Preoperative chemoradiation therapy for low rectal cancer. Impact on downstaging and sphincter-saving operations

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Multimodality treatment is the preferred strategy in the management of low rectal adenocarcinoma. Preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) associated with radical surgery may result in significant tumor downstaging, local control of the disease and high rates of sphincter-saving operations. METHODOLOGY: One hundred consecutive patients with advanced and resectable distal rectal cancer treated either by surgery alone or by preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgery were reviewed. Both groups were similar in tumor and patients characteristics. Treatment strategy was randomly selected. RESULTS: Mean tumor size in Group 1 (surgery alone) was 6.1 cm and 3.3 cm in Group 2 (CRT). In Group 1 (surgery alone), nine patients had stage I (18%), 20 had stage II (40%) and 21 had stage III disease (42%). In Group 2 (CRT), 6 patients had stage 0 (12%), 21 had stage I (42%), 12 had stage II (24%) and 11 had stage III disease (22%). Furthermore, for each T (except for T0-1) the presence of lymph node (LN) metastasis was significantly more frequent in Group 1. In Group 2 (CRT), there was a mean reduction of 27% of the initial tumor size. This reduction was observed in 58% of patients in this group (CRT). Finally, sphincter-saving operations were more frequently performed in Group 2 (CRT) even though tumor differentiation and distance from the anal verge were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CRT followed by radical surgery is an effective treatment strategy for distal rectal cancer resulting in significant tumor size reduction and downstaging. Consequently, these effects may be responsible for higher rates of sphincter-saving operations performed in this subset of patients.     

Nonsebaceous lymphadenoma of salivary gland: report of a case with immunohistochemistry and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Osteochondromas (OCs) are rare in the craneofacial area (0.6%). We present 2 cases of OC of the mandibular condyle, emphasizing the surgical decision of each case. CASE 1: In a 48-year-old woman with facial asymmetry, left cross-bite, and mandible deviation to the left, a computerized tomographic (CT) scan confirmed the presence of a bony expansion of the right condyle. The clinical diagnosis was osteochondroma. The patient underwent condylectomy with costochondral reconstruction. CASE 2: In a 76-year-old woman with a 1-month history of right preauricular pain, CT showed a deformed right condyle with a bony mass at the base of the temporal bone and the articular fossa. OC of the skull base was diagnosed, with possibly a concurrent lesion of the condyle. The patient underwent condylectomy with the removal of the skull base mass and an inmediate TMJ reconstruction by means of an appropriately sized stock total TMJ prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to personalize the temporomandibular joint reconstructive options.     

Incidence of pain after inguinal hernia repair in the elderly. A retrospective historical cohort evaluation of 18-years’ experience with a mesh & plug inguinal hernia repair method on about 3000 patients

Background

Chronic pain after prosthetic inguinal hernioplasty is one of the most important current issues in the current literature debate. Mechanisms related to pain development are only partially known. Influence of age as well as other factors is still unclear. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether development of chronic pain after open prosthetic plug and mesh inguinal hernioplasty is influenced by age.

Methods

Analysis was retrospectively conducted, dividing our cohort of patients (2,902) who had undergone prosthetic open plug&mesh inguinal hernioplasty from Jannuary 1994 to May 2012, following only the age criterion (cut-off 65 yrs.), into two groups (Gr.A<65 yrs, Gr.B>65 yrs.). All patients were routinely submitted to a postoperative questionnaire. Complications such as analgesic assumption were registered in both groups. Pain intensity was classified following the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). Incidence of chronic pain, discomfort, and numbness, was assessed in both groups. Statistical significance was assessed by X₂-test.

Results

Only 0.2% of patients suffered from a recurrence in our cohort. Postoperative chronic pain was observed in Gr. A in 0.12% of patients vs Gr.B 0.09% (p>0.05). Incidence of other postoperative symptoms such as discomfort or numbness were slightly prevalent on young patients (respectively p = 0.0286 and p = 0.01), while for hyperesthesia and sensation of foreign body no statistically significant difference of incidence between groups was observed.

Conclusions

Real chronic pain after inguinal hernioplasty is a rare clinical entity. Other causes of chronic pain should be accurately researched and excluded. In young patients psychological factors seem to show a slight influence. There was no influence of age on chronic postoperative pain incidence after inguinal hernioplasty.

     

Risk and protective factors for heavy binge alcohol use among American Indian adolescents utilizing emergency health services

Background: American Indian (AI) adolescents are disproportionately burdened by alcohol abuse and heavy binge use, often leading to problematic drinking in adulthood. However, many AI communities also have large proportions of adults who abstain from alcohol. Objective: To understand these concurrent and divergent patterns, we explored the relationship between risk and protective factors for heavy binge alcohol use among a reservation-based sample of AI adolescents. Methods: Factors at individual, peer, family, and cultural/community levels were examined using a cross-sectional case–control study design. Cases were adolescents with recent heavy binge alcohol use that resulted in necessary medical care. Controls had no lifetime history of heavy binge alcohol use. 68 cases and 55 controls were recruited from emergency health services visits. Participants were 50% male; average age 15.4 years old, range 10 to 19. Independent variables were explored using logistic regression; those statistically significant were combined into a larger multivariate model. Results: Exploratory analyses showed adolescents who were aggressive, impulsive, had deviant peers, poor family functioning or more people living at home were at greater risk for heavy binge alcohol use. Protective factors included attending school, family closeness, residential stability, social problem-solving skills, having traditional AI values and practices, and strong ethnic identity. Confirmatory analysis concluded that school attendance and residential stability reduce the probability of heavy binge alcohol use, even among those already at low risk. Conclusions: Findings deepen the understanding of AI adolescent heavy binge alcohol use and inform adolescent intervention development fostering trajectories to low-risk drinking and abstinence.     

Rectal procidentia treatment by perineal rectosigmoidectomy combined with levator ani repair

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Perineal rectosigmoidectomy has gained acceptance as a valid alternative to treat rectal procidentia with the advantage of decreased surgical risk, shorter recovery time, and lower complication rates when compared to abdominal approaches, although controversies still exist about its recurrence rates and functional results. This study aimed to evaluate the results of perineal rectosigmoidectomy combined with repair of the levator ani muscles to treat rectal procidentia. METHODOLOGY: Forty-four patients who underwent perineal rectosigmoidectomy with levatorplasty for rectal procidentia between 1985 and 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were 41 women and 3 men with mean age of 76 (57 to 96) years. Mean duration of symptoms was 29.2 (1 to 40) months. Mean length of prolapsed rectum was 8.3cm and the average size of the resected segment was 21.2cm. The complication rate was 9.1% and there was no mortality associated with this procedure. Mean hospital stay was 3.9 days. During a minimum period of follow-up of 24 months (24-120) with a mean of 49 months, the recurrence rate was 7.1% (two patients presented recurrence of procidentia and another prolapse of the rectal mucosa). Anal continence improved in 36 (85.7%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Perineal rectosigmoidectomy combined with levatorplasty is a safe procedure associated with a relatively low morbidity rate, satisfactory functional results, and an acceptably low recurrence rate.     

Time-trends in necropsy prevalence and birth prevalence of lung hypoplasia

Congenital lung hypoplasia (LH) has been identified with increasing frequency in perinatal and neonatal necropsy reviews. The available prevalence figures have been derived using various diagnostic criteria in different populations and at various times. We therefore reviewed our experience in 15 years of consecutive early neonatal necropsies using one constant set of diagnostic criteria for LH and looked for a time-trend. We determined the necropsy prevalence (no. of cases of LH/no. of necropsies) and the birth prevalence (no. of cases of LH documented at necropsy per 1000 livebirths for inborn patients, and per 1000 referrals for outborn patients) between 1971 and 1985. We then divided this 15-year period into five consecutive 3-year periods to determine if a time-trend was discernible. Whereas early neonatal mortality for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions progressively decreased from 11.4% to 4.0% between the first and the last 3-year periods, the number of cases of LH per 3-year period did not vary appreciably. As a result, the prevalence of LH at necropsy showed a slight upward trend with time. The overall prevalence was 18%; it was 13% during the first and 23% during the last 3-year period. We found no time-trend in birth or referral prevalence for this lesion, which averaged 1.1 per 1000 livebirths and 9.8 per 1000 referrals. We conclude that lung hypoplasia appears to be emerging as an increasingly prevalent necropsy finding as a result of a shift in proportionate mortality, with the number of patients dying of other causes (denominator) decreasing, and the number of patients dying with lung hypoplasia remaining constant.     

Total radiated power, infrared output, and heat generation by cold light sources at the distal end of endoscopes and fiber optic bundle of light cables

Background: Skin burns and ignition of drapes have been reported with the use of cold light sources. The aim of the study was to document the temperature generated by cold light sources and to correlate this with the total radiated power and infrared output. Methods: The temperature, total radiated power, and infrared output were measured as a function of time at the end of the endoscope (which is inserted into the operative field) and the end of the fiber optic bundle of the light cable (which connects the cable to the light port of the endoscope) using halogen and xenon light sources. Results: The highest temperature recorded at the end of the endoscope was 95°C. The temperature measured at the optical fiber location of the endoscope was higher than at its lens surface (p < 0.0001). At the end of the fiber optic bundle of light cables, the temperature reached 225°C within 15 s. The temperature recorded at the optical fiber location of all endoscopes and light cables studied rose significantly over a period of 10 min to reach its maximum (p < 0.0001) and then leveled off for the duration of the study (30 min). The infrared output accounted only for 10% of the total radiated power. Conclusions: High temperatures are reached by 10 min at the end of fiber optic bundle of light cables and endoscopes with both halogen and xenon light sources. This heat generation is largely due to the radiated power in the visible light spectrum.     

The investigation of atypical psychosomatic illness. A team approach to diagnosis

The experience of 12 children with atypical psychosomatic illness who presented considerable diagnostic difficulties is described. All patients were admitted to the hospital, and using a team approach, it was possible to make a confident diagnosis. No organic disease was identified, and a psychosomatic diagnosis was made. In general, atypical symptoms and signs, false-positive investigations, and differing medical opinion had compounded the diagnostic difficulties. The value of the observations made by ward staff of the childrens' symptoms and behavior is stressed.