Baumann Skin Type in the Korean Female Population

BACKGROUND: To meet the need for a subspecialized skin type system, the Baumann skin type (BST) system was proposed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of BST types and influencing factors among Korean women. METHODS: BST questionnaires were administered to 1,000 Korean women. The possible responses were as follows: oily (O) or dry (D), sensitive (S) or resistant (R), pigmented (P) or non-pigmented (N), and wrinkled (W) or tight (T). The correlations of the BST with the subjects' age, location, ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure, drinking and smoking habits, and blood type were assessed. RESULTS: The OSNT, DSNT, DRNT, and OSNW skin types were the most common skin types (55.3%). The O, S, P, and W types accounted for 46.6%, 68.8%, 23.2%, and 31.9%, respectively. The proportion of the O and S type was the highest in Gyeongsangbuk-do (55.0%) and Seoul (77.2%). The proportion of the P and W type was the highest in Gyeongsangbuk-do (33.0%) and Chungcheong-do (39.0%). The O type decreased in the higher age group, whereas the P and W type showed a reversed tendency. In smokers, the proportion of W type was significantly higher than in the non-smokers (66.3% vs. 24.1%, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The 4 most common BST types were OSNT, DSNT, DRNT, and OSNW. In the comparison across the 4 BST parameters according to the age, region, smoking and drinking habits, occupation, blood type, and UV exposure, significant differences were observed. Individualized and customized skin care is required according to the personal skin type.

The Clinical and Histopathological Study of Ota's Nevus / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Ota's nevus, characterized by the presence of melanocytes in the dermis, has been familiar among dermatologists, but the etiology, the pathophysiology, the clinical and histological classification are not entirely clear. To understand and elucidate them, more clinical studies and researches are necessary. OBJECT: The aim of this study was to document the clinical and histopathological features of Ota's nevus. METHODS: We examined 299 patients with Ota's nevus who visited the dermatology clinic in Korea from February 1993 to August 2003. Among them, 188 patients were biopsied. All the specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. We examined the age & sex distribution, age of onset, seasonal variation, associated skin diseases, aggravating factors and color. We clinically classified Ota's nevus into 4 types according to Tanino's classification and histologically into 5 types based on the pattern of pigmentation. RESULTS: 1. The ratio of male and female was 1: 3. 2. The peak age of onset was at birth (28.4%) and puberty (24.8%). 3. Seasonal variation was observed with distinct aggravation in the summer (60%). 4. The associated diseases were 9 cases of persistent mongolian spot, 6 cases of nevus flameus, 4 cases of blue nevus, 3 cases of vitiligo, 3 cases of nevus of Ito, 2 cases of atopic dermatitis, 2 cases of psoriasis, 2 cases of cafe au late macules and 2 cases of contact dermatitis. 5. The aggravating factors were sunlight (35.8%), emotional stress (21.0%), menstruation (12.6%), cold exposure (9.5%), pregnancy (9.5%), fatigue (9.5%) and chemical agents (2.1%). 6. The color of lesions were blue black (36.8%), brown (34.8%), dark brown (16.1%) and slate (11.0%). 7. All cases were classified according to Tanino's METHODS: type Ia (23.1%), type Ib (20.1%), type II (26.7%), type III (9.4%), type IV (20.7%). 8. The histological subtypes of Ota's nevus were classified as: the superficial type (35.6%); the middermis type (5.9%), the superficial-middermis type (18.6%); the mid-lower dermis type (2.7%); the diffuse type was composed of the superficial dominant type (19.7%), the middermis dominant type (4.8%), the dispersed (true diffuse) type (12.2%) and the deep dominant type (0.5%). 9. In the relation between histological types and the color of the lesion: the superficial type had 31 cases of brown color, 15 cases of blue black color, 11 cases of dark brown color and 9 cases of slate color; the middermis type had 6 cases of blue black color and 2 cases of dark brown color, query number of cases of slate color; the superficial-middermis type had 12 cases of blue black color, 10 cases of dark brown color, 7 cases of brown color and 6 cases of slate color: the mid-lower dermis type had 3 cases of blue black color; for the diffuse type, the superficial dominant type had 13 cases of brown color, query number of cases of blue black color and 7 cases of dark brown color; the mid-dermis dominant type had 4 cases of brown color, query number of cases of dark brown color, the dispersed type had 14 cases of blue black color and 5 cases of brown color; the deep dominant type had 1 case of blue black color. CONCLUSION: The histological reclassification of Ota's nevus may be very useful in making a therapeutic prognosis of the disease.

Effects of Substance P on the Hair Growth in Human Hair Follicle Organ Culture / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: In vitro, some neuropeptides, including substance P(SP), act as a growth factor. The cyclic growth of the richly innervated hair follicle offers a model for probing such functions in a complex, developmentally regulated tissue interaction system under the physiologic condition. Dissecting the role of neuropeptides in this system may also reveal as yet obscure neural mechanisms of hair growth control. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of SP on human hair growth using a recently described model in which isolated hair follicles are grown in vitro. METHODS: After the healthy human hair follicles without any visible damage were collected, they were cultured in DMEM with several combination of supplements including insulin, hydrocortisone, sodium selenite, human transferrin, fetal bovine serum at 37 degrees C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 /95% air incubator, and SP was added to the media. The culture media were supplemented with final concentration of 10(-6),10(-7),10(-8) M SP dissolved in DMEM. The results were evaluated by measuring linear hair fiber growth and hair follicle morphology on light microscopy and electron microscopy and by measuring radioisotope uptake of [methyl-3H] thymidine and [U-14C] leucine of hair follicle. RESULTS: The following results were obtained from this study. 1. SP did not have an statistically significant effect on the rate of linear hair growth in cultured hair follicles. However, it prolonged the anagen stage of hair cycle. 2. We could not find morphological differences of hair follicles cultured in SP groups compared with those cultured in control group. 3. DNA and protein synthesis in hair follicles increased steadily for 5 days of culture. CONCLUSION: From the results, we can conclude that SP has growth-stimulatory effect and especially prolongs the duration of anagen phase without affecting the rate of linear hair growth.

A Case of Isolated Epidermolytic Acanthoma / 대한피부과학회지

No Abstract Available.

A Case of pigmented pagetoid Bowen's disease / 대한피부과학회지

Bowen's disease is an intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma also referred to as a squamous carcinoma in situ. Pigmented Bowen's disease is a rare variant and represents less than 2 % of all lesions. Clear cell Bowen's disease, also known as pagetoid Bowen's disease is also rare and characterized by an atypical proliferation of pale tumor cells within the epidermis. We report an unusual case of Bowen's disease in a 50-year-old man which presented as a brown to black colored scaly plaque with crusts on the back. The histopathologic feature of the skin lesion showed Bowen's disease with increased basal pigmentation, dermal melanophages and epidermal clear cells. So we termed this case 'pigmented pagetoid Bowen's disease'

A Case of Perforating Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum / 대한피부과학회지

Perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum is a localized, cutaneous disorder found mostly in obese, multiparous middle-aged women. It is characterized clinically by a slowly enlarging, yellowish, well-defined reticulated plaque usually in the periumbilical area with keratotic papules scattered on its surface, and histologically by transepidermal elimination of altered basophilic calcified elastic fibers, which are short, fragmented, and curled, in the middle portion of the reticular dermis. We present a case of a 36 year-old female who had a skin lesion, which showed chracteristic features consistent with perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum in her neck region but not in the periumbilical area.