BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia is considered to be a genetically determined disorder influenced by age and androgen. The proportion of patients with androgenetic alopecia among the total number of patients with alopecia seems to be gradually increasing. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the family history,clinical and endocrine status of the patients with androgenetic alopecia. METHODS: 1113 patients with androgenetic alopecia who had visited the Department of Dermatology, Yongsan Hospital, College of Medicine,Chung-Ang University during the 3 years (1995.1-1998. 12) have been examined. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows 1) The incidence of androgenetic alopecia among the total number of alopecia patients was 64.5%, showing recent increment. 2) There were 855 male and 258 female patients being most prevalent in the third decade in both sexes and the patients younger than 30 years old with premature androgenetic alopecia,made up 70.3% of the male patients and 48.8% of the female patients with androgenetic alopecia. 3) While Norwood's type Iia was the most common and following type II, III vertex,and IV in the male AGA, Ludwig's type II was the most common in female AGA 4) There was a family history of baldness in 53.5% of first degree relatives in male patients and 51.6%in female patients. 5)Associated diseases were observed in 565(66.8%) of the male patients and 219 (84.8%) of the female patients:diseases associated with androgen such as seborrheic dermatitis and acne vulgaris occupied 39.1%. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, those who want to treat androgenetic alopecia at the earlier ages are gradually increasing and it seems to be reasonable to believe that the age, genetic factors, localized effects of androgens on the scalp and the density and/or functional activity of androgen receptors may influence the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia.
Acne Vulgaris ; Alopecia* ; Androgens ; Clinical Study* ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Dermatology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Receptors, Androgen ; Scalp ; Testosterone

Bleomycin, a tumoricidal antibiotic agent, may produce unusual cutaneous manifestations such as pigmentation scleroderma, and gangrene. We report a case of the development of linear streaky pigmentation and cutaneous scleroderma in a patient treated with bleomycin for choriocarcinoma of undescented testis. The patient was 45-year-old male presented with linear brown and slate gray streaking over the trunk and extremities after three cycles of chemotherapy(bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatine). After the fourth cycle of the same chemotherapy, 18 weeks after initiation of bleomycin, the development of cutaneous scleroderma-like conditions was observed involving the same sites. Histopathologic examination showed increased basal pigmentation and thick collagen bundles through the entire dermis, extending to the subcutis. Herein, we describe a case of streaky pigmentation and scleroderma in association with bleomycin anticancer chemotherapy simultaneously in a patient.
Bleomycin* ; Choriocarcinoma ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Extremities ; Female ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation* ; Pregnancy ; Testis

Cutaneous absorption of ultraviolet B(UVB) in the skin occurs primarily in keratinocyte, causing DNA and protein damage. p53 tumor suppressor gene appeared in the epidermis after UVB irradiation, and the wild type has been known to be responsible for apoptosis and plays an important role in excluding abnormal cells with significant DNA damage. While p53 has been implicated in both DNA repair and apoptosis, it is unclear whether the p53 protein is involved in both of these processes within the same cell. Therefore, UVB-induced apoptosis and changes in p53 expression were studied in cultured normal human keratinocyte to determine that the cellular response to UVB induced DNA damage(DNA repair or apoptosis) correlated with p53 expression. The cultured normal human keratinocytes were irradiated with the doses of UVB(25-150 mJ/cm2) and incubated for various times(3, 6, 12, 24 hour) after radiation. At UVB doses of 100 and 150 mJ/cm2, acridine orange/ethidium bromide(Ao/Eb) staining-positive cells and TUNEL (TdT mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) staining-positive cells increased significantly after 3 hours and 6 hours postirradiation respectively. Twelve hour postirradiation, staining-positive cells increased at each level of UVB-radiation exposure. These results suggest that there were significant influences of UVB doses and time course after irradiation to the number of Ao/Eb and TUNEL staining-positive cells. To determine whether all Ao/Eb and TUNEL-positive cells were actually undergoing apoptosis, cellular DNA was extracted from keratinocytes at 12 hours after UVB irradiation and seperated by electrophoresis on an 2.5% agarose gel to detect the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation(DNA ladder). 'DNA ladder' occurred at every dose of UVB 12 hour after irradiation, but did not appear early after irradiation, suggesting that whether Ao/Eb and TUNEL-positive cells observed early after irradiation were not undergoing apoptosis. Activation of p53 and the response to DNA damage is not observed universally, but is dependent on tissue specificity, species specificity and type of genotoxic damage. To correlate p53 level with UVB-induced apoptosis at the dose of 100mJ/cm2 UVB, p53 levels were determined by western blot analysis. The accumulation of p53 protein was apparent after 6 hours postirradiation, and UVB irradiation caused a dramatic increase in p53 levels at 12 and 24 hours. These results demonstrate that p53 is required for UVB-induced apoptosis in cultured normal human keratinocyte and p53 has a time-dependent effect in the initiation of apoptosis. In this study, the results indicated that a low dose(25mJ/cm2) of UVB irradiation could induce apoptosis in human keratinocyte in vitro and UVB exerts a time-dependent effect on inducing apoptosis. And the results also give support to increasing evidence that p53 may play a role in UVB-induced DNA damage and the induction of apoptosis in cultured normal human keratinocyte and that p53 is involved in the decision process which determines the fate of keratinocyte after UVB -induced DNA damage.
Absorption ; Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; DNA ; DNA Damage ; DNA Repair ; Electrophoresis ; Epidermis ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Keratinocytes* ; Organ Specificity ; Sepharose ; Skin ; Species Specificity

Acquired digital fibrokeratomas are unusual benign solitary tumors of fibrous tissue that usually occur on the fingers and toes. We report a case of acquired digital fibrokeratoma with unusual involvement of the sole, a previously traumatic site, in a 57-year-old male. We treated it with a total surgical excision.
Fingers ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Toes

We report a case of cutaneous B cell lymphoma in a 65-year-old male who had several bizarre shaped erythematous to brownish plaques on the both shins for 2 months. An abdominal CT scan revealed gastrohepatic ligament, retroperitoneal, mesenteric and bilateral external iliac lymphadenopathies. Histologic examinations revealed diffuse dense infiltration of the large atypical cells with vesicular nucleus and prominent nucleoli in the entire dermis. They showed a positive reaction to the LCA, CD20 and kappa light chain in the immunohistochemical study, suggesting that these neoplastic lymphoid cells are B cell lineage. We treated him with COPBLAM-V regimen. In the course of treatment, new skin lesions developed on both upper arms and herpes zoster on the left thigh. So we changed the regimen into IMVP-16. No relapses have been found up to the present date for 9 months.
Aged ; Arm ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Cell Lineage ; Dermis ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Male ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Thigh ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Henoch-Schoenlein purpura is a syndrome of acute systemic allergic vasculitis involving the small vessels of skin and multiple organs, characterized by a symmetrical, non-thrombocytopenic, painless purpura, nephritis and gastrointestinal manifestations. Although GI involvement is about 70%, endoscopic and histopathological finding of the GI tract in Henoch-Schoenlein purpura is rarely reported and necrotizing vasculitis in GI tract biopsy has not been reported yet. We report a case of a 16-year-old male patient, who complained of palpable purpura, vomiting and epigastric pain with necrotizing vasculitis of the duodenum on histopathological examination.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Duodenum ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Male ; Nephritis ; Purpura ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch* ; Skin ; Vasculitis* ; Vomiting

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Uterine Prolapse*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Hickman catheter placement via the subclavian vein under fluoroscopic guidance with intravenous contrast injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During an eleven-month period, 187 Hickman catheters were percutaneously placed in 167 consecutive patients in an interventional radiology suite. Subclavian venous puncture was made with injection of contrast medium into the peripheral venous line. After subclavian venous access had been obtained, a subcutaneous tunnel was created using a peel-away sheath or a tunneler. The Hickman catheters were inserted through a peel-away sheath, the distal tip of which was at the junction of the right atrium and the superior vena cava. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-six Hickman catheters were successfully placed; the one failure was due to an atomical tortuosity of the vein(0.53%). Complications included one case of subclavian vein occlusion (0.53%); three of line occlusion by thrombus (1.6%); one of oozing at the suture site (0.53%); six of infection or inflammation (3.2%); eight of natural removal (4.2%); one case of air embolism (0.53%) and two of malposition (0.1%). Major complications such as pneumothorax or arterial puncture leading to mediastinal hemorrhage did not, however, occur. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that radiologic Hickman catheter placement offers advantages over traditional approaches in terms of safety, convenience, and time and cost savings.
Catheters ; Cost Savings ; Embolism, Air ; Heart Atria ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Pneumothorax ; Punctures ; Radiology, Interventional ; Subclavian Vein* ; Sutures ; Thrombosis ; Vena Cava, Superior

Recurrent abortion has been defined as the occurrence of three or more clinically recognized pregnancy loss before 20 weeks and it occurs in 1% of women. The chromosomal abnormalities of abortuses have been suggested as the most common causes of recurrent abortion. We have studied the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in 57 patients with recurrent abortion using the chorionic villi samples. Of the 57 abortuses analysed, 32 (56.1%) had chromosomal abnormalities. Trisomy was predominant (23 cases, 40.4%), followed by mosaicism 3 (5.2%), tetraploidy 2 (3.5%), monosomy 2 (3.5%), and structural anomaly 1 (1.8%). Trisomy for the chromosome 16 was most prevalent among trisomies. The incidence of trisomy was positively related to matemal age above 35 year-old. But there is not statistically significant. And there are no correlation between gestational age and chromosomal abnormalities. In conclusion, the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities of recurrent abortuses was 56.1% which was similar to that of the other reports. This means that the analysis of karyotype of chorionic villi, as the first test to investigate the cause of recurrent abortion, may be not useful, however, it will require further.
Abortion, Habitual ; Adult ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Monosomy ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Tetraploidy ; Trisomy