The malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT) is an uncommon tumor containing epithelial and mesenchymal components. MMMT of the ovary is rare, constituting less than 1% of all primary ovarian tumors. It is a particularly aggressive and rapidly progressive tumor, especially in advanced stages. This disease is usually advanced when diagnosed, because it is asymptomatic in early stage. The survival rate is very low in spite of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The optimal treatment for this neoplasm is still controversial because of its rarity. We experienced one case of malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary and report with a brief review of literature.
Drug Therapy ; Female ; Ovary* ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

Mature cystic teratoma of the ovary is the most common ovarian germ cell tumor and almost benign, but malignant transformation occurs in less than 2% of benign mature teratoma. Of the malignancies arising in teratomas, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common (70-80%). The presentation in stage I disease dose not differ from that of benign cystic teratoma. In the early stage, the treatment is possible through surgical intervention alone. We experienced a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary arising in mature cystic teratoma, which is presented with a brief review of literature.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Ovary* ; Teratoma*

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a poorly understood condition characterized by gelatinous, mucinous implants, and often massive gelatinous ascites. It is commonly associated with mucinous tumors of the ovary or appendix, and a frequently relapsing and protracted disease. But, there are much confusion about its etiology, clinical manifestation, treatment, and prognosis. We experienced a case of pseudomyxoma peritonei originating from the borderline and microinvasive mucinous tumor of the ovary. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Appendix ; Female ; Gelatin ; Mucins ; Ovary ; Prognosis ; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei*

Arteriovenous malformation of the pelvic organ is a very rare cause of massive uterine bleeding. But, it is important to consider in the assessment of a patient with abnormal uterine bleeding because accurate diagnosis can allow appropriate treatment to be planned and avoid hysterectomy in women who wish to retain their reproductive capacity. This malformation may be congenital or acquired. In the past, the diagnosis is usually made retrospecively after hysterectomy, however, recently it may be made before management by ultrasound, doppler ultrasound, pelvic angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, etc. We have experienced two cases of arteriovenous malformation of the uterus, which is presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterus

OBJECTIVE: Acquisition of a proangiogenic environment is essential to the cervical cancer growth, invasion and metastasis, and the angiogenic phenotype in cervical cancer is strongly associated with clinical outcome. However, the regulation of the metastatic process in cervical cancer has not been well defined. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a representative angiogenesis suppressor whose loss or reduced expression has been frequently observed in many types of human neoplasms. In this study, we examined whether expression of TSP-1 is associated with clinicopathological features, including microvessel density and evaluated its prognostic significance in patients with cervical cancer. METHODS: The expression and mutation status of TSP-1 was examined by quantitative RT- and genomic PCR and RT-PCR-SSCP analysis and microvessel density was performed using immunohistochemical staining in 7 normal cervix and 37 cervical cancers. RESULTS: All normal cervix tissues express easily detetable levels of TSP-1 transcript in range of 1.41-1.62 (mean 1.51 +/- 0.07). In contrast to normal tissue, mRNA expression of TSP-1 in primary cancer was detected in range of 0.51-1.69 (mean 1.03 +/- 0.36), and 35.1% (13 of 37) of carcinomas expressed abnormally low levels of TSP-1 (p<0.05). Moreover, abnormal reduction of TSP-1 expression was more frequently observed in IIa-IIb cancer (60%, 6 of 10) compared to Ib cancer (25.9%, 7 of 27) (p<0.05). None of carcinoma tissues we tested showed abnormal reduction of TSP-1 gene level and no evidences for sequence alterations leading to amino acid substitution were identified, indicating that allelic deletion or mutational alteration of TSP-1 might be a rare event in cervical carcinogenesis. Microvessel density was significantly higher in tumors showing decreased expression of TSP-1 (abnormal low group: 11.3 +/- 5.06, others: 6.64 +/- 7.15) (p<0.05). To detect the possible deletion of the gene and the presence of sequence alteration in TSP-1 transcripts, we performed quantitative genomic PCR and RT-PCR-SSCP analysis. However, none of carcinoma tissues we tested showed abnormal reduction of TSP-1 gene level and no evidence for sequence alterations leading to amino acid substitution were identified. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that abnormal reduction of TSP-1 mRNA expression is frequent in cervical cancer and correlates with the malignant progression of cervical cancers. Our data also show that allelic deletion or mutational alteration of TSP-1 is rare in cervical cancers, suggesting that abnormal reduction of TSP-1 mRNA expression in cervical cancers might be caused by altered transcriptional down regulation of the gene, such as epigenetic gene silencing. The inverse correlation between TSP expression and microvessel density also indicates that decreased TSP-1 expression might be associated with an angiogenic phenotype in cervical cancer.
Amino Acid Substitution ; Carcinogenesis ; Cervix Uteri ; Down-Regulation ; Epigenomics ; Female ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Microvessels ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger* ; Thrombospondin 1* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Velopharyngeal incompetence is rare and difficult to diagnose, especially if there is no structural or neurologic cause for it. The authors have recently experienced a case of unexplained velopharyngeal incompetence in a 67-year old female patient with terminal-staged breast cancer (T4N2M1), who had received surgery before but failed. During her hospitalization for palliative treatment, the patient was referred to our department for hypernasality, nasal regurgitation and poor oral intake. Although clinical evaluations were completed to find the causes of velopharyngeal incompetence, no definite causes were found. Authors performed a palatopharyngoplasty with the superiorly based pharyngeal flap and her symptoms were cured. We report our case with a brief review of the literatures.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Muscular Diseases ; Palliative Care ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Surgical Flaps ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence and cloning of differentially expressed genes in human female normal myometrium and uterine leiomyoma tissue. METHODS: In this experiment, human uterus tissues (n=25) were taken for total RNA isolation by using Trizol reagent. Differential display was performed by using GeneFishingTM DEG Kit and processed to cDNA sequencing and gene cloning for Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1). Data were analyzed with the image Master VDS software and statistical significance was defined as p<0.05 by paired t test results. RESULTS: FSTL1 mRNA expression level was significantly higher (p<0.05) in normal and adjacent normal myometrium tissues than uterine leiomyoma tissue of women in the reproductive age. Whereas in the menopausal age, FSTL1 mRNA expression level was significantly higher (p<0.05) in uterine leiomyoma than normal myometrium. There was no significant differences between uterine leiomyoma and adjacent normal myometrium. CONCLUSION: Although the mechanisms of FSTL1 gene were uncertain, FSTL1 seemed to play an important role in the growth of uterine leiomyoma, it also might be related to the regulation of uterine leiomyoma growth inhibiting factors by modulating Follistatin related protein gene (FLRG) system.
Animals ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA, Complementary ; Female ; Follistatin ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Mice ; Myometrium* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Uterus

BACKGROUND/AIMS: When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, it is important to help both the patient and their family members gain knowledge and confidence with regard to self-management. A diabetes camp is an excellent way to recognize the benefits of education. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diabetes camp on patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This study comprised 30 patients with diabetes who had participated in a diabetes camp from August 2005 through August 2011. The effectiveness of the diabetes camp was examined retrospectively via clinical parameters, compliance behavior, and a self-esteem questionnaire. RESULTS: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; p = 0.004) was significantly decreased, while measures of self-esteem (p = 0.000) and compliance (p = 0.001) were significantly increased after attending the camp. No significant differences were observed in other clinical parameters, such as weight, body mass index (BMI), and lipid profiles, before and after camp attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes camp may be an effective way to control diabetes mellitus.
Body Weight ; Camping ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Self Care

Phosphate regulating gene with homologies to endopeptidases on the X-chromosome (PHEX) is a common cause of X-linked hypophosphatemic (XLH) rickets. Diverse PHEX gene mutations have been reported; however, gene mutations in sporadic rickets are less common than in XLH rickets. Herein, we describe a 50-year-old female patient with sporadic hypophosphatemic rickets harboring a novel splicing-site mutation in the PHEX gene (c.663+1G>A) at the exon 5-intron 5 boundary. The patient had recently suffered from right thigh pain and an aggravated waddling gait. She also presented with very short stature, generalized bone pain, and muscle weakness. Despite low serum phosphate levels, her phosphate reabsorption rate was lower than normal. Additionally, her 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentration was lower than normal, although FGF23 level was normal. After treatment with alfacalcidol and elemental phosphate, her rachitic symptoms subsided, and callus formation was observed in the fracture site on the right femur.
Bony Callus ; Calcitriol ; Endopeptidases ; Exons ; Female ; Femur ; Gait ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Weakness ; Rickets ; Rickets, Hypophosphatemic* ; Thigh

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the necessity of colposcopically directed biopsy for more accurate detection of cervical neoplasm. METHODS: Cytology and colposcopically directed biopsy were performed in 114 patients and the patients were subsequently underwent conization or hysterectomy from January, 1998 to December, 2001. RESULTS: The complete diagnostic agreement of cytology with permanent biopsy was 57.9% (66 of 114) and the diagnostic agreement within one degree was 80.6% (92 of 114). The complete diagnostic agreement of colposcopically directed biopsy with permanent biopsy was 62.3% (71 of 114) and the diagnostic agreement within one degree was 85.1% (97 of 114). The difference between two tests was statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that colposcopically directed biopsy can reduce the false negative rate of cytology for screening test of cervical neoplasm. The difference between colposcopically directed biopsy and permanent biopsy was caused by inappropriate resection of the lesion and unskilled physician.
Biopsy* ; Conization ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Mass Screening ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms