An Epidemiological Evaluation on the Sexual Partners of Male Patients with Sexually Transmitted Diseases / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: In the management of patients with sexually transmitted diseases(STD), contact tracing is fundamental to get the information of sexual partners to be responsible of STD transmission. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to obtain statistical data of the sexual partners for more effective STD control. METHOD: In order to obtain statistical knowledge of the sexual partners, we retrospectively reviewed medical records of 11,333 male patients who visited the Venereal Disease Clinic of Choong-Ku Public Health Center in Seoul from January 1986 to December 1995. RESULTS: As the source of STD transmission for 11,333 male patients, the so called 'high risk groups' comprised 77.6% including prostitutes 38.3%, bar girl 18.9% and call girl 20.6%. In other groups, the so called 'low risk groups' are as follows; girl friends 10.4%, acquaintance 7.6% and wife 3.5%. In regard to prevalence of STD, nongonococcal urethritis and gonorrhea comprised 46.4% and 42.9%, respectively while chancroid, syphilis, herpes progenitalis and condyloma acuminatum were 2.2%, 0.9%, 0.9% and 1.0% respectively. CONCLUSION: We obtained the epidemiological data of the sexual partners of patients with STD. This will help us make STD prevention strategies.

Localized Lichen Planus on the Lower Lip / 대한피부과학회지

We report two cases of localized lichen planus on the lower lip. They have no suspected lesions of lichen planus on the oral mucosa or other skin sites. Biopsy specimens showed epidermal and dermal changes of interface dermatitis consistent with lichen planus.

Erythema Multiforme due to Topical Application of Diphenylcyclopropenone(DPCP) / 대한피부과학회지

We report a case of erythema multiforme following topical application of diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), which occurred during the artificial induction of contact dermatitis in one of two volunteer patients of the objective structured clinical examination(OSCE). The characteristic polycyclic erythematous target-like lesions developed on both hands and forearms after fourth sensitization with 0.1% DPCP in a period of a week because of lack of response. In spite of systemic and topical corticosteroid treatment, the skin lesions lasted one month accompanied with dermographic urticaria. A minimal dose of DPCP can be used for initial sensitization to reduce the risk of a severe generalized eruption like erythema multiforme, although allergic reaction is less likely to be dose-dependent.

Frequencies of Serum IgA Autoantibodies and IgA-associated Clinical Features in Pemphigus, Bullous Pemphigoid and Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus (P; pemphigus vulgaris, PV; pemphigus foliaceus, PF), bullous pemphigoid (BP) and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) are autoimmune blistering skin diseases induced by IgG autoantibodies. In some cases of these diseases IgA autoantibodies can be detected at the lesional skin as well as in the sera. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to examine the frequencies of circulating disease-specific IgA autoantibodies in addition to IgG, in P, BP and EBA; possible clinical relevancies in connection with the presence of IgA autoantibodies in the sera were also reviewed with the patients in each disease. PATIENTS/METHODS: Twenty new patients of the individual diseases who showed positive indirect immunofluorescence findings of IgG were selected. Immunoblotting and multi-step immunostaining were performed ('amplified alkaline phosphatase immunoblot' preparations [Bio-Rad BRL]) with patients' sera using tissue antigens of A431 cell culture-extracts. RESULTS: Among the above 20-patient groups in P, 7 cases (PV 3, PF 4) were positive for serum IgA autoantibodies. In BP and EBA, 4 cases and 16 cases were positive for circulating IgA autoantibodies, respectively. Between the positivity-rate found in each category, patients with EBA showed a significant high positive frequency of 80% as compared with others having P or BP (p>0.045). There were no statistically significant clinical correlations between the serologic findings of IgA-positivities and the clinical expressions of the diseases including mucous membrane involvements in each disease (p>0.3). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency-rates of dual expressions of autoantibodies, IgG and IgA, were relatively lower in patients with P (35%) and BP (20%) than those patients with EBA showing a significant high rate (80%). Clinical relevancies with the presence of serum IgA autoantibodies were not seen in this study, perhaps indicating further immunopathological and clinical evaluations might be necessary to define the role of IgA autoantibodies in each disease.

Neurilemmoma: A Dome-lesion on the Palm / 대한피부과학회지

We report a solitary neurilemmoma on the left palm that occured in a 19-year-old man. The mass was a 1 * 1.2 * 0.7cm sized dome which was located between the thenar and hypothenar on the left palm. A biopsy specimen showed histological findings consistent with neurilemmoma:circumscribed nuclear palisading with Verocay bodies.