Clinical Characteristics of Adolescence and Adult Atopic Dermatitis in Korea / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a very common disease with peak prevalence among infants and children. Until now, adolescence and adult AD (AAD) patients have been overlooked because they were relatively small population and AAD were considered merely consecutive of infant and childhood AD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate clinical characteristics of AAD in Korea and different characteristics of childhood AD. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical features of AD in 48 patients. We obtained informations about the age of onset, associated allergic diseases, aggravating factors and seasonal aggravation from the history using a standardized questionnaire. And clinical features of all subjects were evaluated by one investigator and recorded according to anatomical region. RESULTS: 23 patients (48%) reported onset of AD was after 12 years old and 25 patients (52%) reported onset before 12 years old. Only nine patients have suffered AD from infancy. 25 patients (52%) were associated with allergic asthma and/or rhinitis. Most important aggravating factor was climate with seasonal variation. Other common aggravating factors were stress, sweating, dryness and house dust. And numerous patients who experienced seasonal aggravation replied that symptoms had flared from July to August and December. The face, trunk, extremities, scalp and neck were common sites of dermatitis and most of the patients (93%) showed the facial involvement. Red face (68%) and dandruff (45%) were the most common features of the face and the scalp, respectively. About one third of the patients showed the involvement of the neck, presenting as dirty neck or dermatitis. Dryness of the trunk and eczema of flexural areas of the extremities were also common. And 13 patients had hand-foot dermatitis. Keratosis pilaris, hyperlinear palm and ichthyosis vulgaris were detected in 21 (43%), 14 (29%) and 9 patients (18%). CONCLUSION: This study shows AAD is so different from childhood AD, suggesting that AAD may not be merely consecutive of infant and childhood AD.

A Case of Atypical Basal Cell Carcinoma on Female External Genitalia / 대한피부과학회지

Basal cell carcinoma(BCC)s are most frequently found on the sun-exposed skin of the head and neck regions. Rarely, BCCs occur in odd sites such as the scrotum, vulva, perineum, nipple, and axilla without any apparent carcinogenic factor such as arsenic, radiation, chronic ulceration or scars. Genital BCC accounts for fewer than 1% of all BCCs and vulvar BCCs represent fewer than 5% of all vulvar neoplasms. We report a case of BCC arising on the mons pubis clinically mimicking malignant melanoma, which presents with 2cm sized, deep purple colored protruding mass.

A Case of Lichen Nitidus on the Palm / 대한피부과학회지

Lichen nitidus is an uncommon chronic inflammatory disease characterized by multiple minute discrete flesh-colored dome shaped papules. Its distribution is frequently localized on trunk, arm or penis. There are a few cases reported to occur on palm and sole. We report a case of lichen nitidus which presents erythematous or brownish colored hyperkeratotic plaques, composed of 1-2 mm sized small papules on the right palm. Its hitopathologic findings were consistent with a diagnosis of lichen nitidus.

A Case of Intraepidermal Epithelioma Showing Dermal Invasion / 대한피부과학회지

Intraepidermal epithelioma is a rare cutaneous neoplasm characterized histologically by intraepidermal collections of malignant appearing keratinocytes preserving the epidermal architecture. In our case, the tumour unusually showed parakeratosis and dermal invasion. There were a few reports which exhibited parakeratosis and invasion. So, we suggest there may be correlation between these factors.

A Case of Multiple Familial Seborrheic Keratoses / 대한피부과학회지

Seborrheic keratoses are benign skin tumors and exceedingly common. The etiology of seborrheic keratoses is unknown. Several possible causes such as genetic propensity, sun exposure, human papillomavirus and epidermal growth factors are suggested. Among these findings, their familial occurrences have been rarely reported in the literature. We report a case of early-onset, multiple, familial seborrheic keratoses in a 36-year-old man.

A Case of Pigmented Follicular Cyst / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented follicular cyst is a rare disorder which typically presents as a pigmented papule on the head or neck. Histologically, it exhibits terminally differentiated, pigmented hair shafts in an epidermoid cyst. It was described as a variant of epidermal cyst originating from the infundibular epidermis of pilosebaceous unit. We report a case of pigmented follicular cyst on the occipital scalp in a 7-year-old girl with typical histologic features.