Evaluation of 110 cases of single-port access laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (SPA-LAVH) and comparison with multi-port access / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of single-port access laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (SPA-LAVH) using conventional laparoscopic instruments compared to multi-port access laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (MPA-LAVH). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 220 patients with uterine leiomyoma or adenomyosis who underwent 110 SPA-LAVH and 110 MPA-LAVH in Incheon St. Mary's Hospital between April 2007 and November 2009. We performed SPA-LAVH with conventional rigid straight laparoscopic instruments in all cases. We also performed a new vaginal cuff closure method, Kim's Vaginal Vault Suspension Method, named after the operator (Kim, YW) in both SPA-LAVH and MPA-LAVH. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in patients' age, operating time, uterine weight, hemoglobin change, frequency of blood transfusion, and incidence of postoperative fever between the two groups. The patients' mean age was 46.1+/-7.0 years (SPA-LAVH) and 45.5+/-6.3 years (MPA-LAVH). The mean operating time was 87.2+/-21.0 minutes (SPA-LAVH) and 83.3+/-20.3 minutes (MPA-LAVH). The mean uterine weight was 261.4+/-139.7 g (SPA-LAVH) and 257.8+/-132.9 g (MPA-LAVH). The mean hemoglobin change was 1.1+/-0.7 g/dL (SPA-LAVH) and 1.2+/-0.6 g/dL (MPA-LAVH). Neither bowel injury nor urinary tract injury occurred during the operation in the two groups. One of the SPA-LAVH and one of the MPA-LAVH cases were converted to abdominal total hysterectomy. The mean hospital stay time was shorter with SPA-LAVH (2.6+/-0.6 days [SPA-LAVH] and 3.3+/-0.7 days [MPA-LAVH], P<0.05). CONCLUSION: SPA-LAVH using conventional rigid straight laparoscopic instruments can be offered as a safe and feasible alternative to MPA-LAVH.

Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva: A case report / 대한산부인과학회지

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human malignant neoplasm, accounting for 75% of all non-melanoma skin cancer. The incidence of BCC is strongly correlated with sun exposure as well as older age. Therefore, the vast majority of BCCs is observed in elderly patients on the sun-exposed skin of the head and neck with a frequency of more than 80%. BCC is very rare on sun-protected skin such as the perianal and genital regions and other etiologic factors must be considered in these cases. Although the pathogenesis of vulvar BCC is unclear, early diagnosis is very important. Because BCC in these areas sometimes seems innocuous, it is recommended that a biopsy of all suspect lesions be performed. We report a woman with BCC of the vulva treated with wide local resection and reviews the literatures on this subject.

Comparison of cell growth suppression in SiHa cervical carcinoma cell line by human papillomavirus type 16 E6/E7 siRNAs / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: Human cervical cancer is caused by the high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) such as HPV16, which possess the E6 and E7 oncogenes, whose expressions are a prerequisite for cancer development. We performed this study to compare the efficacy of antitumor activity by HPV siRNA which silences only E6 or both E6/E7. METHODS: We transfected siRNA 377 (HPV16 E6 siRNA), siRNA 3 (HPV16 E6 siRNA), and siRNA 198 (HPV16 E7 siRNA) into SiHa cell line (siRNA 377 silences only E6, and siRNA 3 and siRNA 198 silence both E6 and E7). We experimented cell counts and morphologic changes 24 and 48 hours after transfection and expressions of HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA by RT-PCR. RESULTS: siRNA 377, siRNA 3, and siRNA 198 suppressed the cell growth. siRNA 3 and siRNA 198 were more potent than siRNA 377 in cell growth suppression. siRNA 377 knocked down the expression of E6 mRNA, and both siRNA 3 and siRNA 198 knocked down the expression of E6/E7 mRNA. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that simultaneous suppression of E6 and E7 was more potent than E6-specific suppression in cancer cell growth.

Two cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the uterine cervix / 대한산부인과학회지

Primary malignant lymphoma of the uterine cervix is very rare. Lymphomas account for 3.5% of all malignant tumors in the females. Approximately, 25% of all malignant lymphomas arise from extranodal sites, most frequently from gastrointestinal tract and skin. Although the incidence of systemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and extranodal NHL has increased in recent decades, only 1 to 1.5% arises from female genital tract. Primary pelvic sites include ovary, which is the most common site, uterine corpus, cervix, vagina, and vulva. Primary cervical lymphomas account for 0.12~0.6% of all extranodal lymphomas. However, there is still no consensus on the management of cervical lymphomas due to low incidence of the disease and limited experience in the literature. We experienced two cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the uterine cervix. A 41-year-old woman, Ann Arbor stage IE, was treated with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and both salpingo-oophorectomy and 4 cycles chemotherapy. A second case was a 73-year-old postmenopausal woman, Ann Arbor stage III, received five courses chemotherapy without any surgery. In this article, two cases of uterine cervical lymphoma are presented with a review of the available literature.

A case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the uterine cervix / 대한산부인과학회지

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the uterine cervix, also called lymphoepithelioma or medullary carcinoma, is a very rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by groups and nests of poorly differentiated tumor cells with abundant cytoplasm and ill-defined cell borders, surrounded by an intense chronic inflammatory infiltrate. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be involved in the development of LELC but the exact role remains unclear. The relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and LELC of the uterine cervix has also not been reported. The prognosis of LELC of the uterine cervix seems to be better than that of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of LELC of the uterine cervix with a brief review.

A case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the uterine cervix / 대한산부인과학회지

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the uterine cervix, also called lymphoepithelioma or medullary carcinoma, is a very rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, the tumor is characterized by groups and nests of poorly differentiated tumor cells with abundant cytoplasm and ill-defined cell borders, surrounded by an intense chronic inflammatory infiltrate. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be involved in the development of LELC but the exact role remains unclear. The relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and LELC of the uterine cervix has also not been reported. The prognosis of LELC of the uterine cervix seems to be better than that of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of LELC of the uterine cervix with a brief review.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at comparison of women with advanced ovarian cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery with those treated conventionally with primary debulking surgery followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy (conventional group). METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2005, 11 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer were treated by NAC followed by debulking surgery and 20 patients were treated by primary cytoreductive surgery followed by cytotoxic chemotherapy conventionally. The files were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age was 54.8+/-11.6 in NAC and 53.0+/-11.9 years in conventional group. 10 cases were serous adenocarcinoma in NAC group and 16 cases were serous, 1 was mucinous and 2 cases were endometrioid type in conventional group (Table 1). Mean courses of NAC were 3 cycles (range 1-4) and carboplatin and paclitaxel regimen was most common (Table 2). After NAC, 2 complete responses (18.2%) were achieved, 4 patients (36.4%) achieved a partial response, and 5 (45.5%) had no response or progressive disease. At debulking surgery, no pathological complete response was noted, and residual ovarian cancer was present in all cases. The optimal surgery (residual tumor <2 cm) was obtained in 9 cases (81.8%) of NAC and 5 cases (25.0%) of conventional group (Table 3). The mean estimated blood loss was 604.54+/-178 ml (range 400-1,000 ml) in NAC group and 752.5+/-335 ml (range 400-2,000 ml) in conventional group , blood transfusion 2.2 pints (range 0-5 pints) in NAC and 4.6 pints (range 1-19 pints) in conventional group, the mean operative time was 244.54+/-108 minutes in NAC group and 251.5+/-94.5 minutes in conventional group, mean intensive care unit stay was 1.6 days (range 0-3 days) in NAC and 2.5 days (range 0-13 days) in conventional group, and mean hospital stay was 17.36+/-8.97 days (range 7-42 days) in NAC and 24.45+/-11.7 days (range 10-48 days) in conventional group respectively (Table 4). There were no significant statistical differences in two groups except hospital stay (p=0.04). There were no significant statistical differences of disease-free and overall survival in two groups (Fig 1&2). CONCLUSION: The rate of optimal debulking surgery, blood loss, operative time, disease-free and overall survival, excluding the length of hospital stay, showed no significant statistical differences in both groups. Even though we might have statistical shortage because we were able to get only limited cases to show meaningful results, there is enough validity of conducting prospective clinical research using NAC since the overall survival rate in both groups showed no significant difference.

A case of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) with eclampsia / 대한산부인과학회지

The reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) was first described by Hinchey et al. It is characterized by reversible posterior predominant white and gray matter lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with renal insufficiency or hypertension, or immunosuppression. The findings on neuroimaging are characteristic of subcortical edema without infarction. Patients with RPLS show various kinds of neurologic abnormalities characterized by headache, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, altered mental status, decreased alertness, seizures, and focal neurologic signs. The clinical and radiological findings usually resolve within two to three weeks when the underlying cause is removed. In this report we describe the case of RPLS with eclampsia in a 24-year-old woman, which appears to be involved in areas of the occipital, frontal, and parietal lobes. A brief review of the literature is also presented.

Clinical Analysis of Placental Abruption / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: Placental abruption is one of the obstetric hemorrhage diseases that needs emergent treatment. But there is no predictable tool for placental abruption at present, we clinically analyzed its incidence, etiological factors, signs and symptom and neonatal outcome for reducing complications of this disease. METHODS: The data presented here were based on 80 cases of placental abruption among 20,483 deliveries during 13 years of period from January, 1991 to December, 2003. RESULTS: The incidence of placental abruption was 0.4%. Most of cases (97.5%) occurred over 28 weeks of gestational age. The incidence of unknown etiological factor was 67.5% and pregnancy-induced hypertension was related in 22.5% of cases. The most common signs and symptom was vaginal bleeding (46.3%). Lower abdominal pain (33.8%), fetal distress (10%), premature labor (5%) were also noted. The half of the patients was diagnosed before delivery and the mode of delivery was cesarean section in 93.8%. The survival rate of newborns in severe degree group (14.3%) of placental abruption was lower than that of mild degree group (94.1%) or moderate degree group (84.6%). Additionally, Apgar scores at 1min and 5min of newborns in severe degree group (1.3+/-2.4/1.3+/-3.0) were significantly lower than that of mild degree group (5.9+/-2.5/7.5+/-2.2) or moderate degree group (5.5+/-2.7/7+/-2.8) (p<0.01). There was no maternal death in our study. CONCLUSION: Because the etiological factor of this disease was uncertain in two thirds of cases, comprehension of etiological factor such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and signs and symptom is emphasized. Bleeding and uteroplacental insufficiency caused by placental abruption affect fetal jeopardy in severe cases. Accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment including management of premature baby should be conducted in suspicious case of placental abruption for prevention of progression of this disease.

A Case of Primary Ovarian Fibrosarcoma / 대한산부인과학회지

Fibrosarcoma of the ovary is an exceedingly rare primary ovarian stromal tumor, which has a poor prognosis. Fibrosarcoma may arise de novo or as a result of malignant change in a benign fibromatous or fibrothecomatous tumor of the ovary. There are only about 30 cases in the literature reported within past three decades, showing the extreme rarity of these tumors. We report a case of primary ovarian fibrosarcoma with a review of the available literature.

Clinical Analysis of Uterine Leiomyoma with Increased Mitotic Activity / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical-pathological aspects of uterine smooth-muscle tumors with a pathological diagnosis of uncertain malignant potential or leiomyomas with increased mitotic activity. METHODS: We reviewed the charts and pathological records of twenty seven patients with smooth muscle tumors of the uterus, with 5-9 mitotic figures per 10HPF (High power fields) and without cytological atypia or necrosis retrospectively. RESULTS: The patients were 29-60 (mean 41.8+/-6.8) years old and mean parity was 1.7+/-0.9. None of the patients had used any hormones preoperatively. The size of the myomatous tumors ranged from 2 to 23 cm (mean 7.1+/-4.6 cm). On gross examination all tumors appeared as typical leiomyomas. Twenty were intramural and 7 were submucous leiomyomas. The mitotic counts ranged 5-9/10 HPF (mean 6.0+/-1.2/10 HPF). Cytological atypia or necrosis were absent. The histological phase of the endometrium could be evaluated in 18 patients. Of these, ten had secretory-phase endometrium and proliferative endometrium was present in eight patients. Hysterectomy was performed in 20 patients with intramural leiomyoma, and myomectomy was in 7 patients under diagnosis of submucosal type. Postoperative follow-up periods ranged 5-94 months (mean 37.0+/-22.6 months). All patients were alive without evidence of recurrence or metastasis. CONCLUSION: Leiomyomas containing from five to nine mitotic figures per 10 HPF, without cellular atypia or necrosis, should be regarded as benign. Hysterectomy need not autonomically be done, as follow-up is a viable alternative. Myomectomy is an appropriate treatment, particularly in young patients interested in reproduction.

Proteomic analyses of cervical cancer tissues by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of protein expressions by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) in normal cervix and squamous cell carcinoma tissues in Korean women. METHODS: Normal cervix and squamous cell carcinoma tissues were solubilized with 2-DE buffer and the first dimension of PROTEAN IEF CELL, isoelectric focusing (IEF), was performed using pH3-10 linear IPG strips of 17 cm. And then running 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and sliver stain. Scanned image was analyzed using PDQuest 2-D softwareTM. Protein spot spectrum was identified by assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of fighting (MALDI-TOF) and the protein mass spectrum identifications were performed by searching protein databases of Swiss-prot/TrEMBL, Mascot and MS-FIT. RESULTS: We found 9 up-regulation proteins (Alpha enolase, Keratin 19 type I, Keratin 20 type I, Keratin 13 type I, beta-actin, Aflatoxin B1 aldehyde reductase 1, Annexin A2, Squamous cell carcinoma antigen 2, unknown), 7 down-reguation proteins (Annexin 1, Myosin regulatory light chain 2, 14-3-3 protein epsilon, Heat shock 27 kDa protein, Hypothetical protein (DKFZP434C1715), Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 13B, Smoth muscle protein 22-alpha) and 6 up and down-regulation proteins (Tropomyosin 1, Tropomyosin 2, Tropomyosin 3, Serine (or cysteine) proteinase inhibitor, Phosphatidylinositol transfer protein alpha isoform, Src homology 3 domain-containing protein HIP-55) between normal cervix and squamous cell carcinoma cell tissues. CONCLUSION: 2-DE offers total protein expressions between normal cervix and squamous cell carcinoma cell tissues, and searching of differently expressed protein for the diagnostic markers of squamous cell carcinoma tissue.

The Safety of Incidental Appendectomy during Total Abdominal Hysterectomy / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of the incidental appendectomies in women who undergo total abdominal hysterectomies for benign diseases. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-controlled study of patients who did (n=54) or did not (n=70) undergo incidental appendectomies at the time of an total abdominal hysterectomy between January 2002 and December 2003. Data were obtained about operation time, the number of days with nothing by mouth, the length of hospital stay (LOS), postoperative complications and pathology of appendix. Data were analyzed using student t-test. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference between two groups in operation time. The mean time was 120.0+/-23.8 in incidental appendectomy group and 112.5+/-23.9 minutes in control group. 2) There was no significant difference between two groups in the days with nothing by mouth. The mean was 1.06+/-0.23 in incidental appendectomy group and 1.03+/-0.17 days in control group. 3) There was no significant difference between two groups in the length of hospital stays. The mean was 7.34+/-0.68 in incidental appendectomy group and 7.14+/-1.15 days in control group. 4) There were no significant differences between two groups with respect to the post operative complications; fever, wound infection, stump disruption, and postoperative bleeding. 5) Seventy-six percent of the histologic specimens were abnormal, with fecalith being most common, and there were three cases of acute appendicitis. CONCLUSION: An incidental appendectomy at the time of hysterectomy does not increase operation time, the days with nothing by mouth, LOS, and postoperative complication rates. The incidental appendectomies during total abdominal hysterectomy may be safe procedures.

A Case of Leiomyoma of the Ovary / 대한산부인과학회지

Leiomyoma arising primarily in the ovary is a rare tumor, accounting for only 1% of benign ovarian neoplasms. About 50 cases have been reported in the literature to date. Most cases are asymptomatic and this benign neoplasm is usually found incidentally on routine pelvic examination, at surgery, or at autopsy. We present a case of ovarian leiomyoma in 39-year-old woman which has been experienced in our hospital with brief review of literature.

Effects of cell growth inhibition on the combination of cisplatin with green tea extracts / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: The chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II)) is particularly effective against cervical cancer. The purpose of this study is to elucidate combination effect of cisplatin and green tea extracts on the growth inhibition of TC-1 cell. METHODS: To observe the anti-proliferative effects, we treated different doses of cisplatin (0.1, 0.5, 2.5 uM), GTP (1, 5, 25 ug/ml) and EGCG (25, 50, 100 uM). to TC-1 cells. Also, we treated 0.5 uM of cisplatin and different doses of GTP (1 and 5 ug/ml) or EGCG (25 and 50 uM). Cell viability was scored by use of MTT assay. In addition, E6 gene expression patterns in TC-1 cell were investigated by using RT-PCR. RESULTS: Cell growth inhibition in a dose dependent was observed at the different concentration of ciaplatin, GTP and EGCG. Also, in the groups treated by 0.5 uM of cisplatin and GTP (1 and 5 ug/ml) or EGCG (25 and 50 uM), the inhibition of cell growth showed with 12.2%, 6.9% and 63.4%, 72.2% as compared to the group treated by cisplatin only. In RT-PCR, down regulation of E6 was shown. CONCLUSION: Additive effect of the combination of cisplatin with GTP or EGCG on the inhibition of cell growth was observed. This effect suggests the possibility lowering the concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs, which alleviate the side effect of drugs.

Adenosine 5'-triphosphate induced NF-kappa B and intracellular calcium mobilization in cervical cancer cells / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To know the effect of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) on intracellular calcium level and cell proliferation in cervical cancer cells. METHODS: Study design: Four different human cervical cancer cell lines (Caski, C33A, HeLaS3 and SiHa) were used in this study. The change of intracellular calcium level, cell proliferation and the activity of proliferation- and calcium-related transcription factors by extracellular ATP were examined in these cell lines. RESULTS: Extracellular ATP induced calcium mobilization, cell proliferation and the activation of NF-kappa B in all cell lines used. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that calcium mobilization and NF-kappa B dependent signaling pathway play an important role in the cell proliferation by ATP in cervical cancer.

Two Cases of Pregnancy-associated Breast Cancer / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as that occurring during pregnancy or within 1 year after delivery. The incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer is 0.2% to 3.8%. Tenderness, engorgement, increased size and increased prominence of the glandular tissue during pregnancy and lactation make mammography and clinical breast examination uncomfortable for the patient and less accurate for the detection of an abnormal breast mass. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer tends to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage, with an attendant adverse prognosis, than in women who are not pregnant or lactating. So physicians should perform a thorough breast examination at the first prenatal visit and maintain a high index of suspicion for cancer. We experienced 2 cases of pregnancy-associated breast cancer patients and reported these cases with a brief review of literature.

Retroperitoneal Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Of the various types of ectopic pregnancies that have been reported, the retroperitoneal implantation probably represents the rarest. A search of the literature reveals only three other cases that appear to be true retroperitoneal pregnancies. We have experienced a case of the true retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancy, which was seen to be adherent to the anteromedial aspect of the left kidney. We report the case with a brief review of literatures.

A Case of Cerebellar Metastases from Ovarian Carcinoma / 대한산부인과학회잡지

With the exception of choriocarcinoma, the central nervous system (CNS) is rarely associated with metastases from gynecological malignancy. Cerebral involvement in ovarian carcinoma is generally regarded as occurring in 1% of cases. Overall incidence of cerebellar metestases is 27% of CNS metastases. However higher rates have been reported following initial platinum-based chemotherapy. We experienced a cerebellar metastatic cancer patient treated with craniectomy and radiation therapy. So we report the case with a brief review of literature.

A Clinical Analysis of Laparoscopically Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy (LAVH) / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) and evaluate the advantages of LAVH. This is a retrospective study. METHODS: From Jan. 2001 to Aug. 2002, 204 LAVHs were performed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea. We studied the results with regard to the age, parity, previous abdominal surgery, surgical indications, operation time, weight of uterus, change of hemoglobin, hospital stay, concomitant procedures, and complications. RESULTS: The mean age was 43.9+/-6.4 years. The mean parity was 2.1+/-1.3. Tubal ligation was most common previous abdominal surgery. As a surgical indication, leiomyoma (52.9%) and adenomyosis (33.3%) were more common indications than any other gynecological problem. The mean operation time was 85.7+/-22.4 minutes. The mean uterine weight was 206.2+/-103.7 g. The mean hemoglobin change was 1.2+/-0.7 g/dl. The mean hospital stay was 3.3+/-0.8 days. Unilateral salpingoophorectomy was most common operation as concomitant procedure. Surgical complication rate was 3.4%. CONCLUSION: LAVH is a safe and effective alternative to abdominal hysterectomy with advanced technologic development in laparoscopic instruments and skills.