LONG‐TERM FOLLOW UP OF PATIENTS WITH SMALL GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMORS IN THE STOMACH USING ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY‐GUIDED FINE‐NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. GIST are defined by positive immunohistochemical staining for KIT or CD34 and thus are generally diagnosed after surgery. Because small GIST are rarely diagnosed before surgery, the clinical course of these small tumors is not clear. The aim of the present study was to follow changes in size and configuration of small GIST that were pathologically confirmed using endoscopic ultrasonography‐guided fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (EUS‐FNAB). Methods: Between July 1997 and December 2003, 16 tumors in 16 patients (10 men and 6 women) with an immunohistochemical diagnosis of GIST were regularly followed in our hospital. The median patient age when EUS‐FNAB was performed was 62 years (range 26–82 years) and the median follow‐up period was 4.9 years (range 0.5–9.6 years). Results: Fourteen tumors showed no remarkable changes in size and shape during follow up compared with the initial diagnosis. Two tumors enlarged: one tumor approximately doubled its diameter in 8 years and the other tumor increased from 1.8 cm at diagnosis to up to 10 cm after only 2 years. Doubling time of the latter tumor was calculated as 3.1 months. Conclusions: We conclude that EUS‐FNAB might be a good modality for final diagnosis of GIST without surgery, and that GIST without rapid growth on follow up can be endoscopically followed.     

Extra-chromosomal telomeric DNA in cells from Atm(-/-) mice and patients with ataxia-telangiectasia

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomally recessive human genetic disease with pleiotropic defects such as neurological degeneration, immunodeficiency, chromosomal instability, cancer susceptibility and premature aging. Cells derived from AT patients and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-deficient mice show slow growth in culture and premature senescence. ATM, which belongs to the PI3 kinase family along with DNA-PK, plays a major role in signaling the p53 response to DNA strand breaks. Telomere maintenance is perturbed in yeast strains lacking genes homologous to ATM and cells from patients with AT have short telomeres. We examined the length of individual telomeres in cells from ATM(-/-) mice by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Telomeres were extensively shortened in multiple tissues of ATM(-/-) mice. More than the expected number of telomere signals was observed in interphase nuclei of ATM(-/-) mouse fibroblasts. Signals corresponding to 5-25 kb of telomeric DNA that were not associated with chromosomes were also noticed in ATM(-/-) metaphase spreads. Extrachromosomal telomeric DNA was also detected in fibroblasts from AT patients and may represent fragmented telomeres or by-products of defective replication of telomeric DNA. These results suggest a role of ATM in telomere maintenance and replication, which may contribute to the poor growth of ATM(-/-) cells and increased tumor incidence in both AT patients and ATM(-/-) mice.     

Efficacy of Zoladex LA (goserelin) in the treatment of girls with central precocious or early puberty

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a longer acting preparation of the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue goserelin (Zoladex LA, 10.8 mg) in 12 girls with central precocious or early puberty. METHODS: Two girls started treatment de novo; the remainder had been on suppressive treatment for a median duration of 1.5 (range, 0.2-5.6) years. Assessment comprising auxology, pubertal staging, and pelvic ultrasound examination was carried out at weeks 0, 4, 8, 10, and 12 (first cycle) and weeks 8, 10, and 12 (second cycle) to evaluate the required injection frequency. Thereafter, assessment was performed on the day of injection. Zoladex LA was given every 12 weeks unless pubertal progression occurred. RESULTS: Satisfactory control was achieved in eight patients using this regimen, and three patients required more frequent injections. One girl was removed from the study because of clinical progression and extreme mood swings. No serious adverse effects occurred. Mean height velocity during the study period was 4.5 cm/year (range, 3.1-6.6) compared with 6.5 cm/year (range, 3.8-9.6) before treatment in nine patients for whom data were available. CONCLUSIONS: Zoladex LA was effective in controlling precocious puberty in girls when given at intervals of 9-12 weeks and it is recommended that an initial assessment is made eight weeks after beginning treatment.     

SOMATIC NEUROPATHY IN DIABETES MELLITUS

One hundred patients of Diabetes Mellitus (70 with and 30 without clinical somatic neuropathy) were studied to correlate clinical severity with the magnitude of nerve conduction abnormalities. Age range was 10-79 years (mean 49) with equal number of males and females. Incidence of neuropathy was more in patients over 40 years of age (60 out of 70 patients) with duration of disease over two years (78.33%). The grades of severity were mild in 22 (31.33%), moderate in 25 (35.71%) and severe in 23 (32.86%) patients. Nerve conduction studies were carried out in 48 (27 with and 21 without clinical neuropathy) patients, using the apparatus Dantec (Cantata TM). The nerves (median, peroneal and sural) were stimulated at two points and the recording of latency; amplitude (micro V) and motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities (m/s) were done under identical environmental conditions. Sensory nerve conduction velocity was more affected than motor velocity. In the 21 patients without clinical neuropathy, 14 showed abnormalities indicating early involvement of peripheral nerves. Reduction of motor nerve conduction velocity was more in patients with moderate and severe grades. The reduction was more in lower than in upper limbs. Nerve conduction abnormality helps in diagnosis in diabetic neuropathy even in preclinical state and correlates with severity, in clinical neuropathy.KEY WORDS: Diabetic neuropathy, Nerve conduction abnormality, Peripheral neuropathy     

Immunologic heterogeneity of diffuse large cell lymphoma

The cellular lineage of 57 diffuse large-cell lymphomas (DLCLs) was determined using a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against lineage-restricted and -associated T, B, and monocyte antigens. The majority (82%) were of B cell lineage as determined by the expression of sig and/or B1, with the remaining 16% being of T cell lineage and 2%, of monocyte-myeloid lineage. By the expression of other B cell- restricted and -associated antigens, two major and two minor subgroups could be identified. These subgroups expressed the following phenotypes: (1) B1+B4+sIG+B2- (51%); (2) B1+B4+sIg+B2+ (29%); (3) B1+B4+sIg-B2+ (10%); and (4) B1+B4-sIg+B2- (10)%. The morphology of transformed lymphocytes, the weak to absent expression of the early B cell antigens B2 and sIgD, and the absence of the late B cell differentiation antigens PCA-1 and PC-1 suggested that these tumors were the neoplastic counterparts of normal B cells at the mid-stages of differentiation. Further support for the notion that B-DLCLs correspond to transformed B lymphocytes was concluded from the observation that B cells could be identified in normal spleen that expressed the cell surface phenotype and morphological appearance of the majority of B- DLCLs.     

Lymphokine-induced phagocytosis in angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions (AIL) and malignant lymphoma arising in AIL

A factor that augmented the phagocytosis of IgG-coated ox red blood cells by the human monocyte/macrophage line U937 was identified in cell culture supernatants from two of two patients with angiocentric peripheral T cell lymphomas, three of three patients with angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions that were not frankly malignant, and one of two patients with T lymphoblastic malignancies. The factor was not present in supernatants derived from 14 nonangiocentric peripheral T cell lymphomas of other histologic types nor in ten cases of B cell lymphoma and two cases of Hodgkin's disease. A similar factor was present in the supernatants of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in the supernatants of IL-2- dependent T cell lines derived from normal peripheral blood. The factor had an apparent mol wt of greater than 50,000 daltons, was heat labile (100 degrees C for two minutes), and stable at pH 2.0. Its stimulation of phagocytosis was independent of any increase in number of Fc receptors. Thus, this factor is probably not gamma-interferon. This factor may play a pathogenetic role in the hemophagocytic syndromes associated with certain T cell malignancies and immunodeficient states.     

Post‐mastectomy Radiotherapy for pT3N0 Breast Cancers: A Retrospective,Multi‐Institution Review

The role of post‐mastectomy radiotherapy for pT3N0 breast cancers remains undefined. The purpose of this study was to report institutional outcomes for women with pT3N0 breast cancers treated with and without post‐mastectomy radiotherapy. We collected data from two large tumor registries on pT3N0 breast cancers diagnosed between 1985 and 2014. Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to analyze freedom from local‐regional recurrence (FFLR), relapse free survival, and overall survival. This analysis identified 93 women with pT3N0 breast cancers. Of these, 53 received post‐mastectomy radiotherapy and 40 did not. Median follow‐up was 6.2 years and 5.3 years in the non‐post‐mastectomy radiotherapy and post‐mastectomy radiotherapy cohorts, respectively. Women not undergoing post‐mastectomy radiotherapy were more likely to be diagnosed in the 1980s and 1990s and were less likely to receive systemic therapies than women receiving post‐mastectomy radiotherapy (p < 0.05). There was a trend toward increased FFLR in the women receiving post‐mastectomy radiotherapy (p = 0.15). FFLR in the post‐mastectomy radiotherapy cohort was 98% at both 5 and 10 years. For women not receiving post‐mastectomy radiotherapy, FFLR was 88% at both 5 and 10 years. Women not receiving post‐mastectomy radiotherapy in our study had an isolated local‐regional failure rate of 12% at 10 years, despite receiving inferior systemic treatment by current standards. Local‐regional control after post‐mastectomy radiotherapy for pT3N0 breast cancers was excellent. Further research is needed to define post‐mastectomy radiotherapy indications for this patient population when receiving chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in line with current guidelines.     

Reconstruction of Complex Abdominal Wall Defects

Introduction

Reconstruction of large abdominal wall defects not amenable to primary closure remains a challenging problem. These defects result from trauma, previous surgery, infection and tumour resection. The primary objectives of abdominal wall reconstructions are to protect abdominal contents and provide functional support. The abdominal wall reconstruction aims at providing basic component parts, i.e. skin, soft tissue and fascia. For large soft tissue defects, pedicled or free flap closure can be used. In clean wounds, fascial replacement is accomplished with synthetic mesh provided there is adequate soft tissue coverage.

Methods

We treated a total of 20 consecutive patients with complex abdominal wall defects utilizing various reconstructive procedures. There were 15 males (75%) and 5 females (25%). The aetiology included dehiscence of laparotomy wounds in eight (40%), following ablative surgery for malignant tumours in seven (35%), trauma in three (15%) and congenital defects in two (10%) cases. The reconstructive procedures consisted of onlay prolene mesh in seven (35%), Gore-Tex (PTFE) dual mesh both as inlay and onlay in five (25%), facial partition release technique in three (15%), inlay prolene mesh covered with omentum and split skin graft in two (10%), inlay prolene mesh covered with expanded skin in two (10%), and Gore-Tex dual mesh covered with latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in one (5%) case. Postoperatively none developed mesh infection or extrusion. Three patients with malignant aetiology received postoperative radiotherapy. During follow up, one patient developed ventral hernia cephalad to the repair and one died due to recurrence of abdominal wall malignancy.

Conclusion

The reconstruction of an abdominal wall defect requires a comprehensive plan of preoperative and post operative care of the patient and aims toward restoration of abdominal structural integrity by a variety of procedures. The use of new biomaterials and tissue expanders provides reliable and durable abdominal wall closure along with good aesthetic results.Key Words: Abdominal wall defect, Mesh repair, Abdominal wall reconstruction