No abstract available.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Aggression*

A 6-year-old girl visited us with a 4-week history of inflammatory, pustular, tender patches and plaques on the scalp, and a 3-day history of multiple, erythematous, indurated, tender, subcutaneous nodules on both pretibial areas. A swab was taken from the scalp lesion and colonies of Tiichophyton mentagrophytes grew on culture. The histopathological findings of the leg nodule were consistent with erythema nodosum. The patient was treated with oral itraconazole and deflazacort, combined with topical potassium permanganate solution. Erythema nodosum regressed two weeks later and the kerion of the scalp regressed six weeks after starting the treatment, leaving residual scarring alopecia. The patient was diagnosed as erythema nodosum probably induced by kerion celsi, that has not been reported in the Korean literature.
Alopecia ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Erythema Nodosum* ; Erythema* ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Leg ; Potassium Permanganate ; Scalp ; Tinea Capitis*

A 12-year-old girl presented with a 1-week duration of hair loss associated with splitting of the hair ends and whitish dots on the occipital hairs. On microscopic examination, a longitudinal splitting of the hair shaft with reconstitution of the normal hair distal to the fracture, nodular swellings, with the appearance of broomsticks pushed into one another, at the site of whitish swellings, and the flattening and twisting of the hair shaft around the long axis were demonstrated. Minor trauma to injury-prone hair is a common cause of hair shaft defects, however the reports with the combined conditions are insufficient in the literature. We describe a patient with central trichoptilosis associated with localized trichorrhexis nodosa and pili torti.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Child ; Female ; Hair ; Humans

PURPOSE: To evaluate the surgical results of segmental scleral buckling procedures in pseudophakic retinal detachments. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the surgical results of 35 patients (35 eyes) undergoing only segmental scleral buckling procedures in pseudophakic retinal detachments, who had been postoperatively followed up 6 months or longer. RESULTS: The average age of patients was 58.4 +/- 14.8 and twenty-five of the 35 patients were male. Posterior capsule was ruptured in 14 eyes, and among the 14, 5 eyes had vitreous prolapse. The primary success rate of segmental scleral buckling procedures was 100% (21/21 eyes) in intact posterior capsules, and 64.3% (9/14 eyes) in ruptured posterior capsules. The causes of failure were proliferative vitreoretinopathy (2 eyes) and failure to close the retinal breaks (3 eyes). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that segmental scleral buckling procedure may be an effective method for the management of retinal detachments in pseudophakia if without posterior capsule ruptures.
Capsules ; Humans ; Male ; Prolapse ; Pseudophakia ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Scleral Buckling* ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

PURPOSE: Recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become one of the major nosocomial pathogens in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the epidemiology of VRE colonization among neonates. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of VRE colonization, risk factors for VRE, and how to control the spread of VRE infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 192 neonates who were admitted to the NICU of PNUH from March 2006 to March 2007. Surveillance cultures from rectal swabs for detecting VRE were obtained weekly during the study period. We analyzed the prevalence of VRE and various risk factors. RESULTS: The rate of VRE colonization among NICU patients was 25% (48/192). Thirty five of these VRE colonized patients were transferred to the NICU from other local hospitals. Compared with the non-VRE group, the risk factors associated with VRE colonization were lower birth weight, congenital heart disease, applied mechanical ventilation, use of a central venous catheter, chest tubing, a history of surgery, and use of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: VRE colonization among patients admitted to the NICU is rapidly increasing. Monitoring and managing premature neonates from the beginning of the birth process, avoiding many invasive procedures, avoiding antibiotics such as vancomycin and third generation cephalosporin are important for preventing the emergence and spread of VRE colonization in the NICU.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Central Venous Catheters ; Colon ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Prevalence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thorax ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance

BACKGROUND: The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is the most powerful cholesterol lowering drug and lovastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin are used clinically. We studied the efficacy and side effects of pravastatin monotherapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia(type IIa or IIb). METHODS: Patients who showed 12-hours fasting serum total cholesterol level more than 240mg% were enrolled to diet therapy. After 4weeks of diet therapy, serum lipid profiles were checked and the drug therapy was considered according to NCEP guidelines. The pravastatin 5mg po bid was administrated and the patients had regular follow-up every 2weeks for 8week. RESULTS: The total study population was 20 patients and the mean age of them was 55 years old (55+/-18, M : F=6 : 14). There were a few side effects in 5% of study patients and no patient discontinued pravastatin due to side effects.The side effect was G-I trouble and there were not other side effects. Serum CK was elevated in only one patient but the elevation was mild(less than 3 times) and transient. The LFT, serum uric acid, BUN and creatinine level did not show any significant changes during therapy. Among lipid profiles, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B level showed significant reduction after therapy and the maximum reduction was achieved after 2week of therapy. The mean reduction was 20%, 33% and 23% respectively. HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 11% and 17% respectively. The triglyceride level did not show any changes during therapy but in one type IIb patient, the triglyceride level decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The pravastatin is effective and safe in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Apolipoprotein A-I ; Apolipoproteins ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Diet Therapy ; Drug Therapy ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Lovastatin ; Middle Aged ; Oxidoreductases ; Pravastatin* ; Simvastatin ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid

Mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) and the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome are passed down, unaltered, from generation to generation, matrilineally and patrilineally, respectively. Therefore, the Y-chromosome DNA and mtDNA are known as lineage markers, and they play important roles in studies based on human migration and evolutionary history. Y-chromosome DNA is used in forensic analysis to identify individuals involved in cases of sexual assault. In this paper, we review the methods of statistical evaluation of lineage markers used in forensic identification. We also review the combined approach of autosomal and lineage marker evidence.
DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Human Migration ; Y Chromosome

Nine-month-old female infant was seen with a 7-month history of a nodule on the right temporal scalp, which had gradually increased in size. Stroking of the lesion resulted in urtication and blistering and there were no other cutaneous lesions. The histology showed subepidermal bulla formation and a dense infiltration of mast cells in the papillary and reticular dermis. We present an infant with solitary mastocytoma on the scalp, a rare site.
Blister ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Mast Cells ; Mastocytoma* ; Scalp* ; Stroke

Chronic perineal pain is an often encountered problem, which produces a great degree of functional impairment and frustration to the patient and a challenge to the treating physician. The reason for this problem is that the region contains diverse anatomic structures with mixed somatic, visceral and autonomic innervations affecting bladder and bowel control and sexual function. A blockade of nociceptive and sympathetic supply to the perineal region, supplied through the ganglion impar has been shown to benefit patients with chronic perineal pain. Several options to this block have been described that chemical neurolysis, radiofrequency ablation etc. Although the analgesic effect of Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) has long been considered secondary to its action for muscle relaxation, BoNT-A also affects the release of the neurotransmitters that are involved in pain perception. We describe a patient who was successfully given ganglion impar block with BoNT-A.
Botulinum Toxins ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Frustration ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Muscle Relaxation ; Nerve Block ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Pain Perception ; Urinary Bladder

Nerve conduction study has been an important part of electrodiagnosis and has been utilized as a clinical diagnostic technique in diabetic neuropathy. But conduction study of the more proximal segment has been a few reports. This study demonstrated segmental method for obtaining orthodromic motor nerve conduction and mixed nerve conduction, and antidromic distal sensory nerve conduction in diabetic group and normal group. The purpose of the study was to determine diagnostic value of segmental nerve conduction in diabetic neuropathy. The results were as follows: 1. Significant difference at P<0.01 between diabetic group and normal group; in median motor terminal latency, median motor nerve conduction velocity at axilla-elbow segment and elbow-wrist segment, median sensory nerve conduction velocity at wrist-elbow segment, ulnar motor and sensory conduction velocity at wrist-elbow segment, posterior tibial motor nerve conduction velocity at popliteal fossa-ankle segment, peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity at fibula head-ankle segment. 2. No significant difference at P>0.05 between diabetic group and normal group; in ulnar motor terminal letency, ulnar sensory nerve conduction velocity at axilla-Erb's point segment and finger-wrist segment, peroneal motor terminal latency and peroneal motor nerve conduction velocity at popliteal fossa-fibula head segment, posterior tibial motor terminal latency, sural sensory nerve conduction velocity. 3. The nerve conduction of proximal segment is more statistically significant than that of distal segment.
Diabetic Neuropathies ; Electrodiagnosis ; Fibula ; Head ; Neural Conduction*