To investigate the heterogeneity of fibroblast proliferation rate depending on the depth of dermis in the psoriatic skin lesions, fibroblasts were obtained from the upper and lower dermis of the forearm skin lesions in 9 psoriatir, patients and of the comparable sites in 7 healthy persons respectively, and were cultured. The in vitro proliferation rates of the fibroblasts were calculated by measuring the efficiency af cell attachment, cell numbers on varying days of culture and the population doubling time during the 3rd passage of subculture. The results were as follows: 1, The efficiencies of cell attachment at 24 hours after seeding were not statistically different between the upper derrnal fibroblasts and the lower ones in both psoriatic skin lesions and normal skins. 2. By rneasuring the cell numbers and the population doubling times, the prolifeatior rate of the upper der mal fibroblasts was greater than that of the lower ones in both psoriatic skin lesions and normal skins and that the fibroblastic proliferation rate was significantly inereased in the psoriatic skin lesion compared to the normal skin.
Cell Count ; Dermis* ; Fibroblasts* ; Forearm ; Humans ; Population Characteristics ; Skin*

We herein presented a case of persistent variant of Grovers disease in a 83-year old male. He had a rather extensive eruption of erythematous scaly papules, which had been profusely grouped but discretely distributed over 2 years or more. The histopathologic findings of two lesions in the same patient revealed mixture of various histologic patterns, patterns resembling Dariers disease, pemphigus vulgaris, Hailey-Hailey disease and spongiosis. The ultrastructural findings of Darier pattern should be essentially similar to those of Dariers disease and also be common to those observed in the early stages of other causes of focal acantholytic dyskeratosis. The patient had been treated with topical and intralesional steroid and oral 13-cis-isotretinoin, however, the lesions had been persisted only with partial improvement of clinical appearance and reduction of pruritus.
Aged, 80 and over ; Darier Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Pemphigus ; Pemphigus, Benign Familial ; Pruritus

We herein present a case of bullous lichen planus in a 56-year-old female. She had had a generalized eruption of lichen planus with violaceus papules and plaques. many of which had been surmounted by vesicles and bullae. The histopathologic findings of a bulla revealed hyperkeratosis, irregular acanthosis, subepidermal bulla and upper dermal band-like cell infiltration. The patient had been treated with dapsone but the lesions had not been significantly improved.
Dapsone ; Female ; Humans ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Middle Aged

The frequent occurrence of hematuria in children necessitates diagnostic evaluation. Hematuria may occur with either renal or lower urinary tract disease. Clarification of the etiology of hematuria, whether microscopic or gross, is facilited by localizing the site of bleeding to the kidney (glomerular) or the lower urinary tract (non-glomerular). The mean cellular volume (MCV) of urinary red blood cells (RBCs) of pediatric patients with glomerular (group I; n=77) and non-glomerular (group II; n=34) hematuria was determined using Coulter Counter Model S plus IV. We found that re blood cells of glomerular origin had a smaller volume than non-glomerular cells(73.79 9.75 m3 vs 83.55 3.77 m3, p<0.001). If an urinary MCV equal to 80.56 m3 was taken as the cut-off value between glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria, a correct assessment of the site of bleeding was made in 89 (80%) of the 111 patients studied (sensitivity 76%, specificity 88%). The ratio of the urinary erythrocyte MCV to that in blood(Umcv/Bmcv) was compared with the diagnosis. If an Umcv/Bmcv ratio equal to 0.95 was taken as the cut-off value between glomerular and non-glomerular hematuria, a correct assessment of the site of bleeding was made in 93 (83%) of the 111 patients studied (sensitivity 79.6%, specificity 94%). Coulter counter analysis of urine provides a simple noninvasive and objective aid to the diagnosis of hematurai. This test, when used early in the management of pediatric patients with hematuria, may help to avoid invasive investigations.
Blood Cells ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Erythrocytes* ; Hematuria* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urinary Tract ; Urologic Diseases

No abstract available.
Keratoacanthoma*

We reviewed clinical records and histologic materials of 96 cases of metastatic skin cancer in Seoul National University Hospital from January 1973 to July 1986. The metastatic skin cancers of male were twice as many as that of female and they occurred most frequently in male at their fifties, female, forties. The most frequent primary cancers in men were carcinoma of the stomach, lung, colorectum and pancreas; in women, carcinoma of the breast, stomach, lung and uterine cervix. Cutaneous metastases from the carcinomas of the liver, uterine cervix and stomach which were many in Korea were smaller in number than that from the carcinomas of the lung and breast. Metastatic lesions were recognized before the primary tumor relatively often in carcinoma of the lung, pancreas and rarely in carcinoma of the uterine cervix, stomach. Though localizations of cutaneous metasta.sis were widespread over all body surfaces, regional areas of primary tumor were predisposed to metastasis. Metastatic carcinoma usually produced nonspecific nodules in the skin. Less commonly, some lesions of metastasis showed inflammatory or sclerotic plaque. The histologic findinga of cutaneous metastases generally mimicked that of primary tumors; nevertheless, in most instances, it was not possible to recognize the original tumor from a histologic examination of metastatic skin cancer and it was possible to classify the metastatic carcinoma only as an adenocarcinoma, a squamous cell carcinoma or an undifferntiated carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pancreas ; Seoul ; Skin ; Skin Neoplasms ; Stomach

To evaluate the prognostic predictor and clinicopathologic characteristics of the gastrointestinal (GI) mesenchymal neoplasm, we examined 75 cases of GI mesenchymal tumors surgically resected during 8 years from 1983 to 1990. Various histological parameters referrable to the prognosis, including the Ag-NORs count, were analysed. Fifty cases were followed-up for 1 to 7 years. Sixteen out of these fifty cases died during this period. The location of tumor was the stomach in 33 cases, the small intestine in 31 cases and the large intestine in 11 cases, and the tumor size was variable from 2 to 35 cm in diameter. The GI mesenchymal neoplasm appeared as an extraluminal mass in 50 cases, an intramural mass in 17 cases, and an intraluminal mass in 8 cases. Each tumor was composed of spindle or epithelioid cells, the former cell type being more common than the latter (45 vs 30 cases). Mitotic count of the tumor showed the best correlationship with the survival of patients(p<0.05), although the tumor size and necrosis appeared to have some values. The Ag-NORs count was variable and was not significantly correlated with the patient's prognosis(p>0.05). These results indicate that the mitotic count is the most valuable pathological predictor for the prognosis in GI mesenchymal neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: It is important to evaluate the patient presenting with non-traumatic chest pain in emergency department, and it is also difficult to classify appropriately. The purpose of this study is to predict probability of acute myocardial infarction(AMI) and assess the group for low probability of AMI that is target for observation-unit of chest pain in emergency department. METHODS: A prospective, clinical study was performed from March 1998 to August 1998 at the department of emergency medicine, Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital. We classified high-probability group and low-probability group of AMI according to Goldman's algorithm and then compared with the final diagnosis. RESULTS: The study included 218 patients. 84 patients(39%) was the high-probability group and 134 patients(61%) was the low-probability group of AMI. As compared with final diagnosis, AMI was 47 patients(56%) among the high-probability group and 1 patient(0.7%) among the low-probability group. We observed sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 78% in predicting AMI. CONCLUSION: The classification according to Goldman's algorithm may be useful predictor of AMI and improve triage for emergency department patient with chest pain. It is also helpful for management of observation-unit of chest pain in emergency department.
Chest Pain* ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thorax* ; Triage

No abstract available.
Laurence-Moon Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Laurence-Moon Syndrome*