BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions are known to be associated with symptomatic aggravation of atopic dermatitis. Skin prick tests were used as a routine in vivo screening test for the evaluation of allergic patients. Many tests to detect specific IgE antibody including RAST, FAST and MAST chemilu-minescent assay (MAST-C~LA) were also used. Previous studies revealed that the results of skin prick tests and MAST-CLA were well correlated in patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and urticaria. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of MAST-CLA compared with skin prick tests in patients with atopic dermatitis. METHODS: We performed the chemiluminescent assay with 35 allergens and skin prick tests with 23 allergens common with allergens used in MAST-CLA in 34 patients with atopic dermatitis. The positive reaction rate of allergens in each test and sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of MAST-CLA to the skin prick test were evaluated and MAST net volts of serum total IgE was compared with PRIST.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Luminescent Measurements ; Mass Screening ; Rhinitis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin* ; Urticaria

No Abstract Available.
Rosacea*

On histological examination, an epidermolytic hyperkeratosis was observed adjacent to follicular papules on the back of a 53-year-old man. It has been reported that incidental epidermolytic hyperkeratosis occur either within various lesion (epidermal neoplasm, melanocytic neoplasm, scars, and inflammatory conditions) or in the normal skin adjacent to the lesion. This patient participated in the Vietnam War for 2 years, and had had contact with defoliants. He was treated for multiple peripheral neuropathies and cerebral infarcts. In keratinocytes, 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; Agent Orange) contained in defoliating agents is associated with altered patterns of keratinocyte differentiation. So, as a cause of incidental epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, defoliant contact could be suspected.
Cicatrix ; Humans ; Hyperkeratosis, Epidermolytic* ; Keratinocytes ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Skin* ; Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin ; Veterans* ; Vietnam*

The antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is an acquired multisystemic disorder characterized by persistent elevated antiphospholipid antibodies and/or hypercoagulation in veins or arteries, or both. The clinical manifestations of the antiphospholipid antibody syodrome are recurrent thrombosis, fetal loss, thrcenbocytopenia, and various cutaneous lesions. Skin lesions are the first sign of this syndrome in 41% of patients and systemic thrombosis develops in 40% of them. Livedo reticularis is the most common cutaneous finding of the antiphosphotipid antibody syndrome. Although vasculitis has not been frequently noted in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, some vasculitis such as polyarteritis nodosa, giant cell arteritis, and other nonspecific vasculitides have been found in association with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We present a male patient with typical manifestations of leukocytoclastic vasculitis with deep vein thrombosis and positive antiphospholipid antibodies. It suggests that a case of antiphospholipid antibody syndorme was accompanied with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid* ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; Arteries ; Giant Cell Arteritis ; Humans ; Livedo Reticularis ; Male ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Skin ; Thrombosis ; Vasculitis* ; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous ; Veins ; Venous Thrombosis

We report a case of herpes zoster with generalized varicelliform eruption. A 56-year-old male presented with rice-sized erythematous grouped ruptured or crusted vesicles with a band-like distribution on the left chest and back and generalized rice-to-pea-sized erythematous vesicles on his whole body. Histologic examination revealed ballooning degeneration and multi-nucleated giant cells in the epidermis and leukocytoclastic vasculitis in the dermis.
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Giant Cells ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thorax ; Vasculitis

No abstract available.
Hyperamylasemia*

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Piebaldism*

Generalized pustular skin eruptions as a form of drug eruption is a rare entity. Recently this unique pustular dermatosis has been termed as acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis. We report on a 19-year-old man with acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis probably induced by ampicillin. The patient presented with erythematous and pinhead-sized subcorneal pustules after taking ampicillin for abdomimal pain. The patient complained of high fever and malaise. On further review of his history, generalized skin eruptions had been noted on at least three other occasions. Each episode occured following oral administration of antibiotics. A histological examination of a skin biposy specimen showed a subcorneal pustules with a few neutrophils, dermal edema and necrotic keratinocytes. After discontinuation of ampicillin, the eruption cleared within 4 days.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis* ; Administration, Oral ; Ampicillin* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Drug Eruptions ; Edema ; Fever ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Neutrophils ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Young Adult

Lyme disease is a vector-borne infection, primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, and caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. It has a wide distribution in the northern hemisphere. In Korea, however, only one human case has been reported, although B. burgdorferi was isolated from the vector tick I. persulcatus in the region. A 60-year-old male and a 45-year-old female developed the clinical sign of erythema migrans. Each patients were bitten by a tick four weeks and five weeks, respectively, before entering the hospital. On serologic examination, significantly increased IgM and IgG antibody titers to B. burgdorferi were observed in consecutive tests performed at an interval of two weeks. They responded well to treatment with tetracycline.
Case Report ; Erythema Chronicum Migrans/pathology* ; Erythema Chronicum Migrans/immunology ; Erythema Chronicum Migrans/drug therapy ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Lyme Disease/pathology* ; Lyme Disease/immunology ; Lyme Disease/drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Age

Various laparoscopic nephroureterectomy techniques for urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract have been developed to minimize postoperative discomfort and the necessity for a lengthy convalescence. We performed hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy without hand-assisted device in 3 male patients with urothelial carcinoma of the distal ureter. Average operative time and estimated blood loss were 251 min (range 235 to 280) and 250 mL (range 200 to 300), respectively. Complication did not occur and conversion to open surgery was not necessary in all cases. Postoperative analgesic requirements were moderate and the time to regular diet intake averaged 3 days (range 2 to 4). None of the patients had a positive margin on the final pathologic specimen. At the average follow-up of 8.1 months, no regional recurrence, port-site metastasis, bladder recurrence, or distant metastasis were noted in any patient. We described our initial experience with the described technique, which obviates the need for midprocedural patient repositioning.
Aged ; Humans ; Laparoscopes ; Laparoscopy/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy/instrumentation/*methods ; Retroperitoneal Space/pathology/*surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Ureter/pathology/*surgery ; Ureteral Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery