BACKGROUND: Malignant skin cancers in Korea have been increasing as in other countries, but the previous epidemiological studies have been only attempted by a single hospital unit in a limited period of time. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate and compare the frequencies, age, sex distribution, and anatomical location of the frequent skin cancers collected from several hospitals over a 10 year period between 1984-5 and 1994-5. METHODS: 258 cases of skin cancer from 4 different places in Seoul were collected for the study. Histopathological records from pathology departments and medical records were reviewed to obtain information about the frequencies. RESULTS: Overall there were 141 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)1 basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and malignant melanoma (MM) in the mid-eighties and 117 in the mid-nineties. SCC was the most common skin cancer in both periods but the frequencies and the SCC/BCC ratio dropped at the later period. The ratio of males to females was getting smaller at 1.4:1 in the mid-eighties and 1.1:1 in the mid-nineties. BCC was concentrated on the face and SCC was rather evenly distributed over the body surface. The predilection site of malignant melanoma (MM) was quite different between the two periods. The lower extremities was the main site in the mid-nineties and the head and neck in the mid-eighties. CONCLUSION: Although there was no statistical significance, the BCC/SCC ratio was increased and the male/female ratio decreased at the later period.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epithelial Cells* ; Female ; Head ; Hospital Units ; Humans ; Korea* ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Medical Records ; Melanoma* ; Neck ; Pathology ; Seoul ; Sex Distribution ; Skin Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: Hyaluronidase (HAse), a degrading enzyme of hyaluronic acid (HA), is highly expressed in patients with malignant glioma. The purpose of this study was to verify whether HAse is related to the invasion of glioma cells. We also investigated if glioma cells with higher mobility in 2-dimensioal (2-D) method have also higher mobility at 3-dimensional (3-D) environment. METHODS: Malignant glioma cell lines (U87MG, U251MG, U343MG-A, and U373MG) were used, and their HAse expressions were evaluated by HA zymography. The migration ability was evaluated by simple scratch technique. The invasiveness of each cell lines was evaluated by Matrigel invasion assay and HA hydrogel invasion assay. In HA hydrogel invasion assay, colonies larger than 150 micrometer were regarded as positive ones and counted. Statistical analysis of migration ability and invasion properties of each cell lines was performed using t-test. RESULTS: In scratch test to examine migration ability of each cell lines, U87MG cells were most motile than others, and U343MG-A least motile. The HAse was expressed in U251MG and U343MG-A cell lines. However, U87MG and U373MG cell lines did not express HAse activity. In Matrigel invasion assay, the cell lines expressing HAse (U251MG and U343MG-A) were more invasive in the presence of HA than HAse deficient cell lines (U87MG and U373MG). In HA hydrogel invasion assay, the HAse-expressing cell lines formed colonies more invasively than HAse-deficient ones. CONCLUSION: Malignant Glioma cells expressing HAse were more invasive than HAse-deficient ones in 3-dimensional environment. Therefore, it might be suggested that invasion of malignant gliomas is suppressed by inhibition of HAse expression or HA secretion. Additionally, the ability of 2-D migration and 3-D invasion might not be always coincident to each other in malignant glioma cells.
Cell Line ; Collagen ; Drug Combinations ; Glioma ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Hyaluronoglucosaminidase ; Hydrogel ; Laminin ; Proteoglycans

Lemierre's syndrome is very rare and is characterized by previous oropharyngeal infections, such as pharyngitis or peritonsillar abscess, leading to high fever, internal jugular venous thrombosis, and metastatic infections to multiple internal organs. Prompt and accurate diagnosis followed by early treatment with antibiotics is very important because its mortality is high if treatment is delayed. We report on the case of a 23-year-old female who was transferred to our hospital with a left peritonsillar abscess combined with left jugular venous thrombosis, complaining of a sore throat and left submandibular swelling, and diagnosed as Lemierre's syndrome. Finally, she was treated successfully without anticoagulants.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anticoagulants ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Lemierre Syndrome* ; Mortality ; Peritonsillar Abscess* ; Pharyngitis ; Venous Thrombosis ; Young Adult