Superficial Fibromatosis Mimicking Glomus Tumor of the Second Toe

Various types of tumor can occur in the subungual space, including glomus tumors, subungual exostosis, hemangioma, epidermal cysts, and malignant tumors. While fibromatosis can occur at various sites throughout the body, it is very rarely seen in the toe. Here, we are the first to report a case of superficial fibromatosis mimicking a glomus tumor in the subungual space of the second toe. The presentation of this condition shows the possibility of encountering uncommon superficial fibromatosis in the distal phalanx of the toe, and suggests that superficial fibromatosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of a glomus tumor in the toe.

Acute cholecystitis associated with Clonorchis sinensis infection

Clonorchis sinensis is one of the most common causes of trematodiasis that is caused by the ingestion of raw fish contaminated with infective cysts. The adult flukes are predominantly present in the intrahepatic bile ducts, but occasionally they may be found in the pancreatic duct and extrahepatic bile ducts. The clinical manifestations depend on the number of flukes, the period of infestation, and complications such as pericholangitic abscess, cholangitis, bile duct stones, and cholangiocarcinoma. However, primary acute cholecystitis associated with C. sinensis infection is extremely rare. Herein, we report on a case of primary acute cholecystitis associated with C. sinensis infection.

A Case of Appendiceal Perforation Caused by Fishbone

On rare occasions, ingested foreign bodies make their way into the appendix, which can cause an inflammatory reaction with or without perforation. In addition, perforation of the appendix by a foreign body is relatively rare, however, it should be considered in atypical cases of peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, or mass, and intestinal obstruction. We experienced a case of appendiceal perforation caused by a fishbone, which presented as chronic abdominal pain and intra-abdominal abscess. A 57-year-old man presented with ambiguous lower right-side abdominal pain with fever for approximately one week. Abdominal computed tomography showed a foreign body in the appendix with abscess formation. Subsequently, a laparoscopic appendectomy was performed and histopathological examination confirmed perforated appendicitis with severe inflammation secondary to a foreign body.

Hallux Rigidus with Osteochondroma of the Hallucal Proximal Phalanx (A Case Report) / 대한족부족관절학회지

Small osteophytes are frequently encountered in the foot and ankle, and not to be confused with true osteochondromas, which are relatively uncommon in this region. Osteochondromas are the most common benign osseous neoplasm, occurs in the metaphysis of the long bone. It is rarely found in bones of the foot. Treatment of the osteochondroma is usually conservative, unless symptoms usually pain, are progressive rapid growth, and malignant transformation is suspected. We experienced a rare case of hallux rigidus with osteochondroma of the hallucal proximal phalanx which cause pain and corn of the plantar.

Nodular Hidradenoma on the Fourth Finger

Nodular hidadenoma is known as an eccrine sweat gland origin that arises in the skin and occurs as a solitary tumor in most cases. Although it is not uncommon, it is rarely occurs in the hand. We report a case of nodular hidadenoma of the fourth finger with a brief review of the literatures.

Intramuscular Ganglion of the Quadriceps Femoris

Ganglion cysts are common lesions that are most often found around the joints of the hands and feet. Ganglia around the distal femur usually occur within the synovial membrane or tendon sheath, but rarely within muscles. Several cases of intramuscular ganglions in the hand and wrist have been reported, but a ganglion cyst in the quadriceps muscle has rarely been addressed in studies. In this report, we present a 17-year-old patient with a painful movable mass in the intramuscular area of the quadriceps femoris that was diagnosed by ultrasound and treated by excision and biopsy.

Synchronous granular cell tumors in the perianus and chest wall / 대한외과학회지

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a rare tumor that originates from the Schwann cells in the skin, soft tissues, and internal organs. Usually, GCTs are clinically benign, although malignant and multifocal forms are very rarely known to occur. Cases of GCT of the perianus are rare, and thus far, no study has reported synchronous GCTs of the perianus and the chest wall. We report a case of a 31-year-old woman with synchronous GCTs of the perianus and the chest wall to have a mind of consideration of the possibility of GCT in the differential diagnosis of perianal tumor.

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the colon / 대한외과학회지

Adenosquamous cell carcinoma (Ad-SCC) of the colon is rare. The pathogenesis of Ad-SCC is unclear, however, several hypotheses have been suggested. The clinical presentation and gross findings of Ad-SCC of the colon are similar to those of adenocarcinoma of the colon, but Ad-SCC has a more aggressive clinical course and a poorer prognosis. We report on two cases of Ad-SCC of the colon with obstruction; a collision-type Ad-SCC that has not only obstruction but also numerous hepatic metastases, and a composite-type Ad-SCC treated with left hemicolectomy followed by an adjuvant chemotherapy.

Change of Tetrodotoxin Sensitive Inhibitory Neural System of the Colon in Spinal Cord Injured Rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of spinal cord injury (SCI) on contractions of whole colonic preparation isolated from rats under the inhibition of nitrergic inhibitory neural system using tetrodotoxin (TTX). METHOD: Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were used. A complete spinal cord transection was performed surgically at the T10 cord level in spinal cord injured group. After 1 week of operation, sensory and motor functions were assessed and colon was removed under anesthesia for in vitro motility study. Whole colon was divided into four segments: proximal, two mid colon and distal colon. Each segment of colon was mounted with longitudinal direction in a 10 ml organ bath. After 1 hour of equilibration, frequency, area under the curve of spontaneous contraction and the response to acetylcholine (Ach), KCl and TTX were measured in each segment. Also the responses to Ach and KCl response under TTX pretreatment were measured. RESULTS: Enhanced contractile response to KCl solution (40 mM), TTX (1 micrometer) and Ach (10(-6) M) was observed in both group. There was no statistical difference in spontaneous, Ach and KCl induced contraction between control and SCI rats, but TTX induced contraction was decreased in SCI group than control group (p<0.05). In addtion, the Ach and KCl responses under the TTX pretreatment were significantly decreased in SCI group than control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the change of colonic contractility after the SCI is caused by at least partly from the change of TTX related inhibitory neural system.

The Effect of Autophagy to Cell Death in Nutrient-Deprived H460 Cells / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is an important adaptive mechanism in normal development and in response to changing environmental stimuli in cancer. Previous papers have reported that different types of cancer underwent autophagy to obtain amino acids as energy source of dying cells in nutrient-deprived conditions. However, whether or not autophagy in the process of lung cancer causes death or survival is controversial. Therefore in this study, we investigated whether nutrient deprivation induces autophagy in human H460 lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460, lung cancer cells were incubated in RPMI 1640 medium, and the starved media, which are BME and RPMI media without serum, including 2-deoxyl-D-glucose according to time dependence. To evaluate the viability and find out the mechanism of cell death under nutrient-deprived conditions, the MTT assay and flow cytometry were done and analyzed the apoptotic and autophagic related proteins. It is also measured the development of acidic vascular organelles by acridine orange. RESULTS: The nutrient-deprived cancer cell is relatively sensitive to cell death rather than normal nutrition. Massive cytoplasmic vacuolization was seen under nutrient-deprived conditions. Autophagic vacuoles were visible at approximately 12 h and as time ran out, vacuoles became larger and denser with the increasing number of vacuoles. In addition, the proportion of acridine orange stain-positive cells increased according to time dependence. Localization of GFP-LC3 in cytoplasm and expression of LC-3II and Beclin 1 were increased according to time dependence on nutrient-deprived cells. CONCLUSION: Nutrient deprivation induces cell death through autophagy in H460 lung cancer cells.

Induction of Autophagy by Low Dose of Cisplatin in H460 Lung Cancer Cells / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Most lung cancer patients receive systemic chemotherapy at an advanced stage disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the main regimen for treating advanced lung cancer. Recently, autophagy has become an important mechanism of cellular adaptation under starvation or cell oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not autophagy can occurred in cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460 cells were incubated with RPMI 1640 and treated in 5 micrometer or 20 micrometer cisplatin concentrations at specific time intervals. Cells surviving cisplatin treatment were measured and compared using an MTT cell viability assay to cells that underwent apoptosis with autophagy by nuclear staining, apoptotic or autophagic related proteins, and autophagic vacuoles. The development of acidic vascular organelles was using acridine orange staining and fluorescent expression of GFP-LC3 protein in its transfected cells was observed to evaluate autophagy. RESULTS: Lung cancer cells treated with 5 micrometer cisplatin-treated were less sensitive to cell death than 20 micrometer cisplatin-treated cells in a time-dependent manner. Nuclear fragmentation at 5 micrometer was not detected, even though it was discovered at 20 micrometer. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavages were not detected in 5 micrometer within 24 hours. Massive vacuolization in the cytoplasm of 5 micrometer treated cells were observed. Acridine orange stain-positive cells was increased according in time-dependence manner. The autophagosome-incorporated LC3 II protein expression was increased in 5 micrometer treated cells, but was not detected in 20 micrometer treated cells. The expression of GFP-LC3 were increased in 5 micrometer treated cells in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The induction of autophagy occurred in 5 micrometer dose of cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells.

Induction of Autophagy by Low Dose of Cisplatin in H460 Lung Cancer Cells / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Most lung cancer patients receive systemic chemotherapy at an advanced stage disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the main regimen for treating advanced lung cancer. Recently, autophagy has become an important mechanism of cellular adaptation under starvation or cell oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not autophagy can occurred in cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells. METHODS: H460 cells were incubated with RPMI 1640 and treated in 5 micrometer or 20 micrometer cisplatin concentrations at specific time intervals. Cells surviving cisplatin treatment were measured and compared using an MTT cell viability assay to cells that underwent apoptosis with autophagy by nuclear staining, apoptotic or autophagic related proteins, and autophagic vacuoles. The development of acidic vascular organelles was using acridine orange staining and fluorescent expression of GFP-LC3 protein in its transfected cells was observed to evaluate autophagy. RESULTS: Lung cancer cells treated with 5 micrometer cisplatin-treated were less sensitive to cell death than 20 micrometer cisplatin-treated cells in a time-dependent manner. Nuclear fragmentation at 5 micrometer was not detected, even though it was discovered at 20 micrometer. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavages were not detected in 5 micrometer within 24 hours. Massive vacuolization in the cytoplasm of 5 micrometer treated cells were observed. Acridine orange stain-positive cells was increased according in time-dependence manner. The autophagosome-incorporated LC3 II protein expression was increased in 5 micrometer treated cells, but was not detected in 20 micrometer treated cells. The expression of GFP-LC3 were increased in 5 micrometer treated cells in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The induction of autophagy occurred in 5 micrometer dose of cisplatin-treated lung cancer cells.

The Role and Significance of Biomarker for Plasma G-CSF in Patients with Primary Lung Cancer / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers for cancer have several potential clinical uses, including the following: early cancer detection, monitoring for recurrence prognostication, and risk stratification. However, no biomarker has been shown to have adequate sensitivity and specificity. Many investigators have tried to validate biomarkers for the early detection and recurrence of lung cancer. To evaluate plasma G-CSF as such a biomarker, protein levels were measured and were found to correlate with the clinicopathological features of primary lung tumors. METHODS: Between December 2006 and May 2008, 100 patients with histologically-validated primary lung cancer were enrolled into this study. To serve as controls, 127 healthy volunteers were enrolled into this study. Plasma G-CSF levels were measured in lung cancer patients using the sandwich ELISA system (R & D inc.) prior to treatment. RESULTS: The mean plasma G-CSF levels were 12.2+/-0.3 pg/mL and 46.0+/-3.8 pg/mL (mean+/-SE) in the normal and in the cancer groups, respectively. In addition, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with early lung cancer than in healthy volunteers (p<.001). Plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients who were under 65 years old or smokers. Within the cancer group, plasma G-CSF levels were higher in patients with non small cell lung cancer than in patients with small cell lung cancer (p<.05). Overall, plasma G-CSF levels were shown to increase dependent upon the type of lung cancer diagnsosed. In the order from highest to lowest, the levels of plasma G-CSF tended to decrease in the following order: large cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Plasma G-CSF levels tended to be higher in patients with advanced TNM stage than in localized TNM stage (I, II

Metastatic Small Bowel Perforation Caused by Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma in a Patient with Combined Hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma

Advances in chemotherapy and radiation therapies for malignant tumors have resulted in the identifications of various novel features of intestinal metastasis. The common causes of small bowel metastasis are malignant melanoma and lung cancer, and this has also been rarely reported to uterine cervical cancer, malignant lymphoma of the larynx, malignant lymphoma of soft palate, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Combined HCC-cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CC) is a rare primary liver malignancy, and is composed of cells with the histopathological features of both HCC and CC, but metastatic small bowel perforation by CC in a patient with combined HCC-CC has not been reported previously. The authors describe the case of a 51-year-old man with a metastatic small bowel perforation caused by an intrahepatic CC in combined HCC-CC with a review of the literature.

Laparoscopic Management of Appendiceal Intussusception Caused by Fecaliths

Appendiceal intussusception is a rare condition of abdominal pain. It develops as a result of various anatomic or pathologic conditions, such as polyps, worms, carcinomas, mucoceles, or fecaliths. Furthermore, an accurate preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal intussusception may be difficult. However, recently developed radiologic modalities, such as multidetector CT and laparoscopy, can considerably aid preoperative diagnosis and provide a means of adopting optimal minimally invasive surgery. Here, the authors describe the case of a 30-yr-old woman with the clinical features of acute appendicitis, who was preoperatively diagnosed as having appendiceal intussusception with fecaliths and who was managed by using a laparoscopic partial cecectomy.

A Case of Actinomycosis of Gallbladder Presenting as Acute Cholecystitis / 대한소화기학회지

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative and granulomatous disease, characterized by the formation of abscess, draining sinuses, abundant granulation, and dense fibrous tissue. Actinomycosis of the gallbladder is extremely rare. We report a case of an 56-years old man who abruptly presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed that the gallbladder had 2 cm sized stone and an edematous thick wall. Our preoperative diagnosis was acute calculous cholecystitis. After the management of acute cholecystitis, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed but converted to open surgery due to severe adhesion to liver and greater omentum. Partial cholecystectomy was performed. Histologic section of the gallbladder showed sulfur granule with gram-positive branching bacilli compatible with actinomyces. After cholecystectomy, the patient received intravenous penicillin G for 2 weeks, followed by oral penicillin for 3 months.

Solitary Fibrous Tumor of Kidney / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are a rare spindle-cell neoplasm originating from mesenchymal fibroblast-like cells. Although they generally arise from submesothelial connective tissue in the pleura, many other locations have also been described, including the mediastinum, upper respiratory tract, orbit, salivary gland, thyroid, and prostate. SFT of the kidney, however, has rarely been described, and only 1 case has been reported in Korea. A 53-year-old female visited our hospital for abdominal pain, and abdominopelvic computed tomography showed a heterogeneous well-enhanced mass in the renal pelvis. She was treated with a laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy, which revealed an SFT of the kidney.

The Clinical and Histopathologic Features according to Loss of LKB1 Protein Expression on Primary Lung Cancer / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: LKB1(STK11) is a serine/threonine kinase that functions as a tumor growth suppressor. The functions of LKB1 in lung cancer are not completely understood. This study evaluated the relationship between LKB1 protein expression and the clinicopathological features in lung cancer tissues. METHODS: The expression of LKB1 was studied in paraffin-embedded tumor blocks, which were obtained from 77 patients who had undergone surgery at Wonkwang University Hospital. The expression of the LKB1 protein was considered positive if the staining intensity in the tumor tissue adjacent to the normal airway epithelium was >30%. RESULTS: The LKB1 expression was positive in 31 (40%) of samples. Loss of LKB1 expression was significantly associated with being male, smoking history, and squamous cell carcinoma. In the peripheral sites, the loss of LKB1 expression was strongly associated with a smoking history. A loss of LKB1 expression was more frequently associated with progression according to TNM staging, particularly more than T2, N progression. CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between the loss of the LKB1 protein and gender, smoking history, and histological type in primary lung cancer. Although LKB1 expression was not found to be a significant prognostic factor, further studies with a larger cohort of patient's lung cancer tissue samples will be needed to confirm this.

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytological Findings of Burkitt lymphoma: A Brief Case Report / 대한세포병리학회지

A case of Burkitt lymphoma diagnosed through fine needle aspiration cytology is described. A 66-year-old man presented with lymphadenopathy on the right cervical neck and axillary area. An ultrasonogram and CT scan for the cervical neck showed a multiple variable sized lymphadenopathy with pericapsular invasion and necrotic foci. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the cervical lymph nodes revealed very cellular and necrotic smears consisting of diffusely scattered intermediate monotonous round cells, tingible body macrophages and many mitotic figures. Histological features of the excised lymph nodes showed the classic morphological features of Burkitt lymphoma. Recognition of the characteristic cytological features can suggest the possibility of Burkitt lymphoma.

The Effect of Inhibition of Heme Oxygenase-1 on Chemosensitivity of Cisplatin in Lung Cancer Cells / 결핵및호흡기질환

BACKGROUND: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is known to modulates the cellular functions, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. It is known that a high level of HO-1 expression is found in many tumors, and HO-1 plays an important role in rapid tumor growth on account of its antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects. Cisplatin is a widely used anti-cancer agent for the treatment of lung cancer. However, the development of resistance to cisplatin is a major obstacle to its use in clinical treatment. We previously demonstrated that inhibiting HO-1 expression through the transcriptional activation of Nrf2 induces apoptosis in A549 cells. The aim of this study was to determine of the inhibiting HO-1 enhance the chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human lung cancer cell line, A549, was treated cisplatin, and the cell viability was measured by a MTT assay. The change in HO-1, Nrf2, and MAPK expression after the cisplatin treatment was examined by Western blotting. HO-1 inhibition was suppressed by ZnPP, which is a specific pharmacologic inhibitor of HO activity, and small interfering RNA (siRNA). Flow cytometry analysis and Western blot were performed in to determine the level of apoptosis. The level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation was monitored fluoimetrically using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. RESULTS: The A549 cells showed more resistance to the cisplatin treatment than the other cell lines examined, whereas cisplatin increased the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2, as well as the phosphorylation of MAPK in a time-dependent fashion. Inhibitors of the MAPK pathway blocked the induction of HO-1 and Nrf2 by the cisplatin treatment in A549 cells. In addition, the cisplatin-treated A549 cells transfected with dither the HO-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) or ZnPP, specific HO-1 inhibitor, showed in a more significantly decrease in viability than the cisplatin-only-treated group. The combination treatment of ZnPP and cisplatin caused in a marked increase in the ROS generation and a decrease in the HO-1 expression. CONCLUSION: Cisplatin increases the expression of HO-1, probably through the MAPK-Nrf2 pathway, and the inhibition of HO-1 enhances the chemosensitivity of A549 cells to cisplatin.