XXXX in southern Taiwan.

@entity1 @entity370
PURPOSE: To investigate the disease characteristics of @entity370 in southern Taiwan, and to investigate diagnostic methods. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all @entity1 diagnosed with @entity370 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, from March 1988 to February 2002. RESULTS: A total of 12 @entity1 (3 @entity1 , 9 @entity1 ), with a mean age of 44.5 years, and a diagnosis of @entity370 by positive histology and either a typical chest roentgenogram or clinical presentation were included. All 12 @entity1 had intrathoracic involvement (hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes, 12; lungs, 5), eight had skin involvement, and two had extrathoracic lymph node involvement. The most frequent biopsy specimens were from the skin (n = 10), followed by the intrathoracic lymph nodes (n = 4), lungs (n = 2), and extrathoracic lymph nodes (n = 2). Four @entity1 had positive biopsies from two organs. Our data showed an older age distribution and a greater female predominance of the disease compared with Western countries. A higher rate of intrathoracic and skin involvement was also found, but the reason for this was not clear. CONCLUSIONS: Greater awareness of possible skin involvement may enable chest physicians and clinical practitioners to suspect this condition earlier. A histologic diagnosis from skin biopsy should then be made, rather than using more invasive procedures.
