Adenosquamous cell carcinoma (Ad-SCC) of the colon is rare. The pathogenesis of Ad-SCC is unclear, however, several hypotheses have been suggested. The clinical presentation and gross findings of Ad-SCC of the colon are similar to those of adenocarcinoma of the colon, but Ad-SCC has a more aggressive clinical course and a poorer prognosis. We report on two cases of Ad-SCC of the colon with obstruction; a collision-type Ad-SCC that has not only obstruction but also numerous hepatic metastases, and a composite-type Ad-SCC treated with left hemicolectomy followed by an adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Humans

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains telomeres and prevents telomere shortening, and may be linked with cellular proliferation or the aging process. The purpose was to examine telomerase activity in human chorionic villi from early and term normal pregnancies, and to analyze the correlation of telomerase activity (TA) with MIB-1 & bcl-2. A total of 37 placentae were obtained from 16 early and 21 term pregnancies. TA was assayed by telomeric repeat amplification protocol, and immunohistochemical staining was performed for MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression. TA & MIB-1 expression were strong in early placenta, but bcl-2 was highly expressed in term placentae. Thirteen (81.25%) of 16 early placentae showed TA, but only 2 (9.52%) of 21 term placentae expressed TA (p<0.01). MIB-1 was observed in nuclei of cytotrophoblast, and the expression rate was 16.09% in early placentae and 2.87% in term placentae (p<0.01). bcl-2 was observed only in the cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast. Term placenta demonstrated stronger expression of bcl-2 compared to early placentae (p<0.05). These findings suggest that TA, MIB-1 & bcl-2 expression are critically regulated over the course of gestation: cytotrophoblast, main cells of early chorionic villi, may be a common source of telomerase and proliferative activity. The TA showed good correlation with cellular proliferative activity. Syncytiotrophoblast, may be a main source of bcl-2 expression which is stronger in the term placentae.
Aging ; Cell Proliferation ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Cytoplasm ; Humans* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy* ; Telomerase* ; Telomere ; Telomere Shortening ; Trophoblasts

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in the leg length discrepancy in idiopathic hemihypertrophy as a function of time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A lower extremity scannogram was performed on 33 patients (16 boys and 17 girls) who were clinically diagnosed with idiopathic hemihypertrophy from September, 1985 to December, 1996. The leg length discrepancy was compared every 6 months. The mean age of the patients on the first visit was 1.6 years (range, 1 to 5 years) and the average follow up period was 9.1 years (range, 8 to 15 years). RESULTS: Not all the discrepancies continued to increase at a constant rate with time. The developmental discrepancy patterns identified were classified as follows: type I, increasing pattern; type II, increasing-plateau pattern; type III, plateau pattern; type IV, increasing-decreasing pattern; type V, decreasing pattern. Twenty five patients (75%) had types I and II discrepancy patterns. CONCLUSION: A continual periodic follow up of the leg length is important in idiopathic hemihypertrophy patients because the developmental patterns of a discrepancy in the length of a lower extremity can vary.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg* ; Lower Extremity

To analyze the effects of capsaicin administered to the arthritic rat model, immunohistochemical stains for c-fos protein in the spinal dorsal horn and for substance P and CGRP in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were done. Kaolin and careegenan were administered to the knee joint cavity of adult rats to induce arthritis, and capsaicin was administered immediately after kaolin-careegenan injection. A count was conducted of the c-fos immunoreactive dorsal horn neurons and substance P and CGRP immunoreactive cells in L5 and L6 DRG to elucidate the effect of capsaicin. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the superficial dorsal horn was increased markedly 2 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection to the knee joint, and decreased gradually to the control level 1 week after injection. 2. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the superficial dorsal horn of capsaicin- treated rats was less than in those rats not injected with capsaicin. 3. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the deep dorsal horn was increased later than those in the superficial dorsal horn and reached peak level 16 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection, and decreased gradually therafter. 4. The number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the deep dorsal horn of the capsaicin treated rats was less than in those rats not treated with capsaicin. 5. The number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive DRG neurons increased 24 hours after the kaolin and careegenan injection to the knee joint, and also apparently increased 1 week after injection. 6. The number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive DRG neurons of capsaicin- treated rats was less than in those rats not treated with capsaicin administered rats. Capsaicin reduces the number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, and also reduces the number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive neurons in the DRG of the arthritic rat model, which may be closely related to the analgesic effects of capsaicin.
Adult ; Animals ; Arthritis ; Capsaicin* ; Coloring Agents ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Horns ; Humans ; Kaolin ; Knee Joint ; Models, Animal* ; Neurons ; Posterior Horn Cells ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Substance P

No abstract available.

Gossypiboma is referred to as surgical gauze or sponge left in the body of a patient inadvertently following surgery. There are two types of foreign body reaction in the body. The first type is exudative, with the resultant formation of an abscess with or without bacterial invasion and usually causes related clinical symptoms shortly after surgery. The second type is aseptic with extensive adhesions and encapsulating in a foreign body granuloma. Gossypiboma typically have an inconsistent radiologic appearance determined by the time, the type of material and the anatomical location. Furthermore, radio-opque markers are sometimes disintegrated or fragmented over times and ultrasound or CT may be indistinguishable from intra-abdominal abscess or tumor. We report 71-year-old woman in whom gossypiboma is severely adherent with ileal loop caused by pelvic mass.
Abdominal Abscess ; Abscess ; Aged ; Female ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body ; Humans ; Porifera

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Qualitative and semi-quantitative methods have been developed for TMJ sound classification, but the criteria presented are completely inhomogeneous. Thus, to develop more objective criteria for defining TMJ sounds, electroacoustical systems have been developed. We used Joint vibration analysis in the BioPAK system (Bioresearch Inc., Milwaukee, USA) as the electrovibratography. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the TMJ sounds with repect to frequency spectra patterns and the integral > 300 Hz /< 300 Hz ratios via six-months follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was done before and after the six-months recordings with 20 dental school students showed anterior disk displacement with reduction. Joint vibrations were analyzed using a mathematical technique known as the Fast Fourier Transform. RESULTS: In this study Group I and Group II showed varied integral > 300 /< 300 ratios before and after the six-months recordings. Also, by the comparative study between the integral > 300 /< 300 ratios and the frequency spectrums, it was conceivable that the frequency spectrums showed similar patterns at the same location that the joint sound occurred before and after the six-months recordings. while the frequency spectrums showed varied patterns at the different locations that the joint sound occurred before and after six-month recordings, it would possibly be due to the differences in the degree of internal derangement and/or in the shape of the disc. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that clinicians consider the integral > 300 /< 300 ratios as well as the frequency spectrums to decide the starting-point of the treatment for TMJ sounds.
Displacement (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fourier Analysis ; Humans ; Joints ; Schools, Dental ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Vibration

Coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart is no longer new to any cardiac surgeon. What matters nowadays is stablizing the heart without impairing the hemodynamics. We describe a simple and safer technique to move the anterolateral coronary to a center in the operation field. The empty blood bag connected to 50 cc syringe is put underneath the left venricle. Simply inflating the air into the blood bag gradually displaces the heart and rotate the lateral wall of the ventricle to the midline position. Therefore, we suggest "Blood Bag" method as a different way of exposing heart.
Coronary Artery Bypass ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Syringes