In order to study immunological responses in psoriatic lesions, direct immunofluorescence(DIF) findings in stratum corneum of psoriatic lesions are compared with histopathological changes. The results are summerized as follows: 1) Deposition of Igs or C 3 in stratum corneum of psoriatic lesions was demonstrated in 14(56%) of 25 psoriasis patients. IgG was present in 40% IgA in 48%, IgM in 24%, and C 3 in 32%. However, DIF findings are negative in the str,atum corneum in the uninvolved skin of psoriasiis. In control groups of 12 cases of various skin diseases, DIF findings were negative in the stratum corneum except 1 case of a patient with acne rosacea. 2)DIF findings in 22 cases of histopathologic changes of psoriatic lesions were found in 50% of hyperkeratosis in 48% of parakeratosis in 50% of Munro microabscess, in 50%, of spongiform pustule, and in 57% of the absence of stratum granulosum: ie, about only 50% were positive in DIF results. Histopathologic changes in 11 cases of positive DIF finding in psoriatic lesions were hyperkeratosis in 100%, parakeratosis in 91%, Munro microabscess in 64%, spongiform pustule in 55%, and the absence of stratum granulosum in 73%.
Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Parakeratosis ; Psoriasis ; Rosacea ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Leprosy*

This is to describe a neonatal hepatitis with pericellular hepatic fibrosis and Mallory bodies in a sero-positive infant for IgM anti-CMV. A necropsy of the liver revealed severe heaptocellular swelling with many intracytoplasmic hyaline bodies, pronounced fibrosis of a creeping type, bile stasis with ductular proliferation, and the lack of parenchymal regeneration. These microscopical changes of the liver resembled those of Indian Childhood Cirrhosis (ICC). In the present case the patient's serum IgM anti-CMV is the only clue for the etiological diagnosis.
Infant ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans

No abstract available.
Histiocytosis*

Congenital melanocytic nevus(CMN) constitute a well-known risk factor in the development of malignant melanoma, but melanoma developing in newborn and infants are extremely rare. We describe a case of proliferating nodules within CMN at the age of 13 months. Like our case it is difficult to manage the proliferating lesions within CMN in infants. So we carefully suggest the indications of preventive excision when proliferating lesions occur within CMN as follows; 1) preventive excision is postponed until the age of two when the proliferating lesions are slowly growing, 2) surgical excision is needed when the lesions are rapidly growing exceeding 1 cm in size even though it is before the age of two.
Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Melanoma ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Risk Factors

Amyloidosis is a disease complex associated with deposition of inscluble fibrillar protein in vnrious tissues of the body. Since the term, amyloidosis was first introduced by Virchow in 1853, there have been many reports in English literature, but only a few cases of iriinary systemic amyloidosis have been reported in Korea. A 56-year-old male was seven for facial purpuras, macroglossia, myilgia and arthralgia for 5 years. Histologically, the skin biopsy specimen showed amorphous, faintly eosinophilic and fissured masses of amyloid in the upper dermis that demonstrated characteristic green brefringence on Congo red staining when viewed under polarized light. Electron microscopic exanintion showed that nonbranching and nonanastomosing straigh. fibrils are irregularly arranged arouned tlie collagen fibers. Therefore, he was diagncsed with primary systemic amyloidsis by the characteristic clinical, histopathologic and ultrastructural findings.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis* ; Arthralgia ; Biopsy ; Collagen ; Congo Red ; Dermis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Korea ; Macroglossia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Purpura ; Skin

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Child* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans

C-reactive protein(CRP), a normal constituent of the serum in healthy individuals, increases in response to various bacterial infections and cellular necrosis. To find out if the C-reactive protein concentration is of any value in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, ninety consecutive patients suspected to have acute appendicitis were studied prospectively. Of these, 54 patients(group A) had acute appendicitis and 6 patients(group B) underwent surgery with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis; however, histopathology disclosed a normal appendix. Seventeen patients(group C) had no identifiable cause for their illness and 13 patients(group D) had an identifiable cause for their illness, though not appendicitis. The mean serum CRP value was 49.00mg/L in group A, 18.92mg/L in group B, 20.31mg/L in group C, and 63.22mg/L in group D. Within group A, the mean CRP value in the 36 patients with the inflammed appendix was 33.56mg/L. The mean value in the 7 patients with the gangrenous appendix was 73.16mg/L, and 97.61mg/L in 11 patients with the perforative appendix. Serum CRP levels were normal in two patients with acute appendicitis. Besides these 2 patients, all patients with normal CRP had a normal appendix found at the time of operation or their symptoms resolved spontaneously. It is concluded that an increase in CRP levels to more than 5 mg/L is not a definitive indicator of acute appendicitis. However, when there is doubt about the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, a normal serum CRP level should be used as a basis for the decision to defer surgery.
Appendicitis* ; Appendix ; Bacterial Infections ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Prospective Studies

Seventy-seven patients who were treated regularly for more than 5 years in the Taegu Leprosy Mission were investigated with regard to the change of the bacillary index(BI) after treatment of either dapsone(DDS) alone or a combination of DDS and clofazimine. The results were as follows: 1) In the group that took only DDS 400-500 mg per week, the BI conversion to negative took average 51 months. 2) In the group that took only 600-700 mg per week, the BI conversion to negative took average 34 months. 3) In the group that took only DDS 400 mg per week initially and 600-700mg per week secondarily, the BI conversion to negative took average 64 months, the last 33 months of which marked the time period that 600-700 mg were taken per week. 4) In the group that took only DDS 400-500mg per week initially and a combination of DDS gpp 700 mg per week and clofazimine. 3pp-4pp mg per week secondarily, the BI conversion to negative took average 63 months, the last 35 months of which marked the time period for the combined therapy. 5) In the group that took a combination of DDS 600- 700 mg per week and clofazimine 400 mg per week, the BI conversion to negative took average 42 months.
Clofazimine* ; Daegu ; Dapsone* ; Humans ; Leprosy* ; Missions and Missionaries

No abstract available.
Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Sweet Syndrome* ; Ulcer*