Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma is a rare soft-tissue tumor of smooth muscle derivation that accounts for 2%-3% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Cutaneous leiomyosarcomas can be subdivided into dermal and subcutaneous leiomyosarcomas. Because of the different prognosis, it is important to distinguish between dermal and subcutaneous forms. Immunohistochemical stains, such as vimentin, smooth muscle actin (SMA), desmin, CD68, CD34, and S-100, may aid in the recognition of smooth muscle derivation and in the differentiation from other malignant spindle cell tumors. We report a case of cutaneous leiomyosarcoma on the extensor surface of the left thigh in a 61-year-old man.
Actins ; Coloring Agents ; Desmin ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Prognosis ; Sarcoma ; Thigh ; Vimentin

No abstract available.

We report a case of alopecia neoplastica in a 54-year-old woman, who presented with a 2 month history of a solitary 2X2 cm sized, erythematous hairless plaque on the vertex. Histological findings showed an extensive infiltration of tumor cells in the dermis, resulting in loss of the pilosebaceous structure. Tumor cells infiltrated in sheets or cords of cells, sometimes demonstrating glandular structures, and tumor cells formed small groups or single rows between thickened collagen bundles; the characteristic features of alopecia neoplastica.
Alopecia* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged

Chondroid syringoma, also known as `mixed tumor of the skin', is a kind of acquired hamartoma of folliculosebaceous-apocrine lineage. Histologically, it is characterized by the biphasic pattern, with epithelial structures enveloped by abundant stroma. We report a case of chondroid syringoma, as an asymptomatic nodule, on the upper lip of a 55-year-old male. Histologically, the tumor had both epithelial components with follicular differentiation and myxochondroid stroma.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic* ; Hamartoma ; Humans ; Lip ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: Scientific and epidemiologic studies have shown that several dermatoses of Vietnam veterans were caused by Agent Orange. Most of the previous studies on Vietnam veterans have been about the relationship between systemic diseases including limited dermatoses and Agent Orange, but there have been no clinical studies of dermatoses of Korean Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to find out the distribution and characteristics of dermatoses of Korean Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. METHODS: A total of 19, 262 Korean Vietnam veterans who received their first dermatological examination at Seoul Veterans Hospital between January 1997 and December 2003 were included in this study, which consisted of a skin examination and 15-item questionnaire. RESULTS: 1. The distribution of dermatoses groups were as follows: pruritus, psychocutaneous disorders, and neurocutaneous dermatoses (36.1%), dermatomycosis and deep mycosis (20.5%), eczema (11.6%), diseases of the skin appendages (3.6%), epidermal and adnexal nevi and tumors (2.1%), drug eruption, erythema, and urticaria (1.8%), and papulosquamous diseases (1.5%). 2. Pruritus (31.6%) was the most frequent dermatosis in all age groups. 3. The frequency of dermatoses related to exposure to Agent Orange were as follows: seborrheic dermatitis (4.8%), chronic urticaria (1.7%), psoriasis vulgaris (1.2%), xerotic eczema (0.5%), photosensitive dermatitis (0.2%), chloracne (0.1%), soft tissue sarcoma (0.1%), and malignant tumors (0.01%). 4. With regard to regional groups of dispatch in Vietnam, QuiNhon (20.1%) was the most frequent area of dispatch. There was no statistically significant difference in frequency of dermatoses related to exposure to Agent Orange between Dian, where larger amounts of Agent Orange were sprayed, and the other regional groups. 5. For duration of dispatch in Vietnam, there was no statistically significant difference in frequency of dermatoses related to exposure to Agent Orange between two groups of duration. CONCLUSION: This study showed the distribution and characteristics of dermatoses of Korean Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and may be helpful as the fundamental epidemiologic data of dermatoses of Korean Vietnam veterans for dermatologists to examine.
Chloracne ; Citrus sinensis* ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Dermatomycoses ; Drug Eruptions ; Eczema ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Erythema ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Nevus ; Pruritus ; Psoriasis ; Sarcoma ; Seoul ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Urticaria ; Veterans* ; Vietnam* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We report a case of warty dyskeratoma in a 59-year-old man. For 10 years, he had had an asymptomatic solitary 0.5x0.5 cm sized, erythematous, hard papule with a yellowish, central keratotic plug on the vertex. Histological findings showed a large cup-shaped, keratin-filled invagination of acanthotic epidermis, and a suprabasal cleft formation with corps ronds, grains and numerous villi at the lower portion of the invagination, the characteristic features of warty dyskeratoma.
Edible Grain ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Scalp*

BACKGROUND: Catenins are the associated protein with E-cadherin in the formation of adhesion complexes in normal and tumor cells related with epithelial differentiation and development of organ formation as well as in the tumor spread. The present study was aimed to find the distribution of alpha- and gamma-catenins in fetal skin development. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe the distribution of above two adhesion related proteins in the fetal skin during development, and to find its relationship by expression and their distribution pattern. METHODS: Skin was obtained from the scalp, chest, and sole of 21 human fetuses, ranging from 13 to 37 weeks of gestational age. Immunohistochemical staining was performed by the avidin biotin peroxidase complex method on paraffin embedded tissue using the anti-human monoclonal antibody against the human alpha- and gamma-catenins. RESULTS: alpha- and gamma-catenins were expressed strongly in basal cells of the epidermis and germ cells of skin adnexa, such as hair and eccrine glands at 13th week, followed by decreased basal cell expression. Increase in the suprabasal epithelium and differentiated adnexal epithelium, such as outer root sheath cells and eccrine ducts and glands at 18th week, and adult pattern in 23th week of gestation. Both showed similar distribution pattern in skin though gamma-catenin appeared two or three weeks later. alpha- and gamma-catenins are expressed not only in the epithelium of the skin, but also in the mesenchymal cells such as endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Though both catenins are more strongly expressed in the membrane portion, cytoplasmic expression is also noted. CONCLUSION: Both alpha- and gamma-catenin showed basically the same expression distribution pattern in the fetal skin developmental stage, suggesting that both adhesion molecules are highly related to each other in function and development of epidermis and adnexae of the skin in fetal stage.
Adult ; Avidin ; Biotin ; Cadherins ; Catenins ; Cytoplasm ; Eccrine Glands ; Endothelial Cells ; Epidermis ; Epithelium ; Fetus ; Fibroblasts ; gamma Catenin* ; Germ Cells ; Gestational Age ; Hair ; Humans ; Membranes ; Paraffin ; Peroxidase ; Pregnancy ; Scalp ; Skin* ; Thorax

Trichoblastoma is a benign cutaneous neoplasm that consists of follicular germinative cells. We report a case of trichoblastoma in a 58-year-old man. The tumor was presented as a solitary symmetrical shaped pedunculated 5.0x4.0x2.0cm sized multilobular tumor on right lower leg for 2 years. Histopathologic examination showed well circumscribed dermal tumor composed of multilobular tumor islands of palisaded basaloid epithelial cells. The tumoral lobules were concentrically surrounded by hyalinized collagen bundles with fibroblasts. The overall architecture was reminiscent of hair bulbs. Cytokeratin 14 stain showed positive reaction, but cytokeratin 10 stain showed negative reaction. The tumor was completely excised with clear margin. No sign of recurrence has been noted until 9 months later.
Collagen ; Epithelial Cells ; Fibroblasts ; Hair ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Islands ; Keratin-14 ; Keratins ; Leg ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: There has been no clinical study of skin problems of the amputee in Korea and at Veterans Hospital, we have experienced so many skin problems of amputees. OBJECTIVE: We tried to observe skin problems of amputees and to relate them with sweating, poor hygiene, poor fit of socket, mechanical trauma, and duration of wearing prosthesis. METHODS: 125 extremity amputees who visited the Seoul Veterans Hospital during the period of 5 years from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1998 were analyzed clinically. RESULTS: The study results are summarized as follows: 1. Among the 125 extremity amputees, the number of male patients was 124(99.2%) and that of female patients was 1(0.8%). The age distribution showed a peak incidence in the 7th decade(30.4%), followed by the 5th decade(28.8%), 6th decade(24.8%), and the mean age was 56.4 years. 2. The most common type of amputation was below the knee amputation(74 cases), the second was above the knee amputation(37 cases). 3. The duration of wearing prosthesis was above 20 years in 88 patients(70.4%), 16-20 years in 15(12%), 11-15 years in 11(8.8%), and 1-5 years in 6(4.8%). 4. The skin problems of the amputees were superficial fungal infection, chronic ulcer, intertriginous dermatitis, callus, corn, verrucous hyperplasia, verruca which were 63 cases(50.4%), 26 cases(20.80%), 17 cases(13.6%), 6 cases(4.8%), 5 cases(4%), 5 cases(4%), 3 cases(2.4%) respectively. 5. The predisposing factors of the dermatoses were mechanical trauma(84 cases) which acted as a cause of the chronic ulcer, intertriginous dermatitis, corn and callus, sweating(80 cases) and poor hygiene(11 cases) as those of superficial fungal infection, and poor fitting(6 cases) as that of verrucous hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: Superficial fungal infection and chronic ulcer were the main skin problems of the amputee. The longer the duration of wearing prosthesis, the more skin problems developed. The mechanical trauma and sweating were the major predisposing factors of stump dermatoses, especially of chronic ulcer and superficial fungal infection. Amputation is only the beginning of a long period of rehabilitation, and the treatment of the patient and the affected skin goes on for the rest of the patient's life. This clinical study suggests that the dermatologist must be concerned of the care of amputee's skin problems.
Age Distribution ; Amputation ; Amputees* ; Bony Callus ; Causality ; Dermatitis ; Extremities ; Female ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Hyperplasia ; Incidence ; Knee ; Korea ; Male ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Skin Diseases ; Skin* ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Ulcer ; Warts ; Zea mays

Mastocytosis is a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by abnormal growth and accumulation of mast cells in one or more organ systems. Urticaria pigmentosa represents the most common form of cutaneous mastocytosis in children and adults. We report a case of adult-onset urticaria pigmentosa in a 53-year-old man. The patient had pruritic multiple scattered well-demarcated brownish macules and papules on whole body for 4 years. Histopathologic examination showed diffuse and perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes and cuboidal mast cells in the upper dermis. Any sign or symptom of systemic involvement was not detected.
Adult ; Child ; Dermis ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Mast Cells ; Mastocytosis ; Mastocytosis, Cutaneous ; Middle Aged ; Urticaria Pigmentosa* ; Urticaria*