A Family-Engaged Educational Program for Atopic Dermatitis: A Seven-Year, Multicenter Experience in Daegu-Gyeongbuk, South Korea

BACKGROUND: It is important to educate families of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) so that they have a correct understanding of AD. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to introduce, evaluate, and improve our family-engaged educational program. METHODS: Children suffering from AD and their families have participated in a half-day educational program called "AD school" with catchy slogans such as "Enjoy with AD Families!" every year since 2005. Educational lectures were conducted for parents. For children with AD, various entertaining programs were provided. A feedback survey about AD school was administered for the purpose of evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 827 people (376 patients and 451 family members) participated in this program over 7 years. On-site surveys showed a positive response (i.e., "excellent" or "good") for the prick test (95.1%), emollient education (78.4%), educational lecture (97.0%), drawing contest and games (90.2%), and recreation (magic show; 99.0%) respectively. Telephone surveys one year later also elicited a positive response. CONCLUSION: We herein introduce the experience of a half-day, family-engaged educational program for AD. Family-engaged education programs for AD such as this AD school encourage and validate family participation in the treatment of their children's AD.

Do Interventional Pain Management Procedures during the Acute Phase of Herpes Zoster Prevent Postherpetic Neuralgia in the Elderly?: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

No abstract available.

Possible Existence of Melanocytes or Melanoblasts in Human Sebaceous Glands

BACKGROUND: Melanocytes are present in both basal epidermis and hair follicles. Melanocyte stem cells have been found in hair follicle bulge. During embryogenesis, the outer cells of the bulge differentiate into the sebaceous gland (SG) and proliferate. OBJECTIVE: To identify and determine the distribution and morphological characteristics of melanocytes in human SGs. METHODS: A total of 171 biopsy specimens of face and scalp were studied. Of these specimens, 103 samples contained SGs. We conducted a retrospective review of slides stained with H&E, F-M, anti-S100, anti-c-kit, anti-HMB-45, anti-CD1a, anti-MITF, and anti-tyrosinase. The presence and distribution of melanocytes in human SGs was also evaluated by electron microscopy. In addition, melanocytes were isolated from SGs for primary culture. RESULTS: S-100-positive cells were observed mainly at the periphery of SGs in 34 of 54 specimens. We did not find F-M-positive and HMB-45-positive cells in SGs. CD1a-positve cells were identified in two specimens. We also found c-kit-, MITF-, and tyrosinase-positive cells in SGs. Electron micrograph showed the presence of melanocytes in the suprabasal portion of SGs. These melanocytes showed fewer melanin-containing granules than the melanocytes of basal epidermis. However, the individually distributed melanosomes in suprabasal melanocytes were larger than those in epidermal melanocytes. Primary culture of melanocytes derived from SGs showed morphologically homogeneous, slender cell bodies with few dendrites. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the presence of non-melanogenic melanocytes and Langerhans cells in human SGs. In addition, the characteristics of the melanocytes in SGs were found to be different from those of the epidermal melanocytes.

Congenital Malalignment of the Fourth Toenail with Congenital Curved Nail of the Contralateral Fourth Toe

No abstract available.

Investigation on Basal Cell Carcinoma that Recurred after Laser Ablation / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: In our outpatient clinic, we sometimes encounter basal cell carcinoma (BCC) patients that have a history of laser treatment without skin biopsy at private clinics. OBJECTIVE: To investigate BCC that recurred after laser ablation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical reports of 635 BCC patients biopsy-proven from January 1997 to December 2012. Histopathological examination for BCC that recurred after laser ablation was done. RESULTS: Out of 635, 85 had a history of one or more laser treatments for BCC before visiting our hospital. The mean age of patients was 66.3 years, and the ratio of male to female was 1 : 1.24. The most common site was the face (91.1%). Out of 85, 19 were treated by dermatologists and 8 by non-dermatologists. Out of 85, 58 did not remember the doctor's specialty. Histopathological examination for BCC showed basaloid tumor cell nests and peripheral palisading in all patients and pigment deposits in over two third of the patients. One patient had accompanying intradermal nevocytic nests without transformation of nevus cell to basal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: BCC can be misdiagnosed as pigmented nevus and subsequently mistreated with laser ablation. Skin biopsy or dermoscopy should be considered to make a correct diagnosis when an ambiguous pigmented lesion is detected in a patient.

A Case of Solitary Isolated Extragenital Bowenoid Papulosis / 대한피부과학회지

No abstract available.

Incidental Isolation of Trichophyton rubrum from Five Inpatients' Urine / 대한의진균학회지

Trichophyton (T.) rubrum is the dermatophyte most frequently isolated from humans. It has the ability to form molecular attachments to keratin, resulting in dermatophytic infections on the keratinized tissues, including the stratum corneum of the skin. Uncommon dermatophytic infection, such as granulomatous disease or extensive and severe diseases, can be also developed. However, reports about the isolation of T. rubrum from urine are not expected in the literature. We report incidental isolation of T. rubrum from inpatients' urine.

Idiopathic Pterygium Inversum Unguis: Response to Topical Retinoid / 대한피부과학회지

No abstract available.

Natural Course of the Incompletely-Excised Basal Cell Carcinomas / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is regarded as the standard therapeutic modality for high-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, wide local excision (WLE) is performed more frequently than MMS in Korea because of practical restrictions. For this reason, involvement of surgical margin after WLE may be detected postoperatively. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the recurrence rate between histopathologically confirmed an "incomplete excision" group and a "complete excision" group to evaluate whether close follow-up could be an acceptable management option in incompletely-excised BCC patients when immediate re-excision or other adjunctive therapy was difficult to enforce. METHODS: From 1999 to 2008, a total of 227 primary BCC cases with more than 2 year follow-up after surgical resection were reviewed. We divided the cases into the completely-excised and incompletely-excised group and the recurrence rates of both groups were compared. RESULTS: The recurrence rate out of the total 227 cases was 1.3% (3/227). Eleven cases (4.8%, 11/227) were reported to be incompletely excised. Of the 11 surgical incompletely-excised BCC, only 1 (9.0%, 1/11) case recurred. Two (0.9%, 2/216) cases recurred in the 216 completely-excised patients. Difference of recurrence rate between the completely-excised group and incompletely-excised group was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: When the initial excision of a primary BCC reveals incomplete excision and, more importantly, immediate further treatment is not eligible due to various causes such as old age or combined medical and surgical problems, close follow-up with detailed informed consent instead of prompt re-excision could be a reasonable alternative in carefully-selected patients.