Transbronchial lung biopsy: A review of 85 cases.

Transbronchial lung biopsy using the fibreoptic bronchoscope was carried out in 85 patients. There were no serious complications; two patients had a 10% pneumothorax and 17 had slight haemoptysis lasting less than 24 hours. The problems of interpreting small biopsy specimens are considered. Satisfactory specimens were obtained without fluoroscopic guidance, particularly in diffuse and lobar lesions. A histological diagnosis was made in 62% of diffuse lesions and compatible histology was found in a further 22%. In a further case Pneumocytis carinii infection was diagnosed. Blind biopsy of discrete periheral lesions was less successful with only one positive diagnosis in 12 patients.     

先天性胆总管囊肿85例临床分析

目的 探讨先天性胆总管囊肿的临床特点，选择合适的手术治疗方法。方法 对85例胆总管囊肿的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果 85例中发生癌变12例，癌变率14％。影像学检查显示胆总管囊肿位于胰胆管结合部者29例，其中26例有胰胆管合流异常。手术治疗83例，囊肿切除、肝管空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术为主要术式，其中4例囊肿巨大，伴有严重感染者先期行外引流术，待一般情况好转后二次行根治眭手术。囊肿切除的60例中47例获得随访，疗效优良者45例；而仅行内引流术的6例中疗效优良者仅1例。结论 对囊肿伴严重感染者先期行外引流术可有效控制感染。囊肿全切除、肝管空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术应作为胆总管囊肿的首选术式。     

Video-assisted parathyroidectomy: a series of 85 cases

AIM OF THE STUDY: To verify the feasibility of video-assisted parathyroidectomy, set up the indications and report the results in a series of 85 patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 1997 to 1999, 85 patients affected by primary hyperparathyroidism due to single gland disease, with an adenoma smaller than 35 mm as demonstrated by preoperative imaging, were referred for video-assisted parathyroidectomy. There were 62 females and 23 males. Mean age was 53 years, (range 23-82). Video-assisted parathyroidectomy was associated with intra-operative PTH quick-assay. Calcium testing was controlled before leaving the hospital, 1 month and 3 months later, and postoperative laryngoscopy was performed in all patients. RESULTS: There were five conversions to open cervicotomy: three due to a contra-lateral second adenoma, two because of an intrathyroidal adenoma. The mean operative time for video-assisted procedure was 59 minutes (range: 25-180). Circulating PTH levels 10 minutes after the removal of the affected gland(s) always dropped significantly, and pathological report confirmed the parathyroid nature of the specimens (mean diameter 13 mm, range 7-35). Morbidity consisted of five cases of transient hypocalcemia and one permanent laryngeal nerve paralysis. We registered no persistent or recurrent disease (mean follow-up 12.8 months, range 1-28). CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted parathyroidectomy is feasible, and its results are similar to those of traditional procedure, while it seems superior as regards postoperative course and aesthetic results. It also allows different strategical decisions even during operation (i.e. bilateral exploration or thyroid lobectomy) by the same approach.     

Chylothorax: a review of 18 cases.

Eighteen patients who had developed a chylothorax during a 25 year period, 1955-80, were reviewed. The chylothoraces occurred as a complication of cardiothoracic surgery in 11 patients, of whom eight were children in the first decade of life. Five cases followed operations for coarctation of the aorta and two occurred as a complication of a Blalock shunt for Fallot's tetralogy. The chylothorax was evident within 48 hours of the operation in all but two patients. In seven cases a second operation was performed to prevent further chylous leakage and in two infants the thoracic duct was ligated. The remainder of the postsurgical chylothoraces responded to either continuous drainage or repeated aspiration and a low fat diet. There were no late sequelae of chylothorax following surgery. Spontaneous chylothorax was identified in seven patients and in five of these it was bilateral. Patients with spontaneous chylothorax were all adults and, despite treatment, had a poor prognosis. Three with malignant disease and two with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis had died within two years of the appearance of the chylothorax. Two patients with chronic idiopathic chylothoraces survived for more than two years and one of these developed a secondary fibrothorax.     

Clinicopathological analysis of eyelid malignancies - A review of 85 cases

Background:

Resection of eyelid malignancies leads to complex reconstructive problems due to the functional and aesthetic importance of an eyelid. Hence, a large number of such cases are referred to plastic surgery facilities. Eyelid malignancies are of varied histological types and the western and Asian data have considerable variations in case distribution and presentation. This study is an attempt to characterise these tumours in the Indian population.

Materials and Methods:

The present study is a retrospective analysis of 85 consecutive cases of eyelid malignancies that reported to a tertiary health care facility in central India over a 15-year period starting from January 1996 up to December 2009. The cases were analysed for their age of presentation, sex distribution, tumour location, delay in seeking treatment, recurrence rate and variations with respect to the pathological subtype.

Observations:

Mean age of presentation for all the malignancies was 59 years. The median age of presentation was 65 years for basal call carcinoma (BCC), 58 years for sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC), 55 years for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 45 years for malignant melanoma. There was slight female preponderance as 56.28% of the patients were females. The most common location of the tumour was lower lid (58.2%) for all the malignancies. BCC was the most common malignancy (48.2%) followed by SGC (31.2%) and SCC (13.7%). Mean duration of symptoms was 9 months (range 3-21 months). The most common presenting complaint was mass with ulceration across all histological subtypes. Other associated complaints included itching, discharge from eye, pain and ptosis. The mean size of tumour at diagnosis was 2.34 ± 0.4 cm for BCC, 2.19 ± 0.6 cm for SGC and 1.99 ± 0.7 cm for SCC. The mean rate of growth of BCC was 1.39 cm/year. The corresponding values for SGC and SCC were 3.63 and 4.89 cm/year, respectively. The rate of follow-up was 89% at 3 months, 71% at 6 months, 62% at 1 year and 31% at 5 years. Recurrence rate was 1.9% for BCC and 12.7% for SGC. Surgical methods used included wedge excision and primary closure, excision and skin grafting, and tarso-conjunctival flap.

Conclusions:

We recommend that the surgeons treating eyelid malignancies in India should have a high index of suspicion for SGC. A wider margin of 10 mm is recommended for SGC excision as opposed to 5 mm for BCC.KEY WORDS: Basal cell carcinoma India, eyelid, malignancy, sebaceous gland carcinoma     

Laryngeal tuberculosis: a review of 26 cases.

OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical characteristics of laryngeal tuberculosis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 26 histopathology-confirmed cases in a tertiary medical center from 1992 to 2006. RESULTS: The female patients were significantly younger than male patients. Hoarseness is the most common symptom (84.6%) because true vocal fold is most commonly involved (80.8%). Infection usually involves unilateral (66.7%) and right-side larynx but multiple subsites of the larynx (57.7%). The appearance of the affected larynx may have mixed features and change before diagnosis. Laryngeal tuberculosis is usually misdiagnosed as laryngeal cancer, especially in patients with malignant signs such as enlarged cervical lymph nodes and vocal fold immobility. Chest film is better than sputum examinations for screening. CONCLUSION: We should be especially alert about TB infection when facing young female patients with unusual laryngeal lesions. Extensive laser excision before diagnosis should be avoided because after antituberculous treatment, prognosis is usually good and vocal fold immobility could be reversible.     

Lingual thyroid: a review of 12 cases.

Twelve patients with lingual thyroid are reviewed. Two of these patients had a follicular carcinoma in the ectopic gland and both are well 5 and 16 years after treatment. The diagnosis is essentially clinical but confirmation may be made with a thyroid scan. Six patients were treated conservatively with thyroxine with good results. Six patients were treated by surgical excision, 2 undergoing autotransplantation of the excised gland into the anterior abdominal wall.     

Traumatic pseudoaneurysms: a review of 32 cases.

The management of 23 patients with traumatic pseudoaneurysms is presented. A pulsatile mass associated with pain was the usual presentation. Hypertension and hypovolemic shock from rupture are uncommon presentations but potential hazards of this lesion. Twenty-one pseudoaaeurysms were treated surgically. Resection with end-to-end anastomosis (eight patients), with graft replacement (one patient), with lateral repair (seven patients) was done. Hypothermia with circulatory arrest and external Dacron shunt were used to prevent visceral ischemia during high aortic occlusion. There were no mortalities or significant postoperative complications.     

Achalasia cardia: a review of 100 cases.

Achaiasia cardia is the commonest benign obstructive lesion of the oesophagus in India. We have reviewed 100 cases over a 20-year period. This is the largest series that has been reported from India. Some unusual features were observed. Males were more often affected than females in a ratio of 2.3:1. Children below the age of 10 years are not often affected, but we had 10 subjects in this age group. In our series dysphagia for solids has been the main presenting feature. Barium swallow X-ray studies of the oesophagus were diagnostic. The treatment of choice had been surgical, and a modified Heller's operation has been the chosen procedure. Our preference is for the thoracic approach. Postoperative complications were few. Long-term follow-up of 65 patients over a 19-year period revealed excellent results in 50 patients (76.9%), good results in 10 (15.4%), and fair and poor results in two (3.1%) and three (4.6%) patients respectively. The fair and poor results occurred in patients with recurrence of symptoms or stricture formation due to reflux oesophagitis. The excellent results even on long-term follow-up, we believe are due to the adequate myotomy that was performed.     

Splenic cysts: a review of 6 cases.

Benign cysts of the spleen are rare. Six cases have been managed in this hospital in the past 25 years. The history, physical findings and investigations are reviewed. It is suggested that splenectomy is the treatment of choice as it carries a low morbidity and mortality.     

Intrathoracic goitre: a review of 29 cases.

Twenty-nine patients suffering from intrathoracic goitre who were admitted to a thoracic surgical clinic were studied. Most patients had respiratory complaints but as many as 28% did not have any symptoms and their goitres were revealed on routine chest X-rays. Only seven patients were operated upon with a thoracic approach, usually a sternal split. All others were operated upon with a cervical collar incision. Three of the goitres were toxic and one malignant. Two of the patients died, one when inducing anaesthesia and the other of pulmonary embolism six days after the operation. General anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation is preferred when operating for intrathoracic goitre. The operation is started with a cervical collar incision and the patients prepared for a sternal split. Lateral thoracotomy may be necessary only when the mass is situated in the posterior mediastinum.     

克罗恩病外科治疗85例分析

目的总结分析肠道克罗恩病（CD）的外科治疗策略。方法对1980—2005年收治的85例CD病人资料进行回顾性分析。结果近年来CD病人呈增多趋势，术前确诊率为23．53％。肠梗阻（25．88％）、右下腹包块（回盲部肿物，10．59％）、盲肠癌（12．94％）、急性阑尾炎（4．71％）是术前误诊的几大主要原因。手术方式以右半结肠切除术（37．65％），小肠部分切除（21．18％）为主，内、外瘘及肛周CD行外科处理预后良好。结论手术仍是目前肠道CD的重要治疗手段；手术方式依病变部位和并发症类型不同而有差异，术式选择和规范化手术操作是亟待解决的问题。     

Repeated subinguinal bypass. Report of 85 cases

From 1975 to 1987, 68 patients were operated with repeated subinguinal bypass (SIB) following early or late thrombosis os an initial bypass graft; 10 were operated with a third SIB, 4 with a fourth SIB. The indication for the second SIB was acute ischemia in 15 cases and chronic ischemia in 53. The graft material used was venous in 21 cases, prosthetic in 29 cases and mixed in 53. The distal anastomosis was performed on the upper popliteal artery in 12 cases, the lower popliteal artery in 34 cases or an artery in leg in 22 cases. The actuarial permeability rate of 84 repeated SIBs, whatever the material, was 21.7% at 1 year (50.2% for venous grafts and 13.6% for prosthetic grafts). The limb preservation rate was 47.9% at 5 years. Operative mortality was about 1%. The analysis of the results suggests that the repeated SIB should be performed only: for limb salvage, if the downstream arterial bed is in good condition, with usable venous material. The risk of having to perform a thigh amputation rather than a leg amputation when attempting repeated SIB is of 13.9% only.     

Hypomagnesaemia-hypercalciuria-nephrocalcinosis: a report of nine cases and a review.

BACKGROUND: The cardinal characteristics of primary hypomagnesaemia-hypercalciuria-nephrocalcinosis include renal magnesium wasting, marked hypercalciuria, renal stones, nephrocalcinosis, a tendency towards chronic renal insufficiency and sometimes even ocular abnormalities or hearing impairment. METHODS: As very few patients with this syndrome have been described, we provide information on nine patients on follow-up at our institutions and review the 42 cases reported in the literature (33 females and 18 males). RESULTS: Urinary tract infections, polyuria-polydipsia, renal stones and tetanic convulsions were the main clinical findings at diagnosis. The clinical course was highly variable; renal failure was often reported. The concomitant occurrence of ocular involvement or hearing impairment was reported in a large subset of patients. Parental consanguinity was noted in some families. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate an autosomal recessive inheritance. The diagnosis of primary hypomagnesaemia-hypercalciuria-nephrocalcinosis deserves consideration in any patient with nephrocalcinosis and hypercalciuria.     

Extrahepatic portal hypertension: a review of 70 cases.

Among 70 children with extrahepatic portal hypertension, more than 350 episodes of bleeding occurred. Of the 32 children who were not operated upon, six (19%) died of bleeding. Twelve children in the nonoperated group are thriving and well, although six of them have rebled 1-2 times. The operated group of 38 children had a total of 43 procedures. Central splenorenal and cavomesenteric anastomosis prevented further bleeding in 10 of 12 cases in which follow-up is available. Operative mortality was 24%, the majority of which were in emergency procedures.     

Phyllodes tumours: a clinicopathological review of 30 cases.

Thirty cases of phyllodes tumour (cystosarcoma phyllodes) of the breast that presented to the Clinical Oncology Unit at Guy's Hospital were reviewed. Tumours were classified as benign, malignant or borderline according to the following histological criteria: mitotic rate, nuclear pleomorphism, stromal overgrowth and tumour margins. In 14 (46.5%) cases the tumours were considered histologically benign, in 11 (36.5%) malignant, and in five (17%) borderline. Recurrence was seen in a similar proportion of patients with tumours classified as benign (21%) and malignant (18%) according to histological criteria. Malignant lesions tended to recur earlier. Infiltrating tumour margins were noted in all patients and stromal overgrowth in all but one in whom recurrence was observed. Risk of recurrence also appeared to be related to tumour size. Only one patient developed distant metastases and died of her disease. Because of treatment variation no conclusion can be made regarding optimal therapy but the importance of adequate clearance, either through wide excision or mastectomy, is emphasized for all phyllodes tumours irrespective of histological features.