STUDY DESIGN: This study assessed the final functional results after treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures and compared the relationship between the results and the parameters of reduction and state of the fractures. OBJECTIVES: To define prognostic factors affecting the final results and to present some precautions to minimize the treatment failure. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: In the treatment of the thoracolumbar burst fractures in which flexion loads are predominant, the sagittal contour is crucial to achieve permanent pain-free stability, but definitive therapeutic guidelines have remained a controversal topic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 37 thoracolumbar burst fractures with an average follow up period of 1.8 years: group 1 consisting of 20 cases treated conservatively and group 2 consisting of 17 cases treated surgically with posterior instrumentation. Finally functional results were analysed with the Denis'pain and work scores, and were compared between groups on anterior body height and local kyphosis. RESULTS: A satisfactory pain score less than or equal to P3 was in 15(75%) in group 1 and 15(88.2%) in group 2(p>0.05), but satisfactory work score less than or equal to W3 was in 12(60%) in group 1 and in 14(82.4%) in group 2(p<0.05). But, some loss of body height and local kyphosis in group 1 was not reversely related with functional outcomes. Eight cases in group 1 showing unsatisfactory result in work scores were analyzed as 4 osteoporosis(Jikei grade I, II/III), 3 associated compression fracture of the contiguous vertebra and one combined osteoporosis and compression fracture, showing significant loss of vertebral height and increase of kyphosis(p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Functional results of group 1 showing loss of vertebral height less than 50% and increased kyphosis less than 200 were comparable to those of group 2. The osteoporosis and associated compression fracture of adjacent vertebra were the risk group to develop posttraumatic kyphosis and might be added to the surgical indication of the thoracolumbar burst fractures.
Body Height ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Compression ; Kyphosis ; Osteoporosis ; Spine ; Treatment Failure

CD44 is a hyaluronic acid receptor that exists as a standard 90-kd form (CD44H) as well as several CD44 variants isoforms are produced through alternative splicing. Alternatively spliced variants of the CD44 molecule have been found to be associated with invasive and metastatic potential of cancer cells and poor prognosis in several types of carcinoma. The purpose of the present study is to define the expression of CD44H and CD44v6 in ovarian tumors and to investigate whether the expression of these molecules is associated with adverse prognosis. We evaluated the expression of CD44 isoforms in 58 ovarian tumors by means of immunohistochemistry, and correlated between CD44 expression and the histologic types, tumor grade, peritoneal implants, pseudomyxoma peritonei and FIGO stage. While the CD44H was commonly expressed in ovarian tumors, the CD44v6 was expressed in a minor proportion of serous tumors in comparison with frequent expression of v6 isoform in mucinous tumors. The CD44H expression was significantly higher in stage I/II than in stage III. However, there was no correlation between the expression of CD44 and the presence of peritoneal implants or pseudomyxoma peritonei. These results suggest that CD44H could play an important role in the adhesive function in the lower stage of the ovarian tumor and reduced expression in the higher stage might be related to the metastasis and widespread invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells.
Adhesives ; Alternative Splicing ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mucins ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovary ; Prognosis ; Protein Isoforms ; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei

Psoriasis and eczematous dermatitis are two major different inflarnmtory dermatitis but differential diagnosis is sometimes difficult by histologic patterns. The object of this study is to find out whether there are any differences in the expressions of proliferation related pntein between psoriasis and eczematous dermatitis by chronological evaluation on the proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR). The detections of PCNA and EGFR were done by immunohistoc.ienical methods(alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase method with new fuchsin substrated usir g respective polyclonal antibod ies in the paraffin embedded tissue from psoriasis(21 cases) and eczomtous dermatitis(26 cases). The labelling indeces of PCNA were 2.4+0.9% in normal. Indece; were 27.3+2.9% in acute, 20.7+ 3.7% in chronic psoriasis, while 12.4+5.6% in acute and 21.8% 5.0% in chronic eczematous dermtitis. The expressions of EGFR were very weak in normal, and increased in acute psoriasis and chronic eczematous dermatitiy. Our immunohistochemical results of PCNA and EGFR suggest that activated proliferation is rather pronounced in acute psoriasis and chronic eczemat.ous dermatitis, thouh proliferative activity is more marked in psoriasis.
Dermatitis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eczema* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Paraffin ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen* ; Psoriasis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Rosaniline Dyes

BACKGROUND: Angioleiomyoma of the skin is a rare smooth muscle tumor and may develop anywhere in the body. Comprehensive clinicopathological analysis of angioleiomyomas developed in Korean has not been reported in domestic dermatological journals. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics of angioleiomyoma and the relationship between the tumor and the nerve with immunohistochemical stains. METHODS: Fifty nine cases of angioleiomyoma were reappraised from the files of the pathology of Seoul National University, Green Cross Reference Laboratory Center and Korea Veterans Hospital. Brief clinical histories of all cases were examined and microscopic findings in 35 cases were classified according to subtypes. Paraffin blocks were recut and stained in 16 cases for desmin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 1. Male to female ratio was 1:1.27. 2. The age of the patients was mostly over 20 years and the mean age was 51 years in men and 40 years in women. 3. Tumors occurred most frequently in the lower extremity(38 cases), and followed by upper extremity(18 cases), head(2 cases), and trunk(1 case). Women had predominance of the legs in location site and men showed equal distribution in the lower and upper extremities.
Actins ; Angiomyoma* ; Coloring Agents ; Desmin ; Female ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Korea ; Leg ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Paraffin ; Pathology ; S100 Proteins ; Seoul ; Skin ; Smooth Muscle Tumor ; Upper Extremity

A 39-year-old male patient had multiple dark brownish colored conical protruding masses on the corona of glans penis and scrotum for 1 year and coincidently tinea cruris. The lesion of corona of glans penis was a 1.5*1.5cm sized mass and scrotal lesions were 0.3*0.3 to 0.5*0.5cm sized multiple masses. Histopathologic findings revealed characteristic findings of verruca vulgaris. Skin lesions were excised.
Adult ; Animals ; Horns* ; Humans ; Male ; Penis* ; Scrotum* ; Skin ; Tinea ; Warts

The cystic mesothelioma is a very rare tumor which has a clinically and histologically benign nature. Here in reported is the case of a cystic mesothelioma presented as a palpable mass of the inguinal area in a 28-year-old male. Ultrasound showed a cystic tumor at the inguinal canal, and the other physical and laboratory examinations were within normal limits. Grossly, the tumor consisted of cysts containing clear serous fluid and focally solid areas. Microscopically, the tumor was encapsulated with fibrocollagenous wall, and the tumor cells were cuboidal or polygonal epithelial cells with single or multiple layers and had clear cytoplasm. Some areas showed thyroid follicle-like structures. The content of follicle-like structures showed eosinophilia in the H&E section, but positive in mucin stain. Neither cytologic atypia nor mitoses were present. Immunohistochemical staining revealed positive reaction for keratins of low molecular weight, while negative for the thyroglobulin and CEA. These findings suggested mesothelial in origin. We concluded that this tumor was primary rather than metastatic, because he had no evidence of a tumor in gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts and scrotum.
Adult ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophilia ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Inguinal Canal ; Male ; Mesothelioma, Cystic* ; Mitosis ; Molecular Weight ; Mucins ; Scrotum ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland ; Ultrasonography

STUDY DESIGN: The preoperative and postoperative lateral radiograms and clinical results were analyzed in 22 cases of lumbar spinal stenosis with osteoporosis treated by posterior decompression and posterior lumbar interbody fusion. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficiency of the cage-instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion in lumbar spinal stenosis with osteoporosis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Problems in surgical treatment of osteoporotic spinal stenosis were early screw loosening and early reversal to the original deformity because of insufficient mechanical stability in the bone-screw interface, and special strategy is essential for transpedicle screwing to sustain axial and screw cut-up load applied by flexion-extension motion in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 22 cases of lumbar spinal stenosis with osteoporosis(Jikei grade I, II/III) from June 1996 to July 1998 with an average follow up period of 1.4 years. Inclusion criteria was combined segmental instability, deformity, spondylolisthesis and herniated nucleus pulposus with significant disc space narrowing. We asssessed the radiographic results of sagittal angle correction(SAC) of the instrumented segment and disc height restoration(DHR) on the preoperative, postoperative and last follow up lumbar lateral views, and clinical results according to the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. RESULTS: Postoperative mean SAC gain was 10degree(p<0.05) and mean SAC loss at last follow up was 1.1degree(p>0.05). Postoperative mean DHR gain was 21.3%(p<0.05) and mean SAC loss at last follow up was 3.9%(p>0.05). The clinical result was analyzed as 2 excellent(9.1%), 16 good(72.7%), 4 fair(18.2%) and no poor. There were 2 intraoperative complications of a dural tear and a nerve root injury and 2 postoperative complications of a transient radiculopathy and a pseudoarthrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Cage-instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion can be an option for the lumbar spinal stenosis with osteoporosis requiring instrumentation because of instability, deformity or postdiscectomy anterior column deficiency.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Intraoperative Complications ; Osteoporosis* ; Postoperative Complications ; Pseudarthrosis ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Spondylolisthesis ; Tears

Interstitial deletion of the long arm of the chromosome 7 is a well-defined syndrome which usually arises de novo. But there were few case reports in Korea. A male premature newborn infant that we have experienced had broad nasal bridge with bulbous nasal tip, large low-set ears, chorioretinal atrophy, hypoplasia of the aortic arch, micropenis, feeding difficuties and severe growth retardation, which are characteristic clinical features of the 7q deletion syndrome and confirmed to be a 7q-(q31qter) syndrome by chromosomal study.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Arm ; Atrophy ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; Ear ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male

Schwannoma (neurilemmoma) is a common, benign, nerve-sheath tumor, and has classically been described as having a biphasic histologic appearance with alternating areas of cellular (Antoni A) and loose myxoid (Antoni B) tissues. Neuroblastom-like schwannoma is an extremely rare variant, which shows giant rosette-mimicking neuroblastoma. It must be differentiated from neuroblastoma, hyalizing spindle-cell tumors with giant rosettes, peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors, dendritic cell neurofibroma with pseudorosette, and malignant changes of schwannoma. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of neuroblastoma-like schwannoma in Korea. We herein report a case of neuroblastoma-like schwannoma, along with a review of pertinent literature.
Dendritic Cells ; Korea ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neuroblastoma ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral ; Neurofibroma

Cytologic findings from five cases with variable types of Hodgkin's disease were reviewed with special emphasis on the Reed-Sternberg (R-S) cells and their variants, Typical R-S and Hodgkin's cells were mono- or binucleated, and nuclei had rounded smooth con- tour. Acidophilic prominent nucleoli with perinucleolar halo were conspicuous. In comparison to typical Reed-Sternberg cells, L & H (lymphocytic and histiocytic) cells in the lymphocyte predominant type tended to show pop-corn like irregular nuclear contour and to lack the prominent nucleoli. Lacunar cells in the nodular sclerosis type had multilobated nuclei with prominent acidophilic nucleoli. There was no prominent perinucleolar halo in L & H and lacunar cells. In conjuction with the number of Reed-Sternberg cells and back ground findings observed on the smears, the characteristic features of R-S cells and their variants allowed to make typing of Hodgkin's disease.
Epidemiologic Studies* ; Hodgkin Disease ; Lymphocytes ; Multiple Myeloma ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Reed-Sternberg Cells ; Sclerosis