Recurrences after Peritoneal Carcinomatosis of Colorectal Origin Treated by Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Location,Treatment, and Outcome

Background: After treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal cancer origin by cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), recurrences develop in approximately 80% of patients. This study evaluates the outcome of such recurrences after initial treatment by cytoreduction and HIPEC.Methods: Between November 1995 and May 2003, 106 patients underwent cytoreduction and HIPEC. The progression-free interval, the location of the recurrence, and its treatment were recorded. Factors potentially related to survival after recurrences were studied.Results: Sixty-nine patients had a recurrence within the study period. For patients who had undergone a gross incomplete initial cytoreduction, the median duration of survival after recurrence was 3.7 months (standard error of the mean [SE], .3). If a complete cytoreduction had been accomplished initially, the median duration of survival after the recurrence was 11.1 months (SE, .9). A shorter interval between HIPEC and recurrence was associated with shorter survival after treatment of recurrence (hazard ratio, .94; SE, .02). After effective initial treatment, a second surgical debulking for recurrent disease resulted in a median survival duration of 10.3 months (SE, 1.9), and after treatment with chemotherapy it was 8.5 months (SE, 1.6). The survival was 11.2 months (SE, .5) for patients who received radiotherapy for recurrent disease. Patients who did not receive further treatment survived 1.9 months (SE, .3).Conclusions: Treatment of recurrence after cytoreduction and HIPEC is often feasible and seems worthwhile in selected patients. Selection should be based mainly on the completeness of initial cytoreduction and the interval between HIPEC and recurrence.     

Prognostic value of isolated troponin elevation across the spectrum of chest pain syndromes

The risk of death or recurrent myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with chest pain and baseline isolated troponin elevation is unclear. To determine the early and short-term risk of death or MI associated with isolated troponin elevation across a spectrum of chest pain syndromes, we used baseline creatine kinase (CK)-MB and troponin data from the Platelet IIb/IIIa Antagonism for the Reduction of Acute Coronary Syndrome Events in a Global Organization Network (PARAGON) B troponin substudy, the Global Utilization of Strategies To Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) IIa troponin substudy, and the Chest Pain Evaluation by Creatine Kinase-MB, Myoglobin, and Troponin I (CHECKMATE) study. Patients were grouped into 1 of 4 categories based on marker status (troponin-positive/CK-MB-positive, troponin-positive/CK-MB-negative, troponin-negative/CK-MB-positive, or troponin-negative/CK-MB-negative). The adjusted odds of death or MI occurring at 24 hours and 30 days was assessed by baseline marker status using multivariable logistic regression, with the group negative for both markers used as the reference. Patients who were positive for both markers had the highest odds of the 24-hour and 30-day end point. The adjusted odds of the 30-day end point for patients with isolated troponin elevation were 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.7 to 2.3) and 4.8 (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 16.0) for high- and low-risk patients, respectively. The risk for 24-hour and 30-day death or MI with isolated positive CK-MB results was lower than with isolated positive troponin results, and it was not significantly greater than if the 2 markers were negative. For patients with high- and low-risk chest pain, baseline troponin elevation without CK-MB elevation was associated with increased risk for early and short-term adverse outcomes. This suggests that these patients should be admitted to the hospital and monitored in either an intensive care or step-down unit.     

Differential effects of amiodarone and propranolol on lipid dynamics and enzymatic activities in cardiac sarcolemmal membranes

The amphiphilic cationic cardioactive drugs (pindolol, propranolol and amiodarone) were tested for their effects on lipid dynamics (measured by fluorescence depolarization) and on enzymatic activities up to 1 mM in purified cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles from adult rat. The vesicles were enriched 12- to 37-fold (with respect to tissue homogenate) in Na+/K+ ATPase, K+-stimulated p-nitrophenylphosphatase, 5'nucleotidase and adenylate cyclase, all of which are believed to be components of sarcolemma. Phospholipids and cholesterol content were enriched 5- and 13-fold respectively. There was very little contamination of the sarcolemmal vesicles by sarcoplasmic reticulum (as judged by Ca2+ ATPase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities) or mitochondria (as judged by cytochrome-c-oxidase activity). Pindolol had no effect on lipid dynamics and enzyme activities except for the isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase. The latter was also totally inhibited at 1 microM by propranolol which inhibited Mg2+ ATPase and increased fluidity above 20 microM. Amiodarone affected all the enzyme activities (except Na+/K+ ATPase): isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate (IC50 = 30 microM), Mg2+ ATPase (IC50 = 20 microM) and K+-stimulated-p-nitrophenylphosphatase were inhibited; 5'nucleotidase was activated above 2 microM. By contrast with propranolol, amiodarone decreased lipid mobility. The effect was linear with the concentration of the drug above 1 microM.     

Eccrine Syringofibroadenoma Treated with a Dual Pulse Width Flashlamp Pumped Pulsed Dye Laser

BACKGROUND: Eccrine syringofibroadenoma is a rare benign eccrine ductal proliferation with a predilection for the extremities, most often found in middle-aged and elderly patients. Reported treatments have included excision and conventional destructive modalities; however, recurrences may be common. OBJECTIVE: We describe a patient with a chronic ulcerated verrucoid eccrine syringofibroadenoma that persisted despite cryotherapy or curettage and electrodessication. RESULTS: Treatment with a dual pulse width flashlamp pumped pulsed dye laser (FPDL) produced an excellent clinical response. CONCLUSION: Treatment of eccrine syringofibroadenoma with a FPDL may provide both a vascular specific injury, analogous to the treatment of verruca vulgaris, and nonspecific thermal destruction at high fluences.     

The European Register for Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine: Code of Conduct.

The European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) opened a Register for European Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in 1997. The operation of the Register is undertaken by a Register Committee (EC4RC). During the last 6 years more than 1500 specialists in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine have joined the Register. In this article a Code of Conduct for Registrants which was approved at the EC4 Register Committee meeting in Amsterdam, 8 November 2003 is presented.     

Improved clinical outcomes with abciximab therapy in acute myocardial infarction: a systematic overview of randomized clinical trials

Background

Investigations of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibition in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have suggested the efficacy of abciximab in improving clinical and angiographic outcomes, but sample-size limitations and variability in trial design preclude the ability to generalize these results to a broader patient population.

Methods

Meta-analytic techniques were used to evaluate clinical outcomes from randomized trials comparing GP IIb/IIIa inhibition with placebo or control therapy in primary PCI for acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Results

In 3266 patients, treatment with abciximab significantly reduced the 30-day composite end point of death, reinfarction, or ischemic or urgent target-vessel revascularization (TVR; odds ratio [OR], 0.54; 95% CI, 0.40-0.72), with trends toward reduced 30-day death and death or reinfarction. Abciximab resulted in an increased likelihood of major bleeding (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.11-2.72). By 6 months, abciximab significantly reduced the occurrence of death, reinfarction, or any TVR (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.97), and there were positive trends favoring a decrease in mortality alone and the composite of death or reinfarction.

Conclusions

Treatment with abciximab significantly reduces early adverse ischemic events, a clinical benefit that is maintained at 6-month follow-up. These findings support the use of adjunctive GP IIb/IIIa inhibition in primary PCI.