The blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome(CRBNS) is a rare disorder characterized by distinctive vascular malformations of the skin and gastrointestinal tract. The syndrome is associated commonly with iron deficiency anemia due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Most cases are sporadic, although a few have been reported with autosomal dominant inheritance. We report a case with clinical characteristics of the blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome. The patient had typical skin manifestations of the BRBNS and chronic iron deficiency anemia. However, we could not find any gastrointestinal vascular malformations radiologically.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Blister* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Nevus* ; Rubber* ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Vascular Malformations ; Wills

No abstract available.
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Skin*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the volume differences of human brain 3-D MR images obtained by automatic segmentation methods depending on brain templates and image acquisition conditions, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D T1-weighted MR images oriented in coronal and sagittal plane were acquired from eight healthy subjects (29.5+/-5.66 years) using two identical 3T MR scanners at different sites. Caucasian brain template and Korean elderly brain template were applied for the same subject to segment brain structural region. Volumetric differences and variation of gray matter, white matter and hippocampus depending on scan orientations and brain template types were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: Volumetric measurements have some different results for the same subject images depending on scan orientation in identical MR scanners but not significantly. However, all segmented volumes relied upon brain templates were significantly different (p<0.05). Small variation of the volume in gray matter, white matter (coefficient of variation, CV< or =1%) and hippocampus (CV< or =3%) were obtained. Comparing the mean CV in all segmented regions, variation of scan orientation was not significantly different with inter scanner variation but variation relied upon brain templates were significantly different (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Authors found that brain template regarding the specific properties of the subjects is required to reduce the errors of brain volumetry.
Aged ; Brain ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Orientation

PURPOSE: There has been a scarcity of integrated, long-term (>4 week) studies on structural and functional alterations in the penis according to the period following cavernous nerve (CN) injury. The aim of this study was to investigate time-dependent structural and functional changes in the corpus cavernosum following CN injury in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats (10 weeks old) were divided into 4 groups: normal control (C), sham (S), bilateral CN resection (R), and bilateral CN crush injury (I) groups. At 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the procedure, erectile function was assessed by electrostimulation. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was performed for detection of apoptosis. Masson's trichrome staining and immunohistochemistry were performed for detection of alpha smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). Western blot analysis was then performed. RESULTS: The R and I groups showed persistent impairment of erectile function at all three points in time. Apoptosis peaked at 1 week after resection or crush injury and then gradually subsided. The smooth muscle cell/collagen ratio and expression of alpha-SMA gradually decreased over time after CN resection or crush injury. Myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 phosphorylation progressively increased over time after CN resection or crush injury. On the other hand, expression of phospho-protein kinase B, phospho-endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase transiently decreased at 1 week after resection or crush injury and then recovered to the control values. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that persistent up-regulation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway and structural change such as decreased smooth muscle cell and increased cavernosal fibrosis might play an important role in persistent erectile dysfunction following CN injury.
Actins ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Caves ; Deoxyuracil Nucleotides ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Fibrosis ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myosin-Light-Chain Phosphatase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; Penis ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Prostatectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salicylamides ; Up-Regulation

PURPOSE: The improvement of testicular volume, testosterone levels and sperm concentration was suggested to be significantly associated with the number of internal spermatic veins (ISVs) ligated during varicocelectomy. Herein, we investigated preoperative color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) findings as potential preoperative predictors of the number of ISVs requiring ligation during microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective evaluation of 40 patients, maximal vein size and maximal reflux velocity were measured, while the total cross-sectional area of the affected testicular veins during a Valsalva maneuver was calculated using CDU by a single uroradiologist. Microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomies were performed by one urologist. RESULTS: Among the semen parameters, semen morphology showed significant improvement (p=0.033), which was much clearer in the patients with a higher number of ISVs ligated than a lower number of ISVs ligated. Among the various preoperative variables, maximal reflux velocity and total cross-sectional area on CDU were related to the number of ISVs ligated (r=-0.442, p=0.004; r=0.594, p=0.000, respectively). Furthermore, univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses showed that maximal reflux velocity and total cross-sectional area on CDU were independent predictive factors of the number of ISVs ligated. CONCLUSION: Maximal reflux velocity and total cross-sectional area on CDU were related to the number of ISVs ligated. This means that the maximal reflux velocity and total cross-sectional area measured by preoperative CDU can predict the number of ISVs requiring ligation during microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy, which might be related to significant improvement of semen parameters after varicocelectomy.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Semen/metabolism ; Testicular Diseases/ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color/*methods ; Varicocele/pathology/*ultrasonography ; Veins/*ultrasonography ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentary disorder characterized by loss of melanocytes from the epidermis. Autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique is one of the surgical modalities of vitiligo treatment, and has been successfully used by several authots. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique for the treatment of vitiligo. METHODS: 142 sites from 39 patients with vitiligo were treated with autografting using the suction blistered epidermis technique. The recipient sites were prepared by freezing with liquid nitrogen of the sites 48 hours prior to grafting. RESULTS: Better results were seen in cases with the following Factors: a) cases where the disease had been present for more than 3 years b) the post-operative period had been Longer than a year c) the Lesional sites of the vitiligo were on the trunk and neck rather than the neck and extremities d) the vitiligo had affected the grabous rather than the hairy areas on the face. However, there were no differences between the clinical types(such as generalized, localized, and segmental) in the success rate of treatment. Preopera'tive PUVA or post operative PUVA also did not affect the statistical results. CONCLUSION: On autografting using the suction blistered epidermis, it is better to select the patients who have had the disease for more than 3 years, and graft the epidermis which has increased melanocytes by preoperative PUVA for good treatment results and even pigmentation.
Autografts* ; Blister* ; Epidermis* ; Extremities ; Freezing ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Neck ; Nitrogen ; Pigmentation ; Suction* ; Transplantation, Autologous* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo*

Recoverin is a member of the large family of EF-hand calcium binding proteins (Baimbridge et al., 1992), and it is thought to be involved in the regulation of phosphodiesterase in photoreceptors and in the phosphorylation of activated rhodopsin (Polans et al., 1996). Although the functional significance of recoverin in cone bipolar cells is not fully understood, the antiserum against recoverin has been widely used to identify a certain population of cone bipolar cells (Milam et al., 1993; Sasso's Pognetto et al., 1994; Euler & W sle, 1995). GABA is well known to act as major neurotransmitters in the mammalian central nervous system including retina. This study was conducted to identify the development process of recoverin-labeled cone bipolar cells, and the timing points of synaptic formation of the labeled bipolar cells and GABAergic amacrine cells in the rat retina. The results were as follows; In the adult rat retina, recoverin-labeled cone bipolar cells were subdivided into twotypes; type 2 cells with axon terminal stratified in sublamina a of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), and type 8 cells with axon terminals stratified in sublamina b of the IPL. Recoverin-labeled cone bipolar cells began to appear from postnatal day 5. The axon terminals of recoverin-labeled type 2 cone bipolar cells stratified at postnatal day 10, while those of type 8 cone bipolar cells stratified at postnatal day 13. The axon terminals of type 2 cone bipolar cells made ribbon synapses onto GABAergic amacrine cells in the IPL at postnatal day 10. These results demonstrate that recoverin-labeled type 2 cone bipolar cells differentiate earlier than recoverin-labeled type 8 cone bipolar cells, and suggest that GABAergic amacrine cells may play important roles in visual processing of recoverin-labeled type 2 cone bipolar cells by making synapse onto these cells at early stage. Synapses between type 2 cone bipolar cells and GABAergic amacrine cells are formed about the time of postnatal day 10 for visual processing.
Adult ; Amacrine Cells* ; Animals ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Central Nervous System ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; Humans ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Phosphorylation ; Presynaptic Terminals ; Rats* ; Recoverin* ; Retina* ; Rhodopsin ; Synapses

BACKGROUND: Alcohol intake induces complex changes in the human body. However, there has not been much investigation on the interaction between alcohol and human skin. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of alcohol intake on the skin's physiology. METHODS: A total 16 Korean males was enrolled in this study and they were divided into two groups (group A and group B). Each group included 8 people. Group A drank alcohol (20.1%, 360 ml) for 90 min and Group B drank 360 ml of normal saline. The body temperature, the skin erythema index, the transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the skin hydration, the skin pH and skin sebum were measured before and 30 min and 120 min after alcohol intake. RESULTS: In group A, the skin erythema index, TEWL, skin hydration and skin pH significantly increased 30 min after alcohol intake, while the body temperature and sebum decreased. All the measurements except sebum recovered 120 min after alcohol intake. However, in group B, all the measurements were not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: Alcohol intake affects thermoregulation, the skin barrier function and the skin pH. This study showing that physiologic changes are induced by alcohol intake may help investigate the interaction between alcohol and skin disease.
Body Temperature ; Body Temperature Regulation ; Erythema ; Human Body ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Sebum ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Skin Physiological Phenomena

The patterns of the moir'e fringe were investigated in 178 modern Korean skulls (112 males and 66 females) using moir'e contourography. The analysis of fringe patterns was executed using image analyzer on the photographs taken from anterior, both lateral, posterior and superior aspects. In the anterior aspect, the center of fringe was the glabella. The cotyledon shape of fringe (type I) was the most frequently observed in males (77%), but reverse triangular shape (type II) and rhomboid shape of fringe (type III) were more frequently observed in females. In the lateral aspect, the euryon, the center of fringe, was located at higher (4 mm) and more lateral (3 mm) position in females than in males. The contour patterns were more irregular (type I) in males than in females where the stripes were arranged more concentrically (type II, III). In the posterior and superior aspects, there was no difference between males and females in the shape of fringe patterns. The relative position of the opisthocranion, the center of fringe in the posterior aspect, was high by 35 mm to eye -ear plane on the average in both sexes. The stripes in the superior aspect were arranged concentrically in both sexes, but wider in females than in males. The results of this nonmetrical study suggest that the analysis of the moir'e fringe patterns in the Korean skulls is a new method for sex discrimination in the field of forensic anthopology.
Cotyledon ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Sexism ; Skull*

PURPOSE: This study was performed to ascertain the usefulness of unenhanced helical computerized tomography(unenhanced CT) in patients with urinary calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2001 and August 2002, 72 patients with acute flank pain, suspected of having urinary calculi, underwent an unenhanced CT, followed by intravenous urography(IVU) within 24 hours. The unenhanced CT and IVU were compared for the presence and location of the urinary calculi and secondary signs of ureteral obstruction(hydroureter, hydronephrosis, strands of perinephric fat and strands of periureteric fat, tissue-rim sign). RESULTS: 65 of the 72 patients had 74 urinary calculi. Unenhanced CT diagnosed 72 urinary calculi with a sensitivity and specificity of 97.3 and 100%, respectively, with 2.7% false negative. IVU diagnosed 49 urinary calculi with a sensitivity and specificity of 63.5 and 80%, respectively, with 36.5% false negative. For the secondary signs of ureteral obstruction, unenhanced CT diagnosed 71.2% with hydronephrosis, 63.6% with hydroureterosis, 19.7% with tissue rim sign, 15.2% with strands of perinephric fat, and 12.1% with strands of periureteric fat; and IVU diagnosed 76.1% with hydronephrosis, 60.9% with hydroureterosis and 56.5% with delayed ureteral opacification. Besides the urinary calculi, gall bladder stones and renal simple cysts were diagnosed. The cost of the unenhanced CT was about four times higher than that of the IVU. CONCLUSIONS: Unenhanced CT is an accurate, safe and rapid technique for the assessment of urinary stones, and would be a valuable diagnostic tool for urinary calculi.
Flank Pain ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ureter ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Urinary Bladder Calculi ; Urinary Calculi* ; Urography