An Investigation into the Actual Condition of Outbreak and Treatment in Atopic Dermatitis / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: Social concern about atopic dermatitis is increasing these days, and there is much informations from the mass media. However, we have difficulties to diagnose and treat atopic dermatitis because there is no general guideline. So these studies were done to help establish guidelines for proper diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis. METHODS: The authors made up a questionnaire consisting of symptoms, environment, birth, diet, family history, previous treatment and common knowledge about atopic dermatitis. We studied moderate to severe atopic dermatitis patients, from February to August, 2003, using a survey containing 40 questions. We tested serum total IgE, specific IgE (Pharmacia, uni CAP), skin culture, complete blood counts, AST/ALT, and IgA. RESULTS: In our study results, the onset of atopic dermatitis, which was over moderate, was averaged 13 months after birth, and the earliest onset was 1 week after birth. The locations of skin lesion were lower extremities, face, buttocks, neck, and body, according to frequency. The most common type of housing was apartments. Many were getting breast milk feeding, had family members who smoke and most had no pets. Regardless of the severity of clinical manifestations, many patients did not have allergic tests and took just oriental medicine. Secondary infections were more common in patients who had fewer baths. CONCLUSION: Therefore the education of patients and their parents about etiology and progress of atopic dermatitis is needed. And for pediatricians, a general guideline of diagnosis and treatment needs to be established.

The Effect of Long-term Steroed Therapy combined with Azathioprine in Henoch-Schonlein Nephritis

We describe cytologic findings of two cases of pilomatrixoma which had been cytologically misdiagnosed as suspicious malignant and malignant lesions in 35 year-old and 22 year-old females who presented a palpable neck mass. The cytologic smears showed many basaloid cells with a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, nuclear hyperchromatism and prominent nucleoli, keratinized squamous cells with pyknotic nuclei, foreign body giant cells, and chronic inflammatory cells in necrotic background. Retrospective view of this aspiration smear revealed that these findings were characteristic features of pilomatrixoma, and the evenly distributed chromatin pattern as well as the lack of nuclear pleomorphism were considered to be the differential points from malignant neoplasm. Pilomatrixoma is a benign neoplasm which should be included in differential diagnosis if the fine needle aspiration cytologic smear of a neck mass or subcutaneous mass of any site showed these features.