p53 and K-ras Expression in Interstitial Lung Disease / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Approximately 10-13% of patients with interstitial lung disease(ILD) die of lung cancer, and patients with ILD have been reported to have a 7 fold higher incidence of lung cancer compared to the normal population. Recently, overexpression of the p53 and p21 proteins were observed in the epithelial cells from pathologic specimens of ILD. Overexpression of these proteins may result from chronic or recurrent DNA damage by unknown causes of inflammation. However, these proteins may also contribute to oncogenesis if other genetic alterations such as K-ras are superimposed. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stains for p53 and K-ras proteins were performed with pathologic specimens from 38 cases with ILD(M/F:27/11, mean agea:54±10 years) and from 10 control subjects. RESULTS: The p53 protein was expressed in 21.1% (8/38 ILD cases) and K-ras protein expression was observed in 65.8% (25/38 ILD cases). However, neither p53 nor the K-ras protein staining was observed in the control subjects. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of cases with ILD expressed the p53 and K-ras proteins in their bronchial epithelial cells. These proteins may be potentially oncogenic with the addition of further genetic alterations. However, to clarify the significance of these findings, further studies looking for correlations with the incidence of lung cancer and other genetic changes are needed.

Cauda Equina Syndrome after Laminectomy of Lumbar Spine with Application of Autogenous Free Fat Graft: A Case Report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Although epidural fibrosis after laminectomy is considered to be the cause of pain in a number of patients, the exact relationship of postoperative scar tissue and symptoms remains controversial. However it is generally accepted that epidural fibrosis after surgical decompression of neural tissue has to be avoided. To diminish the likelihooa that such a scar will form, fat grafts have been used to create an interpositional membrane. Compression of a nerve after the use of a fat graft is rare; postoperative cauda equina syndrome, resulting from compression by a grafted fat. We report the case of a patient who had this complication.

Lumbar Intradural Lipomatosis: A case Report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Intradural lipomatosis is a rare clinical entity characterized by excessive fat deposition in the intradural space. And they occur slightly more frequently in males. It may lead compression of the spinl cord or lumbargo, radiating pain, paresthesia, intermittent claudication and if they involve the cervical and thoracic region, the patients with tumours in these regions most frequently present with a slow ascending monoparesis or paraparesis, cutaneous sensory loss and defective deep sensation. Only 3% of tumours have been reported in the thoraco-lumbar region. The diagnosis should be based on a combination of clinical, imaging, surgical, and histological findings, and especially the diagnostic procedure of choice in patients with progressive myelopathy is MRI scan as it produces accurate imaging without exposure to ionizing radiation. He was treated surgically-removal of excessive fat tissue and decompressive laminectomy. We report a case of intradural lipomatosis that we had removed by surgically.