We describe cytologic findings of two cases of pilomatrixoma which had been cytologically misdiagnosed as suspicious malignant and malignant lesions in 35 year-old and 22 year-old females who presented a palpable neck mass. The cytologic smears showed many basaloid cells with a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, nuclear hyperchromatism and prominent nucleoli, keratinized squamous cells with pyknotic nuclei, foreign body giant cells, and chronic inflammatory cells in necrotic background. Retrospective view of this aspiration smear revealed that these findings were characteristic features of pilomatrixoma, and the evenly distributed chromatin pattern as well as the lack of nuclear pleomorphism were considered to be the differential points from malignant neoplasm. Pilomatrixoma is a benign neoplasm which should be included in differential diagnosis if the fine needle aspiration cytologic smear of a neck mass or subcutaneous mass of any site showed these features.
Female ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential

No abstract available.
Pancreatic Pseudocyst*

The objective of this study is to examine the correlation between the tolylene concentration in the work environment of organic solvents and the concentration of hippuric acid in urine of workers exposed toluene, and to acquire the fundamental materials of workers' health care and to assist the assessment of the biological permissible exposure limit. The control groups are 72 workers who had never been exposed to toluene and the case groups are 101 workers who had been exposed to toluene. This study was conducted to examine the correlation between the concentration of toluene in work environment and workers' hippuric acid concentration, to investigate the complaint difference of subjective symptoms by means of questionnaire, between the case groups and control groups. The results and conclusions are as follows: 1) The highest mean concentration of toluene in the air is 544.13+/-7.75 ppm in the Printing Department of mixing organic solvents. The concentrations of the others are 463.27+/-5.24 ppm in Department of mixture for organic solvents, and 393.56+/-45.69 ppm in the Printing Department(1), and 248.38+/-45.16 ppm in the Printing Department(2), and 159.38+/-18.51 ppm in the Printing Department(3). 2) The highest mean concentration of hippuric acid in urine is 6034.84+/-1298.35 mg/l in the Printing Department with mixing organic solvents. The concentrations of the others are 4798.44+/-784.53 mg/l in Department of mixture of organic solvents, and 2883.06+/-701.90 mg/l in the Printing Department(1), and 1449.98+/-905.19 mg/l in the Printing Department(2), and 598.52+/-299.43 mg/l in the Printing Department(3). 3) As the toluene concentration in the work environment becomes higher, the concentration of hippuric acid in urine also becomes higher. It is found that the coefficient of correlation between toluene concentration and the concentration of hippuric acid are positive (r=0.868, Y=7.18X+349.57). 4) It is found that the case groups complain of much more subjective symptoms than the control groups.
Delivery of Health Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Solvents ; Toluene*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify human papilloma virus(HPV) infection in cervical lesions by using polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization(PCR-ISH) and to compare the results of PCR-ISH with conventional in situ hybridization(ISH) METHODS: Forty-seven randomly chosen neutral-buffered formalhyde-fixed cervical biopsies in which cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancer had been diagnosed were tested for HPV DNA by PCR-ISH and ISH. The method of PCR-ISH includes deparaffinization of specimens, PCR amplification of DNA, in situ hybridization and detection of amplified products. RESULTS: The positivity rate of ISH was 36% for all biopsies and 26%, 40% for CIN and invasive cancer respectively. By using PCR-ISH the positivity was 80%, 84% respectively. All PCR-ISH positive cases were ISH positive and no ISH positive was PCR-ISH negative. CONCLUSION: In our study HPV DNA, undetectable by standard in situ hybridization, was detectable by PCR in situ hybridization. Our study shows that PCR in situ hybridization is highly sensitive method for detection of HPV in cervical neoplastic specimens with morphological evidence.
Adenomyosis ; Biopsy ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; DNA ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Papilloma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Autograft using suction hlistered epidermis is one of the surgical therapeutic mod- alities of vitiligo, and has been successfully used by several authors. The maintenance of grafting pigment is belieued to be more important than repigmentation itself. To examine the maintenance of pigment, 22 vitiligo patients were treated by autograft using suction blistered epidermis and followed for 16.8 months. Repigmentation developed in 20 patients, Two patients were lost to follow up. Out of 20 patients, grafting pigment was maintained in 17 patients(85% ) and disappeared in three patients(15% ). By clinical subtype, the rates of maintenance were 100% in segmental type, 80% in localized type and 66% in generalized type. The best results were observed in a head and neck location and the worst rates and maintenance were in the hand. However, these differences were not statistically significant. likewise, age and sex were not factors in maintenance and repigrnentation. Based on this study, autograft using suction blistered epidermis appears to be a good therapeutic modality for stable vitiligo, particularly segmental vitiligo.
Autografts* ; Blister* ; Epidermis* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Neck ; Suction* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo

OBJECTIVES: Cadherin/catenin adhesion complex is fundamentally involved in epithelial cancer invasion and metastasis. E-cadherin and EGFR colocalize on the basolateral membrane of epithelial cell and EGF down-regulate E-cadherin expression. In the invasion and metastasis of cancer, E-cadherin expression is decreased and growth factors receptor is overexpressed. The present study was aimed to find the role of E-cadherin, beta-and gamma-catenin, growth factors and its receptors in cervical cancer cell lines. METHODS: The cervical cancer cell cultures were treated with different time duration of EGF 30 ng/ml and TGF-a 10 ng/ml(0, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr, 8 hr, 24 hr). The change in cancer cell morphology and the changes in E-cadherin, beta- and gamma-catenin, EGFR and activated EGFR expression were studied with a western blot analysis and an immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Through a western blot analysis, E-cadherin 120 kDa band and EGFR 170 kDa band were expressed in CaSki, HT-3 and ME-180 cell line, which showed epithelial contact growth. 1n these 3 cell lines, expression of E-cadherin did not decrease with time dependent manner. after the treatment of EGF and TGF- alpha. The expression of EGFR decreased and activated EGFR expression increased in 30 minutes to 1 hour but decreased subsequently. When the cells treated with EGF, there were no change in beta-and gamma-catenin expression with there dependent manner. The tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-and gamma-catenin increased in 30 minutes to 1 hour but decreased subsequently with activated EGFR. CONCLUSION: This study showed that an activated EGFR which has involved with tyrosine phosphorylation of beta- and gamma-catenin influenced by growth factors rather than expression of E-cadherin, has a role in the invasion and metastasis of the cervical cancer.
Blotting, Western ; Cadherins* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Epithelial Cells ; gamma Catenin* ; Immunoprecipitation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Membranes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phosphorylation* ; Transforming Growth Factor alpha* ; Tyrosine* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To compare the functional and radiographic results of the treatment in unstable intra-articular fractures of distal radius by closed reduction and external fixation versus open reduction and internal fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty cases of unstable intra-articular fractures of distal radius were treated either by application of closed reduction and external fixation (CREF) or by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) between March 1989 and June 1997. They were followed up for more than one year. To assess the functional results, we used Green and O' Brien' s score system and for the radiographic results, measured volar tilt, radial inclination and radial length. RESULT: In functional results, excellent to good results were obtained in 19 cases (76%) in the CREF group and 10 cases (80%) in the ORIF group, and the average score was 81.4 and 82.8 by the Green and O' Brien' s score system. In radiographic results, mean loss of volar tilt, radial inclination and radial length were 1.4 degree (13.4%), 2.0 degree (9.0%), 1.3 mm (10.3%) in the CREF group and 1.2 degree (10.8%), 1.6 degree (6.1%) and 1.2 mm (11.5%) in the ORIF group on last follow-up radiographs. There was no evidence of statistical difference between two groups in functional and radiographic results (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: If an appropriate operative method is selected according to the presence of several properties, including the pattern of fracture, the general condition and activity of patient and the degree of soft tissue injury, the two operative managements are considered useful to restoring articular congruity and alignment and to allow early postoperative range of motion exercise
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intra-Articular Fractures* ; Radius* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Soft Tissue Injuries

We present a patient who developed a pseudolymphoma after ear piercing. A patch test showed gold sensitivity. Therefore, long standing dermal exposure to gold from a pierced-type earring might have produced the patient's disease. This patient did not respond to an intralesional steroid injection and was finally treated with a complete resection of the lesion. It is proposed that every patient with a hyperplastic lesion in the ear lobe should be taken a biopsy in order to rule out the possibility of a pseudolymphoma. When a pseudolymphoma develops in the ear lobe, a complete surgical excision could be the treatment of choice, especially for the prevention of recurrence.
Biopsy ; Body Piercing* ; Ear* ; Humans ; Patch Tests ; Pseudolymphoma* ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Tai chi exercise for improving balance and its tendency and helps to identify directions for future research. METHOD: 19 articles from Medline search of foreign journals(1981-2003) and 5 from Korean nursing journals (1981-2003) were surveyed. The contents analyses were focused on outcome measures and relative factors regarding balance. RESULT: Variable measures for balance were used in Tai Chi studies relating to balance. They included the functional measures such as 14 single-leg stance, 7 walking in physiological measures and 7 laboratory-based balance measures were done with platform stability test. The measure of effective Tai Chi exercise depended on the health status of subjects and the methods. Health status of subjects were only on physically inactive older adults in 17 articles and arthritis patients in 7 articles in the Tai Chi study. The significant effects of Tai Chi exercise on balance was revealed after 10weeks duration. CONCLUSION: Considering the results, Tai Chi exercise is more effective than any other studies for walking balance. But the reports on the outcome are inconsistent with wide variations in the choice of balance measures. It is suggested that future studies analyze systemic change through meta analysis and have a wide variety of subjects who need postural control and balance control. The methods of measures should be distinct from the balance state of subjects for the effectiveness of Tai chi exercise.
Adult ; Arthritis ; Humans ; Nursing ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Tai Ji* ; Walking

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mothers*