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BackgroundAndrogenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common hair loss disease with genetic predisposition among men and women, and it may commence at any age after puberty. It may significantly affect a variety of psychological and social aspects of one's life and the individual's overall quality of life (QoL).ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the QoL of AGA patients and discover the factors that can influence the QoL of AGA patients, including previous experience in non-medical hair care, reasons for hospital visits, age, duration, and the severity of AGA.MethodsA total of 998 male patients with AGA were interviewed, using the Hair Specific Skindex-29 to evaluate the QoL of AGA patients.ResultsThe results of the Hair Specific Skindex-29 on patients with AGA were as follows: symptom scale: 26.3±19.5, function scale: 24.0±20.1, emotion scale: 32.1±21.8, and global score: 27.3±19.1. According to this assessment, QoL was more damaged if the patient had severe alopecia, a longer duration of AGA, younger age, had received previous non-medical hair care, and visited the hospital for AGA treatment.ConclusionThis study showed that AGA could harmfully affect the patients' QoL. These findings indicate that dermatologists should address these QoL issues when treating patients with alopecia.

Background: Generalized granuloma annulare (GGA) is a benign skin disorder of an unknown etiology. Though some cases of GGA have been reported, few systemic reviews of the clinical and pathological features of GGA have been performed. Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze and correlate the clinical and pathological characteristics of GGA in Korean patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study that included 54 biopsy specimens of Korean GGA patients, and the clinical and pathological features of GGA were reviewed and analyzed for their correlation. Results: The cutaneous lesions could be divided into the annular (24, 44%) and nonannular types (30, 56%), and the lesions were more common in males than in females (29 males and 25 females). The incidence of GGA showed a bimodal age distribution. The number of patients who presented within the first decade was 24 cases (44%), and 24 cases (44%) were over the fifth decade. Eight patients (15%) had systemic diseases. Especially, diabetes mellitus (DM) occurred only in the adult GGA patients over forty years old. The pathological findings showed dermal granulomatous lesions that consisted of either a palisading pattern (28, 52%) or an interstitial pattern (26, 48%). Conclusion: In contrast to the previously reported studies, the age of GGA onset showed a bimodal distribution, and GGA was observed more often in males. The prevalence of DM in the GGA affected individuals was higher than that found in the general Korean population. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a work-up for DM in the GGA affected patients who are over forty years old. (Ann Dermatol 21(2) 113∼119, 2009)

Full details are provided for an exceedingly practical method to synthesize d- and l-α-amino acids, N-protected α-amino acids, and N-methyl-α-amino acids, employing as a key step the asymmetric alkylation of pseudoephedrine glycinamide (1) or pseudoephedrine sarcosinamide (2). Practical procedures for the synthesis of 1 and 2 from pseudoephedrine and glycine methyl ester or sarcosine methyl ester, respectively, are presented. Optimum protocols for the enolization and subsequent alkylation of 1 and 2 are described. Alkylation reactions of 1 and 2 are found to be quite efficient with a wide range of alkyl halide substrates, and the products are formed with high diastereoselectivity. The products of these alkylation reactions are hydrolyzed efficiently and with little to no racemization simply by heating in water or water−dioxane mixtures. This protocol provides an exceedingly practical method for the preparation of salt-free α-amino acids of high enantiomeric purity. Alternatively, the alkylation products may be hydrolyzed in high yield and with little to no racemization by heating with aqueous sodium hydroxide. The alkaline hydrolyzate can then be treated with an acylating reagent to provide directly highly enantiomerically enriched N-protected derivatives such as N-Boc and N-Fmoc. Key features necessary for the successful execution of these experimental procedures are identified.

Tinea incognito (TI) is a dermatophytic infection which has lost its typical clinical appearance because of improper use of steroids or calcineurin inhibitors. The incidence of TI is increasing nowadays. We conducted retrospective review on 283 patients with TI from 25 dermatology training hospitals in Korea from 2002-2010 to investigate the demographical, clinical, and mycological characteristics of TI, and to determine the associated risk factors. More than half (59.3%) patients were previously treated by non-dermatologists or self-treated. The mean duration of TI was 15.0 ± 25.3 months. The most common clinical manifestations were eczema-like lesion, psoriasis-like, and lupus erythematosus-like lesion. The trunk and face were frequently involved, and 91 patients (32.2%) also had coexisting fungal infections. Among 67 isolated strains, Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently detected (73.1%). This is the largest study of TI reported to date and the first investigational report concerning TI in Korea. We suggest that doctors should consider TI when a patient has intractable eczema-like lesions accompanied by tinea pedis/unguium. Furthermore, there should be a policy change, which would make over-the-counter high-potency topical steroids less accessible in some countries, including Korea.