The presence of volcano-shaped pseudomembrane(PM) formations above the inflamed mucosa has been referred to as the unique biopsy criterion of the pseudomembranous colitis, but PM might be lost during the bowel preparation, and such loss leads pathologists to erroneous interpretations of the endoscopic biopsy specimens. The purpose of this paper is to identify the additional diagnostic clue other than PM among various histologic features in pseudomembranous colitis. We reviewed sigmoidoscopic biopsy specimens from 13 cases of antibiotics-associated pseudomembranous colitis which was confirmed to reveal characteristic PM by endoscopy aside from the clinical history of antibiotics administration. The cases were divided into two groups: the presence of PM (n=7) and its absence (n=6). Both groups showed basically identical histology, which included features of glandular distension, epithelial necrosis, crypt abscess, regenerative glands and mucous plug within the necrotic/dilated glands. Mucous plugs within the necrotic/ dilated glands were found in all cases and seemed to be the most characteristic microscopic feature. Ten cases of resected chronic ulcerative colitis in the active stage were compared for a differential diagnosis of crypt abscess-associated mucosal change. None of them revealed necrotic gland with mucous plugs, although crypt abscess formation was common in both conditions. We conclude that presence of mucous plugs in the dilated/necrotic glands is a useful diagnostic clue even though the biopsy specimens fail to demonstrate PM.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Central Nervous System ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endoscopy ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous* ; Frozen Sections* ; Humans ; Methods ; Mucous Membrane ; Necrosis ; Pathology ; Pathology, Surgical ; Retrospective Studies ; Selection Bias

The pathogenetic role of intrauterine infection to the neonatal pulmonary injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia was assessed by studying the interleukin-6 (IL-6) level in the umbilical cord blood and the early morphologic changes of the neonatal lung. Patients were grouped into bronchopulmonary dysplasia (4 cases), chorioamnionitis without chronic lung injury (4 cases), and 6 cases without morphologic evidence of chronic lung injury or placental inflammation. IL-6 level of umbilical cord blood was higher in babies with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (17.7 pg/ml) compared to those with chorioamnionitis (4.7 pg/ml) or those with morphologically normal lung and placenta (6.2 pg/ml). Morphologic parameters of neonatal pulmonary injury were hyaline membrane, terminal bronchiole inflammation, terminal bronchiole regeneration, alveolar collapse and fibroblastic proliferation. Bronchiolar regeneration was the most peculiar feature seen in the lung with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Alveolar collapse and interstitial fibroblastic reaction were commonly seen in bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The postnatal age at death was higher in those with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, although the occurrence of the morphologic changes was related with the chronicity of those lesions. These findings suggest that intrauterine infection is an aggravating factor for the neonatal pulmonary injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, although the early stage of the lung injury is not a definitive indicator for the progressive pulmonary damage leading to the bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Bronchioles ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia* ; Chorioamnionitis ; Cytokines ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Infant, Newborn ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Lung ; Lung Injury* ; Membranes ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Regeneration

Leydig cell tumor of the ovary is a very rare tumor which usually occurs in the postmenopausal age, and which is frequently associated with virilization. It has been classified as a lipid cell tumor due to the presence of intracytoplasmic lipids. However, since up to 25% of these tumors contain little or no lipid, the new term "steroid cell tumor" is proposed for this type of neoplasm. We report a case of Leydig cell tumor of the ovary in a 16 year old girl. The patient exhibited recently recognized hirsuitism and secondary amenorrhea. Physical examination revealed moderate obesity with moderate amounts of coarse hair over the whole body and a deepening of the voice. Testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were markedly elevated in the peripheral blood. Pelvic ultrasonography revealed a right ovarian tumor. The resected ovary showed a well demarcated, golden yellow to orange colored solid mass, measuring 7 cm on the cut surface. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of solid and diffuse sheets of tumor cells having abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, and large round nuclei with frequent crystalloids of Reinke in the cytoplasm. To our knowledge this is the first case of Leydig cell tumor of the ovary in a young girl in the Korean literature.

An intraparotid benign lymphoepithelial cyst is a rare disease characterized by unilateral painless swelling of parotid region. The histogenesis is controversial. Surgical excision is recommended for diagnosis and curative treatment. We present a case of benign lymphoepithelial cyst arising in a patient with neurofibromatosis. A 46-year-old woman presented with a slowly growing multilocular cystic mass in the left cheek. The cystic mass measured 4 cm in maximal outer diameter and the cystic wall was thick and yellowish pale to gray, soft with well circumscribed margin. Microscopically, the multilocular cyst was lined by stratified squamous epithelium for the most part and underlying lymphoid tissue aggregates with follicles and sharply demarcated from adjacent salivary parenchyma which is of normal appearance and without lymphoid aggregates. Since this lesion is absolutely benign, it is important to separate this benign cyst from cystic salivary gland tumors.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans

Nager syndrome is a rare malformation complex characterized by facial, limb, and skeletal morphogenesis.The mode of inheritance has not been definitely established. Major karyotypic abnormalities were seldom associated with this syndrome. We report on an infant with Nager acrofacial dysostosis that was associated with 45,X monosomy. This baby was born to a 36-year-old multigravid woman after 37 weeks of gestation and with maternal hydramnios. The baby girl died of airway obstruction due to retruded tongue 3 hours after birth. Phenotypically, this this patient had mandibulofacial dysostosis, radioulnar synostosis, hypoplasia and aplasia of thumbs, peripheral edema and apparently normal genital organs. We confirmed that major chromosomal anomaly including 45,X monosomy could be associated with Nager syndrome, although its pathogenetic significance remains unanswered.
Adult ; Airway Obstruction ; Dysostoses ; Edema ; Extremities ; Female ; Genitalia ; Humans ; Infant ; Mandibulofacial Dysostosis ; Monosomy* ; Parturition ; Polyhydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Synostosis ; Thumb ; Tongue ; Wills

The computerized image analysis is a useful tool for the quantitative assessment of histopathologic findings. In contrast to the usual microscopic examination by pathologists, the computerization should be accompanied with the standardization process of the image. We developed an algorithm to standardize images and to determine the optimal gray level threshold, using a myocardial fibrosis model. Sirius red staining was more convenient for the image analysis than Masson's trichrome staining because of a better contrast with the surrounding structures. To get an optimal measurement, light intensity was standardized at each of the fibrosis, myocardium and background. In this study, the most promising method to determine the degree of fibrosis was that of revising the background without tissue to a gray level of 200, obtaining a green component of the color image, revising the myocardial fiber to 163, and defining a partial ratio as fibrosis index when the gray level threshold was 120. These threshold levels and parameters were determined after drawing the binarization index curves according to the change of the gray level threshold and by the morphological examination of the actual binarization figures overlaid to the original color image. Through these processes we could get a consistent result on the myocardial fibrosis and we expect a similar principle applies when we analyze color images in the histopathologic quantitation by computerized image analysis.
Fibrosis* ; Myocardium

Lung cancer is characterized by accumulation of oncogene activation, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and alteration of epigenetic changes. Fortunately, the past decade has seen remarkable development in molecular pathogenesis and management of lung cancer, especially adenocarcinoma. The discovery of the biologic and therapeutic importance of acquired genetic alterations in 2 genes that encode pharmacologically targetable tyrosine kinases involved in growth factor receptor signaling, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), has raised hope that targeted therapy will improve survival and quality of life of patients with lung cancer. Therefore, molecular testing to detect these 2 mutated genes is more important than ever and has changed the management of the patients with lung cancer and the role of pathologists. Furthermore, as most lung cancer patients present with advanced-stage disease at the time of diagnosis, it is important to detect targetable mutations using small tissue samples or cytology specimens. Here, the author summarizes the practical impact of the molecular testing of lung cancer and introduces the current knowledge of lung cancer pathology.
Adenocarcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Epigenomics ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Hope ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymphoma ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Oncogenes ; Pathology* ; Phosphotransferases ; Quality of Life ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Tyrosine

The cystic hypersecretory duct carcinoma of the breast was first described in 1984 by Rosen and Scott and warrants separate discussion because of its unusual pathological features. It is morphologically distinguishable from juvenile (secretory) carcinoma and from mucinous (colloid) carcinoma or mucocele-like tumor. We present a case report of intraductal cystic hypersecretory carcinoma of the breast with hormone receptor and oncogene study. The histologic differential diagnosis, with an emphasis on benign lesions that may have a predominant cystic component, is also discussed.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Mucins ; Oncogenes

A retrospective analysis was performed on the 968 cases of fetal or pediatric autopsies over five year period (1990-1994), at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Age/mode distribution of cases were artificial abortus(30.6%), spontaneous abortus(12.0%), stillbirth(21.9%), neonates(29%), infants(2.8%) and children(0.9%). Male/female ratio was 1.21. Overall incidence of congenital anomalies was 60.8% and 34.0% of all cases had anomalies involving multiple organ systems. Percentage of cases with any anomaly was 71.6% in artificial abortus, 35.3% in spontaneous abortus, 59% in still births, 65.5% in neonates and 38.9% in infant and children. Common organ systems involved were the cardiovascular system (39.0%), musculoskeletal system (23.6%), nervous system (22.6%), gastrointestinal system (19.9%), and urinary system (14.6%). From these results, we found that the congenital anomalies were most significant diseases of the perinatal period and the cardiovascular anomalies were the most common anomalies of them.
Autopsy* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Child ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Musculoskeletal System ; Nervous System ; Parturition ; Perinatal Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul*