Recurrent Acute Myocardial Infarction Caused by Intra-cardiac Metastatic Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma during Cancer Treatment

No abstract available.

A Case of Laryngeal Candidiasis Presented as Laryngeal Leukoplakia

Candida exists in the oral cavity as normal flora, which is cultured in 7% of the population. And the development of candidiasis is usually related to the systemic or local immunosuppressed status such as diabetes, long-term antibiotics, steroid, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. However, isolated laryngeal candidiasis in immunocompetent patients is a rare entity with fewer than 40 cases reported in the world. Symptoms of laryngeal candidiasis are variable such as hoarseness, dysphagia, or odynophagia according to its extent, but it has clinical importance because of its resemblance with laryngeal premalignant or malignant lesions. Diagnosis is made by biopsy under direct laryngoscopy with special staining to identify the hyphae. In this article, we report a case of laryngeal candidiasis presented as leukoplakia localized on vocal fold with literature reviews.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma with Distant Metastases to the Kidney, Adrenal Gland, Skull and Gluteus Maximus Muscle: a Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Distant metastases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) are reported with the most common sites being the soft tissue of skin, lung, liver, and bone. We report here a very rare case of MEC with multiple metastases to the kidney, adrenal gland, skull and gluteus maximus muscle. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old male patient presented with left-sided headache. Radiologic evaluations including CT and MRI showed ill-defined soft tissue lesion involving the left infratemporal fossa and left sphenoid sinus, and multiple enlarged lymph nodes in neck and mediastinum. PET-CT demonstrated multiple hypermetabolic lesions in and around the left kidney, left adrenal gland, right ischium, right gluteus maximus and skull base. These lesions were confirmed as MEC with multiple metastases through biopsy. DISCUSSION: Only one case of metastasis to the skull has been previously reported, and moreover, there has not been a case of metastatic MEC to the kidney, adrenal gland and gluteus maximus muscle so far in the medical literature. It is important to acknowledge the possibility of every unusual MEC metastases, since the presence of metastasis has statistically significant influence on the survival of MEC.

Dermatomyositis: A Rare Extra-intestinal Manifestation of Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory myositis as an extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rare. Coexistence of immuno-mediated diseases in patients with IBD and myositis suggests a common etiopathogenic mechanism underlying these conditions. The current report refers to a rare case of a 45-year-old Korean female with ulcerative colitis (UC) who developed dermatomyositis. She presented with skin rash and proximal muscle weakness, and her disease activity of UC was in remission state. Electromyography, magnetic resonance imaging, and deltoid muscle biopsy were performed. She was diagnosed with dermatomyositis associated with UC and treatment with glucocorticoids and azathioprine resulted in improvement in muscle power and skin rash. Clinicians should be aware of this unusual extra-intestinal manifestation.

Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome with Adenomatous Change in a Fifteen-month-old Boy / 대한소화기학회지

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a very rare genetic disorder. PJS carries a high risk of developing gastrointestinal (GI) cancer or non-GI cancer with advancing years. However, major symptoms of PJS in childhood are obstruction, intussusception, and bleeding from hamartomatous intestinal polyps which in majority of cases are not related to cancer. Generally, first GI symptom develops by 20 years in one half of children diagnosed with PJS. Children under two years of age who had PJS polyp-related intestinal symptoms are rare, and there have been no published report on intestinal carcinoma development, adenomatous change or dysplasia of polyps in Korean children with PJS. Recently, the authors have experienced a case PJS with adenomatous polyp change in a 15-month-old boy who had STK11 gene mutation. Therefore, early evaluation could be necessary and considered in children with PJS.

Effect of green tea extract microencapsulation on hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular tissues in high fructose-fed rats

The application of polyphenols has attracted great interest in the field of functional foods and nutraceuticals due to their potential health benefits in humans. However, the effectiveness of polyphenols depends on their bioactivity and bioavailability. In the present study, the bioactive component from green tea extract (GTE) was administrated orally (50 mg/kg body weight/day) as free or in a microencapsulated form with maltodextrin in rats fed a high fructose diet. High fructose diet induced features of metabolic syndrome including hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, increased serum total cholesterol, and retroperitoneal obesity. In addition, myocardial fibrosis was increased. In rats receiving high fructose diet, the lowering of blood triglycerides, total cholesterol, non esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and uric acid, as well as the reduction in final body weight and retroperitoneal fat weight associated with the administration of GTE, led to a reversal of the features of metabolic syndrome (P < 0.05). In particular, the administration of microencapsulated GTE decreased myocardial fibrosis and increased liver catalase activity consistent with a further alleviation of serum NEFA, and hyperuricemia compared to administration of GTE. Taken together, our results suggest that microencapsulation of the bioactive components of GTE might have a protective effect on cardiovasucular system by attenuating the adverse features of myocardial fibrosis, decreasing uric acid levels and increasing hepatic catalase activity effectively by protecting their bioactivities.

Wegener's Granulomatosis Presenting as Bilateral Otalgia with Facial Palsy: A Case Report

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is defined as a granulomatous inflammation of the upper and lower respiratory tract due to a systemic vasculitis. Facial nerve palsy may occur during the course of any granulomatous or vasculitis disease. But very few cases have been reported in which facial nerve palsy is the presenting feature of WG. We recently experienced an interesting case of WG presenting as acute middle ear infection and subsequent bilateral facial palsy.

Loss of E-cadherin and Acquisition of Vimentin in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition are Noble Indicators of Uterine Cervix Cancer Progression

BACKGROUND: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been known to play a key role in the stromal invasion of carcinoma in situ (CIS) lesion. Loss of E-cadherin and acquisition of vimentin are two critical steps in EMT, that are induced by Snail-1 upregulation associated with overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, roles of EMT-related proteins in human cervical tissues have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the immunoexpressions of EMT-related proteins in CIS, microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and invasive SCC to demonstrate their key roles in tumor progression. METHODS: Eighty one CIS, 17 microinvasive, and 21 invasive SCC cases were immunostained with primary antibodies for Snail-1, EGFR, E-cadherin, and vimentin on paraffin-embedded tissue microarray blocks. RESULTS: EGFR and Snail-1 proteins were highly expressed but the levels were not significantly different between the three groups. However, loss of E-cadherin and acquisition of vimentin were proven to occur significantly higher in microinvasive and invasive SCC cases than in CIS. CONCLUSIONS: E-cadherin and vimentin were found to be two useful indicators of EMT in evaluating stromal invasion of CIS. However, it was not demonstrated for Snail-1 and EGFR proteins to play any key role in the progression of cervix cancer.

Epidermoid Cyst of the Spleen Presenting as Acute Abdominal Pain

Splenic epidermoid cyst is a rare disease affecting the spleen. We report a 24-year-old male who presented with acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a huge cystic lesion of the spleen. At laparotomy, a huge cyst was found arising from the low pole of the spleen. It was removed by splenectomy. Histopathological findings were consistent with splenic epidermoid cyst.

Epidermoid Cyst of the Spleen Presenting as Acute Abdominal Pain

Splenic epidermoid cyst is a rare disease affecting the spleen. We report a 24-year-old male who presented with acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a huge cystic lesion of the spleen. At laparotomy, a huge cyst was found arising from the low pole of the spleen. It was removed by splenectomy. Histopathological findings were consistent with splenic epidermoid cyst.

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Kikuchi's Lymphadenitis: with Emphasis on Differential Diagnosis with Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Although Kikuchi's lymphadenitis (KL) has been known to have characteristic cytological features, pathologists encounter difficulties in making a diagnosis with fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic pitfalls of KL with FNAC, particularly with emphasis on differential diagnosis with tuberculosis. METHODS: FNAC of 10 patients with a histological diagnosis of KL and tuberculosis was reviewed. RESULTS: Acidophilic cells were observed in all the 10 KL cases, even if the smears were insufficient. Crescentic histiocytes were seen in 8, granular background in 7, and karyorrhectic debris in 3 cases. Epithelioid histiocytes or neutrophils were not seen in any of the KL cases. Of the 10 cases of tuberculosis, acidophilic cells were observed in 6 cases, crescentic histiocytes in none of them, cheese-like background in 9, karyorrhectic debris in 8, epithelioid histiocytes in 4, and neutrophils in 8 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The acidophilic cell could be the most sensitive but not the specific marker of KL with FNAC. The crescentic histiocytes might be the sensitive and considerably specific marker of KL. The cytological features distinguishing tuberculosis from KL may be cheese-like necrosis admixed with neutrophils and epithelioid histiocytes.

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma with Prominent Hyaline Degeneration: A Case Report

Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH) is a rare vascular tumor of low to intermediate malignant potential, and PEH can mimic other more common tumor entities pathologically as well as clinically. Compared to its well-recognized histological features, its cytological findings have been reported rarely to be plasmacytoid or epithelioid cells with abundant dense or finely granular cytoplasm, cytoplasmic vacuoles, round nuclei and prominent nucleoli.We report here on the fine needle aspiration cytologic findings of a 38-year-old woman with EH of the lung, that showed in addition to its classical cytomorphology, a somewhat peculiar cytologic finding such as big twig-like rosettoid structures with prominent hyalinized stroma. This tumor was histologically and immunohistochemically proven to be PEH by primary antibodies for CD31, CD34 and vimentin. We emphasize that the accuracy of making a cytologic diagnosis of this rare tumor can be increased by recognizing the peculiar cytologic finding that we report on here.

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Pulmonary Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma with Prominent Hyaline Degeneration: A Case Report

Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH) is a rare vascular tumor of low to intermediate malignant potential, and PEH can mimic other more common tumor entities pathologically as well as clinically. Compared to its well-recognized histological features, its cytological findings have been reported rarely to be plasmacytoid or epithelioid cells with abundant dense or finely granular cytoplasm, cytoplasmic vacuoles, round nuclei and prominent nucleoli.We report here on the fine needle aspiration cytologic findings of a 38-year-old woman with EH of the lung, that showed in addition to its classical cytomorphology, a somewhat peculiar cytologic finding such as big twig-like rosettoid structures with prominent hyalinized stroma. This tumor was histologically and immunohistochemically proven to be PEH by primary antibodies for CD31, CD34 and vimentin. We emphasize that the accuracy of making a cytologic diagnosis of this rare tumor can be increased by recognizing the peculiar cytologic finding that we report on here.

Role of Loss of O(6)-Methylguanine DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinomas (NSCLCs): with Reference to the Relationship with p53 Overexpression / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Functional inactivation of the O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene has been demonstrated as loss of MGMT protein and suggested that it plays an important role in primary human neoplasia, including lung cancer. It has also been reported to be associated with the G : C-->A : T transition mutation in the p53 gene of lung cancer. The aims of this study were to investigate the role of MGMT expression loss and its prognostic significance in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), and its correlation with p53 overexpression as well as influence on patient survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 112 surgically resected NSCLC specimens were reviewed by medical records for their clinicopathologic variables. Their tissue microarray blocks were immunostained with anti-human MGMT and p53 primary antibodies. Correlation between MGMT loss and the clinicopathologic prognostic factors, including p53 overexpression and the single or combined actions of MGMT loss and p53 overexpression on patient survival were statistically analyzed by SPSS15.0. RESULTS: Reduced or absent MGMT expression was found in 48 of 112 NSCLCs (43%), and significantly associated with nodal metastasis and squamous or undifferentiated cell types. Loss of MGMT expression was correlated with p53 overexpression in adenocarcinomas, but not in overall NSCLCs. Its solitary or combined actions with p53 overexpression did not have influence on patient survival. CONCLUSION: Loss of MGMT expression is a relatively common event in NSCLCs and significantly associated with nodal metastasis and p53 overexpression, suggesting that it may play a major role in pulmonary carcinogenesis, and also in disease progression of NSCLCs.

A Case of Fibrovascular Polyp Originating from Soft Palate Causing Nasal Obstruction / 대한이비인후과학회지

Fibrovascular polyp (FVP) mostly occurs in the upper cervical esophagus, hypopharynx, and occasionally in the oropharynx. However, it occurs very rarely in the nasopharynx. FVP is a slow growing tumor which often fails to produce symptoms until it has achieved massive size. Symptoms are diverse, ranging from asymptomatic to obstructive asphyxia according to the size of mass. We have recently experienced a rare case of a 14-year-old boy who complained of bilateral nasal obstruction due to a mass originating from the nasopharyngeal surface of soft palate, which is pathologically a nonnasal lesion. It was diagnosed as FVP and was successfully managed using cold instruments under endoscopy.

Two Granular Cell Tumors of the Colon with the Endosonographic Features / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Granular cell tumor is relatively uncommon, it is usually benign and it can be located anywhere throughout the body. It is uncommon in the digestive tract, and especially in the colon and rectum. The endosonographic features of granular cell tumor are usually a relatively hypoechoic, heterogenous lesion in the submucosa, but this tumor has rarely been reported in the colon. We report here on two cases of granular cell tumors of the colon that were observed by using endoscopic ultrasonograpy for making the differential diagnosis of a submucosal tumor and these tumors were confirmed by microscopic examinations after endoscopic mucosal resection.

A Case of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Following Placenta Extract Injection / 결핵및호흡기질환

Human placenta contains various kinds of nutritional elements essential for embryonic development. Currently, human placenta extracts are widely overused in Korea to improve certain health conditions (postmenopausal syndrome, liver function, and cosmetic purposes) without scientific evidence that they actually work. The use of placenta extracts should be restricted, due to a lack of systematic research on the therapeutic effectiveness and adverse results from these treatments. While the common adverse effects that have been reported are fever, rash, itching, nausea, vomiting, breast pain, and rare cases of anaphylactic shock, there have been no reports of pulmonary complications such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Recently, we experienced a patient with hypersensitivity pneumonitis following a placenta extract injection. To our knowledge, this is the first case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with placenta extract use.

Intracranial Fibroxanthoma in an Infant: a Case Report

A primary fibroxanthoma of the central nervous system is very rare. We present a case of an infantile fibroxanthoma that arose from the cranial dura mater in a six-month-old girl with US, MRI and PET/CT features that mimicked a meningioma. The tumor appeared as a large, well-circumscribed echogenic mass in the right parieto-occipital area on US. The tumor was seen as isoattenuated to slightly hypoattenuated on pre-contrast CT scan and as hypometabolic on PET/CT. As seen on T2-weighted image, the mass was heterogeneously hyperintense to the gray matter. The mass was isointense on T1-weighted image and homogeneously strongly enhanced on contrast enhanced T1-weighted image.

Malignant Glioma Arising at the Site of an Excised Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma after Irradiation in a von Hippel-Lindau Disease Patient

We describe herein a malignant glioma arising at the site of the resected hemangioblastoma after irradiation in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). The patient was a 25 year-old male with multiple hemangioblastomas at the cerebellum and spinal cord, multiple pancreatic cysts and a renal cell carcinoma; he was diagnosed as having VHL disease. The largest hemangioblastoma at the right cerebellar hemisphere was completely removed, and he received high-dose irradiation postoperatively. The tumor recurred at the same site 7 years later, which was a malignant glioma with no evidence of hemangioblastoma. The malignant glioma showed molecular genetic profiles of radiation-induced tumors because of its diffuse p53 immunostaining and the loss of p16 immunoreactivity. The genetic study to find the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of VHL gene revealed that only the cerebellar hemangioblastoma showed allelic losses for the gene. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to show a malignant glioma that developed in a patient with VHL disease after radiation therapy at the site of an excised hemangioblastoma. This report also suggests that radiation therapy should be performed very carefully in VHL patients with hemangioblastomas.

Functional Inactivation of pRb Associated with Cyclin D1- and Cyclin-dependent Kinase 4 Overexpression Plays A Key Role in Human Pituitary Tumorigenesis

BACKGROUND: Human pituitary adenoma (PA) is a common intracranial tumor, but the mechanism underlying tumorigenesis has not been established. Functional inactivation of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) following cyclin D1- and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4-dependent hyperphosphorylation is one of the most important mechanisms in tumor cell proliferation. We evaluated immunohistochemical expressions of cyclin D1, CDK4 and phosphorylated pRb (p-pRb) in 50 PAs to investigate a role for functional inactivation of pRb associated with cyclin D1/CDK4 overexpression in pituitary tumorigenesis and to correlate it with clinicopathologic variables. METHODS: Fifty human PAs were immunohistochemically stained for cyclin D1, CDK4 and p-pRb (Thr 356). Correlations between their expression and the clinicopathologic characteristics were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Cyclin D1 and CDK4 were overexpressed in 56% and 64%, respectively; pRb was hyperphosphorylated in 64%. Forty one cases (82%) showed one or more of these altered expressions. Overexpressions of cyclin D1 and CDK4 were correlated with functional pRb inactivation. Cyclin D1 overexpression was associated with apoplexy and growth hormone production. CONCLUSIONS: Functional inactivation of pRb associated with the cyclin D1/CDK4 overexpression might play a key role in human pituitary tumorigenesis. CDK4 worked in concert with cyclin D1 to hyperphosphorylate pRb. Pituitary apoplexy appeared to be associated with cyclin D1 overexpression.