A Case of Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Vagina / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Primary melanoma of the vagina is rare, accounting for 2.6-2.8% of all primary malignant tumor of the vagina and 0.4-0.8% of all malignant melanomas in the female. Melanocytes are the presumed precursors of malignant melanoma of the vagina; they are embryologically derived from neural crest cells and can be found in the basal portion of the vaginal epidermis in 3% of normal adult females. Though malignant melanoma may occur anywhere in the vagina, it is most commonly found on the anterior wall and in the distal one-third. Vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom. Histochemical and immunohistochemical procedures confirm the initial diagnosis. Vaginal melanoma is a highly malignant disease; due to the extensive lymphatic invasion and melanoma's propensity for hematogeneous spread, so early metastases are very common. The treatment modalities for the primary management of vaginal melanoma are varied according to the location and extend, individually or in combination, wide local incision, radical surgical extirpation, irradiation, or chemotherapy. Although there have been no consensus as to comprehensive treatment, in the case of upper vaginal melanoma, radical abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is generally advocated. Regardless of primary therapy chosen, result of the treatment of vaginal melanoma has been uniformly poor. We experienced a case of malignant melanoma of the vagina confirmed pathohistologically after radical abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and presented with a brief review of literature.

Pterin & DHPR measurement and DNA analysis in Korean PKU patients

Phenylketonuria is metabolic disorder that results from a deficiency of the hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase. But among patients with hyperphenylalaninemia, the defect resides in one of the enzymes necessary for production or recycling of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). The reduction of BH4 affects not only phenylalanine metabolism but also formation of the tyrosine related neurotransmitter, dopamin and tryptophan related neurotransmitter, serotonin. Administration of L-dopa and 5-hydroxytriptophan seems to be the most effective treatment and may prevent irreversible neurologic damage if started early in life in hyperphenylalaninemia due to deficiency of cofactor BH4. Therefore, all patients with PKU and hyperphenylalaninemia should be tested for BH4 deficiency as early as passible. So we measured reduced forms of biopterin in urines of 19 phenylketonuria patients by Funkushima and Nixon method and 13 of PKU patients measured dihydropterin reductase (DHPR) in white blood cells by modified Narisawa method. We could not find abnormal pterin patterns of cofactor BH4 and normal value of DHPR. All Korean 19 PKU children were classic PKU. A missense mutation has been identified in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene of 16 Koran PKU patients. 5 mutations (IVS4, Y204 C, R243Q, Y356 X, R413 P) have been identified. The frequency of these mutations was found to be 50% of PKU alleles. The IVS4 mutation had a high frequency in Korea and southern China, due to the result of the founder effect and genetic drift. the R413 P mutation, which may have originated in the regions surrounding the Baikal, expanded to northen China and Japan. We were not able to find Caucasian mutations in Korean ptiets. PKU mutations occured after racial divergence between Caucasian and Mongoloids. We observed that PKU patients with Y 204 C and R413 P mutations showed mild mild clinical phenotype but IVS4 mutation had severe mental retardation. the establishment of genotype will therefore aid in the prediction of clinical phenotypes in patients with this disease. So, pterin and DHPR measurement and DNA analsis will be useful for prognosis and proper treatment of PKU patients.

A clinical study of histiocytosis syndrome

We made a clinical study on 10 cases of histiocytosis syndrome who had been admitted to the pediatric department of Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital from Jan. 1982 to Dec. 1991. The results were obtained as follows 1) The sex incidence revealed male predominance with the ratio 4:1. 2) Among 10 cases, 4 cases were classified as eosinophilic granuloma, 1 case as Letterer-Siwe disease, 1 case as linfection associated hemophagocytic syndrome and 4 cases as malignant histiocytosis. 3) The mean age of symptom onset was 4 and 7/12 years in all disease group. 4) The common clinical symptoms and signs at dignosis were dyspnea, mass, pain on lower extremities and fever. 5) The most common organ involved among 9 organ systems was liver-spleen and the number of organ systems involved were 1 in 3 2 ases(30%), 3 in 2 cases(20%), 8 in 2 cases (20%) and 6, 7 and 10 organs in each 1 case. 6) The abnormal hematologic findings (Hb; 10g/dl and/or WBC; 4,000/mm3 and/or PLT; 100,000/mm3) were found in 6 cases. 7) Low serum albumin was found in 2 cases. Results of blood culture were Pseudomonas aeruginosae and Salmonella typhi in each 1 case. 8) The common findings on tissue biopsy were histiocytic proliferation and infiltration. 9) 4 patients of MH who recieved chemotherapy, a combination of adriamycin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and prednisone were given in a total of four courses every 2 weeks ad induction therapy. When complete response was attained, a combination of adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone (AOP) and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone(COP) was administered alternately every 4 weeks as maintenance therapy for 6-64 months. 10) Among 4 patiens of MH who recieved chemotherapy, 1 patient was lost during induction chemotherapy, for 1 day.2 patients expired during induction chemotherapy, for 1 month, 1 patient expired during maintenance chemotherapty, for 8months, Eosinophilic granuloma cases (3) were recieved currettage and no recurrence. IAHS case due to typhoid fever was improved spontaneously.