Pathologic Change and Prognosis after Combination Therapy in Advanced Neuroblastoma

PURPOSE: Neuroblastoma is a malignant neoplasm which arises from primitive sympathetic neuroblasts, and occasionally can matured from a malignant neuroblastoma into a benign ganglioneuroma. It has the highest rate of spontaneous regression of any pediatric tumor. We performed a retrospective study of pathologic features after combination therapy in advanced neuroblastoma. Prognostic effects of the individual morphologic feature and prognostic groupings according to modified Shimada classification systems were analyzed. METHODS: The treatment results for six patients with neuroblastoma seen at Keimyung University from Jan. 1991 to June 2000 were analyzed. Patients were treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, and classified by two major prognostic criteria based on morphological features of neuroblastoma, such as modified Shimada classification and histologic grading. RESULTS: Three cases were classified to a good histologic group; among them, two cases survived, but one case was lost in follow-up. There were three cases classified in a poor histologic group. All of these patients expired due to sepsis and hemorrhagic pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: Prognostic classification due to pathologic findings had significant value in evaluating the survival rate of neuroblastoma patients.

Three Cases of Sclerosing Lymphangitis of the Penis / 대한남성과학회지

Sclerosing lymphangitis of the penis is a rare condition involving the distal lymphatics that is characterized by cord-like lesions on the shaft or coronal sulcus. Although the etiology is unknown, its association with mechanical trauma, anatomic variants, or infection has been shown. Clinically, the patient notices a painless, firm, cord-like lesion just proximal to the sulcus. Histologic study reveals hypertrophy and sclerosis of lymphatic vessel walls and, in some cases, thrombus formation within the dilated vessels. Most cases are self-limited, and conservative management is indicated, but surgical excision is warranted for persistently symptomatic lesions. We report three cases of sclerosing lymphangitis of the penis that required treatment by surgical excision.