Jejunal Gallstone Ileus: An Unusual Site of Gallstone Impaction

Introduction  Gallstone ileus is a life-threatening surgical emergency where characteristic imaging can be diagnostic. Jejunum is the one of the rare sites of gallstone impaction. Materials and Methods  We hereby emphasize the role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) by describing a case of jejunal gallstone ileus with cholecystoduodenal fistula in a 59-year-old lady who presented with symptoms and signs of proximal small bowel obstruction. Conclusion  MDCT of the abdomen established the diagnosis, and the patient managed surgically.     

Oncoplastic Breast Surgery

Breast Surgery is now a recognized subspecialty of General Surgery abroad with structured training for designated ‘Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons’. Oncoplastic Breast surgery is probably one of the most interesting and challenging new developments over the past 20 years. The aims of Oncoplastic surgery are wide local excision of the cancer coupled with partial reconstruction of the defect to achieve a cosmetically acceptable result. Avoidance of mastectomy and consequent reduction of psychological morbidity are the principal goals in the development of various oncoplastic techniques. The use of plastic surgical techniques not only ensures good cosmetic outcome, but also allows the cancer surgeon to remove the tumour with greater volume of surrounding tissue, thus extending the boundaries of breast conserving surgery. Proper patient selection and careful planning after proper radiological and clinical assessment are the two essential prerequisites before undertaking oncoplastic breast surgery. Oncoplastic surgery involves both volume displacement and volume replacement techniques. Some commonly used volume displacement procedures are described in the article. The need for adjustment of contralateral breast should also be anticipated at the time of planning breast conserving surgery, which can be done either at the same time as breast cancer surgery or as a delayed setting.     

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and telomerase activity: relationship to stage

Limited information is available on the correlation of telomerase activity and the clinical and pathological characteristics, in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) was used to measure telomerase activity in frozen RCC specimens from partial/radical nephrectomies performed between 1987 and 1991. Presence of tumor tissue was verified by a pathologist using hematoxylin and eosin stained sections. RNA was measured to ensure the presence of intact protein necessary for telomerase expression. Data on demographics, tumor type, and stage at presentation, local recurrence, distant metastasis, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) was collected, and telomerase activity was correlated with each of these variables. Forty-nine of 67 patients (73%) were telomerase positive (+ve). Gender and stage were the only variables that appeared to be associated with telomerase positivity. Tumors were telomerase +ve in 12/21 females (57 %) vs. 37/46 males (80%) (P = 0.07). Tumors were telomerase +ve in 85% of Stage IV, 76% of Stage III, and 70% of Stage I/II patients (P = 0.12). Five-year survival was 0% for Stage IV, 57% for Stage III, and 77% for Stage I/II patients (P < 0.001), DFS 54% for stage III and 84% for Stage I/II patients (P = 0.05). Telomerase activity, however, was not related to survival in either univariate or multivariate analysis. In patients with telomerase +ve tumors 5-year survival was 55%, and with telomerase −ve tumors 58% (P = 0.56). Stage was the only variable associated with OS or DFS in clear cell RCC patients. In patients with advanced disease, there is a high incidence of telomerase positivity was found, within this limited sample, however, no correlation with survival was found.     

Diminished morbidity and mortality in portal hypertension surgery: Relocation in the therapeutic armamentarium

Although several effective therapeutic options are available for bleeding from portal hypertension, surgery has a well-defined role in the management of patients with good liver function who are electively operated. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the operative mortality and morbidity of portal blood flow-preserving procedures in a highly select patient population. The records of 148 patients operated on between 1996 and 2000 using one of two techniques (selective shunts or a Sugiura-Futagawa operation [complete portoazygos disconnection]) were analyzed with particular attention to operative mortality, postoperative rebleeding, and encephalopathy. Survival was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Sixty-one patients had distal splenorenal shunts placed, and 87 patients had a devascularization procedure. Operative mortality for the group as a whole was 1.2%. In the group with selective shunts, the rebleeding rate was 4.9%, the encephalopathy rate was 9.8%, and the shunt obstruction rate was 1.6%. Survival at 24 months was 94% and at 48 months was 92%. In those undergoing devascularization, the encephalopathy rate was 5% and the rebleeding rate was 14%. Survival at 24 months was 90% and at 48 months was 86%. Portal blood flow-preserving procedures have very low morbidity and mortality rates at specialized centers. In addition, a low rebleeding rate is associated with a good quality of life. Low-risk patients with bleeding portal hypertension should be considered for surgical treatment.     

Liver Transplantation for Malignant Diseases: Selection andPattern of Recurrence

Liver transplantation (LT) for malignant tumors should be accepted if, with adequate case selection, long-term results are similar to those in patients transplanted for benign diseases. The aim of the present study was to reexamine selection criteria for LT in malignant diseases with particular emphasis on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis. One hundred-three of 369 patients transplanted in our unit had HCC in cirrhosis (28%), 15 of which were incidental tumors, and 234 patients underwent LT for non-cholestatic cirrhosis. Pretransplant arterial chemoembolization(TACE) was performed in 36 cases (41%) of known HCC. Only early,well-delimited tumors in advanced cirrhosis with no extrahepatic disease were accepted for LT. Hepatocellular carcinoma characteristics included mean tumor size (3.1 cm), multiple (59%), bilobular involvement (31%), and vascular invasion (9.2%). Postoperative mortality was 4%. Median follow-up was 67.5 months. Tumor recurrence rate was 14.5%, 33% (5/15) in incidental tumors and 11.4% (10/88) in known HCC and by tumor stage (pTNM): 7.7% (1/13) in stage I, 16.7%(5/30) in stage II, 15% (3/20) in stage III, and 17% (6/35) in stage IV. Mean time for recurrence was 20.6 months. Tumoral vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, and satellite tumors were significant factors for tumor recurrence in univariate analysis, whereas tumor vascular invasion was the only significant factor for tumor recurrence in multivariate analysis. Actuarial survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 81%, 66%, 58%, respectively, in patients with HCC and were similar to those of cirrhotic patients 76%, 67%, 63%, respectively.In conclusion, patients with early HCC in cirrhosis are good candidates for LT; results are similar when compared with those of cirrhotic patients without tumor. Liver transplantation for other malignancies is admitted only in fibrolamellar hepatoma, hepatoblastoma, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma without extrahepatic disease, and in metastases from carcinoid tumors.     

Venous Thromboembolic Events Following Major Pelvic and Abdominal Surgeries for Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and risk factors for post-hospital discharge venous thromboembolism (VTE) following abdominal cancer surgery without post-discharge prophylaxis.

Methods

This was a single-center, prospective cohort study. Patients were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months from surgery for the presence of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT; screening ultrasound at 1 month and questionnaire at each visit). Cumulative VTE incidence with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods, and multivariable analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Of 284 patients enrolled, 79 (28%) underwent colorectal laparotomy, 97 (34%) underwent hepatobiliary laparotomy, 100 (35%) underwent gynecological laparotomy, and 8 (3%) underwent exploratory laparotomy without resection. All patients received pre- and postoperative inpatient prophylaxis. The cumulative incidence of VTE at 1 month was 0.35% (95% CI 0.05–2.48), 2.5% at 3 months (95% CI 1.19–5.15), and 7.2% at 6 months (95% CI 4.72–10.97). Screening ultrasound performed 4 weeks after surgery in 50% of patients was negative for thrombosis in all cases. Event distribution was similar according to the type of surgery (open/laparoscopic) and type of cancer. Seventeen (6.6%) patients died (95% CI 3.5–9.4) (two had a VTE-related death). Postoperative chemotherapy and Caprini score were significantly associated with VTE [hazard ratios 3.77 (95% CI 1.56–9.12) and 1.17 (95% CI 1.02–1.34), respectively].

Conclusion

The incidence of post-hospital discharge proximal DVT and/or symptomatic VTE following abdominal and pelvic cancer surgery appears to be low. The cumulative number of events increased at 6 months, but this was likely due to additional risk factors that were not related to surgery. Postoperative chemotherapy increases the risk of VTE.

     

Ventricular remodeling and mitral valve modifications in dilated cardiomyopathy: new insights from anatomic study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the behavior of the mitral valve ring and the left ventricle in dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: We analyzed 68 fixed adult human hearts, divided into 48 hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy of ischemic or idiopathic origin and 20 hearts free of pathologic heart conditions. Digital images of the mitral ring perimeter, attachment of the anterior and posterior leaflets, and fibrous and muscular portions were collected. We also measured the internal perimeter of the left ventricle, the distance from the septum to the anterior and posterior papillary muscles, the distance between the papillary muscles, and the extension of interventricular septum. RESULTS: The analysis of the results showed proportional distribution of the ring's fibrous portion (r2 = 0.98) and muscular portion (r2 = 0.99) according to the degree of mitral valve dilation. Linear regression revealed that the perimeters of anterior and posterior leaflet attachments (r2 = 0.96 and r2 = 0.98, respectively) also had a proportional relation. We did not observe proportionality between the degree of dilation of the mitral ring and the left ventricle. It was observed that dilation of the left ventricle takes place globally in its segments. CONCLUSION: Differently from what was thought, in ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, dilation of mitral ring is proportional and does not exclusively affect the posterior portion. The degree of left ventricular dilation does not determine the degree of dilation of the mitral ring because they are independent processes. These observations shed new light on the techniques used to correct mitral valve insufficiency in dilated cardiomyopathy.     

Recent advances in cardiac positron emission tomography in the clinical management of the cardiac patient

Despite being primarily a research tool, positron emission tomography (PET) has seen slow but steady growth in the clinical management of the cardiac patient. The two major clinical applications of cardiac PET are regional myocardial perfusion imaging to determine the presence and severity of coronary artery disease and metabolic imaging to differentiate viable from nonviable myocardium in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction. Indeed, PET with either nitrogen 13 ammonia or rubidium 82 may offer advantages over current single photon emission computed tomography approaches to assess myocardial perfusion. PETwith fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose is considered the current gold standard for identifying viable myocardium. Finally, the use of PET to quantify myocardial perfusion, metabolism, and innervation has led to key insights into the role of altered microvascular function, substrate metabolism, and neuronal function in a variety of cardiac disease processes.     

Molluscum Contagiosum–Like Lesions in Histoid Leprosy in a 10‐Year‐Old Indian Boy

Histoid leprosy is extremely rare in children. Molluscum contagiosum–like lesions in the setting of histoid leprosy is a highly atypical presentation and may signify the process of “transepidermal elimination” in lesions with high bacillary load. A case of histoid leprosy with umbilicated papules and nodules mimicking molluscum contagiosum is reported in a 10‐year‐old Indian boy.