Cysticercosis, like other parasitic disease, is still endemic in many parts of the world, and is not infrequently found in Korea. The authors reviewed CT findings of 54 cases of the cysticercosis involving the centralnervous system which were proven by pathology and clinical findings. The resuls are as follows; 1. Male to femaleratio is 3:1 and the most prevalent age group is the fifth decade. The most common symptom is seizure(56%). 2.Involved areas in the brain are parenchymal (66%), intraventricular (15%), leptomeningeal (40%) and the mixed(15%). 3. Pre-contrast CT findings are the round low density in 46 cases (85%), multiple pin-point calcificationin 18 cases (33%), variable degrees of hydrocephalus in 20 cases (37%) and peripheral edmatous change in 8 cases(15%). 4. Post
Brain ; Cysticercosis ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Korea ; Male ; Parasitic Diseases ; Pathology

A study was made on 258 cases of cysticercosis, that were examined and diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University during a period of 9 years from 1968 to 1976 inclusive. There were a total of 35,363 surgical specimens examined during the same period, thus revealing the relative frequency ratio of cysticercosis among surgical accessions to be 0.73%. The common sites of involvement of cysticercosis were skeletal muscle, subcutaneous tissue, breast, brain and eye in decreasing order of frequency. Painless palpable nodules were the most common initial presentation clinically. Histopathological staging was attempted based on the host tissue reaction and worm morphology. It was arbitrarily classified into early, intermediate and late stages. In general the morphology of the parasite consisted of a well preserved and compact calcospherules with intact subcuticular muscle layer in the early stage, showing a progressive deterioration of parasitic structures, finally undergoing resorptive process or mummification. The host tissue reation in the early stage was characterized by a diffuse epithelioid cell proliferation with lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltration without capsule formation. The intermediate stage consisted of a diffuse histiocytic proliferation with well formed outer collagen capsule. The latestage revealed mostly thinned out, well collagenized capsule with scanty lymphocytic infiltration. The parasite in the well formed cyst as usually distorted and often mummified. But the hooklets were relatively preserved up to the late stage. These finding suggest that the host tissue reacts to the cysticercus worm in fairly uniform fashion, and this fashion appears to have a sequence, i.e., violent lymphohistiocytic response in the initial phase of infection, and undergoing a gradual fibrotic (encapsulating) self-limiting course, finally being stabilized by a dense, acelluar collagen capsule or collapse and absorption.
parasitology-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia solium ; cysticercosis ; histology ; pathology ; collagen ; histiocyte ; lymphocyte

This study aimed to explore the clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics of intraocular cysticercosis due to Taenia solium metacestode infection. Total 8 patients diagnosed with intraocular cysticercosis at the Red Cross Hospital of Yunnan Province, China were examined retrospectively. Patients with clear dioptic media had undergone fundus chromophotography. All patients underwent B ultrasonography of the ocular region (CT) successive scanning of the orbit and cerebral tissues. Parasites were extracted surgically and then examined pathologically. The fundus chromophotography showed a white and condensing scolex package in the vesicle. The B ultrasonic examination showed a vesicle-like echogenic mass in the vitreous chamber, in which the high-level echo spot was the cysticercus scolex. The pathological examinations showed that the vesicle wall exhibited hyaline degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration, neuroglial fiber, and glial cell proliferation layers from the inside to the outside. The scolex is round and is composed of the outer tissue (the body wall) and the inner furrow tissue; these tissues migrated together. Primordially differentiated sucking discs were found in one case, but no hooklets were found. The inner scolex tissue was folded like a paper flower. The severity of intraocular disease is closely correlated with the pathophysiological processes of the cysticercus worm. Pathological examination of the intraocular lesions can help to evaluate the course of the disease as well as to provide a scientific basis for effective antiparasitic medication.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; China ; Cysticercosis/*diagnosis/parasitology/*pathology ; Endophthalmitis/*diagnosis/parasitology/*pathology ; Eye/*pathology/radiography/ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Taenia solium/*isolation & purification ; Young Adult

The posterior fossa, which contains about one fourth of the intracranial contents, is the site of known about two thirds of pediatric intracranial tumors. In about such tumors are less common and the prognosis may bevery poor. However, it is important to recognize the earliest symptoms because of the relatively high ease rate of operable management and the possibility for a high cure rate in some cases. A series of 51 pathologically verified posterior fossa tumors seen at the Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University, Severance Hospital over several years were studied. These tumors were explored surgically, and the diagnosis being made through histological examination. The cases were reviewed as to history, development and progression of the neurological features, laboratory findings, roentgenograms, differential diagnosis, operative methods and findings, and pathology. The authors emphasized some interesting points which are illustrated as follows; 1. Among 51 cases of posterior fossa tumors, 25 cases of acoustic neuroma, 9 cases of astrocytoma, 9 cases of medulloblastoma, 2 cases of ependymoma, 3 cases of pontine glioma and 3 cases of cysticercosis in the fourth ventricle were found, comprising 21 males and 30 females. 2. The 25 operated cases of acoustic neuroma were between the age of 20 and 60. Eighteen cases(69.2%) of the remaining posterior fossa tumors were below the age of 15. 3. The author was able to make the correct plain film diagnosis of acoustic neuroma in 13 cases(51%) of 25 cases. The prominent angiographic and ventriculographic finding of posterior fossa tumors was ventricular dilatation. 4. Vntriculogram was very important in the diagnosis of the fourth ventricle tumors. The Conray ventriculogram had the special benefit in accurately outlining and demonstrating the invasive pattern of fourth ventricle tumors. The Conray showed C.S.F. flow in malignant and other large tumors in the fourth ventricle better than was shown by previous pneumo-ventriculograms. 5. The Electroencephalogram showed an abnormal pattern in 62.2 per cent of 29 posterior fossa tumors.
Astrocytoma ; Cysticercosis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dilatation ; Electroencephalography ; Ependymoma ; Female ; Fourth Ventricle ; Glioma ; Humans ; Infratentorial Neoplasms* ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Neurosurgery ; Pathology ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Tissue biopsy is of significant importance to the parasitic diseases. This report describes in order to know the species and frequency of human parasitic infection diagnosed by biopsy at the department of anatomical pathology, KyungHee Medical Center. Finally, we estimated the trend of parasitic diseases of tissue in a feature, in Korea. METHOD: 262(0.57%) cases of parasitic infection were reviewed for analysis of the different types of parasitic infection, 45,651 biopsied materials were submitted for routine histopathological examination during a period of 12 years from 1972 to 1983 at the department of anatomical pathology, KyungHee Medical Center. RESULTS: They consisted of 136 cases of cysticercosis, 73 clonorchiasis, 16 amebiasis, 12 paragonimiasis, 9 ascariasis, 9 sparganosis, 4 scabies, 1 taeniasis, 1 enterobiasis and 1 anisakiasis. 136 cases of cysticercosis were mainly of the skeletal muscle and subcutaneous tissue. The 73 cases of clonorchiasis occurred mainly in the liver and gallbladder. In the 16 cases of amebiasis, the liver and the rectum were the main loci. In 12 cases of paragonimiasis, pleura was the main site. CONCLUSION: The frequency of parasitic infections found in biopsied specimens was found to decrease as the years passed by, but some disease such as sparganosis showed a possible increase. Tissue biopsy is an important method for detection of tissue or ectopic parasitic infections.
Amebiasis ; Anisakiasis ; Ascariasis ; Biopsy* ; Clonorchiasis ; Cysticercosis ; Enterobiasis ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Liver ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Paragonimiasis ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Pathology ; Pleura ; Rectum ; Scabies ; Sparganosis ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Taeniasis

Many pathological surveys of brain tissue in patients with intractable epilepsy have been reported. There have been, however, few studies focused on the differences between childhood and adults in pathological alterations of brain. We retrospectively analyzed histopathology of 164 lobectomy specimens for intractable epilepsy in view of the differences between children and adults. Among 164 cases, 28 cases were children (less than 15 years) and 136 cases adults. We compared frequency of histopathologic features, distribution of involved cortex (temporal or extratemporal lobe), previous injury histories, such as brain trauma, encephalitis or febrile seizure, and coexistence of other lesions (dual pathology) between two groups. Pathologic alterations were encountered in 92% of 164 patients. In children focal cortical dysplasia (n=16, 57.1%), neoplasm (n=8, 28.6%), hippocampal sclerosis (n=6, 21.4%), cortical tuber (n=1, 3.6%), leukomalacia (n=1, 3.6%), and Rasmussen's encephalitis (n=1, 3.6%) were observed, whereas focal cortical dysplasia (n=81, 59.6%), hippocampal sclerosis (n=80, 58.8%), neoplasm (n=19, 14%), and cerebral cysticercosis (n=3, 2.2%) were found in adults. Pediatric patients had a higher proportion of severe focal cortical dysplasia (17.9% in children, 0.7% in adults). Neoplasia and extratemporal lobe involvement were more commonly found in children (28.6%, 50%) than in adults (14.0%, 24.3%), whereas hippocampal sclerosis and dual pathology were more common in adults (58.8%, 44.9%) than in children (21.4%, 17.9%). Previous injury history was statistically significant in patients with hippocampal sclerosis, and lent support to the hypothesis that hippocampal sclerosis is related with acquired lesions. Incidence of focal cortical dysplasia was nearly similar in both adult (59.6%) and pediatric groups (57.1%), and supported the hypothesis that focal cortical dysplasia is developmental abnormality occurring during a prenatal period.
Adult* ; Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Child* ; Cysticercosis ; Encephalitis ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerosis ; Seizures* ; Seizures, Febrile

A study was made on 657 cases of skin tumors, which were obtained mainly as surgical pathology specimens during the period of 12 years and 4 months from January, 1960 to April, 1972, at Departments of Dermatology and Clinical Pethology, Catholic Medical Center in Seoul, and the results were as follow; 1) Of the 657 cases of skin tumors, 470 cases (71. 5%) were benign tumors, 26 casea (4.0%) premalignant lesions and 161 cases (24. 5%) malignant tumors. 2) The ratio of male vs. female was 1: 1 for benign tumor, 1: 1.9 for premalignant lesion and 1. 9: 1 for malignant tumor. 3) Among the benign tumors were 144 cases of cysticercosis, 68 cases of epidermal inclusion cyst, 46 cases of hemangioma and 45 cases of lipoma. 4) Arnong the premalignant lesions were 13 cases of leukoplakia, 5 cases of Nevus sebaceous (Jadassohn) and 4 cases of Bowen's disease. 5) The average age of malignant tumor was 53. 2 years for squamous cell carcinoma, 57. 2 years for basal cell carcinoma, and 35. 6 years for malignant melanoma. 6) The sites of predilection of the squamous cell carcinomas were penis (30. 6%), face (27. 4%) and upper and lower extremities (12.9%). The site of predilection of the basal cell carcinomas was face (88. 5%)., 7) The ratio of squamous cell carcinoma vs. basal cell carcinoma was 2. 4: 1. 8) Among the metastatic cancers of the skin the more frequent primary sites were stomach (3 cases), lung (2 cases) and liver (2 cases).
Bowen's Disease ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cysticercosis ; Dermatology ; Female ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Leukoplakia ; Lipoma ; Liver ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Male ; Melanoma ; Nevus ; Pathology, Surgical ; Penis ; Seoul ; Skin* ; Stomach

Wnt proteins are a family of secreted glycoproteins that are evolutionarily conserved and considered to be involved in extensive developmental processes in metazoan organisms. The characterization of wnt genes may improve understanding the parasite's development. In the present study, a wnt4 gene encoding 491amino acids was amplified from cDNA of metacestodes of Taenia solium using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Bioinformatics tools were used for sequence analysis. The conserved domain of the wnt gene family was predicted. The expression profile of Wnt4 was investigated using real-time PCR. Wnt4 expression was found to be dramatically increased in scolex evaginated cysticerci when compared to invaginated cysticerci. In situ hybridization showed that wnt4 gene was distributed in the posterior end of the worm along the primary body axis in evaginated cysticerci. These findings indicated that wnt4 may take part in the process of cysticerci evagination and play a role in scolex/bladder development of cysticerci of T. solium.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cysticercosis/pathology ; Cysticercus/enzymology/*genetics ; DNA, Helminth/*genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sus scrofa ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; Taenia solium/embryology/enzymology/*genetics ; Wnt4 Protein/*genetics