OBJECTIVE: To document our experience of the vascular anomalies or variants in paraaortic region and intend to increase vigilance among the gynecological surgeons for presence of variable vascular anomalies or variants. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 280 patients with various gynecologic malignancies who had undergone systemic laparotomic or laparoscopic paraaortic lymphadenectomy between November 2003 and July 2011. RESULTS: We discovered total nine patients of vascular anomalies during the surgery. Seven patients had an accessory polar renal artery. One patient had a duplicated inferior vena cava and the other had a right paravertebral vein. There were no vascular complications such as tearing, ligation or transection. CONCLUSION: It is not uncommon to encounter vascular anomalies in paraaortic region during the lymphadenectomy. Hence, the gynecological surgeons must be cognizant of various vascular anomalies occurring within this area to reduce the vascular accidents.
Humans ; Ligation ; Lymph Node Excision ; Renal Artery ; Retrospective Studies ; Veins ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Four trials of external quality assessment in diagnostic hematology were performed in 2008 with average 822 participating laboratories in Korea. We performed quality assessment for white blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, platelet count, blood cell morphology, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. The response rate was more than 96.5%. The coefficients of variation in hemoglobin, hematocrit and RBC was stable but variable in platelet count and WBC count according to measuring cell count. Test results of blood cell morphology showed variation among various cell morphologies.
Blood Cells ; Cell Count ; Erythrocyte Count ; Hematocrit ; Hematology ; Hemoglobins ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Platelet Count ; Prothrombin Time

BACKGROUND: A mummy is a dead body of a human being or an animal that has been preserved artificially or naturally from decaying. Because the natural environment of Korea isn't appropriate for mummification and Korean people haven't artificially made mummies, mummies were rarely studied in Korea. METHODS: On September 6, 2002, a well-preserved female mummy was found in the grave of a family in Kyunggi-do. She was submitted to a thorough autopsy examination along with the review of genealogical documents. RESULTS: The mummy died in winter. She was pregnant and the fetal head was observed at the vaginal orifice. The uterine wall was ruptured, and the peritoneum was discolored, probably by hemorrhage. Histologically, the gastric mucosa was well preserved. On the smear cytology of gastrointestinal material and the fluid from the coffin, pollens and parasitic eggs were observed. The woman seemed to be death from hypovolemic shock due to uterine rupture during the 2nd phase of labor. CONCLUSION: From this case, we concluded the causes of the woman's mummification included the cold and dry circumstance at the time of her death, and the thick mortared wall of the grave that completely isolated the body from the outside.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Eggs ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gyeonggi-do ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Korea ; Mummies ; Ovum ; Paleopathology ; Peritoneum ; Pollen ; Pregnant Women* ; Shock ; Uterine Rupture

Multiple primary malignant neoplasm means that more than 2 cancers are independently developed in one individual. In general, the neoplasms are diagnosed simultaneously or within 6 month interval. Simultaneous presentation of carcinomas involving ovary and uterus is not a common event and presents a diagnostic dilemma when they are of the same histology. We experienced a rare case of multiple primary malignant neoplasm involving the uterine endometrium and the ovary synchronously. Thus we report this case with a review of literatures.
Endometrium* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Uterus

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a poorly understood condition characterized by mucinous ascites and multifocal peritoneal mucinous tumors. Pseudomyxoma peritonei is most commonly associated with mucinous tumors of the ovary and appendix. When two lesions are morphologically similar, it is difficult to determine whether one reflects a metastasis or whether the tumors are independent. Many studies concluded that most cases in which both the appendix and ovary were involved were primary appendiceal tumor with secondary involvement of the ovary, but we have experienced one case of pseudomyxoma peritonei originated from independent primary borderline mucinous tumors of the ovary and appendix. So we report this case with the brief review of literatures
Appendix* ; Ascites ; Female ; Mucins* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovary* ; Pseudomyxoma Peritonei*

Sialosyl Tn mucin antigen (STn) is a carbohydrate antigen of tumor associated mucin formed by the premature 2~6 sialation of N-acetylgalactosamine. STn has been expressed in several tumor types and showed prognostic significance in colonic carcinoma. The authors evaluated the expression of STn immunohistochemically and correlated its expression with clinicopathologic variables in 100 gastric cancers. In early gastric cancer, STn was expressed in 24 cases out of 50 cases (48%). In advanced gastric cancer, STn was expressed in 48 of 50 (96%). The difference in STn expression between advanced gastric cancer and early gastric cancer was statistically significant. The difference in STn expression between tumors with lymph node metastasis and those without lymph node metastasis, between tubular adenocarcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma, and between intestinal type and diffuse type adenocarcinoma was statistically insignificant in early or advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that the STn expression plays a role in the tumor progression in both early and advanced gastric adenocarcinomas.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; Colon ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucins* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

Laparoscopic surgery has recently extended its indications and it has also become an acceptable surgical approach for splenectomy. In the last five years, we have performed 40 laparoscopic splenectomies for immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Thirty-five patients were female and 5 patients were male. The mean age was 34, varying from 17 to 56. After learning to perform laparoscopic splenectomy with five ports, we are now usually using three or four ports in a right lateral kidney position. There was no case of conversion to exploratory laparotomy. The mean hospital stay was 7 days. There was no perioperative mortality; but in 2 cases we had postoperative subphrenic abscesses which were successfully managed by catheter drainage. Since undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy, 28 patients (70%) were weaned effectively from their steroid medications. Eight patients (20%) have been on small doses of steroid, and 4 patients (10%) have been on the same doses of steroid with no response. The patient group with rapidly increasing platelet count after splenectomy showed a statistically significant relation with the complete response group (p < 0.001). Laparoscopic splenectomy is a safe and reasonable operative procedure for patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
Adolescence ; Adult ; Female ; Human ; Laparoscopy* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/surgery* ; Splenectomy*

Gastrointestinal polyposis (GIP) is a rare disease characterized by formation of the numerous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and presenting several extraintestinal manifestations. Most of the diseases are transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. In Korea, the epidemiological study as well as the pathological analysis of the GIP is not well established. We therefore analysed 38 items of GIP using surgically resected specimens. The materials in this study were collected from the 12 institutions and case reports in Korean literature between 1980 and 1991. The clinicopathologic findings were reevaluated by several members of the study group for gastrointestinal pathology. The results are as follows: (1) A total of 112 cases were included in this study: 83 cases were collected from 12 institutions and 29 cases were collected from Korean literature. The cases were classified as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), 59 cases; Gardner's syndrome, 3 cases; juvenile polyposis, 12 cases; Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, 35 cases; multiple colonic adenomas, 3 cases. (2) Among 59 cases of FAP, the range of age at operation was 14 to 61 years, and a family history was positive in 25 cases. The number of polyps in colorectum was 100~8,000. Of the 37 cases in which the examination of polyp density was available, 16 cases (43%) showed the highest density in the rectum and the sigmoid colon. The carcinomatous change within polyp(s) was present in 18 cases (31%), and associated advanced single or multiple colonic carcinomas existed in 37 cases (63%). Twenty-six (45%) tumors out of total 58 carcinomas were in the rectum. Twenty-five patients were evaluated for the upper gastrointestinal lesions, and 11 patients (44%) had pathologic lesions; multiple fundic gland polyps in 3 cases (12%), gastric and duodenal adenomas in 2 cases (8%), gastric adenomas in 2 cases (8%), duodenal adenomas in 2 cases (8%), gastric carcinoma and adenoma in 1 case (4%), gastric carcinoma in 1 case (4%). (3) Among 3 cases of Gardner's syndrome, the range of age at operation was 25 to 31 years, a family history was identified in 2 cases. One case was associated with an advanced colonic carcinoma and carcinomatous change within polyp. Extra gastrointestinal lesions were sebaceous cyst, epidermal cyst, osteoma and desmoid tumor. (4) Among 12 juvenile polyposis, the range of age at operation was 8 to 51 years and 5 patients had a family history. The carcinomatous change within polyp was found in 2 cases (17%) and associated advanced colonic carcinoma was in 4 cases (33%). The associated different type of polyps was tubular adenomas in 9 cases (75%), hyperplastic polyps in 4 cases (33%) and villous adenomas in 2 cases (17%). (5) Among 35 Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, the range of age at first operation was 6 to 42 years, family history was positive in 11 cases. The carcinomatous change within polyp was found in 1 case (3%), and associated advanced colonic carcinoma in 1 case (3%). The epithelial misplacement was observed in 4 cases (11%), and tubular or villous adenomatous feature in 4 cases (11%). In summary, the most frequent GIP for the surgical resection in Korea is FAP and the FAP is associated with high incidence of coexisting advanced and intramucosal carcinomas. Hamartomatous polyposis syndromes, such as juvenile polyposis and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome are another frequent disease for the surgical resection and are also associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Adenoma ; Adenoma, Villous ; Adenomatous Polyposis Coli ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Epidermal Cyst ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive ; Gardner Syndrome ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Osteoma ; Pathology ; Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome ; Polyps ; Rare Diseases ; Rectum

In order to find out the distribution of fibronectin and fibrinogen in placenta among pregnancy induced hypertensive (PIH) patients, 6 normotensive pregnancies and 17 PIH patients were chosen. The placentas were obtained right after delivery and soaked in the 10% formalin solution. The score was measured in terms of the positiveness of the stain in immunohistochemical stain by using I antibody with the rabbit antihuman fibronectin and the rabbit anti-human fibrinogen. Comparison between two groups are as following: 1.The placenta of PIH patients showed significantly reduced positiveness of fibronectin in their fetal villous vessels and villous stroma. 2. In the PIH patients, the positiveness was reduced in the group giving the birth to intrauterine fetal growth retardation compared to giving birth to normal baby. 3. In both normotensive and PIH patients, the villous basement membrane did not show the staining response to fibronectin, while showing heavy staining response to fibrinogen. 4. The positiveness of fibrinogen in fetal vessels, villous basement membrane, intervillous space and stroma were almost same in both normotensive and PIH patients. From above results, we can conclude that there is abnormality in the distribution of fibronectin especially in the fetal vessels and the villous stroma of placenta among PIH patients. The cause of this result needs further study.
Basement Membrane ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fibrinogen* ; Fibronectins* ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Parturition ; Placenta* ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy*

A 29-year-old male patient was admitted due to subacute onset of right chest pain. He had no history of trauma, chest surgery or other medical disease. Chest roentgenogram showed an expansile, radiolucent lesion on the posterior segment of right seventh rib. Computed tomogram of the chest also showed lytic expansile mass with septation. He took an en-bloc resection of the involved rib. Pathologically there were multiple cystic spaces, filled with blood and collagenofibrous tissue proliferation and locally areas of new bone formation and giant cells of osteoclastic type, which was compatible with aneurysmal bone cyst. We report a case of aneurysmal bone cyst of the rib with a brief review of literature.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Bone Cysts ; Chest Pain ; Giant Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoclasts ; Osteogenesis ; Ribs* ; Thorax