Twelve cases of Wilms tumor proved by histological examination are recorded and the literature is reviewed because of the paucity of the reports on this neoplasm occurring in Koreans. The average age incidence was 4.2 years; the youngest patient was 9 months of age and the oldest one was 23 years of age. Three fourths of the patients were children under three years of age. Seven were males and five were females. The incidence of Wilms tumor among all renal cancers was 57 per cent and this is much higher than that reported in the foreign literature. This high incidence may be attributed to a much higher incidence of this neoplasm among Korean infants and children. The most prominent clinical finding was abdominal swelling and a palpable mass, but fever, hypertension, irritability, hematuria and cough were other common symptoms. Hypertension was encountered in 89 per cent of the cases. The common laboratory findings were anemia, leukocytosis, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and proteinuria. Gross and microscopic findings are described. All specimens were much 1arger than the normal kidney. The largest specimen, kidney plus tumor, weighed 1,800 gm. The tumors were composed of well formed tubules. solid islands of dark staining undifferentiated cells presumably of mesoblastic origin and various elements of stromal cells. The proportion of each element varied markedly from case to case and also in different parts of the same tumor. Nests of squamous cells, some of them forming pearls, and cystic structures identical with epidermal cysts were observed in three of our 12 cases, but unequivocal striated muscle cells as well as bone or cartilage were found in none of our cases. Some nests of squamous cells observed in tubules suggested that they were derived from metaplasia of the lining epithelium.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Human ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Nephroblastoma/*epidemiology/pathology ; Urography

We have clinically observed 39 patients with abdominal tumors who were admitted in Severance Hospital during the past 10 years from April 1960 to March 1970. Unfortunately follow-up study couldn't be made. The following results were obtained. 1) Of the total number observed, 25 patients were male and 14 patients female. 2) The majority of the patients, 34 (87%) were under 6 years of age and 20 (51%) were between 1 to 3 years of age. The youngest patient was a 3-month-old female with Wilms' tumor. 3) In our series, Wilms' tumor (15 cases, 38.5%) was the most common and neuroblastoma (8 cases) was next most common tumor in the abdominal cavity. In addition we found another 4 cases of neuroblastoma in other sites. We observed hepatoma (8cases), ovarian tumor (3cases), lymphosarcoma (2cases), mesenteric cyst (one case) and adenoma of the left adrenal gland (one case) in that order of frequency. 4) In 15patients with Wilms' tumor, hypertension was observed in 8 patients and hematuria in 4 patients. Compared with Wilms' tumor, no hematuria was noted in the cases with neuroblastoma and hypertension occurred in 3 of these. 5) On abdominal X-ray, calcification was present in 4 cases with neuroblastoma (50%) and was present in only one of 15 patients with Wilms' tumor. 6) Comparing the sites of metastasis between Wilms' tumor and neuroblastoma, 4 of 15 patients with Wilms' tumor had lung metastasis and 4 of 8 patients of neuroblastoma had bony metastasis. Liver metastasis was found at autopsy in one case of neuroblastoma. 7) Three cases of hepatoblastoma were under 2 years of age and three cases of hepatocarcinoma were over 12 years of age. 8) Three cases of ovarian tumor were benign cystic teratoma. Tortion of the ovarian pedicle occurred in one of 3 patients with severe low abdominal pain. All patients were discharged in good condition after salphingo-oophorectomy. 9) One case of lymphosarcoma of the ileum was associated with intussusception. 10) A one year o1d female with adenoma of the left adrenal gland had typical Cushing's syndrome.
Abdominal Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Adolescent ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/epidemiology ; Male ; Mesenteric Cyst/epidemiology ; Nephroblastoma/epidemiology ; Neuroblastoma/epidemiology ; Ovarian Neoplasms/epidemiology