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.     

Multidetector computed tomographic cholangiography in the evaluation of potential living liver donors

BACKGROUND: Lacking awareness of biliary variations causes complications in adult living donor liver transplantation. The study was performed to determine the diagnostic value of preoperative multidetector computed tomographic cholangiography (MDCT-CA). METHODS: MDCT-CA after the intravenous administration of meglumine iodipamide was performed in 12 potential liver donors. MDCT angiography was added to depict the topographic relationship between biliary and vascular structures. MDCT findings were correlated with intraoperative findings (n=7). RESULTS: MDCT-CA was diagnostic in all 12 patients. Nine patients revealed variants in biliary anatomy: drainage from liver segment four into right hepatic duct (n=4), additional segmental ducts draining into common (n=4) or left hepatic duct (n=2), and trifurcation at the upper confluence (n=1). Biliary vascular topography was variable and well depicted. Intraoperative assessment confirmed the preoperative findings. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in biliary anatomy appear to be the rule rather than the exception. MDCT-CA represents a noninvasive means for accurately assessing biliary morphology.     

Papillomatosis Confined to the Distal Biliary Tract — A Rare Cause of Obstructive Jaundice: Report of a Case

Based on the findings of a patient with recurrent obstructive jaundice due to papillomatosis of the distal bile duct, we herein describe the diagnostic difficulties and therapeutic options in this very rare disease. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and, in particular, cholangioscopy are the imaging procedures of choice if biliary papillomatosis is suspected. Due to the tendency of such patients to demonstrate malignant transformation and develop biliary cirrhosis with septic complications, an early and radical surgical resection is recommended in rare cases of localized papillomatosis. This approach may offer the only chance of a cure although the potential risk of multifocal recurrence cannot be ruled out. When considering a radical resection, intraoperative cholangioscopy is strongly recommended to confirm any localized papillomatosis and rule out any diffuse papillomatosis of the entire biliary tract.     

Preventive effect of risedronate on bone loss and frailty fractures in elderly women treated with anastrozole for early breast cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adjuvant anastrozole, alone or associated with risedronate, on BMD and bone fracture risk in women more than 70 years old with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer (EBC). In a group of 51 elderly women (aged 76.4 ± 5.0 years) considered for adjuvant aromatase inhibitors for EBC, 24 patients with T-scores ≥ -2 and no prevalent fractures received anastrozole 1 mg/day (group A), and 27 patients with T-scores < -2, or with T-scores ≥ -2 and prevalent fractures (group B), received anastrozole (1 mg/day) plus risedronate (35 mg/week). Both groups received supplementation with 1 g calcium carbonate and 800 IU vitamin D per day. Differences in BMD and frailty fractures were evaluated after 1 and 2 years. In group A, significant decreases in BMD were observed in the lumbar spine (Δ BMD, -0.030 ± 0.04 g/cm(2), P < 0.05), femoral neck (Δ BMD, -0.029 ± 0.05 g/cm(2), P < 0.05), and trochanter (Δ BMD, -0.026 ± 0.03 g/cm(2), P < 0.01) after 2 years. The greatest percent reduction in height (Hpr) emerged in the thoracic spine (3.6 ± 2.4%, P < 0.01), although only one incident vertebral fracture was observed. In group B, BMD increased in the lumbar spine (Δ BMD, 0.038 ± 0.04, P < 0.001), although no significant changes were seen in the hip regions. The decline in Hpr was negligible (about 1%). No incident fractures were observed at follow-up. In conclusion, anastrozole treatment for EBC in elderly women seems to have only mild negative effects on the femoral bone. Risedronate makes the use of anastrozole safer, even for osteopenic or osteoporotic elderly patients.     

Einfluss Kochsalzarmer Ernährung auf die Entzündung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Emergence of Mycobacterium simiae in respiratory specimens

Temporal changes in epidemiology of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections have hardly been explored. Frequency of isolation of different NTM species varies geographically. We aimed to determine whether the distribution of Mycobacteria species isolated from respiratory specimens had changed from 1996 to 2003. We analysed data on 484 patient mycobacterial isolates from 23,483 respiratory specimens submitted to the Laboratory of Microbiology in a tertiary medical centre. The proportion of patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates decreased from 44.6% in period I (1996-1999) to 20.6% in period II (2000-2003). Among the NTM, the proportion of some species increased significantly (Mycobacterium simiae: 8.4% to 31.6%; Mycobacterium fortuitum 12% to 20%; and Mycobacterium chelonae 4.8% to 11.3%), while others decreased (Mycobacterium avium complex 31.3% to 17.3%; Mycobacterium kansasii 28.9% to 7.5%; and Mycobacterium haemophilum 1.2% to 0%). These findings disclose major temporal changes in the distribution of mycobacterial species in respiratory specimens with an impressive emergence and takeover of M. simiae.     

Thrombopoietin serum levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease with and without previous thromboembolic events

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease frequently suffer from thromboembolic complications and mesenteric microvascular occlusion could be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Increased platelet counts and abnormal platelet function seem to play a crucial role in determining the hypercoagulable state observed in inflammatory bowel disease. Thrombopoietin is considered the primary regulator of thrombopoiesis and recent studies have investigated the role of thrombopoietin in inflammatory bowel disease. However, the available data are not conclusive. The aim of this study was to assess thrombopoietin serum levels in inflammatory bowel disease patients according to platelet counts, disease activity and previous thrombotic events. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-one patients with inflammatory bowel disease [41 with ulcerative colitis and 30 with Crohn's disease] and 30 healthy controls were investigated. Eight (11%) inflammatory bowel disease patients had suffered previous thromboembolic complications, none had active thrombosis. Thrombopoietin serum levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Mean thrombopoietin levels were significantly increased in inflammatory bowel disease patients with active disease compared to both healthy controls and patients with inactive disease. Platelet counts were significantly higher only in patients with active disease with respect to healthy subjects. No correlation was found between thrombopoietin levels and platelet counts in either controls or inflammatory bowel disease patients. No differences were found either in thrombopoietin levels or in platelet counts comparing inflammatory bowel disease patients with and without thromboembolic complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show elevated thrombopoietin levels in active inflammatory bowel disease. However, no correlation was found between platelet counts and thrombopoietin levels, supporting the hypothesis that other circulating factors than thrombopoietin interact in determining reactive thrombocytosis. Furthermore, thrombopoietin levels did not differ in inflammatory bowel disease patients with or without previous thromboembolic events. This finding could be probably explained by the lack of patients with active thrombosis at the moment of inclusion in the study.     

Periodontal disease as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case–control studies

Periodontal disease is a highly prevalent group of illnesses of microbial etiology, whose consequence is a severe breakdown of tooth-supporting structures. A link between periodontal infection and several systemic conditions, among which adverse pregnancy outcomes, has been suggested in the recent years. The aim of this review based on case?Ccontrol studies was to evaluate if periodontal disease could be considered as a risk factor for preterm birth, low birth-weight and preterm low birth-weight. An electronic search (via Pubmed) was performed for case?Ccontrol studies investigating the relationship between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. From the initially retrieved 417 articles, 17 case?Ccontrol studies, accounting for a total of 10,148 patients, were included in the review and in the meta-analysis. The estimated odds ratio was 1.78 (CI 95%: 1.58, 2.01) for preterm birth, 1.82 (CI 95%: 1.51, 1.20) for low birth-weight and 3.00 (CI 95%: 1.93, 4.68) for preterm low birth-weight. Despite the results of the analysis of pooled data suggested a link between periodontal diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the presence of important confounders, whose effect could not be addressed, prevents a validation of the meta-analysis outcomes. Further more accurate investigations based on individual data analysis could give a better insight into the topic of the present review.