BACKGROUND: Although the wet earwax has been known to be related with the incidence of tinea versicolor, very little has been revealed on how they are correlated with each other. The incidence of Malassezia furfur, the etiological organism of tinea versicolor, and its population densities as yearst and mycelial form in the different types of earwax, the dry and the wet, have not been studied. METHODS: The type of earwax in 65 patients with tinea versicolor were classified into 2 types, dry and wet, by its appearence and the subjective complaints of the patients. The dry and wet cerumens were obtained from 142 and 49 individulas without tinea versicolor respectively. The cerumens were stained with 10% Parker ink-KOH solution. The incidence and its population densities of yeast and mycelial M. furfur in the wet cerumens were compared with those in the dry cerumens according to a new grading method using bacterial index(BI) of lepra bacilli. RESULTS: 1. Dry and wet earwax were observed in 58.5%(38 cases) and 41.5%(27 cases) of 65 patients respectively. 2. The incidence of yeast M. furfur in the dry and wet cerumens were 100% and 63.3%(31 of 49 cases) respectively, and that of mycelial M. furfur, 28.2%(40 of 142 cases) and 32.7%(16 of 49 cases) respectively. 3. The population densities(from 3+ to 6+) of yeast M. furfur in the dry and wet cerumens were ob served in 93.0%(132 of 142 cases) and 49.0%(24 of 40 cases), and those(3+) of mycelial M. furfur, 21.1%(30 of 142 cases) and 24.5%(12 of 49 cases) respectively. CONCLUSION: The incidence(41.5%) of wet earwax in tinea versicolor patients is significantly higher than that(0.8%) in The Korean control group. The ratio between the incidence of mycelial M. furfur and that of yeast M. furfur in the wet cerumens is higher than in the dry cerumens, and the ratio of population densities in the wet cerumens is also higher. These observations suggest that the skin surface conditions of the wet earwax group may be more suitable for yeast-mycelial transformation of M. furfur than those of the dry earwax group. The comparison of chemical compositions of the skin surface between dry and wet earwax groups is needed to elucidate the correlation between tinea versicolor and the types of earwax in the future.
Cerumen ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Malassezia* ; Population Density* ; Skin ; Tinea Versicolor* ; Tinea* ; Yeasts

Eczema herpeticum occurred in a patient with pemphigus foliaceus and esophageal cancer. The patient's initial skin lesions composed of large flaccid bullaes showed subcorneal bullae with typical acantholytic cells. Subsequent grouped small vesicles appeared widely on the erythematous base were diagnosed herpes simplex virus infection by Tzanck smear and histopathological findings. The patient died one week after the development of the widespread herpes virus infection.
Eczema* ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption* ; Pemphigus* ; Simplexvirus ; Skin

Objective To analyze the prognosis of 225 patients according with clinical staging of esophageal carcinoma treated with non-surgical methods, and investigate the practicality and predictive value of the clinical staging. Methods From March 2001 to July 2007, 225 patients with esophageal carcinoma received 3DCRT treatment. The prescribed doses were ranged from 5000 -7000 cGy with the median dose of 6400 cGy, 25 patients received accelerative radiation of 300 cGy per fraction after conventional radiotherapy of 3000 -4000 cGy, 57 patients received concurrent chemotherapy with or without consolidation chemotherapy. All the patients were divided into subgroups of different T stages, different N stages and different TNM stages. Local control rates, survival rates were observed and Cox regression analysis were performed to search valuable prognostic factors. Results The following-up rate was 99. 6%. The 3-and 5-years following-up number were 116 and 33 patients, respectively. The 1 -,3-,and 5-year local control rates were 77. 2% ,48.2% and 34. 5%, respectively. The 1-,3-,and 5-year overall survival rates were 68.4% ,33.7% and 20. 8%, respectively. The median survival time was 20 months. There were significant difference between survival curves for T1-4 stages, N0-2 stages and Ⅰ - Ⅲ stages with x2 value of 13.07,20. 49 and 17.16, with P value of 0. 004,0. 000 and 0. 000, respectively. For the group of stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ, the 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates were 89.4% ,56. 1% ,and 37.8% ;69.6% ,32. 4% ,and 18.0%and 47. 2%, 19. 5%, and 13. 0%, respectively. According to the result of Cox regression analysis, the tumor length of CT scan, clinical N stage, short term restlt were most valuable predictive factors.Conclusions The clinical staging of esophageal carcinoma treated with non-surgical methods could predict the prognosis accurately, clinical N stage may have more closely association with prognosis, however, some details of the staging program need more consummate.

Objective To report the clinical, myopathological and genetic features of a patient with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS)/Leigh syndrome (LS) overlap syndrome who carried m.10158 T>C mutation. Methods The patient′s clinical and imaging materials were collected. An open biopsy of right biceps brachii was performed. DNA samples were prepared from the patient and her mother′s blood. Direct sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome was performed to detect the mtDNA mutation.Western blotting was used to estimate the content of respiratory complexes in the patient′s muscle. Results The patient was a 40-year-old female. She had seizures and lost consciousness for 9 months. Brain MRI findings consisted of asymmetrical lesions in the cerebral cortex of the frontal and temporal lobes, as well as symmetrical lesions bilaterally in the basal ganglia. Muscle biopsy showed typical ragged red fibers. Direct sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome from blood and muscle of the patient revealed the T-to-C transition at nucleotide position 10158 in the MT-ND3 gene.The mutation rate was 9.31% and 70.0%, respectively.Western blotting demonstrated that the contents of complexes Ⅰ and Ⅳ were significantly lower in the patient′s muscle mitochondria compared with the normal controls (53.1%±1.2% vs 88.6%±1.7%, t=4.08, P<0.05;57.3%±2.4% vs 80.1%±2.1%, t=3.39,P<0.05).Conclusion We reported a case of MELAS/LS overlap syndrome who carried m.10158 T>C mutation in MT-ND3 gene and DNA test is very important for the diagnosis of the disease.

A 12-year-old boy showed a slatecolored scaly patch on h; ight face for 2 months. Histopathologic findings showed basal vacuolations and dermal me arphages with only scanty lymphoid cells in the fat tissue layer. Besides the facial lesion, lesions of edematous localized erythema were noted on his right if and left buttock with similar mi rocopical findings. 6 months later the facial lesion was aggravated like a cellulitis, of which thc bevpsy findings were consistent with mycosis fungoides. The patient received chemotherapy aftei the diagonsis for one month before his termination. Because of the rarity of mycosis fungoides in childhood age and its un common cutaneous lesions, the case is reported.
Buttocks ; Cellulitis ; Child ; Dronabinol ; Drug Therapy ; Erythema ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; United Nations

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical application of free superficial iliac circumflex artery skin flaps, as well as the management of donor site defects.

METHODS17 free superficial iliac circumflex artery skin flaps were applied for the traumatic defects or deformities on face, neck, foot, hand, ankle and lower leg, respectively. The donor site defects were closed directly or covered by paraumbilical island flaps.

RESULTSThe 17 flap size ranged from 5 cm x 3 cm to 19 cm x 14 cm. 16 flaps survived completely except 1 flap with partial necrosis, which was closed by free skin graft. The donor site defects were closed directly in 10 cases, and covered by paraumbilical island flaps in 7 flaps without no flap necrosis. The abdomen had a good appearance.

CONCLUSIONSGood appearance can be achieved with free superficial iliac circumflex artery skin flaps for the defects on face, neck, foot, hand, ankle and lower leg. Paraumbilical island flap can be used for the donor site defects.

Arteries ; Foot ; Free Tissue Flaps ; blood supply ; transplantation ; Humans ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Skin ; Skin Transplantation ; Transplant Donor Site ; surgery ; Wounds and Injuries ; surgery

Objective To study the relationship between the intervals of Mitomycin C treatment and cytotoxicity, apoptosis and drug resistance for bladder cancer cells.Methods The bladder transitional cell cancer line BIU-87 was treated for two hours every time for five times with intervals of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively.Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT.p53,bcl-2,Bax and p170 expression were analyzed by Western blot.Results The IC_(50)(?g/ml)were 4.41,0.71,2.83,4.51and 6.16 with treatment intervals of 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours respectively, p53 and bcl-2 were significantly down-regulated and bcl-2/Bax was re- duced at 24 hour treatment interval but not changed at 48,72 and 96 hour intervals,p170 was not detected at 24 hour treatment interval but increasingly expressed at 48,72 and 96 hours intervals.Conclusion The in- terval of Mitomycin C treatment is closely related with cytotoxieity and apoptosis and drug resistance of blad- der cancer cells.The intervals of intravesical instillations may play an important role in the effect of chemotherapy.

Objective:To understand the reliability and validity of quality of life instruments for cancer patients-brain neoplasm [QLICP-BN (V1.0)], a self-developed quality of life scale for cancer patients.Methods:The quality of life of 112 patients with brain neoplasms in Yunnan Cancer Hospital from March 2012 to November 2013 was measured. The general data questionnaire and QLICP-BN (V1.0) were used for data collection. The reliability, validity and responsiveness of the scale were tested, and then the metric characteristics of the scale were evaluated.Results:The split-half reliability of the total score of the scale was 0.95, the Cronbach αcoefficient was 0.92, and the test-retest correlation coefficient rwas 0.78. After extracting common factors by the principal component method and rotating with the maximum variance, the specific module obtained three principal components, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 64.18%. The score of specific module was 75.30±17.44 before treatment and 78.91±12.20 after treatment ( t=-2.481, P=0.015). The total score of scale before treatment was 65.26±12.29, and that after treatment was 69.62±10.41, with a statistically significant difference ( t=-4.492, P<0.001). The total responsiveness of the scale was 0.456, showing moderate responsiveness. Conclusion:QLICP-BN (V1.0) has good reliability, validity and a certain degree of responsiveness. It can be used as a measurement tool for the quality of life of patients with brain neoplasms in China.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition that is characterized by reduction in bone volume and an increased vulnerability to fracture, practically of the proximal femur and vertebrae. Unfortunately, osteoporosis does not usually become obvious until a patient presents with a fracture. For this reason, it has been referred to as the silent epidemic. While radiological examination remains the mainstay of diagnosis, there are certain disadvantages associated with this technique. Almost one third of the skeletal mass must be lost before osteoporosis becomes apparent on a plain radiograph and radiological artifacts are not uncommon. Many methods have been developed for quantitative assessment. of the skeleton. So osteoporosis can be detected early and its progression and response to therapy can be carefully monitored. Recently, quantitative computed tomography(QCT) has been investigated as a means for non-invasive quantitative determination of bone mineral density of the spine. Highly signifcant correlation have been found between vertebral trabecular mineral amount and quantity determined by QCT. Furthermore vertebral strength and failure load have been found to correlate well with trabecular density determined by QCT. Authors has analysed bone mineral density(BMD) of 213 patients who visited Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from Jan. 1988 to Sept. 1989. The aims of this study is to compare BMD of osteoporosis group with that of mormal group, to investigate correlation between BMD and age distribution, and to estimate fracture threshold in osteoporosis group. Following results were obtained:l. After 20 years of age, men lose an average of 0.83 per cent of bone per year, and women lose an average of 0.96 per cent per year. Such lost in women seems to be accelerated during and after menopause. 2. The bone mineral densities for the osteoporosis group are lower than those for the normal group by 28.4% for male and 29.7% for female. There was little difference between sex. 3. It is suggested that 90mg/cm3 of BMD is the fracture threshold for the osteoporosis group. 4. The compression fracture rate among post-menopausal women is 38.8%.
Age Distribution ; Artifacts ; Bone Density ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Femur ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Male ; Menopause ; Miners ; Osteoporosis ; Skeleton ; Spine

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of fluid percussion injury(FPI) on survival and differentiation of transplanted human embryonic neural stem cells (HNSCs) in rats. MethodsThe HNSCs were separated from the cerebral cortex of the 8-week-old fetal and were cultured in DMEM/F12 combinated with EGF, bFGF and LIF. The rat models of FPI were made with fluid percussion system. The HNSCs labeled with BrdU were transplanted into the injured zone 24 hours after brain injury, then the rats were killed at the 1st and 4th week post-transplanted stages, and the brain slices were stained with immunocytochemistry. The GFAP, MAP-2, and BrdU positive cells were investigated.ResultsThe transplanted HNSCs migrated to the whole brain, and differentiated into GFAP and MAP-2 positive cells. MAP-2 positive cells were observed at 1 week post-transplanted stage, on the contrary, more GFAP positive cells were discovered 4 weeks after transplantation. Part of the HNSCs migrated to the choroids plexus of the lateral ventricle and microvessels. ConclusionThe transplanted HNSCs survive in the injured zone, and differentiate into astrocytes gradually during the recovery. The host devours part of the HNSCs.