BACKGROUND: The high level of susceptibility of patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) to septicemic infection is thought to be due to decreased reticuloendothelial function and irnpairment of several components of cell mediated and humoral immunity. It is well known that LC may cause many characteristic skin changes including jaundice, spider angioma, palmar erythema, xanthelasrna and nail changes such as clubbing and white nails. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: During a 7 month period frorn April to October 1995, 100 patients who had been diagnosed as having LC were evaluated for the duration of their LC, the associated diseases they had apart from LC and various skin manifestations. Also, we performed the tuberculin test in 20 patients with LC and evaluated the correlation of the tuberculin test with severity of LC divided into 3 groups according to the Childs classification. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows ; 1. The most frequent duration of LC was under 5 years (74%). 2. The most common associated disease of patients with LC was upper GI bleeding including esophageal varix (24 cases). Also, diabetes mellitus (13 cases) and hepatic coma (11 cases) were observed. 3. Jaundice (82 cases) was the most frequent skin rnanifestation of patients with LC. In addition, vascular changes (81 cases) and various nail changes (69 cases) were observed. Onychomychosis was the most common nail change of patients with LC. 4. 60% of the patients who were given the tuberculin test showed anergy, and the frequency of anergy increased in proport on to the severity of LC. However, it was not significant statistically (p> 0.05 ). CONCLUSIONS: Some of the skin manifestations help in the diagnosis of LC. Also, increased frequency of tuberculin test anergy in proportion to the severity of LC is thought to be related to decreased cell mediated immunity, although statistically it is not significant.
Child ; Classification ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Erythema ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Hemangioma ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunity, Humoral ; Jaundice ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Skin Manifestations* ; Skin* ; Spiders ; Tuberculin Test

BACKGROUND: Generally, there are few problems in the diagnosis of Paget's disease(PD) using the H&E stain. However, the differentiation of PD from the clonal type of Bowens disease and superficial spreading melanoma in situ that shows pagetoid spreading of tumor cells, may present diagnostic difficulties. In addition, the specia1 stains used for demonstrating the presenee of Pagets cells, such as PAS and mucicarmim, are non-specific and not always sensitive. So, inenunohistochemical stains with monoclonal antibodies against various antigens may be helpful for differentiating PD from ather morphologically similar skin lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of immunohisto- chemical staining for diagnostic use in PD. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stains used in the biotin streptavidin amplificxl technique with monoclonal antibodies to several low rnolecular weight cytokeratin(CK)s, EMA and CEA, were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Twelve cases of PD(10 cases of extranmmmary PD and 2 cases of mammary PD), five cases of superficial spreading melanoma in situ and five cases of Bowens disease were investigated. RESULTS: The results were as follows. 1. Positive reactions with variable intensity using CK7, CKS, CK19 were seen in all cases(100%) of PD and the. staining intensity tor CK7 or CK19 was stronger than that of CKS. 2. Of the 12 cases of PD, both CK18 and CAM5.2 staining showed positivity in 11 cases(92%). 3. EMA and CEA staining showed positivity in 10(83%) and 9(75%) of 12 cases, respectively. 4. Some Pagets cells were negative for CK8, CK18 and EMA, although other positive cells were observed in the same sections. 5. All antigens were consistently negative in all cases of Bowens disease and superficial spreading melanoma in situ. CONCLUSION: The results show that moaoclonal antibodies to low molecular weight CKs are more sensitive than EMA or CEA in the demonstration of Pagets cells. Moreover, among the low molecular weight CK series, CK7 and CK19 are most useful for their high sensitivity and intensity.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Biotin ; Bowen's Disease ; Coloring Agents ; Diagnosis ; Melanoma ; Molecular Weight ; Skin ; Streptavidin

Infantile myofibromatosis is an uncornmon, benign, self-limiting, localized or generalized process, probably of hamartomatous origin, which consists to a large degree of cells having the characteristics of myofibroblasts and sometimes of pericytes. Both solitary and multicentric forms occur. Most lesions are present at birth or in early infancy, and some are familial in origin. A female newborn presented with a firm, round, red colored, 3 x 3 cm sized tumor with central necrosis on the left chest. Histological examination revealed well-circumscribed nodules consisting of short bundles of plump, spindle shaped cells displaying staining characteristics intermediate between fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. The tumor was immunoreactive for actin but did not stain for desmin. A Follow-up examination at the age of 3 months revealed a moderate degree of spontaneous regressior of the lesion.
Actins ; Desmin ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myofibroblasts ; Myofibromatosis* ; Necrosis ; Parturition ; Pericytes ; Thorax

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to get help in order to diagnose orthopaedic disease, measure its activity and determine treatment plan by measuring the beta-glucuronidase activity in urine, serum and joint fluid. METHODS: The beta-glucuronidase activity was determined in the serum, urine and joint fluid of the patients with degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis and osteogenic sarcoma, and some other disease to study the change of the enzyme activity. These values of each specimen were calculated by standard curve and treated by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results obtained were summarized as follows. 1. The beta-glucuronidase activity in the serum, urine and joint fluid was increased in patients with degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteomyelitis and osteogenic sarcoma etc. 2. The increased beta-glucuronidase activity in the serum and joint fluid of each disease does not show a specific finding about respective disease, but the increased beta-glucuronidase activity was statistically significant in the urine of all disease groups(male:p=0. 0041, female:p=0. 0001). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, it was suggested that beta-glucuronidase activity was affected by the orthopaedic disease and differed according to each specimen.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Glucuronidase* ; Humans ; Joints ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteomyelitis ; Osteosarcoma

Acute myocardial infarction after a bee sting is a very rare process. Among proposed mechanisms, vasospasm of the coronary artery is the most probable mechanism. Many mediators are included in the venom of wasps, and those mediators have vasoconstrictive properties and may constrict the coronary artery. Furthemore, those mediators have thrombogenic properties that lead to thrombogenesis in the coronary artery and aggravate myocardial ischemia. Epinephrine, commonly used in the management of anaphylactic shock, may further aggravate myocardial ischemia. We experienced two cases of acute myocardial infarction after a bee sting. In the first case, we could find no underlying abnormalities of the coronary vessel because the patient died during coronary angiography. In the second case, the electrocardiogram showed inferior wall myocardial infarction, but only mild stenosis of the right coronary artery was seen in coronary angiography.
Anaphylaxis ; Bees* ; Bites and Stings* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Venoms ; Wasps

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Infection with certain Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type is strongly associated with the development of dysplasia and cancer of the cervix uteri. About 70 HPV types have been identified and some 25 of these have been found in the genital tract. HPV typing has diagnostic and prognostic importance to discriminate between 'low', 'intermediate', 'high' risk types. A Polymerase Chain Reaction-Reverse Dot Blot Hybridization (PCR-RDBH) method was developed for typing of HPV with consensus biotinylated primer generated PCR products in a single test. We attempted to know the clinical usefulness of PCR-RDBH and also compared PCR-RDBH with Hybrid captureTM system (HCS) method in same specimens. METHODS: HPV typing was performed on cervical swab samples obtained from 100 women with abnormal cervical cytology: 37 with Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASCUS), 14 with Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (LGSIL), 44 with High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HGSIL) and 5 with invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. HPV PCR screening was tested with consensus biotinylated primer. If HPV PCR screening was positive, RDBH was done for the typing of HPV. In RDBH, biotinylated PCR product was used in hybridization with a membrane on which 12 different oligonucleotide probes (type 6/11/16/18/ 31/33/35/39/45/51/52/56) of genital HPV types had been immobilized. Hybrid captureTM system (HCS, Digene Diagnostics) was used for screening of HPV. RESULTS: Of 100 abnormal cervical cytology specimens, the positivity of HPV PCR screening was 67%. In 52 specimens, HPV could be typed by RDBH. Type 16 was the most frequent and mixed infection was found in 6 cases, all combined with type 16. Among the 13 cervical cancer specimens confirmed by biopsy, 12 specimens was found to be infected high and intermediate risk types of HPV. In cervical swab, there was signifincant discrepancy in positivity of HPV infection between PCR-RDBH and HCS method. In 51 cases, negative for PCR-RDBH, 16 cases (31%) were positive by HCS. In 49 cases, positive for PCR-RDBH, 15 cases (31%) were negative by HCS. CONCLUSIONS: PCR-RDBH method can do HPV typing fast and easy with non-radioactive biotinylated primer in cervical swab specimens. It is shown to be useful method for HPV typing and have a high clinical applicability. The results between PCR-RDBH and HCS methods show a significant discrepancy, so further investigation is needed.
Biopsy ; Cervix Uteri ; Coinfection ; Consensus ; Female ; Humans* ; Mass Screening ; Membranes ; Oligonucleotide Probes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Uterus

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

A 5-month-old male infant was referred by the pediatrician for nontender, left testicular enlarged mass. It was intratesticular round cyst 1.7 cm in diameter without internal echoes on ultrasonogram. After inguinal orchiectomy, pathologic report was intratesticular simple cyst. We report a rare case of intratesticularsimple cyst with a brief review of the literature.
Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Testis ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms*