BACKGROUND: Pilomatricoma(Benign calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe) is a uncommon benign tumor with differentiation toward hair cortex cells. It commonly manifests itself as a firm, deep seated nodule with normal Overlying skin, However, anetodermic cutaneous changes have also been described in the literature since 1943. Although the authors hypothesized this phenomenon as a chronic mechanical irritation or a step of transepidermal elimination of the tumoral mass, distinctive elucidation of pathomechanism of it remained. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical and histopathologic features of 25 cases with pilomatricoma and to elucidate pathomechanism of the anetodermic cutaneous changes through the comparison of the anetodermic pattern of overlying skin with the changes of the tumoral mass or collagen and elastic fibers in the dermis. METHODS: Twenty-five cases with pilomatricoa have been collected at Chunganam National University Hospital and Kongju Medical Center during 15 years and 5 years, respectively, And we studied the clinical and histopathological characteristics of patients and tried to reveal the relationship between the cutaneous manifestations and the histologic changes through the test for independence. RESULTS: 1. In the age distribution, the patients lesser than 30 years old was 23 cases(92%). The mean age was 18.9 years old. The ratio of males to females was 1 : 2.6. 2. The duration of lesions was from 2 months to 7 years, with the mean duration of 11 months. The predilection sites were arm(40%), face(28%), neck(12%), shoulder(8%), scalp(4%) and back(4%) in order. All lesions were hard in consistency, and were from bean to walnut sized. Clinically, 10 cases (40%) showed reddish discoloration and/or anetodermic cutaneous changes. 3. Histopathologically, the typical patterns of pilomatricoma were commonly located at the dermis (23 cases) and consisted of the shadow cells predominantly(21 cases). Calcium deposits(21 cases, 84%) were noted within the shadow cells. Eight cases(32%) had the tumoral maese demarcated with fibrous capsules, and the foreign body reaction with giant cells and chronic mononuclear cell infiltrations around the shadow cells ruptured the fibrous capsules in 17 cases(68%). 4. When we compared the relationship between the inflammatory cell infiltrations around the tumoral mass and the changes of dermal collagen and elastic fibers, we observed that the changes of dermal fibers and foreign body reaction and mononuolear cell infiltrations were statistically co-related. When compared the cutaneous changes with the inflammatory cell infiltrations of the tumoral masses, we could also reveal that the anetodermic cutaneous changes of the overlying skin might be influenced by the foreign body reactions with chronic mononulcer cell. Based on the status of foreing body reaction, the average of onset was inversely proportional to the average of age. CONCLUSION: Pilomatricomas are slowly growing, firm, deep seated benign tumor which occurs commonly on the arm, face and neck. However, they often showed the anetodermic changes on the overlying skin. Anetodermic cutaneous changes or discoloration may be correlated with the degree of foreign body reactions without the evidences of transepidermal elimination histopathologically.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Arm ; Calcium ; Capsules ; Carcinoma ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Giant Cells ; Hair ; Humans ; Juglans ; Male ; Neck ; Pilomatrixoma* ; Skin

The effect of norepinephrine and phentolamine on the diameter of spinal pial arteries in rabbits was studied by topical microapplication of the drug to the perivascular environment. Arterial diameter was determined with the micrometer eyepiece on operating microscope through laminectomized area. Changes of physiological parameters(PaO2, PaCO2, blood pH, and systolic blood pressure) were not significant during all of the experiments. 1) Application of nerepinephrine over the range of 5x10(-8)M to 5x10(-3)M to the spinal pial arteries resulted in significant constriction of the vessels, with the exception of 5x10(-8)M. The dose-response curve showed a maximal constriction 30.5+/-7.1% at 5x10(-3)M. 2) Phentolamine produced no significant vasodilatation. 3) The vasoconstriction due to microapplication of norepinephrine was prevented by the inclusion of an equimolar concentration of the alpha-adrenergic blocker, phentolamine. 4) The vasoconstriction due to norepinephrine was evident while the concentration of norepinephrine was more than that of phentolamine. Furthermore the degree of vasoconstriction was proportional to the concentration of norepinephrine. The results indicate that alpha-adrenergic receptors are present in the smooth muscle of spinal pial arteries for the sympathetic control of blood flow to the spinal cord.
Arteries* ; Constriction ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Muscle, Smooth ; Norepinephrine* ; Phentolamine* ; Rabbits ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha ; Spinal Cord ; Vasoconstriction ; Vasodilation

Open tracheostomy has been indicated for patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation or respiratory care in order to avoid lots of complications during long-term endotracheal intubation. Because there are a number of disadvantages and serious complications in standard open tracheostomy, a simpler, safe and minimally invasive procedure such as percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) and translaryngeal tracheostomy (TLT) were introduced as an appropriate procedure that can be administered at bedside. In terms of prevention of complications, minimal invasive tracheostomy techniques are more advisable for post open heart surgery patients. After two failed attempts at respirator weaning, we experienced a successful TLT for a 71-year-old male patient with intractable post CABG pneumonia post-op 15 days in an intensive care unit. During and post-TLT courses were not eventful. The cannula was removed 2 weeks after TLT and the patient was subsequently discharged to ward.
Aged ; Catheters ; Heart* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Male ; Pneumonia ; Respiration, Artificial ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Tracheostomy* ; Ventilator Weaning

This study has been examined different morphologic measurements in the evaluation of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Preoperative CT-Myelography from 30 patients who underwent surgery for central lumbar stenosis were analyzed. Based on this, we concluded as follows : 1) Bony measurement alone did not reliably identify patients with spinal stenosis. 2) Measurement of the transverse area of the dural sac on CT-Myelography was the most accurate method for identifying stenosis. 3) Lumbar myelography was still considered to have an important role in the valuation of a patient with stenosis because of correlation between the cross-sectional area of the dural sac and the anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac was excellent. 4) We identified soft-tissue problems as the main cause of stenosis. 5) The most common level of maximum stenosis was L4-5.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Myelography* ; Spinal Stenosis*

A synophthalmia, another form of cyclopia, in which the element of the two eyes are partially fused to form an apparently single eye in the middle of the forehead. The synophthalmia is a result of complex, neural plate misdevelopment syndrome involving the eye, brain, skull and face. It is well known that synophthalmia is due to heterogenous causes, most of which chromosomal imbalances. We experienced a case of synophthalmia associated with proboscis, alobar holoprosencephaly and chromosomal anomaly 46, XX, -15,t (15 q, 21 q). Diagnosis was confirmed by brain MRI and autopsy, The patient died about 20 hours of age and autopsy was done. A brief review of the literatures was also presented.
Autopsy ; Brain ; Diagnosis ; Forehead ; Holoprosencephaly ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neural Plate ; Skull

Paget's disease is classified, according to location, as mammary or extramammary disease. Extramammary Paget's disease especially in the vulva is extremely rare. Several hundred cases have been described worldwide. Patients with Paget's disease of the vulva are usually white and postmenopausal. The cause of which remains elusive. A case of vulva Paget's disease is presented with brief review of literature.
Humans ; Paget Disease, Extramammary ; Vulva

Visualization of falx cerebri on non-enhanced CT of children with severe head injuries (the falx sign) has been regarded as an evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage. On the contrary, other authors have reported reverse results. To evaluate clinical significance of the falx sign, authors studied frequency of visualization and CT number of falx cerebri and dural sinuses in 65 children with head injury and 65 children without head injury examined by cranial CT at the Dep. of Radiology, St. Paul's Hospital, Catholic Medical College from March to Sept. 1981. All patients with head trauma were studied within 1 week of the traumatic event. Visualization of falx cerebri was observed at slice in the region of lateral ventricle and slice near to vertex respectively. On the slice in the region of lateral ventricle, falx cerebri was identified in 82% of all of the children examined, of which 92%showed partial visualization of falx cerebri and remaining 8% totally. On the slice near to vertex, falx cerebri was identified in 92% of all the children examined, of which 38% showed partial visualization of falx cerebri and remaining 62% totally. In head trauma group, frequency of visualization of falx cerebri was 78% on the slice in the region of lateral ventricle and 89% on the slice near to vertex; in non-traumatic group, frequency of visualization of falx cerebri was 86% and 94% respectively. The highest numerical value of the falx densities averaged 47 Hounflieds (range, 32-63) in non-traumataic group, averaged 49 Housfields (range, 32-69) in head trauma group. All or a portion of the superior sagittal sinus was visualized in 59% of all of the cases studied, 50% in head trauma group, and 69% in nontraumatic group. The straight sinus was identified in 45% of all of the cases studied, 39% in head trauma group, and 51% in non-traumatic group. In conclusion, there was no distinction between head trauma and non-traumatic group in visualization of falx cerebri and dural sinuses, and we could frequently identify the falx density in normal. Also we could find that frequency for visualization of falx cerebri and drual sinuses increased as the age increased.
Child ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Spinal Cord ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Superior Sagittal Sinus

The diffuse large B-cell lymphoma category of the Revised European American Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms (REAL) encompasses different morphologic lymphoma subtypes in a single entity, especially the diffuse large cell (DLC) and the immunoblastic (IBL) subtypes by Working Formulation (WF). The aim of this study is to determine the influence of the morphologic subdivision within this category with respect to clinical outcome and proliferative index using Ki-67 immunostainig combined with image analysis. We retrospectively reviewed 74 patients from 1990 to 1996, who were diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. All cases were reclassified according to REAL and Working Formulation (WF), and Ki-67 immunostaining was performed in all the cases. Fifty-eight cases (78.4%) were classified as DLC and 16 cases (21.6%) as IBL, according to WF. Twenty one cases (28.4%) showed nodal involvement and 53 cases (71.6%), extranodal involvement. All cases were found to display a variable degree of nuclear Ki-67 staining. A proliferative index of 50% or higher identified a group of patients (77%) who had poor clinical results. Overall survival was significantly reduced in these patients displaying high Ki-67 associated proliferative index compared to those with a low proliferative index (p=0.007). 5-year survival estimates were 93% in the low proliferative index group and 55% in the high proliferative index group. A multivariate regression analysis incorporating commonly used clinical prognostic factors confirmed the independent effect of proliferation index on survival. Moreover, all of the 16 IBL cases showed Ki-67 positivity of 50% or higher, which correlates with the poor clinical outcome compared to 70.7% of DLC (p=0.014). We conclude that subdivision of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma category of the REAL classification is necessary in terms of prognostic significance in correlation with Ki-67 proliferative index.
B-Lymphocytes* ; Classification ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Retrospective Studies

Angiodysplasia is a vascular lesion of the gut, which reveals intestinal bleeding as a major symptom. It is the cause of as much as 5~6% of the intestinal bleeding of unkown origin. Pathologically, it reveals anomalous submucosal vascular overgrowth, which is characterized by tortuous, dilated and thin-walled vessels. Because the lesion is mainly submucosal. It is hard to diagnosis with endoscopy and even in laparotpmy. Angiography has a low detection rate for angiodysplasia, but some of this typical findings are delayed excretion of dye into the venous structure around the lesion, vascular tuft in the arterial phase, and accelerated dye secretion into venous structure in the situation of arteriovenous malformation. Endoscopy, especially colonoscopy is so effective a diagnostic method as to make interventional therapy. Conjugated estrogen therapy is effective and is regarded as choice of treatment in the not-life-threatening intestinal bleeding caused by angiodysplasia. Surgery is only indicated in the case of uncontrolled bleeding. Intestinal obstruction has rarely been reported as another manifestation of intestinal angiodysplasia. Therefore pathologic definition should be confirmed, and research for pathophysiology of mucosal hypertrophy in the angiodysplasia is needed.
Angiodysplasia* ; Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Colitis, Ischemic* ; Colonoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Estrogens ; Hemorrhage ; Hypertrophy ; Intestinal Obstruction

BACKGROUND: Correlations between the AFP, CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 levels of portal and peripheral blood were examined in 42 patients (male, 29; female, 13; mean age, 55.9) with gastric cancer in order to identify a better blood sample for measuring these tumor markers. METHODS: The levels of these tumor markers were measured by the immunoradiometric assay. The cut-off levels of positivity were 6 ng/ml for AFP, 7 ng/ml for CEA, 25 U/ml for CA19-9, and 35 U/ml for CA125. RESULTS: The positive rates of AFP, CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 were 11.9%, 19.0%, 14.3%, and 7.1% in portal blood and 9.5%, 19.0%, 14.3%, and 4.8% in peripheral blood, respectively. The positive rate of portal venous CEA was significantly higher in cases with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and lymphatic invasion than those without these variables. The positive rate of peripheral venous CEA was significantly higher in cases with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, high stages, and large tumor size. The positive rate of peripheral venous CA19-9 was higher in cases with distant metastasis. The positive rate of CA125 in portal and peripheral blood was higher in cases of lymphatic invasion. Neither portal nor peripheral AFP correlated with pathologic factors. Regression analysis revealed that the portal venous levels of AFP, CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 could be estimated by using the peripheral venous levels of these tumor markers. CONCLUSION: We can avoid intraoperative sampling of portal blood to measure the portal venous levels of AFP, CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 because the peripheral venous level of these tumor markers reflects the portal venous levels. The measurement of peripheral venous levels of CEA and CA19-9 can be used as non-anatomical prognostic indicators for staging of gastric cancer.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoradiometric Assay ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach Neoplasms*