We reviewed two cases of keratosis punctata palmaris et plantaris(KPP) and the scanning electron microscopic findings(SEM). The skin lesions of KPP are multiple, hyperkeratotic on the palms and soles with central pitting. There was no subjective symptoms. The histologic findigs revea,l marked hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, and acanthosis with depression of the underlying malpighian layers. The SEM findings reveal one hyperkeratoic plug on punctate lesion(case I ) and three hyperkeratotic plugs on depression of the malpighian layer(case ll ).
Depression ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar* ; Keratosis* ; Skin

A case of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma resembling ovarian sex-cord tumor in the uterus of a 43-year-old woman is described. This tumor belongs to the group II category of uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex-cord tumor described by Clement and Scully, and the epithelial-like elements show prominent smooth muscle differentiation, proved by immunoreactivity for desmin and actin. The patient did not receive any adjuvant therapy; she is alive and well without recurrence 8 months postoperatively.
Female ; Humans

Primary renal lymphoma is a rare tumor of the kidney that typically presents with bilateral nodular enlargement in the absence of extrarenal masses. We describe MR findings of a case of primary renal lymphoma along with ultrasound and CT findings. MR imaging demonstrated globular enlargement of both kidneys with multilobulated contour and multiple masses which had isosignal intensity on T1WI and low signal intensity on T2WI. The masses enhanced slightly on dynamic contrast enhanced scan.
Kidney ; Lymphoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Ultrasonography

A 7-month-old boy was presented with growth retardation. The brain CT scan and the cerebral angiography revealed hydrocephalus resulting from venous hypertension and a high-flow direct arteriovenous fistula at the distal M2 segmnt of the middle cerebral artery which was drained into the sphenoparietal sinus. The echocardiogram disclosed a ventricular hypertrophy. The patient was treated by gradual ligation of fistulous portion in ten minutes to prevent sudden increase of peripheral resistance and cardiac overloading. It is stressed that slow obliteration of an arteriovenous fistula is a paramount procedure to prevent congestive heart failure.
Arteriovenous Fistula ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Fistula* ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Infant ; Ligation ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vascular Resistance

This study was carried out to reveal the epidemiologic characteristics of psoriasis in Korea. Seventeen university hospitals were engaged in this study, and the results were as follows : 1. The number of psoriasis patients during the 10 years from January 1977 to March 1987 was 1.05% of all the outpatients; the male to female-ratio was 1.08:1. 2. In the prospective study, the number of psoriasis patients was 2.3% of all the outpatients in 1987, 2.8% of all the outpatients in 1988 and the male to female ratio was 1.26:1. 3. The most prevalent age of onset was 20-29 years ; 81.1% were living in urban areas; and a family history was obtainable in 19.8% with parents holding the highest rank of 7.8%. 4. The most frequent duration of disease activity was under 5 years in 63.3%; the most common age for the worst condition was 20-29 yrs. The most common area size of skin involvement at the peak of the worst condition was less than 10%. 5. The most common initiating skin lesion began on the scalp in 20.2%, on the nail in 17.2%, pruritus in 63.0% with joint symptoms in 10.8%, and Koebner phenomena in 50.6%. 6. Emotional stress was the most common aggravating factor in 34.4%. The method of treatment that attained the best result was the combination therapy of oral medication and a topical agent. The best treatment modality was said to be the application of ointment with p.o.medication by as many as 28.4% of patients who took the leading rank. Photo-chemotherapy, effective with few complications, was not used much as it was not well-known in Korea until after 1980. Most people had an accurate knowledge of psoriasis.
Age of Onset ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Male ; Methods ; Outpatients ; Parents ; Prospective Studies ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis* ; Scalp ; Skin ; Stress, Psychological

A 36-year-old female patient with aplastic anemia developed massive hemoptysis and was placed on ventilator support. However, airway obstruction by blood clots triggered desaturation and ventilator malfunction. Manual ventilation was initiated to improve oxy-genation, and emergency flexible bronchoscopy was performed to clear the airway. Nevertheless, the patient developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum.
Adult ; Airway Obstruction ; Anemia, Aplastic ; Barotrauma* ; Bronchoscopy ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hemoptysis* ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Pneumothorax ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Ventilation* ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogeneous collection of disorders with hypogammaglobulinemia with recurrent bacterial infections and high incidence of autoimmune disorders as its hallmark. We report a 7-year-old girl suffering from CVID with Coombs' test positive hemolytic anemia. She had been relatively well until 23-months old when she was admitted to Taejon St. Mary's Hospital with pneumonia 5 years ago. Afterwards, she had suffered from recurrent otitis media, paranasal sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia, experiencing 13 admissions. She was diagnosed as autoimmune hemolytic anemia at 4-years old and had been treated with prednisolone. Laboratory finidings showed hypogammaglobulinemia(gamma-globulin in immunoelectrophoresis 0.04g/dL, IgG 170mg/dL, IgA 31mg/dL, IgM 27.5mg/dL) which was previously within normal limits checked at the age of 3- and 5-years old. Isohemmagglutinins (Anti-A,-B IgM and IgG) and anti-measles IgG, anti-mumps IgG, anti-rubella IgG and anti-HBs antibody along with PPD skin test were all negative. Peripheral lymphocyte subsets revealed as follows : pan T cells (CD3+) 48.6% (normal values : 60-85%), pan B cells (CD19+) 36.7% (8-20%), CD4+ T cells 24.4% (28+/-8%), CD8+ T cells 15.3% (5+/-10%), and CD4/CD8 ratio of 1.6 (0.6-2.8). Proliferations of peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by various T cell stimulants were all markedly depressed. Chronic paranasal sinusitis and lung parenchymal damages were revealed on computerized tomography and lung scan, and a monthly intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was started.
Agammaglobulinemia ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; B-Lymphocytes ; Bacterial Infections ; Bronchitis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Common Variable Immunodeficiency* ; Coombs Test ; Daejeon ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Infant ; Ionomycin ; Lung ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Otitis Media ; Pneumonia ; Prednisolone ; Sinusitis ; Skin Tests ; T-Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is screened by anti-HCV enzymelinked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and confirmed by recombinant immunoblotting assay (RIBA) or HCV RT-PCR. We attempted to evaluate the results between anti-HCV ELISA and a qualitative HCV RT-PCR. METHODS: Four hundred and twenty patients who were tested with anti-HCV ELISA and HCV RTPCR, simultaneously, from January 2002 to June 2005 were enrolled in this study. Anti-HCV ELISA was performed by AxSYM HCV version 3.0 (Abbott Laboratories, USA). HCV RT-PCR was performed using in-house RT-nested PCR methods from January 2002 to October 2004 and HCV Genotype Amplification Kit (LiPA) (Bayer Healthcare, USA) from November 2004 to June 2005. RESULTS: Of the 420 patients tested, 321 were positive for anti-HCV ELISA, and 204 were positive for RT-PCR. The positive predictability of anti-HCV ELISA was 63.6%. Among anti-HCV positive patients, RT-PCR was positive in 7.3% of the patients with sample/cut-off (S/CO)<6, compared with 82.8% of the patients with S/CO> or =6. Among the 117 patients with positive anti-HCV, but with negative HCV RT-PCR, 64 had liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis C, chronic hepatitis B, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Twelve patients showed positive HCV RT-PCR, but negative anti-HCV results; of these 9 had hepatic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: In the patients who were positive for anti-HCV ELISA with a low S/CO, HCV RT-PCR positivity was shown in a low proportion. Therefore, in such cases, the results should be confirmed by RIBA or HCV RT-PCR. The liver function test showed increased levels of hepatic enzymes in patients with positive HCV RT-PCR, but negative anti-HCV. Such findings correlate to an early phase of chronic hepatitis C, suggesting the necessity of continuous follow up.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Function Tests ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Infections due to Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) have been recognized increasingly worldwide. We report 10 cases of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from sputa, being eight cases of M. szulgai, one of M. gordonae, and one of M. abscessus. All but one M. abscessus-isolating case was developed in the same period in one episode. Therefore, it is likely to be contaminated. NTM is a possible pathogen and infections due to NTM are clinically important. Thus, correct identification and determination of clinical significance should be verified.
Gordonia Bacterium ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria* ; Sputum*

BACKGROUND: Commercial kits of PCR method are widely used in HLA-B27 typing; however, their cost is relatively high. In this study, we evaluated the utility of an in-house PCR method by comparing it with that of a commercial kit. METHODS: HLA-B27 typing was done in 188 patients by using two PCR methods, Absolute(TM) HLAB27 PCR kit (Biosewoom, Korea) and an in-house PCR method. The primers used in the in-house method were prepared by Bioneer (Korea). Both PCR tests were done by Gene Amp PCR System 9600 (Perkin-Elmer Centus Corp., USA). RESULTS: The commercial kit and in-house PCR showed 100% concordance rate with each other in HLA-B27 typing. Of 188 patients tested 72 (38.3%) were positive and 116 (61.7%) were negative by the both tests. Of 62 patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 50 were positive (80.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The in-house PCR is a reliable and cost-effective method and can replace or supplement commercial kits for HLA-B27 typing.
Adult ; Female ; HLA-B27 Antigen/blood/*genetics ; Histocompatibility Testing/*methods ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity