ABSTRACT
A major limitation of the treatment of low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma is the difficulty of intracavitary instillation of adjuvant therapy. Therefore, the aim of this in vitro study was to develop and to assess a new design of biodegradable ureteral stent coated with a silk fibroin matrix for the controlled release of mitomycin C as a chemotherapeutic drug. For this purpose, we assessed the coating of a biodegradable ureteral stent, BraidStent®, with silk fibroin and subsequently loaded the polymeric matrix with two formulations of mitomycin to evaluate its degradation rate, the concentration of mitomycin released, and changes in the pH and the weight of the stent. Our results confirm that the silk fibroin matrix is able to coat the biodegradable stent and release mitomycin for between 6 and 12 h in the urinary environment. There was a significant delay in the degradation rate of silk fibroin and mitomycin-coated stents compared to bare biodegradable stents, from 6-7 weeks to 13-14 weeks. The present study has shown the feasibility of using mitomycin C-loaded silk fibroin for the coating of biodegradable urinary stents. The addition of mitomycin C to the coating of silk fibroin biodegradable stents could be an attractive approach for intracavitary instillation in the upper urinary tract.
ABSTRACT
El músculo esternalis es una variación anatómica poco frecuente que puede llevar a confusión a radiólogos y cirujanos. Este músculo se localiza normalmente superficial al músculo pectoral mayor paralelo al esternón. Presentamos tres casos en los que durante la realización de una mastectomía nos encontramos una estructura cuyas características son compatibles con el músculo esternalis. Este músculo tiene un tamaño variable y la gran mayoría de los casos son asintomáticos. Su inervación procede de intercostales y pectoral. La irrigación viene dada por la arteria mamaria interna.La importancia de conocer la existencia de este músculo viene dada para evitar diagnósticos erróneos en patología mamaria, ya que durante una mamografía de rutina el músculo esternalis puede ser confundido con un tumor. Es importante tener en cuenta esta entidad, pues puede llevar a errores diagnósticos y es preciso conocer su presencia antes de realizar ciertos procedimientos, como cirugías reconstructivas de mama, ya que puede variar el tipo de procedimiento y el resultado final. (AU)
The sternalis muscle is a rare anatomical variant that can cause confusion among radiologists and surgeons. It is usually located superficial to the pectoralis major and parallel to the sternum. We report three cases in which a structure compatible with the sternalis muscle was found during mastectomy. The size of this muscle varies and most cases are asymptomatic. The muscle is innervated from the intercostal and pectoral nerves. Irrigation is from the internal thoracic artery.Familiarity with this muscle is important to avoid mistaken diagnoses in breast disease since the sternalis muscle may mimic a tumour on routine mammography. This entity should be borne in mind as it can lead to diagnostic errors. It is essential to determine its presence before the performance of certain procedures such as reconstructive breast surgery as it may affect the type of procedure performed and the final result. (AU)
