Basal Cell Carcinoma Arising within Seborrheic Keratosis

No abstract available.

Basement Membrane Status Is Intact in Urticarial Dermatitis vs. Adult-Onset Atopic Dermatitis

No abstract available.

Emergence of Acinetobacter pittii Harboring New Delhi Metallo-beta-Lactamase Genes in Daejeon, Korea

Carbapenemase production has been reported worldwide in gram-negative bacteria, including Acinetobacter species. We detected carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter pittii in clinical isolates in Daejeon, Korea. Twenty-one ertapenem-resistant A. pittii isolates screened with a disk diffusion method were characterized by using the Epsilon test, four multiplex PCR assays, and a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. A total of 21 A. pittii isolates harbored the metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) gene bla(IMP-1) or bla(NDM-1). Nineteen isolates containing bla(IMP-1) were resistant to imipenem and meropenem, but two isolates harboring bla(NDM-1) were susceptible to them. The sequence types (STs) of the two New Delhi MBL (NDM-1)-producing A. pittii isolates were ST70 and ST207, which differed from the STs (ST63, ST119, ST396, and a novel ST) of the IMP-1-producing A. pittii. This is the first report on NDM-1-producing A. pittii isolates in Korea. Our results emphasize that the study of NDM-1-producing gram-negative bacteria should involve carbapenem-susceptible as well as carbapenem-resistant isolates.

Epidermoid Cyst of the Cecum

An epidermoid cyst of the cecum is extremely rare; only eight cases have been reported in the literature. A 63-year-old woman was admitted to Kyung Hee University Medical Center with a colonic mass that had been discovered incidentally during a regular health check-up. The radiographic impression was that this mass was a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. During surgery, an exophytic mass in the cecal wall was resected by using an ileocecectomy. Based on the macroscopic and the microscopic findings, this case was identified as an epidermoid cyst of the cecal wall. We report this case to discuss the origin of this entity and the unusual nature of our case.

IDH Mutation Analysis in Ewing Sarcoma Family Tumors

BACKGROUND: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to yield alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG) with production of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Dysfunctional IDH leads to reduced production of alpha-KG and NADH and increased production of 2-hydroxyglutarate, an oncometabolite. This results in increased oxidative damage and stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor alpha, causing cells to be prone to tumorigenesis. METHODS: This study investigated IDH mutations in 61 Ewing sarcoma family tumors (ESFTs), using a pentose nucleic acid clamping method and direct sequencing. RESULTS: We identified four cases of ESFTs harboring IDH mutations. The number of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations was equal and the subtype of IDH mutations was variable. Clinicopathologic analysis according to IDH mutation status did not reveal significant results. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to report IDH mutations in ESFTs. The results indicate that ESFTs can harbor IDH mutations in previously known hot-spot regions, although their incidence is rare. Further validation with a larger case-based study would establish more reliable and significant data on prevalence rate and the biological significance of IDH mutations in ESFTs.

Epidemiological Characterizations of Class 1 Integrons from Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter Isolates in Daejeon, Korea

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. acquire antimicrobial agent-resistance genes via class 1 integrons. In this study, integrons were characterized to investigate the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of MDR Acinetobacter isolates. In addition, the relationship between the integron type and integron-harboring bacterial species was analyzed by using epidemiological typing methods. METHODS: Fifty-six MDR Acinetobacter spp.-A. baumannii (N=30), A. bereziniae (N=4), A. nosocomialis (N=5), and A. pittii (N=17)-were isolated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined on the basis of the results of the Epsilometer test (Etest). PCR and DNA sequencing was performed to characterize the gene cassette arrays of class 1 integrons. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence (REP)-PCR were performed for epidemiological typing. RESULTS: Class 1 integrons were detected in 50 (89.3%) of the 56 isolates, but no class 2 or 3 integron was found within the cohorts. The class 1 integrons were classified into 4 types: 2.3-kb type A (aacA4-catB8-aadA1), 3.0-kb type B (aacA4-blaI(MP-1)-bla(OXA-2)), 3.0-kb type C (bla(VIM-2)-aacA7-aadA1), and 1.8-kb type D (aac3-1-bla(OXA-2)-orfD). Type A was most prevalent and was detected only in A. baumannii isolates, except for one A. bereziniae isolate; however, type B was amplified in all Acinetobacter isolates except for A. baumannii isolates, regardless of clone and separation time of the bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: Although class 1 integron can be transferred horizontally between unrelated isolates belonging to different species, certain types of class 1 integrons tend to transfer horizontally and vertically among A. baumannii or non-baumannii Acinetobacter isolates.

Recurrent Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma in Children Under Ten Years Old: Report of Two Cases and Literature Review

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in children under ten years old is very rare. To date, 18 cases of PTC in children under ten years old (including our two cases) have been reported in Korea. Here, we describe two cases of recurrent PTC with follicular variant and conventional type in an 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy, respectively, and discuss clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics that differ in pediatric patients from adults.

Case of Incidental Oncocytic Adrenocortical Neoplasm / 대한내과학회지

Adrenal oncocytomas are very rare. Because most of them are benign and nonfunctioning, they are detected incidentally. Here, we report a case of nonfunctioning benign adrenocortical oncocytoma located in the left adrenal gland in a 54-year-old man who presented with no symptoms. The tumor was 4.5 x 3 x 3 cm in size and was predominantly composed of oncocytes, which exhibited abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and were arranged with a nested or diffuse architecture without capsular or vascular invasion. Nuclear atypia and mitotic figures were not observed. A discussion of this case and a review of recent updates in the literature are presented. In patients with adrenocortical oncocytomas, treatment is similar to that for adrenocortical neoplasia. However, due to the risk of over-diagnosis of malignancy, and the better clinical outcomes associated with adrenocortical oncocytoma, more attention should be paid to the diagnosis of adrenocortical oncocytoma.

Dissemination of an AbaR-type Resistance Island in Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Global Clone 2 in Daejeon of Korea / 대한임상미생물학회지

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii resistance islands (AbaRs) are transposons that have the role of important vehicles for the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance genes, and are associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). In this study, we aimed to determine the AbaRs in MDR A. baumannii global clone 2 (GC2) clinical isolates obtained from a university hospital in Daejeon, Korea. METHODS: This study included 17 MDR A. baumannii strains isolated in Daejeon, Korea. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by Etest. A. baumannii isolates were characterized using 2 multiplex PCR assays and a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. To detect and characterize AbaRs, PCR and PCR mapping experiments were performed. RESULTS: All 17 MDR A. baumannii isolates tested in this study belonged to GC2 and contained 5 sequence types (STs): 75, 92, 137, 138, and 357. Tn6166 that contains antimicrobial resistance genes and is also known as AbaR4a was found in all 17 GC2 strains. This is the first report of Tn6166 in MDR A. baumannii GC2 isolates in Korea. In contrast, AbaR4 was not found in the GC2 isolates. CONCLUSION: Tn6166 has been disseminated among MDR A. baumannii GC2 isolates in Korea. Further investigation is needed to recover the various types of AbaRs in MDR A. baumannii GC2 isolates in Korea are responsible for the multiple antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland with Nodular Fasciitis-like Stroma

Papillary thyroid carcinoma with nodular fasciitis-like stroma (PTC-NFS) is a rare variant of PTC. The term 'PTC with fibromatosis-like stroma' has been used as a synonym to describe this variant. It is characterized by extensive proliferation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the tumor stroma, which occurs in up to 80% of the tumors. We herein describe a case of PTC-NFS which developed in a 49-year-old woman with the demonstration of findings of ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration cytology and histological examination of the lesion. To characterize the stromal components, we investigated the expression of several immunohistochemical markers which have been shown to be expressed differently in nodular fasciitis (NF) and fibromatosis (FM). The immunostaining results demonstrated nuclear and cytoplasmic accumulation of beta-catenin, cytoplasmic transforming growth factor-beta expression and nuclear Smad expression in the stromal cells, suggesting that the stromal cells in this case have similar molecular profiles to those of FM rather than NF.

Comparison of Three BRAF Mutation Tests in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin Embedded Clinical Samples

BACKGROUND: Recently, BRAF inhibitors showed dramatic treatment outcomes in BRAF V600 mutant melanoma. Therefore, the accuracy of BRAF mutation test is critical. METHODS: BRAF mutations were tested by dual-priming oligonucleotide-polymerase chain reaction (DPO-PCR), direct sequencing and subsequently retested with a real-time PCR assay, cobas 4800 V600 mutation test. In total, 64 tumors including 34 malignant melanomas and 16 papillary thyroid carcinomas were analyzed. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue samples and the results of cobas test were directly compared with those of DPO-PCR and direct sequencing. RESULTS: BRAF mutations were found in 23 of 64 (35.9%) tumors. There was 9.4% discordance among 3 methods. Out of 6 discordant cases, 4 cases were melanomas; 3 cases were BRAF V600E detected only by cobas test, but were not detected by DPO-PCR and direct sequencing. One melanoma patient with BRAF mutation detected only by cobas test has been on vemurafenib treatment for 6 months and showed a dramatic response to vemurafenib. DPO-PCR failed to detect V600K mutation in one case identified by both direct sequencing and cobas test. CONCLUSIONS: In direct comparison of the currently available DPO-PCR, direct sequencing and real-time cobas test for BRAF mutation, real-time PCR assay is the most sensitive method.

A Giant Peritoneal Loose Body

Peritoneal loose bodies (PLBs) are usually discovered incidentally during laparotomy or autopsy. A few cases of giant PLBs presenting with various symptoms have been reported in the literature. Here, we describe a case of a giant PLB incidentally found in the pelvic cavity of a 50-year-old man. Computed tomography revealed a free ovoid mass in the pelvic cavity that consisted of central dense, heterogeneous calcifications and peripheral soft tissue. The mass was an egg-shaped, hard, glistening concretion measuring 7.5x7.0x6.8 cm and weighing 160 g. This concretion consisted of central necrotic fatty tissue surrounded by concentrically laminated, acellular, fibrous material. Small PLBs usually do not require any specific treatment. However, if PLBs cause alimentary or urinary symptoms due to their large size, surgical removal may be recommended. It is essential for clinicians to be aware of this entity and its characteristic features to establish the correct diagnosis.

Nosocomial Infection by Sequence Type 357 Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Daejeon, Korea

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important microorganism responsible for a number of nosocomial outbreaks, in particular, in intensive care units (ICUs). We investigated a nosocomial infection caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Korea. A. baumannii isolates were characterized using Etest (AB Biodisk, Sweden), two multiplex PCR assays, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. PCR and PCR mapping experiments were performed for detecting and characterizing the determinants of antimicrobial resistance. Eight strains isolated from an NICU belonged to European (EU) clone II and revealed only one sequence type (ST), namely, ST357. All the isolates were susceptible to imipenem but were resistant to amikacin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, cefepime, and ciprofloxacin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a nosocomial infection in an NICU in Korea caused by ST357 MDR/carbapenem-susceptible A. baumannii strains. This result demonstrates that nosocomial outbreaks of MDR/carbapenem-susceptible strains as well as MDR/carbapenem-resistant isolates may occur in NICUs.

Actinomycotic Brain Abscess Developed 10 Years after Head Trauma

No abstract available.

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

No abstract available.

Expression of Sme Efflux Pumps and Multilocus Sequence Typing in Clinical Isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

BACKGROUND: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen, which causes infections that are often difficult to manage because of the inherent resistance of the pathogen to a variety of antimicrobial agents. In this study, we analyzed the expressions of smeABC and smeDEF and their correlation with antimicrobial susceptibility. We also evaluated the genetic relatedness and epidemiological links among 33 isolates of S. maltophilia. METHODS: In total, 33 S. maltophilia strains were isolated from patients in a tertiary hospital in Daejeon. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 11 antimicrobial agents were determined by using agar dilution method and E-test (BioMerieux, France). Real-time PCR analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of the Sme efflux systems in the S. maltophilia isolates. Additionally, an epidemiological investigation was performed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) assays. RESULTS: The findings of susceptibility testing showed that the majority of the S. maltophilia isolates were resistant to beta-lactams and aminoglycosides. Twenty-one clinical isolates overexpressed smeABC and showed high resistance to ciprofloxacin. Moreover, a high degree of genetic diversity was observed among the S. maltophilia isolates; 3 sequence types (STs) and 23 allelic profiles were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The smeABC efflux pump was associated with multidrug resistance in clinical isolates of S. maltophilia. In particular, smeABC efflux pumps appear to perform an important role in ciprofloxacin resistance of S. maltophilia. The MLST scheme for S. maltophilia represents a discriminatory typing method with stable markers and is appropriate for studying population structures.

AbaR7, a Genomic Resistance Island Found in Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in Daejeon, Korea

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii resistance islands (AbaRs) have been recently recognized as mobile genetic elements that harbor multiple resistance determinants and are associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). In the present study, we aimed to determine the AbaRs conferring multiple antimicrobial resistance and their clonal relatedness to MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates obtained from a university hospital in Daejeon, Korea. METHODS: This study included 29 MDR A. baumannii strains isolated in Daejeon, Korea. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by Etest. A. baumannii isolates were characterized using the 2 multiplex PCR assays and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. To detect and characterize AbaRs, PCR and PCR mapping experiments were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 29 isolates belonged to the European (EU) clone II lineage and contained 5 sequence types (STs) (75, 92, 137, 138, and 357). In this study, ST357 was confirmed for the first time in Korea. Only 2 of the 29 isolates belonged to the EU clone I lineage, and were confirmed as ST109. These 2 isolates harbored the 22-kb AbaR7 aacC1-orfP-orfQ-aadA1 gene cassette array. In contrast, AbaR was not found in EU clone II isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that attempted to determine the AbaRs in MDR A. baumannii isolates in Korea. We found 2 EU clone I isolates (ST109) that harbored AbaR7.

AbaR7, a Genomic Resistance Island Found in Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates in Daejeon, Korea

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii resistance islands (AbaRs) have been recently recognized as mobile genetic elements that harbor multiple resistance determinants and are associated with multidrug resistance (MDR). In the present study, we aimed to determine the AbaRs conferring multiple antimicrobial resistance and their clonal relatedness to MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates obtained from a university hospital in Daejeon, Korea. METHODS: This study included 29 MDR A. baumannii strains isolated in Daejeon, Korea. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by Etest. A. baumannii isolates were characterized using the 2 multiplex PCR assays and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. To detect and characterize AbaRs, PCR and PCR mapping experiments were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven of the 29 isolates belonged to the European (EU) clone II lineage and contained 5 sequence types (STs) (75, 92, 137, 138, and 357). In this study, ST357 was confirmed for the first time in Korea. Only 2 of the 29 isolates belonged to the EU clone I lineage, and were confirmed as ST109. These 2 isolates harbored the 22-kb AbaR7 aacC1-orfP-orfQ-aadA1 gene cassette array. In contrast, AbaR was not found in EU clone II isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that attempted to determine the AbaRs in MDR A. baumannii isolates in Korea. We found 2 EU clone I isolates (ST109) that harbored AbaR7.

Intra-abdominal bronchogenic cyst: report of five cases

An intra-abdominal bronchogenic cyst (BC) is a very rare congenital anomaly caused by abnormal budding of the developing tracheobronchial tree. Intra-abdominal BCs are reported as retroperitoneal masses in most cases, many of which are located on the left side of the midline, the perigastric area, the left adrenal gland, or the superior body of the pancreas. Intra-abdominal BCs are frequently misdiagnosed due to the rarity, location, and variable cystic content. We report five patients with intra-abdominal BCs who underwent surgery in a single institution.

Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in Imipenem-nonsusceptible Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii Complex Isolated in Daejeon, Korea / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: Members of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (Acb) complex are important opportunistic bacterial pathogens and present significant therapeutic challenges in the treatment of nosocomial infections. In the present study, we investigated the integrons and various genes involved in resistance to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones in 56 imipenem-nonsusceptible Acb complex isolates. METHODS: This study included 44 imipenem-nonsusceptible A. baumannii, 10 Acinetobacter genomic species 3, and 2 Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU strains isolated in Daejeon, Korea. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by Etest. PCR and DNA sequencing were used to identify the genes that potentially contribute to each resistance phenotype. RESULTS: All A. baumannii isolates harbored the blaOXA-51-like gene, and 21 isolates (47.7%) co-produced OXA-23. However, isolates of Acinetobacter genomic species 3 and 13TU only contained blaIMP-1 or blaVIM-2. Most Acb complex isolates (94.6%) harbored class 1 integrons, armA, and/or aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs). Of particular note was the fact that armA and aph(3')-Ia were only detected in A. baumannii isolates, which were highly resistant to amikacin (MIC50> or =256) and gentamicin (MIC50> or =1,024). In all 44 A. baumannii isolates, resistance to fluoroquinolones was conferred by sense mutations in the gyrA and parC. However, sense mutations in parC were not found in Acinetobacter genomic species 3 or 13TU isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Several differences in carbapenem, aminoglycoside, and fluoroquinolone resistance gene content were detected among Acb complex isolates. However, most Acb complex isolates (87.5%) possessed integrons, carbapenemases, AMEs, and mutations in gyrA. The co-occurrence of several resistance determinants may present a significant threat.