Pancréatectomies sous laparoscopie : une série de 22 patients

Introduction. - Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery underwent many changes in the last few years. Current indications include staging laparoscopy for pancreatic neoplasms, palliative treatment of non-resectable tumors, and pseudocysts drainage. Pancreatic tail resection or pancreatic enucleation have also been reported, but are currently under investigation. We report our experience in this domain.Material and methods. - Retrospective study of patients who had a pancreatic tail resection or pancreatic enucleation, in a single institution.Results. - From November 1993 to June 2002, a laparoscopic pancreatic resection was attempted in 22 patients. Nineteen patients were operated by laparoscopy (86%), two patients had conversion to laparotomy (9%), and one had conversion to a “hand-assisted” technique (4%). There was 17 left pancreatectomies and five enucleations. Median operating time was 4.1 hours (range 1.6 to 6.6 hours). There were no deaths in the first 30 post-operative days. Global morbidity rate was 31.8% (N =7), including four pancreatic fistulas (18%), one superficial phlebitis, one prolonged ileus, and one peri-pancreatic fluid collection. Median hospital stay was six days (1 to 26 days).Conclusion. - Pancreatic tail resections and enucleations are feasible by laparoscopy, with a mortality and morbidity rate similar to open surgery. The potential advantages of laparoscopy (reduced post-operative pain, hospital stay and recovery time) should be balanced with a potential increase in pancreatic fistula rate. That risk should be addressed before laparoscopy is generalized for pancreatic resections.     

Is the resection of gliomas in Wernicke’s area reliable?

Wernicke’s area was, for a long time, considered a non-removable area and patients affected by low-grade gliomas (LGGs) or high-grade gliomas (HGGs) in this region were considered inoperable. Several studies have demonstrated a large functional reshaping of language networks in patients affected by gliomas or acute stroke involving Wernicke’s territories, and the complete resection of this region invaded by LGG has recently been reported. We report our experience in the removal of Wernicke’s territories invaded by gliomas. Four patients underwent awake surgery, with neuropsychological and neurophysiological monitoring and direct cortico-subcortical bipolar stimulation, for resection of LGG (one case) and HGGs (three cases) invading Wernicke’s territories. Resection rates were evaluated by means of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) perfusion for LGG and HGGs, respectively. HGGs were totally resected and LGG was partially resected (67%), according to functional limits. No patients reported neurological deficit. The patient affected by LGG underwent postoperative chemotherapy. Two of the patients harbouring HGGs died 21 and 23 months after surgery and postoperative adjuvant treatment, respectively. The third one is still alive and progression-free 21 months after surgery. Awake surgery is a reliable and effective technique for resection of gliomas invading Wernicke’s territories without postoperative permanent deficit. LGGs in this region can safely be removed, according to the functional subcortical boundaries, allowing postoperative adjuvant treatment, functional reshaping and multi-step surgery. HGGs, instead, can be completely removed without deficits and sometimes beyond the contrast enhancement area, allowing the best possible oncological prognosis for the patients.     

Extent of resection and survival in supratentorial infiltrative low-grade gliomas: analysis of and adjustment for treatment bias

Background

Any correlation between the extent of resection and the prognosis of patients with supratentorial infiltrative low-grade gliomas may well be related to biased treatment allocation. Patients with an intrinsically better prognosis may undergo more aggressive resections, and better survival may then be falsely attributed to the surgery rather than the biology of the disease. The present study investigates the potential impact of this type of treatment bias on survival in a series of patients with low-grade gliomas treated at the authors’ institution.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 148 patients with low-grade gliomas undergoing primary treatment at our institution from 1996–2011. Potential prognostic factors were studied in order to identify treatment bias and to adjust survival analyses accordingly.

Results

Eloquence of tumor location proved the most powerful predictor of the extent of resection, i.e., the principal source of treatment bias. Univariate as well as multivariate Cox regression analyses identified the extent of resection and the presence of a preoperative neurodeficit as the most important predictors of overall survival, tumor recurrence and malignant progression. After stratification for eloquence of tumor location in order to correct for treatment bias, Kaplan–Meier estimates showed a consistent association between the degree of resection and improved survival.

Conclusion

Treatment bias was not responsible for the correlation between extent of resection and survival observed in the present series. Our data seem to provide further support for a strategy of maximum safe resections for low-grade gliomas.     

Intérêt d’une seconde chirurgie d’exérèse dans les glioblastomes. Étude rétrospective sur quatre ans aux centres hospitalo-universitaires de Montpellier et de Nice et revue de la littérature

Background and purpose

Glioblastoma, the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, is usually rapidly fatal. The current care standards for newly diagnosed glioblastoma consist, when feasible, in surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, as described in the Stupp protocol. Despite optimal treatment, nearly all malignant gliomas recur. If the tumor is symptomatic for mass effect, repeated surgery may be proposed.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the survival of patients with histologically confirmed primary glioblastoma (WHO grade 4) who were operated in two centers between January 2004 and December 2007. All patients who underwent a second resection for recurrent glioblastoma were included.

Results

During this period, 320 patients were operated in the two centers, with 240 surgical resections and 80 surgical biopsies. In the surgical resection group, 8.3% (20 patients) underwent a second surgical resection for glioblastoma. The mean age was 52 years. At the end of the study, seven patients were alive. The median survival was 24 months and progression-free survival was 7.5 months.

Conclusions

The effect of resection of recurrent glioblastoma on survival has not been extensively studied. No randomized trials have been conducted. Our data were globally identical to other retrospective studies. Selected patients with recurrent glioblastoma may be candidates for repeated surgery when the situation appears favorable based on assessment of the individual patient's factors. Factors such medical history, neurological status, location of the tumor, and progression-free survival have been proven in retrospective studies to give better results.     

Is non-awake surgery for supratentorial adult low-grade glioma treatment still feasible?

In this short review, the author performs a database search, summarizes, and discusses studies that provide information on the need to perform awake surgery to preserve quality of life/return to work of adult patients who undergo resection for a supratentorial low-grade glioma (LGG). Based upon the currently available data, the author concludes that in LGG, patients with no or only mild deficits at diagnosis, non-awake surgery can no longer be achieved. Indeed, awake craniotomy with intrasurgical electrical mapping has resulted in an increase of the extent of resection and overall survival in LGG. Furthermore, in order to resume a normal familial, social, and professional life, LGG patients with a prolonged survival expectancy have to benefit not only from language mapping when the tumor involves the left “dominant” hemisphere, but also from intraoperative mapping of sensorimotor, visuospatial, higher cognitive, and emotional functions under local anesthesia, even for gliomas situated within presumed “non-language” areas such as the right “non-dominant” hemisphere. In other words, the ultimate goal is to map the functional connectome for each patient in order to perform the resection up to the eloquent networks and then to optimize the onco-functional balance of LGG surgery. To this end, an objective neuropsychological assessment has to be achieved in a more systematic manner before and after resection. Early postoperative cognitive rehabilitation is also recommended, whenever needed.     

Audit sur l’évaluation cardiaque préopératoire avant une chirurgie non cardiaque : utilité d’un aide-mémoire pour améliorer l’adhésion des anesthésistes aux recommandations de l’American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)

Introduction

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines stratify perioperative cardiac risk according to clinical markers, functional capacity, and type of surgery. They help determining which patients are candidates for preoperative cardiac testing and optimizing the cost-effectiveness of the evaluation strategy. Auditing our preoperative anaesthetic screening practice revealed an exceedingly high rate of referrals to the cardiologists. A small pocket-size reminder was created in order to improve the adhesion of the anaesthesiologists to the recommendations of the ACC/AHA, and confirm or obviate the need for a formal preoperative specialized cardiology consultation. Another audit was conducted 1 year later in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this reminder.

Methods

The second audit was conducted over a period of 1 month. Recorded data included demographic characteristics, clinical predictors of cardiovascular risk, surgical risk, and the reasons for the cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist (as reported by the senior or junior anaesthesiologist). Results of this second audit were compared to those of the audit conducted a year earlier.

Results

During the first audit, a total of 654 patients were seen in the preoperative unit. Fifty-two patients were referred to a cardiologist during the study period (7.9%). Guidelines for cardiac assessment were respected in 7/52 patients (13.5%). During the second audit, 30 out of 787 patients (3.8%) screened in preoperative anaesthetic consultation unit were referred to the cardiologist. According to the ACC/AHA guidelines, 27/30 patients (90%) objectively needed a cardiology consultation due to the existence of a known previous heart disease.

Discussion

The use of the pocket reminder concerning the ACC/AHA recommendations significantly reduced both the total number of cardiology referrals, and the number of unjustified referrals. The use of a pocket guide may help in reducing both the cost and the postponement of scheduled surgery.     

Limitation ou arrêt de thérapeutiques actives en situations d’urgence. Le point de vue des anesthésistes réanimateurs

Objectives

One objective is to state more accurately the difficulties met by the anaesthesiologists in an emergency context in case of withholding or withdrawing life sustaining therapies.

Study design and participants

A questionnaire addressed to anaesthesiologists of nine hospitals in the extreme West part of France.

Materials and methods

The questionnaires were sent and returned by mail in order to guarantee confidentiality.

Results

The participation rate was 40% with 172 questionnaires analysed. Ninety-eight per cent of the anaesthesiologists have already participated in a withholding or withdrawing life sustaining treatments, and in an emergency context in 92% of the cases. In that last case, criteria related to the severity of the clinic presentation and to the short-term death probability influence the decision made to interrupt life-sustaining therapies. For 93% of anaesthesiologists, the decision should be collegial, but 50% of them had already made such a decision alone. The withdrawal of ventilatory support was the most difficult decision to make. Withdrawing mechanical ventilation or extubating appeared impossible for 23.4 and 50% of the anaesthesiologists respectively. Providing comfort care to the patients with end of life decision was essential for 100% of the anaesthesiologists, but 11% of them used and considered analgesic and sedation after withholding or withdrawing life sustaining treatments as euthanasia. The complaint possibility worried 57% of the anaesthesiologists and influenced the writing of the process or giving information to the families respectively for 65 and 75%. The righting of the medical files could be improved for 92% of the anaesthesiologists.

Conclusion

The decision of withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatments in an emergency context is based on the conviction of short-term death probability. Withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatments is a decision made according to the principles of collegiality and necessary comfort cares, but the procedure can still be improved, especially in the redaction of the medical file and the ethical and juridical control of these extreme situations.     

The challenge to remove diffuse low-grade gliomas while preserving brain functions

WHO grade II glioma, i.e. diffuse low-grade glioma, is a pre-malignant tumour, usually revealed by seizures in young patients with a normal life. This tumour has a constant growth, and will inescapably become anaplastic. Surgical resection significantly increases the overall survival by delaying the malignant transformation. Thus, the dilemma is to perform early surgery in order to optimise the extent of resection (and thus the median survival) by removing smaller tumours while preserving the quality of life. To this end, the new concept proposed in this review is to achieve surgical resection according to functional and not to oncological boundaries. In other words, the principle is to first understand the cerebral anatomo-functional organisation at the individual level (because of a major inter-individual variability), with the aim of resecting a part of the brain invaded by a diffuse chronic disease, on the condition nonetheless that this part of the brain can be functionally compensated—i.e. with no consequences on the quality of life. To this end, in addition to the preoperative functional neuroimaging and the intraoperative electrical cortical mapping in awake patients, it is also crucial to map both horizontal cortico-cortical connectivity (long-distance association fibres) as well as vertical cortico-subcortical connectivity (projection fibres), with the aim to preserve the networks underlying the minimal common core of the brain. Interestingly, this “hodotopical” workframe, based on the study of both cortical epicentres and subcortical pathways, opens the door to mechanisms of functional reshaping. These recent technical and conceptual advances in the hodotopical and plastic view of brain processing have allowed a dramatic improvement of the benefit-to-risk ratio of surgery, concerning both oncological and functional outcomes. In summary, it is time to move towards “functional neurooncology” and “preventive neurosurgery” in low-grade gliomas. Stronger interactions with fundamental neurosciences should be developed, in order (1) to build updated models of cognition and brain plasticity; (2) to elaborate biomathematical models of low-grade glioma growth and migration; (3) to study in silico the dynamic interactions between the natural course of this disease and the adaptative behaviour of its host (the brain), with the goal to adapt the best individualised therapeutic strategy.     

神经导航辅助术中功能区定位切除累及中央前回的脑胶质瘤

目的探讨侵犯运动区的脑胶质瘤手术治疗方法。方法回顾分析12例侵犯中央前回脑胶质瘤病例资料，手术采用神经导航定位病灶和中央前回，术中唤醒麻醉，直接皮质电刺激定位肢体运动或语言运动区，患者清醒状态下切除肿瘤。结果11例术中成功唤醒切除肿瘤，皮质电刺激下7例获得了肢体运动区，2例获得了语言运动区的准确定位。8例（66．7％）达到肿瘤全切除，4例次全切除。8例为低级别胶质瘤，2例为高级别胶质瘤，2例胶质母细胞瘤。术后4例无神经功能缺损，8例出现术后对侧肢体活动障碍或言语障碍，除1例外均在7d至1月内恢复正常。结论导航辅助下的直接皮质电刺激定位功能区和唤醒状态下的肿瘤切除是处理侵犯功能区肿瘤的一种安全、有效的方法，可以获得功能区的准确定位并达到最小程度的功能损伤和最大限度的切除肿瘤。     

Awake surgery for glioma resection in eloquent areas--Zurich's experience and review--

Awake surgery was performed in a series of 21 patients with gliomas in eloquent areas with the use of intraoperative electrical mapping. Gross total removal was performed in 18 patients. There was no operative mortality. Postoperative findings included no change in symptoms and signs in 10 patients, improvement of the preoperative deficit in 11 patients. Four patients had improved Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores after surgery, 17 patients were stable, and no patient had lower KPS score. Extensive radical resection of gliomas prolongs the overall survival and improves the patient's quality of life. However, surgical resection of gliomas located within the sensorimotor or language areas remains a neurosurgical challenge in reducing eloquent neurological sequelae. Awake surgery with intraoperative functional mapping is a safe approach to maximize the extent of tumor removal and to minimize the resultant neurological deficits in the treatment of glioma involving the eloquent cortex.     

Stratégie de réhabilitation postopératoire de la fracture du col fémoral

The femoral neck fracture in elderly patient is an entity that is within the scope of “disease causing a femoral neck fracture”. The specific factors for successful management of these elderly patients are centered around patient's comorbidities, specific management in a clinical pathway, and more or less early rehabilitation after surgery. The type of fracture, surgery, specific treatment, early active recovery for the patients lying in bed after surgery optimize the functional outcome at mean term. The improvement of nutritional status, equilibrium for comorbidities and early rehabilitation with walking activities and physiotherapy significantly improve functional outcome at short and medium terms and postoperative mortality. The use of multimodal analgesia and regional analgesia primarily by perioperative continuous femoral nerve blocks also improve the medical prognosis and functional outcome of the patient.     

Enquête nationale sur la prise en charge de la douleur aiguë postopératoire dans les hôpitaux libanais

Introduction

Postoperative pain relief in Lebanon is a public health problem because its coverage is insufficient.

Study design

A survey was performed with a questionnaire distributed to anaesthesiologists during the Lebanese national meeting of anaesthesia in May 2006.

Results

A total of 106 out of the 230 distributed questionnaires were collected. The coverage of the postoperative pain is different in the university hospitals and others. A preoperative information and postoperative evaluation of pain are only performed by 26% of anesthesiologists. A multimodal analgesia is begun in the operative room or in postanaesthesist care unit for 92% of the patients. Only 71% of the anaesthesiologists have pumps for patient-controlled analgesia. Written protocols for postoperative analgesia are available in only 58% of the centres. Among anaesthesiologists, only 36% have an initial and/or continuous formation to treat the postoperative pain. The major obstacle for improvement of postoperative pain is the cost of such treatments, which must be supported by the patients.

Conclusion

Even if there is a good awareness of the importance to relieve the postoperative pain, important efforts must be done in this domain in Lebanon.     

Surgical treatment for glioma: extent of resection applying functional neurosurgery

Current treatments for gliomas, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, frequently result in unsuccessful outcomes. Studies on glioma resection were reviewed to assess better treatment outcomes applying the newest neurosurgical multimodalities. We reviewed reports of surgical removal of gliomas utilizing functional brain mapping, monitoring, and other functional neurosurgery techniques such as neuronavigation and awake surgery. Attempts to maximize the extent of glioma resection improved survival. A close proximity of the resection to the eloquent areas increased the risk of perioperative neurological deficits. However, those deficits often improved during the postoperative rehabilitation and recovery period when the essential or the compensative eloquent areas remained intact. Pre- and intraoperative application of the latest brain function analysis methods promoted safe elimination of gliomas. These methods are expected to help explore the long-term prognosis of glioma treatment and the mechanism for recovery from functional disabilities.     

Multimodal protocol for awake craniotomy in language cortex tumour surgery

Summary Background. Intra-operative neurophysiological language mapping has become an established procedure in patients operated on for tumours in the area of the language cortex. Awake cranial surgery has specific risks and patients are exposed to an increased physical and mental stress. The aim of the study was to establish an algorithm that enables tailoring the neurosurgical and anaesthetic techniques to the individual patient. Method. A total of 25 patients underwent awake craniotomy for intra-operative language mapping between 1999 and 2004. Following craniotomy under analgesia and sedation without rigid pin fixation of the head, cortical language mapping was performed in the fully co-operative patient. The results of functional magnetic resonance imaging and of cortical language mapping were incorporated into the 3D dataset for neuronavigation. Depending on the functional data and the individual operative risk tumour resection then proceeded either under conscious sedation with the option of subcortical language monitoring or under general anaesthesia. Findings. After cortical language mapping patients are assigned to one of four groups: BACC (Berlin awake craniotomy criteria) I–IV. BACC I (9 patients): adequate functional data + operative risk not increased ⇒ tumour resection in the awake patient; BACC II (4 patients): limited functional data + operative risk not increased ⇒ tumour resection in the awake patient with the option of language monitoring as needed; BACC III (9 patients): adequate functional data + increased operative risk ⇒ tumour resection under general anaesthesia using functional navigation; BACC IV (3 patients): limited functional data + increased operative risk ⇒ tumour resection in the awake patient with the option of language monitoring as needed. We observed less adverse events in group BACC III. No permanent deterioration of language function occurred in this series. Conclusions. The multimodal protocol for awake craniotomy provides for tumour resection under general anaesthesia in selected patients using functional neuronavigation. Our experience with the algorithm suggests that it is a useful tool for preserving function in patients undergoing surgery of the language cortex while reducing the operative risk on an individual basis.     

Survival and functional quality of life after resection for hepatic carcinoid metastasis

Retrospective studies suggest that resection improves 5-year survival for patients with hepatic carcinoid metastasis (HCM). The purpose of our study was to describe clinical outcomes following resection for HCM, including survival and longitudinal functional quality of life (QOL). We reviewed the records of patients undergoing resection for HCM from 1980 to 2001 at our institution. Outcome measures included tumor symptoms, biochemical tumor markers, functional QOL through Karnofsky functional scores, and survival. Thirteen patients underwent a total of 17 resections. Overall 5-year survival was 85%. Eleven patients were symptomatic, including eight with classic carcinoid syndrome. Nine experienced complete relief of symptoms and two had incomplete relief for 30 ± 12 months. Eight patients had elevated tumor markers, and 50% of these had postoperative normalization of all tumor markers that persisted to the close of the study. For the 10 patients with longitudinal follow-up available to 54 months, significant improvement in functional QOL was observed at all follow-up time points compared to preresection functional QOL (P< 0.05). Resection of &#x2265;90% tumor volume was significantly associated with more favorable survival and tumor marker normalization compared to resection of <90% tumor volume P< 0.01 and P< 0.05, respectively), but trajectory of functional QOL improvement did not differ between these two groups (P= 0.24). We conclude that resection for HCM is associated with significantly improved and sustained functional QOL and prolonged survival. Resection of ≥90% tumor volume is significantly associated with extended survival and normalization of tumor markers, but is not required for symptomatic or functional QOL improvement. Presented at the 2003 meeting of the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, Miami Beach, Florida, February 27–March 2, 2003.     

Intérêt du monitoring électrophysiologique au cours d’une chirurgie éveillée en neurochirurgie

Brain tumor surgery is at risk when lesions are located in eloquent areas. The interindividual anatomo-functional variability of the central nervous system implies that brain surgery within eloquent regions may induce neurological sequelae. Brain mapping using intraoperative direct electrical stimulation in awake patients has been for long validated as the standard for functional brain mapping. Direct electrical stimulation inducing a local transient electrical and functional disorganization is considered positive if the task performed by the patient is disturbed. The brain area stimulated is then considered as essential for the function tested. However, the exactitude of the information provided by this technique is cautious because the actual impact of cortical direct electrical stimulation is not known. Indeed, the possibility of false negative (insufficient intensity of the stimulation due to the heterogeneity of excitability threshold of different cortical areas) or false positive (current spread, interregional signal propagation responsible for remote effects, which make difficult the interpretation of positive or negative behavioural effects) constitute a limitation of this technique. To improve the sensitivity and specificity of this technique, we used an electrocorticographic recording system allowing a real time visualization of the local. We provide here evidence that direct cortical stimulation combined with electrocorticographic recording could be useful to detect remote after discharge and to adjust stimulation parameters. In addition this technique offers new perspective to better assess connectivity of cerebral networks.     

Surgical management of primary and metastatic sarcoma of the mobile spine

OBJECT: Sarcomas of the spine are a challenging problem due to their frequent and extensive involvement of multiple spinal segments and high recurrence rates. Gross-total resection to negative margins, with preservation of neurological function and palliation of pain, is the surgical goal and may be achieved using either intralesional resection or en bloc excision. The authors report outcomes of surgery for primary and metastatic sarcomas of the mobile spine in a large patient series. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients undergoing resection for sarcomas of the mobile spine between 1993 and 2005 was undertaken. Sarcomas were classified by histology study results and as either primary or metastatic. Details of the surgical approach, levels of involvement, and operative complications were recorded. Outcome measures included neurological function, palliation of pain, local recurrence, and overall survival. RESULTS: Eighty patients underwent 110 resections of either primary or metastatic sarcomas of the mobile spine. Twenty-nine lesions were primary sarcomas (36%) and 51 were metastatic sarcomas (64%). Intralesional resections were performed in 98 surgeries (89%) and en bloc resections were performed in 12 (11%). Median survival from surgery for all patients was 20.6 months. Median survival for patients with a primary sarcoma of the spine was 40.2 months and was 17.3 months for patients with a metastatic sarcoma. Predictors of improved survival included a chondrosarcoma histological type and a better preoperative functional status, whereas osteosarcoma and a high-grade tumor were negative influences on survival. Multivariate analysis showed that only a high-grade tumor was an independent predictor of shorter overall survival. American Spinal Injury Association scale grades were maintained or improved in 97% of patients postoperatively, and there was a significant decrease in pain scores postoperatively. No significant differences in survival or local recurrence rates between intralesional or en bloc resections for either primary or metastatic spine sarcomas were found. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for primary or metastatic sarcoma of the spine is associated with an improvement in neurological function and palliation of pain. The results of this study show a significant difference in patient survival for primary versus metastatic spine sarcomas. The results do not show a statistically significant benefit in survival or local recurrence rates for en bloc versus intralesional resections for either metastatic or primary sarcomas of the spine, but this may be due to the small number of patients undergoing en bloc resections.     

combined hepatic and inferior vena cava resection for colorectal metastases

Surgical resection continues to offer the only hope for cure of colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver. Tumor involvement of the vena cava is often viewed as a contraindication to surgical resection. Whereas proven technically feasible, the survival advantages of en bloc liver and vena cava resection remain unclear. We reviewed all patients at a tertiary care center who had resection of colorectal liver metastases, including those with vena cava resections. Eleven patients had en bloc liver and vena cava resection between 1988 and 2002; during the same time period, 97 patients underwent isolated liver resection. There were no perioperative deaths in the 11 patients. All resections had negative histological margins. Mean follow-up was 33 months from the date of surgery. Median disease-free survival of the group having caval resections was 9 months, whereas median survival was 34 months. When compared to the cohort of isolated hepatic resections, the group undergoing caval resections experienced a significantly reduced diseasefree survival of 18.6 vs. 9.1 months, respectively (P = 0.03); however, there was no difference in overall survival between the two groups at 55.2 vs. 34.3 months, respectively (P = 0.20). Colorectal liver metastases involving the vena cava should be considered for surgical resection. Presented at the 2005 American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Congress, Hollywood, Florida, April 14–17, 2005.     

Clinical outcome of different modes of resection in papillary thyroid carcinomas with laryngotracheal invasion

Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of different modes of resection in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with laryngotracheal invasion.Materials and methods Sixty-four primary PTCs with laryngotracheal invasion between 1964 and 2003 were retrospectively analyzed (17 men and 47 women; mean age, 61.6 years; mean follow-up, 92.3 months). Thirteen curative resections included six pharyngolaryngoesophagectomies, two total laryngectomies, and five circumferential resections (complete surgery). Eighteen patients who were candidates for curative resection refused to undergo complete surgery to avoid functional impairment, especially laryngeal function (incomplete surgery). Thirty-three patients with minimal invasion underwent shave or partial resection (conservative surgery). Clinical outcomes were compared between the three groups. The influence of different types of surgery and invasion was also evaluated by Cox proportional hazard analysis.Results Three (23.1%) complete, 17 (94.4%) incomplete, and 4 (13.8%) conservative surgery patients died of disease (P < 0.0001). The 10-year disease-specific survival (Kaplan–Meier) in complete, incomplete, and conservative surgery patients were 62.9, 11.1, and 87.7%, respectively (log rank test, P < 0.0001). Incomplete surgery related to worse prognosis [p < 0.0001; hazard ratio (HR), 12.9) than complete or conservative surgery. Tracheal deep invasion (p = 0.0019, HR 7.6) and larynx invasion (p < 0.0001, HR 9.9) related to worse prognosis than minimal invasion.Conclusion Curative resection improves clinical outcomes in PTCs with laryngotracheal invasion. Conservative resection for minimal invasion also can achieve favorable prognosis. The degree of tumor invasion is significantly related to survival.     

Endoscopic resection for submucosally invasive colorectal cancer

Background: Recent advances in colonoscopy have resulted in an increasing number of endoscopic resections of colorectal neoplasms. However, endoscopic resection of submucosal invasive cancer remains a controversial issue. Methods: The subjects for this study were the surgically treated patients with submucosal invasive colorectal cancer. These patients were classified into two groups: those with versus those without preoperative endoscopic resection. Clinicopathologic features and prognosis were compared and analyzed. Results: Fifty patients underwent surgery for submucosally invasive colorectal cancer. Numbers of patients with and without preoperative endoscopic resection were 22 and 28, respectively. In 36.4% of the patients, endoscopic resections were incomplete. Two patients in whom the preoperative endoscopic resections had revealed a positive cancer margin, had nodal metastasis. One of these patients also developed hepatic metastasis. Endoscopic findings such as diameter and shape were not indicative of either lymphatic or vascular invasion. There were no morbidities or mortalities associated with endoscopic resection or surgery. Conclusions: Preoperative endoscopic resection for colorectal submucosal cancer is feasible, provided the resection is complete. The indications for surgical treatment should be determined after pathologic examination. Received: 30 December 1997/Accepted: 13 April 1998