No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Radiculopathy*

The nevus of Ota is a benign dermal melanocytic lesion that most commonly occurs unilaterally in areas innervated by the first and second division of the trigeminal nerve. Acquired bilateral nevus of Ota-like macules(ABNOM) are located bilaterally on the forehead, temples, eyelids, cheeks, and/or nose. They usually occur in the fourth or fifth decade of life in women(rarely in men). In contrast to the nevus of Ota, ABNOM have not been observed in the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nose, or eyes. Traditional treatments were palliative, risky electrocautery, or cryotherapy. These methods resulted in permanent pigmentary changes and/or scarring. Recently utilizing the principle of selective photothermolysis, the Q-switched Alexandrite laser has been reported to be successful in treating benign pigmentary lesions and tattoos. Our study evaluated the treatment of 127 patients with nevus of Ota and ABNOM with the Q-switched Alexandrite laser(755 nm, 100 nsec). Nevi were treated up to 7 times with 7-8 J/cm2 at a minimum of 6 weeks interval. Good therapeutic effects were gained (up to 50% improvement was seen in 89% of patients.) and our patients were very satisfied. No patients had permanent textural change or scarring. Treatment with on Alexandrite laser for nevus of Ota & ABNOM is considered to be a safe and effective method.
Cheek ; Cicatrix ; Cryotherapy ; Electrocoagulation ; Eyelids ; Forehead ; Humans ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Mouth ; Mucous Membrane ; Nevus of Ota ; Nevus* ; Nose ; Trigeminal Nerve

This paper describes the cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNAs encoding the canine homologues of interleukin-3 (IL-3) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The coding sequences for canine IL-3 and IL-6 were obtained by using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with RNA harvested from canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Canine IL-3 cDNA includes a single open reading frame of 432 nucleotides, which encodes a 143 amino acid polypeptide and has 44.7, 42.4, 37 and 23.7% homology with the cow, sheep, human and rat IL-3 sequences, respectively. Canine IL-6 cDNA (GenBank accession number; AF275796) encodes a putative 20-amino acid signal peptide followed by a 187-amino acid mature protein. The predicted amino acid sequence of canine IL-6 shares 60.4, 77.2, 71.0, 55.8 and 42.0% sequence identity with those of human, feline, porcine, sheep and rat IL-6, respectively.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Concanavalin A/pharmacology ; DNA, Complementary/*chemistry ; Dogs/blood/genetics/*immunology ; Interleukin-3/chemistry/*genetics ; Interleukin-6/chemistry/*genetics ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/chemistry/drug effects ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames/genetics ; Protein Sorting Signals/genetics ; RNA/blood/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

A 3-year-old boy with Wilms' tumor had unusual severe hypertension, polydipsia, polyuria, and hypokalemia. Physical examination on admission was unremarkable except for the presence of a smooth, firm mass in the right abdomen. Computerized tomography showed a tumor occupying upper two thirds of the right kidney. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration were markedly elevated, 37.7 mg/ml/hour (normal supine 0.15-2.33 mg/ml/hour) and 120.1 ng/dl (normal supine 1 to 16 ng/dl), respectively. His hypertension, varied from 150/90 mmHg as high as 240/180 mmHg, was not effectively controlled by antihyperensive drugs. Because of concern for the complications of hypertension, a right nephrectomy was performed on the sixth hospital day. At laparotomy, there was no evidence of mechanical compression of the renal artery by the tumor. The tumor, about 8 cm in diameter, was confined within the renal capsule without involvement of the renal blood vessels at the hilum. Histopathologically, it was characteristic Wilms' tumor of favorable histology. On electron microscopy, the tumor cells contained many electron dense secreting granules in the cytoplasm, suggesting that the tumor itself was the source of the renin and cause the clinical manifestations. Shortly after nephrectomy, signs and symptoms were relieved dramatically, and plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration were also decreased to normal.
Abdomen ; Aldosterone ; Blood Vessels ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Cytoplasm ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypokalemia* ; Kidney ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Nephrectomy ; Physical Examination ; Plasma ; Polydipsia* ; Polyuria* ; Renal Artery ; Renin ; Wilms Tumor*

No abstract available.
Neuroendocrine Cells* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia*

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant neoplasm among women in the Orient. This cancer is also increasing in Korea due to westernization of the living pattern, increased recognition among the general population, and improved methods for early detection. In the surgical treatment of breast cancer, cosmetic conservation of the breast has drawn the patients' attention so that conservative surgery is increasing nowadays. The purpose of this study is to describe the current status of breast cancer management at our institution and to identify the survival and the recurrence rates according to the stage and the surgical method used. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 150 patients diagnosed as having breast cancer on pathologic examination at the Department of General Surgery, EulJi College of Medicine, from January 1991 to December 1996 and evaluated the clinical findings, the diagnostic method, operation, and the prognosis. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 49.1 years, and 34.0% of the patients was in the fifth decade. A palpable mass in the breast was the most frequent clinical symptom and sign (80.7%). The interval between symptom onset and diagnosis was about 6 months in 76.0% of patients. The size of the mass was 2~5 cm in 51.3% of the patients. A modified radical mastectomy was the most frequently employed surgical method (74.0%), but conservative surgery has increased lately. Seventy-ight patients (52.0%) were in stage II. The five-ear survival rates for stages I, II, III were 100%, 82.9%, and 55.0% (p=0.00006). The five-ear survival rates for 0, 1~3, 4~9, and more than 10 axillary-ode metastases were 85.9%, 55.3%, 53.6%, and 21.1%, respectively (p=0.0007). The five-ear survival rates for breast-conserving surgery and a modified radical mastectomy, for both stage of I and II, were 90.9% and 89.3% (p=0.8114), respectively, and the recurrence rates were 17.9% and 23.8% (p=0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The authors may conclude that breast-onserving surgery may offer an effective alternative to a modified radical mastectomy for patients with stage I & II breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate

Mucormycosis is an infectious disease caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Almost all patients have a serious uriderlying condition such as diabetes mallitus, imrnunosuppression, starvation, burn, but a few cais have been reported in previously heilthy subjects. In order to successfully treat this infection, diagnosis must be prompt and acior. panied by aggressive debridement and parenteral administration of amphotericin B. We report a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis in 58-year-old man. The lesion was a well-circumscribed erythematous plaque with central necrcis Histopathologically, a biopsy revealed broad, nonsptate with branches occuring at right anghles.
Amphotericin B ; Biopsy ; Burns ; Communicable Diseases ; Debridement ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucorales ; Mucormycosis* ; Starvation

Ultrasonography, computed tomography and excretory urography in 25 patients with renal cell carcinoma were reviewed to determine their accuracy in predicting tumor stage. Staging was correct with ultrasonography in 60% of the patients, with computed tomography in 68% and with excretory urography in 40%. There was one patient, in which tumor was not identified on excretory urography. From these results, ultrasonography appears to be a good procedure as computed tomography to evaluate the stage of renal cell carcinomas.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Humans ; Ultrasonography* ; Urography*

We observed three patients who showed widespread macular ashy-colored eruptions. They fit clinically and histopathologically with the typical erythema dyschromicum perstans (ashy dermatosis). Erythoma dyschromicum perstans is a peculiar pigmented condition of unknown etiology characterized by persistent ashy-gray colored macule, refractory to any modality. All of them have similar skin lesions which are multiple, variable sized oval-shaped, ash-colored macular eruption on the trunk and extremities. Histologic findings of 2 patients reveal the characteristic feature of focal hydropic degeneration of the basal cell layer of the epidermis, perivascular infiltrates of lymphocytes and histiocytes and melanin-laden macrophages in the corium, however, merely pigmentary incontinence into the corium in 1 patient. Literatures are briefly reviewed.
Dermis ; Epidermis ; Erythema* ; Extremities ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: The prescription rates of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are very low around 1% in Korea. This study was aimed to explore the preference of LAIs in patients with schizophrenia, who are currently living in community, and their caregivers. METHODS: The patients, diagnosed with schizophrenia by DSM-IV TR and were registered in the 31 mental health centers of Gyeonggi province and their caregivers were inquired the knowledge of the LAIs. The questionnaires contained information such as demographic characteristics, history of psychiatric treatment, and so on. RESULTS: About 5,318 were registered in 31 community mental health centers of Gyeonggi province in February 2012. The questionnaires of 614 patients and 365 caregivers were gathered from 20 community mental health centers. The mean ages (+/-SD) of patients and caregivers were 41.9 (+/-10.2) and 62.2 (+/-13.4) years old, respectively. 272 patients (44.6%) had experienced the discontinuation of medications without doctor's consent. 217 patients (35.9%) and 97 caregivers (27.1%) knew about the LAIs. The preference rates for LAIs were 35.2% and 46.8% for the patients and caregivers, respectively. CONCLUSION: There is still huge discrepancy between the preference and the real prescriptions of LAIs in community-dwelling patients and their caregivers, much higher than in those of hospital settings. This study suggests that both patients and caregivers registered in the community mental health centers have a strong commitment to live in the community. The obstacles against the benefits of LAIs need to be resolved.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Caregivers ; Community Mental Health Centers ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia