Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterized by multisystem involvement and various laboratory findings. A retrospective study was made of the medical records of 59 patients with SLE at Severance hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, for the analysis of clinical and laboratory findings during the years 1970 through 198I. The results were compared with those of previous serial studies in Korea and western countries. The results obtained are as follows: l. In 59 patients with SLE, 7 patients were men and 52 patients were women (M: F=l: 7.4). Their age at onset of the dsiease ranged mainly in the 3rd and 4th decades. 2. The major clinical manifestations were skin eruptions (81%), fever(73%), renal involvements(66%), pulrnonary(66%) and cardiac(61%) abnomalities. 3. The variety of skin and mucus membrane manifestations seen included butterfly rash of face(53%), maculopapular eruption (34%), purpura(22%), and mucosal ulcer (19%) in that order. 4. Mucosal ulcers and alopecia were correlated closely with exacerbations of disease activity. Patients with Raynauds phenomenon were not likely to have severe organ involvement. 5. Compared with Western series, renal manifestation, anemia and thrombocytopenia were more frequent, and lymphadenopathy, Raynauds phenomenon and alopecia were less frequent. 6. The ANA test showed a, high sensitivity(96%) and a high titer. Compared with the patients showing a speckled pattern(30%), those showing a homogenous pattern(60%) had more severe organ involvement and poorer prognosis. 7. The anti-nDNA antibody test had a high sensitivity(81%), and indicated. severe renal involvement and poorer prognosis. Also, the titer correlated well with disease activity. 8. The disease was associated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Buergers disease, thyroid diseases, myelofibrcsis and chilblain. 9. A bimodal rnortality pattern was seen with infection being the major cause of early death, and renal failure and cardiopulmonary abnormalities in late death.
Alopecia ; Anemia ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Butterflies ; Chilblains ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Medical Records ; Membranes ; Mucus ; Prognosis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans ; Thrombocytopenia ; Thyroid Diseases ; Ulcer

A case of hereditary papulotranslucent acrokeratoderma, a variant of familiaI punctate keratoderma, is presented. A 20-year-old female patient had a five-year history of persistent, asymptomatic, yellowish-white translucent papules and plaques on the thenar and hypothenar eminences and knuckles of both hands, and on the dorsa of proximal interphalangeal joints of both feet. She also had a vitiligo lesion on the left side of the face of 1.5 years duration. Her elder brother also had similar papular skin lesions on both hands and feet. Histologic section of a papule from the right thenar eminence showed marked hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, and acanthosis of the epidermis.
Female ; Humans

Nevus lipomatosus cutaneous superficialis is a very rare skin disease which usually is present from birth. This uncommon condition is due to collections of ectopic. fat cells within the upper and mid dermis. There are two clinical varieties. The first is a lesion of zonal distribution, present from birth or childhood, usualIy on the buttocks or the lower back. The second form, a dome or sessile, papule, begins. in adult life and is less restricted in distribution. Cerebriform plaques tend to form from the coalescence of soft, yellowish papules. The authors observed two cases of typical nevus lipomatosus cutaneous superficialis. The first case is a 25-year-old female who has had asymptomatic, soft, skin colored, and huge confluent nodules on the right infragluteal fold and upper thigh for 15 years; and the second case is a 15-year-old male who has had multiple, skin colored and soft papules or nodules in zosteriform distribution affecting the right side of the lower back and coccygeal area and right buttock for 4 years. The authors made the diagnosis of nevus lipomatosus cutaneous superficialis from the characteristic clinical and histopathological findings.
Adipocytes ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Buttocks ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Parturition ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Thigh

In this animal study, comedones were induced by topical application of oleic acid onto the rabbit ear canal and the histopathologic and ultrastructural changes in response to topical application of HO and hexane extracts of red ginseng, and saponin were measured. No microscopical difference was observed between treatment groups. Nucle ir remnants were observed in the horny cell layer as well as the thinning of the granular cell layer. Scattered and decreased keratohyaline granules were also noted. Six weeks after initiation of treatment, we observed the thinning of epidermis and veappearance of granular cell layer with normal keratohyaline granules. After treatment, scanning electron microscopy showed a decrease in the size of comedones, and loosened and desquamating horny cells in the comedones. From the above results, it could be concluded that Panax ginseng extracts might have effects on the keratinization process of the skin.
Animals ; Ear Canal ; Epidermis ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oleic Acid ; Panax* ; Saponins ; Skin

Recently the use of hydrochloric acid as a toilet disinfectant has become more common, and the risk of its ingestion is though to be increasing. We experienced a case of 67 year-old man who accidentally ingested hydrochloric acid and as a result developed a postprandial epigastric fullness end pain 3 weeks thereafter, The patient underwent an UGI series, fiberoptic gastroscope and abdominal ultrasonography and was found to have a gastric midbody stricture. A total gastreetomy and Roux-en- Y esophagojejunostomy was performed. We report this case with brief review of the literature.
Aged ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Eating ; Gastritis* ; Gastroscopes ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid* ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Endometrium* ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

Eosinophilia accompanied by eosinophilic invasion and organ dysfunction may develope idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Any organ can be involved including bone marrow, lung, skin, heart, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. Cough, dyspnea, pleural effusion or chest pain are common pulmonary manifestation, and they may be attributed to parenchymal infiltration, pulmonary embolism or heart failure. We report a 43-year-old woman with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome involving bone marrow, skin, and lung. The patient developed acute dyspnea and chest pain. High resolution CT demonstrated multiple wedge-shaped segmental involvement with pleural effusion thought to be a pulmonary infarction or heart failure. Echocardiography could not find any abnormality. Lung biopsy showed interstitial eosinophilic infiltration with increased eosinophils in BAL fluid. She was treated with high dose corticosteroid and hydroxyurea. Within few days, most of her symptoms disappeared and chest radiography nearly cleared up.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hydroxyurea ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Lung ; Nervous System ; Pleural Effusion ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Pulmonary Infarction ; Radiography ; Skin ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: To provide useful information on the choice of adequate drugs in the treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) in spinal cord injury patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 34 spinal cord injured patients who were registered in Busan Spinal Cord Disabled Person Society and 111 patients with spinal cord injury who were admitted in 4 university hospitals in Busan between January 2004 and December 2005. We collected the patient's urine in July 2006 and performed comprehensive chart reviews of these patients. We studied the incidence of UTI, commonly cultured organisms, antimicrobial sensitivities, voiding methods and follow-up. RESULTS: The incidence of UTI was 48.3% of 145 patients. The most common causative organism of UTI was Escherichia coli (27.1%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22.9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.3%). Antimicrobial sensitivities of imipenem, amikacin and ceftazidime to Escherichia coli were respectively 100%, 92.3%, 80.8%. The sensitivities of Pseudomonas to the same agents were 63.6%, 31.8 %, 45.5% respectively. Ciprofloxacin showed decreased sensitivities of 38.5%, 31.8% respectively for Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: Our results implied decreasing susceptibility of ciprofloxacin, so it can be recommended to restrict the use of ciprofloxacin as a primary empirical antibiotic for UTI of spinal cord injured patients. Causative organisms of UTI are becoming more diverse. Also the incidence and antimicrobial sensitivities are changing as well. Therefore continuous observation with the appropriate treatment is needed.
Amikacin ; Busan ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Disabled Persons ; Escherichia coli ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Incidence ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Pseudomonas ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*