Solitary circumscribed neuroma is a benign nerve sheath tumor of unknown etiology. Clinically, it appears as a long-standing, solitary, asymptomatic, skin-colored papule or papulonodule. It has been found predominantly on the face in both sexes, mostly in middle age. A 53-year-old female patient visited our department because of a nodule on the side of the distal interphalangeal joint of the left second finger. A biopsy specimen showed a well-circumscribed, partially encapsulated tumor composed of interlacing fascicles of spindle cells. Neither pleomorphism nor mitosis was found. Immunohistochemical stainings for vimentin, neuron specific enolase (NSE) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were positive, but negative for S-100 protein and smooth muscle actin (SMA). We herein report an uncommon case of solitary circumscribed neuroma.
Actins ; Biopsy ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Joints ; Middle Aged ; Mitosis ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neuroma* ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; S100 Proteins ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Keloids may occur at any age, but tend tend velop between the ages of 10 and 30. The incidence and median age of onset are equal for both sexes. Keloids are common among the darker pigmented rices, but there have been a few clinia studies of keloids in Korea. OBJECTIVE: The purpcse of this study was to evaluate the variable clinical characteristics of keloids in Korea. METHODS: This clinical investigation was made with 223 of patients of keloid who had visited the Department of Derrnatology, Chonnam University Hosptal from January 1984 to December 1993. RESULTS: 1.The annual incidenie averaged over 10 years was 0.831 (361 cases of total 43,752 outpatients). 2.The ratio of male to female was 1: 0.94(Male. 115, Feila 108). 3.The mean age of the onset and at the first visit to our hospital were 24.5years and 29.2 years respectively. 4.In our series tte presternal area was the most commor saes, the shouder region next. Most keloids on the shoulder were related to BCG vaccination in ifoncy or chilhood. 5.The precipitating fa ctors associated with keloid were riaeeding dermatologic diseases(33.2 %), unknown(17.9%) rejection & vaccination(15.2%), operation(13.9%), burn(13.9%) and laceration(5.8%) in descending order. 6.Among preceeding as, iociated dermatologic diseases, acne w s the most common. 7. A positive family history is more likely in cases of mitile keloidal (p<0,001), and severe keloidal formation. 8.Most patients did not. complain of any symptorns(45.3%) nd a symptom of pain or tenderness(40.8%) was piesert rather than pruritus(13.9%). 9.The most prevaent tr eatment modality was intralesional injection with triamcinolone acetonide (84.3%). CONCLUSION: According, to this study, usually keloids occore in patients between 10 and 29 years of age, and most keloids were located on the antetio partion of the chest, shoulders, and face and scalp. A positive family history is more likely in as of multiple, severe keloidal for mation.
Acne Vulgaris ; Age of Onset ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intralesional ; Jeollanam-do ; Keloid* ; Korea ; Male ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Scalp ; Shoulder ; Thorax ; Triamcinolone Acetonide ; Vaccination

Prosthetic replacement was performed in 31 patients (32 cases) with femoral neck fractures at National Medical Center from 1968 to 1981. We reviewed the records of 28 patients having Austin-Moore prosthetic arthroplasty in 29 cases, and of 3 patients having Thompson prosthetic arthroplasty; then obtained following results. l. Of the 31 patients, 23 were female and 8 were male. The left hip was involved in 20 patients, right in 10, and the both sides in one. 2. The age range was between 35 and 84 years, with the average age of 61.2 years. 74.2% of patients were older than 51 years of age. 3. The most common cause of fracture was slipping or fall (65.6%), and the fracture sites were subcapital in 11 (34.4%), transcervical in 12 (37.4%), and basilar in 3 (9.4%). 4. Three cases (9.4%) were operated within a week, and 21 cases (65.6%) more than 3 weeks after injury. Good results were obtained in fresh fracture which was operated within a week. 5. In comparing the blood loss in Moores and modified Gibson's surgical approaches, the average total loss by the former was 1,290 ml and 1,720 ml by the latter. 6. In complications, one case of fracture of the posterior rim of acetabulum with subsequent subluxation and two cases of fracture of the greater trochanter were notable as operative complicatiens. 7. In a follow-up study averaging 13.1 months, good to excellent results were obtained in 8 cases, fair in 6, poor or bad in 5, respectively.
Acetabulum ; Arthroplasty ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur ; Femur Head ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Male

Leiomyosarcoma arising in the skin is rare tumor, and diagnosis usually is made microscopically. After local excision, these lesions recur in large proportion of pat ients. The authors herein report a 53-year-old male with leiomyosarcoma appeared in the skin of the right forearm and presenting as a dark reddish colored, 5*6cm in diameter, superficial ulcerated single firm nodule with intermittent pain. Histopathological examination showed poorly circumscribed tumor consisting of interlacing bundles of spindle shaped smooth muscle cells in the middle and lower parts of the dermis. The nuclei were hyperchromatic, large, vacuolated, and irregular in shape. Electron microscopic findings revealed cytoplasmic organelles such as rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria of malignant smooth muscle cells in the paranuclear area, Characteristic subsarcoelmmal caveolae and dense plaque were noted and myofilaments were distributed in the peripheral cytoplasm. The tumor did not recur in 10 months' follow-up.
Caveolae ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondria ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myofibrils ; Organelles ; Skin* ; Ulcer

No abstract available.
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli* ; Enterotoxins*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: It has become generally accepted that cigarette smoking contributes to accelerated coronary and peripheral vascular disease, pulmonary fibrosis and periodontal disease. Moreover, it has been postulated that cigarette smoking causes skin-aging. Many of cutaneous manifestations of nicotine which is a major component of the particulate phase of tobacco smoke are related to its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects on the peripheral vascular system. How-ever, direct effect of nicotine on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including collagens is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of nicotine on type I collagen gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts. METHODS: After exposure to different doses of nicotine on cultured human skin fibroblasts, we examined the expressions of α1(I) procollagen gene and fibronectin gene by Northern blot analysis and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay with CAT construct containing the 3.5 kb COL1A2 promoter. RESULTS: In Northern blot hybridization, steady-state levels of α1(I) procollagen mRNA were decreased 0.8-fold at 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5-fold at 10 µg/mL and 0.2-fold at 100 µg/mL, compared to untreated control. Those of fibronectin mRNA were decreased 0.9-fold, 0.7-fold, and 0.3-fold, respectively. In CAT assay, the relative COL1A2 CAT activity was 1.0 in the untreated control, 0.7 at a concentration of 1 µg/mL of nicotine, 0.5 at 10 µg/mL, and 0.3 at 100 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that nicotine is a down-regulator of collagen gene expression at transcriptional level in vitro. We speculate that nicotine may contribute to the skin-aging by modulation of extracellular matrix gene expression including collagen as well as by its vasoconstrictive and thrombotic effects.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibronectins ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Nicotine* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Procollagen ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco

No abstract available.
Granuloma* ; Leprosy, Lepromatous*

Cutaneous metastatic tumors on the scalp from the rectum are very A 66-year-old male presented a nodule and papule an his scalp three months after surgical removal of a rectal adenocarcinorna. Biopsy specien from the scalp showed adenocarcinoma which is similar to the primary rectal carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; Rectum* ; Scalp*

The tracheostomy is increasingly being performed. In most cases, the tracheostomy sites are left to heal by secondary intention, so it leaves a depressed and wide scar that is cosmetically disfigured. Another problem os that the scar is also attached directly to the trachea itself and will move vertically with the trachea during the act of swallowing. Even though the tracheostomy scar is cosmetically acceptable, the mobility and retraction of the scar is a continual nuisance to the patient. We performed a retrospective study on 9 patients who had undergone revision of the depressed thracheostomy scar by the Renner Method from June, 1997 to February, 1999. The method includes transverse fusiform incision of the original scar and excision of the depressed portion of the scar to the level of the trachea itself. To prevent attachment of the skin and trachea, a bilateral subcutaneous flap and muscle flap were simply advanced to the midline and overlapped. Then the rest of scar that was not depressed was deepithelized and flipped to augment the soft tissue volume in the central depressed area. Satisfactory results were achieved in all patients without hematoma, infection, hypertrophic scar, and keloid formation. We believe this simple Renner method is one of the best ways of performing posttracheostomy scar revision.
Cicatrix* ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Deglutition ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Intention ; Keloid ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Trachea ; Tracheostomy