No abstract available.
Herpes Zoster

BACKGROUND: The reference list is an important part of a scientific papers. To be useful it must be accurate OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate quotation accuracy in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology. METHODS: We randomly selected 35 references from Korean Journal of Dermatology and 35 references from Annals of Dermatology and checked them against the original articles. RESULTS: The overall rate of quotation error was 32.9%, respectively 40% in the Annals of Dermatology and 25.7% in the Korean Journal of Dermatology. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the rate of quotation errors is unacceptably high in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology, which significantly diminishes the value of the information of its source.
Dermatology*

BACKGROUND: Nucleolar organizer regions(NORs) are loops of DNA that transcribe ribosomal RNA; they can be easily identified in paraffin section using silver method. Recently, the application of NORs to the study of various types of benign and malignant proliferation has suggested that the number of NORs per nucleus can provide an indication of degree of cellur maligriancy. Many authors indicated a significant overlapping of NORs counts between benign and malignant proliferation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to discriminate benign m laocytic nevi from malignant melanoma effectively, thus we use simple enumeration and computerized image analysis of AgNORs in melanocytic skin lesions. METHOD: NORs were investigated on silver stained histologicec ion of 18 malignant melanoma (MM), 19 acquired nevi(AN), 21 congenital nevi(CN). For each case, 100 nucleus sample were cuantified using image analysis system(AIC Inc., Roswell, GA). There is no consensus at present as to the best criterion for quantifying AgNORs proteins in melanocytic skin lesion. We prefer to quantify a large number of parameters. The mean value or standard deviation(SD), each calculated for a batch of 100 cells, are average again(mean+SD), over the 58 cases for six morphological criteria mean number of AgNORs per nucleu, mean ratio of AgNORs area per ruc eus area, mean area of largest AgNORs, mean ratio of largest AgNORs area per nucleus area, mean nucleus area per a AgNOR, and coefficient of variation of nucleus area. RESULTS: 1. All of the six parameters show significant difference between benign melanocytic nevi and malignant melanoma. But., there is no significant difference between acquired nevi and congenital nevi. 2. In stepwise discriminate analysis, we discriminate benign melanoctic nevi from malignant melanoma effectively using combined two parameters(number of AgNORs and mean ratio of AgNORs area per nucleus area). But there is some overlapping between malignant melanoma and ber ign melanocytic nevi using each six parameters. 3. In metastatic and non-metastatic malignant melanoma, six param ters have not shown significant difference. CONCLUSION: Study of AgNORs in the image analysis system is a very useful tool to differentiate malignant melanoma from benign melanocytic nevi.
Consensus ; DNA ; Melanoma ; Nevus ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; Paraffin ; RNA, Ribosomal ; Silver ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: Epidermal cysts are the most common of all cysts. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to report the clinical and histopathologic features of epidermal cysts. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and histopathologic features of 205 cases that were diagnosed with epidermal cysts at the department of dermatology in Anam Hospital of Korea University for 11 years, from January 1983 to December 1993. RESULTS: 1. Of the 3,400 cases of skin biopsy specimens, 205 cases were epidermal cysts(6%). There were 141 male cases (68.8%) and 64 female cases (32.2%). The ratio of male to female was 1:0.45. 2. Most patients with epidermal cysts belonged to age ranging from 20 to 59 with the highest incidence in the 3rd decade. 3. The site of predilection of the epidermal cysts were face 94(45.9%), trunk 37(18.0%), neck 23(11.2%), leg 21(10.2%), arm 19(9.3%),scalp 7(3.4%), scrotum 2(1.0%), and vagina 2(1.0%). 4. Histopathologically, 61 cases (29.3%) were ruptured. The most common cystic wall change was acanthosis followed by atrophy, hyperplasia, hypergranulosis, parakeratotis, basalioma-like change, squamous eddies, dyskeratosis. The most common cystic content was keratinous material followed by parakeratotic cells, pigment, bacterial colony, RBC, inflammatory cells, hair shaft, calcification, trichilemmal keratinization, pilomatricoma-like change. The most common stromal change was giant cells followed by fibrosis, granulation tissue formation,vessel proliferation, pigment. CONCLUSION: According to our results, which agree with those of Chung, the epidermal cysts occur as a disease particular to young men, especially on the face. Histopathologically, when an epidermal cyst ruptures and the contents of the cyst are released into the dermis, a considerable foreign body reaction with numerous multinucleated giant cells results.
Arm ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Giant Cells ; Granulation Tissue ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Neck ; Rupture ; Scrotum ; Skin ; Vagina

Familial benign pemphigus(Hailey-Hailey disease) is a rare hereditary dermatosis that begins in the 2nd or 3rd decade of life. The skin lesion is characterized by a localized, recurrent eruption of small vesicles on an erythematous base. During its course there are remissions and exacerbations. It seldom begins in early childhood or after the age of 50. The main treatment modalities are conservative ones. A 59-year-old woman with familial benign chronic pemphigus presented with a 10 year history of generalized pruritic recurrent skin lesions on her neck, axilla, inguinal, antecubital, and trunk area. Physical examination showed moist, macerated, fissured and scaly patches on an erythematous base in the axillae, groins, neck, antecubital, and trunk. A biopsy specimen showed extensive suprabasal separation containing acantholytic cells.
Axilla ; Biopsy ; Female ; Groin ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Pemphigus* ; Pemphigus, Benign Familial ; Physical Examination ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

BACKGROUND: The reference list is an important part of a scientific article. To be useful it must be accurate. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of reference citations in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology. METHODS: We randomly selected 200 references (100 references from Korean language journals and 100 references from foreign language journals) from the Korean Journal of Dermatology and 100 references from the Annals of Dermatology and checked them against the .original articles. RESULTS: The overall rate of citation error was 32%, and errors in the title and author names of the citation were common, each occurring in about two fifths of the citation errors. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the rate of citation errors is unacceptably high in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and the Annals of Dermatology, which significantly diminishes the value of the reference list.
Dermatology*

BACKGROUND: Statistical errors have been noted in a large percentage of articles appearing in medical journals. Their incidence in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of statistical methods in the Annals of Dermatology and the Korean Journal of Dermatology. METHOD: Original papers using the t test in the Annals of Dermatology(AD) and in the Korean Journal of Dermatology(KJD) from January 1990 to July 1994 were analyzed for correctness of statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 376 original papers in the period considered, 78(20.7%) presented t tests and 43(55.1%) of these also contained some errors. Of the 9 papers from the Annals of Dermatology, 4(44.4%) included at least one error. Of the 69 papers from the Korean Journal of Dermatology, 39(56.5%) included at least one error. CONCLUSION: Misuse of statistical methodology may not be uncommon in the two Korean Dermatology journals, and it would be prudent to give more attention to statistical methodology.
Dermatology* ; Incidence ; Methods

No abstract available.
Fingers*

No abstract available.
Lymphoma*

BACKGROUND: Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) have recently attracted much attention because of claims that their frequency within nuclei is significantly higher in malignant cells than in normal, reactive, or benign neoplastic cells. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to analyze a method allowing selection of the best morphometric criterion for quantifying AgNOR proteins under conventional observation conditions by light microscopy. METHOD: We tried to investigate the various parameters including NORs counting in cutaneous tumors using image analysis system. RESULTS: There were significant differences in mean nucleus area per a AgNOR, nucleus area between the benign and potentially malignant group. But the conventional counting of AgNORs is not able to differentiate between the two groups. We could discriminate squamous cell carcinoma from Bowen's disease using parameters of mean ratio of AgNORs area per nucleus area, mean ratio of greatest AgNORs area per nucleus area, coefficient of variation (C V) of nucleus area, and mean area of largest AgNORs. In squamous cell carcinoma and keratoacanthoma, C V of nucleus area has shown a significant difference. CONCLUSION: Study of AgNORs using image analysis system is a useful tool for the diagnosis of cutaneous tumors.
Bowen's Disease ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Keratoacanthoma ; Methods ; Microscopy ; Nucleolus Organizer Region* ; Skin*