The value of intraoperative ultrasonography during the resection of relapsed irradiated malignant gliomas in the brain

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) helped the surgeon navigate towards the tumor as seen in preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and whether IOUS was able to distinguish between tumor margins and the surrounding tissue. METHODS: Twenty-five patients suffering from high-grade gliomas who were previously treated by surgery and radiotherapy were included. Intraoperatively, two histopathologic samples were obtained a sample of unequivocal tumor tissue (according to anatomical landmarks and the surgeon’s visual and tactile impressions) and a small tissue sample obtained using a navigated needle when the surgeon decided to stop the resection. This specimen was considered to be a boundary specimen, where no tumor tissue was apparent. The decision to take the second sample was not influenced by IOUS. The effect of IOUS was analyzed semi-quantitatively. RESULTS: All 25 samples of unequivocal tumor tissue were histopathologically classified as tumor tissue and were hyperechoic on IOUS. Of the boundary specimens, eight were hypoechoic. Only one harbored tumor tissue (P=0.150). Seventeen boundaries were moderately hyperechoic, and these samples contained all possible histological results (i.e., tumor, infiltration, or no tumor). CONCLUSION: During surgery performed on relapsed, irradiated, high-grade gliomas, IOUS provided a reliable method of navigating towards the core of the tumor. At borders, it did not reliably distinguish between remnants or tumor-free tissue, but hypoechoic areas seldom contained tumor tissue.

Cause and preventive measures of positive stump in gas-trectomy for gastric cancer / 中国现代普通外科进展

Objective: To investigate the cause and preventive measures of positive stump in gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: Nine hundred forty-six patients performed with gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma had been collected from January 1998 to May 2009, the ratio of positive stump was analyzed retrospectively. Results: The rate of positive stump of gastrectomy was 6.24%(59/946). Statistical difference was found between the rate of radical and palliative gastrectomy(P0.05). Conclusion: The rate of positive stump was higher in palliative gastrectomy, Borrmann Ⅲ～IV type, low differentiated cancer and those cases with metastatic lymph nodes more than seven. To prevent the occurrence of positive stump in gastrectomy for gastric cancer, gastroscopy and barium meal should be carried out, enough length between incisal margin and tumor edge should be kept and frozen biopsy should be done.