Altered Patterns of Melanoma Antigen Gene(MAGE) Expression in Benign, Premalignant and Malignant Epithelium of the Larynx / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The degree of dysplasia of premalignant lesion of the larynx is related to malignant transformation. However, no single molecular marker that could be used to predict malignant transformation has been identified. Melanoma antigen genes (MAGE), which are expressed in malignant tissues but not in normal tissues, might provide such a marker. So, we investigated MAGE expressions in the various epithelial lesions of the larynx. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Nested RT-PCR with MAGE common primers were performed to detect the expression of MAGE A genes in fresh frozen tissues obtained from laryngeal lesions (34 benign, 20 premalignant, 22 malignant epitheliums) and 12 normal oropharyngeal epitheliums. RESULTS: The expression of MAGE was positive in 12 (35.3%) of benign, 10 (50%) of premalignant, 18 (81.8%) of malignant laryngeal epithelium and 1 (8.5%) of normal epithelium. These expressions were different with statistic significance (p=0.003) between benign, premalignant and malignant laryngeal epithelium. CONCLUSION: The MAGE A expression could be utilized as a biomarker to predict malignant transformation of laryngeal epithelium.

Neurilemmoma of the tongue: Report of two cases

Nearly 45% of all neurilemmoma occur in the head and neck area, but only 1% have an intraoral origin. The authors report two cases of uncommon neurilemmoma of the tongue. Both of them presented with a mass on the lateral border of the tongue, which was noted several days before. The lesions of tongue appeared as smooth-surfaced, well-circumscribed mass. They were excised under general anesthesia and diagnosed as neurilemmoma on histopathologic examination.

A Case of Ectopic Cervical Thymus Presenting as a Submandibular Mass / 대한이비인후과학회지

Ectopic cervical thymus is an extremely uncommon etiology of neck mass in infants. We report a case of ectopic thymus in five months old male baby, presenting as a submandibular mass. Ultrasonography and CT scan revealed a 5.2 x 1.6 x 1.5 cm-sized solid mass in the left suprahyoid neck between parotid and submandibular gland, which was regarded as malignant lesion though it was soft, non-tender on examination. For differential diagnosis of malignant lymphoma and soft tissue sarcoma, an incisional biopsy was performed to confirm ectopic cervical thymus. He is under our observation without having gone through surgical excision because the thymus will involute spontaneously and he has no symptoms.