Radiation-induced skin ulcer and rib fractures following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): A case of right back skin ulcer and adjacent rib fractures after single PCI.

We experienced a 75-year-old male patient with a refractory and severely painful skin ulcer on the right back. He had suffered from ischemic heart disease and undergone percutaneous coronary intervention 5 months prior to the consultation with us. The characteristic clinical appearance, location of the lesion and his past medical history led us to the diagnosis of radiation-induced skin ulcer.

Reduction of serum TARC levels in atopic dermatitis by topical anti-inflammatory treatments.

Background: Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels are associated with the disease activity of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and sensitively reflect short-term changes in skin conditions. The main treatment for AD is topical agent application.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between serum TARC levels and the dosage of topical agents, including corticosteroids and/or tacrolimus, in patients with AD.

Overexpression of cathepsin D in malignant melanoma.

Cathepsin D is an aspartic lysosomal endopeptidase present in most mammalian cells. Overexpression of cathepsin D is associated with the progression of several human cancers including melanoma. We examined the expression levels of cathepsin D in 20 primary malignant melanomas, 20 metastatic malignant melanomas, 20 benign nevus pigmentosus and 10 normal skin samples in Japanese.