It has been well known that liver cirrhosis, regardless of its etiology, is an important predisposing factor in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the type of cirrhosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)-bearing liver varies not only by geographic areas but also with the cirteria applied for morphological classification of cirrhosis. To elucidate the relationship between the nodule size of HCC-bearing cirrhotic liver and clinicopathologic features, we measured cirrhotic nodule areas of 49 surgically resected HCC cases using image analyzer. The morphological type of cirrhosis was predominantly macronodular(49%), and followed by mixed(37%) and micronodular(14%). Seventy percent of the cases showed seropositivity for HBsAg. The average area of cirrhotic nodules was significantly larger in HBsAg-positive cases(mean: 6.14 mm2) than that of HBsAg-negative cases(mean: 2.5 mm2)(p<0.05), and their size was bigger in cases with grossly expansile pattern of HCC than those cases with infiltrative ones(p<0.05). Based on the above findings, we assume that seropositivity of HBsAg may influence on the regenerative activity of cirrhotic nodules and also subsequent increase of risk for further development of HCC. The presence of cirrhohsis and nodule size seem to be the important contributing factors to determine the growing patterns of HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach has been designated to a primary gastric adenocarcinoma with minimum criteria of elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein and its histological resemblance to neoplastic liver cells. Of the 1,500 consecutive cases of surgically resected gastric carcinomas during a period of 4 years, we retrieved 14 cases of adenocarcinoma which met the histologic features of hepatoid growth and compared them histologically with 400 consecutive cases of non-hepatoid gastric adenocarcinomas. The patient's age ragned from 32 to 80 years(non-hepatoid group: 25 to 81 years) and their male to female ratio was 3.7 : 1(non-hepatoid group: 1.8 : 1). Grossly, five case were Borrmann type II and another five cases type III. All three cases of early gastric carcinomas were the submucosal type IIc. The remaining one was an advanced gastric carcinoma mimicking early gastric carcinoma. Microscopically, the hepatoid portions varied in growing patterns and arranged in either compact, trabecular or pseudoglandular pattern and gave an immunoreactivity to alpha-fetoprotein and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin. Regardless of the tumor stage, the hepatoid areas were located in the deeper portion of the tumor mass and grew in an expanding/nodular pattern. The associated adenocarcinomatous areas were mostly papillotubular, moderately to well differentiated, and frequently revealed clear PAS-negative cytoplasm reminiscent of the differentiated embryonal carcinoma. Tumor emboli and nodal metastasis were the frequent associations. We assume that the hepatoid adenocarcinoma may develop from gastric'adenocarcinoma through embryonal carcinomatous growth.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis

A 56-year-old man received subtotal gastrectomy for an early gastric carcinoma type IIa+IIc with submucosal invasion. The tumor was made up of mixed papillo-tubular adenocarcinoma and solid carcinomatous portion, the latter comprising approximately four-fifths of the total tumor mass. The solid portion was confined within the submucosa and revealed a mixture of trabecular, compact and pelioid patterns of large polyhedra cells, resembling hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver(Edmondson-Steiner grade 2). Sinusoid-like vascular stroma of classical trabecular hepatocellular carcinoma intervened the tumor cell nests but was not associated with endothelial-cell lining. Immunohistochemical stainings with alpha-fetoprotein and alpha1-antitrypsin gave a strong reactivity in those areas of hepatoid differentiation and in the adjacent minute portion of adenocarcinoma. The findings suggest that a portion of gastric carcinoma may transdifferentiate into cells with hepatoid features along the line of endodermal lineage.
Male ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

A case of cystic lymphangioma of the mesentery with severe and persistent abdominal pain in a 22-year-old man is presented. The cyst was filled with chylous fluid. Microscopically, numerous nerve bundles were incorporated within the lymphangiomatous walls, and some protruded into the lumen. The above findings lead to a suggestion that mesenteric lymphangioma may differ from those in the other sites by its abundance of incorporation of nerve bundles into the lymphangiomatous walls, and that increase of tumor size by intracystic accumulation of chylous fluid may subsequently result in increase of intraluminal pressure to compress the nerve bundles with which abdominal pain is much enhanced.
Male ; Humans ; Cysts

We report an autopsy case of secondary hemochromatosis associated with multiple frequent blood transfusion for the treatment of aplastic anemia. A 23-year-old man had been diagnosed as having aplastic anemia at the age of 13. He received a whole blood transfusion, about 1280 ml, every month during the past 10 years. Recently he developed diabetes mellitus and a congestive heart failure. The autopsy revealed that multiple organs were affected by secondary hemochromatosis, including the liver, heart, pancreas, spleen, bone marrow, stomach, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and testes. The lungs and liver showed gross and microscopic findings consistent with a congestive heart failure in addition to hemochromatosis. The details are presented. This is a case of rare secondary hemochromatosis occurring in a young man and presenting the classic histopathologic changes indistinguishable from those of primary hemochromatosis.
Adrenal Glands ; Anemia ; Anemia, Aplastic* ; Autopsy* ; Blood Transfusion ; Bone Marrow ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Hemochromatosis* ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Pancreas ; Spleen ; Stomach ; Testis ; Thyroid Gland ; Young Adult

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) leads to gastritis, but the majority of infected persons are asymptomatic, and it has been recently described that the ability of H. pylori to cause more severe disease is related to the presence of the cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA). We investigated the prevalence of cagA-bearing strains in a group of H. pylori-positive gastritis, and compared the morphologic differences between cagA-positive and cagA-negative cases on H&E stained slides. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detection of H. pylori and cagA of 62 gastric biopsy specimens were performed. All the slides were analyzed by the updated Sydney system. Forty eight (77.4%) were PCR positive for H. pylori and thirty four (54.8%) were positive for cagA. There were no significant differences in numbers of H. pylori, degree of infiltration of mononuclear cells and degree of atrophy between cagA-positive and cagA-negative groups. The rates of neutrophilic infiltration and intestinal metaplasia were significantly higher in cagA-positive group than in cagA-negative group. In conclusion, the detection of H. pylori by PCR method is more sensitive than that of microscopic examination and H. pylori strains possessing cagA are associated with an enhanced induction of severe gastritis.
Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Gastritis* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Neutrophils ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: To evaluate CT findings of mucinous adenocarcinoma in the gastrointestinal tract. MATERIALS AND METHODS : CT scans of 24 gastric and five colorectal mucinous adenocarcinomas, proven by histology, were retrospectively analysed; the patients consisted of 18 men and 11 women (age range, 27-76; mean, 59). CT findings were analysed, with emphasis on : (a) tumor size and maximal wall thickness ; (b) the presence of a low attenuation area, suggestive of a mucin poll within the tumor ; (c) the presence, shape and location of calcification, and (d) correlation between primary tumor (T) staging and CT findings. RESULTS: The mean tumorsize of gastric mucinous adenocarcinoma was 8.2cm (range, 1.4 - 17cm) and the mean maximal wall thickness was2.3cm (range, 1-4.5cm). Low attenuation areas on enhanced CT were seen in 12 cases (50%). Mottled, punctate, diffuse calcifications were demonstrated in nine cases(38%), and were located in low attenuation areas in eight cases. The T staging could be determined in 22 cases. Of there, low attenuation areas were demonstrated in tencases and calcification in seven. Of those ten cases with low atteuation area T staging was T2 in two cases, T3 intwo, and T4 in six. Of the cases showing calcification, T staging was T3 in one case and T4 in six. The mean sizeof colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma was 6cm(range, 3-13cm) and the mean maximal wall thickness was 3.6cm (range,1.5-7cm). Low attenuation area were seen in three cases. Mottled calcification within the low sttenuation was detected in one case. The T staging of three cases which showed a low attenuation area was T3 in tow cases and T4in one case. One case with calcification was T3 stage. CONCLUSION: The CT finding of mucinous adenocarcinoma inthe gastrointestinal tract was a relatively thick-walled mass containing an area of low attenuation or calcification. Although calcification is believed to be a pathognomonic finding for the specific diagnosis of mucinous adenocarcinoma, a low attenuation area may be an important CT finding because it can be detected at lower T staging and more frequently.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Gastric Mucins ; Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Humans ; Male ; Mucins* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Teratoma*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted MR imaging for assessing cerebral hemodynamics in acute cerebral infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed dynamic T2*-weighted imaging(TR/TE/flip angle : 40/26/10 degrees, 64 x 128 matrix, 5 sec scan time) in conjunction with conventional T1- andT2-weighted imaging and MR angiography in 20 patients with acute cerebral infarction. The regions of ischemia seenon T2-weighted image(high signal intensity), MR angiogram(vascular stenosis or occlusion) and dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted image(perfusion defect) were topographically compared with each other. Relative cerebral blood volumes(rCBVs) of the ischemic regions and of contralateral normal regions were calculated fromsignal intensity data measured on dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted images, and were compared. RESULTS: Regions of ischemia were topographically well correlated on T2-weighted image, MR angiogram and dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted image in all but two patients, of whom one had recanalization of the occluded artery and the other had a small infarction. rCBVs were asymmetrically reduced in the ischemic regions in all butone patient who had recanalization of the occluded artery. CONCLUSION: Dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted imaging is a useful method in the qualitative and quantitative assessment of cerebral hemodynamics in acutecerebral infarction. The use of this imaging technique along with conventional MR imaging and MR angiography provides better hemodynamic information in acute cerebral infarction.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Cholesteatoma of the middle ear and mastoid sometimes destroys the posterior wall of the external auditory canal(EAC), and this phenomenon is termed as "automastoidectomy". During the past two years the authors reviewed the CT features of automastoidectomy in eight patients with middle ear cholesteatoma. There was a variable amount of the cholesteatomatous mass or debris within the mastoid cavity in all patients, of whom air collection was found in four. Interestingly, the site and pattern of the erosion of the EAC were nearly, identical between patients with air in the mastoid cavity and those without it . Air in the mastiod cavity was the only clue of the expulsion of the cholesteatoma. So, we think that the expulsion of the cholesteatoma might be predicted when the erosion of the EAC is present in patients with cholesteatoma in the mastoid cavity. CT clearly depicted associated complications caused by the cholesteatoma, such as ossicular destruction (n=8), the eroion of the facial nerve canal (n=2), the erosion of the lateral semicircular canal (n=2), the erosion of the tegmen (n=1), the erosion of the sigmoid sinus plate(n=1), the erosion of the superior esmicircular canal (n=1), and the erosion of the vestibule (n=1). Although much of the natural history of the middle ear cholesteatoma still remains to be determined, we think that careful evaluation of one type of possible progression of the disease will help us understand its clinical course. Moreover, our findings strongly support the use of CT for evaluation of "automustetomy" seen in many cases of cholesteatoma.es of cholesteatoma.
Cholesteatoma ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Ear, Middle ; Facial Nerve ; Humans ; Mastoid ; Natural History ; Semicircular Canals