Systemic Sarcoidosis Presenting as Bilateral Optic Neuritis

Sarcoidosis is a multi-systemic inflammatory disease in which non-caseating granuloma occur in different sites producing variable clinical symptoms. Although it can involve various organs including brain and orbits, bilateral optic neuritis as the first symptom of systemic sarcoidosis is rare. Sarcoidosis is a diagnostic challenge, especially if systemic symptoms are absent. We report a patient who presented bilateral optic neuritis as the first manifestation of systemic sarcoidosis without other systemic symptoms including cranial neuropathies or intraocular involvement.

Can the C-14 Urea Breath Test Reflect the Extent and Degree of Ongoing Helicobacter pylori Infection? / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: The C-14 urea breath test (C-14 UBT) is the most specific noninvasive method to detect Helicobacter (H) pylori infection. We investigated if the C-14 UBT can reflect the presence and degree of H. pylori detected by gastroduodenoscopic biopsies (GBx). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred fifty patients (M:F=83:67, age 48.6+/-11.2 yrs) underwent C-14 UBT, rapid urease test (CLO test) and GBx on the same day. For the C-14 UBT, a single breath sample was collected at 10 minutes after ingestion of C-14 urea (137 KBq) capsule and counting was done in a liquid scintillation counter for 1 minute, and the results were classified as positive ( 200 dpm), intermediate (50~199 dpm) or negative (<50 dpm). The results of CLO tests were classified as positive or negative according to color change. The results of GBx on giemsa stain were graded 0 (normal) to 4 (diffuse) according to the distribution of H. pylori by the Wyatt method. We compared C-14 UBT results with GBx grade as a gold standard. RESULTS: In the assessment of the presence of H. pylori infection, the C-14 UBT global performance yielded sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of 92.5%, 88.4%, 97.1%, 88.4% and 91.3%, respectively. However, the CLO test had sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of 83.2%, 81.4%, 91.8%, 81.4% and 82.7%, respectively. The quantitative values of the C-14 UBT were 45+/-27 dpm in grade 0, 707+/-584 dpm in grade 1, 1558+/-584 dpm in grade 2, 1851+/-604 dpm in grade 3, and 2719+/-892 dpm in grade 4. A significant correlation (r=0.848, p<0.01) was found between C-14 UBT and the grade of distribution of H. pylori infection on GBx with giemsa stain. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the C-14 UBT is a highly accurate, simple and noninvasive method for the diagnosis of ongoing H. pylori infection and reflects the degree of bacterial distribution.

Percutaneous Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma: A Case Report / 대한세포병리학회지

Fine needle aspiration(FNA) biopsy has become the procedure of choice for initial diagnosis of adrenal masses. However, there have been relatively few reports discussing the FNA cytologic features of adrenal cortical carcinoma. Recently, we experienced a case of FNA cytology of bilateral adrenal cortical carcinoma in a 61-year old man. The smear revealed loosely cohesive pleomorphic tumor cells with hemorrhagic and necrotic background. The tumor cells showed oval to spindle hyperchromatic nuclei and prominent nucleoli with frequent mitotic figures. The cytoplasm of tumor cells was relatively abundant and sometimes vacuolated. These cytologic findings were interpreted as an adrenal cortical carcinoma, undifferentiated pattern.

Immunohistochemical Study on the Proliferative Activity of Human Thyroid Tumors

For the estimation of the proliferative activity, related to the biologic behaviour, malignant potential, and prognosis, of human thyroid tumors, PCNA(proliferating cell nuclear antigen) immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin-embedded sections of 9 normal thyroid tissues, 9 adenomatous goiters, 9 follicular adenomas, 4 Hurthle cell tumors, 12 papillary carcinomas, 4 follicular carcinomas, and 3 anaplastic carcinomas. The results were as follows: 1) The PCNA labeling indices in adenomatous goiter, follicular adenoma, and Hurthle cell tumor were 1.1, 1.5, and 2.4, respectively. They were significantly higher than the labeling index in normal thyroid. 2) The PCNA labeling indices in papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma were 3.5 and 4.4, respectively. They were significantly higher than the labeling indices in adenomatous goiter and follicular adenoma, but there was no significant difference between papillary and follicular carcinoma. 3) The PCNA labeling index in anaplastic carcinoma, 14.1, was significantly higher than those in benign and other malignant tumors. According to the results, the PCNA labeling index was well correlated with the malignant potential of a tumor. So the PCNA immunohistochemical staining is thought to be a useful method for the evaluation of the malignant potential and prognosis of a tumor.

Immunohistochemical and Ultrastructural Studies on the Histogenesis of Thyroid Undifferentiated Carcinoma

Histologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were performed on 6 cases of undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma to study the histogenesis of the undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, to determine the most useful markers for diagnosing these tumors and to investigate the nature of osteoclast-like giant cells rarely observed in these tumors. For the immuno-histochemical study, a panel of antibodies to epithelial (cocktailed keratin, low molecular weight keratin, CEA), mesenchymal(vimentin, desmin, actin, FVIIIRAg) endocrine(calcitonin, chromogranin), lymphocytic(LCA), histiocytic(alpha-l-ACT, alpha-1-AT, lysozyme, CD68), and Schwann cell(S-100 protein) markers were used. The following results were obtained; 1) Well differentiated carcinoma was associated with 2 cases of spindle cell type and 1 case of giant cell type of undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma and a transitional zone between the well differentiated and undifferentiated lesions was observed. 2) All of the examined cases expressed keratin, and 3 tumors expressed CEA. 3) All the mesenchymal markers, LCA, S-100 protein, calcitonin, and chromogranin were not expressed. Vimentin was coexpressed with keratin in 4 cases. 4) Osteoclast-like giant cells were observed in 1 case of spindle cell type. They expressed CD68 but not keratin. 5) Ultrastructural study revealed the desmosomes between the tumor cells and non-neoplastic, follicular, thyroid epithelial cells. The above results indicate that undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma originates from follicular epithelial cell, keratin is the most useful marker for diagnosis of this tumor, and the osteoclast-like giant cells are histiocytic in nature and reactive, rather than neoplastic.

Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma of the Retroperitoneum: A case report

We report a case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of retroperitoneum as a recurrent form in a 41 year old male. The patient received a extirpation for retroperitoneal mass and diagnosed as myxoid liosarcoma 4 years ago. The patient experienced 3 recurrences over a period of 4 years and diagnosed as myxoid liposarcoma in the second, third recurrence also. Histologically, the mass was composed of several clearly distinct elements : well differentiated liposarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma, myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma, poorly differntiated sarcoma, and fibrosarcoma. Immunohistochemically, S-100 protein was expressed in the area of spindle cell sarcoma, well differentiated liposarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma but alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was only expressed in the area of myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Eccrine spiradenoma: A report of two cases

Eccrine spiradenomas are clinically characterized by a solitary, tender mass and they are situated on the upper parts of the body, predominantly on the ventral aspect. We herein report two cases of eccrine spiradenoma in 35-year-old man and 53-year-old woman, which located on upper extremity and inguinal region. The masses are round, well circumscribed and measuring 0.7x0.5x0.5 cm, 5x4.5x3 cm in size, respectively. Histopathologically, the tumor consists of masses of two types of cells, intensely staining cells and pale staining cells, usually arranged in chains, cords and pseudoglands. Immunostainings for low molecular cytokeratin, high molecular cytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and S-100 protein show positivity in neoplastic cells. Electron microscopically, the tumor was composed of three types of cells, i. e. 1) round or ovoid tumor cells in shape with scanty cytoplasm and poorly developed intracytoplasmic orgenelles, 2) spindle shaped dark cells interconnected by desmosomes, 3) large epithelial cells with abundant cytoplasm and cytoplasmic intermediate filaments which formed glandular structures. The large epithelial cells joint each other by desmosomal attachments and luminal cells featured small numbers of microvilli, but either secretory granules nor ductal type granules were noticed.