Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lurasidone (160 mg/day) compared to quetiapine XR (QXR; 600 mg/day) in the treatment of acutely psychotic patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of double-blind treatment with lurasidone 160 mg/day (n=105) or QXR 600 mg/day (n=105). Primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline to week 6 in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score and Clinical Global Impressions severity (CGI-S) score. Adverse events, body measurements, and laboratory parameters were assessed. Results: Lurasidone demonstrated non-inferiority to QXR on the PANSS total score. Adjusted mean±standard error change at week 6 on the PANSS total score was -26.42±2.02 and -27.33±2.01 in the lurasidone and QXR group, respectively. The mean difference score was -0.91 (95% confidence interval -6.35–4.53). The lurasidone group showed a greater reduction in PANSS total and negative subscale on week 1 and a greater reduction in end-point CGI-S score compared to the QXR group. Body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference in the lurasidone group were reduced, with significantly lower mean change compared to QXR. Endpoint changes in glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein levels were also significantly lower. The most common adverse drug reactions with lurasidone were akathisia and nausea. Conclusion Lurasidone 160 mg/day was found to be non-inferior to QXR 600 mg/day in the treatment of schizophrenia with comparable efficacy and tolerability. Adverse effects of lurasidone were generally tolerable, and beneficial effects on metabolic parameters can be expected.

Background: Biologics-experienced patients are more likely to show a lower response to biologics than that of biologic-naïve patients. However, no consensus on switching biologics exists. Objective: We aimed to investigate the switching patterns and efficacy of the switched biologics in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in actual clinical practice. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included 37 patients with a history of switching biologics. We analyzed the reasons for switching, the switching patterns, and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 75 response rates after switching biologics. We also analyzed the factors affecting the PASI75 response rate to the second biologic. Results: The reasons for switching baseline biologics were primary failure in five patients (13.5%), secondary failure in 28 patients (75.7%), and adverse events in four patients (10.8%). The second biologics prescribed mostly include interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor in twenty-four patients (64.9%), IL-17 inhibitor in eight patients (21.6%), tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor in three patients (8.1%), and IL-12/23 inhibitor in two patients (5.4%). A total of 46% of patients (17/37) switched biologics from IL-12/23 inhibitors to IL-23 inhibitors. The PASI75 response rates at the primary endpoint of the second and third biologics were 89.2% and 88.8%, respectively. Our study found that female sex and obesity were associated with the primary failure of the second biologic. Conclusion Secondary failure was the most common reason for switching baseline biologics. Korean dermatologists prefer different classes of biologics while switching. The PASI75 response rates at the primary endpoints of the second and third biologics were relatively satisfactory.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of BOTULAX® in subjects with essential blepharospasm.METHODS: In this study, a total of 250 subjects with essential blepharospasm were enrolled at 15 investigational sites and a total of 220 subjects completed the study. The efficacy and safety were evaluated at weeks 4 and 16 after treatment compared with baseline. In total, 240 subjects were enrolled, treated with the investigational product, and evaluable for the primary efficacy assessment at week 4 after treatment; these subjects were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population. With the ITT set as the main efficacy set, efficacy assessment included Jankovic rating scale (JRS), functional disability score, investigator evaluation of global response and quality of life. Safety assessment including the incidence of adverse events was also performed.RESULTS: In terms of the primary efficacy endpoint (i.e., change in JRS total score at week 4 after treatment from baseline [ITT set]), mean change indicated a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.0001) and demonstrated the non-inferiority of the test drug to similar drugs. In terms of the secondary efficacy endpoints, mean change in JRS total score at week 16 after treatment and mean change in functional disability score at weeks 4 and 16 after treatment both exhibited a statistically significant reduction compared with baseline (p < 0.0001 for all). Among the 249 subjects treated with the investigational product in this study, 44 (17.67%) experienced 76 treatment emergent adverse events but no serious adverse events were observed.CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study results, BOTULAX® is considered to be an effective and safe treatment for essential blepharospasm.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the number of nationwide medical researches on psoriasis using the National Health Insurance Service database has been on the rise. However, identification of psoriasis using diagnostic codes alone can lead to misclassification. Accuracy of the diagnostic codes and their concordance with medical records should be validated first to identify psoriasis patients correctly. OBJECTIVE: To validate the diagnostic codes of psoriasis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision L40) and to find the algorithm for the identification of psoriasis. METHODS: We collected medical records of patients who received their first diagnostic codes of psoriasis during 5 years from five hospitals. Fifteen percent of psoriasis patients were randomly selected from each hospital. We performed a validation by reviewing medical records and compared 5 algorithms to identify the best algorithm. RESULTS: Total of 538 cases were reviewed and classified as psoriasis (n=368), not psoriasis (n=159), and questionable (n=11). The most accurate algorithm was including patients with ≥1 visits with psoriasis as primary diagnostic codes and prescription of vitamin D derivatives. Its positive predictive value was 96.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.9%~98.1%), which was significantly higher than those of the algorithm, including patients with ≥1 visits with psoriasis as primary diagnostic codes or including ≥1 visits with diagnostic codes of psoriasis (primary or additional) (91.0% and 69.8%). Sensitivity was 90.8% (95% CI, 87.2%~93.4%) and specificity was 92.5% (95% CI, 86.9%~95.9%). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates a validated algorithm to identify psoriasis, which will be useful for the nationwide population-based study of psoriasis in Korea.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is an uncommon disorder characterized by fever, polyarthralgia, elevated white blood cell count, and maculopapular rash, the histologic features of which have not been well known. A 54-year-old woman presented with fever, arthritis, and persistent pruritic lichenified rash. These cutaneous lesions showed unique histological features such as dyskeratosis with a peculiar, distinctive distribution in the upper epidermis and cornified layers with hyperkeratosis. In addition, dermal mucin deposition was increased, with inflammation and minimal fibroblast proliferation. The patient was diagnosed with AOSD according to the diagnostic criteria of Yamaguchi. Herein, we present an atypical form of AOSD showing distinctive clinical and pathological manifestations.
Arthralgia ; Arthritis ; Epidermis ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Middle Aged ; Mucins ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset*

BACKGROUND: The need for dermatological consultations for hospitalized patients has gradually increased and there are a number of dermatoses caused by underlying psychological conditions. However, the data regarding the analyses of these consultations for psychiatric inpatients are limited. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the demographics and the type of dermatoses among inpatients with primary psychiatric diseases. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 581 consultation reports for inpatients referred by the Department of Psychiatry between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014. RESULTS: The proportion of the consulted patients from the Department of Psychiatry was 25.9% (331 consulted inpatients/1279 psychiatric inpatients). The most common age group was the 40~49 year-old group (19.3%) and the male to female ratio was 1:1.14. There were no remarkable findings regarding the annual or seasonal distribution. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the most common underlying psychiatric disorders were mood disorders (41.0%), followed by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (25.0%), and substance-related disorders (12.1%). The most frequent skin disorders were eczematous dermatoses (34.6%) and infectious dermatoses (32.2%); dermatomycosis (20.8%) was especially common. The most common reasons for consultation were new-onset dermatologic problems (68.5%), followed by persistence or aggravation of pre-existing dermatologic disorders (28.7%). CONCLUSION: This study reports the dermatologic characteristics of psychiatric inpatients. We conclude that dermatologists and psychiatrists need to be concerned about the education and continuous management of various skin diseases in psychiatric patients.
Demography ; Dermatomycoses ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Male ; Mood Disorders ; Psychiatry ; Psychotic Disorders ; Referral and Consultation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Schizophrenia ; Seasons ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Substance-Related Disorders

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell*

Poroid hidradenoma is a benign tumor that is classified as a poroid neoplasm, and is so called because of its morphology, which is intermediate between the cytological features of a poroid neoplasm (poroid and cuticular cells) and the architectural features of a hidradenoma (solid and cystic areas, and tumor cells restricted to the dermis). As these tumors are cystic and superficially located, fine needle aspiration cytology has been useful, but the diagnosis relies on the histological examination. A 79-year-old woman presented with a solitary walnut-sized, soft, tender, reddish-to-bluish nodular lesion that had been enlarging steadily over a period of two years. Histopathologic examination of the cutaneous lesion showed a well-demarcated tumor composed of poroid and cuticular cells in the dermis not connected to the overlying epidermis, consistent with poroid hidradenoma. Herein, we present a rare case of poroid hidradenoma arising in an unusual location.
Acrospiroma* ; Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Poroma

BACKGROUND: Dermoscopy is a real-time, noninvasive technique that increases the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluation by the dermatologist. Characterization of facial actinic keratosis via dermoscopy is valuable in guiding the dermatologist in the differential diagnosis of facial skin lesions. To our knowledge, dermoscopic evaluation of actinic keratosis has not yet been reported in Korean literature. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the dermoscopic features of facial actinic keratosis in Koreans. METHODS: We examined 60 patients with facial actinic keratosis using dermoscopy. We determined the frequency of specific features revealed by dermoscopy across the Korean patient population and compared our results with those of other published studies. RESULTS: A total of 67 facial actinic keratoses were observed in 60 patients. The common features of non-pigmented actinic keratoses revealed by dermoscopy were a red pseudo-network (66%), white-to-yellow surface scales (48.9%), linear wavy vessels (38.3%), and targetoid hair follicles (42.6%). The common features of pigmented actinic keratoses revealed by dermoscopy were slate-grey dots (55%) and globules (30%), annular-granular pattern (35%), a brown-to-gray pseudo-network (40%), and targetoid hair follicles (30%). The frequency of specific features revealed by dermoscopy across the analyzed patient population was not significantly different from that reported in other studies, except for rhomboidal structures (5%), which was lower in Koreans than in other populations (35.8%, p<0.05). The frequency of dermoscopic features was different according to histopathologic subtypes (hypertrophic, atrophic, bowenoid, acantholytic actinic keratosis). CONCLUSION: Dermoscopy revealed specific features of facial actinic keratosis that can be utilized to evaluate and diagnose facial skin lesions.
Actins ; Dermoscopy* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Keratosis, Actinic* ; Skin ; Weights and Measures

Post-menopausal women experience variable biological and psychological changes. The effect of reduced levels of estrogen can effect on post-menopausal depression. Estrogen triggers physiological responses by binding to the estrogen receptor (ER). Two subtypes of ER, ERa and ERb are now known. We investigated the significance of ERa and ERb polymorphisms and post-menopasal depression in this study. Forty three women with post-menopausal depression and 63 post-menopausal women without depression as normal controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to investigate genotypes of ERa and ERb polymorphisms. Genotypes of PvuII and XbaI polymorphism of ERa receptor were significantly different in patients with post-menopausal depression comparing with controls. Genotypes of ERb did not show association with post-menopausal depression. Our study showed that ERa receptor polymorphism had an association with depression in post-menopausal women. It suggests that investigation of ER genes and their functions might be important for understanding pathophysilogical mechanism of post-menopausal depression.
Depression ; Estrogens ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Menopause