Bongkyung Shin

Laparoscopic resection of a hepatocellular carcinoma arising from an ectopic liver

Ectopic livers are rarely seen intra-abdominal lesions. Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be defined as an HCC arising from hepatic parenchyma located in an extrahepatic organ or tissue. The authors report a case of a primary, well-differentiated HCC arising from ectopic liver tissue in the left subphrenic space at the upper portion of the gastrorenal ligament that was successfully treated by laparoscopic resection. A 59-year-old man was referred to our department for the management of an intra-abdominal mass, which was incidentally found in a follow-up abdominal computed tomography scan for splenic laceration. The preoperative diagnosis suggested that it was a nonspecific stomach mass of maximal diameter 4.5 cm, such as, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, located between the diaphragm and spleen. A computed tomography scan identified no mass in the liver. Laparoscopic resection was performed, and the final pathologic result confirmed that it was a HCC. The patients postoperative course was unremarkable. This is the first reported case of a laparoscopically treated ectopic HCC. Moreover, laparoscopic resection was found to be safe and reliable in this case.

DNA methylation analysis for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules – a pilot study with reference to BRAFV600E mutation and cytopathology results

Promoter hypermethylation and the BRAFV600E mutation are both involved in thyroid tumorigenesis. We conducted a pilot study on the diagnosis of thyroid nodules by analysis of promoter hypermethylation status with reference to BRAFV600E mutation and cytopathology results using formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissues and liquid‐based preparation (LBP) thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples to predict more reliably the possibility of papillary carcinoma.

A case of primary pulmonary NK/T cell lymphoma presenting as pneumonia.

Primary pulmonary lymphoma, particularly non-B cell lymphomas involving lung parenchyma, is very rare. A 46-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with fever and cough. Chest X-ray showed left lower lobe consolidation, which was considered pneumonia. However, because the patient showed no response to empirical antibiotic therapy, bronchoscopic biopsy was performed for proper diagnosis. The biopsied specimen showed infiltrated atypical lymphocytes with angiocentric appearance. On immunohistochemical staining, these atypical cells were positive for CD3, CD30, CD56, MUM-1, and granzyme B, and labeled for Epstein–Barr virus encoded RNA in situ hybridization. These findings were consistent with NK/T cell lymphoma. We report on a case of primary pulmonary NK/T cell lymphoma presenting as pneumonic symptoms and review the literature on the subject.