Fine needle aspiration cytologic features of a case of insular carcinoma of the thyroid in a 23-year-old woman who presented a palpable neck mass is described. The aspirate showed cellular smear arranged in trabeculae, solid or loose clusters, and microfollicles in necrotic background. The tumor cells had uniform, small round, hyperchromatic nuclei. The chromatin was finely granular, and nuclear membrane was smooth. Nucleoli were not discernible. Nuclear pleomorphism was minimal. The cytoplasm was usually scanty, pale, poorly outlined, and almostly amphophilic. Sometimes paranuclear cytoplasmic vacuoles were noted. Final diagnosis was confirmed by total thyroidectomy as insular carcinoma.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Neck ; Nuclear Envelope ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroidectomy ; Vacuoles ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: In the third trimester hypertensive pregnancies, we would like to evaluate effects of white coat hypertension, severity of hypertension and diurnal variation of blood pressure on the fetal outcome by using 24- hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. METHODS: Hypertensives(n=50) and normotensives (n=14) in the third trimester of the pregnancy underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. We excluded hypertensives(n=5) who became pre-eclampsia patients. Hypertensives(n=45) were classified as white coat hypertensives(n=14, mean ambulatory blood pressure <139/87mmHg) and sustained hypertensives(n=31). Sustained hypertensives(n=31) were divided as moderate to severe hypertensives(n=5, systolic blood pressure >160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >100mmHg) and mild hypertensives(n=26). Sustained hypertensives were also divided into two groups which had diurnal variation of blood pressure or not. To exclude effects of hypertension severity, effects of diurnal variation were evaluated in hypertensives with similar mean arterial blood pressure. Gestational age, body weight, body weight for gestational age were used as parameters of the fetal outcome. RESULTS: 1) The prevalence of white coat hypertension was 28%(14/50). 2) There were no significant differences in the fetal outcome between normotensives(n=14) and white coat hypertensives(n=14). 3) Body weight of fetus and body weight for gestational age in moderate to severe hypertensives(n=5) were less than those of mild hypertensives(n=26), but gestational age was not significantly different between two groups. 4) Body weight of fetus and body weight for gestational age in sustained hypertensives without diurnal variation(n=10) were less than those with diurnal variation(n=8), but gestational age was not significantly different between two groups. 5) All hypertensives who became pre-eclampsia (n=5) were severe hypertensives and had no diurnal variation of blood pressure. CONCLUSION: White coat hypertension in the third trimester was quite often and did not affect on the fetal outcome. The more severe hypertension and/or absence of diurnal variation of blood pressure caused poor fetal outcome. Patients who became pre-eclampsia were severe hypertensives and had no diurnal variation of blood pressure. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may have several roles in the antenatal management of hypertenison.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory* ; Body Weight ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; Prevalence ; White Coat Hypertension

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon tumor of the prostate, with a median incidence of 0.5-1% of all prostate malignancies. Only one case of prostate SCC has been reported in Korean medical literature. Prostate SCC usually presents clinical and evolutive aspects that are different from those of prostate adenocarcinoma, have poor response to any therapy, and shows extremely poor prognosis. We report a case of prostate SCC with rectal invasion in a 64-year-old man who complained of acute urinary retention.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prostate* ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is well understood as an oncogenic virus in human tumors. Its association with breast cancers has been reported but is still in controversy. So we have examined the expression of EBV in breast cancers and evaluated the relationship between the well-known prognositc factors of breast cancer and EBV expression. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with patients who had been re-evaluated to confirm the diagnosis based on immunohistochemical analysis with EBNA-2 expression, between January 1991 and December 2002. The cases were assigned to the positive lesion that displayed 10% or more of immunoreactive cells. RESULTS: The expressions of EBNA-2(Ebstein Barr virus nuclear antigen - 2) were noted in 26 (21.1%) out of 123 cases of breast cancer patients and 4 (20%) out of 20 cases in a control group of benign tumors. The expression of EBV in breast cancers and that of a control group were not different significantly. But, the correlation between the expression of EBNA-2 and ER status was noted statistically significant (P=0.040). CONCLUSION: Judging from the results of our study, EBV infection detected in breast cancer seems to be latent and the association of EBV to breast cancer is less likely related.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Oncogenic Viruses ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Various magnifying endoscopic classifications have been introduced in esophageal and gastric lesions. However, studies on an agreement between observers according to the form classification of magnifiying endoscopic findings have not been performed yet. The aim of this study was to determine the interobserver agreement for magnifying endoscopic classifications. METHODS: The patients were divided into 3 groups. The first group of patients had post-EMR ulcer scar (50 cases), the second group, elevated gastric lesion (38 cases), and the third group, gastritis (43 cases). Two mucosal patterns were used in the post-EMR ulcer scar group, 6 mucosal patterns in the elevated gastric lesion group, and 3 patterns of the collecting venule in the gastritis group. Three experienced observers (A, B, C) blinded to the patients' data participated in this study. The agreement between observers was evaluated by calculated kappa. The kappa value of 0.75 or greater was rated excellent, 0.4~0.74, fair to good, and 0.4 or less, poor. RESULTS: Regarding 2 mucosal pattern in post-EMR ulcer scar, agreements between A and B, A and C, and B and C were 0.896, 0.793, and 0.901, respectively (p<0.01). Regarding 6 mucosal patterns in elevated gastric lesion, agreements between A and B, A and C, and B and C were 0.607, 0.458, and 0.557, respectively (p<0.01). Regarding 3 collecting venule pattern in gastritis, agreements between A and B, A and C, and B and C were 0.822, 0.823, and 0.751, respectively (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Interobserver agreement is good to excellent in mucosal pattern and collecting venule by magnifying endoscopy. However magnifying endoscopic classification needs to be refinded in order to improve an agreement between observers.
Cicatrix ; Classification ; Endoscopy* ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Ulcer ; Venules