BACKGROUND: PUVA photochemotherapy has been accepted as an effective treatment modality in the treatment of psoriasis. Many combination therapies have been tried to reduce the long-term side effects of UV radiation. OBJECTIVE: We performed conventional PUVA and calcipotriol-PUVA combination therapy to compare the effectiveness between two treatment modalities. METHODS: We treated 38 Korean patients with conventional PUVA and 54 with D-PUVA. We compared the total number, duration and total UVA dose of PUVA therapy to reach grade 4 between two groups. We categorized each patient into clearing, improvement, or failure groups based on the therapeutic efficacy, and evaluated PASI score at patient`s visits. RESULTS: The irradiation number and total cumulative dose of D-PUVA phototherapy to achieve grade 4 were significantly smaller than PUVA phototherapy. CONCLUSION: Combining PUVA with a vitamin D analogue, calcipotriol, in the treatment of psoriasis may lead to lowering the risk of long-term exposure to UV radiation with higher efficacy.
Humans ; Photochemotherapy ; Phototherapy ; Psoriasis* ; PUVA Therapy ; Vitamin D

BACKGROUND: Narrow-band UVB phototherapy using 311+-2nm wavelength is in widespread use due to its greater efficacy and, possibly, safety compared with broad-band UVB sources. OBJECTIVE: We performed emollient narrow-band UVB(NBUVB) phototherapy to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety in Korean psoriasis patients. METHODS: Fifteen psoriasis patients received narrow-band UVB phototherapy. We categorized each patient into clearing, improvement, or failure groups based on the therapeutic efficacy, and measured the PASI score every two weeks. RESULTS: 1. Among patients who received narrow-band UVB phototherapy, clearing was shown in 40.0% and improvement in 27.7%, and failure in 33.3%. 2. The total number, duration, final and cumulative doses to achieve grade IV were 16.3, 39 days, 1,050mJ/cm2 and 12,125mJ/cm2 respectively. 3. There were some side effects of NBUVB phototherapy such as pruritus(53.3%) and mild burning(13.3%). CONCLUSION: Narrow-band UVB phototherapy is a effective treatment modality which is convenient and less erythemogenic in psoriasis. It will be used more and more and play an important role in the treatment of psoriasis.
Humans ; Phototherapy* ; Psoriasis*

Scabies may be seen in psoriatic patients, although not frequent. This situation provokes many problems including the difficulty of diagnosis and uncertainty of appropriate therapy. We report a case of a young female with an existing psoriasis aggravated following scabetic infestation. At first, she took an antiscabetic treatment but the severity of psoriasis persisted. Subsequently, cyclosporine treatment was started and the psoriatic lesions improved deamatically.
Cyclosporine ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Psoriasis* ; Scabies* ; Uncertainty

No abstract available.
Angiofibroma* ; Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Lasers, Gas* ; Sirolimus* ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

BACKGROUND: Complete clearance of the lesions by using calcipotriol alone have not been re-ported commonly in the treatment of psoriatic patients. Moreover, lesional and perilesional irritation are reported in some patients using calcipotriol, which may result in premature termination of the treatment due to impairing the compliance. OBJECTIVE: A clinical study was conducted to determine whether, in the topical treatment of psoriasis, a combination of calcipotriol cream and methylprednisolone aceponate was more effective than calcipotriol monotherapy. METHODS: Twenty-one psoriasis patients who had the symmetric lesions on the right and left lower legs were enrolled in the study. A combination of calcipotriol cream and methylprednisolone aceponate therapy was done on the left lower legs, whereas calcipotriol alone was applied on the right lower legs twice daily. PASI score and adverse events were recorded at each visit (1, 2, 3, 4, 6 week). The overall therapeutic result was also assessed by the physician and patients. RESULTS: The initial PASI score was 7.09 on both legs. After 6 weeks, the mean PASI score was 3.85 on the left leg, and 5.70 on the right leg (p<0.05). In the physicianOs global assessment, the percentage of patients who showed the improvement of more than half of lesions was 29% in the monotherapy and 62% in the combination therapy area. Two patients complained of mild itching sense on monotherapy, but there was no specific side effect on combination area. CONCLUSION: The combination therapy was more effective, as assessed by all evaluated variables. Furthermore, this combination reduces the adverse effects caused by long-term use of topical corticosterois as well as the irritation associated with. calcipotriol.
Compliance ; Humans ; Leg ; Methylprednisolone* ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis*

No abstract available.
Scleroderma, Localized

Herpes zoster, caused by reactivation of varicella zoster virus lying dormant in the ganglion of the dorsal root, is characterized by segmental rash, pain, and sensory symptoms. Motor symptomatology is less well known and is most often related to central nervous system disease, although true lower motor neuron afflication is also thought to exist. Subclinical motor involvement is relatively more common than clinical motor weakness and is easily detected by using electromyography (EMG). An 81-year-old male patient with herpes zoster on the left shoulder, left upper arm and forearm had complained progressive weakness of the limb. On physical examination, he was noted to have groups of small vesicles on erythematous base following C4 to C6 dermatomal distribution over the left upper limb. We examined the limb using EMG and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) studies. Thereafter we concluded he had motor paralysis caused by herpes zoster.
Aged, 80 and over ; Arm ; Central Nervous System ; Deception ; Electromyography ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Forearm ; Ganglion Cysts ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Neurons ; Neural Conduction ; Paralysis* ; Physical Examination ; Shoulder ; Spinal Nerve Roots ; Upper Extremity

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Neurofibromin 1 ; Vitiligo*

BACKGROUND: Tinea corporis includes all superficial dermatophyte infections of the skin other than those involving the scalp, beard, face, hands, feet, and groin. The most common lesion is an annular lesion with central clearing area. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of clinical and mycological features of tinea corporis. METHOD: We performed clinical and mycological study on 105 cases of tinea corporis at Department of Dermatology, Konkuk University Hospital from August 2002 to October 2003. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 1: 1.02. Tinea corporis was most prevalent in the twenties. Of the clinical variants of tinea corporis, the annular type was most commonly noted. Sixty-nine cases (66%) had the single lesion. In 71 cases (67.7%), the size of individual skin lesion was less than 5 cm in diameter. The unexposed area (55.7%) was more frequently affected than exposed area (44.3%) and the most common site was anterior chest (20.1%). Coexisting fungal infection was found in 60 cases (57.1%), and the cases of tinea pedis was the most common. Forty-five cases (42.9%) had a history of contact with animals that were thought be to infection source. Among 105 cases, dermatophytes were isolated in 73 cases. They were Trichophyton (T.) rubrum (58 cases), T. mentagrophytes (8 cases), Microsporum (M.) canis (5 cases), M. gypseum (1 case), and T. tonsurans (1 case). No species specificity was noted in annular type, and M. canis was more commonly isolated from the smaller lesion. CONCLUSION: Zoophilic dermatophyte infection associated with prior contacts with animals and infection caused by introduced species are increased by rise of families breeding animal pets and more frequent abroad interchanges.
Animals ; Arthrodermataceae ; Breeding ; Dermatology ; Female ; Foot ; Groin ; Hand ; Humans ; Introduced Species ; Male ; Microsporum ; Scalp ; Skin ; Species Specificity ; Thorax ; Tinea Pedis ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: Narrow-band UVB phototherapy using 311+/-2nm wavelength is in widespread use due to its greater efficacy and, possibly, safety compared with broad-band UVB sources. However, its optimal dose increment regimen is not determined. OBJECTIVE: We performed narrow-band UVB(NBUVB) phototherapy to compare clinical efficacy between fixed and 20% incremental regimen in Korean psoriasis patients. METHODS: Twenty four psoriasis patients received narrow-band UVB phototherapy. Among them, fifteen patients received fixed regimen and nine patients, 20% incremental regimen. We categorized each patient into clearing, improvement, or failure groups based on the therapeutic efficacy, measured the PASI score every two weeks and calculated cumulative dose of narrow-band UVB. RESULTS: We found no statistically significant difference between two regimen. However, there is a tendency that irradiation number and duration of treatment are smaller in 20% incremental regimen but, in terms of cumulative dose, fixed incremental regimen is better than 20%. CONCLUSION: These results suggests that 20% incremental regimen may clear psoriasis faster than fixed but that the latter regimen may be equally effective as it requires slighty more treatment sessions at a lower cumulative dose.
Humans ; Phototherapy* ; Psoriasis