We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the spermatic cord with the review of literatures. To our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported in Korea.
Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Spermatic Cord*

Cast formation of biliary sludge leading to obstruction and cholangitis have been reported in patients who received orthotopic liver transplantation. The pathogenesis of biliary cast after orthotopic liver transplantation appeared to be multifactorial. Cold ischemic damage, immunologic attack to the bile duct and bile stasis may have played a role. On the other hand, only three cases of biliary cast have been reported in non-transplanted patients. We described the successful endoscopic removal of this complication in a 70-year-old man whose biliary sludge aggregated into firm casts occupying the extrahepatic ducts which has been developed after cholecystectomy and segmentectomy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We speculated on the hemolysis and prolonged fasing as the initiating events but the exact pathogenesis of biliary cast remains to be clarified.
Aged ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystectomy ; Hand ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Cholangiocarcinoma

Cast formation of biliary sludge leading to obstruction and cholangitis have been reported in patients who received orthotopic liver transplantation. The pathogenesis of biliary cast after orthotopic liver transplantation appeared to be multifactorial. Cold ischemic damage, immunologic attack to the bile duct and bile stasis may have played a role. On the other hand, only three cases of biliary cast have been reported in non-transplanted patients. We described the successful endoscopic removal of this complication in a 70-year-old man whose biliary sludge aggregated into firm casts occupying the extrahepatic ducts which has been developed after cholecystectomy and segmentectomy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We speculated on the hemolysis and prolonged fasing as the initiating events but the exact pathogenesis of biliary cast remains to be clarified.
Aged ; Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Cholangitis ; Cholecystectomy ; Hand ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Cholangiocarcinoma

Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) is a rare side effect of drugs. DIIHA may cause a systemic inflammatory response that results in acute multi-organ failure and death. Ceftizoxime belongs to the class of third generation cephalosporins, which are the most common drugs associated with DIIHA. Herein, we present a case of a 66-year-old man who developed fatal DIIHA after receiving a second dose of ceftizoxime. He was admitted to receive photodynamic therapy. He had a history of a single parenteral dose of ceftizoxime 3 months prior to admission. On the day of the procedure — shortly after the infusion of ceftizoxime — the patient's mental status was altered. The blood test results revealed hemolysis. Oliguric acute kidney injury developed, and continuous renal replacement therapy had to be applied. On the suspicion of DIIHA, the patient underwent plasmapheresis. Diagnosis was confirmed by a detection of drug-dependent antibody with immune complex formation. Although his hemolysis improved, his liver failure did not improve. He was eventually discharged to palliative care, and subsequently died.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Ceftizoxime ; Cephalosporins ; Diagnosis ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Palliative Care ; Photochemotherapy ; Plasmapheresis ; Renal Replacement Therapy

Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) is a rare side effect of drugs. DIIHA may cause a systemic inflammatory response that results in acute multi-organ failure and death. Ceftizoxime belongs to the class of third generation cephalosporins, which are the most common drugs associated with DIIHA. Herein, we present a case of a 66-year-old man who developed fatal DIIHA after receiving a second dose of ceftizoxime. He was admitted to receive photodynamic therapy. He had a history of a single parenteral dose of ceftizoxime 3 months prior to admission. On the day of the procedure — shortly after the infusion of ceftizoxime — the patient's mental status was altered. The blood test results revealed hemolysis. Oliguric acute kidney injury developed, and continuous renal replacement therapy had to be applied. On the suspicion of DIIHA, the patient underwent plasmapheresis. Diagnosis was confirmed by a detection of drug-dependent antibody with immune complex formation. Although his hemolysis improved, his liver failure did not improve. He was eventually discharged to palliative care, and subsequently died.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Ceftizoxime ; Cephalosporins ; Diagnosis ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Palliative Care ; Photochemotherapy ; Plasmapheresis ; Renal Replacement Therapy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze clinical outcomes from cervical cancer and stratify patients into risk groups for prognostic factors for early-stage disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with stage IB or IIA cervical cancer treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) following primary surgery at Samsung Medical Center from 2001 to 2011. Adjuvant RT was added for patients with intermediate-risk factors, and adjuvant CCRT was performed on high-risk patients after surgery. RESULTS: We reviewed 247 patients—149 in the high-risk group and 98 in intermediate-risk group. The median follow-up was 62 months. Loco-regional failure (LRF) alone occurred in 7 patients (2.8%), distant metastasis alone in 37 patients (15.0%) and LRF with DM in 4 patients (1.6%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for both groups were 79.7% and 87.6%, respectively. In the high-risk group, the 5-year DFS and OS probabilities were 72.5% and 81.9%, respectively. Histologic type, pathologic tumor size, and the number of pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastasis were significant prognostic factors for DFS and OS. We suggest a scoring system (0–3) using these prognostic factors to predict poor prognosis in high-risk patients. Using this system, patients with higher scores have higher recurrence and lower survival rates. CONCLUSION: In the high-risk cervical-cancer group who received primary surgery and adjuvant CCRT, non-squamous type, large tumor size and the number of PLN metastasis were significant prognostic factors, and the number of these factors was associated with survival rates.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Although the role of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) as a predictive and prognostic factor for uterine cervical cancer has been identified in previous studies, 1) the effective patient group of screening for recurrence with SCC-Ag, 2) the relationship between SCC-Ag and recurrence site, and 3) the relationship between the change of SCC-Ag and treatment outcome or recurrence have not been described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 506 patients with histologically proven uterine cervical cancer between January 1994 and December 2010. We determining the serum SCC-Ag level before treatment and after treatment, and conducted a retrospective review of the patients' records. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of SCC-Ag for the detection of tumor recurrence by comparing biochemical recurrence with clinical recurrence. RESULTS: The pretreatment SCC-Ag level and the proportion of patients over 1.5 ng/mL were higher in poor prognostic patient group. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, pretreatment SCC-Ag showed a statistically significant correlation with tumor size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, pathology. In patients with biochemical recurrence vs. those without, 5-year DFS and OS were 27.6 vs. 92.7% (p < or = 0.001) and 53.7 vs. 92.5% (p < or = 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study reconfirmed the known function of pretreatment SCC-Ag, but could not confirm the function of biochemical response as a predictive factor for treatment and as a prognostic factor. There was no statistically significant relationship between SCC-Ag level and recurrence site. We confirmed the role of SCC-Ag as a follow-up tool for recurrence of disease and which patient groups SCC-Ag was more useful for.
Antigens, Neoplasm ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obstetrics ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serpins ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The relationship between treatment outcomes, alteration of the expression of biological markers, and tumor volume response during radiotherapy (RT) in patients with uterine cervical cancer was analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma received definitive RT with (n = 17) or without (n = 3) concurrent chemotherapy. Tumor volumes were measured by three serial magnetic resonance imaging scans at pre-, mid-, and post-RT. Two serial punch biopsies were performed at pre- and mid-RT, and immunohistochemical staining for cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor was performed. The median follow-up duration was 60 months. RESULTS: The median tumor volume response at mid-RT (V2R) was 0.396 (range, 0.136 to 0.983). At mid-RT, an interval increase in the distribution of immunoreactivity for COX-2 was observed in 8 patients, and 6 of them showed poor mid-RT tumor volume response (V2R > or = 0.4). Four (20%) patients experienced disease progression after 10 to 12 months (median, 11 months). All 4 patients had poor mid-RT tumor volume response (p = 0.0867) and 3 of them had an interval increase in COX-2 expression. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) decreased in patients with V2R > or = 0.4 (p = 0.0291 for both). An interval increase in COX-2 expression at mid-RT was also associated with a decreased survival (p = 0.1878 and 0.1845 for OS and PFS, respectively). CONCLUSION: Poor tumor volume response and an interval increase in COX-2 expression at mid-RT decreased survival outcomes in patients with uterine cervical cancer.
Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Disease Progression ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Tumor Burden ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: In some unusual cases, in patients with cervical cancer, an elevation of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) was not observed at diagnosis but was observed on recurrence, or vice versa. The objective of this study was to identify patient-, disease-, and treatment-related factors associated with this unusual level of SCC-Ag, and to determine whether SCC-Ag is a useful tumor marker in such patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 129 patients with recurrence, 14 who showed a normal SCC-Ag level at diagnosis but an elevated level at recurrence were classified as group I; 22 patients with an elevated SCC-Ag level at diagnosis but not at recurrence were classified as group II; and 76 patients with an elevated SCC-Ag level at both diagnosis and recurrence were classified as group III. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, unusual SCC-Ag showed statistically significant relationships with pathology and biochemical response to treatment. However, in the multivariate analysis, none of the clinicopathologic factors showed a statistical relationship with unusual levels of SCC-Ag. The 5-year disease-free survival rates for groups I, II, and III were 7.1%, 9.1%, and 0% (p=0.418), and the 5-year overall survival rates were 34.3%, 58.4%, and 33.3% (p=0.142), respectively. CONCLUSION: The value of SCC-Ag has been confirmed in all patients; thus, check of SCC-Ag level at follow-up should be considered. Although no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups, we conclude that patients with a high initial SCC-Ag and elevated SCC-Ag at relapse have poor prognosis due to high SCC-Ag level.
Antigens, Neoplasm ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Serpins ; Survival Rate ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

While some fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes (TdP), serious proarrhythmic effects from ofloxacin have not been reported. Here, we report a case of ofloxacin-induced Torsades de Pointes with abnormal ECG changes, mimicking acute myocardial infarction. A 68-year-old man developed syncope following hospital admission for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. TdP and marked QT prolongation (QT=0.44 sec, QTc=0.62 sec) were noted, with no remarkable serum electrolyte abnormality. The QT prolongation was followed by ST segment elevation, mimicking acute myocardial infarction. After discontinuation of ofloxacin, the QT interval shortened to 0.336 sec (QTc=0.481 sec), with no recurrence of TdP, although the QT interval remained mildly elevated during the hospital course. From this case, we propose that care should be taken in the use of ofloxacin, especially in patients susceptible to TdP.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Ofloxacin ; Recurrence ; Syncope ; Torsades de Pointes* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary