BACKGROUND: Stress has long been known to play a role in many dermatologic disorders and can affect the onset and course of the disorder in some patients. Stress-induced exacerbation or onset of symptoms has been reported in chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and psoriasis vulgaris, and these diseases can be classified as stress-associated dermatoses. Beta beta-endorphin is one of the most important mediators of stress, which is known to be generated upon stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis, and its secretion increases during periods of stress. OBJECTIVE: In order to see wheather beta-endorphin might be related to the onset or recurrence of stress-associated dermatoses, we compared the plasma concentration of beta-endorphin in patients with stress-associated dermatoses with those of healthy subjects. METHODS: The concentration of beta-endorphin. In sera was quantified by radioimmunoassay, using the INCSTAB 125I RIA Kit for plasma beta-endorphin, Each patient was asked to indicate if they believed that their skin problem began after an important stressful event in their lives. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in plasma beta-endorphin levels between patients with chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster and healthy subjects(p>0.05), whereas in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, plasma level of beta-endorphin was significantly increased (p<0.001). There was no relationship between the stressful events and plasma beta-endorphin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The plasma beta-endorphin level is not correlated with the onset or recurrence of stress-associated dermatoses such as chronic urticaria, alopecia areata, herpes simplex, and herpes zoster. The increase in beta-endorphin in psoriasis vulgaris is more likely that this peptide is generated by the lymphocyte infiltrated in the skin and/or by lymphocytes when they recirculate rather than by the activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis by stress.
Alopecia Areata ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; beta-Endorphin ; Endorphins* ; Herpes Simplex ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Life Change Events ; Lymphocytes ; Plasma* ; Psoriasis ; Radioimmunoassay ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus* ; DNA* ; Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Cytologic findings of pleural effusion in three cases of rhabdomyosarcoma are reported. Case 1 was a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma which had devoped at the chest wall of an elderly male patient and caused pleural effusion. The cytologic features were consistent with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, that was, showing loose clusters, cellular pleomorphism, and abundant finely vesicular cytoplasm. Cases 2 and 3 were embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas in young adults. Primary site was the oral cavity in case 1, but unknown in case 2 and case 3. The effusion cytology was similar in these cases. Clustered or isolated small round cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scanty cytoplasm were smeared. The cohesiveness of tumor cells was weak and the cells did not show linear arrangement or nuclear molding. Effusion cytology in a sarcoma patient would be diagnostic when the primary site and the type of sarcoma were already known.
Aged ; Cytoplasm ; Fungi ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; Pleural Effusion ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal ; Sarcoma ; Thoracic Wall ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Histiocytoma*

No abstract available.
Digoxigenin* ; DNA* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of periodontal therapy, including nonsurgical periodontal therapy with azithromycin, surgical therapy, and maintenace therapy on the drug-induced gingival enlargement, by means of measuring gingival thickness. The test group of 18 patients with drug-induced gingival enlargement received scaling, root planing with azithromycin for 5 days, with or without surgical periodontal treatment. The control group of 18 patients who had not taken any medication, received scaling and root planing, with or without surgical periodontal treatment. Both groups received supportive periodontal therapy every 3 months for 2 years. The mean period of total treatment is 32 months in the test group and 31 months in the control group. The thickness of the buccal gingiva was measured using an ultrasonic device of SDM(R)(Krupp Corp., Essen, Germany). The results revealed that the test group(1.21+/-0.51mm) showed statistically thicker buccal gingiva than the control group(1.01+/-0.3mm). In the test group, the buccal gingiva was thickest on 2nd molars and was thinnest on canines of both dental arches. In the control group, the buccal gingiva was thickest on central incisors in the maxilla and 2nd molars in the mandible, while the thinnest areas were on canines in the maxilla and 1st premolars in the mandible. It would be concluded that the periodontal treatment with azithromycin aids in decreasing the degree of the gingival enlargement but cannot prevent the recurrence completely.
Azithromycin ; Bicuspid ; Dental Arch ; Dental Scaling ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Incisor ; Mandible ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Recurrence ; Root Planing ; Ultrasonics

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the treatment effectiveness and proper radiation dose of helical tomotherapy (HT) in spine oligometastases from gastrointestinal cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2006 to 2010, 20 gastrointestinal cancer patients were treated with HT for spine oligometastases (31 spine lesions). The gross tumor volume (GTV) was the tumor evident from magnetic resonance imaging images fused with simulation computed tomography images. Clinical target volume (CTV) encompassed involved vertebral bodies or dorsal elements. We assumed that the planning target volume was equal to the CTV. We assessed local control rate after HT for 31 spine metastases. Pain response was scored by using a numeric pain intensity scale (NPIS, from 0 to 10). RESULTS: Spine metastatic lesions were treated with median dose of 40 Gy (range, 24 to 51 Gy) and median 5 Gy per fraction (range, 2.5 to 8 Gy) to GTV with median 8 fractions (range, 3 to 20 fraction). Median biologically equivalent dose (BED, alpha/beta = 10 Gy) was 52 Gy10 (range, 37.5 to 76.8 Gy10) to GTV. Six month local control rate for spine metastasis was 90.3%. Overall infield failure rate was 15% and outfield failure rate was 75%. Most patients showed pain relief after HT (93.8%). Median local recurrence free survival was 3 months. BED over 57 Gy10 and oligometastases were identified as prognostic factors associated with improved local progression free survival (p = 0.012, p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: HT was capable of delivering higher BED to metastatic lesions in close proximity of the spinal cord. Spine metastases from gastrointestinal tumors were sensitive to high dose radiation, and BED (alpha/beta = 10 Gy) higher than 57 Gy10 could improve local control.
Disease-Free Survival ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Recurrence ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Treatment Outcome ; Tumor Burden

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Pneumoperitoneum*

While diverticulosis of the colon is a relatively common disease, a solitary giant colonic diverticulum is rare. Although there exist some theories about the formation of the giant colonic diverticulum, none is really conclusive. The preoperative diagnosis of giant colonic diverticulum is made radiographically with findings of a large, smoothly marginated, round homogeneous radiolucency in the abdomen that is in close apposition to the colon on barium enema examination. Early surgical treatment is necessary since the complication rate is high. One case of giant colonic diverticulum is presented, the clinical, radiologic and pathologic findings are discussed, and the etiology and differential diagnosis, reviewe.
Abdomen ; Barium ; Colon* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulum ; Diverticulum, Colon* ; Enema