Study of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer: our experience in 46 cases.

At the Surgery Department of Biella 46 patients were enrolled in a study on the sentinel lymph node (SN) in the period from 1 January 1999 to 30 September 1999. The aim of the study was to determine, on the basis of our own experience, the percentages of accuracy and concordance, and compare them with case series abroad and in Italy; in addition, we sought to establish a possible correlation between certain features of breast cancer and positivity of the axilla. The method utilized was lymphoscintigraphy and gamma probe. Fifteen cases with positive axillary lymph nodes and 12 cases with positive sentinel lymph nodes were found; there were no false positive and three false negative results. No migration of the tracer was observed with lymphoscintigraphy in two cases. The percentage of concordance obtained was 93.2% in the complete series and 96.5% in the subseries that excluded the learning curve. Comparing the percentage of concordance of our case series with those abroad and in Italy, an average overlapping percentage was obtained. The percentage of accuracy obtained in our study was 95.7%, which is slightly higher than the average of percentages of the case series abroad and in Italy.

[Breast carcinoma in men. The surgical treatment of a case under our observation]. / Il carcinoma della mammella nell'uomo. Trattamento chirurgico di un caso giunto alla nostra osservazione.

A case of male breast carcinoma in a very young subject (seventeen years old) is described. Breast carcinoma in male is infrequent, and at a so young age it is really rare. The patient was subjected to "Patey" mastectomy with removing the lymph nodes of the breast with the tumor, and subcutaneous mastectomy at the opposite side breast. As agreed with the oncologist other therapy was carried out.

[The last melancholia of Alonso Quijano, the Righteous]. / La última melancolía de Alonso Quijano, el Bueno.

In Cervantes' immortal novel, "Don Quixote" is the nom de guerre that Alonso Quijano--a honest Spanish yeoman nicknamed "The Upright One"--adopts under the spell of insanity that has lured him into being a knight rider. A psycho-spiritual analysis of Don Quixote's return to mental health is presented, covering the time-span between Don Quixote's coming back to this native village and his last days. By way of a "historical diagnosis", the author proposes some clinical explanations: Goodman Quijano's last illness might have been a plasmodium falciparum-caused malaria; malaria, however did not contribute to reinstate soundmindedness (as per Wagner von Jauregg's therapeutic criteria, for example). Goodman Quijano's last fit of melancholy disclosed contempu mundi in him, a renunciation giving way to a joyful lucidity--in other words, a psychological awakening to a sublime conscience level of genuine spiritual characteristics.

La última melancolía de Alonso Quijano, el Bueno. / [The last melancholia of Alonso Quijano, the Righteous]

In Cervantes immortal novel, [quot ]Don Quixote[quot ] is the nom de guerre that Alonso Quijano--a honest Spanish yeoman nicknamed [quot ]The Upright One[quot ]--adopts under the spell of insanity that has lured him into being a knight rider. A psycho-spiritual analysis of Don Quixotes return to mental health is presented, covering the time-span between Don Quixotes coming back to this native village and his last days. By way of a [quot ]historical diagnosis[quot ], the author proposes some clinical explanations: Goodman Quijanos last illness might have been a plasmodium falciparum-caused malaria; malaria, however did not contribute to reinstate soundmindedness (as per Wagner von Jaureggs therapeutic criteria, for example). Goodman Quijanos last fit of melancholy disclosed contempu mundi in him, a renunciation giving way to a joyful lucidity--in other words, a psychological awakening to a sublime conscience level of genuine spiritual characteristics.

[Primary neoplasms of the gallbladder. Remarks on a case series]. / Le neoplasie primitive della colecisti. Considerazioni su una casistica.

Data relating to a series of 22 patients suffering from primary gallbladder cancer are reported. In 8 cases the condition was benign, in 14 malignant. In 21 cases, concomitant presence of gallbladder calculosis was encountered. Survival in patients with gallbladder carcinoma was poor and significant in only 2 cases in which the tumour was observed at a non-advanced stage.