Cardiac Spindle Cell Hemangioma: A Case Report

Spindle cell hemangioma is an uncommon vascular lesion histologically resembling a cavernous hemangioma and Kaposi's sarcoma with a predilection for the extremities. There are no radiologic reports concerning cardiac spindle cell hemangioma in the current literature. We report here a case of cardiac spindle cell hemangioma.

Effects of Cyclosporine on the Cutaneous Lymphocyte-associated Antigen (CLA) Expression of the Lymphocytes in Psoriatic Skin / 대한피부과학회지

The cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen(CLA) has been proposed as a homing receptor for the selective migration of memory T cells into the skin. To investigate the effect of cyclosporine on the expression of CLA of the lymphocytes infiltrated in psoriatic lesions, CLA expression was assessed by the immunohistochemistry(HECA-452 epitope) with skin samples from 9 patients at time sequential(before treatment, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after initiation of treatment). CD3+ or CD4+ cells were also analyzed by immunohistochemistry on the same skin samples. Mean CLA expression on the infiltrated lymphocytes was decreased continuously during 12 weeks treatment with a further decrease during 3-6 weeks. CD3+ or CD4+ cells were decreased rapidly during the first 3 weeks of treatment. Although most CLA+ lymphocytes overlap with CD3 or CD4+ cells, cyclosporine could have therapeutic effects by differential decrease of CD3, CD4, or CLA+ cells during treatment period. In conclusion, reflecting the importance of CLA expression on the lymphocytes infiltrated in psoriatic lesion, one of the mechanisms to treat psoriasis may result from selective decrease of CLA+ T cells by cyclosporine in psoriatic lesions.

A Case of Syphilitic Aortitis with Aortic Insufficiency and Aortic Aneurysm / 감염

Syphilitic aortitis, passing out of our mind, is the most common systemic manifestation of late syphilis and is more typically manifestated 10 to 30 years afterward. This diagnosis has been made less frequently in recent decades than in the past, because of public awareness of syphilis and screening program. Treponema pallidum lodge within vasa vasorum, especially ascending aorta cause the histologic changes, which are responsible for the three major forms of symptomatic cardiovascular syphilis, including aortic insufficiency, coronary ostial stenosis, and aortic aneurysm. We experienced a case of syphilitic aortitis with aortic insufficiency and aortic aneurysm in a 48-year-old man presented with progressive dyspnea. Echocardiography, chest CT, and later surgical correction were performed and surgical specimen revealed the histologic finding consistent with syphilitic aortitis. We report this case with a review of the literature.