Treatment of favorable, early-stage hodgkin's disease in children and adolescents using vamp and low-dose, involved-field radiation

to evaluate outcome and assess, toxicity of children and adolescents with, early-stage, favorable Hodgkin's disease treated with vinblastine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and prednisone [VAMP] and low-dose, involved-field radiation, Patients and twenty-four patients with clinical stages I and IIA, favorable [nonbulky] Hodgkin's disease were treated with four cycles of VAMP chemotherapy and 15Gy involved field radiation for those who achieved a complete response, or 25.5Gy for those who achieved a partial response to two cycles of VAMP with a median follow-up of 49 months [range, 74 to 66 months], the overall and event-free survival were 95.8% and 87.5%, respectively. The only factor associated with longer event-free survival was the number of initially involved sites. Risk-adapted, combined-modality therapy using only four cycles of VAMP chemotherapy with 15 to 25.5 Gy of involved-field radiation for patients with early-stage/favorable Hodgkin's disease is highly effective and without demonstrable side-effects. These results indicates that patients with stages I and IIA, non-bulky, and involving less than three Ann Arbor sites can be cured with limited therapy that does not include an alkylating agent bleomycin, etoposide, or high-dose extended-field radiation therapy

Follicle removal and lateral incision in the treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus

This study was done between April 1995 and November 1998 on 42 patients [27 males and 15 females] with symptomatic sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease. The patients had follicle removal and lateral incision under general anesthetic as a day case whenever possible. A lateral incision was used to scrub the wall of the abscess cavity, then closed primarily. Midline wounds were left open. The results indicated that wound healing time had a median of three weeks [range 2-8 weeks]. The median time taken off work was two weeks [range 1-8 weeks]. Four patients were lost during follow up beyond three months. Thirty-eight patients had a median follow up of 21 months [range 12-36 months]. A recurrence occurred in two patients

Single incision for prostatectomy and repair of inguinal hernia

Inguinal hernia has high incidence with benign enlargement of the prostate among elderly patients. The anatomical relation of inguinal hernia to the enlarged prostate raises the possibility of joint, concurrent surgical treatment of both disorders. A successful repair via a Pfannenstiel incision of 52 inguinal hernias [both direct and indirect] was reported in 50 patients who underwent retropubic prostatectomy, owing to benign enlargement of the prostate and/or operation on the urinary bladder and lower ureters. The results showed recurrence in one patient and no major complications in the wake of the combined operation. So, prostatectomy combined with inguinal hernia repair via retropubic approach can be safely used in urological and general surgical practice provided

Oxidized regenerated cellulose effect on local wound infection following surgery

This controlled prospective study was carried out to investigate the potential local antibacterial activity of a local hemostatic agent, oxidized regenerated cellulose [ORC-Surgicel]. One hundred and two cases were operated upon for various indications. Selected cases were located with ORC for local haemostasis of their surgical wounds. Results were compared with a control group for bacterial counts pre- and postoperatively. Preliminary reports suggested superior local antibacterial effect whenever ORC was used

Doppler stethoscope for evaluation of varicoceles in infertile men

The Doppler stethoscope was used to evaluate twenty-eight infertile patients with oligo-asthenospermia suspected of having varicoceles but with inconclusive physical examination, as well as two control groups: 38 infertile patients with clinically detectable varicoceles and a third group of normal fertile men [20]. The results obtained showed high accuracy and sensitivity rates. So we can recommend the pre and post operative use of Doppler stethoscope for evaluation of subclinical varicoceles as it is an easy, non invasive non time consuming and inexpensive diagnostic tool