Image Findings of Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas in Patient with Chronic Pancreatitis: A Case Report

Squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare, uncommon tumor that is characterized by squamous metaplasia of the ductal columnar cells. We report the image findings of a rare case of the pancreatic squamous cell carcinoma associated with chronic pancreatitis.

Gallbladder Torsion: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Gallbladder torsion, also known as volvulus, is a rare condition that can be fatal unless surgery is performed expediently.AWe report a case of gallbladder torsion. A 92-year-old woman presented with acute abdominal pain. Laboratory parameters were all within normal limits, with the exception of leukocytosis. Plain abdominal radiography showed no remarkable findings. Abdominal CT revealed an abnormal gallbladder with wall thickening, suggesting the presence of acute cholecystitis. At operation, the gallbladder was twisted, and the wall of was thickened with acute inflammation. We report the details of this case along with a review of the literature.

A Prospective Study on the Significance of Peritoneal Washing Cytology as a Diagnostic Modality in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Free intraperitoneal cancer cells exfoliated from a tumor are considered to be responsible for peritoneal dissemination. Therefore, microscopic evaluation of cells washed from the peritoneal cavity during surgery for various intraabdominal malignancies has been used to detect subclinical intraperitoneal metastases from these tumors. The purposes of this study were to detect intraperitoneal free cancer cells at the time of surgery by using peritoneal washing cytology in colorectal cancer and to evaluate their diagnostic significance. METHODS: During the 29-month period from January 2000 through May 2002, 149 randomly selected patients with primary colorectal cancer without evidence of gross peritoneal metastasis underwent peritoneal washing cytologic analysis before surgical manipulation of the tumor. Peritoneal washing cytology was compared with the pre-existing prognostic factors. RESULTS: Positive peritoneal washing for free cancer cells was found in 19 of 149 patients (12.8%). This positivity was significantly correlated with histologic grade (P=0.002), serosal invasion (P=0.025), lymph node metastasis (P=0.034), Astler-Coller classification (P=0.008), recurrence (P<0.001), and 5-year survival (P<0.001). Cancer-specific survival was significantly associated with histologic grade (P=0.025), peritoneal washing cytology (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), recurrence (P<0.001), and stage (P= 0.010) in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of free cancer cells was predictive of survival and was an independent prognostic factor. This information may be useful in stratifying patients with colorectal cancer for therapeutic trials, such as intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Anal Canal: Report of a Case

A neuroendocrine carcinoma of the anal canal is a very rare entity; however, this type of tumor is known for its aggressive progression and poor prognosis. We describe the case of a 58-year-old female with a neuroendocrine carcinoma arising in the anal canal. The tumor was found in the anal canal with multiple liver metastases. The patient died due to massive liver metastases 11months after diagnosis and operation. For its rarity and clinical significance, we report the case with a review of the literature.

Insular (Poorly Differentiated) Carcinoma of Thyroid / 대한내분비외과학회지

Insular carcinoma of the thyroid is a rare thyroid malignancy, and this was named in 1984 by Carcangiu when he described its characteristic histology. Histologically, insular carcinoma is characterized by uniform cells arranged in distinct nests or an insular pattern that contain variable numbers of small follicles. Clinically and morphologically, it is considered to be in an intermediate position between well-differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid (papillary or follicular) and undifferentiated or anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid. This thyroid malignancy is distinctive, aggressive and often lethal. However, most authors believe it to be an independent entity. The prognosis of this tumor is worse than that of classic differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and most authors advise aggressive therapy, which can achieve pro-longed survival in some cases. We describe here a patient (a 42 years-old woman) who was managed with completion thyroidectomy after unilateral lobectomy of the thyroid with confirmation of the permanent pathology as insular carcinoma. I-131 ablation (175 mCi) was performed on the remnant thyroid tissues after follow-up of I~131 whole-body scanning.

Multiple Metastses to the Small Bowel from Lung Cancer

Metastases from lung cancer to the gastrointestinal tract are not exceptional findings, but their clinical manifestations are rare. We report a new case of multiple metastases to the small bowel from primary lung cancer. A 67 year-old man presented with acute abdominal pain and vomiting. The laboratory investigations were all within normal limits except leukocytosis. Lung radiography was done and it showed infiltration at the right upper lung field without any mass. Abdominal CT-scan demonstrated a small bowel mass with ileoileal intussusception and the patient underwent emergency surgery. The postoperative lung studies and pathological analysis confirmed primary lung cancer with small bowel metastasis.

Amyloid Goiter with Parathyroid Involvement

The amyloid deposition observed in secondary amyloidosis frequently involves the thyroid gland, but rarely is a goiter responsible for this. We report here the pathologic findings of a case of amyloid goiter with involvement of a parathyroid gland in an euthyroid patient. The patient presented with an enlarged thyroid, symptoms of upper airway obstruction and dysphagia.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Rectum in a Pediatric

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common subset of mesenchymal tumors that arise from the gastrointestinal tract. They most commonly arise in the stomach, followed by the small bowel and, rarely, the rectum, esophagus and colon. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors and the specific c-kit protein (CD117)-positive mesenchymal tumors, have been sporadically reported in the rectum. We report here on a 12-year-old boy who underwent low anterior resection of huge gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the rectum. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of the tumor. The specimen was revealed to be a polypoid fungating tumor that, measured 6.0 x 6.0 cm in size, which consisted histologically of spindle-shaped cells. The tumor cells were positive for c-kit, vimentin, S-100, desmin, and SMA, although the results of the CD34 test were negative. In general, Gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the rectum predominantly occur between the sixth and seventh decades and they are rarely seen in individuals less than 40 years of age. To the best of our knowledge, our case is the youngest reported patient in the English literature who had as gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the rectum.

Analysis of Prognostic Factors after Surgery for Gallbladder Cancer

PURPOSE: Gallbladder cancer, which is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract, is frequently associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes with gallbladder cancer according to the surgical treatment, pathologic stage, and prognostic factors. METHOD: The medical records of 52 consecutive patients with gallbladder cancer treated at our institution from June 1996 through June 2005 were reviewed retrospectively. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method (mean followed period 60 months) and the log-rank test. Prognostic factors were analyzed using Cox regression. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 67 years. Fiftysix percent of patients were female. Twentyeight patients (56%) underwent curative resection (5 simple cholecystectomies and 23 radical cholecystectomies). There were no procedure-related deaths. The Overall 5-year survival was 18%. Patients who underwent curative resection had a higher 5-year survival rate (40%) than patients who underwent palliative surgery (0%; P=0.0001). The palliative surgery, high T stage, positive lymph node metastasis were significant factors predictive of worse survivial. CONCLUSION: The good long-term survival may be achieved by an early diagnosis and radical resection.

Perianal Extramammary Paget's Disease Associated with an Anal Duct Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Extramammary Paget's disease occurs commonly on the external female genitalia and rarely occurs in the perianal region. Recently, we experienced a case of perianal extramammary Paget's disease associated with an anal duct adenocarcinoma. The patient was a 60-year-old man. The perianal skin lesion was eczematous and encircled the anus. A wide-excision, split-thickness skin graft and temporal T-loop colostomy were performed. Histopathologically, the tumor was a well-differentiated anal duct adenocarcinoma. There was a prominent pagetoid spread of about 6x4 cm. The tumor cell was positive for carcinoembryonic antigen, but the paget cell was negative. The patient was treated with radiation therapy and with single 5-FU chemotherapy six times. Five months later, the perianal region was nearly normal.

Analysis of Clinicopathological Factors Affecting Local Recurrence of Colorectal Cancer after Curative Resection

PURPOSE: Local recurrence after curative resection of colorectal cancer has an important influence on both survival and quality of life. The ability to predict local recurrence after a curative resection of colorectal cancer may be useful for an intensive follow-up program and for a decision on adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors affecting the incidence of local recurrence after a curative resection of colorectal cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of 390 patients who had a curative resection for a primary colorectal cancer by a single surgeon at the Department of Surgery, Inha University Hospital, between June 1996 and July 2002 was done. The medical records of patients diagnosed with a local recurrence were reviewed. Local recurrence was defined as any recurrence within the field of resection, regardless of the presence or absence of distant metastasis, that was diagnosed by using colonoscopy with biopsy and/or radiologic imaging. RESULTS: Local recurrences were detected in 40 patients (10.3%). The gender distribution of patients with local recurrence was 24 males and 16 females with a mean age of 59.8 years. The median time to local recurrence was 15 months. The most common site of local recurrence was the anastomosis site, followed by a regional lymph node, the pelvicoperineal area, and the presacral area. Local recurrence was related to the depth of the primary tumor (P=0.027), lymphatics or vascular invasion (P=0.003), perineural invasion (P= 0.000), nodal status (P=0.000), and distant metastasis (P= 0.002). However, there was no statistically significant relation between local recurrence and primary tumor location (P=0.053), primary tumor size (P=0.982), tumor differentiation (0.256), and preoperative CEA level (P=0.481). CONCLUSIONS: The depth of the primary tumor, lymphatics or vascular invasion, and perineural invasion were significant clinicopathologic factors of local recurrence, but tumor location, tumor size, tumor differentiation, and preoperative serum CEA level were not.

Nuclear Translocation of NF-kappaB/Rel Component by PCSC22 Isolated from Poria cocos Sclerotium / 대한해부학회지

The sclerotium of Poria cocos Wolf, which grows on the roots of pine trees, has long been used as a sedative and diuretic (Chang and But, 1987). The accumulating data revealed that certain ingredients of the sclerotium of Poria cocos showed anti-tumor activities (Kanayama, 1986). Although the mechanism of anti-tumor activity is not known, the polysaccharides may potentiate the host defense mechanism through the activation of immune system. In the present study we show that PCSC22, a polysaccharide isolated from the sclerotium of Poria cocos with one percent sodium carbonate, significantly induces nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) transcription. To further investigate the mechanism responsible for the induction of iNOS gene expression, we investigated the effect of PCSC22 on the activation of NF-kappaB/Rel, whose binding site was located in the promoter of iNOS gene. Immuno-histo-chemical staining of p65 and p50 showed that PCSC22 produced strong induction of NF-kappaB/Rel nuclear translocation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) further confirmed the activation of NF-kappaB/Rel by PCSC22. In conclusion, we demonstrate that PCSC22 stimulates macrophages to express iNOS gene through the activation of NF-kappa B/Rel.

Activation of Macrophage by PCSC22 Isolated from Poria cocos Sclerotium / 체질인류학회지

The sclerotium of Poria cocos Wolf, which grows on the roots of pine trees, has long been used as a sedative, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory agent. The accumulating data revealed that certain ingredients of the sclerotium of Poria cocos showed anti-tumor activities. Although the mechanism of anti-tumor activity is not known, the polysaccharides may potentiate the host defense mechanism through the activation of immune system. In the present study we show that PCSC22, a polysaccharide isolated from the sclerotium of Poria cocos with one percent sodium carbonate, significantly induces nitric oxide (NO). Immunohistochemical staining of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) showed that the increase of NO was due to the induction of iNOS production. To further study the mechanism responsible for the induction of iNOS gene expression, we investigated the effect of PCSC22 on the activation of p38 kinase, which is important in the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines including iNOS. Western blot assay showed that PCSC22 produced phosphorylation of p38 kinase. In conclusion, we demonstrate that PCSC stimulates macrophages to express iNOS gene through the activation of p38 kinase.

Change of Anorectal Function after Low Anterior Resection for Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: The anorectal function after a low anterior resection for rectal cancer recovered progressively by 6 12 months after the operation, but the mechanisms and the recovery process are not well understood. The aim of this study was to correlate postoperative anorectal function after low anterior resection with physiologic parameters. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients who underwent a low anterior resection for rectal cancer were studied. The control group was consisted of normal persons. Anorectal physiologic studies were conducted for 6 months postoperatively by using defecographys, anorectal manometry and electomyogram of pudendal nerve. RESULTS: The postoperative anorectal function was gradully improved with time. Defecograms showed that the resting, squeezing, and straining anorectal angles were not significantly increased. Anorectal manometry showed that the threshold volume and the urgency volume were not significantly decreased but the maximal tolerable volume was decreased remarkably. The maximal resting pressure significantly decreased but the maximal squeezing pressure were not. The pudendal nerve electromyograms were not significantly different between the two groups. The patients were divided by based on the anastomosis level. The short anastomosis group showed more impairment in the urgency volume and the maximal resting pressure than that of the long anastomosis group. CONCLUSION: The neorectal volume and the level of anastomosis were important for changes in the anorectal function after a low anterior resecton. Gradual improvement of symptoms resulted from a resected rectal adapted to a neorectal volum.

Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Prospective Study for the Characteristics of Lymph Node Metastasis of Mesorectum and Extra-Mesorectum

It is very important to tallow that pelvic lymphadenectomy associated with proctectomy must be based on the principle of oncologic surgery and encompass all predictable pathways of extension of rectal cancer for curative surgical resection. We investigated the characteristis of lymph node metastasis in patients with rectal cancer prospectively. 108 consecutive patients with rectal cancer underwent curative surgical resection were enrolled in this study. Rectal cancers were divided into two groups, upper and mid-lower. Upper rectal cancer was defined as the tumor above the peritoneal reflexion. Lymph nodes were stratified as mesorectum, distal mesorectum (defined as distal part more than 2 cm from the lower margin of the tumor), intemal iliac, common iliac, presacral, superior rectal artery, inferior mesenteric artery, paraaortic lymph node. Average number of sampled nodes in these groups 18.5+/-10.7, 3.6+/-3, 2.3+/-3, 1.8+/-1.3, 4 +/-4.1, 1.6+/-2, 3.1+/-3.2, 5.4+/-4.7 respectively. 60 of all patients showed positive lymph node. The over all percentages of patients with positive lymph node was 53% in mesorectum, 12% in distal mesorectum, 8% in intemal iliac, 4.5% in common iliac, 4.5% in presacral, 10% in superior rectal artery, 6.5% in inferior mesenteric artery, 4% in paraaortic lymph node. The over all percentages of patients with positive lymph nodes in each group were 60% (27/45), 9% (4/45), 6.5% (3/45),2% (1/45), 2% (1/45), 13% (6/45), 11% (5/45), 1% (1/45) respectively in upper rectal cancer, 49% (31/63), 14% (9/63), 9.5% (6/63), 6% (4/63), 6% (4/63), 8% (5/63),3% (2/63),5% (3/63) respectively in mid-lower rectal cancer. There were skip metastasis in 3 patients with upper rectal cancer, 2 patients with mid-lower rectal cancer. Age, depth of invasion, tumor size, tumor differentiation among clinicopathologic factors were predictive factors of lymph node metastasis to mesorectum. Risk factors of metastasis to extra-mesorectal lymph node were younger age (5.0 cm), involved circimferential (>50%), and positive CA 19-9 (>37 U/ml). These results suggest that more careful upward lymphadenectomy must be carried out especially in upper rectal cancer and also careful lateral dissection in selected patients and more generous excision of distal mesorectum especially in mid-lower rectal cancer is needed for curative resection according to clinicopathologic factors.

Usefulness of Colonic Transit Time Measurement in Chronic Constipation

A retrospective study of 274 patients who presented with constipation was done. The following results were obtained by recording colonic transit time. The male to female ratio was 72 : 197, and most patients were in their third and fifth decade, each age group accounting for 21% of total number. Associated symptoms were anal discomfort(33%), abdominal discomfort (25%), hematochezia (23%), reduced stool caliber (11%), and tenesmus (8%). As a result, 223 patients had normal transit time and 51 patients had abnormal transit time. Eighty-six patients with normal transit time and 51 patients with abnormal transit time underwent barium enema or colonoscopic examination. Abnormal lesions such as polyps and diverticulums were found in 10 patients with normal transit time and 7 patients with abnormal transit time. Therefore barium enema and colonoscopic examination in the patients with abnormal transit time were meaningful (P=0.024). Eighteen out of 25 patients with normal transit time and 8 (67%) of 12 patients with abnormal transit time showed abnormal defecogram results. The rectocele was the most frequent cause of abnormality in defecogram. Abnormal anal manometry results were obtained in 5 (22%) of 23 patients with normal transit time and 3 (50%) of 6 patients with abnormal transit time. Three types were classified in the patients with abnormal transit time. With type II patients, anal manometry findings were normal and 2 patients showed abnormal results in defecogram. With type III patients, 5 (43%) of 12 patients showed abnormal results in defecogram and 3 (50%) of 6 patients had abnormal anal manometry findings. Conclusively, if abnormal transit time is found in the patients with chronic consipation, further evaluations such as barium enema or colonoscopic examination are necessary. And even in the patients without any abnormality in transit time, selected performance of defecogram and anal manometry depending on clinical symptoms are preferable.

Reconstruction Procedures in High Stricture of the Esophagus(A report of 19 cases)

No abstract available.