• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.126-135
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• 2008

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a highly lethal neoplasm arising in pleura and the peritoneum and a rapid and accurate diagnosis is crucial for treatment of the disease. However, the sensitivity of cytological analysis using pleural or ascitic fluid is relatively low, yielding an accurate diagnosis in only $32{\sim}79%$ of cases. We tested the diagnostic value of epigenetic alterations in body fluid cytology as a supplement to conventional methods. Paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 21 MM patients and associated body fluid cytology slides considered no evidence of malignancy were used to test for epigenetic alteration. Using methylation-specific PCR, we detected methylation of RASSF1A and p16 in 47.6% (10/21) of both surgically resected tumor samples, respectively. Body fluid samples of MM also showed abnormal methylation of RASSF1A and p16INK4a genes in 38.1% (8/21) and 33.3% (7/21) of cases. The concordance in the rates of RASSF1A and p16INK4a gene-methylation abnormalities determined from cytology samples and tissue samples were 61.9% (13/21) and 66.7% (14/21), respectively. Combining both genes increases the sensitivity of the test to 57.1 % (12 of 21) of cases. Our results suggest that testing for methylation abnormalities in selected individual genes or gene combinations has diagnostic value as an alternative or adjunct method to conventional cytological diagnosis.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.178-182
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• 2008

We report here a case of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in the stomach that was diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (EUS-FNA). A 67 year old male patient underwent regular check-ups for five years due to the presence of a submucosal tumor that was found in the fundus of the stomach incidentally. EUS-FNA was performed to evaluate the tumor, which had increased in size from 1 cm to 2.8cm. A cytologic smear revealed cohesive sheets or clusters of spindle cells with elongated nuclei. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a strong positive reaction for c-kit and CD34, without any reaction for smooth muscle actin and Ki-67. Therefore, a diagnosis of GIST was made.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.136-143
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• 2008

Urothelial carcinoma accounts for 90% of all the cases of bladder cancer. Although many cases can be easily managed by local excision, urothelial carcinoma rather frequently recurs, tends to progress to muscle invasion, and requires regular follow-ups. Urine cytology is a main approach for the follow-up of bladder tumors. It is noninvasive, but it has low sensitivity of around 50% with using the conventional cytospin preparation. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) has been developed as a replacement for the conventional technique. We compared the cytomorphometric parameters of $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ and cytospin preparation urine cytology to see whether there are definite differences between the two methods and which technique allows malignant cells to be more effectively discriminated from benign cells. The nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio value, as measured by digital image analysis, was efficient for differentiating malignant and benign urothelial cells, and this was irrespective of the preparation method and the tumor grade. Neither the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ nor the conventional preparation cytology was definitely superior for distinguishing malignant cells from benign cells by cytomorphometric analysis of the adequately preserved cells. However, the $ThinPrep^{(R)}$ preparation showed significant advantages when considering the better preservation and cellularity with a clear background.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2008

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is the decisive test in the pre-operative diagnostics of thyroid nodules. Here we share our institutional experience about thyroid aspiration and give suggestions for suspicious cytology results. Three hundred twenty-two cases in 270 patients (mean age 47.4 years, 243 women and 27 men) who underwent thyroidectomy were reviewed. Among the 322 cases, the FNA diagnosis of "positive for malignancy" was 87 cases (27.0%), "suggestive of malignancy" 30 cases (9.3%), "suspicious for malignancy" 61 cases (18.9%), "negative for malignancy" 102 cases (31.7%), and "unsatisfactory smear" 42 cases (13.0%). Eighty seven cases (100%) out of "positive for malignancy", 29 cases (96.7%) out of "suggestive of malignancy", and 39 cases (64.0%) out of "suspicious for malignancy" were papillary carcinoma (148 cases, 95.5%), or follicular carcinoma (2 cases, 1.3%), or metastatic carcinoma (1 case, 0.6%). Seventeen patients who had only negative or unsatisfactory cytology underwent thyroidectomy and nine cases (52.9%) were papillary carcinoma. We suggest that: the cytology diagnosis of "suggestive of malignancy" could be regarded as "positive for malignancy", the cytology diagnosis of "suspicious of malignancy" should be carefully correlated with clinico-radiologic manifestation, and even a negative or unsatisfactory smear should be carefully followed up.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2008

Although subacute granulomatous thyroiditis(SGT) is usually diagnosed clinically, papillary carcinoma or other thyroid conditions must be considered in the differential diagnosis. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and fine-needle aspiration(FNA) cytologic findings seen in 10 SGT cases to decide what are the most reliable cytologic findings and the most helpful molecular tools for reaching a confident cytologic diagnosis. The most representative smear slides were retrieved to perform immunocytochemistry for cytokeratin 19(CK19) and Ret protein. Five papillary carcinomas(PTCs) were included as controls. The constant and typical cytologic findings of SGT were multinucleated giant cells(MGCs) (100%), epithelioid granulomas(90%), an inflammatory dirty background(90%) and plump transformed follicular cells(80%) without fire-flare cells, oncocytic cells or transformed lymphocytes. The immunoreactivities for CK19(37.5%) and Ret(10%) of the follicular cells of SGT were less than those(CK19 and Ret:100%) of PTC. CK19 immunoreactivity of the MGCs was seen in only one case of PTC. There was no significant difference between CK19 and Ret immunocytochemical staining for the MGCs of both SGT and PTC. The results of this study demonstrate that the cytological diagnosis of SGT can be improved by employing a combination of the typical and constant diagnostic cytological features and immunocytochemical results.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.194-199
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• 2008

The recent WHO classification has recognized mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma (MTSCC) as a distinct entity of renal cell carcinoma, exhibiting a mixed pattern of tubules and a surrounding spindle cell proliferation within a myxoid stroma, with low-grade nuclear features. A 51-year-old woman had an incidentally discovered renal mass. Radiologic examination revealed a large, well defined mass in the lower pole of the right kidney; a right radical nephrectomy was performed. Imprint cytologic smears from fresh surgical specimens showed cellular, cohesive clusters with thick, broad trabecular arrangements and branching structures. On high power fields, the tumor was composed of round-to-oval low-grade nuclei with vesicular chromatin and small nucleoli. The tumor cells had indistinct borders and pale, eosinophilic cytoplasm, In some areas, round-to-elongated tubular structures and spindle cell patterns were noted. Chronic inflammatory cell infiltration was noted, along with a mucinous back-ground and occasional psammoma bodies. Neither significant cytologic atypia nor mitosis was seen.

• 대한세포병리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1992.06a
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• pp.23-23
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• 1992

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.36-45
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• 2008

Studies with the transmission electron microscope were used to detect and attempt to identify viruses infecting sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) and other Ipomoea species. Flexuous-rods, short curved-rods, and spherical virus-like particles were observed in cells of symptomatic plants. Also, various cytopathic changes such as crystals, vesicles, fibril structures, and cylindrical inclusions were observed. The present study showed that some of these cytopathic changes were associated with some viral groups, which might be helpful in diagnosis.

• 대한세포병리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1993.06a
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• pp.13.2-14
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• 1993

• 대한세포병리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2007