Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Encephalitis: a Rare Complication of Ovarian Teratoma

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is a potentially life-threatening but reversible autoimmune disorder characterized by psychiatric symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, speech dysfunction, seizures, movement disorder, decreased level of consciousness, and autonomic dysfunction or central hypoventilation. It occurs predominantly in young women and approximately half of them have underlying tumors, mainly ovarian teratoma. A 24-year old woman was admitted because of fever, headache, abnormal movement and decreased mental status. Five cycles of plasmapheresis improved her neurological and mental status. Anti-NMDAR antibodies in her CSF and serum were positive, and computed tomography revealed a 1-cm sized mass suggestive of mature cystic teratoma arising from the right ovary. We promptly performed laparoscopic right ovarian cystectomy. She was discharged after 2 weeks with mild memory deficit. Prompt removal of ovarian teratoma and multidisciplinary care are particularly important for good outcome.

Type-Specific Viral Load and Physical State of HPV Type 16, 18,and 58 as Diagnostic Biomarkers for High-Grade SquamousIntraepithelial Lesions or Cervical Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#High rate of false-positive tests is a major obstacle to use human papillomavirus (HPV) detectionas a diagnostic tool for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or cervical cancer(HSIL+). We investigated whether type-specific viral load or physical state of HPV 16, 18,and 58 are useful biomarkers for HSIL+. @*Materials and Methods@#Type-specific viral loads of E6 and E2 genes in cervical cells from 240, 83, and 79 HPV 16–,18–, and 58–infected women, respectively, were determined using real-time polymerasechain reaction. Viral loads were normalized to cellular DNA (copy/cell). Total and integratedviral loads and physical state were compared between HSIL+ and controls, and diagnosticvalue was determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis. @*Results@#Viral loads of HPV 16, 18, and 58 were significantly different in lesions in the same pathologicgrade. High type-specific total viral loads were significantly associated with HSIL+ (oddsratio [OR], 14.065, 39.472, and 7.103 for HPV 16, 18, and 58, respectively). High integratedviral load was related to HSIL+ in women with HPV 16 (OR, 8.242), and integrated statewas associated with HSIL+ in women with HPV 18 (OR, 9.443). Type-specific total viral loadwas significantly associated with HSIL+ (area under curve, 0.914, 0.937, and 0.971 forHPV 16, 18, and 58, respectively), indicating an excellent performance in detecting HSIL+. @*Conclusion@#Type-specific total viral load may be a powerful diagnostic marker for HSIL+ in HPV 16–,18–, and 58–infected HSIL+ lesions. If demonstrated in all other high-risk HPV types, thismethod can lead to a paradigm shift in the strategy of equivocal cytologic abnormalities.

Estrogen-induced acute pancreatitis: A case report and literature review

Estrogens are commonly used in gynecologic area, such as oral contraception, hormone replacement therapy, and in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Although estrogen is a common cause of acute drug-induced pancreatitis, there has been paucity of report in Korea. Clinical course of estrogen-induced acute pancreatitis is usually mild to moderate, but fetal case can occur. In addition, there can be a latency from the first administration to the symptom. Therefore, physicians should consider the possibility of the disease when a woman taking estrogen or previous history of taking estrogen presents with acute abdominal pain. Here, we report a case of estrogen-induced acute pancreatitis that occurred during the preparation for embryo transfer.

A case of small bowel obstruction with elevated aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase (AST/ALT) in the third trimester of pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회지

The intestinal obstruction during pregnancy is rare but early diagnosis and treatment is essential. This disease can be diagnosed very late because the presenting symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are often seen in normal pregnancies and most pregnant women avoid radiologic examinations. Moreover, this disease can be accompanied by high aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase (AST/ALT) which can be also found in acute fatty liver of pregnancy or preeclampsia, and it makes diagnosis to be much delayed. If the diagnosis were delayed much, maternal and perinatal mortality would be increased highly. Therefore, the previous record of abdominal surgery or above mentioned symptom should be considered as the intestinal obstruction, and simple abdominal x-ray for early diagnosis and prompt operation step are critical. We present a case of small bowel obstruction accompanied with high AST/ALT during pregnancy which had the history of previous cesarean section with a brief review of the literature.

A case of clear cell carcinoma of uterine cervix not related to intrauterine dietylstilbesterol exposure / 대한산부인과학회지

Clear cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is rare cancer that accounts for 4 to 9% of the adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix. Although intrauterine exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) during early pregnancy is one of the established risk factors, DES exposure may not be confirmed in all patients. We experienced a case of clear cell carcinoma in the uterine cervix of 67-year-old woman who was not exposed to DES. She was initially diagnosed as endometrial clear cell carcinoma because of the normal colposcopic finding and histologically proven clear cell carcinoma from endometrial aspiration biopsy and endocervical curettage. We performed a total laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymphadnectomy including both pelvic and para-aortic regions. On the final pathologic diagnosis of clear cell carcinoma confined to endocervix, the patient was received adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation with weekly cisplatin. We present the case with a brief review of related literature.

Clinical approach of hereditary cancer in gynecology / 대한산부인과학회지

Hereditary cancer syndrome is a genetic condition that causes and increases the risk for specific type of cancers. Recent advances in genetics have identified a number of genes associated with inherited susceptibility to cancer, and this rapid development of knowledge about cancer genetics have implications for all aspects of cancer management, including prevention, screening, and treatment. Hereditary patterns of cancer are often characterized by early age at onset, high penetrance, bilaterality in paired organs, vertical transmission through either parent, and an association with other types of tumors. Most representative hereditary cancer syndromes in gynecologic field are hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC), hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Cowden syndrome. Several familial mutations of specific genes, such as BRCA1, 2, TP53, PTEN, MMR, CHEK2, are linked to hereditary cancer syndrome, which are responsible for hereditary gynecologic cancers. It would be very important for gynecologic doctors to know the inclusion criteria for the genetic assessment, taking family history, clinical evaluation, genetic testing, screening guideline and risk reduction strategies for women with hereditary high risk factor. The morbidity and mortality of gynecologic malignancies related to these syndromes could be reduced by the adequate clinical approach, although recent guidelines were developed with an acute awareness of the preliminary nature of much of our knowledge regarding the clinical application of the rapidly emerging field of molecular genetics, and with an appreciation for the need for flexibility when applying these guidelines to individual families.

Current opinion for breast cancer screening / 대한산부인과학회지

Breast cancer has become one of the most significant health concerns not only in western countries but also in Korea. Screening is the most important method to reduce the mortality related to breast cancer. However, controversy remains about some aspects of breast cancer screening. Breast self-examination has been shown not to improve cancer-specific mortality, but it is commonly advocated as a noninvasive screen. Although the contribution of the clinical breast examination to early detection is difficult to determine, up to 10 percent of mammographically silent cancers can be detected by clinical breast examination. Major health organizations endorse mammographic screening every one to two years for women 40 years, and every year after age 50 as long as the woman is healthy. Although breast magnetic resonance imaging shows promise as a screening tool in high-risk women 30 years and older, it is not currently recommended for general screening because of high false-positive rates and costs. When applying guidelines to individual patients, risk assessment and clinical judgment including physical examination is needed to ensure appropriate management.

A Case of Vaginal Tuberculosis presenting as Vaginal Cyst / 대한산부인과학회지

A rare case of vaginal tuberculosis is reported. A 42-year-old woman referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of a cystocele presented with vaginal mass for 2 months. Pelvic examination revealed a cystic mass at anterior vagianl wall. Her initial diagnosis was urethral diverticulum. Surgical excision was performed and pathological analysis of the specimen revealed tuberculosis. She was treated with antituberculous drugs. We emphasize the need to maintain a high index of suspicion and to biopsy any suspicious vaginal lesion in the diagnosis of vaginal tuberculosis.