Thymic cyst is relatively rare tumor which usually occurs in the neck or mediastinum. Cervical thymic cyst is usually situated laterally and deep to the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, simulating a branchial cyst. Thymic cyst of the mediastinum is usually detected incidentally and differential diagnoses include cystic degeneration of thymoma, and cystic teratoma. Two case of a cervical and a mediastinal thymic cysts were reported. The one was a cervical thymic cyst developed slowly growing mass in a 53-year-old male a for 10 years. The cyst was unilocular and measures 5.4x2.9x2.8 cm with columnar or squamous cell linings. The other is a mediastinal thymic cyst developed in a 37-year-old female with chest discomfort for 7 months. The cyst was uniocular and measures 2.8x2.2x2.0 cm. The epithelial lining of the cyst was largely desquamated and covered by macrophages with cholesterol granuloma. Involutional thymic stissue in their walls were noted in both cysts. In both cases presence of thymic tissue in the wall of the cyst thought to be the most important diagnostic feature.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cysts

No abstract available.
Acanthoma*

Large-cell acanthoma is a generally hyperkeratotic, sharply demarcated patch on sun-exposed skin with the outstanding pathologic feature being composed of large, relatively uniform keratinocytes. We describe a case of large-cell acanthoma that involved the skin of the nasal bridge. Patient was a 56-year-old women with a tannish brown patch, 2 cm in size and of 5 years' duration. Controversial issues about nosologic entity of large cell acanthoma are discussed.
Female ; Humans

Primary chondrosarcoma of the lung is an extremely rare tumor, and classified into two types, tracheobronchial & lung variety. The tracheobronchial variety is usually localized and lacked lymph nodal or distant spread with good prognosis. The lung variety tends to be more invasive associated with mediastinal lymph node involvement and thoracic metastasis. Authors experienced a case of primary chondrosarcoma, lung variety, of the lung involving left lower lobe with thoracic metastasis, not yet reported in Korean literatures. The patient was 55-year-old Korean female and chief complaints were cough, dyspnea & chest pain. Pathologically, it was confused with the metastatic adenocarcinoma in the first pleural fluid cytology. But bronchoscopic biopsy revealed typical morphology of chondrosarcoma with concentric growth encircling the bronchial tree and partial destruction of the bronchiols, suggesting its primary origin. Later pleural biopsy and aspiration materials during ches tube insertion revealed also metastatic chondrosarcoma. Radiologic studies were also campatible findings to chondrosarcoma. After admision, the patient underwent progressively downhill course & expired at 31st hospital day.
Female ; Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Neoplasm Metastasis

This report concerns a rare malignant smooth muscle neoplasm of the skin and the subcutaneous tissue, which was examined immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. It occured in a 48-year-old female patient who had suffered from painful nodules on the left shoulder. The nodules were removed and diagnosed as a benign fibrohistiocytic tumor. One year after local excision, multiple nodules were detected by physical examination at the previous operation site. Grossly, thirteen well-defined small nodules had spread in the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue, of which nine were located from lower dermis to the subcutaneous tissue and four were in the subcutaneous tissue. Histologically, each nodule consisted mainly of epithelioid tumor cells having eosinophilic or clear plump cytoplasm and round to oval nuclei with small nucleoli, and some peripheral spindle tumor cells. The tumor cells were negative for PAS reaction with and without diastase digestion or alcian blue. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells showed actin filaments and dense bodies in cytoplasm. This case was diagnosed as an epithelioid leiomyosarcoma of the skin and the subcutaneous tissue with local metastasis one year after local excision.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Actins ; Alcian Blue ; Amylases ; Cytoplasm ; Dermis ; Digestion ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction ; Physical Examination ; Shoulder ; Skin* ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Recently, inireaing numbers of chemotherapeutic agens are being used to treat cancer patients. Mucocutaeous complications are commonly sen in association with the administration of these medicaticins. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a study in cancer chemotherapy patient so determine the suspected chemotherapeutic agents ancl frequency of various mucocutaneous side effects in these patients. METHODS: The study involved 140 patients admitted from Decerrae 1993 to September 1994 for cancer chemot herapy at Korea University Guro Hospital. RESULTS: The mucocutaneous side effects during chemotherapy were alopecia(55%), hyperpig mentation(32.9%), stomatitis(20%), phlebitis(12.9%), flushing(8.6%) descending order. Visual grade II, IV alopecia patients were most common, but as the chemot retpy cycle increased so, the severer the alopecia. Although the onset of the alopecia were variake many patients experienced alopcia within 17 to 24 days after the start of chemotherapy. Serpeitie supravenous fluorouracil hyperpigmentation were commor,(17.9%), Diffuse and longitudinal or horizontal band like nail pigmentation were observed, and, pigmented macules were also observei, epecially on the palms and digits. Stomatitis usually developed within 10 days after the start of chemotherapy and it persist ed for about 7 days and the most of the lesions were resolved spor Laeously. Other clinical manifestations accompanied with chmotherapy were tinea infection(16.4%), acne(7.1%), oral thrush (7%), white nail band(4.3%), pruritus(2.9%) in descending order. CONCLUSION: So, physiciars need to be aware of the widely divergnal cutaneous reactions which may occur with the use of antiancer medications.
Alopecia ; Candidiasis, Oral ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Korea ; Pigmentation ; Stomatitis ; Tinea

BACKGROUND: A clinical trial was performed to evaluate the antihypertensive efficacy and side effects of amlodipine, a new long-action calcium antagonist, in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension as measured by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. METHODS AND RESULTS: 1) The study patients consisted of 4 men and 6 women, and the mean age was 51 years. Amlodipine monotherapy(5~10mg) was continued for 4 weeks, and blood pressure was measured by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. 2) A smooth and sustained lowering of blood pressure was clearly achieved without affecting the circadian rhythm throughout dosing interval. The mean-pressure drop was 21.2/13.7mmHg after 4 weeks of amlodipine monotherapy. 3) The ambulatory pulse rate revealed virtually identical average hourly pulses during the recording period before and after amlodipine treatment. 4) All of the laboratory parameters including blood chemistry, glucose, lipid and electrolytes did not change significantly after 4 weeks of amlodipine monotherapy. 5) Amlodipine therapy resulted in minimal side effects that were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily amlodipine monotherapy with 5 to 10mg in controlling blood pressure throughout each 24-h cycle is effective and well tolerated in the patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.
Amlodipine* ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Blood Pressure* ; Calcium ; Chemistry ; Circadian Rhythm ; Electrolytes ; Female ; Glucose ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male

Adult intussusception is rare involving of only 1% of the causes of bowel obstruction. We report a case of a 39-year-old female with intussusceptions due to inverted Meckel's diverticulum. She visited our hospital for diffuse abdominal pain during 1 week and aggravated abdominal pain for 2 days. Vital signs were stable, and there was periumbilical tenderness. She had no history of abdominal operation. CT scan showed a 3.7x2.1 cm of fatty mass with focal intussusception in the distal ileum. When the emergency operation was performed, the patient was found to be suffering from ileocolic intussusception. A manual reduction of intussusception showed inverted Meckel's deverticulum at 65 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve, and the segmental resection of small bowel including a Meckel's diverticulum was performed. Pathologic examination revealed a Meckel's diverticulum containing a 0.6x0.6 cm sized aberrant pancreas.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Ileum ; Intussusception ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Pancreas ; Stress, Psychological ; Vital Signs

Lovastatin is a potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, which catalyzes the conversion of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A to mevalonate, anearly and rate-limiting step in the synthesis of cholesterol. We studied the therapeutic effect and safety of lovastatin in 18 patients with nonfamilial primary hypercholesterolemia. Patients received 20mg/day lovastatin therapy as a single evening dose. If the total cholesterol level exceeded 200mg/dl after 2weeks of lovastatin therapy, the dosage of lovastatin was doubled. Mean percent total cholesterol level reductions from baseline were 26.4% and 31.9% after 4, and 8 weeks of lovastatin therapy respectively. Mean percent HDL-cholesterol level increase from baseline were 12% and 13% after 4, and 8 weeks of lovastatin therapy respectively. Adverse effects attributable to lovastatin were mild and temporary and no patient was withdrawn from therapy. We concluded that lovastatin was a well tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of nonfamilial primary hypercholesterolemia. Further studies are needed to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of this drug.
Cholesterol ; Coenzyme A ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Lovastatin ; Mevalonic Acid ; Oxidoreductases

The well-known androgen-regulated homeobox gene, NKX3.1, is located on the short arm of chromosome 8. It is the first known prostate epithelium-specific marker, and is a transcription factor involved in development of the testes and prostate. In addition to specifying the prostate epithelium and maintaining normal prostate secretory function, Nkx3.1 is an established marker for prostate cancer. Over the years, however, this gene has been implicated in various other cancers, and technological advances have allowed determination of its role in other cellular functions. Nkx3.1 has also been recently identified as a factor capable of replacing Oct4 in cellular reprogramming. This review highlights the role of this tumor suppressor and briefly describes its functions, ranging from prostate development to maintenance of stemness and cellular reprogramming.