Clinical Trial of Low Level Laser Therapy in 20 Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia / 대한피부과학회지

Postherpetic neuralgia(PHN) can be extremely debilitating condition. Treatment protocols for PHX may vary from center to center, such as conservative and intensive supportive therapeutic regimens, for example, oral medication, cutaneous nerve stimulating therapy, even acupuncture and hypnotherapy have been stressec In spite of all these measures, some 15% of PHN suffers gain little or no ra lief. Anecdotal reports have suggested that low level laser therapy(LLLT) is effective in the relief of various types of neuralgia. Rased on these, we were interested to apply LLLT for crucial condition of PHN. This is a prelirninary clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of LLLT in the treatment of the pain for well established and unrelieved PHN. In order to get more accurate result, subjective and objective criteria. were applied. The cases who showed the effectiveness in criteria of Excellent were 6/20(30 %) the cases who showed the effectiveness in criteria of Good were 3/20(15%), and the cases who showed the effectiveness in criteria of Fair were 3/20(15%). So the total cases who showed onset of the effectiveness of LLLT were 12 out of 20 cases(60%).

Production of ETAF from Human Epidermal Cells / 대한피부과학회지

Human epidermal cells were obtained from suction blisters of 14 healthy individuals, and were cultured for 24-96 hours st a concentration of 1x 10(7)/ml, 5 x 10(6)/ml, 1 x 10(6)/ml, 5 x 10(5)/ml. Cells were also cultured with or without stimulants such as phorbol myristic acetate(PMA), muramyl dipeptide(MDP), and endotoxin. Then, cell-free supernatants of cultured epidermal cells were tested for ETAF by a thymocyte prolifera.tiom assay. The results were as follows : 1, The highest activity of ETAF was produced by fresh epidermal cells(EC) at a concentration of 1 x10(7)ml. Its highest 3H-TdR was 4928+/-2480cpm. The highest activity of ETAF was produced by cultured EC at a concentration of 5 x10(6)/ml. Its highest 3H-TdR was 13983+/-8045 cpm. 2. The highest activity of ETAF was produced by fresh EC with n culture time of 24 hours. Its highest 3H-TdR was 5357+/-3760cpm. The highest activity of ETAF was produced by cultured EC with a culture time of 72 hours. Its highest 3H-TdR was 11905+/-5327cpm. 3. The highest activity of ETAF was produced by both fresh and cultured EC at a titer of 1: 8 dilution of cell-free supernatants. 1ts highest 3H-TdR was 4928 +/-2480cpm in the fresh EC, and 11905+/-5327cpm in the cultured EC. 4. Alhen fresh EC was stimulated with PMA, MDP and endotoxin, higher activity of ETAF was found in the group stimulated with PMA or MDP compared with its control group. But lower activity of ETAF was found in the group stimulated with endotoxin compared with its control group. The 3H-TdR was 6000+/-1936 cpm in the group stimulated with PMA, 6945+/-3182 cpm in the group stimulated with MDP, and 36943+/-36861cpm in the group stimulated with endotoxin.

Nevus Lipomatosus Cutaneus Superficialis: Report of two Cases / 대한피부과학회지

Nevus lipomatosus cutaneus superficialis is a very rare skin disease which appears at birth or within the firat two decades of life. This uncommon condition is due to collections of ectopic fat cells within the upper and mid-dermis. There are two clinical forms. The first form is a lesion of zonal distribution, present from birth or childhood, usually on the buttocks or the lower back. The second form, a dome or sessile, papule, begins in adult life and is less restricted in distribution, and occurs also on the limbs Coalescence of soft, yellowish papules tends to form cerebriform plaques. The authors experienced two cases of typical nevus lipomatosus cutaneus superficialis. The first case was a 23-year male who had asymptomatic, soft, skin colored, and pea sized confluent nodules on the right lower back area since at birth. The second case was a 35-year female who had asymptomatic, multiple, soft, skin colored from rice to walnut sized confluent nodules on the coccygeal area which developed at the age of 27. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings.

A Case of Generalized Cutaneous Lichen Amyloidisus / 대한피부과학회지

A typical case of gelinerazed cutalineous lichen amyloidosus is reported. A 62-year-old female had had brownish papular lesions on the lower legs, hands, and shoulders for about 8 years. Three years later, the papular lesions extended through the whole body surface. She complained of severe itching and tingling sensation. Physical findings were confined to the skin. The skin lesions were diffusely distributed. The size of the lesion was from pin-head to rice, The color was dark brownish. The papules were over generalized skin except for the face, palms, and sole.. Diagnosis was made by the characteristic clinical manifestations and histopathologic findings of the skin. However, the specimens of the liver and rectal biopsies did not show amyloid deposits. Based on these findings, authors concluded that this is a case of generalized cutaneous lichen amvloidosus and this is the second case in the literature in Korea. Even though the subjective symptom such as itching is getting decrease, the clinical course of this disease could not be aliernated by classical and conventional therapeutic regimens.