No abstract available.
Nitric Oxide*

No abstract available.
Pancreatic Polypeptide*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Education* ; Health Behavior*

Multiple basal cell epithelioma on the face is a rare disease and the lesions are hard to indistinguish from multiple trichoepithelioma. The 15-year-old school girl has been suffered from multiple small pea-sized, slightly waxy appearing skin lesions on the face for 4 years. She has no history of arsenic ingestion; irradia tion and previous dermatoses. Physical examination and X-ray films (chest, mandibule and skull) showed no pathological findings. Biopsy findings revealed basal cell epithelioma cells.
Adolescent ; Arsenic ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Rare Diseases ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; X-Ray Film

Lidex(Fluacinonide) 0.05% in FAPG base is a new fluorinated topical corticosteroid. 30 patients with different steroid responsive dermatoaes were treated with 0. 05% Lidex. The diagnosis included atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, neurodermatitis, seborheic dermatitis, nummular eczema, psoriasis vulgaris, chronic eczema and pustulosis pahmaris et plantaris. In the majority of cases Lidex cream produced excellent to good result(70%) after unoccluded application 3 times daily for 10 days. Two patients complained burning or itching sensation after the initial application of Lidex. 0.05% Lidex was compared with 0. 25% Desoxymethasone cream and 0. 25% Fluocortolone cream and was found slightly more effective in Lidex.
Burns ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Desoximetasone ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Fluocinonide* ; Fluocortolone ; Humans ; Neurodermatitis ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis ; Sensation

We report a case of atrophie blanche which was accompanied by cryoglobulinemia. The patient, 17-year-old female, have had recurrent painful ulcerations and ivory-white atrophic scars with telangiectases surrounded by hyperpigmentation. On histological examination, vessel wall thickening and hyalinization of the intima, partial vascular occlusion, vascular proliferation and mild perivascular chronic inflammatory cells infiltration and hemorrhage in the upper dermis were noted. The patient had been treated with dipyridarnol(Persantin) and acetylsalicylic acid hut the lesions had been waxed and waned.
Adolescent ; Aspirin ; Cicatrix ; Cryoglobulinemia* ; Dermis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hyperpigmentation ; Telangiectasis ; Ulcer

Melasma is characterized by chronic dark brown pigmentation on the face which is known to be little effective by remedies. It is still unkown the exact cause of the diaease, but pregnancy, oral contraceptives, sun-light, csometics, endocrinologic disturbances and malnutrition could be speculated as causative factors. According to our clinical experiences, some of the melasma patients were related with psychic and physical problems. The disease state of 400 cases with melasma was categorixed by our own designed questionaire, based on the dinical condition and history. 86 of 400 casea were analysed by Cornell Medical Index to elucidate the psycholagical and physiological problems
Contraceptives, Oral ; Cornell Medical Index ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Melanosis* ; Pigmentation ; Pregnancy

Sometimes a pilomatrixoma on upper neck can be misdiagnosed as primary salivary gland tumor, skin adnexal tumor or metastatic carcinoma. On fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC), characteristic features are ghost cells, basaloid cells, and calcium deposits, among which presence of ghost cells seems to be the key to recognize it. Here we present a cytologically misdiagnosed case of pilomatrixoma. A 32-year-old man presented a subcutaneous mass on the right posterior neck. It has grown slowly for 1 year, and was nontender, well circumscribed, hard, and movable mass. An initial FNAC yielded only monomorphic population of highly mitotic basaloid cells, without anucleated ghost cells, chronic inflammatory cells or foreign-body giant cells, suggestive of a poorly differentiated carcinoma. However, that was inconsistent with patient's clinical findings. For further correct diagnosis, FNAC was repeated, which yielded the basaloid cells and foreign-body giant cells. The diagnosis of pilomatrixoma could be made and the mass was excised. This case demonstrates that the pilomatrixoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous aspirates containing not ghost cells but a dominant population of basaloid cells.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUNDS : Infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been reported with increasing frequency in many parts of the world. However, VRE infection is still very rare in Korea. To assess the potential risk of VRE infection in a hospital where such infection is rarely reported, we screened hospitalized patients for fecal colonization with VRE and performed a clinical and epidemiological investigation of VRE colonization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened 405 stool specimens from in- and outpatients for the presence of enterococci using EnterococcoselTM agar (BBLR, USA). Dark-brown or black colonies were tested for enterococci and speciated, followed by confirmation for vancomycin resistance using brain-heart infusion agar containing vancomycin (6microgram/mL). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution, disk diffusion, and Vitek GPS-IZ. We also performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after SmaI digestion of DNA and polymerase chain reaction for detection of vanA, B and C. To define risk factors for colonization, we reviewed the medical records of patients colonized with VRE or vancomycin- susceptible enterococci (VSE). RESULTS: Twelve (4.1%) of 295 hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Six were identified as Enterococcus(E) faecium, 2 each as E. faecalis and E. gallinarum, and 1 each as E. casseliflavus and E. avium. In contrast, only one(0.9%) VRB (E. casseliflavus) was isolated from outpatients. Patients in the intensive careunit (5.4%) and patients whose stool specimens were submitted for Clostridium difficile toxin assay (6.8%) were colonized at higher rate than other inpatients (2.5%), but not at a statistically significant level. Three strains had high-level resistance to van comycin(minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC>256microgram/mL), and the others had low-level resistance (MIC8-16microgram/mL) by agar dilution. But disk diffusion method and Vitek system had problems in detecting some strains with low-level resistance. PFGE patterns of VRE were diverse, suggesting that VRE have been introduced from multiple sources. The vans gene was detected in 3 isolates and vanC gene was found in 9 isolates. Compared with the patients with VSE colonization, patients with VRE had a significantly longer hospital stay, had more frequent invasive procedures or therapeutic interventions such as ventilator, total parenteral nutrition and hemodialysis, showed renal insufficiency more frequently, and were more likely to have received ciprofloxacin or clindamycin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of VRE infection remains low in Korea, the findings from this study indicate that VRE are not uncommon intestinal colonizers among hospitalized patients. Strict infection control measures including screening for VRE, especially those from patients at risk, close surveillance, judicious use of antibiotics and patient isolation must be implemented to prevent infection and transmission of VRE.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon* ; Diffusion ; Digestion ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Patient Isolation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUNDS : Infections due to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have been reported with increasing frequency in many parts of the world. However, VRE infection is still very rare in Korea. To assess the potential risk of VRE infection in a hospital where such infection is rarely reported, we screened hospitalized patients for fecal colonization with VRE and performed a clinical and epidemiological investigation of VRE colonization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened 405 stool specimens from in- and outpatients for the presence of enterococci using EnterococcoselTM agar (BBLR, USA). Dark-brown or black colonies were tested for enterococci and speciated, followed by confirmation for vancomycin resistance using brain-heart infusion agar containing vancomycin (6microgram/mL). Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution, disk diffusion, and Vitek GPS-IZ. We also performed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after SmaI digestion of DNA and polymerase chain reaction for detection of vanA, B and C. To define risk factors for colonization, we reviewed the medical records of patients colonized with VRE or vancomycin- susceptible enterococci (VSE). RESULTS: Twelve (4.1%) of 295 hospitalized patients were colonized with VRE. Six were identified as Enterococcus(E) faecium, 2 each as E. faecalis and E. gallinarum, and 1 each as E. casseliflavus and E. avium. In contrast, only one(0.9%) VRB (E. casseliflavus) was isolated from outpatients. Patients in the intensive careunit (5.4%) and patients whose stool specimens were submitted for Clostridium difficile toxin assay (6.8%) were colonized at higher rate than other inpatients (2.5%), but not at a statistically significant level. Three strains had high-level resistance to van comycin(minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC>256microgram/mL), and the others had low-level resistance (MIC8-16microgram/mL) by agar dilution. But disk diffusion method and Vitek system had problems in detecting some strains with low-level resistance. PFGE patterns of VRE were diverse, suggesting that VRE have been introduced from multiple sources. The vans gene was detected in 3 isolates and vanC gene was found in 9 isolates. Compared with the patients with VSE colonization, patients with VRE had a significantly longer hospital stay, had more frequent invasive procedures or therapeutic interventions such as ventilator, total parenteral nutrition and hemodialysis, showed renal insufficiency more frequently, and were more likely to have received ciprofloxacin or clindamycin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of VRE infection remains low in Korea, the findings from this study indicate that VRE are not uncommon intestinal colonizers among hospitalized patients. Strict infection control measures including screening for VRE, especially those from patients at risk, close surveillance, judicious use of antibiotics and patient isolation must be implemented to prevent infection and transmission of VRE.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon* ; Diffusion ; Digestion ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Patient Isolation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Risk Factors ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance ; Ventilators, Mechanical