PURPOSE: In this study, the effect of micro-macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate(MBCP) incorporated with inorganic polyphosphate for bone regeneration in the calvaria of rabbit was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The procedure of guided bone regeneration was performed with titanium reinforced expanded polytetrafluoroethylene(TR-ePTFE) membrane. Four animal groups were compared : 1) TR-ePTFE membrane for negative control group, 2) TR-ePTFE membrane filled with MBCP for positive control group, 3) TR-ePTFE membrane filled with MBCP soaked in 4% inorganic polyphosphate for experimental group I, and 4) TR-ePTFE membrane filled with MBCP soaked in 8% inorganic polyphosphate for experimental group II. RESULTS: 1. Negative control group showed the highest new bone formation at 16 weeks. 2. Positive control group showed the smallest new bone formation compared to other groups. 3. 8% inorganic polyphosphate induced more volume of bone formation, otherwise experimental group II did not show significant difference compared to negative control group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that inorganic polyphosphate has a promoting effect on bone regeneration, possibly by enhancing osteoconductivity of the carrier and by increasing osteoinductivity of the defected alveolar bone tissue.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Regeneration ; Calcium ; Hydroxyapatites ; Membranes ; Osteogenesis ; Skull ; Titanium

Telangiectasis is defined as permanent visible dilatation of the cutaneous blood vessels. Clinically, its diameter ranges from 0.1 to 1.0 mm which represents either an expanded venule, an capillary, or sometimes an arteriole on the face. Until now, many treatment methods have been reported such as various laser therapy, sclerotherapy, electrodessication and so on. We used superpulse CO2 laser to remove nasal telangiectasis in 8 patients between May 2004 and July 2007. Laser therapy was done in continual 5 sessions with intervals of 3 - 5 weeks. In each session, laser beam was shot to the point of the bifurcation, trifurcation of telangiectatic vessels or to the points of the widest diameter. In each point, shots of the laser beam were repeated 5 times to reach deep dermis. The laser setting was 7 W with 0.5 mm diameter in superpulse mode. Photographs were taken before and after procedures to ascertain the changes of nasal telangiectasis. Our results showed that the main lesions were cleared effectively. We think that irradiation of CO2 laser onto the bifurcating points can be a valuable tool to treat nasal telangiectasis.
Arterioles ; Blood Vessels ; Capillaries ; Carbon ; Dermis ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Gas ; Nose ; Sclerotherapy ; Telangiectasis ; Venules

Larsen syndrome is a rare congenital connective tissue disorder which is characterized by multiple dislocation of major joints, typical facial appearance, cervical spine narrowing and instability, and respiratory difficulties secondary to laryngotracheomalacia. We describe a case of general anesthesia for orthopedic operations in female infant consistent with Larsen syndrome. The patient showed hypercapnia intraoperatively, but recovered without any sequelae.
Anesthesia, General ; Connective Tissue ; Dislocations ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercapnia* ; Infant ; Joints ; Orthopedics ; Spine

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by a necrotizing vasculitis of small and medium-sized artery, which can involve several organs, such as, the kidney, skin, peripheral nerves, muscle, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. In addition to systemic involvement of the classical PAN, a localized disease of the gallbladder, uterus, testis, and skin has been reported. In particular, a limited involvement of the breast is an unusual manifestation of PAN and usually runs a favorable prognosis when compared with the classical PAN. We describe a 64-year-old female patient who had a limited disease of PAN on both the breasts. She presented with mass-like lesions on both the breasts. After surgical excision of the breast lesions, she has been doing well with only a low dosage of prednisolone.
Arteries ; Breast* ; Female ; Gallbladder ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Kidney ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; Peripheral Nerves ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Prednisolone ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Testis ; Uterus ; Vasculitis

No abstract available.
Eczema* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption* ; Simplexvirus*

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disease, involving several organs. It is well known that there are the marked regional differences in the disease expression of BD. In case of the vascular involvement in BD, the frequency rate has been described in 25~30% among the patients from the MiddLe East, whereas it has been noted in 5~15% in our country. In general, BD associated with large vessel lesions is named vasculo-BD. On the other hand, the cardiac involvement in BD has rarely been reported in the literature. Ebstein anomaly is a kind of malformation that is characterized by a downward displacement of the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. We reported a 54-year-old male patient with vasculo-BD who had inferior vena cava obstruction and Ebstein anomaly. The association of Ebstein anomaly with vasculo-BD is considered to be coincidental. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Ebstein anomaly associated with BD.
Ebstein Anomaly* ; Hand ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Middle East ; Tricuspid Valve ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Systemic polyarteritis nodosa is a necrotizing vasculitis that involves small and medium-sized muscular arteries in the multiple organ systems, whereas cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPAN) is a localized disease characterized by necrotizing vasculitis of small and medium-sized arteries in the skin without life-threatening organ involvement. CPAN is usually limited to skin, muscle, and joints. It is chronic but takes a benign course. The most common cutaneous manifestations include nodules, ulcers and a livedo reticularis pattern on the extremities. We describe three cases with CPAN showing necrotizing vasculitis on the skin without systemic symptoms or visceral involvement. In Korea, most previously published cases with CPAN have shown a good response to a short term of corticosteroids or colchicine administration. However, two of our three patients required another immunosuppressive agent in addition to corticosteroids to manage their intractable skin lesions, and the remaining one showed a good response to a short course of prednisolone. In addition, there was one patient with CPAN having hepatitis B surface antigen, which might be associated with his refractory skin disease.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Arteries ; Colchicine ; Extremities ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Livedo Reticularis ; Polyarteritis Nodosa* ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Ulcer ; Vasculitis

The investigation was aimed to determine prognostic factors related to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and treatment options for preventing PHN. The data showed 34 (17.0%) out of 188 patients with herpes zoster had severe pain after 4 weeks, and 22 (11.7%) after 8 weeks, compared with 109 (58.0%) at presentation. The age (>or=50 yr), surface area involved (>or=9%), and duration of severe pain (>or=4 weeks) might be the main factors that lead to PHN. On the other hand, gender, dermatomal distribution, accompanied systemic conditions, and interval between initial pain and initiation of treatment might not be implicated in PHN. The subjects were orally received antiviral (valacyclovir), tricyclic antidepressant (amitriptyline), and analgesic (ibuprofen) as the standard treatment in the group 1. In addition to the standard medication, lidocaine solution was sub- and/or perilesionally injected in the group 2, while lidocaine plus prilocaine cream was topically applied to the skin lesions in the group 3. The rates of PHN in the 3 treatment groups were not significantly different, suggesting adjuvant anesthetics may not be helpful to reduce the severity of pain.
Acyclovir/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Amitriptyline/administration & dosage ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/administration & dosage ; Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage ; Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Herpes Zoster/*complications/drug therapy/physiopathology ; Humans ; Ibuprofen/administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia/drug therapy/*etiology/physiopathology/prevention & control ; Prognosis ; Time Factors ; Valine/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells'syndrome) is an uncommon skin disorder. We report two adult male patients who had recurrent erythematous plaques and a nodular lesion on the abdomen. The histopathologic feature of their skin biopsies similarly indicated a marked infiltrate of eosinophils in the dermis with the fashion of "flame figures". One of the patients demonstrated blood eosinophilia. Given the clinicohistological findings, the patients fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of eosinophilic cellulitis. The skin lesions remained refractory to medications such as corticosteroids, sulfones, antihistamines, and minocycline. Considering the beneficial effect of cyclosporine in the treatment of eosinophilia-associated dermatoses, we speculated that eosinophilic cellulitis might respond to cyclosporine therapy. Thus, each of the two patients was given cyclosporine (microemulsion formulation) at a daily dose of 1.25 or 2.5 mg/kg, i.e., 100 or 200 mg, respectively. Complete remission of the skin eruptions was obtained in both patients during a 3- or 4-week period of treatment. No side effects were observed. Neither of the patients experienced relapse of the disease at least over 10 months after the discontinuation of the cyclosporine therapy. We suggest that administration of low-dose cyclosporine be a safe and useful therapeutic option in patients with eosinophilic cellulitis.
Adult ; Case Report ; Cellulitis/*drug therapy ; Cyclosporine/*therapeutic use ; Eosinophilia/*drug therapy ; Human ; Immunosuppressive Agents/*therapeutic use ; Male

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) appears to develop in association with kidney transplantation, but unlikely with dialysis. We report two cases of classic KS that occurred in patients receiving short-term (less than 3 yr) dialysis. They have been suffering from chronic renal failure due to tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus, respectively. Several to multiple, reddened-violaceous patches, plaques and nodules were found on the hand and the lower extremities. Laboratory studies showed no evidence suggesting immunosuppressed state and there was no history of taking immunosuppressive agents. The biopsies of the two cases revealed proliferation of spindle-shaped cells focally arranged in bundles and multiple dilated vascular spaces outlined by an attenuated endothelium with intravascular and extravasated erythrocytes. The specimens expressed positivity with CD34 antigen. Human herpesvirus 8 (Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) was detected in one case by polymerase chain reaction method.
Aged ; Case Report ; Herpesvirus, Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated/isolation & purification ; Human ; Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Age ; Renal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Sarcoma, Kaposi/virology ; Sarcoma, Kaposi/therapy ; Sarcoma, Kaposi/etiology*