DIVERTICULITIS OF THE COLON—Surgical Treatment

Appropriate surgical treatment of diverticulitis of the colon can result in a highly satisfactory proportion of permanent cures, with an operative mortality of 2 to 5 per cent.Colostomy is a valuable emergency procedure for the control of severe infection or the relief of obstruction but is not a satisfactory definitive treatment for the cure of diverticulitis. Definitive surgical treatment requires resection of the involved segment of colon.Three indications for surgical intervention in “uncomplicated” diverticulitis are: (1) continued or repeated attacks, (2) persistent deformity as seen by x-ray examination, and (3) persistent blood in the stools.Although a three-stage operation is usually considered a safer procedure, one-stage resections may be safely and satisfactorily employed in many instances.     

Surgical treatment of idiopathic megacolon]

The authors discuss own experience in diagnosis and surgical treatment of 32 patients with idiopathic megacolon. Three surgical techniques were compared: 1) partial excision of the colon, 2) nearly complete excision of the colon with cecum-rectal anastomosis, and 3) total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis. Basing on the authors' own experience and available literature the third approach is recommended as the most appropriate in the treatment of the persistent, chronic constipation accompanying idiopathic megacolon.     

THE PROBLEM OF DIVERTICULITIS—Surgical Management

The disease of diverticulitis now is encountered with increasing frequency due to the increasing average age of our population. Low mortality following resection and anastomosis and the excellent results after this procedure have broadened the indications for operation in this disease. From 1942 to 1955, 160 such operations for diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon were carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital with a mortality of 3 per cent. The results, except in the few cases where too conservative a resection was carried out and a secondary operation was necessary to produce a cure, have been excellent.     

The problem of diverticulitis; surgical management

The disease of diverticulitis now is encountered with increasing frequency due to the increasing average age of our population. Low mortality following resection and anastomosis and the excellent results after this procedure have broadened the indications for operation in this disease. From 1942 to 1955, 160 such operations for diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon were carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital with a mortality of 3 per cent. The results, except in the few cases where too conservative a resection was carried out and a secondary operation was necessary to produce a cure, have been excellent.     

Constitutive basal and stimulated human small bowel contractility is enhanced in obesity

Background

Between 5 and 10% of the patients undergoing a colonoscopy cannot have a complete procedure mainly due to stenosing neoplastic lesion of rectum or distal colon. Nevertheless the elective surgical treatment concerning the stenosis is to be performed after the pre-operative assessment of the colonic segments upstream the cancer. The aim of this study is to illustrate our experience with the Computed Tomographic Colonography (CTC) for the pre-operative assessment of the entire colon in the patients with stenosing colorectal cancers.

Methods

From January 2005 till March 2009, we observed and treated surgically 43 patients with stenosing colorectal neoplastic lesions. All patients did not tolerate the pre-operative colonoscopy. For this reason they underwent a pre-operative CTC in order to have a complete assessment of the entire colon. All patients underwent a follow-up colonoscopy 3 months after the surgical treatment. The CTC results were compared with both macroscopic examination of the specimen and the follow-up coloscopy.

Results

The pre-operative CTC showed four synchronous lesions in four patients (9.3% of the cases). The macroscopic examination of the specimen revealed three small sessile polyps (3 - 4 mm in diameter) missed in the pre-operative assessment near the stenosing colorectal cancer. The follow-up colonoscopy showed four additional sessile polyps with a diameter between 3 - 11 mm in three patients. Our experience shows that CTC has a sensitivity of 83,7%.

Conclusion

In patients with stenosing colonic lesions, CTC allows to assess the entire colon pre-operatively avoiding the need of an intraoperative colonoscopy. More synchronous lesions are detected and treated at the time of the elective surgery for the stenosing cancer avoiding further surgery later on.     

Genetic Association Analysis of the Functional c.714T>G Polymorphism and Mucosal Expression of Dectin-1 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background

Dectin-1 is a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) expressed by myeloid cells that specifically recognizes β-1,3 glucan, a polysaccharide and major component of the fungal cell wall. Upon activation, dectin-1 signaling converges, similar to NOD2, on the adaptor molecule CARD9 which is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). An early stop codon polymorphism (c.714T>G) in DECTIN-1 results in a loss-of-function (p.Y238X) and impaired cytokine responses, including TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-17 upon in vitro stimulation with Candida albicans or β-glucan. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the DECTIN-1 c.714T>G (p.Y238X) polymorphism is associated with lower disease susceptibility or severity in IBD and to investigate the level of dectin-1 expression in inflamed and non-inflamed colon tissue of IBD patients.

Methodology

Paraffin embedded tissue samples from non-inflamed and inflamed colon of IBD patients and from diverticulitis patients were immunohistochemically stained for dectin-1 and related to CD68 macrophage staining. Genomic DNA of IBD patients (778 patients with Crohn''s disease and 759 patients with ulcerative colitis) and healthy controls (n = 772) was genotyped for the c.714T>G polymorphism and genotype-phenotype interactions were investigated.

Principal Findings

Increased expression of dectin-1 was observed in actively inflamed colon tissue, as compared to non-inflamed tissue of the same patients. Also an increase in dectin-1 expression was apparent in diverticulitis tissue. No statistically significant difference in DECTIN-1 c.714T>G allele frequencies was observed between IBD patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, no differences in clinical characteristics could be observed related to DECTIN-1 genotype, neither alone, nor stratified for NOD2 genotype.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that dectin-1 expression is elevated on macrophages, neutrophils, and other immune cells involved in the inflammatory reaction in IBD. The DECTIN-1 c.714T>G polymorphism however, is not a major susceptibility factor for developing IBD.     

Secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma of sigmoid colon in a patient with multiple myeloma: a case report

Background

Extramedullary plasmacytoma is an uncommon tumor that most often involves the nasopharynx or upper respiratory tract. Extramedullary plasmacytoma is a type of plasma cell neoplasm that can present as a primary tumor or secondary to another plasma cell neoplasm, such as multiple myeloma. Secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma is usually noted in the advanced stages of the disease. Involvement of the gastrointestinal tract occurs in approximately 10% of cases.

Case presentation

A 71-year-old Caucasian woman with known diverticular disease of the colon and multiple myeloma diagnosed 3 years previously, with monoclonal bands of immunoglobulin A, lambda light chains, and multiple osteolytic lesions, presented to our hospital with abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, and pneumoperitoneum. She underwent left colectomy for diverticulitis with perforation, and an extramedullary secondary colonic plasmacytoma was found in histopathological examination of the sigmoid colon.

Conclusions

Plasmacytoma is known to occur in extraosseous sites. The stomach and small intestine are the most commonly involved sites in the gastrointestinal tract. Secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the colon is rare. Colonic plasmacytoma may have varying clinical presentations, such as inflammatory bowel disease and multiple colonic strictures. Although these cases are rare, treating physicians as well as radiologists, pathologists, and surgeons should be aware of this entity.

     

输卵管妊娠腹腔镜根治术后持续性异位妊娠原因分析及对策

目的探讨输卵管妊娠腹腔镜根治术后持续性异位妊娠发生的原因,以寻求针对性的处理方法。方法回顾分析我院2007年1月至2009年1月670例输卵管妊娠患者行腹腔镜下输卵管切除术,术后发生持续性异位妊娠共6例。结果4例采用药物保守治疗成功,2例保守治疗无效行手术治疗后成功。结论在手术过程中尽量避免输卵管妊娠物直接经Troca钳夹取出,防止残留于Troca、勺状钳、冲洗棒头端等操作器械上的绒毛组织再次带入腹腔,可能有助于有效阻断持续性异位妊娠的形成。     

Long-Term Results of a Minimally Invasive Surgical Pulmonary Vein Isolation and Ganglionic Plexi Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation has been become an adjunct to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). This study describes the long-term results of minimally invasive surgical PVI, ablation of GPs, and exclusion of the left atrial appendage for atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

Long-term follow-up of 55 months was performed in 139 consecutive patients (age 58.3±20.8 years) with symptomatic, drug-refractory lone AF who underwent minimally invasive surgical PVI, GPs ablation, and exclusion of the left atrial appendage. Success was defined as freedom from AF, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia off antiarrhythmic drugs.

Results

AF was paroxysmal in 77.7%, persistent in 12.2% and long-standing persistent in 10.1%. Single-procedure success rate was 71.7%, 59.4% and 46.6% at 12, 24 and 60 months respectively. Single-procedure success rate was 72.9%, 62.6% and 51.8% for paroxysmal AF, 64.7%, 35.3%, and 28.2% for persistent AF, 71.4%, 64.3% and 28.6% for long-standing persistent AF at 12, 24 and 60 months respectively. Duration of AF>24 months (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.51 to 6.32; p = 0.002), left atrial diameter≥40 mm (HR: 4.03, 95% CI: 1.88 to 8.65; p<0.001), early recurrence of AF (HR: 4.66, 95% CI: 2.25 to 9.63; p<0.001) independently predicted long-term recurrence of AF. There was no procedure-related death. One patient converted to median sternotomy because of uncontrolled bleeding. Two patients underwent perioperative cerebrovascular events.

Conclusions

At nearly 5-year of clinical follow-up, single-procedure success rate of minimally invasive surgical PVI with GP ablation was 51.8% for paroxysmal AF, 28.2% for persistent AF, 28.6% for long-standing persistent AF after initial procedure. Patients with AF duration≤24 months, left atrial diameter<40 mm and no early recurrence of AF, had favorable outcomes.     

MANAGEMENT OF CANCER OF THE NASAL CAVITY AND PARANASAL SINUSES

Cancer involving the antrum can be cured in a greater percentage of cases if the lesions are detected earlier, specifically diagnosed histologically, and radically managed at the time of the initial treatment. The procedure of choice is, first, surgical removal (with a scalpel) of as much of the tumor as is possible without risk of operative death, then limited but specific cancerocidal radiation as indicated by operative findings or regular postoperative observation. The period of convalescence will be less distressing and shorter with this procedure than with others; and, in those cases in which cure is not effected, palliation will be more satisfactory. The cured patients are cosmetically acceptable without functional disability except for unilateral loss of vision in cases in which exenteration of the orbit is necessary.     

LEEP术联合保妇康栓治疗CIN合并高危型HPV持续感染的临床疗效分析

目的 观察宫颈电环切除术(LEEP术)联合保妇康栓治疗宫颈上皮内瘤变(CIN)合并高危型人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)持续感染的疗效.方法 158例病例随机分为两组,对照组79例,治疗组79例.治疗组患者在LEEP术后于阴道内放置保妇康栓,对照组未放置任何药物.观察两组患者宫颈创面愈合时间、术后并发症的发生情况、CIN消退及高危型HPV持续感染的情况.结果 两组患者官颈创面愈合时间、并发症发生情况比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05);而CIN消退差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);高危型HPV持续感染率差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 LEEP术联合保妇康栓治疗CIN合并高危型HPV持续感染疗效满意,是较为理想的方法.     

Parathion Poisoning—A New Antidote!

Two thousand five hundred forty-five cases of upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage were studied especially with a view to determining the indications for urgent surgical treatment.Decisions as to whether and when to operate were as follows:Immediate operation for patients over 50 years with a good history of ulcer and a severe initial bleed.Operation after the first repetition of bleeding in patients (1) over 50 with a good history and a mild initial bleed, (2) over 50 with inconclusive history but severe initial bleed, (3) under 50 with a good history and a severe initial bleed.In all other cases, operation was used only if conservative treatment failed.Absolute indications for operation were (a) association with perforation, (b) association with stenosis, (c) persistence of severe ulcer pain after hemorrhage, (d) continuous bleeding.Since operation is to be avoided if possible in cases of esophagitis, erosive gastritis and small acute or subacute ulcers, emergency gastroscopy has valuable uses.Where operation is deemed necessary and no obvious lesion found at laparotomy, blind gastrectomy^* appears to be the most satisfactory procedure.The mortality rate associated with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding in patients less than 60 years of age was low (2.5 per cent). Even in cases in which operation was required, it was 6.2 per cent. Over 60 years the mortality rises steeply with increasing age, and in cases of operation the rise is even steeper.By using the methods of selection the overall mortality rate was appreciably reduced.     

Priapisme veineux: traitement et pronostic fonctionnel. A propos de 26 cas

Introduction

Priapism is a prolonged, painful and persistent erection, unrelated to sexual stimulation. The management of priapism is complex and requires various medical or surgical treatments. The authors review the aetiology, treatment and outcome of priapism.

Material and methods

26 cases of low-flow priapism were collected over a period of 23 years (1985–2007), corresponding to 22 adults and 4 children (average age: 32 years) with various types of priapism. The time to appropriate management after onset of priapism varied according to the aetiology and the time to consultation (range: 16 hours to 15 days).

Results

Complete and persistent detumescence for the first 24 hours was obtained in 84% of cases, sometimes with multiple successive procedures. No case of early recurrence was observed. 21 patients were regularly followed for a period of 3 months to 10 years (mean follow-up: 2 years). There were 9 (42.9%) successes (recovery of normal erectile function), 4 partial results (19%) and 9 (30.1%) failures (complete erectile dysfunction).

Conclusion

Low-flow priapism must be considered to be a serious andrological emergency. Medical treatment can be effective in early forms, but surgery must not be delayed to prevent permanent erectile dysfunction secondary to extensive corpora cavernosa fibrosis.     

High Bulk Diet for Diverticular Disease of the Colon

In the past century diverticular disease of the colon has changed from being almost unknown to becoming the most common disease of the colon. Studies in Britain indicated that the pathological basis of the disease is a thickening of the colonic musculature, with diverticulosis and diverticulitis developing because of increased intracolonic pressures generated by the thickened colon wall. This pressure can be sharply reduced by increased colonic bulk. Geographical and anthropological data reveal that diverticular disease results from Western civilization''s food habits, specifically the reduced fiber content in food. There is evidence that increasing the dietary intake of fiber by the addition of bran can prevent formation of diverticula and relieve the symptoms of established disease. Large scale studies are recommended both as treatment and to further test the validity of this concept.     

Effectiveness of Postinoculation (R)-9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxypropyl)Adenine Treatment for Prevention of Persistent Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmne Infection Depends Critically on Timing of Initiation and Duration of Treatment

(R)-9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA), an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate analog, is one of a new class of potent antiretroviral agents. Previously, we showed that PMPA treatment for 28 days prevented establishment of persistent simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in macaques even when therapy was initiated 24 h after intravenous virus inoculation. In the present study, we tested regimens involving different intervals between intravenous inoculation with SIV and initiation of PMPA treatment, as well as different durations of treatment, for the ability to prevent establishment of persistent infection. Twenty-four cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) were studied for 46 weeks after inoculation with SIV. All mock-treated control macaques showed evidence of productive infection within 2 weeks postinoculation (p.i.). All macaques that were treated with PMPA for 28 days beginning 24 h p.i. showed no evidence of viral replication following discontinuation of PMPA treatment. However, extending the time to initiation of treatment from 24 to 48 or 72 h p.i. or decreasing the duration of treatment reduced effectiveness in preventing establishment of persistent infection. Only half of the macaques treated for 10 days, and none of those treated for 3 days, were completely protected when treatment was initiated at 24 h. Despite the reduced efficacy of delayed and shortened treatment, all PMPA-treated macaques that were not protected showed delays in the onset of cell-associated and plasma viremia and antibody responses compared with mock controls. These results clearly show that both the time between virus exposure and initiation of PMPA treatment as well as the duration of treatment are crucial factors for prevention of acute SIV infection in the macaque model.

We recently used the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaque model to evaluate the efficacy of (R)-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA), which is an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate analog and a potent antiretroviral compound (1, 2) in the setting of acute retroviral infection (23). In that study, PMPA prevented SIV infection even when treatment was started 24 h after intravenous virus inoculation (23). The increased antiretroviral efficacy of PMPA in SIV-challenged macaques (23), compared with that of other nucleoside analogues such as zidovudine (AZT) (15, 24, 29), may be related to ease of phosphorylation and the longer intracellular half-life for active phosphorylated metabolites of acyclic nucleoside phosphonates than for other nucleoside analogs (1). Although PMPA is highly potent when administered during de novo or early in SIV infection, the optimal treatment regimen of PMPA for preventing establishment of persistent SIV infection has not yet been determined. Therefore, we undertook the present study to determine the impact of increasing intervals between virus inoculation and initiation of PMPA treatment and varying the duration of treatment on the effectiveness of treatment in preventing the establishment of persistent infection.     

Confocal laser scanning microscopy for detection of Schistosoma mansoni eggs in the gut of mice

Background

The gold standard for diagnosing Schistosoma mansoni infections is the detection of eggs from stool or biopsy specimens. The viability of collected eggs can be tested by the miracidium hatching procedure. Direct detection methods are often limited in patients with light or early infections, whereas serological tests and PCR methods fail to differentiate between an inactive and persistent infection and between schistosomal species. Recently, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) has been introduced as a diagnostic tool in several fields of medicine. In this study we evaluated CLSM for the detection of viable eggs of S. mansoni directly within the gut of infected mice.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The confocal laser scanning microscope used in this study is based on the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II scanning laser system in combination with the Rostock Cornea Module (image modality 1) or a rigid endoscope (image modality 2). Colon sections of five infected mice were examined with image modalities 1 and 2 for schistosomal eggs. Afterwards a biopsy specimen was taken from each colon section and examined by bright-field microscopy. Visualised eggs were counted and classified in terms of viability status.

Conclusions/Significance

We were able to show that CLSM visualises eggs directly within the gut and permits discrimination of schistosomal species and determination of egg viability. Thus, CLSM may be a suitable non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in humans.     

A new apparatus and surgical technique for the dual perfusion of human tumor xenografts in situ in nude rats

We present a new perfusion system and surgical technique for simultaneous perfusion of 2 tissue-isolated human cancer xenografts in nude rats by using donor blood that preserves a continuous flow. Adult, athymic nude rats (Hsd:RH-Foxn1(rnu)) were implanted with HeLa human cervical or HT29 colon adenocarcinomas and grown as tissue-isolated xenografts. When tumors reached an estimated weight of 5 to 6 g, rats were prepared for perfusion with donor blood and arteriovenous measurements. The surgical procedure required approximately 20 min to complete for each tumor, and tumors were perfused for a period of 150 min. Results showed that tumor venous blood flow, glucose uptake, lactic acid release, O(2) uptake and CO(2) production, uptake of total fatty acid and linoleic acid and conversion to the mitogen 13-HODE, cAMP levels, and activation of several marker kinases were all well within the normal physiologic, metabolic, and signaling parameters characteristic of individually perfused xenografts. This new perfusion system and technique reduced procedure time by more than 50%. These findings demonstrate that 2 human tumors can be perfused simultaneously in situ or ex vivo by using either rodent or human blood and suggest that the system may also be adapted for use in the dual perfusion of other organs. Advantages of this dual perfusion technique include decreased anesthesia time, decreased surgical manipulation, and increased efficiency, thereby potentially reducing the numbers of laboratory animals required for scientific investigations.     

Efficancy of decompressive craniectomy in treatment of severe brain injury at the Rijeka University Hospital Centre

Decompressive Craniectomy (DC) is a treatment option for severe brain injury (SBI). This method is applied when the growth of intracranial pressure (ICP) can no longer be controlled with conservative methods. DC belongs to class III "Guidelines"--"option" which has not clear clinical certainty. They do not correspond to "Standards" (class I) in treatment protocol for SBI, which is common in most neurotraumatological centers. We have analyzed retrospectively 95 patients with SBI who were admitted to the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka. All patients were managed based on a protocol of current Brain Trauma Foundations (BTF) Guidelines. 39 patients underwent DC while 34 patients underwent standard craniotomy. 22 patients did not undergo any surgical procedures. In each patient we analyzed ICP changes within the first 11 days and in that way we correlated them statistically with the initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and then with Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), after the end of the treatment. We particularly analyzed the outcome with reference to the time of the operation and the size of DC. The standard measurement of ICP shows statistical significance in recovery in the group without DC after 5 days of intensive treatment, when the pressure is stabilized between 20-25 mm Hg. The stabilization of ICP in the DC group is observed already after 3 days of intensive treatment. Furthermore, better functional recovery according to GOS, which is statistically significant, was observed in patients who underwent DC where the area of craniectomy was larger than 25 cm2, within the first 24 hours from the time of injury. The use of DC considerably reduces the need for CT check-ups. Increase in the number of encephalocele was noted, which is to be expected considering that dural decompression is used in DC procedure. The results of our study indicate that the utilization of DC is characterized with lower mortality and better functional recovery if it is applied at an early stage of treatment and if the size of DC is satisfactory.     

Ruptures of the rotator cuff.

Through the use of improved diagnostic techniques, including arthrography and arthroscopy, ruptures of the rotator cuff that previously might not have been recognized are now being identified more frequently. In most cases the symptoms are relatively mild and respond satisfactorily to rest and therapy. Occasionally, however, there is severe, persistent disability despite treatment. These ruptures require surgical repair. In such cases the data obtained from special investigations help the surgeon select the appropriate surgical approach and repair technique. An imaginative program of physiotherapy before and after the operation contributes greatly to a satisfactory result.