Photodynamic therapy of tumours in gastroenterology—a review

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the local destruction of tissue by the interaction of light with a previously administered photosensitizer producing a photochemical effect. This technique has been demonstrated to permit the eradication of small tumours in experimental and clinical practice, with clear biological advantages. This paper reviews PDT experience in gastroenterology, together with concepts currently under experimental investigation.     

FNAC of salivary gland lesions with histopathological correlation

Hypothesis: Analysis of salivary gland lesions by FNAC and correlation with histopathology. To evaluate utility of FNAC in salivary gland lesions.Back ground: Salivary gland lesions form about 2–6.5% of all head and neck neoplasms in adults. They are easily accessible for FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) and risks of fistula formation or tumour implantation are low compared surgical biopsy. Also, cytology can provide a distinction between asalivary and non salivary lesion, benign and malignant lesions so also specific and non specific inflammation. Methods: Seventy patients were studied prospectively over two years. FNAC was done using 10 cc syringes and 20–22 no. needle. Histomorphology was assessed on routine H & E (haemotxylin and eosin) stained paraffin sections. SPAS (periodic acid Schiff) and mucicarmine satins were also done. Results: 80% of the lesions were neoplastic (61% benign, 31% malignant) and 20% were neoplastic. Pleomorphic adenoma was the most frequent benign neoplasm while mucoepidermoid carcinoma was the most frequent malignant lesion. Among the non neoplastic lesions, the maximum number of cases were of chronic sialadentis. In the present study, FNAC has a sensitivity of 94.54% and specificity of 80.95% for neoplastic lesions. Conclusions: FNAC was found to be a useful diagnostic tool in the evaluation of salivary gland lesions because of its simplicity, excellent patient compliance and rapid diagnosis. This cost effective tool is invaluable in planning the surgical management of the patient.     

印迹基因IGF2与p53在子宫颈鳞癌、子宫颈上皮内瘤变及子宫颈炎中的表达及意义

目的：探讨IGF2与p53在子宫颈鳞癌、子宫颈上皮内瘤变（cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN）及子宫颈炎中的表达及意义。方法采用免疫组化EnVision两步法检测IGF2与p53在45例子宫颈炎、126例CIN、47例子宫颈鳞癌组织中的表达,分析其与临床病理参数间的关系。结果子宫颈鳞癌组织中IGF2阳性表达显著高于CIN 及子宫颈炎（P<0.05）;p53阳性表达显著高于CIN 及子宫颈炎（P<0.0001）。子宫颈鳞癌组织中IGF2的阳性表达与浸润深度以及淋巴结转移呈负相关（P<0.05）。结论 IGF2、p53的异常表达与子宫颈鳞癌的发生密切相关。     

Proximal humeral reconstruction using nail cement spacer in primary and metastatic tumours of proximal humerus

Limb salvage surgery for malignant tumours of proximal humerus is an operative challenge, where the surgeon has to preserve elbow and hand functions and retain shoulder stability with as much function as possible. We treated 14 consecutive patients with primary malignant or isolated metastasis of proximal humerus with surgical resection and reconstruction by nail cement spacer. There were 8 females and 6 males, with a mean age of 28.92 years (range 16–51 years) and a mean follow-up of 30.14 months (range 12–52 months). The diagnosis was osteosarcoma in 8 patients, chondrosarcoma in 4 patients and metastasis from thyroid and breast carcinoma in 1 patient each. One of our patients had radial nerve neuropraxia, 1 developed inferior subluxation and 3 developed distant metastasis. Two patients died of disease and one developed local recurrence leading to forequarter amputation, leaving a total of 11 patients with functional extremities for assessment at the time of final follow-up which was done using the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) score. Though we were able to preserve the elbow, wrist and hand functions in all patients, the abductor mechanism, deltoid muscle and axillary nerve were not salvageable in any of cases. The mean MSTS score at the time of final follow-up was 19.09. Thus, proximal humeral reconstruction using nail cement spacer is a technical simple, cost-effective and reproducible procedure which makes it a reliable option in subset of patients where the functions around the shoulder cannot be preserved despite costlier prosthesis.     

How to detect hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis

Cirrhosis predisposes to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which develops by sequential steps of de-differentiation of hepatocytes from regenerative nodules via borderline (dysplastic) nodules to frankly malignant HCC. Effective treatment depends on early recognition of HCC, so the key tasks for imaging are firstly recognising the presence of a suspicious lesion, and secondly differentiating between benign, borderline and malignant nodules. Screening of high-risk cirrhotic patients with sonography and measurement of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is helpful but will not reliably differentiate small HCC from benign or dysplastic nodules. Large HCCs can usually be recognised by their characteristic morphology on imaging, but the appearances of smaller benign and malignant nodules show considerable overlap on unenhanced sonography, CT and MRI. Increasing degrees of histological malignancy are associated with increasing arterialisation and loss of portal blood supply, so the recognition of HCC requires the use of dynamic imaging with contrast-enhanced CT or T1-weighted MRI with gadolinium enhancement. Sonography with microbubble contrast media now offers another method for detecting arterialised nodules; however, some non-malignant nodules show arterial hypervascularity and a minority of HCCs are hypovascular, so the assessment of perfusion does not conclusively distinguish benign from malignant lesions. Kupffer cell function is another attribute of liver tissue which can be explored using MRI with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO). Experience thus far suggests that uptake of SPIO is an effective discriminator between benign and malignant nodules. The combination of SPIO with gadolinium-enhanced MRI offers the opportunity for imaging characterisation of cirrhotic nodules by cellular function as well as by blood supply, and this approach is now proposed as the examination of choice for detecting HCC in cirrhosis.     

Epidermal cytoplasmic antibodies

Summary Antibodies to epidermal cytoplasmic antigens were detected by the indirect immunofluorescence (IF) technique in 36% of 100 adult healthy subjects and in 17.6% of 17 normal newborn infants. This type of autoantibody occurred in 33% of 100 cases with vitiligo, in 32.5% of 40 cases with psoriasis, in 55.3% of patients with malignant tumours and in 72.7% of subjects with malignant melanoma. The frequency of the autoimmune reactions was statistically significant only in patients with malignant neoplasms. In the majority of positive cases the IF pattern involved the upper layers of the epidermal cells (U-CYT). The basal layers was generally negative. Only a few cases showed a pattern involving both the upper and the basal layers (G-CYT). However, a wide variation in staining was noted when sera were tested on different skin specimens or different sections of the same skin. To identify the nature of the target antigen(s), absorption experiments of sera were attempted with lyophilized and particulate antigens. Animal and human blood cells and lyophilized homogenates of malignant tumours failed to absorb the autoimmune activity of positive sera. Only a powder preparation of keratin induced a decrease in antibody titres. It is postulated that they are the result of an antigenic stimulation by exogenous substances commonly present in the environment. This study was supported in part by CNR, Rome, grant no. 75.00465.04.     

Vascularization of malignant and benign skin tumours measured by D-galactose-based signal-enhanced colour Doppler sonography

Purpose: Evaluation of colour Doppler criteria to differentiate between malignant and benign skin tumours on the basis of the degree of vascularization.Material and Methods: The B-mode sonomorphology and the degree of vascularization in colour Doppler of 81 clinically potentially malignant tumours of cutaneous and subcutaneous structures were analyzed and quantified by number of intratumoral vessels per sonographic slice and percentage vessel area.Results: Of all criteria employed, counting the intratumoral vessels visible on one ultrasound slice after application of a signal-enhancing agent led to highest sensitivity (94%) of all used criteria but the specificity was poor (64%). The highest specificity (88%) and greatest diagnostic accuracy (86%) discriminating benign and malignant lesions were found using the criterion "percentage vessel area >5.0%" after all inflamed lesions had been excluded on the basis of clinical criteria. Plain colour Doppler increased the specificity up to 97%, although the sensitivity decreased simultaneously to max. 75%. Analysis of the B-mode morphology and spectral Doppler parameter of intratumoral vessels did not contribute to the differential diagnosis.Conclusion: Signal-enhanced colour Doppler sonography is a valuable tool in the pretherapeutic assessment of cutaneous lesions. This method may be relevant for therapy and prognosis.     

Technik der papilloduodenektomie

Zusammenfassung Die Lokalexzision von periampulldren Tumoren, erstmals 1898 beschrieben, ist nach Einführung der Pankreatikoduodenektomie 1935 in den Hintergrund gedrdngt worden. Neuere Berichte lassen vermuten, daß die ampullary Exzision gute Resultate erreicht. Um den Platz dieser Operation zu bestimmen, welche eine einfache Mukosaexzision (Ampullektomie) oder eine weite Exzision der Papille zusammen mit der Duodenalhinterwand und den distalen Anteilen von Gallen- und Pankreasgang sein kann (Papilloduodenektomie), ist es wichtig, these Technik genau zu definieren. Wir beschreiben deshalb die Papilloduodenektomie und bestimmen den Platz dieser Operation, die in ausgewählten Fällen nützlich sein kann.

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Technique of papilloduodenectomy

Summary Local excision of preiampullary tumours first described in 1898 has been relegated in the background after introduction of pancreaticoduodenectomy in 1935. Recent reports suggest that ampullary excision may give good results. In order to define the place of this operation which may be a simple excision of the duodenal mucosa (ampullectomy) or a wide excision of the papilla encompassing the posterior duodenal wall and the distal bile and pancreatic ducts (papilloduodenectomy) it is important to make a clear distinction between these two techniques. We describe the technique of papilloduodenectomy and define the place of this operation, which may be useful in selected cases.