OBJECTIVE: Uterine cervical cancer is the most common malignant tumor in Korean women. Human papillomaviruses are associated in 85-90% of the cases. However, other cofactors are considered to be important in carcinogenesis. There is an evidence that the uterine cervix is the site of shedding of the Epstein-Barr viruses(EBV). Furthermore the virus has been detected in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. We studied to evaluate the role of EBV in cervical carcinogenesis. METHODS: Non-neoplastic cervices(12), carcinoma in situ(32), microinvasive squamous cell carcinomas(9), invasive squamous cell carcinomas(37) and adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas(14) were studied for EBV infection. PCR and in situ PCR for EBNA-1 were done and subtyping was done using PCR for EBNA 3C. RESULTS: In non-neoplastic cervix, EBV was detected in 16.7% by PCR and found in normal epithelial cells and lymphocytes in in situ PCR. By PCR technique, EBV was detected in 65.6% of CIS, 66.3% and 51.4% of microinvasive and invasive squamous cell carcinomas, 57.1% of adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas. EBV subtyping was done in EBV positive cases by PCR and all showed type 1. CONCLUSION: EBV was detected in higher frequency in cervical cancer than in non-neoplastic cervix. However the frequency was not correlated to the invasion depth and histologic types of cervical carcinomas. EBV was detected in tumor cells as well as normal epithelial cells and lymphocytes also. It was suggested that EBV may play a role in cervical cancers but the mechanism in carcinogenesis remains to be solved.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; Cervix Uteri ; Epithelial Cells ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Female ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Prevalence* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Biomarkers*

Two cases of fibromatosis are presented. The lesion was biopsied and diagnosis was confirmed by histologic examination. Some reviews with literatures are supplemented.
Diagnosis ; Fibroma

The authors examined the induntivity of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in peripheral lum-phocytes on the personnel working in the operating room and analyzed the factors associated with it to obtain data for their monitoring health status. The results obtained were as follows; 1) Average inductivity of SCE in peripheral lymphocytes of operating room perssonnel exposed to anesthetic gases was 7.85 per cell; it was significantly higher than in those who were not exposed (p< 0.05). 2) The inductivity of SCE in peripheral lymphocytes by age group and exposure duration was not statically significant (p<0.05). 3) The inductivity of SCE in the subjects with a smoking habit was significantly higher than those without a smoking habit (p<0.05). 4) There was no significant difference in the inductivity of SCE between the subjects with a drinking habit and those without it (p>0.05). 5) It is possible that the high inductivity of SCE in operating room personnel who both with drink and smoke was due to more the influence of their smoking than their drinking.
Anesthetics, Inhalation ; Drinking ; Gases* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Operating Rooms* ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Smoke ; Smoking

Neurilemmomas of the extremities are nerve sheath tumors involving peripheral nerves of the extremities. We analyzed MR images of 16 surgically proved tumors in 12 patients and compared the MR images with gross pathologic specimens in two tumors (2/16). Spin echo T1-weighted images were obtained in all the patients but T2-weighted images were obtained in six patients with a gradient echo technique. Gadolinium dimeglumine enhanced T1-weighted images were obtained in 11 patients (15/16). Signal on T1-weighted images was iso or slightly higher than that of the adjacent muscles. Signal on T2-weighted images ranged from homogeneous high to heterogeneous. After Gadolinium injection, all the 15 tumors showed enhancement. Small sized tumors were enhanced homogeneously but there was a tendency tobe enhanced heterogeneously to the central portion with peripheral rim enhancement as the size of the tumors increased. Pathologically, the enhanced portion was correlated the with solid protion was correlated the with solid portion of the tumors. Also encapsulation of the mass (12/16), suspended nerve strings (9/16) and bony erosion (1/16) were detected. MR characteristics of neurilemmoma include heterogeniety on enhanced T1 and T2 weighted images, encapsulation, and suspended nerve strings. Signal heterogeneity on enhanced T1 and T2 weignted images may be attributed to the variable cellularity, cystic changes, vascularity and focal hemorrhage of the tumors.
Extremities ; Gadolinium ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Muscles ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma* ; Peripheral Nerves ; Population Characteristics

Neurilemmomas of the extremities are nerve sheath tumors involving peripheral nerves of the extremities. We analyzed MR images of 16 surgically proved tumors in 12 patients and compared the MR images with gross pathologic specimens in two tumors (2/16). Spin echo T1-weighted images were obtained in all the patients but T2-weighted images were obtained in six patients with a gradient echo technique. Gadolinium dimeglumine enhanced T1-weighted images were obtained in 11 patients (15/16). Signal on T1-weighted images was iso or slightly higher than that of the adjacent muscles. Signal on T2-weighted images ranged from homogeneous high to heterogeneous. After Gadolinium injection, all the 15 tumors showed enhancement. Small sized tumors were enhanced homogeneously but there was a tendency tobe enhanced heterogeneously to the central portion with peripheral rim enhancement as the size of the tumors increased. Pathologically, the enhanced portion was correlated the with solid protion was correlated the with solid portion of the tumors. Also encapsulation of the mass (12/16), suspended nerve strings (9/16) and bony erosion (1/16) were detected. MR characteristics of neurilemmoma include heterogeniety on enhanced T1 and T2 weighted images, encapsulation, and suspended nerve strings. Signal heterogeneity on enhanced T1 and T2 weignted images may be attributed to the variable cellularity, cystic changes, vascularity and focal hemorrhage of the tumors.
Extremities ; Gadolinium ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Muscles ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma* ; Peripheral Nerves ; Population Characteristics

No abstract available.
Fibrosis* ; Interleukin-6*

No abstract available.
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Interleukin-6* ; Keratinocytes*

Primary Cutaneous Neuroendocrine Carcinoma(CNEC : or Merkel Cell Tumor) usually occurs as a solitary tumor in middle aged to elderly individuals. This tumor may occur on any layer of the skin but the most frequent location is in the dermis. Electron microscopic studies reveal that the tumor cell contains round, dense core granules similar to epidermal Merkel cell and other cells of the neural crest derived APUD system. We describe the clinical, histological, electron microscopic, immunohistochemical observation of a case of primary CNEC in a 66-year-old female and discuss the theories regarding the histogenesis of this unusual tumor.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neural Crest ; Skin

To evaluate the radiographic characteristics of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and useful parameter for predicting mechanical stability, we retrospectively analysed 26 plain radiographic examinations and seven MR imagings in 28 cases of OCD in 24 patients. Typical radiologic findings were osteochondral defect with sclerotic rim of variable thickeness and osteochondral fragment. Sites of osteochondral defect were medial (35.9%) or lateral (32%) femoral chondyle and medial (7.1%) or lateral (25%) side of talar dome. Sclerotic rim was seen in 24 cases (85%) and osteochondral fragments including nine loose bodies were seen in 21 cases (75%). The size of osteochondral defect with unstable fragment (average 2.05cm) and loose body (2.04cm) in the knee joint were similar to, but statistically larger than that with stable fragment (1.35cm). All osteochondral defects were well visualized on MR images. Abnormalities of articular cartilage and effusion in the interface between the parent bone and fragment were seem in five cases of which there were confirmed three unstable cases arthroscopically. We conclude that size of defect may be a good parameter for predicting mechanical stability and MRI may be useful in the diagnosis of OCD and determining the methods of treatment.
Cartilage, Articular ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteochondritis Dissecans* ; Osteochondritis* ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies