Routine use of commercially available antisera against hepatitis B core antigen(HBcAg) has permitted a reevaluation of the histochemical distribution of the antigen in liver tissue. HBcAg, classically described almost exclusively in the nucleus, was found with a very high frequency in the cytoplasm of liver cells as well. To elucidate the biologic significance of HBcAg expression and its relation to the natural course of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection, the patterns of activity in 33 needle liver biopsies of HBsAg carriers were analysed. A good correlation of liver HBcAg with disease activity was demonstrated. HBcAg was present in the hepatocyte nuclei(nHBcAg) or cytoplasm(cHBcAg), or in both(mixed). Pure nHBcAg was seen mainly in non-aggressive reactive liver tissue and cHBcAg was predominantly associated with chronic active hepatitis(95%). The results suggest that expression of HBcAg correlates with the liver pathology and the possibility of HBcAg to be an immunological target for T cell mediated hepatocyte damage.
Biopsy

Mucoceles usually occur as solitary, asymptomatic, translucent, and dome-shaped cysts containing clear viscous fluid on lower lip or oral mucosa. The authors reviewed the clinical and histopathological findings in 33 patients with mucocele and attempted to clarify the difference between the histopathologic types (retention and extravasation). The results were summarized as follows. 1. Age distribution was from 2 to 53 years and mean age was 21.4 years. Male to female ratio was 1.2:1(18 males.15 females). 2. Histopathologic type was classified. 4 cases(12.1%, mean age.17.3 years) were retention type, 19 cases(57.6%, mean age.'21.5 years) mixed type, and 10 cases(30.3 %, mean age.20.9 years) extravasation type. Among 19 mixed types, 13 cases were retention dominant and 6 cases extravasation dominant. 3. Durations from the onset to the diagnosis could be clarified in 16 cases. Those were below 1 year in 14 cases(87.5% ) and below 3 years in 16 cases all. Mean duration was 9.4 months. 4. The sites of involvement were lower lip(72.7%), tongue(24.3%), and oral mucosa(3.0%), in decreasing order of frequency. 5. The visited departments were otolaryngology(72.7%), dentistry(12.1%), plastic surgery(9,1%) and dermatology(6.1%), in decreasing order of frequency. 6. In the histopathologic observation, surface epithelium was observed in 25 cases (75.8%), cyst in 23 cases(69.7%), granlation tissue in 29 cases(87.9%), mucin in 28 cases(84.8%), surrounding salivary glands in 20 cases(60.6%) and foamy macrophages in 32 cases(97.0% ), 7. Special stains(PAS, D-PAS, and alcian blue at pH2.5 and 0.4) for the mucin were performed in 10 cases. The results were compatible with sialomucin.
Age Distribution ; Alcian Blue ; Diagnosis ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Lip ; Macrophages ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; Mucins ; Mucocele* ; Salivary Glands ; Sialomucins

To evaluate the incidence and clinico-pathologic correlation of benign epithelial changes of endometrium, we tried to classify the changes into squamous cell change, ciliary change, eosinophilic cell change, papillary surface epithelial change, and mucinous cell change by the criteria of Hendrickson. Based on the 450 hysterectomy specimens obtained from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1994 in PMC, the incidence of the cell changes was as follows: squamous cell change: 1.1%, eosinophilic cell change: 6.8%, mucinous cell change: 6.6%, ciliary change: 10.4%, papillary surface epithelial change: 16.4%. Squamous cell change was noted in severe endometritis or endometrial hyperplasia and papillary surface epithelial proliferation was mainly associated with plasma cell infiltration in adenomyosis or leiomyoma. Eosinophilic change and ciliary change were sometimes concomitantly found in dilated glands of the basal layer or in the invaded glands of adenomyosis. The results of this study suggested a correlation of benign epithelial changes with endometritis, adenomyosis, leiomyoma and dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Incidence

Angiomyofibroblastoma of the vulva is a rare mesenchymal tumor. It has been diagnostically confused with aggressive angiomyxoma which has a somewhat different clinical course and therapy. Herein we report a case of angiomyofibroblastoma of the vulva in a 46-year-old female. Microscopically, there were alternating hypercellular and hypocelluar edematous zones in which abundant capillary blood vessels were irregularly distributed. Spindle, plump spindle, and oval stromal cells were concentrated around the blood vessels, or loosely dispersed in the hypocellular area. Immunohistochemically, the stromal cells were positive for desmin, vimentin, muscle-specific actin and weakly positive for S-100 protein. Ultrastructural studies showed well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, abundant intermediate filaments, and pinocytic vesicles in the stromal cells.
Female ; Humans

Elastofibroma is a rare entity of slowly-growing, solid, ill-defined fibroblastic mass occurring almost exclusively in elderly persons and arising mainly from the connective tissue between the lower portion of the scapula and the chest wall. This entity has been considered to be a degenerative pseudo-neoplastic process caused by mechanical friction. We report an additional case of elastofibroma removed from the subscapular region of a 58-year-old woman. Microscopically the tumor was made up of a mixture of swollen eosinophilic collagen and elastic fibers occasionally associated with fibroblasts and mature fat cells. The elastic fibers showed a degenerated beaded appearance or were fragmented into small globules or droplets in a linear pattern.
Female ; Humans

The number of post-irradiated surgical specimen appears to have risen in recent years due to the increasing utiliz ation of radiotherapy for cancer patients. Radiation therapy damages cells by its effects on the deoxyribonucleic acid and the spectrum of injury ranges from acute self-limited lesion to irreversible chronic lesion. We reviewed 24 cases of post-irradiated specimen and thought that time interval is the main factor influencing the morphologic change. Within six weeks, the individual cytologic changes such as biz arre nuclei, altered nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, amphophilic and vacuolated cytoplasm are noted. Chronic injury resulting from progressive changes in the fibrovascular tissue of the radiated area occur in six months after the initial course of radiation and the vascular changes of intimal thickening and fibrosis, foamy histiocytes within media, periadventital fibrosis and chronic inflammatory cells infiltration are present. Althouhg above mentioned finding are not pathognomonic, we thought them quite constant nd reproducible characteristics of radiation injury.

Intra-abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumor has been described in the literature since 1989. It is characterized by the occurrence in ages less than 40 with male predominance, an intra-abdominal location, and small round to oval shaped tumor cells with divergent differentiation in the background of the desmoplastic stroma. We recently experienced this tumor in an inguinal lymph node of a 36-year-old man. It is suspected that it metastasized from a lower intra-abdominal tumor. Immunohistochemical stains for keratin, epithelial membrane antigen, vimentin, S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase were positive. This is the first documented case in Korea. Herein, we report on this tumor with a review of literature.
Male ; Humans

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder is a proliferative spindle cell lesion that microscopically may suggest a sarcoma but that are benign without a recent history of an operation. The first such case was reported by Roth, in 1980, and thereafter about seven more cases were reported in medical literatures. We reported a case of inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder mimicking leiomyosarcoma. Patient was a 36-year-old woman with complaint of painless total and gross hematuria for 3 weeks. Partial cystectomy specimen showed a well-demarcated nodular mass of yellow white color, involving the submucosal and muscular layers. Microscopic examination revealed proliferating bundles of spindle cells interspersed with infiltration of many inflammatory cells including eosinophils. Spindle cells were positive for vimentin on immunohistochemistry and corresponding to myofibroblasts on the electron microscopic examination.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Although rare, agranulocytosis is the most serious, potentially fatal side effect of antithyroid drug. We experienced a 13-year-old girl who developed methimazole-induced agranulocytosis at 1 month after the initiation of treatment. Her granulocyte count recovered after discontinuation of methimazole and treatment with broad spectrum-antibiotics, G-CSF, and methylprednisolone. After recovery from agranulocytosis she was treated with radioiodine ablation therapy. Early detection and proper management of antithyroid drug-induced agranulocytosis is very important.
Adolescent ; Agranulocytosis* ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Methimazole ; Methylprednisolone*