Hair loss is a common and distressing symptom. However, research on the hair biology had been relatively lacking until several decades ago. Recently a lot of studies on hair were conducted and experimental works uncovered a secret of the hair growth. The hair follicle is a highly organized structure with its unique growth cycle. This review focuses on the biology of hair growth and diagnostic methods of hair loss. Also, etiopathogenesis and treatment of alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia is discussed.
Alopecia Areata ; Alopecia* ; Biology ; Hair ; Hair Follicle

The vascular involvement is seen in 8% to 24% of patients with Behçet's syndrome. Arterial lesions are less frequently observed and the involvement of renal artery is very rare. Indeed, there is only one case report of ruptured renal aneurysm due to Behc et's disease. We report a case of renal artery rupture, which was likely caused by Behçet's disease. Even though we cannot completely rule out the other causes of renal artery rupture with this patient, the rupture was likely due to vascular involvement of Behçet's disease. Dermatologists always should consider the possibility of major vessel involvement when they treat patients with Behçet's disease, even if the incidence is very low and the patient may not complain of any systemic symptoms. INTRODUCTION: Behçet's disease was first defined by Hulusi Behçet's in 1937 as a multisystemic disease with the triad of recurrent aphthous stomatitis, genital ulceration and relapsing iritis. Its etiology remains obscure. It is accepted that the pathologic process of Behçet's disease is an immunologic vasculitis. Among vascilar lesions, the venous system is the major affected site. Arterial lesions, such as aneurysms or occlusions, are rarely reported, but sometimes adversely affects the course of the disease. Aneurysm formation is known to be life-threatening because of the risk of rupture.
Aneurysm ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iritis ; Renal Artery* ; Rupture* ; Stomatitis, Aphthous ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis

Hypertrichosis has been frequently observed during the oral administration of the potent antihypertensive agent, minoxidil. However, hypertrichosis is uncommon after treatment with topical minoxidil for alopecia, and usually occurs in areas close to the site of the application. We describe a 52-year-old woman with diffuse facial hypertrichosis. She developed abnormal hypertrichosis while applying the optimal dose of 3% topical minoxidil for 2 months for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.
Administration, Oral ; Alopecia ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrichosis* ; Middle Aged ; Minoxidil*

Bowen's disease represents an intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma and can be associated with internal malignancy. Internal cancers originate predominantly from respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. A 71-year-old man presented with erythematous crusted plaques with emsion on the right lower abdomen, left elbow, and left 4th finger. He had been diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer 17 months ago. The histopathologic features of the skin lesions showed Bowens disease. The abdominal lesion was removed by surgical excision and the lesions on the elbow and finger were treated by topical 5-FU application.
Abdomen ; Aged ; Bowen's Disease* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Elbow ; Fingers ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Skin

Pemphigus is a rare, blistering autoimmune disease in which the action of antibodies is now well established. The most effective therapy is the administration of cortioseroids. Prior to the use of steroids, it was commonly fatal. Since the availability of corticosteroidsnortality has been markedly reduced. However prolonged administration of steroids may be difficult to sustain because of severe side effects. For these, other sdjuvant therapies were considered. Such as immunosuppresive drugs, gold, dapsone, plasmapheresis and intralesional injection of corticosteroid. Of these, immunosuppressive therapies are most commonly used. Recently cyclosporine which was for human organ transplantation is used in dermatology. Cyclosporine is a potent immunosupprc save agent with no appreciable effect on bone marrow and a selective inhibition to helper T cells. In our case, cyclosporine was administrated to the patient who had suffered from severe pemphigis vulgaris for 3 years without responding to treatment. We gave cyclosporine 400mg and prednisolon, 90mg per day. But we found a sudden increase of the RUN/Cr level and a shut down of the renal funtion. Therefore we discontinued cyclosporine and treated acute renal failure. However the renal damag e was irreversible and two days later the patient died.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Antibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Blister ; Bone Marrow ; Cyclosporine ; Dapsone ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Organ Transplantation ; Pemphigus* ; Plasmapheresis ; Steroids ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Adenoma* ; Toes*

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome (TRPS) was first described in 1966 by Giedion. It is a rare genetic disease and divided into two groups : TRPS type I and TRPS type II. TRPS type I is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder, defined by three characteristic findings : first, sparsely distributed brittle and slow-growing scalp hair, second, a bulbous pear-shaped nose with an elongated philtrum, third brachydactyla with angular deformities. The characteristic radiological features of the hands include cone shaped epiphysis of the proximal interphalangeal joints. Most TRPS type II is sporadic and shows multiple exosteosis, mental retardation and microcephaly in addition to the three chracteristic findings of TRPS type I . A 20-year-old female visited our department for the evaluation of her sparse, slow-growing scalp hair. She also had a bulbous pearshaped nose, ulnar deviated fingers and shortened both hallux. Some relatives of patients show similar symptoms of scalp hair. A Radiologic aly, histopathologic aly and chromosomal study were done, and we established the diagnosis, TRPS type I.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Epiphyses ; Female ; Fingers ; Hair ; Hallux ; Hand ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Joints ; Lip ; Microcephaly ; Nose ; Scalp ; Young Adult

Periumbilical perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PPPXE) is a localized acquired disorder found most frequently in obese, multiparous, middle-aged women. It is characterized clinically by yellowish, lax, well-circumscribed, reticulated or cobblestoned patches or plaques in the periumbilical region. Multiparity, obesity, massive ascites, and abdominal surgery are thought to the initiating factors. There is controversy about the etiology of PPPXE. Some authors have classified it as a separate entity from hereditary pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), while others speculate that this condition merely represents a variable expression of PXE in which systemic associations are likely. We report a case of periumbilical perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum associated with a clinical PXE lesion on the anterior neck.
Ascites ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Obesity ; Parity ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum*

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Psoriasis*