Twenty cases of gallbladder cancers were examined using 5 mm stepwise tissue sections. We analyzed the clinicopathologic findings of the early (stage 1, II) and advanced carcinoma (stage III, IV, V) and those of carcinoma with or without metaplasia in the tumor. We also performed CEA and p53 immunohistochemical staining and compared their findings with those of normal mucosa and preneoplastic lesions. The results were as follow: 1) All of the early carcinomas (n=5) were incidentally diagnosed after the resection for the gallstone. They were compared to advanced carcinoma (n=15) in the absence of the lymphatic or angioinvasion, recurrence, metastasis and death. 2) Metaplastic and non-metaplastic carcinoma did not reveal any difference of the clinicopathologic findings except age distribution. 3) CEA and p53 were positive in preneoplastic and malignant lesions. The extent of staining was related to the degree of the atypia. From the above results, an early detection of gallbladder cancer is very important for the prognosis of the patients. Since preoperative diagnosis is difficult, thorough pathologic examination of routinely resected gallbladder is necessary for the early diagnosis. CEA and p53 immunohistochemical staining may be helpful in the differential diagnosis of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesion of the gallbladder.
Age Distribution ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Gallbladder Neoplasms* ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Metaplasia* ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Adult Wilms' tumor, unlike that of childhood, is a rare disease. Microscopically, the tumor is fundamentally characterized by triplastic embryonal renal tumor composed of variable amounts of metanephric blastema and its epithelial and stromal derivatives but rarely a small group of tumors composed virtually entirely of differentiated epithelial derivatives, the abundance of tubular structures. These monomorphous epithelial type of Wilms' tumor tended to have an early onset and benign course. Grossly, classic Wilms' tumor is a solid tumor, but very rarely shows cystic change and may lead to misinterpretation as a polycystic kidney or multicystic nephroma. Here, we reports a case of primary renal tumor, grossly very similar to a multicystic kidney but histologically represent a tubular monomorphous epithelial variant of Wilms' tumor occured in 63 year old male adult.
Child ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT) is an unusual tumor composed of malignant epithelial and nonepithelial components in the same lesion and is subdivided into homologous and heterologous types. Epidemiologically, these tumors are associated with prior pelvic irradiation, functioning ovarian lesions, exogenous estrogen therapy and rarely endometriosis. We experienced a case of uterine MMMT which arose from adenomyosis in a 47-year-old woman who had no specific past medical history. The posterior uterine corpus showed a 3.5x3.0x2.0 cm sized, relatively well defined tumor mass within the background of the adenomyosis. The tumor was composed of well differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma and sarcomatous stroma with foci of rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation confirmed by immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies. Through the immunohistochemical study, both the epithelial and nonepithelial components were positive for cytokeratin and it suggested that the sarcomatous area originated from metaplasia of the adenocarcinoma component. From the overall findings, it is regarded as an uterine heterologous MMMT which arose from adenomyosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenomyosis* ; Endometriosis ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Metaplasia ; Middle Aged ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Uterus*

The correlation of metaplasia to dysplasia and carcinoma in the gallbladder has attracted the attention of many investigators. We mapped and examined a total of 263 cholecystectomized gallbladders to analyze the mucosal changes in the carcinogenesis of the gallbladder. Stones were present in 59.7%, hyperplasia in 28.5%, metaplasia in 55.5% (gastric 37.6%, intestinal 17.9%), dysplasia in 17.1% (low grade 9.1%, high grade 8%) and carcinoma in 7.6%. Metaplasia was more frequently identified in the stone-positive group (62.4%) than in the stone-negative group (45.3%) (P<0.05). Especially, the incidence of intestinal metaplasia was significantly higher in the stone-positive group. Dysplasia and carcinoma were more frequent in the metaplasia-positive group (dysplasia 26.7%, carcinoma 11%) than in the metaplasia-negative group (dysplasia 5.1%, carcinoma 3.4%) (P<0.05). Their incidences were significantly higher in the intestinal metaplasia than in the gastric metaplasia. Forty four percent of the dysplasia-positive cases were associated with carcinoma in the adjacent mucosa but carcinoma was absent in the dysplasia-negative cases. Hyperplasia did not reveal any significant correlation with metaplasia, dysplasia and carcinoma. These results suggest that gallstone is causally related to the metaplasia in the gallbladder and the metaplasia-dysplasia- carcinoma sequence exists in the gallbladder.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinogenesis ; Gallbladder* ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Hyperplasia* ; Incidence ; Metaplasia* ; Mucous Membrane ; Research Personnel

No abstract available.
Fingers* ; Humans ; Somatoform Disorders*

Two cases of neurofibrossrcoma involving cutaneous tissues of the patients with multiple neurofibromatosis were presented. One case, 49-year-old man, showed highly malignant histopathological feature with lethal outcome and the other case, 56-year-old man, showed less malignant histopathology with good recovery from local excision.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibrosarcoma*

PURPOSE: To evaluate surface configuration of intervertebral disc on three dimensional CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three dimensional surface images reconstructed from CTscans(1 mm thick) of 20discs in 14 healthy adults were reviewed. Disc surface was classified into peripheral and central zones in contact with consecutive peripheral ring and central endplate. Local irregularity incidence, pattern in radial, concentric, or mixed form, size, location, and extension were observed. Incidence and severity ranges in 4 grades of general irregularity, and peripheral width relative to central radius were evaluated. RESULTS: Normal disc mostly showed smooth surface with few display of small local irregularity(6/20) which was mainly radial in pattern(4/5), posterolaterally located(4/6), and confined within peripheral zone(5/6). General irregularity displayed(5/20) was all grade I and peripheral width was 0.82 of central radius. CONCLUSION: Normal disc shows smooth surface but few may display small local irregularity maybe due to very early degenerative change.
Adult ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Radius

Many oncogenes and tumor supressor genes have been identified and studied in colorectal carcinoma. Among them, p53 is a tumor supressor gene and its mutation is frequently noted in human tumors. E-cadherin is a cell adhesion molecule and associated with tumor differentiation. CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein that plays a role in cell migration and metastasis. nm23 is a gene known to lower metastatic potential of tumors and has been proposed to be a metastasis supressor gene. Tumor angiogenesis is required for the expansion of the primary tumor and metastasis and its degree is related to the potential of malignancy. We studied the expression of p53, E-cadherin, nm23, CD44 and tumor angiogenesis in 36 cases of colorectal adenocarcinomas. They were compared with previously known prognostic factors such as the stage, tumor size, depth of invasion, differentiation, presence of lymphatic or venous invasion, the lymph node and distant metastasis. The results were as follows. 1) The expression of p53 was not significantly associated with any prognostic factors. 2) The expression of E-cadherin was significantly associated with tumor differentiation. In the well differentiated adenocarcinomas, its expression was higher than in the poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. 3) The expression of nm23 was also significantly associated with tumor differentiation. In carcinoma with lymph node metastasis, the expression of nm23 was reduced, but statistically it was not significant. 4) The expression of CD44 was higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis than in tumors without lymph node metastasis, but it was not statistically significant. 5) The degree of microvessel density was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion. According to the above results, the expression of E-cadherin and nm23 are related to the differentiation of the tumor and tumor angiogenesis is related to the lymphatic invasion of the colorectal adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cadherins* ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Movement ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes ; von Willebrand Factor

Authors tried methyl-prednisolone pulse therapy in 12 cases of severe cases of alopecia areats(eight cases of alopecia totalis, two cases of alopecia universalis, and two cases of alopecia subtotalis) by the assumption that administration of corticosteroid by pulse method minimize its side effects and maximize its therapeutic effect. Authors followed the courses of therapeutic result of the 12 cases for at least one year after finishing t.he treatment. The results were as follows : 1. The overall evaluation of the treatment showed four cases with excellent response, one case with good response, one case with disappointed response and six cases with no response. 2. The responses of the therapy appeared to be dependent on the duration of the alopecia areata ; the better the response is, the shorter the duration of the alopecia is. Most cases shorter than 6 months duration of alopecia showed excellent response. 3. Side effects of the treatment were as follows ; facial flushing(12/12), intermenstrual spotting(4/7), weight gain(4/12), moon face(3/12), acneiform eruption(1/12), exacerbation of hypertension (1/12). Those side effects did not keep any patient from the planned treatment.
Alopecia Areata ; Alopecia* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Prednisolone*

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in industrialized countries including Korea. METHODS: The methodology of cardiovascular disease clinical trials, published in 'The Korean Circulation Journal(KCJ)' and in 'The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine (KJIM)' from 1971 to 1993 were reviewed. For the study period, a total of 169 research papers in this field, includion 155 papers in the KCJ and 14 in the KJIM, were reviewed. To review the methodology behind the cardiovascular disease clinical trials, presence of a control group, set up a primary end point, determined sample size and the statistical method to be used, report on the side effects, and consent of patients were checked. In cases involving clinical trials using control groups, rendomization and blinding were also analysed. RESULTS: Among clinical trials reviewed only 6 (4.0%) of the 169 papers were used a control group, and 46.7% were set up with a primary end point. There was no clinical trial which used statitical methods to estimate the sample size. Clinical trials which reported results with statistical methods were 107 to 169 papers;most of these used the student's paired t-test. The number reporting the side effects of intervention was 143(88.7%) and papers reporting with the consent of patients was 15(8.8%). CONCLUSION: Most of clinical trials reviewed did not use appropriate method for clinical trials. Methodologically well-designed clinical trials in cardiovascular disease should be performed to guarantee the validity of study result.
Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Cause of Death ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea* ; Sample Size