BACKGROUND: The Q-switched ruby laser has recently shown that it can remove tattoos with-out scarring. Therefore the Q-switched ruby laser is expected to be effective in the treatment of nevus of Ota, which contains pigmented cells in the dermis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Q-switched ruby laser in the treatment of nevus of Ota. METHODS: Twenty-five patients (6 men, 19 women) with nevus of Ota on the face were treat-ed. The age of the patients ranged from 3 to 62 years. The energy fluence used varied from 6 to 8.5 J/cm². Treatment intervals ranged from 1 to 3 months, and the number of treatments ranged from 2 to 9. Photographs were taken of all patients before and on every return visit. The photographs were then compared with each other. After completion of treatment, we evaluated some parameters including the extent of pigment-free area within the skin lesions (score 0-4), degree of lightening in the remaining skin lesions (score 0-3), and patient's own or their parents' opinions on the result of treatment (score 0-3). The scores of the above three parameters were added and the resulting scores were designated as excellent (score 9-10), good (score 7-8), moderate (score 5-6) and poor (score 0-4). RESULTS: Excellent treatment response (score 9-10) was obtained in 6 of the 25 patients. In all patients disappearance of pigmentation on a 40 percent or larger area was seen. One month after completion of treatment, the remaining lesion size was less than 40 percent of the original lesion in 21 (84.0%) patients. The degree of lightening in the remaining lesion was marked (score 3) in 22 (88%) patients. No scarring was noted following treatment. Transient hyperpigmentation was noted in 7 patients, and transient hypopigmented areas were noted in one patient. CONCLUSION: Q-switched ruby laser appears to be an effective and safe modality for the treatment of nevus of Ota.
Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Male ; Nevus of Ota* ; Nevus* ; Pigmentation ; Skin

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed at defining the varying responses of porcine coronary artery(PCA) to various wavelengths of ultraviolet irradiation, and at relating them to the changes in cyclic GMP contents. METHODS: The ring preparations of PCA with intact or removed endothelium were irradiated with the ultraviolet or visible light of wavelengths(240-520mm) from xenon lamp of a spectrofluorometer, and the changes in vascular tension were recorder on polygraph. For cyclic GMP assay, rat thoracic aorta was frozen after irradiation and homogenated. The supernatant was extracted with water-saturated ether and the cyclic GMP contents were measured with radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Ultraviolet irradiation relaxed the preparations(UVR-relaxation) in resting state and those precontracted by prostaglandin F2alpha, the maximal relaxation occurring at 410nm, and the magnitude depending on the duration of irradiation. The UVR-relaxation was not affected by removing the endothelium, while it was markedly potentiated by pretreatment with Bay K 8644. The Bay K 8644-induced potentiation of UVR-relaxation was abolished by hemoglobin and slightly reduced by wrapping the rings with aluminum foil. Cyclic GMP contents in the increase was markedly potentiated by pretreatment with Bay K 8644. CONCLUSION: The observations suggest that UVR-relaxation in procine coronary artery is caused by activating the nitric oxide-cyclic GMP system, which is most sensitively activated by UVR of 410nm and that its potentiation induced by Bay K 8644 may be related nitrous substance released from the agent upon UVR.
3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester* ; Aluminum ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Bays* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Cyclic GMP ; Dinoprost ; Endothelium ; Ether ; Light* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Relaxation* ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Vasodilation ; Xenon

Peripheral nerve injury is relatively common in post-trauma surgery. Although various microsurgical techniques and repair methods can recover the continuity of the injurcd nerve. But, functional recovery achive is difficult. The purpose of this study examines the effect of electrical stimulation on muscle strength or sensibility increase in hrachial plexus injury with clinical results. We have retrospectively analyzed 44 cases of brachial plexus injury. The group(20 cases) which received nerve surgery and electrical stimulation was compared with the group(24 cases) which received nerve surgery only. Electrical stimulation was performed to nerve for axonal regeneration-strength & sensibility(18 cases) and to muscle for strengh(2 cases). All cases had heen evaluated for motor power recovery by 24 months after nerve surgery. A significant difference(P<0.05) between the power of elhow flexion and shoulder abduction, hut not sensibility of forearm in the two groups suggests that electrical stimulation to nerve or muscle enhanced the progress of nerve regeneration or muscle strength respectively. The results suggest that electricai stimulation is promising supplementary method for functional recovery in brachial plexus injury.
Axons* ; Brachial Plexus* ; Electric Stimulation* ; Forearm ; Muscle Strength ; Nerve Regeneration ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Regeneration* ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder

No abstract available.
Immobilization* ; Rib Fractures* ; Ribs*

No abstract available.
Blood Gas Analysis* ; Respiratory Function Tests* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Clinical characteristics of papular-purpuric gloves and socks syndrome consist of a purpuric erythema affecting the hands and feet in a gloves and stocking distribution. It is sometimes associated with fever and oral lesions. The disease is self-limiting and resolves within 1 to 2 weeks. Serological studies have shown that there is an association with parvovirus B19 infection in most patients affected by this syndrome. We report a case of gloves and socks syndrome in a 21-year-old female. She had a 4-day history of papular-purpuric eruptions of the hands and feet in a gloves-and-socks distribution. She also complained of fever(up to 39C) during the first 2 or 3 days of clinical onset. The oral mucosa was normal and there were no palpable lymph nodes. Laboratory and histopathological findings were non-specific. However, human parvovirus B19 DNA was detected in the serum by a polymerase chain reaction. Systemic manifestations were transient and disappeared within a few days, whereas the skin lesions resolved gradually over a period of 2 weeks.
DNA ; Erythema ; Female ; Fever ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mouth Mucosa ; Parvovirus ; Parvovirus B19, Human ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Young Adult

In 1952, Zoon described eight cases of benign circumscribed chronic balanitis characterized by an extensive infiltration of plasma cells with no evidence of dysplasia of the overlying epidermis. Plasma cell balanitis can often be confused clinically with other conditions, such as erythroplasia of Queyrat, fixed drug eruptions, secondary syphilis, candidiasis and Reiters disease. We report a case of plasma cell balanitis in a 65-year-old man. He complained of a single, red, shiny and smooth patch involving the glans penis and adjacent prepuce. This patch was unresponsive to systemic and topical steroid treatment. Laboratory studies were negative or within the normal range. Histopathological findings showed a band-like mainly plasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate of the upper dermis. This patient was treated once daily with 2% fusidic acid cream topically for 5 weeks. The lesions resolved and no recurrence was observed during 2 years of follow-up.
Aged ; Arthritis, Reactive ; Balanitis* ; Candidiasis ; Dermis ; Drug Eruptions ; Epidermis ; Erythroplasia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Furosemide* ; Fusidic Acid* ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma* ; Recurrence ; Reference Values ; Syphilis

Muscular involvement of sarcoidosis is rare and occurs in two forms: nodular and myopathic. In the nodular variety, lesions are long and extend along muscle fibers. Axial MR imaging reveals a star-shaped central structure of decreased signal intensity. Sagittal and coronal MR images show three stripes: an inner stripe of decreased signal intensity and outer stripes of increased signal intensity. Longitudinal sonography shows an echogenic inner stripe and hypoechoic outer stripes. We report a case of nodulartype muscular sarcoidosis in a 53-year-old man, describing the findings of MRI and ultrasonography.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoidosis* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Hairy Cell*

We examined visual acuity and refractive state of 1,522 children (904 boys and 618 girls) in the 6th grade of the primary school in the center of Kwangju city, and of 1,318 children(711 boys and 607 girls) in the outskirts. To evaluate environmental factors, the statistical comparative study in two groups about visual acuity and refractive state including the data from the questionnaires answered by parentr was done. The results were as follows: 1. The incidence of subnormal visual acuity was 20.5%. It was higher in girls (25.9%) than in boys (16.3%), and higher in the school in the center (22.7%) of the city than in the outskirts (17.9%). Especially, in girls, it was significantly low in the outskirts (21.4%) comparing to the center (30.3%). 2. In the relationship between the incidence of subnormal visual acuity and posture, the incidence was higher in the children who have a poor carriage during studying(24.6%) than in the children who have a fine carriage (19.9%) and it was markedly higher in girls (30.7%) than in boys (19.7%). 3. The incidence of subnormal visual acuity was higher in the children who maintained inadequate distance from the TV set (24.1% ) than in the children who maintained adequate distance (19.6%), and it was higher in girls (31.3%) than in boys (17.8%). 4. The incidence of subnormal visual acuity was similar in the children who had balanced diet (21.6%)and the children who had one-sided diet (22.8%). 5. Refractive state of the eyes with subnormal visual acuity was myopic in 17.0%, hyperopic in 3.0% and mixed astigmatic in 0.3%. The incidence of myopic eyes was higher in girls (21.3%) than in boys (13.8%). 6. Occurrence of the eyes which returned from abnormal refractive state to emme tropia by instillation of 5% homatropine solution was similar in boys (5.2%) and girls (6.9%) and the eyes were considered to be pseudomyopic.
Child* ; Diet ; Female ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Incidence ; Posture ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Visual Acuity*