Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the scrotal wall: a case report

We report a rare case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising from the scrotal wall. Wide excision of the tumor was followed 9 months later by metastasis to the ipsilateral superficial inguinal nodes. The patient remained well without evidence of disease 15 months after ipsilateral ilioinguinal node dissection.     

Aneurysm of the celiac artery

A 50-year-old male with asymptomatic aneurysm of the celiac artery is described and the diagnosis and surgical treatment as well as problems and considerations involved in surgical management are discussed in conjunction with a review of the literature.     

The measurement of extra vascular lung water using a thermal-sodium double indicator dilution technique in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer

The Extra Vascular Lung Water (EVLW) was measured using the thermal sodium double indicator dilution technique in 21 patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer. This measurement is an important parameter in the control of the respiratory function. In the 16 cases without pulmonary complications, the preoperative EVLW was 5.3 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SEM) ml/kg and the immediate postoperative EVLW was 4.8 +/- 0.4 ml/kg. This change was significant (p less than 0.05), but within 24 hours the EVLW returned to almost the same levels as those recorded before surgery. In only 3 cases, the EVLW were elevated beyond 7.5 ml/kg, but these high EVLW levels did not continue for more than 12 hours. Of the 5 patients with pulmonary complications, only two experienced pulmonary edema. Their preoperative EVLW levels were normal, but the immediate postoperative EVLW levels were significantly elevated beyond 10 ml/kg. These elevated levels were observed before the PaO2, the portable chest roentgenograms and the other test results changed following surgery. The high EVLW levels beyond 7.5 ml/kg continued for 72 hours after surgery. We found no correlation between the EVLW and measureable hemodynamic parameters (Cardiac Index, Pulmonary Wedge Pressure, Colloid Osmotic Pressure-Pulmonary Wedge Pressure gradient) during the observation period. In the other cases with pulmonary complications (2 cases were pneumonia, one was atelectasis with pneumonia), the changes in the EVLW levels were the same as for the cases without pulmonary complications. These results indicate that the EVLW is the optimum parameter for the control of the respiratory function and early diagnosis of pulmonary edema after surgery for esophageal cancer.     

Have the results of mitral valve replacement improved?

The operative mortality following valvular surgery remains substantial for specific high risk groups despite recent improvement in surgical techniques, anesthetic managements, and postoperative care. To test the contention that the results of valvular surgery are better in recent years, we examined patients undergoing isolated or combined mitral valve replacement in an earlier era (1980-1984; n = 68) and a later era (1985-1989; n = 106). There were no significant differences concerning the clinical characteristics between an earlier era and a later era, although patients in an earlier era were more seriously in hemodynamics, and in a later era were older, a higher prevalence of reoperations and a combined tricuspid valve surgery. The operative mortality was 10.3% in an earlier era, 6.6% in a later era, and so it is not significantly improved in a recent 5 years, however the incidence of premature death (death within 30 days) except valve re-replacement was significantly improved. Using univariate multiple logistic model, the predictors for operative death after mitral valve replacement in an earlier era were advanced NYHA functional class, larger CTR, higher systolic pulmonary pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, associated preoperative organ dysfunction and heart lung machine time. In a later era, these were advanced NYHA functional class, higher right atrial mean pressure, associated preoperative organ dysfunction, valve re-replacement, heart lung machine time and aortic cross clamp time. Multivariate analysis including these significant factors could not demonstrated the most independent predictors of operative mortality after mitral valve replacement in both an earlier era and a later era.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)