Chondrosarcoma of the Nasal Septum / 대한이비인후과학회지

Chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum is a very rare malignant tumor in the head and neck region. To diagnose chondrosarcoma, it is challenging to obtain an exact initial impression just by simple physical examination. Therefore, imaging studies are useful in the initial assessment of chondrosarcoma. Pathological confirmation is necessary for a definitive diagnosis of chondrosarcoma. In the treatment of chondrosarcoma, complete surgical resection is most effective, but often difficult. We report a patient with chondrosarcoma misdiagnosed with nasal septal deviation causing nasal obstruction. The patient underwent endoscopic surgical resection via an external rhinoplasty approach. The pathological diagnosis of the patient was chondrosarcoma with pathological Grade 1. The patient has been regularly followed up to date without recurrence.

Clinical Significance of ReceptorInteracting Protein 3 and Parkin, Essential Molecules for Necroptosis, in Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

Purpose@#Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3) is the main initiator of necroptosis. Parkin prevents the formation of the RIP1–RIP3 complex by promoting polyubiquitination of RIP3. However, the mechanism by which necroptosis affects the clinical features of breast cancer and prognosis is not known. Here, we aimed to study the effect of necroptosis on the clinical features and prognosis of breast cancer by assessing the expression of RIP3 and Parkin. @*Methods@#Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed from 257 cases of breast cancer.Immunohistochemistry was performed on 4-μm tissue sections from each TMA block. The χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test, and Cox regression proportional hazard model were used for statistical analysis. @*Results@#Low RIP3 expression resulted in a large tumor size and high nuclear grade. Low RIP3 expression was correlated with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positivity, short overall survival (OS), and short disease-free survival (DFS). The triple negative breast cancer group with low RIP3 expression and lymph node (LN) positive group with low RIP3 expression had the shortest OS. High Parkin expression was associated with high histological grade, estrogen and/or progesterone receptor negativity, and lymphatic emboli, but was not correlated with OS and DFS. OS was correlated with LN metastasis and RIP3 loss and DFS with large tumor size, LN metastasis, and RIP3 loss. @*Conclusion@#Low RIP3 and high Parkin expression are associated with aggressive clinical features in breast cancer. RIP3, a molecular marker of necroptosis, is an independent factor associated with survival in breast cancer. Further in-depth studies are needed to investigate the role of necroptosis in breast cancer development, metastasis, and treatment in the future.

Clinical Significance of ReceptorInteracting Protein 3 and Parkin, Essential Molecules for Necroptosis, in Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

Purpose@#Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3) is the main initiator of necroptosis. Parkin prevents the formation of the RIP1–RIP3 complex by promoting polyubiquitination of RIP3. However, the mechanism by which necroptosis affects the clinical features of breast cancer and prognosis is not known. Here, we aimed to study the effect of necroptosis on the clinical features and prognosis of breast cancer by assessing the expression of RIP3 and Parkin. @*Methods@#Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were constructed from 257 cases of breast cancer.Immunohistochemistry was performed on 4-μm tissue sections from each TMA block. The χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank test, and Cox regression proportional hazard model were used for statistical analysis. @*Results@#Low RIP3 expression resulted in a large tumor size and high nuclear grade. Low RIP3 expression was correlated with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positivity, short overall survival (OS), and short disease-free survival (DFS). The triple negative breast cancer group with low RIP3 expression and lymph node (LN) positive group with low RIP3 expression had the shortest OS. High Parkin expression was associated with high histological grade, estrogen and/or progesterone receptor negativity, and lymphatic emboli, but was not correlated with OS and DFS. OS was correlated with LN metastasis and RIP3 loss and DFS with large tumor size, LN metastasis, and RIP3 loss. @*Conclusion@#Low RIP3 and high Parkin expression are associated with aggressive clinical features in breast cancer. RIP3, a molecular marker of necroptosis, is an independent factor associated with survival in breast cancer. Further in-depth studies are needed to investigate the role of necroptosis in breast cancer development, metastasis, and treatment in the future.

Growth and Bone Mineral Density Changes in Ovariectomized Rats Treated with Estrogen Receptor Alpha or Beta Agonists

Background@#Estrogen controls the pubertal growth spurt, growth plate closure, and accretion of bone mineral density (BMD) of long bones after biding estrogen receptor (ER).There are two subtypes of ER, ERα and ERβ. If each ER subtype has different effects, we may control those actions by manipulating the estrogen binding intensity to each ER subtype and increase the final adult height without markedly reducing BMD or impairing reproductive functions. The purpose of our study was to compare these effects of ERα and ERβ on long bones in ovariectomized rats. @*Methods@#Thirty female rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into 3 groups. The control, propylpyrazole triol (PPT), and 2,3-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propionitrile (DPN) groups were subcutaneously injected for 5 weeks with sesame oil, PPT as an ERα agonist, and DPN as an ERβ agonist, respectively. The crown-lump length and body weight were measured weekly.BMD, serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and estradiol were checked before and after 5 weeks of injections. Pituitary GH1 expression levels were determined with quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction, the proximal tibias were dissected, decalcified and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the thicknesses of epiphyseal plates including proliferative and hypertrophic zones were measured in 20-evenly divided sites after 5 weeks of injections. Comparisons for auxological data, serum hormone and pituitary GH1 expression levels, BMD, and epiphyseal plate thicknesses among 3 groups before and after injections were conducted. @*Results@#There was no significant difference in body lengths among 3 groups. The body weights were significantly lower, but, serum GH, pituitary GH1 expression levels, and BMDs were higher in PPT group than the other 2 groups after 5 weeks of injections. There was no significant difference in the thicknesses of the total epiphyseal plate, proliferative, and hypertrophic zone among 3 groups. @*Conclusion@#ERα is more involved in pituitary GH secretion and bone mineral deposition than ERβ. Weight gain might be prevented with the ERα agonist.

Compound K attenuates glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis through AMPK-dependent pathways in type 2 diabetic OLETF rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with insulin resistance. Compound K (CK) is the final metabolite of panaxadiol ginsenosides that have been shown to exert antidiabetic effects. However, the molecular mechanism of the antidiabetic effects in the liver have not been elucidated; further, whether CK has beneficial effects in hepatosteatosis remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of CK on hepatosteatosis as well as its mechanism in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed type 2 diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. METHODS: Twenty-four-week-old male OLETF rats were assigned to four groups: control (saline), CK 10 mg/kg, CK 25 mg/kg, or metformin 300 mg/kg (positive control); all treatments were administered orally for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Fasting glucose levels of the CK25 group were significantly lower than those of the control group during the 12 weeks. The results of the oral glucose tolerance test showed that both the glucose concentration after glucose loading and the fasting insulin levels of the CK25 group were significantly lower than those of the control. Hepatosteatosis was significantly improved by CK25. CK25 and metformin significantly increased the phosphorylation of hepatic adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). CK25 significantly inhibited the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and fatty acid synthase, while upregulating that of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. CONCLUSIONS: CK improved glucose intolerance and hepatosteatosis in HFD-fed OLETF rats through AMPK activation, which has dual mode of action that involves decreasing the synthesis of fatty acids and increasing fatty acid oxidation.

Eosinophils in Colorectal Neoplasms Associated with Expression of CCL11 and CCL24

BACKGROUND: A decrease in the number of tissue eosinophils is known to reflect the malignancy potential of neoplastic lesions and even prognosis. Increased levels of the chemokines CCL11 and CCL24 in serum and tissue are also known to have diagnostic value as serum tumor markers or prognostic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the degree of tissue eosinophilia and the expression of these chemokines in the glandular and stromal cells of colorectal neoplastic lesions ranging from benign to malignant tumors. METHODS: We counted the number of infiltrating eosinophils in neoplastic lesion tissue and we evaluated the expression of CCL11 and CCL24 in glandular cells and stromal cells by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The results showed that the number of eosinophils decreased significantly and the expression of CCL11 and CCL24 in glandular cells decreased with tumor progression, whereas the stromal expression of CCL11 and CCL24 appeared to increase. CONCLUSIONS: The discrepancy in CCL11 and CCL24 expression between glandular cells and stromal cells might shed light on how colorectal cancer evades the immune system, which would enable further development of immunotherapies that target these chemokines. Further research on eosinophil biology and the expression pattern of chemokines in tumor cells is needed.

Analysis of NF-κB and Clinical Prognostic Factors in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE: A multi-subunit transcription factor NF-κB is associated with anti-apoptotic signals in several cancers including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we investigated whether the expression levels of the NF-κB were related to the clinical properties of human renal cell carcinoma such as nuclear grade, TNM stage, and recurrence free survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with clear cell RCC between January 2006 and February 2013 were included. Clinicopathological data and survival were investigated. The expressions of NF-κB were investigated by performing immunohistochemical staining on 61 clear cell RCC. The expression levels of NF-κB were divided two groups by the expression levels. RESULTS: Results on the expression of NF-κB were not significant. Analysis of NF-κB expressions is not associated with any of the clinical properties including age, nuclear grade and TNM stage (p=0.613, p=0.059, p=0.107, p=0.570, and p=0.760, respectively). Also, a statistically correlation was not observed between recurrence free survival and NF-κB expression levels (p=0.573). CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of the NF-κB were not associated with the clinical properties of clear cell RCC such as age, nuclear grade, TNM stage, and recurrence free survival.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the ultrasonographic findings of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 22 hernia cases of the canal of Nuck. The following gray scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic features were analyzed: the site and the size of the hernia, the texture of the hernia contents, and the presence or absence of blood flow in the hernia contents. RESULTS: All of the patients had swelling of the right inguinal region (n=10), left inguinal region (n=8), or both (n=2). On ultrasonography, the hernias appeared as either solid masses (n=17) or solid masses containing cysts (n=5). The mean anteroposterior diameter of the hernia sac of the canal of Nuck was 9.1 mm (range, 5 to 18 mm). The mean anteroposterior diameters of the hernia sac were 11.6 mm (range, 7.6 to 18 mm) for hernias containing an ovary, and 8.3 mm (range, 5 to 13 mm) for hernias containing omental fat. During surgery, among the 17 cases with solid-appearing hernia contents on ultrasonography, omental fat was identified in the hernia sac in four cases, but no structure was identified in 13 cases. All five cases that appeared as solid masses containing cysts on ultrasonography contained ovary tissue in the hernia sac. Among the four cases of ovary-containing hernias, color Doppler ultrasonography identified blood flow within the ovary in three cases, but no flow signal was seen in one case of incarcerated hernia. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography may be helpful for the diagnosis of ovary-containing hernias of the canal of Nuck by detecting solid masses containing small cysts.

Trigger Wrist

Triggering at the wrist during active flexion and extension of the fingers or wrists is very rare. It is caused by tumors, inflammation, and anomalous muscle belly. We report two cases of trigger wrist caused by synovial hypertrophy and fibroma of flexor tendon.

Ovarian Remnant Syndrome at the Trochar Site: A Report of a Rare Complication Following Laparoscopic Ovarian Surgery

No abstract available.

A Case of Biliary Cast Developed in a Patient with Long-Standing Biliary Sludge

Development of biliary casts is very unusual, especially in patients who have not undergone liver transplantation. Variable causes of biliary cast formation in nonliver transplantation patients have been suggested. However, stasis of bile flow and/or gallbladder hypocontractility is known to eventually result in the promotion of biliary sludge and subsequent cast formation. Here we present one case of biliary cast syndrome, which developed in a nonliver transplant patient who had biliary sludge for a long period of time, providing evidence that long-standing biliary sludge may lead to cast formation.

A Minimal Immunohistochemical Panel for Subtyping Poorly Differentiated Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Tissue Microarray Study Simulating Small Biopsy Conditions

PURPOSE: Given the emerging evidence for differential responses to new targeted therapies and the identification of molecular differences between specific subtypes of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), there is an increased need for greater accuracy in subtyping NSCLC. In a substantial proportion of cases, standard morphology cannot specifically subtype the tumor, resulting in a final diagnosis of NSCLC-not otherwise specified. In this study, we added newly proposed markers (napsin A, desmocollin-3) to conventional markers (p63, thyroid transcription factor-1 [TTF-1], cytokeratin 5/6 [CK5/6], high molecular weight cytokeratin [HMWCK], cytokeratin 7 [CK7]) and evaluated for the minimal panel of immunohistochemical markers required for subtyping poorly differentiated (PD) NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resection specimens of 110 adenocarcinomas (ADCs) and 171 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were collected and tissue microarrays were constructed to simulate small biopsy conditions. All specimens were stained with TTF-1, napsin A, CK7, p63, CK5/6, HMWCK, desmocollin-3 and mucicarmine. RESULTS: For 32 PD ADC, a combination of TTF-1 and napsin A increased sensitivity (81%). With regard to the 29 PD SCC, a combination of desmocollin-3 and p63 did not substantially increase diagnostic performance. Logistic regression analysis identified napsin A, p63 and TTF-1 as the optimal panel to separate PD ADC and PD SCC. Mucin stains for PD NSCLC increased accuracy rate (88%) for diagnosis of PD ADC. CONCLUSION: We recommend a minimal panel of immunohistochemical and histochemical markers to include TTF-1, p63, napsin A and one of mucin stains for tumor subtyping of PD NSCLC in a small biopsy sample.

Ectopic Epididymis in Testicular Appendices: Report of Two Cases

We report two cases of ectopic epididymal ducts and efferent ductules in the testicular appendices (TAs) of adult men with normally descended testes. In both cases, a sessile TA was incidentally found at the upper pole of the right testis during the scrotal hydrocelectomy. Microscopically, a few closely arranged tubules were detected within the TA. In the first case, the tubules were lined with a pseudostratified columnar epithelium with numerous, long microvilli, and were surrounded by a smooth muscle coat. In contrast, in the second case, the tubules had a wavy luminal surface, because ciliated columnar cells alternated with groups of cuboidal cells. In both cases, strong CD10 immunoreactivity was observed in the luminal border of the lining epithelium. Surgical pathologists should be aware of the presence of both ectopic epididymal ducts and efferent ductules that can occur in TAs, in order to avoid misinterpretation as transected, functional reproductive structures.

Angiomyomatous Hamartoma of Popliteal Lymph Nodes Occurring in Association with Diffuse Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of Knee

We report the first case of an angiomyomatous hamartoma (AH) of the popliteal lymph nodes (LNs) occurring in association with diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) of the knee. AH is a rare benign vascular disease with a predisposition for the LNs of the inguinal region. Twenty-five cases of AH have been reported to date; however, the precise pathogenesis is still undetermined. In the present case, an open synovectomy revealed two of three popliteal LNs in close proximity to the extra-articular component of diffuse PVNS. These LNs demonstrated irregularly distributed thick-walled blood vessels in the hilum. These vessels extended into the medulla and cortex and were associated with haphazardly arranged smooth muscle cells in the sclerotic stroma. These findings are compatible with an AH. Our observations raise the possibility that AH of the popliteal LNs may represent an abnormal proliferative reaction against the inflammatory process caused by PVNS of the knee.

Early Adenocarcinoma Arising from Traditional Serrated Adenoma in the Colon / 대한소화기내시경학회지

A serrated adenoma is a precursor lesion for some cases of microsatellite unstable colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The serrated neoplasia pathway has been associated with carcinogenesis of serrated adenoma, which is different from the traditional adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The serrated neoplasia pathway accounts for 10~15% of CRCs, and these tumors typically demonstrate microsatellite instability. Cases of a CRC arising from a serrated adenoma have been rarely identified with the recent recognition of the serrated neoplasia pathway. However, these cases are not frequently reported in Korea, because this concept has only been recently emphasized. We report a case of an early adenocarcinoma arising from a traditional serrated adenoma of the colon, which was diagnosed and treated by a colonoscopic polypectomy.

Obstructive Jaundice Caused by Clonorchiasis-associated Duodenal Papillitis: A Case Report

We describe an unusual presentation of Clonorchis sinensis infection with obstructive jaundice due to duodenal papillitis which was relieved dramatically by endoscopic sphincterotomy. A 26-yr-old male presented with complaints of fatigue, weight loss and painless jaundice. The history was significant for frequent ingestion of raw freshwater fish. The patient underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for evaluation of obstructive jaundice. The duodenal papilla was markedly edematous with a bulging configuration and hyperemic changes at the orifice. Cholangiography revealed mild bile duct dilatation and irregular wall changes with multiple indentations. However, there were no biliary stricture or stones noted as the cause of obstructive jaundice. We performed an endoscopic sphincterotomy for effective bile drainage through the duodenal papilla. After the sphincterotomy, the patient's jaundice was dramatically improved. Pathology of the duodenal papilla showed eosinophilic infiltration of the mucosa. Parasitic eggs, consistent with the diagnosis of C. sinensis, were found in the bile sample.

A Case of Chronic Neuropathic Pseudo-obstruction of the Colon / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Colonic pseudo-obstruction, which is characterized by repetitive episodes or continuous symptoms and signs of a bowel obstruction, is a rare disease that results in colorectal dilatation without any obstructing lesions. Cases with neuropathic chronic colonic pseudo-obstruction have rarely been reported in Korea. We report a case of neuropathic colonic pseudo-obstruction, which results in decreased number of interstitial cells of Cajal and hypoganglionosis, in a 50-year-old man with chronic constipation accompanied by megacolon.

Inflammatory Pseudotumor Causing Small Bowel Obstruction in a Patient with AIDS / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Small bowel obstructions are most commonly caused by adhesions, hernias, neoplasms or inflammatory stricture. Inflammatory pseudotumors are an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction, even in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We have experienced a case of small bowel obstruction caused by an inflammatory pseudotumor in a 38-year old male with AIDS. Abdominal computed tomography showed small bowel obstruction due to jejunal annular wall thickening. Surgical laparotomy showed a non-specific granulomatous inflammatory mass that could not fulfill any diagnostic criteria for a specific disease. This report describes our findings of small bowel obstruction due to an inflammatory pseudotumor and discusses the differential diagnosis of inflammatory pseudotumor in AIDS patients.

The Global Histone Modification Patterns of Osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic alteration may affect a patient's prognosis by altering the development and progression of the tumor. Some recent reports have identified a correlation between histone modification and patient outcome. However, no studies have been conducted on global histone modification in osteosarcomas. METHODS: We investigated histone modification in 54 cases of osteosarcoma by performing immunohistochemical staining. The immunohistochemical expression of four histone modification markers, acetylated H4 lysine 12 (H4K12Ac), acetylated H3 lysine 18, trimethylated H3 lysine 27, and dimethylated H3 lysine 4 were evaluated. RESULTS: High H4K12Ac expression was correlated with patient age (p=0.011). However, the other histone modification markers showed no correlation with any of the clinicopathological data such as survival, tumor grade, tumor site, metastasis, age, or gender. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that all four histone modification markers are expressed in osteosarcoma (median expression rate, 40 to 60%). However, we did not find a correlation with the clinicopathological factors except for age. Further study to evaluate the reason for the association between H4K12Ac and patient age is needed.

Clinicopathological Significance of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma with High Prevalence of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Epithelial tumor cells with a CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) immunoprofile may have the ability to cause breast cancer. We studied these cells and their clinicopathological significance. METHODS: The clinicopathologic findings of 100 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) cases and 45 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) cases were reviewed. CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells were identified by immunohistochemistry, and their clinicopathological implications in IDC and DCIS were analyzed. RESULTS: IDC with a high prevalence of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells was significantly associated with larger mass, higher grade, estrogen receptor (ER) negativity, and tumor cells with a higher frequency of metastasis. The proportion of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells in IDC, and its DCIS components was not significantly different, whereas the proportion of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells was higher in DCIS than in the DCIS component of IDC (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IDC with a high prevalence of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells might correlate with aggressive features, such as ER and higher grades. Moreover, the proportion of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells in the DCIS components of IDC and DCIS might harbor different biology, which may lead to differences in cancer progression and early carcinogenesis.