Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a slow-growing, but locally aggressive fibrous tumor that has a high rate of local recurrence after surgical resection. This tumor most commonly occurs in the trunk and proximal extremities. In this report we present a case of a 47-year-old woman with dermatofirbosarcoma protuberans in her breast, which is a very unusual site. Complete and careful resection is recommended for this type of tumor to prevent its recurrence.
Breast* ; Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: Brain metastasis is estimated to occur in 20~40% of solid tumor patients and the most common primary tumor is lung cancer. Even though the prognosis of brain metastasis is grave and the 1-year survival rate is only 15%, symptom palliations are made with whole brain radiation therapy. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical features and prognostic factors of lung cancer with brain metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1987 to October 1999, 50 lung cancer patients with brain metastasis underwent whole brain radiation therapy. We reviewed the improvement in neurologic symptoms and survival according to the following parameters; performance status, histological type, presence of brain metastasis at the initial diagnosis of lung cancer, presence of extracranial metastasis, multiplicity of brain lesion, presence of primary lung symptom and treatment modalities. RESULTS: The most frequent symptom with brain metastasis was a headache (50%). Palliation of the headache and other symptoms was achieved in 81% of the patients. Median overall survival after brain metastasis was 21 weeks and the 1 year survival rate was 15%. Patients without extracranial metastasis had a longer median survival than those with, 38 weeks versus 15 weeks, respectively (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: In lung cancer with brain metastasis, neurologic symptoms can be palliated with whole brain radiation therapy, and in this study among such patients, absence of extracranial metastasis can be a good prognostic factor.
Brain* ; Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

To expand the indications for living liver allograft, an increasing number of clinical trials of ABO incompatible liver transplantation have been reported in the literature. Administration of immunosuppressive drugs has resulted in decreased rates of mortality and graft loss in patients undergoing in ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Rh incompatibility in liver transplantation has not been reported as frequently as that of ABO-incompatible LDLT. Rh-antigens are said to be located only on red blood cells, and have not been demonstrated on leukocytes or tissue cells. For this reason, the incompatibility of Rh antigen between the donor and the recipient has received significantly less consideration in organ transplantations. Here, we report on a case of Rh incompatible living related liver transplantation from a group O, Rh-positive donor to a group O, Rh-negative recipient. The recipient did not develop Rh alloimmunization after administration of immunosupressive drugs and Rh immunoglobin (RhIG).
Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Organ Transplantation ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

To expand the indications for living liver allograft, an increasing number of clinical trials of ABO incompatible liver transplantation have been reported in the literature. Administration of immunosuppressive drugs has resulted in decreased rates of mortality and graft loss in patients undergoing in ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Rh incompatibility in liver transplantation has not been reported as frequently as that of ABO-incompatible LDLT. Rh-antigens are said to be located only on red blood cells, and have not been demonstrated on leukocytes or tissue cells. For this reason, the incompatibility of Rh antigen between the donor and the recipient has received significantly less consideration in organ transplantations. Here, we report on a case of Rh incompatible living related liver transplantation from a group O, Rh-positive donor to a group O, Rh-negative recipient. The recipient did not develop Rh alloimmunization after administration of immunosupressive drugs and Rh immunoglobin (RhIG).
Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Korea ; Leukocytes ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Organ Transplantation ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Transplants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Abnormalities in serum cholesterol and liver enzymes are frequently encountered during preoperative evaluation for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obesity is known to be one of the possible causes and aggravating factors of OSA, and it is also known to be associated with hyperlipidemia, glucose intolerance and fatty liver. We tried to elucidate whether OSA itself, without the effects of obesity, can induce abnormalities in liver function and lipid metabolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The levels of fasting serum cholesterol, glucose and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were checked in 215 adults who had received polysomnographic sleep study. The relationship between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and these variables was evaluated using the general linear model analysis. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation was found between AHI and cholesterol level. However, ALT was found to be more dependent on sex and obesity, than AHI. CONCLUSION: The study showed that, without the influence of obesity, age and sex, OSA itself had a meaningful correlation with hypercholesterolemia. This relationship could offer as one of the possible explanations for the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with OSA.
Adult ; Alanine Transaminase ; Cholesterol ; Fasting ; Fatty Liver ; Glucose ; Glucose Intolerance ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Hyperlipidemias ; Linear Models ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver* ; Obesity ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is known that patients with malignant tumor often have depressed antitumor immunity. Much information has been generated about a biologically-based therapy, which can induce or activate antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) capable of recognizing the antigens associated with the major histocompatibility complex molecules (MHC). Optimal induction of CTL seems to require contact with antigenic peptides presented by antigen presenting cell (APC). Dendritic cells (DC) are currently considered to be the most effective and professional APC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With an injection of SCC cells (1x105) to the back of C3H mouse, a consistent and immunocompetent experimental animal tumor model was achieved. DCs were successfully cultured from the bone marrow of C3H mouse, and phenotypically they expressed high levels of co-stimulatory molecules and abundant MHC. Cultured DCs were intraperitoneally injected into the tumor-established mouse. RESULTS: In the treated group, tumor sizes were smaller, infiltration to the adjacent structures were limited. T cells extracted from the spleen of the treated group showed better proliferative and cytolytic activity toward tumor cells. The results of this study suggest that DCs have an effect to suppress the growth of tumors and to induce higher T cell reactivity toward tumor cells. CONCLUSION: These results may help in proceeding further immunologic approaches to reduce the morbidity and mortality in patients with the head and neck SCC.
Animals ; Bone Marrow* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Dendritic Cells* ; Head ; Humans ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive* ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Mortality ; Neck ; Peptides ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

BACKGROUND: Essential thrombocythemia (ET) has a chronic course, but its main clinical features are thrombosis and hemorrhage. We evaluated the clinical features, including the vascular complications in patients with ET, during the disease courses and we determined the predictable risk factors for major vascular complications. METHODS: From 1991 to 2004, the medical records for 69 patients with ET were retrospectively reviewed for evaluating the clinical features, including the vascular complications, and the predictable risk factors for major vascular complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Major vascular thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications were observed in 16 patients (23.2%) and 6 patients (8.7%) at the time of diagnosis, and in 13 (18.8%) and 9 patients (13.0%) during follow-up. The incidence of major vascular thromboses in the older group (age >60 years) was higher than that in the younger group (< or =60 years) (34.2% vs 9.7%, respectively, P=0.016) at the time of diagnosis. During follow-up, the major vascular thrombosis risk was increased in patients with a previous thrombosis history (37.5% vs 13.2%, respectively, P=0.029) and in patients with 2 or more combined cardiovascular risk factors (44.4% vs 15.0%, respectively, P=0.035). The probability of 10-year survival in patients with thrombo-hemorrhagic complications during the disease course was lower than that in patients without complication (60.5% vs 93.7%, respectively, P=0.046). CONCLUSION: Advanced age, a previous thrombosis history and the combined cardiovascular risk factors were the risk factors for major vascular thrombosis in patients with ET. Prevention of thrombo-hemorrhagic complications is the most important therapeutic goal. Treatment strategies according to risk factors ought to be prospectively investigated.
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thrombocythemia, Essential* ; Thrombosis