A 69-year-old woman with leiomyosarcoma on the right arm was reported. Following the excision of the primary tumor, there was recurrence after two years. The tumor was studied by light and electron microscopy.

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A 51-year-old woman suffering from common cold was treated by a physician. About ten hours after medication she felt feverish with elevated body temperature of 38.5°C and immediately after multiple erythema took place on whole body surface. At the admission to the Nagasaki City Hospital, peripheral blood was examined without any abnormal finding except for elevated serum transaminase value (GOT 240 and GPT 88), but six days after admission agranulocytosis (no stab and segmented) developed. The causative drug was supposed to be sulpyrin by patch testing and lymphocyte blastotransformation using the drugs as antigens.

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A case of glomus tumor was reported. The tumor was painfull, bluish and developed in the left sole of a woman aged 36. Histologically, the tumor was made of two elements, i, e, glomus tumor and angioleiomyoma.

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A 45-year-old man with solar urticaria had an action spectrum from 410 to 520nm. A serum factor was not demonstrated by passive transfer and reverse passive transfer, and histamine probably had no part in the production of the wheal. He was treated by β-carotene, Tanderil, Hormoclomin and photoprotective agents, but there was no effect.

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The fine structure of Microsporum gypseum was studied by freeze-etching techniques. The structure of the cell wall as seen in Trichophyton groups was not observed. The invagination-like hole was found in the plasma membrane.

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To clarify the relationship between discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we have studied clinically 15 patients with widespread DLE. The patients were divided into four grades according to the extent of their cutaneous lesions. Thirteen of our 15 patients had widespread chronic discoid lesions as their initial manifestation. The ratio of females to males has given as approximately 1:1. The average age at onset of the lesions was 39 years, and the most common age was between 20 and 40 years. In four of five patients (all in grade IV and men), the cutaneous lesion appeared after the age of 40 years. In many patients with widespread DLE, clinical and laboratory abnormalities were observed, such as fever, arthralgic pain, fatigability, photosensitivity, leukopenia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hypergammaglobulinemia, proteinuria, but the incidence of LE cells, positive LE test, chronic BFP was much less in widespread DLE than SLE. Two patients (grade IV) of 15 patients fulfilled the ARA criteria for SLE. These findings suggest that DLE and SLE are closely related diseases.

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Five patients with psoriasis or eczema were treated for 7 consecutive days with 0.05% fluocinonide ointment 30∼60g daily (15∼30mg fluocinonide), and the serum 11-OHCS levels and the urinary 17-OHCS levels were estimated every day. Eosinophil counts and blood glucose levels were also estimated. The serum 11-OHCS levels were apparently lowered in one case with exfoliative dermatitis and slightly lowered in three cases with psoriasis vulgaris. The urinary 17-OHCS levels were not lowered in most cases. Decreasing of eosinophil counts were observed in two cases with eczematous dermatitis and exfoliative dermatitis. Increasing tendency of blood glucose were not observed. The clinical effect was almost equal with some other steroids. The results indicate that the use of 0.05% fluocinonide ointment 30-60g daily results in percutaneous absorption of fluocinonide to cause inhibition of adrenocortical function, though which is slightly, in patients with psoriasis or eczema.

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1. The significance of studying vasoconstrictor activity of topical corticosteroids was summed up.
2. Forty eight test samples which contained amcinonide, betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide in the concentration of 2^-2 to 2^-14 times the commercially available ones were prepared in each vehicle of o/w cream and petrolatum of the three. The test materials were applied at random with the closed patch method, to the upper back of 24 healthy male volunteers for 4 hours. The vasoconstriction reading was performed at 2, 5, 20 and 24 hours after removal of the test material. The key-code was opened at the time of analysis, after the completion of the study, by the evaluator, the author of this paper.
3. The positive frequency and the degree of blanching phenomenon at each concentration of the three topical corticosteroids, were compared. Also, the ED₅₀ values were calculated. The results revealed that there was little difference in the vasoconstrictor activity among amcinonide, betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide, when o/w type cream was used as a vehicle. On the contrary, in the ointment bases, amcinonide was significantly superior to betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide in the vasoconstrictor activity.
4. Judging from the ED₅₀ values, the release of betamethasone 17-valerate and triamcinolone acetonide from each cream base was apparently superior to that from petrolatum. No definite difference in the release of amcinonide between cream and ointment base was observed.
5. Redness occurred in one of the 24 cases, at the sites of application with amcinonide cream and triamcinolone acetonide cream, also, in another case with amcinonide ointment and triamcinolone acetonide ointment. The reaction disappeared rapidly after the removal of test material and seemed to be slight irritation due to some ingredients of vehicles.

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As discussed in a previous report, the results of an open study of L-DOPA for alopecia areata suggested to be a helpful regimen for alopecia areata. This time, a comparative test by double blind study was carried out between L-DOPA with corticoid and lactose (placebo) with corticoid, but L-DOPA did not reveal an effect on alopecia areata as corticoid had a strong effect on the hair follicle. Maintenance of growing hair by the use of L-DOPA was not apparent, as the hair falling was recognized after the discontinuance of corticoid therapy in both groups. Comparing the effect between a group of patient given L-DOPA and a group of no therapy at monthly intervals, the former group improved of better than the latter. Though a slight side effect was encountered, this L-DOPA therapy could be continued by most of patients.

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Nineteen patients with psoriasis vulgaris underwent the 8 MOP-BLB therapy combined with steroid ODT.
1. Twenty-six psoriatic lesions were improved after one to seven exposures (average time is 3.8 exposures). Seventeen psoriatic lesions were completely healed after three to thirteen exposures (average time is 9.9 exposures).
2. After psoriatic lesions were moderately improved by only steroid ODT, the 8 MOP-BLB therapy combined with steroid ODT was attempted. Seventeen psoriatic lesions were improved after two to three exposures (average time is 2.5 exposures). Eleven psoriatic lesions were completely healed after five to ten exposures (average time is 7.3 exposures).
3. Relapses of the lesions which had completely healed have not been observed until at this moment for three months.

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