No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Pleura* ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors*

Carcinosarcoma of the female genital tract, also called malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT), is a rare and relatively aggressive tumor with various homologous and heterologous components. There have been various studies to find prognostic factors and to investigate the histogenesis, including tissue culture, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical studies. We investigated carcinomatous, sarcomatous, and transitional areas of 6 cases of carcinosarcoma of the uterus and ovary by using epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Immunohistochemical profiles of the transitional areas were significantly different from those of carcinomatous and sarcomatous areas. Immunoreactivities for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (50% and 22.2%) were weaker than those of carcinomatous areas (95.2% and 100%), but stronger than those of sarcomatous areas (11.1% and 5.6%)(p<0.01). In transitional areas, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein were more strongly expressed than in carcinomatous areas, but more weakly expressed than in sarcomatous areas (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p=0.018, respectively). Myoglobin was entirely negative in carcinomatous areas and immunoreactive in minor portions of transitional and sarcomatous areas (22.2% and 16.7%, respectively). These results suggest that the transitional areas are between the carcinomatous and sarcomatous nature in differentiation, further supporting that the carcinosarcomas of the female genital tract may arise, through metaplastic change, from a type of carcinoma.
Actins ; Carcinosarcoma* ; Female* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Metaplasia ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myoglobin ; Ovary ; S100 Proteins ; Uterus ; Vimentin

We studied two intraabdominal desmoplastic small cell tumors. The patients were two men, 37 and 23 years old, with jaundice and palpable abdominal masses. On exploratory laparotomy, each patient revealed a huge mass in the greater omentum with disseminated peritoneal seeding, measuring 32 cm and 11 cm in its greatest dimension, respectively. The tumor involved the diaphragm, rectal shelf, and cul de sac in case 1, and it involved the porta hepatis, retroperitoneum, and serosal surface of the ascending and transverse colon in case 2. Omentectomy of the huge mass and satellite masses was performed in each patient. Both tumors showed nearly the same histopathologic features. The histologic pattern was suggestive of a metastatic small cell carcinoma, but there was no specific, single primary site. The tumors consisted of variably sized, discrete islands of epithelial-like small cells in dense desmoplastic stroma. The tumor cells revealed divergent epithelial, mesenchymal, and neural differentiation by histologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic observations. Only one cycle of chemotherapy including cisplatin and VP-16 was given in case 1 because of a subsequent hepatic problem, who, thereafter, showed massive intraabdominal recurrent tumors 6 months after diagnosis. In case 2, the poor condition of the patient had made chemotherapy and radiotherapy impossible. Case 2 died of disseminated intravascular coagulation following progressive cachexia 7 months after diagnosis.
Neoplasm Metastasis

Lymphangiomas are congenital malformations that occur most commonly in the head, neck or axilla and 80-90% of lesions are detected by the age of two years. Cystic lymphangioma of the breast in a 37-year-old woman ; it showed typical well-defined tubular and nodular opacity on mammogram, a multilocular septated anechoic mass on ultrasonogram, and low and high signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted MR images, respectively. These findings before surgery indicated cystic lymphangioma.
Adult ; Axilla ; Breast* ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Lymphangioma ; Lymphangioma, Cystic* ; Mammography* ; Neck

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the urinary bladder is an unusual, benign mesenchymal proliferative lesion of the submucosal stroma easily mistaken for a malignant neoplasm clinically and histologically. We present a case and describe the clinical presentation and radiologic, histologic, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings. A 23-year old patient presented with sudden onset of gross painless hematuria for 3 months. There was no previous instrumentation or surgery involving the genitourinary tract. Cystoscopy revealed a large polypoid and ulcerated bladder mass. The lesion consisted of plump spindle shaped, fibroblast-like cells embedded in a myxoid stroma. Mitotic figures were negligible and the lesion showed encroachment on the superficial muscle bundles. The spindle cells were immunoreactive for vimentin and muscle specific actin. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings revealed the fibroblastic-myofibroblastic nature of this lesion. Complete surgical excision by partial cystectomy was successful in eradicating the lesion. The findings are described with a discussion of the pathogenesis and review of the literature.

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is a well differentiated neoplasm and usually has a good prognosis. However, a subset of morphologically distinct papillary carcinoma has bad prognoses. The tall cell variant of papillary carcinoma (TCPC), characterized by tall columnar cells with a height at least twice the width, is the one of these. In order to differentiate TCPC from usual papillary carcinoma (UPC) in terms of prognosis, we performed immunohistochemical studies for the expression of p53, bcl-2 and Leu-M1 proteins in 25 cases of TCPC, 26 cases of UPC and 14 cases of poorly differentiated, solid type papillary carcinoma (SPC) with an analysis of clinical parameters. The nuclear expression of p53 was noted in one case each of UPC and TCPC. The cytoplasmic p53 expression of TCPC, UPC, and SPC was observed in 17/25 cases (68%), 14/26 cases (54%), 3/14 cases (21%), respectively. bcl-2 expression was 19/25 cases (76%), 18/26 cases (69%), 5/14 cases (36%), and that of Leu-M1 was 21/25 cases (84%), 18/26 cases (69%), 4/14 cases(29%), respectively. There were no statistical significance in the expression of those immunoproteins among these three groups (p>0.05). The p53 protein was consistently expressed in the cytoplasm rather than nucleus in this study and was very well correlated to bcl-2 positivity (p<0.01). There were no statistical significance in any clinical parameters examined among these three groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, TCPC can not be separated from UPC as a distinct entity in this study and the cytoplasmic expression of p53 protein provides another mechanism of p53 inactivation in tumorigenesis of the thyroid papillary carcinoma, possibly by bcl-2 related mechanism.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Cytoplasm ; Immunoproteins ; Prognosis ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

Cystic parathyroid adenoma is one of the rare causes of hyperparathyroidism, and is usually located in neck and mediastinum. This type of adenoma tends to cause increased serum level of parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase, similar serum calcium level when compared to those of solid adenoma. Thanks to current radioimmunoassay and easy accessibility to serum autoanalyzer, serum calcium level and parathyroid hormone level are more easily measured, which in turn lead to more easier diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism. Also improvement in imaging and nuclear diagnostic method of parathyroid lesion are suggested to enable easy diagnosis of cystic parathyroid adenoma. A 35-year-old male presented with easy fatigability for 12 months. The serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphotase were 11.5mg/dL, 1.4mg/dL, 194IU/L respectively and his parathyroid hormone level in serum was 126.42pg/mL. Neck CT showed enlargement of right lobe of thyroid gland with well defined inhomogenously enhanced density inside the right thyroid gland. The patient was diagnosed of hyperparathyroidim due to parathyroid adenoma and was surgically removed. The surgical biopsy showed cystic parathyroid adenoma. After operation his general condition was improved and serum calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone level were normalizd. We report a case of hyperparathyroidism caused by cystic parathyroid adenoma with brief review of literature.
Adenoma ; Adult ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Biopsy ; Calcium ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism* ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Neck ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Parathyroid Neoplasms* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroid Gland

Leiomyosarcoma of the prostate is a rare malignant tumor. It originates from the smooth muscles of the prostatic gland and is usually found during old ages. Prognosis is usually poor especially in childhood. We report a case of leiomyosarcoma of the prostate measured 320gm in 64 years old man.
Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Prognosis ; Prostate*

Ectopia cordis is defined as a congenital malposition of the heart partially or completely outside the thorax and often associated with sternal and congenital heart defects:surgical repair is generally unsuccessful because of the magnitude of the deformity and the associat-ed intracardiac anormalies. Four types of ectopia cordis are described : cervical, thoracic, abdominal and thoracoa- bdominal. Cervical and thoracic type are often fatal within days, because the heart is expo- sed and malformed. Abdominal type carries a better prognosis because cardiac abnormalities are less often found. The prognosis of thoraco-abdominal type mainly depends on the pre- sence of intracardiac abnormalities. We have experienced a case of thoracic ectopia cordis at 25 weeks' gestation by ultra- sonography, so present the case and the review with literature briefly.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Ectopia Cordis* ; Heart ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: A new technique resecting the hepatic parenchyma without inflow occlusion using a Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA(R) ) reduces intraoperative blood loss and perioperative morbidity. This study was designed to identify the incidence and severity of venous air embolism (VAE) using transesophaseal echocardiography (TEE) in hepatic resection using CUSA(R) . METHODS: Forty patients undergoing hepatic resection using CUSA(R) of ASA class 1 and 2 were selected. After insertion of an epidural catheter for postoperative analgesia, all patients were anesthetized with sevoflurane in 50% air/O2. After the induction of anesthesia, A TEE probe was inserted into the esophagus. Blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, end tidal CO2, and arterial carbon dioxide tension were recorded after induction, and during and after hepatic resection. During hepatic resection, an anesthesiologist evaluated the degree of VAE by transesophageal echocardiography in the 4-chamber view. RESULTS: The mean time of using CUSA(R) was 65.3 +/- 24.4 minutes. Of 40 patients, 9 had VAE grade I, 14 grade II, 14 grade III, and 3 grade IV. However, no significant difference was observed in hemodynamics or PaCO2 after induction, or during or after hepatic resection. The mean amount of blood loss was 887.0 ml +/- 598.8 ml and the mean transfused amount was 123.1 +/- 351.3 ml. CONCLUSIONS: All patients showed air embolism during hepatic resection with CUSA(R) . Serious complications associated with air embolism would occur in patients with an undiagnosed intracardiac right to left shunt. Therefore, meticulous monitoring by transesophageal echocardiography might be recommended in hepatic resection with CUSA(R) .
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide ; Catheters ; Central Venous Pressure ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Embolism, Air* ; Esophagus ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Ultrasonics*