It has been increasingly clear that the defence against Mycobacterium leprae(M. leprae) appears mainly to depend on cell-mediated rather than humoral immune mechanism. Nevertheless, the M. leprae is not only capable of producing specific humoral antibody, but also stimulating the formation of a variety of autoantibodies, since mycobacteria are known to exert adjuvant effect. Although the exact role of the autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of leprosy is not known, it is remarkable that the prevalence of autoantibodies has been reported different by several investigators, suggesting the possibility of geographical or racial difference. This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of some autoantibodies in Korean patients with leprosy. Eighty patients with leprosy registered at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital entered this study from February, 1977 through October, 1978, The diagnosis was made by clinical, histological, bacteriological and immunological assessments and the patients were classified according to the Ridley-Jopling scale. All patients were under anti leprosy chemotherapy with DDS (Diaminodiphenylsulfone) for various periods at the time of study. Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test was performed in 80 patients and the sera displaying reactive VDRL were subjected to re-examination by Treponema Pallidum Hemagglutinin Assay (TPHA). Rbeumatoid factor was sought by means of latex fixation test in 66 patients. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was detected by means of latex agglutination reaction in 61 patients using polysterene latex complexed with calf thymus deoxyribonucleoprotein. Cryoprotein was detected as described elsewhere. Four of the 80 patients(5%) showed reactive VDRL, while rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody were not detectable in all cases. Cryoprotein was detected in 15 patients (27. 3 %). Compared with other reports on the prevalence of autoantibodies in Caucacian and African patients, we found a much lower frequency. This result may be expained partly by the racial or geographic difference in the pattern of leprosy as suggeste4 by Turk.
Agglutination ; Antibodies, Antinuclear ; Autoantibodies* ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Hemagglutinins ; Humans ; Latex ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Leprosy* ; Mycobacterium ; Prevalence* ; Research Personnel ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Seoul ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Thymus Gland ; Treponema pallidum

Favre-Racouchot syndrome(nodular elastosis with cysts and comedones) is a peculiar complication of solar elastosis in which comedones, follicular cysts, and nodules of altered elastic tissue occur mainly sround the orbits, on the cheeks, on snd around the nose, and oceasionally in other exposed areas, but sornetimes on the neck or behind the ears. We present a typical case of the Favre-Racouchot syndrome in a 66 year old man with maxillary cancer. The patient had numerous yellowish cysts and black topped comedones located on the forehead, around the orbits and the nose, on the neck, and also behind the ears of 5 years duration. The histopathology of the lesion showed dilated pilosebaceous openings and epitheliaI lined cysts filled with layered keratin in addition to pronounced solar elastosis.
Aged ; Cheek ; Ear ; Elastic Tissue ; Facial Dermatoses* ; Follicular Cyst ; Forehead ; Humans ; Neck ; Nose ; Orbit

BACKGROUND: Not rarely we can find young people with acute myocardial infarction(AMI), many studies revealed they have fewer risk factors and less severe coronary angiographic abnormalities than middle and old aged group. METHODS: We studied clinical characteristics and coronary angiographic findings of 5 young men with AMI treated at Masan Koryo General Hospital from June 1986 June 1992. RESULTS: The age ranged between 19 and 32 years(mean 25.4). They had no other risk factors except cigrarette smoking(4 out of 5). Their coronary angiograms revealed no significant lesion in each infarct related artery. After discharge, all patient remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: AMI in young man might be related with cigarette smoking, and coronary artery spasm and/or thrombosis may play a significant role in its pathogenesis.
Arteries ; Coronary Vessels ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Spasm ; Thrombosis

No Abstract Available.
Head* ; Osteonecrosis* ; Rabbits*

Speckled lentiginous nevus(SLN) is characterized by a tan background patch on which more darkly pigmented macules and papules are randomly distributed. The presence of agminated Spitz nevi with SLN is well known, but a solitary Spitz nevus arising on a SLN is rare. We herein report a case of SLN with two Spitz nevi developed individually and congenital melanocytic nevus in a 9-year-old boy.
Child ; Humans ; Male ; Nevus* ; Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl

Isoconazole nitrate is one of the broad-spectrum antimycotic agents recently developed from imidazole derivatives. Authors performed ulticenter trials to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Travogen and Travocort in superficial fungal diseases. In the usual superficial fungal diseases, Travogen was applied 4 weeks. In the inflammatory and eczematoid superficial fungal diseases, Travocort was applied 2 weeks initially and then followed by 2 weeks application of Travogen. One hundred and ninty one patients with superficial fungal diseases were included in this study during g months from December, 1982 to August, 19$3 The obtained results were as follows; The overall cure rate of Travogen and Travocort in each superficial fungal diseases were gl 7g (tinea pedis), 98. L% (tinea cruris), 1ppg, (tinea corporis), 9g. 100% (tinea manus), 1ppg (tinea capitis) and 1pgg (candidiasis) respectively. Trichophyton rubrum(51. 3%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes(29.3g), Tricho -countinue-
Humans ; Trichophyton

OBJECTIVES: Since vertebroplasty has been introduced, we performed short segment pedicle screw fixation with augmented intra-operative vertebroplasty in patients with unstable thoraco-lumbar fracture. Our intentions are to demonstrate the efficacy and indication of this new technique compare to conventional methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The surgery comprised of pedicle screw fixations on one level above and below the fracture site, and the fractured level itself, if pedicle is intact, and intra-operative vertebroplasty under the fluoroscopic guide with in-situ postero-lateral bone graft. Also, in cases of bone apposition, we removed those with small impactor through a transfascetal route. During the last 2 years, we performed in seven(7) unstable thoraco-lumbar fracture patients who consisted of two different characteristics, those four(4) with primary or secondary osteoporosis and three(3) of young and very healthy. All patients were followed clinically by A.S.I.A. score and radiography. RESULTS: Mean follow up period was 14 months. We observed well decompressed state via transfascetal route in cases of bone fragments apposition and no hardware pullout in osteoporotic cases, no poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) leakage through the fracture sites into the spinal canal, and no kyphotic deformities in both cases during follow-up periods. All patients demonstrated solid bony fusion except one following osteoporotic compression fracture on other sites. CONCLUSIONS: In the management of unstable thoraco-lumbar fracture, we believe that this short segment pedicle screw fixation with augmented intra-operative vertebroplasty reduce the total length or levels of pedicle screw fixation without post-operative kyphotic deformity.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Intention ; Osteoporosis ; Radiography ; Spinal Canal ; Transplants ; Vertebroplasty*

An ectopic pregnancy in the abdominal organs is very rare. Primary intestinal pregnancy is considered the rarest form of extrauterine pregnancy, and only a few well-documented cases have been reported. Herein, a case of an abdominal pregnancy in a 25-year-old woman, with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding, is reported. The source of bleeding could not be identified, despite gastroscopy, ultrasonography and angiography investigations. A diagnostic laparotomy disclosed an abdominal pregnancy, causing an erosion of the jejunal wall at the site of the pregnancy, with massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding. An abdominal pregnancy is seldom included in the differential diagnosis of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The possibility of intestinal erosion in an abdominal pregnancy should be borne in mind in cases of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Adult ; Angiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Abdominal* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a condition which often begins in early infancy as an erythematous, intensely pruritic, maculopapular eruption. The role of anxiety and depression in the course of atopic dermatitis in children has long been considered an important factor. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the depression and anxiety state of patients with childhood atopic dermatitis. The age of all studied individuals ranged from 8 to 15 years. METHODS: Psychological data were obtained by administration of the Kovacs' Children's Depression Inventory and the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. RESULTS: Patients with atopic dermatitis were characterized by a high degree of state anxiety compared with the control group. However, there were no significant differences in trait anxiety and depression between the atopic patient group and the control group. With regards to disease activity, state & trait anxiety were higher in the severs group as compared with the mild group. The degrees of anxiety and depression analyzed by recent onset, remote onset and sex did not show any significant differences. CONCLUSION: We think that patients with childhood atopic dermatitis are highly anxious, which suggest that psychological intervention may be helpful.
Anxiety* ; Child ; Depression* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans

Alopecia of a scalp shows various shapes and extents of hair loss, from a small round patch to polymorphous patches or total global alopecia. But alopecia of a linear shape is very rare. Only a few such cases have currently been reported in the medical literature. We recently had the chance to observe and treat two cases of linear alopecia that developed on the occipital scalp. The lesions themselves were like alopecia areata that shows a smooth bald area without any abnormality except the hair loss, but histopathologically, the lesions were compatible with lupus erythematosus profundus.
Alopecia ; Alopecia Areata ; Hair ; Scalp