstract available.
Laryngeal Neoplasms* ; Radiotherapy*

A 34-year-old woman presented with several intensely pruritic erythematous serpiginous thread-like skin lesions which began as a small papule on the epigastrium 4 months prior to her visit and was migrating to the left chest area. The laboratory examination showed eosinophilia and the total serum IgE level was slightly increased. Histopathologic examination revealed a pustular burrow in the epidermis with a larva-like cystic lesion apart from the burrow in the epidermis. The patient was treated with topical 10 % albendazole cream 3 times daily for 1 week without recurrence for 22 months up to now. We thought this was a rare case which was confirmed by a skin biopsy showing larva in the epidermis.
Adult ; Albendazole ; Biopsy ; Eosinophilia ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Larva ; Larva Migrans* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Thorax

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to nfluence of sequential embryo transfers in an invitro fertilization was examined. METHOD: After in vitro fertilization, a maximum of 6 fertilized oocytes was enrolled in this study. At day 3 after an oocytes retrieval, embryos with good quality were transferred (mean 4.9), remaining embryos (mean 2.0/cycle) were cryopreserved at blastocyst stage (Group 1). At day 5 after oocytes collection, second a embryos had reached the blastocyst stage (Group 2) using P1 supplemented with 10 SSS and 30% Follicular fluid. No statistical difference in the pregnancy rate could be seen between the group without a second embryo transfer (n=21; 28.6%) and the group with a second transfer (n=52; 28.8%). RESULTS: The incidence of multiple pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was not statistically different between both group and no high-rank multiple pregnancy (greater than triplete) were observed (o.9%, 15.4%, respectively, p=0.74, chi2). Out of 114 cycles (506 embryos) cultured embryos in group 2, 52 cycles (159 embryos, 29.8%) reached the blastocyst stage. CONCLUSION: The second transfer did not have a significant effect on the pregnancy rate. The most important factor for the pregnancy seems to be the quality of the embryos transferred on day 3 following oocyte retrieval. We recommend embryo transfer is performed only one, day 2~3 or D5.
Blastocyst ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Follicular Fluid ; Incidence ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy, Multiple

The "baboon sydrome" is the term used to denote a characteristic distribution pattern of systemic allergic contact dermatitis. Such skin manifestation is described as mercury exanthem in Japan. Until now, mercury, ampicillin, nickel is reported to produce this condition. We report herein 3 cases of the baboon syndrome. Among 3 cases, 2 cases were associated with mercury, but in the other we could not demonstrate the allergen.
Ampicillin ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Exanthema ; Japan ; Nickel ; Papio* ; Skin Manifestations

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is generally defined as a chronic condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure. It is still controversial whether the long-term antiepileptic drugs(AED) treatment will be necessary in children with first unprovoked seizure. Cognitive and behavioral side effects of AEDs are especially important in developing children. Therefore the rationale of AED treatment in the children with first unprovoked seizure depends upon the seizure recurrence rate and presence of risk factors related with seizure recurrence. We are going to evaluate the risk of seizure recurrence and risk factors after a first unprovoked seizure in children. METHODS: One hundred fifty eight patients presented with a first unprovoked seizure from July, 1994 to June, 1999 were prospectively followed by regular epilepsy clinic visit or telephone interview for a mean of 27 months. We analyzed overall recurrence risk and risk factors of seizure recurrence(EEG finding, etiology of seizure, seizure type, history of prior febrile convulsions, neurodevelopmental status prior to first seizure, presence of a Todd's paresis, family history of seizures, a seizure occuring while asleep, and duration of seizure) by Cox's proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: In 158 patients with first unprovoked seizure, 61 (39%) patients experienced subsequent seizure. The cumulative risk of seizure recurrence was 28.5, 37.6, and 42.3% at 6, 12, and 18 months. The median time to recurrence was 3 months, with 72% of recurrence occurring within 6 months, 92% within 1 year, and 100% within 2 years. On univariate analysis, risk factors for seizure recurrence included an etiology of seizure and abnormal EEG. In idiopathic cases, the risk factor was an EEG abnormality. CONCLUSION: Many of the children with a first unprovoked seizure will not have recurrences. The recurrence risk of a first unprovoked seizure in children have statistically correlated with the etiology of seizure(cryptogenic and symptomatic) and abnormal EEG. Children with an idiopathic first seizure and a normal EEG have a particularly favorable prognosis.
Ambulatory Care ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Paresis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies* ; Recurrence* ; Risk Factors ; Seizures* ; Seizures, Febrile

In the Dept. of Thoracic Surgery, Korea University Hospital, Preoperative diagnosis as Ebstein anomaly was made on the 11-year old female through the preoperative examination including right cardioangiography and the Glenn Operation was performed to this patients as palliative treatment. During closure of the thoracic wall just after the anastomosis of S.V.C. and right pulmonary artery, sudden cardiac arrest developed. One day later after death, autopsy was performed in order to confirm the pathologic anatomy of the cardiac anomaly and to clarify the cause of death. Pathologic anatomy of the heart revealed the huge dilatation of right atrium, Patent Foramin Ovale, and the deformed and descended posterior and the septal leaflets of tricuspid value by which right ventricle was devided into the atrialized and the functional portion. The diagnosis of the autopsy showed (1) Ebstein Anomaly (2) bilateral total atelectasis of the lung, (3) multiple petechial hemorrhage and edema of the myocardium, brain and liver due to acute hypoxia, (4) fibrocaseous tuberculosis of the liver and tuberculous pericholangitis.
Anoxia ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Ebstein Anomaly* ; Edema ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Myocardium ; Palliative Care ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thoracic Wall ; Tuberculosis

A case of cutaneous sarcoidosis in the 66 year-old Korean female patient is presented. She shows typical skin manifestations of plaque type in the absence of other common objective evidence of systemic involvement. Diagnosis was confirmed by charcteristic histological findings and positive Kveim test with the support of other compatible clinical and biochemical findings. She had been followed up for 3 years since the first visiting. Recently chest X-ray, slit lamp examination and skin biopsies were taken again, but failed to reveal any significant interval changes.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kveim Test ; Sarcoidosis* ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Thorax

Thrombosed capillary or vein is a dome-shaped or slightly lobulated moderately firm, blue black nodule arising either abruptly or gradually. There may be a rim of erythema or brownish pigmentation around it. Its clinical features are similar to a malignant melanoma. We report a case of thrombosed capillary or vein associated with angiokeratoma in 44-year old male patient who has a bean sized, dome-shaped, blue-black nodule and multiple hyperkeratotic pinhead sized dark red papules un scrotum.
Adult ; Angiokeratoma* ; Capillaries* ; Erythema ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma ; Pigmentation ; Scrotum ; United Nations ; Veins*

The development of tophi in th absence of prior episodes of gauty arthritis is unusual. We report a case of extensive tophi in a 31 year-old man, whose initial skin lesion had started without arthritis.
Adult ; Arthritis ; Gout* ; Humans ; Skin