We report a case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma of retroperitoneum as a recurrent form in a 41 year old male. The patient received a extirpation for retroperitoneal mass and diagnosed as myxoid liosarcoma 4 years ago. The patient experienced 3 recurrences over a period of 4 years and diagnosed as myxoid liposarcoma in the second, third recurrence also. Histologically, the mass was composed of several clearly distinct elements : well differentiated liposarcoma, myxoid liposarcoma, myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma, poorly differntiated sarcoma, and fibrosarcoma. Immunohistochemically, S-100 protein was expressed in the area of spindle cell sarcoma, well differentiated liposarcoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma but alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was only expressed in the area of myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Primary ovarian pregnancy is one of the rerest types of extrauterine pregnancy. But an increase in the reported prevalence of ovarian pregnancies was published in recent years. Three cases of ovarian pregnancy which have Spiegelberg criteria are presented with a brief review of literatures.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Prevalence

A Bednar tumor is a variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans(DFSP). The clinical and histopathological findings of Bednar tumors are identical to DFSP except for the presence of melanin-containing cells scattered within the lesion, so called pigmented DFSP. The majority of Bednar tumors are seen as DFSP present as multinodular protuberant masses in the skin. They can also present as an atrophic depressed scar-like lesions without any nodularity. We report an uncommon clinical presented case of a Bednar tumor on the back in a 22-year-old female. She presented with an asymptomatic, firm, bluish, chestnut sized, depressed and atrophic lesion on the back which had been present for 6 years. A Histopathological examination revealed massive proliferation of spindle-shaped cells arranged in a tight storiform pattern mixed with scattered pigmented cells. On immunohistochemical staining, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, a -l-antitrypsin, and CD34, but were negative for cytokeratin, neurofilament, and factor XIIIa. The majority of the tumor cells was negative and the pigment cells were positive for the S-100 protein. The patient was treated by a wide local excision of the lesion. There has been no evidence of recurrence after 20 months post-operative follow up.
Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Factor XIIIa ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratins ; Recurrence ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Vimentin ; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to identify the usefulness of pelviscopy in treatment besides its diagnostic value. The advantages of pelviscopic surgery are low cost, rapid recovery, good cosmetic effect, low incidence of complication and postoperative adhesion. So most of the pelvic exploration in gynecologic patients are replaced by the pelviscopic surgery these days. Pelviscopic surgery was performed on 136 patients at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Yenungnam University from May 1991 to July 1993. The results obtained were as follows : The age distribution of the patients was from 19 to 55 with age of 31.2 years, and the mean parity was 0.96, the most common indication of pelviscopic surgery was tubal pregnancy(66.9%), the second most common indications was ovarian cyst(10.3%) and the other indications were endometriosis, corpus iuteum cyst rupture, parovarian cyst, foreign body, tubal ligation, hydrosalpinx, uterine myoma and in 16.3%. The mean duration of hospitalization was 2.1 days without specific complications. According to these results, it was postulated that the pelviscopic surgery was a useful operative tool in gynecologic treatment and its application could be extended to many other areas of gynecology with safety by the development of surgical techniques and instruments.
Age Distribution ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Gynecology ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Parovarian Cyst ; Rupture ; Sterilization, Tubal

Bradykinin has been known to elicit a pressor effect when administered centrally, and a depressor effect when administered peripherally. The present study was aimed at investigating whether the blood pressure response to bradykinin is dependent on the endogenous generation of nitric oxide (NO). Effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on the pressor and depressor responses to intracerebroventricularly and intravenously injected bradykinin (5nmol/rat), respectively, were examined in anesthetized rats. Neither the pressor response nor the depressor response was affected by acute parenteral treatment with L-NAME. The pressor and depressor effects of bradykinin were also noted in rats chronically supplemented with L-NAME in drinking water for 4 weeks. Bradykinin caused a relaxation of the isolated thoracic aorta in vitro, which was not affected in the presence of L-NAME. However, bradykinin failed to cause a relaxation of the aorta isolated from rats chronically treated with L-NAME. These findings suggest that endogenous generation of NO may not completely account for the blood pressure responses to bradykinin in rats.
Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Blood Pressure* ; Bradykinin* ; Drinking Water ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide* ; Rats* ; Relaxation

The term'ectopic pregnancy'refers to a gestation in which the fertilized ovum impl-ants on any tissue other than the mucous membrane lining the uterine cavity. The number of patients per year with an ectopic pregnancy is increasing. So we revi- ewed clinical characteristics of 503 cases of ectopic pregnancies, who were admitted and treated at the department of obstetrics and gynecology of Yeungnam University from July, 1991 to December, 1995. The results were as follows; 1. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy was 1 in 30 deliveries. 2. The most common age group was 26~30 years of age(34.5%). 3. According to obstetrical history, nullipara was 35.7% and the cases who experienced artificial abortion was 50.9%. 4. In past history, 50.9% of total cases has artificial abortion and 10.1% experienced previous ectopic pregnancy, tubal sterilization was 8.0%. 5. For chief complaints, lower abdominal pain was observed in 359 patient(71.0%), am- enorrhea in 238 patients(47.3%), and vaginal spotting in 209 patients(42.1%). 6. In oder of incidence, the site of ectopic pregnancy was fallopian tube(91.5%), cervix (1.4%) and ovary(0.8%). In tubal pregnancy, the most frequent implantation site was am- pullar portion in 373 cases(74.2%) and ruptured tubal pregnancies were 306 cases(60.8%). 7. The interval between last menstrual period(LMP) and onset of symptoms was gene- rally 6~8 weeks(36.3%). 8. 65.4% of total cases were treated by salpingectomy, 14.1% by pelviscopic operati- on, and 5.8% by salpingo-oophorectomy.
Abdominal Pain ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Metrorrhagia ; Mucous Membrane ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Pregnancy, Tubal ; Salpingectomy ; Sterilization, Tubal ; Zygote

Endogenous nitric oxide(NO) plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure. It has been known that the evoked NO-dependent dilator system may be impaired in various hypertensive models. The effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA), lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and tempol on mean arterial pressure(MAP) and the effects of L-NNA on isolated aorta tone were studied in order to elucidate potential alterations in resting vasodilator tone of NO in two-kidney, one clip(2K1C) hypertension. Plasma nitrite/nitrate levels were measured by colorimetric assay, and the expression of endothelial and inducible NO synthases(eNOS, iNOS) was determined by Western blot analysis. L-NNA caused an increase of MAP, while LPS produced a hypotensive effect in both 2K1C and control rats. The magnitude of the pressor or depressor response to L-NNA and LPS was comparable in the two groups. Tempol induced a sustained decrease in MAP in 2K1C rats, while it had no effects on MAP in control rats. Plasma concentrations of NO metabolites were significantly increased following the LPS-treatment in both 2K1C and control rats, while they were not affected by tempol-treatment. In endothelium-intact aortic rings precontracted with 25 mM KCl, L-NNA caused a dose-dependent contraction. The magnitude of the maximal contraction was attenuated in 2K1C rats as compared with control. An inhibition of contractile responses to L-NNA in the hypertensive group was also shown in rubbed rings, although the magnitude of contractions was markedly reduced. The vascular expression of both eNOS and iNOS was significantly decreased in 2K1C rats as compared with control. These results indicate that 2K1C hypertension is associated with a reduced basal vasodilator tone of NO and a decrease in the vascular expression of NOS isozymes.
Animals ; Aorta ; Blood Pressure ; Blotting, Western ; Hypertension ; Isoenzymes ; Nitric Oxide* ; Plasma ; Rats*

BACKGROUND: Cells rely on gap junctions for intercellular communication, which is important for growth and contractility. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that contractile responses in aortic rings from two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats are more dependent on gap junctional communication compared to those from normotensive rats. METHODS: 2K1C hypertension was induced by clipping the left renal artery and age-matched rats received a sham operation. Heptanol and octanol were used as inhibitors of gap junctional activity. RESULTS: The contraction induced by phenylephrine or KCl was completely reversed by either heptanol or octanol, and the relaxant response to inhibitors was more enhanced in 2K1C hypertensive rats compared to sham-operated rats. Vessels from hypertensive rats also relaxed more to nifedipine when precontracted with KCl, although it did not differ in aortic segments contracted with phenylephrine in between normotensive and hypertensive rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that gap junctional communication and voltage-operated calcium channels are differentially regulated in 2K1C renal hypertension.
Rats ; Animals

BACKGROUND: Cells rely on gap junctions for intercellular communication, which is important for growth and contractility. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that contractile responses in aortic rings from two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats are more dependent on gap junctional communication compared to those from normotensive rats. METHODS: 2K1C hypertension was induced by clipping the left renal artery and age-matched rats received a sham operation. Heptanol and octanol were used as inhibitors of gap junctional activity. RESULTS: The contraction induced by phenylephrine or KCl was completely reversed by either heptanol or octanol, and the relaxant response to inhibitors was more enhanced in 2K1C hypertensive rats compared to sham-operated rats. Vessels from hypertensive rats also relaxed more to nifedipine when precontracted with KCl, although it did not differ in aortic segments contracted with phenylephrine in between normotensive and hypertensive rats. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that gap junctional communication and voltage-operated calcium channels are differentially regulated in 2K1C renal hypertension.
Rats ; Animals

BACKGROUND: Ferulic acid (FA) is a naturally occurring nutritional compound. Although it has been shown to have antihypertensive effects, its effects on vascular function have not been intensively established. The aim of this study was to assess the vasoreactivity of FA in chronic two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) renal hypertensive rats. METHODS: Hypertension was induced in 2K1C rats by clipping the left renal artery and age-matched rats that received a sham treatment served as a control. Thoracic aortas were mounted in tissue baths to measure isometric tension. The effects of FA on vasodilatory responses were evaluated based on contractile responses induced by phenylephrine in the aortic rings obtained from both 2K1C and sham rats. Basal nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in the aorta was determined by the contractile response induced by NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). RESULTS: FA induced concentration-dependent relaxation responses which were greater in 2K1C hypertensive rats than in sham-clipped control rats. This relaxation induced by FA was partially blocked by the removal of endothelium or by pretreating with L-NAME. L-NAME-induced contractile responses were augmented by FA in 2K1C rats, while no significant differences were noted in sham rats. FA improved acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in 2K1C rats, but not in sham rats. The simultaneous addition of hydroxyhydroquinone significantly inhibited the increase in acetylcholine-induced vasodilation by FA. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that FA restores endothelial function by altering the bioavailability of NO in 2K1C hypertensive rats. The results explain, in part, the mechanism underlying the vascular effects of FA in chronic renal hypertension.
Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Baths ; Biological Availability ; Coumaric Acids ; Endothelium ; Hydroquinones ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renal ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Phenylephrine ; Placebos ; Rats ; Relaxation ; Renal Artery ; Salicylamides ; Vasodilation