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Original Article
- Melanosis Coli: Relation to Apoptosis in Pathogenesis.
- Sun Hee Sung, Hea Soo Koo, Woon Sup Han
- Korean J Pathol. 1996;30(7):570-575.
- 1,737 View
- 24 Download
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Abstract
PDF - Melanosis coli is characterized by a dark brownish discoloration of the colonic mucosa. Its pathogenesis is still unknown. Recently it was proposed that the apoptosis of mucosal epithelium due to habitual use of laxatives play an important role for induction of melanosis coli. We studied clinicopathologic aspects of 12 cases of melanosis coli and analysed the histochemical and immunohistochemical characteristics of them. Results are as follows. : Mean patient's age was 53.5, and the male:female ratio was 4:8. Nine patients had a history of constipation, and all of these had administrated various kinds of laxatives. The severity of discoloration was correlated with the duration of constipation and age. There was no difference of anatomical distribution in colon. Other remarkable mucosal lesions were not accompanied. On pathologic examination, all cases showed frequent yellow-brown pigment laden cells in lamina propria. These pigments were positive for periodic acid Schiff stains, Fontana Masson stains, and Victoria blue stains, however they were negative for prussian blue stain. On immunohistochemical stainings pigmented cells were positive for CD68, and negative for S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase. These results indicate that they are macrophages. On ultrastructural examination pigmented cytoplasms were filled with variable sized electron dense granules including irregulary round deformed membranous structures, lipid vacuoles. Apoptosis of mucosal epithelium was noted in 5 cases. These findings suggest that apoptosis is the significant pathologic process in the progression of some cases of melanosis coli.
Case Reports
- Brown Bowel Syndrome that Developed after Total Gastrectomy: A Case Report.
- Sun Ah Lee, Hyung Kyung Kim, Ji Yoon Bae, Hanna Kang, Ha Rin Cheong, Hye Kyung Jung, Min Sun Cho
- Korean J Pathol. 2008;42(3):165-168.
- 1,645 View
- 16 Download
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Abstract
PDF
- The brown bowel syndrome (BBS) is an uncommon disorder, which is characterized by brown pigmentation of the intestine due to the accumulation of lipofuscin in the smooth muscle cells. Vitamin E deficiency has generally been considered as the cause of this malady. BBS has been reported in a wide variety of malabsorptive diseases involving the pancreas, liver and gastrointestinal tract. We report here on a case of brown bowel syndrome that occurred in a 73-year-old man who had undergone total gastrectomy 11 years ago for gastric adenocarcinoma. He has complained about intestinal obstructive symptoms for several years, and these symptoms were recently aggravated. He showed a low serum concentration of total protein, albumin and cholesterol, and he had been treated for megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 and folate deficiency several months ago. The resected small bowel showed lipofuscin deposition in the muscle layer of the intestine and large vessels. The electron microscopic examination revealed multiple electron dense lipofuscin deposits with irregular shapes and sizes in the cytoplasm.
- Two Cases of Black Adenoma of the Adrenal Cortex Associated with Cushing's Syndrome.
- So Yeon Yu, Youn Wha Kim, Yong Koo Park, Ju Hie Lee, Moon Ho Yang
- Korean J Pathol. 1991;25(3):245-249.
- 1,628 View
- 20 Download
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Abstract
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- Black adenoma is known to be a rare variant of adrenal cortical adenoma containing characteristic abundant lipofuscin pigments in the cytoplasm. Almost all of them are nonfunctioning and only occasionally they are associated with Cushing's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism. We present two cases of black cortical adenoma of the adrenal gland associated with Cushing's syndrome in a 24-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man. This report dealt with clinical and pathologic presentation including ultrastructural identification of lipofuscin pigment.
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