The grading of astrocytoma has traditionally relied on histological assessment, but there are some differences in their parameters, application, and reproducibility. Recently, numerous studies have attempted to correlate biological aggresiveness with tumor proliferation index using new immunohistochemical methods. The purpose of this study is to correlate the histopathological grades of astrocytoma with the expression of Ki-67, PCNA, p53 protein and AgNORs. The paraffin sections of 41 consecutive cases of astrocytomas were examined. Histologically the tumors were graded as three groups under the St. Anne-Mayo system and showed 14 cases in grade II, 15 cases in grade III and 12 cases in grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme). As a result, the Ki-67 labelling index and p53 protein expression tended to increase with increasing grade of malignancy. But the univariate analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the tumor grades (p>0.05). The PCNA labelling index and number of AgNORs revealed striking differences between the grade II and grade III astrocytomas (p<0.05). We concluded that the PCNA labelling index and AgNORs counting are useful markers for differentiation between grade II and III astrocytomas.
Astrocytoma* ; Paraffin ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Strikes, Employee

Bacteriological index(BI) was calculated by slit-skin smears taken from the earlobe and the dorsal surfaces of the proximal phalanges of the index finger and of the great toe in 110 lepromatous leprosy patients who have been treated regularly by antileprosy chemotherapy. The bacteriaI indices from the three sites were compared, and the results were as follows. 1) Sixteen patients whose BI of the earlobe smear was 4. 0 in average shawed the highest degree of positivity of M. leprae in the smears taken from the finger and the great toe. 2) ln seventy-four patients whose BI of the earlobe smear was l. 0 or higher, eight (10.8%) showed higher BI in smears taken from both the finger and the great toe, fifteen (20. 3%) and twenty-seven(36. 5%) showed approximately the same BI in smears taken from the finger and the great toe, respectively, 3) In thirty-six patients whose BI of the earlobe smear was negative, twelve (33. 3%) showed higher BI in smears taken from both the finger and the great toe. 4) The mean value of BI of the three sites was 3.7 in the earlobe, 3. 2 in the finger and 3. 0 in the great toe. Comparing the BI of the three sites, the finger and the great toe were found to have comparable BI with the earlobe, although the BI of the earlobe was highest. The authors concluded that it was quite reasonable to include the finger and the great toe in slit-skin smears for M. leprae identification, particularly when the BI of the earlobe was negative. A follow-up investigation seems mandatory.
Drug Therapy ; Fingers* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Mycobacterium leprae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Skin* ; Toes*

Soft tissue coverage of heel defects has long been a difficult problem. In 1982, Iron reported eight cases of heel defects in children using an ipsilateral posterior thigh flap with use of the Hoff-man's skeletal fixation apparatus for immobilization. We report three cases of heel defects treatment in children using ipsilateral posterior thigh flap and detach flap in an average 13 days with aid of single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) for evaluation of circulation status of flap.
Child ; Fracture Fixation ; Heel ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Iron ; Thigh ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Intracranial fibro-osseous lesion, also reported as calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neural axis, is an uncommon lesion of the central nervous system. Since the discovery of this entity by Rhodes and Davis in 1978, there have been a total of 21 cases reported in the literature. We encountered one such case in a 28 year old male, who presented with left hemiparesis for 1 year. By the MR images, a 1.5 cm sized round mass was found at right parietal lobe near motor cortex. The mass lesion enhanced well, homogenously and revealed clear, slightly irregular margin. Excisional biopsy of the mass was performed. Microscopically the lesion was composed of calcified fibrous tissue with an amorphous gray-blue, coarsely fibrillar to chondromyxoid nodular areas. Sparse spindle cells, immunohistochemically negative for GFAP, vimentin and S-100, were scattered within the amorphous material. Palisading spindle or polygonal cells were present at the more cellular periphery of the lesion, which were vimentin positive but S-100 negative. There was no evidence of the pilocytic astrocytes, Rosenthal fibers, or GFAP positive hypertrophic astrocytes. Intracranial fibro-osseous lesions are apparently slow-growing with generally excellent prognosis after wide excision. The etiology remains unclear, but most investigators favor a reactive rather than neoplastic process.
Adult ; Astrocytes ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Biopsy ; Central Nervous System ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Cortex ; Paresis ; Parietal Lobe ; Prognosis ; Research Personnel ; Vimentin

We have experienced a 50-year-old male patient, who died of multiple metastatic nodular melanoma which had the primary lesions on the right hallux and forefoot with eventual involvement of skin and internal organs. An autopsy was performed for the evidence of metastatic features of the internal organs and their spreading routes, with concurrent histopathologic findings. The autopsy findings revealed diffuse metastases to the ipsilateral femoral and inguinal lymph nodes via ascending vascular channels and to the internal organs: 1. The heart had multiple metastatic lesions on the pericardium and right ventricular wall. And the mediastinal, periaortic and periesophageal lymph nodes were also involved. 2. The both lungs were moderately indurated and focally discolored, and showed metastatic lesions in the right lower lobe and hilar areas, Melanoma cells were diffusely invaded to the interstitia and alveoli. 3. The right 5th and 6th ribs showed the invsion of melanoma cells on their bone marrows, periostia, and Haversians canals. 4. The liver was enlarged and showed multiple various sized nodules on the surface with adesion to the parts of peritoneum, omentum and diaphragm. Melanoma cells were seen mostly on and around the sinusoidal spaces and parenchyma. 5. The stomach wall had an ulcerated metastatic lesion and the melanoma cells invaded deeply into the muscle layer. 6. The pancreas was normal in its size and shape but had multiple metastatic lesions on the head and body with melanoma celi infiltration. 7. The both kidneys were grar ular surfaced and showed two metastatic lesions on the right renal cortex and two on the left. Renal tubules and parenchyma were widely invaded by melanoma cells but the glomerular tufts were intact. 8. The adreral and thyroid glands showed four and two metastatic lesions respectively and diffuse invasion of melanoma cells into the parenchyma. 9. The brain was normal in gross appearance, but the cortex was edematous and showed settered melanoma cell infiltration.
Autopsy* ; Bone Marrow ; Brain ; Diaphragm ; Hallux ; Head ; Heart ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Omentum ; Pancreas ; Pericardium ; Peritoneum ; Ribs ; Skin ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland ; Ulcer

This study was carried out to determine the effect of long term administration of vitamin A on the changes of lipids in liver tissue and serum in rat. The animals were fed with control diet(200 ug/day) and high vitimin A diet(2, 000 ug/day) for 24 weeks. Vitamin A contents of liver in high vitamin A fed rats were increased linearly accordance with duration of the vitamin A administration, but levels of serum vitamin A showed unremarkable changes during the experimental period. Contents of cholesterol and triglycerides of vitarnin A fed rats were significantly higher than those of controls. Levels of HDL-triglycerides in v:itamin A fed rats were significantly higher than those of control rats during experimental period, while levels of HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipids showed unremarkable changes during experimental period. Levels of individual cholesteryl esters showed undremarkable changes during experimental period in both animal groups.
Animals ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol Esters ; Liver* ; Rats* ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

We evaluated the accuracy of a noninvasive method for estimating right ventricular systolic pressures in patients with atrial septal defect and tricuspid regurgitation defected by two-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound. Of 54 patients with atrial septal defect, 24(44%) had jets of tricuspid regurgitation. By use of the maximum velocity(V) of the regurgitatant jet recorded by continuous wave Doppler ultrasound and the Bernoulli equation, we predicted right ventricular systolic pressure(RVP) calculated by the equation of RVP=4V2+10 proposed by Tei et al.The values correlated well with catheterization values(r=0.851, standerd error of estimate=4mmHg). In addition the relation between the Lt to Rt shunt amount and the severity of tricuspid regurgitation was assessed. The severity of tricuspid regurgitation graded on a four-pointscali by pulsed Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography correlated with Qp/Qs ratio calculated by the Fick's method(p<0.05).
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* ; Humans ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency* ; Ultrasonography

The permeability of rabbit corneal endothelium stored at 4 degrees C in M-K medium for period of 3, 5, 9 and 14 days to radioactive sucrose(molecular weight 360), inulin (molecular weight 5,200), and dextran (morecular weight 82,400) was measured. The corneal endothelium stored in M-K medium up to 14 days was examined with light and electron microscope. The endothelial permeability to non-electrolytes was decreased according to the molecular weight of these increased. The permeability of fresh cornea to suerose was about 4 times greater than to inulin and 50 times than to dextran, but in M-K medium stored groups the permeability to sucrose was about 2.5 times greater than to inulin and 36 times than to dextran. The permeability of M-K medium preserved cornea for 14 days was significantly different from that of fresh corneal endothelium. The light and electron microscopic findings of 3, 5 and 9 days stored corneal endothelium were almost normal except of early changes of mitochondria, but in the 14 days-stored groups there were marked degenerative change of cytoplasm and nucleus were noted.
Cornea ; Cytoplasm ; Dextrans ; Endothelium, Corneal* ; Inulin ; Mitochondria ; Molecular Weight ; Permeability* ; Sucrose

The incidence of colorectal cancer has been increased gradually and it was about 6.9% of all malignancies in Korea. Early diagnosis was recognized as the most important factor influencing the prognosis of colorectal cancer and the incidence of early colorectal cancer was increasing. Thus great change was observed in the treatment of early colorectal cancer, endoscopic therapy as well as curative surgical resection is being accepted. We report a case of effective and safe endoscopic therapy for early rectal cancer in 5S-year-old male patient. He presented with rectal prolapse and bleeding of a year's duration. A large polypoid mass with fine nodular surface and thick, short stalk was seen in the rectum at 4cm above the anal verge during flexible sigmoidoscopy. After the histologic examination of specimen obtained by bite biopsy, CT scan of pelvic cavity and ultrasonogram of abdomen, the tumor was removed safe and completely by 2 sessions of piecemeal polypectomies and strip biopsy. He has been well without symptoms and signs of recurrence of rectal cancer for 20 months.
Abdomen ; Biopsy* ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Early Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Rectal Prolapse ; Rectum ; Recurrence ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

Primary malignant melanornn of the vagina is rare, with only about 130 reported cases worldwide. They presumably arise from melanocytes that are present in the vagina in 3% of normal wornen. Vaginal melanoma accounts for less than 1% of melanomas and less than 3% of primary malignant tumors of the vagina. Most of patients complain vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, foreign body sensation in order. The best treatment of vaginal melanoma rernains eni.gmatic, Many authors indicate that radical surgery may be the pcferred approach and the number of reported cases treated with radical surgery is increasing. But other author comment that no significant change in survival is apparent with radical surgery. Overall prognosis is poor as most patients have deeply penetrating lesions at the time of diagnosis. Recently, not only the effort to increase the survival rate but the quality of life including sexual function after treatment is becoming an important issue about treatment ot cancer patients. We experienced a case of primary malignant melanoma of the vagina treated with radical surgery and restored the sexual function by vulvovaginal reconstruction using gracilis myocutaneous flap. So we report this case with brief literature review.
Diagnosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; Melanoma* ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Sensation ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Vagina* ; Vaginal Discharge