Vitamin D (vit-D) is essential for bone health, although many osteoporosis patients have low levels of 25-hydroxy-vit-D [25(OH)D]. This randomized, open-label study compared the effects of once weekly alendronate 70 mg containing 5600 IU vit-D3 (ALN/D5600) to alendronate 70 mg without additional vit-D (ALN) on the percent of patients with vit-D insufficiency [25(OH)D <15 ng/mL, primary endpoint] and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH, secondary endpoint) levels in postmenopausal, osteoporotic Korean women. Neuromuscular function was also measured. A total of 268 subjects were randomized. Overall, 35% of patients had vit-D insufficiency at baseline. After 16-weeks, there were fewer patients with vit-D insufficiency in the ALN/D5600 group (1.47%) than in the ALN group (41.67%) (p<0.001). Patients receiving ALN/D5600 compared with ALN were at a significantly decreased risk of vit-D insufficiency [odds ratio=0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00-0.08]. In the ALN/D5600 group, significant increases in serum 25(OH)D were observed at weeks 8 (9.60 ng/mL) and 16 (11.41 ng/mL), where as a significant decrease was recorded in the ALN group at week 16 (-1.61 ng/mL). By multiple regression analysis, major determinants of increases in serum 25(OH)D were ALN/D5600 administration, seasonal variation, and baseline 25(OH)D. The least squares mean percent change from baseline in serum PTH in the ALN/D5600 group (8.17%) was lower than that in the ALN group (29.98%) (p=0.0091). There was no significant difference between treatment groups in neuromuscular function. Overall safety was similar between groups. In conclusion, the administration of 5600 IU vit-D in the ALN/D5600 group improved vit-D status and reduced the magnitude of PTH increase without significant side-effects after 16 weeks in Korean osteoporotic patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Alendronate/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Cholecalciferol/adverse effects/deficiency/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/*drug therapy ; Vitamin D Deficiency/*drug therapy

Hypereosinophilic syndrome is characterized by persistent blood eosinophilia of 1,500/mm3 or more in the absence of known causes and multiorgan dysfunction by eosinophil-related tissue damage. In Korea, some cases of hypereosinophilic syndrome with hepatic involvement have been described with prolonged benign clinical courses. Most of them were diffuse or multifocal lesions in imaging studies, and any case presenting as a large single mass lesion has not been described. Herein we report a case of hypereosinophilic syndrome with hepatic involvement in a 48-year-old woman who presented with a giant single mass. By abdominal CT scan, a lobulated well-margined heterogenous mass lesion was detected in the left lateral segment of the liver. Liver biopsy revealed severe eosinophilic infiltration and centrilobular necrosis of hepatocytes. The lesion completely disappeared after steroid administration for eleven months.
English Abstract ; Eosinophils/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome/*diagnosis ; Liver/pathology ; Liver Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged

Cavernous hemangiomas are unusual tumors with a propensity for skin and liver involvement and rarely involving adrenal gland.Adrenal hemangiomas are nonfunctioning tumors, usually discovered at autopsy. In 1955, Johnson and Jeppensen reported the first adrenal hemangioma to be removed surgically.One case of emangioma of the adrenal gland was reported in Korea. We report a case of a cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal gland which was successfully treated surgically.In addition, we review the clinical, radiographic, and pathologic features of this disease. With the advance of diagnostic thchniques in arterography, ultrasound, and computerized tomography, preoperative recognition and diagnosis should be simplified and surgical removal carried out to rule out possible malignancy, preclude traumatic rupture, or relieve symptoms of the mass.
Adrenal Glands* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Korea ; Liver ; Rupture ; Skin ; Ultrasonography

Leiomyosarcomas make up approximately 1 to 3% of all gastric neoplasms. The most prevalent age group was 6th and 7th decades. The main symptoms and signs were abdominal pain and bleeding. They most frequently involve gastric body and often ulcerate and bleed. Diagnosis can be established only by exploratory operation and histologic examination. Leiomyosarcomas rarely invade adjacent viscera and characteristically do not metastasize to lymph nodes, but they may spread to the liver and lungs. The treatment of choice is surgical resection. We report two cases of gastric leiomyosarcoma which was successfully treated surgically.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach* ; Ulcer ; Viscera

Studies on epidemiological aspects of contact dermatitis have been published in recent years since the introduction of standardized method of patch test.However, most previous epidemiologic reports studied patients with allergic contact dermatitis in hospitals with patcb testing. Such data are not directly applicable to the population at large. Very recentiy there are a few reports ahout rates of exposure and patch test reactivity to certain antigens in a general population. which is difficult to be applicable in a developing country at present. With regard to this, we have tried to analyze the contact dermatitis questionaire containing various items of common causative agents producting contact dermatitis (for example, metals, cosmetics, plants, medicaments and rubber etc.) for the detection of past contact dermatitis histories in a total new dermatologic outpatients. A11 2258 dermatologic outpatients entered this study including 303 contact dermatitis patients (allergic contact dermatitis, primary irritant dermatitis and housewife eczema). We also analyzed the patch test results of 107 patients with suggesting contact dermatitis who visited our hospital at the same period of collecting questionaires. The study results were as follows. 1. Positive rate of each item of the questionaire (No. of said Yes/ No. of responders) was metals, 10.4% cosmetics, 31.8%, plants, 18.2%; medicaments, 12.4%; rubber, 5.8%; and others, 11.7%. 2. The most common all regens of the patch test positive reactions were nickel sulfate (9.3%), fragrance mix(9.3%), formaldehyde(6.5%), potassium dichromate (5.6%), neomycin sulfate (5.6%), balsam of Peru (4.7%), cobalt chloride(3.7%), wood tar(3.7%) and paraphenylene diamine (2.8%) in order of frequency. And the patch test positive rate of commercial cosmetic products was 10.3%. In conclusion, cosmetics, medicaments, metals, plants and rarely rubber are found the most common etiologic agents of contact dermatitis in this study. The reasons and back-ground of the results were also discussed in various aspects.
Cobalt ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dermatitis, Irritant ; Developing Countries ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Humans ; Metals ; Neomycin ; Nickel ; Outpatients ; Patch Tests ; Peru ; Potassium Dichromate ; Rubber ; Wood

Clinical trials were done to obtain ifnormation on the clinical efficacy, tolerance and side effects of a new antihistarnine, Mecloprodine(Tavegyl), in various skin disordetrs. A total of 48 patients suffered from various skin disorders as urticaria, eczema etc. v ere treated with 2mg. daily for 3 days to 15 days according to state of disorders. The results are as follows. 1. Improvement was noticed in 79.2% of total patients(38/48). 2. Tavegyl was efiective in all 8 cases of acute urticaria and most cases(7/8) of urticaria factitia. 3. Among 19 cases of chronic urticaria, improvement was noticed in 13 cases(68. 49). Improvement was alsa noticed in all 6 cases of eczema. 5. Drowsiness and weakness cccurred in 6.2% of cases(3/48).
Clemastine* ; Eczema ; Humans ; Skin ; Sleep Stages ; Urticaria

A case oof erythema elevatum diutinum in 30-year old male was described. Reviewing literatures, this disease is very rare and is the first case to be reported in Korea. There were persistant elevated hard brownish red nodulo-infiltrated plaques which were symmetrically distributed especia]ly over the shins, elbows, knees, ear lobes, buttocks, and dorsal surfaces of the hands, feet, fingers, and toes, accompanied by occasional mild itching. These skin eruption were started from the erythematous papulo-vesicular macules which developed on the left shin and wrist about 7 years previously. He has also had a long-standing encapsulated pleural effusion with marked pleural thickening in left lower chest which was diagnosed 3 years ago. The serum IgG was noted to be increased. Histological examination of skin lesions revea]ed leucocytoclastic angiitis and sevrer perivascular fibrosis in older lesions.
Adult ; Buttocks ; Ear ; Elbow ; Erythema* ; Fibrosis ; Fingers ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Knee ; Korea ; Male ; Pleural Effusion ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Thorax ; Toes ; Vasculitis ; Wrist

The depigmenting activity of 4-isopropylcatechol and hydroquinone, and the behaviour of salicylic acid affecting to the activity were studied. To the hydrophilic ointment base, 4-isopropylcatechol and hydroquinone were incorperated respectively in concentrations of l% and 3%, and to these creams, salicylic acid was also added in concentration of 3% and 5% respectively. These creams were applied topically to the epilated skins of the back of black guinea pigs once a day for 3 weeks. Followings were the results: 1) The depigmenting activity was found to be more potent in 4-isopropylcatechol than in hydroquinone. 2) The depigmenting activity of hydroquinone was found to be remarkably accelerated by the addition of salicylic acid. 3) The skins of guinea pigs were found to be mildly irritated by the application of both 4-isopropylcatechol and hydroquinone.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Guinea Pigs ; Salicylic Acid ; Skin

Generalized pustular psorissis which is originary described by von Zumbusch in 1910, is the most intense form of the acute exanthematic variant among psoriasis and it is to be occured as a rare disease. We presented a case of generalized pustular psoriasis of a 16 year-old girl, who suddenly developed wide spread pustules during the acute exacerbating course of the psoriasis which had started from the primary plaque on her left anterior chest one month ago. She was free from subjective symptom. As the objective sign, the leukocytosis was only one of the significant laboratory findings. All skin lesions were almost eleared by the oral administration of methotrexate in 3 months.
Administration, Oral ; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Methotrexate ; Psoriasis* ; Rare Diseases ; Skin ; Thorax

Two cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis, especially one of which was verrucous type in baby aged 4 months, were described. Throush the literatures the verrucous manifestation in baby was not yet reported. It is known that verrucous sporotrichosis is to be developed in individual who has had local and general resistance obtained by the previous cutaneous infection or by the infection of internal organ. But no such evidences were noticed in our case.
Sporotrichosis*