Synchronous Carcinoma Showing Thymus-like Elements (CASTLE) of the Thyroid Combined with Rectal Carcinoma: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature / 대한내분비외과학회지

Carcinoma showing thymus-like elements (CASTLE) is a rare neoplasm arising from the thyroid gland. This tumor is thought to originate from ectopic thymic tissue or remnants related to thymic development in or adjacent to the thyroid gland and usually located in the lower two-thirds of the thyroid gland. The patient was a 66-year-old man admitted to our hospital with rectal carcinoma for surgery. He had undergone a right upper lobectomy of the lung for the pulmonary tuberculosis 35 years previously. He underwent a chest computed tomography (CT) pre-operatively, and an incidental nodule of the thyroid gland was detected. Based on aspiration cytology of the nodule, the lesion was suspected to be an anaplastic carcinoma. He underwent a low anterior resection and thyroid lobectomy for a double primary neoplasm. On the final pathologic examination, the thyroid lesion was shown to be CASTLE. Therefore, completion thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection of the central compartment and radiotherapy were performed, and there was no evidence of recurrence 15 months postoperatively.

A Case of Atypical Lupus Vulgaris Developing at a Skin Graft Site

Lupus vulgaris is most prevalent on exposed parts, especially the face but can also develop on exetremities. Lupus vulgaris originates from tuberculosis elsewhere in the body by hematogenous, lymphatic, or contiguous spread. A 19-year-old male patient came to our department. The patient had had many recurrent oozing and verrucous plaques and crusts on the left foot for one year. A skin biopsy from the lesion on the left dorsum of the foot showed scattered well defined granulomas consisting of the epithelioid cell clusters with Langerhans and foreign body type giant cells in the mid dermis. Caseation necrosis was slight. There were no bacilli on AFB staining. The multi test CMI for tuberculin was highly positive. A chest X-ray did not show any abnormal findings. The presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA was demonstrated by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) for detection of mycobacterial DNA from a routinely prepared paraffin-embedded skin specimen. Herein we report a very atypical case of lupus vulgaris confirmed by PCR.

A Statistical analysis of Dermatologic Emergency Patients Visiting the Emergency Room over 10 Years (1986 - 1995) / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Dermatologic emergency patients who visit the emergency room increase in number every year. But there is no report about the statistical analysis of such visits. OBJECTIVES & METHODS: We reviewed 326 new dermatologic emergency patients who uisited the emergency room of Dongsan Medical Center in Taegu from 1986 to 1995 to study the age, sex, monthly and yearly distributior, arrival time, length of visit, prevalence of common dermatoses, admission rate and death rate. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows: 1. Of 326 patients, there were 151 males and 175 females. The sex ratio of male to female was 1: 1.15. The number of patients increased with each year. 2. In age distribution, there were 23(7%) under 10;46(14%) between 11-20,55(17%) between 21-30;49(15% ) between 31-40;33(10%) between 41 50; 62(19% ) between 51-60 years,39(12% ) between 61-70 and 19(6%) between 71-80 years. 3. In monthly and arrival time distribution, the peak month incidence occurred in August(24 %), and the lowest incidence in December(1%). The peak incidence of arrival time occurred PM 6-12 hours and the lowest incidence AM 0-6 hour. 4. In the distribution about length nf visit, 73% of patients stayed more than 10 hours, 23% 5-10 hours and 4% less than 5 hours. 5. Of the most common derrnatoses, acute urticaria was seen in 124 cases(38%), and herpes zoster. in 94 cases (29%). In age distribution, acute urticaria was most preualent between the age of 0-30 and herpes zoster between 50-70. 6. The admission rate was 43%(140 cases). The death rate was 1.2%(3 cases). CONCLUSION: Our study of e nergency patients revealed that dermatologic emergency patients who visited the emergency room had increased in number every year and the distribution of patients is quite different from that of outpatients.