Classification of Lacrimal Punctal Stenosis and Its Related Histopathological Feature in Patients with Epiphora

PURPOSE: To evaluate the classification of punctal stenosis based on the shape of the external punctum, clinical characteristics and histopathologic features. METHODS: Patients who experienced tearing and were diagnosed with punctal stenosis were evaluated in this study. Punctal stenosis was classified according to the shape of the lower external punctum, which included membranous type, slit type, horseshoe type, and pinpoint type. Tear meniscus height, 2% fluorescein dye disappearance test and lacrimal pathway irrigation were measured or performed. For treatment, a punctal snip operation and silicone tube placement were performed, and the peripunctal histopathological findings were evaluated. RESULTS: Punctal stenosis was classified into four types: membranous type (17 eyes, 21.5%), slit type (11 eyes, 13.9%), horseshoe type (25 eyes, 31.6%), and pinpoint type (26 eyes, 32.9%). The tear meniscus was significantly higher, and the 2% fluorescein dye disappeared significantly more slowly in the punctal stenosis group. However, correlation of the tear meniscus height and 2% fluorescein dye disappearance test with the punctum shape was not statistically significant. A history of previous chemotherapy was significantly associated with the occurrence of punctal stenosis, especially the membranous type (p < 0.05). Histopathologic evaluation of the punctum showed differences between the punctum types. Pinpoint puncta exhibited a high density of muscle fibers, while they were faintly visible in the membranous type. CONCLUSIONS: Acquired punctal stenosis has various shapes, and the major types of stenotic puncta exhibited unique histopathologic features. Punctal stenosis and its pathophysiology may be related to multiple factors, such as age and systemic 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy history.

Clinical Correlation of Lacrimal Sac Pathologic Findings of Lacrimal Sac from Dacryocystorhinostomy

PURPOSE: To determine the correlation of the clinical characteristics and histopathologic findings of lacrimal sac after external dacyrocystorhinostomy (DCR). METHODS: From March 2008 to June 2009, 49 lacrimal sac tissues of 47 patients were obtained after external DCR and divided according to fibrosis and inflammatory findings. The correlation of preoperative duration of symptoms with NLD obstruction, symptoms of recurrence and outcomes of the operation to the histopathologic findings were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 58.83 +/- 11.49 years and the mean duration of preoperative symptoms was 65.2 +/- 69.05 months. Forty-three cases (88%) maintained good openings and 30 cases (61%) had no recurring symptoms over 6 months after the operation. Among the significant symptoms, severe subepithelial inflammations were observed more frequently at shorter duration. However, the fibrosis showed a positive relation with the preoperative duration of symptoms (Spearman correlation test, p<0.05). Most failures were found in the severe inflammation and fibrosis groups and were recovered with anti-inflammatory treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation and fibrosis of the lacrimal sac could be an important prognostic and predictive factor of outcomes of DCR.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Rectum: Report of Two Cases

Squamous cell carcinoma of the rectum is extremely rare. Herein we report two cases of rectal squamous cell carcinoma. Case 1 was a 44-year-old Korean female presenting with abdominal pain and rectal bleeding for 3 months before her hospital visit. A colonoscopic examination revealed an ulcerated rectal mass 8 cm proximal to the anal verge. Chemoradiotherapy was administered following Hartmann's procedure in case 1. The patient remained alive during 19 months of follow up. Case 2 was a 43-year-old Korean female who had severe constipation for 2 months. A barium enema and computed tomography of the pelvis showed a rectal mass adherent to the sacrum. Based on the results of a colonoscopic biopsy, a diverting colostomy was performed in case 2, with no further treatment. The pathologic findings showed that both tumors were composed of oval-shaped cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and intercellular bridges with keratin pearls, and thus were diagnosed as well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Neither of the cases showed evidence of HPV infection. The pathogenesis of rectal squamous cell carcinoma has not been clarified. Herein we report two cases of rectal squamous cell carcinoma and briefly discuss the possible histogenesis.

Immunohistochemical Study of the Multidrug Resistant(MDR) Gene Expression in Gastric Carcinoma

We performed immunohistochemical stain of p-glycoprotein using JSB-1 monoclonal antibody to study multidrug resistant(MDR) gene expression in 137 gastric tumor tissues obtained from 87gastric carcinoma patients. The incidence of p-glycoprotein expression was 60 of 87 cases(69%) and it was not correlated with age, sex, depth of tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis, but was correlated with histologic type of gastric adenocarcinoma. The distribution of p-glycoprotein positive cells in the tumor tissue was diffuse in 34 cases(73.9%) and focal in 12 cases(26.1%), and the dominant staining patterns of p-glycoprotein in the tumor cells were cytoplasmic and golgi staining in 20 cases(43.5%) and 19 cases(41.3%), respectively, and 7 cases(15.2%) showed fine granules in the cytoplasm. The incidence of p-glyco-protein expression in the tumor tissue was higher in A and AB blood type patients who have A antigen than in 0 and B blood type patients. Cytoplasmic staining pattern was dominant in O and B blood types and golgi staining in A and AB blood type patients. Among 27 patients 'who received chemotherapy, partial remission was noted in 9 of 11 p-glyco-protein negative patients(81.8%) and no remission or progression of the tumor was seen in 9 of 16 p-glycoprotein positive patient(56.3%). The p-glycoprotein expression in gastric carcinoma had no direct correlation with known several prognostic factors of the gastric tumor except for histologic type, and it is supposed that p-glycoprotein detection in gastric tumor tissue by immunohisto-chemical stain is a good method for predicting the response of chemotherapy, especially in p-gly-coprotein negative cases.