We present 9 cases of plexiform schwannoma examined at Severance hospital from January, 1980 to September, 1987. The predilection sites of plexiform schwannoma included head and neck including oral cavity. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 32 years. The difference of sex ratio was not apparent. Histopathological findings revealed multiple round to oval nodules encapsulated by thin fibroconnective tissue with nuclear palisading and Verocay body in each nodule. There was mild to moderate cellular atypia in some area, but mitotic figure was not found. The Bielschowsky's silver stain did not demonstrate any axon within or outside of the nodule. The thin capsule was positive with reticulin stain.

We present an autopsy case of signet ring cell carcinoma of urinary bladder which underwent widespread metastsis through nearly entire organ. The patient, 45-year old male, suffered from hematuria, dysuria and flank pain for 6 months. Under the diagnosis of the signet ring cell carcinoma by the cystoscopic biopsy, radical cystectomy and ileocutaneous ureteral division were performed. But he died after 11-months after the diagnosis. The autopsy confirmed the widespread metastasis at the lung, kidney, adrenal gland, parathyroid gland, heart, stomach, ileum, spine, rib and meninges. The preveously resected urinary bladder discolosed the well defined fungating mass at the dome and anterio-lateral portion without apparent evidence of the remnant of the urachus. Histologically, the signet ring cells were predominent and focally mucinous pool floating the signet ring cells was noted. We could find several foci of the well differentiated adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. The above findings may reflect that the origin of carcinoma may be from the multipotential transitional cell epithelium.
Adenocarcinoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Mesoblastic nephroma is an important differential diagnosis of a renal mass occurring in the neonatal period or in early childhood. It is a rare monomorphous congenital renal neoplasm most commonly recognized during the first 3 months of life. With the widespread application of ultrasound imaging, many cases are recognized prior to birth. We report a case of mesoblastic nephroma detected by ultrasonograph at 36 weeks of intrauterine fetal life and removed after birth. It showed a well circumscribed, grayish white, solid mass measuring 4x3x2 cm. The tumor was predominantly a classic type with a focal cellular pattern. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies were done.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Kidney ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Nephroma, Mesoblastic* ; Parturition ; Ultrasonography

Proliferative activity of a malignant tumor is known to reflect its biological aggressiveness. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a marker of cellular proliferation, and silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) have been shown to correlate with ploidy and proliferative activity of cells. In transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, the prognostic value of these markers has not been well defined. We studied PCNA expression and the AgNORs count in 22 transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis to assess their prognostic significance compared with their cumulative survival rate, the stage of disease and histopathologic features of the tumors. An immunohistochemical method and a standard colloidal silver staining were used. The mean percentage of PCNA positivity (PCNA index) and the mean number of AgNORs per nucleus (AgNORs score) were determined. In a multivariable analysis, PCNA indexes were significantly associated with tumor stage (p=0.024), whereas AgNORs scores were not significantly associated with the stage or histopatholgic features of the tumors. Histologic grade was correlated to disease stage at a significant level (p=0.000). But there was a trend of low tumor PCNA-indices or AgNORs counts with survival advantage for patients, but this did not reach statistical significance. The results suggest that the fraction of PCNA positive nuclei would be useful for investigating the malignant potential of renal pelvic cancers, although their clinical use as markers of biologic behavior may be limited.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Cell Proliferation ; Colloids ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Pelvis* ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; Pelvic Neoplasms ; Ploidies ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Silver Staining ; Survival Rate

Limb-body wall malformation complex(LBWC), also know as the amniotic band syndrome, is a poorly defined, sporadic group of congenital anomaly characterized by a collection of protean fetal malformation, deformation and disruption. Accurate diagnosis is often difficult because of its variable presentation pattern and the absence of exactly same case. We report two autopsy cases. One revealed body wall, cardiac, and craniofacial anomalies with anencephaly, and amniotic adhesive band attached to craniofacial defect of the fetal part without evidence of amniotic rupture. The other exibited abdominal wall defect with omphalocele, visceral, postural, and limb anomalies together with neural tube defect in the lumbosacral region. The pathogenesis of this syndrome was discussed in detail.

It has been postulated that programmed cell death via apoptosis may be critical for remodelling of glomeruli after inflammatory injury. To understand the regulatory mechanism of apoptosis in experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN), we examined the MIB-1 score (proliferation index, PI) and apoptotic index during the progression of experimental CGN to end-stage renal failure. CGN was induced in New Zealand White rabbits by administration of guinea pig anti-GBM IgG after sensitization with guinea pig IgG and their kidneys were analyzed for the development of crescents through sequential renal biopsies. Serum creatinine levels progressively increased in a time course until day 45. The PI in glomeruli, tubular epithelial cells, and interstitium progressively increased during the progression of experimental CGN. The mean numbers of MIB-1 positive intraglomerular nuclei (PI) were significantly correlated with degrees of crescent formation and the numbers of apoptotic cells in the glomeruli, tubules, and interstitium. Significant apoptosis was present from day 1 (15.8 10.16 cells/glomerular cross section) and increased in number with the proliferative lesions as glomerular inflammation continued. Moreover, apoptosis increased during the resolution of the glomerular inflammation, and many apoptotic cells were present in the sclerotic lesions in day 17 (18.6 12.99 cells/glomerular cross section). As glomerular inflammation subsided, cellular crescents progressed to fibrous crescents with a reduction of cellularity by day 45. On day 45, the glomerular PI and the numbers of apoptotic cells were markedly decreased. The correlations found in CGN between the creatinine level and the percentage of crescents, between the percentage of crescent and PI, and between the PI and number of apoptotic cells support the hypothesis that there is a change in the glomerular and tubulo-interstitial apoptosis under pathologic conditions. These findings indicate that apoptosis plays an essential role in the resolution of intra- and extraglomerular inflammation and in the elimination of glomerular cells within the sclerotic regions for progressive CGN. The regulation of the apoptotic phenomenon and increased PI during CGN may be important in the progression of glomerular inflammation and the development of pathologic glomerular sclerosis.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Apoptosis* ; Biopsy ; Cell Death ; Creatinine ; Epithelial Cells ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Guinea Pigs ; Immunoglobulin G ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Inflammation ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Rabbits ; Sclerosis

PURPOSE: To evaluate CT findings of normal anatomic alteration after neck dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The postoperative CT findings were retrospectively reviewed in 40 patients with neck dissection, comparing to preoperative CT. There were 28 patients with radical neck dissection and 12 patients with modified radical neck dissection or selective neck dissection. In addition to the neck dissection, 10 patients had undergone pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction, 20 patients taken laryngectomy, and 25 patients treated with radiotherapy. RESULTS: The typical CT findings of radical neck dissection were non-visualization of internal jugular vein and sternocleidomastoid muscle(28/28), ipsilateral neck flattening(26/28), and trapezius muscular atrophy(12/28). The other non-specific findings were tissue plane eftacement, subcutaneous reticular pattern, platysma muscle thickening, and adjacent soft tissue contrast enhancement which was the only evidence of previous operation in the cases of modified radical neck dissection or selective neck dissection. Reconstruction with myocutaneous flap was shown as ipsilateral bulk of fat and muscle(10/10). In cases with radiation therapy there was much increased density of submandibular gland(12/25). 15 patients showed recurrence on follow up CT scan, including regional metastasis in 10, stomal recurrence in two, and residual mass at primary site in three patients. CONCLUSION: CT is useful in evaluation of patients with neck dissection and in whom postoperative change impese diagnostic problem.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; Laryngectomy ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Neck Dissection* ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A fetal rhabdomyomatous nephroblastoma is considered to be a predominantly monophasic mesenchymal variant of Wilms' tumor, which acts less aggressively than a conventional Wilms' tumor despite its much larger size. Bilaterality of this tumor in a nine month-old girl, however, may negatively affect the overall prognosis. A radical nephrectomy for bulky masses in the left kidney and a partial nephrectomy for right kidney with five small tumor masses was performed at the same time. Two small tumor masses in the upper part of right kidney were left behind because of preserving minimal renal functional capacity. Pathological study revealed a mixed type of nephroblastoma which was composed predominantly of mesenchymal components with fetal rhabdomyomatous differentiation. After post-operative chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin D and adriamycin, and radiotherapy(2,130 rad), residual tumor masses became a single tumor 5 cm in diameter and well demarcated, which was resected at 15 months after first operation when the size and renal function of remained right kidney was appropriate to resect out the residual tumor. The tumor resected out at second operation was entirely composed of scattered differentiated fetal skeletal muscle cells in the fibrovascular tissue. Only a few entrapped epithelial components were seen but no blastemal cornponents were present. Follow up abdominal CT and ultrasonographic examinations revealed no evidence of tumor recurrence. The girl has developed normally without disease.

Increasing the pH of local anesthetic solution with sodium bicarbonate has been known to hasten its onset of action. This study was designed to verify the effect of pH adjustment of bupivacaine on caudal anesthesia. Forty adult male patients having caudal block for perianal surgery were randomly assigned to four groups(n=l0) as follows. Group 1: control, 0.5% bupivacaine 20ml+0.6ml saline Group 2: 0.5% bupivacaine 20 ml+0.1% epinephrine 0.1 ml+0.5ml saline Group 3: 0.5 bupivacaine 20ml+5% sodium bicarbonate 0.5ml+0.1 ml saline Group 4: 0.5% bupivacaine 20 ml+5% sodium bicarbonate 0.5ml+0.1% epinephrine 0.1 ml The pH of prepared solution of each group is 6.23+/-0.032, 5.95+/-0.028, 7.35+/-0.054, 6.92+/-0.067 respectively. The time of onset of anesthesia (time between the completion of anesthetic injection and loss of temperature sensation at S4, S5 dermatome) was significantly rapid in group 3 followed by group 4. The time of onset of surgical anesthesia (time between the completion of anesthetic injection and loss of pain sensation by pin-prick test at S4, S5 dermatome) was significantly rapid in group 3.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Caudal* ; Bupivacaine* ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration* ; Male ; Sensation ; Sodium Bicarbonate

Glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma of the breast is very rare(l -3% of breast cancer). It is defined as a tumor composed of more than 50% of optically clear, neoplastic cells, characterized by centrally located nuclei and abundant cytoplasm, being positive for periodic acid Schiff(PAS) and negative for periodic acid Schiff after diastase(D-PAS) treatment. In the absence of intraductal or in situ lobular carcinoma component, metastatic clear cell carcinomas of other organs should be considered as diagnostic possibilities. We report a case of glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma arisen in a 62-year-old woman. The tumor revealed both solid and papillary pattern with intraductal component. The neoplastic cells had clear cytoplasm, which were PAS positive, D-PAS negative, mucicarmine negative and oil red 0 negative. More than 90% of tumor cells exhibited moderate staining for anti-estrogen receptor monoclonal antibody. Flow cytometric DNA analysis revealed diploid DNA content.
Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Breast Neoplasms