Preoperative biopsy of pararectal lymph nodes in rectal cancer using endoluminal ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: Because definitive information regarding lymph node status in rectal cancer would be valuable preoperatively, we evaluated the safety, feasibility, and accuracy of performing endoluminal ultrasound-guided biopsies of pararectal lymph nodes in 26 rectal cancer patients. Biopsies were compared with the pararectal tissues removed at surgery. METHODS: Using a longitudinally oriented 7.0-MHz ultrasound probe and an 18-gauge spring-loaded core biopsy needle, patients underwent biopsies of lymph nodes detected ultrasonographically without complications. RESULTS: A biopsy of adenocarcinoma was obtained in 13 patients, lymphoid material in 5 patients, and irrelevant material in 8 patients. Accuracy rate (true positives divided by number of procedures) was 77 percent, with a sensitivity of 71 percent, a specificity of 89 percent, a positive predictive value of 92 percent, and a negative predictive value of 62 percent. When adenocarcinoma or lymphoid material was obtained, there was only one false positive and one false negative. CONCLUSION: Endoluminal ultrasonography-guided lymph node biopsy is simple and safe, and when adenocarcinoma or lymphoid material is obtained on biopsy, clinical decision making can be based on this information.

The expanding utility of endoluminal ultrasonography in the management of rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the ability of endoluminal ultrasonography (ELUS) to determine extent of local invasion and lymph node (LN) metastasis of primary rectal tumors, to assist in ELUS-guided pelvic LN biopsies, and to assess invasion of locally recurrent rectal cancers compared to computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Eighty-one patients with rectal adenocarcinoma (n = 67) or villous adenoma of more than 3 cm (n = 14) underwent ELUS with a 360-degree 7.0-MHz transducer For LN biopsy (n = 10), ELUS was used with an 18-gauge core biopsy needle passed transrectally. ELUS and CT were compared in 14 locally recurrent tumors. RESULTS: Staging for primary tumors (ELUS compared with pathologic examination, TNM system) revealed ELUS accurately predicted wall penetration and LN status with 95% confidence intervals of 0.88 to 0.99 and 0.87 to 0.99. Eight cancers were overstaged, and two were understaged by ELUS. ELUS-guided LN biopsy revealed carcinoma (n = 3) or lymphoid tissue (n = 3) in six of 10 patients. Extent of pelvic organ involvement was predicted in 11 of 14 ELUS and eight of 14 CT examinations in recurrent rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: ELUS is accurate in staging rectal cancers, can guide biopsies of pararectal LNs, and may be more reliable than CT in assessing local recurrence. The role of ELUS in the management of rectal cancer is expanding.

Management and survival of meconium ileus. A 30-year review.

Cystic fibrosis patients born with meconium ileus (MI) have had an improved outcome over the last three decades. The authors reviewed the impact of surgical management and long-term nutritional care on the survival of patients with MI. Of the 59 cases of MI seen from 1959 to 1989, 48 cases were managed operatively using either the Bishop-Koop ileostomy (BK), the Mikulicz ileostomy, primary resection and anastomosis (RA), or ileostomy. Six-month survival of MI has improved from 37% to 100%. Nonoperative cases (n = 11) had 100% long-term survival. The RA survivors required less late operative intervention (20%) as compared with other surgical patients (81%). A comparison of serial growth percentiles of CF patients with MI with those of their non-MI CF peers showed similar long-term decreases. These data confirm: (1) There is an improved survival for MI independent of the surgical procedure; (2) The BK ileostomy is an effective and time-tested MI treatment; (3) Primary resection and anastomosis in selected cases may have a lower surgical morbidity rate; and (4) Meconium ileus does not adversely affect the long-term nutritional outcome of CF patients.

The role of reperfusion injury in occlusive intestinal ischemia of the neonate: malonaldehyde-derived fluorescent products and correlation of histology.

Oxygen free radical reperfusion products may play a critical role in neonatal occlusive intestinal ischemia. We report a comparative analysis of light microscopy- and malonaldehyde (MDA)-derived fluorescent products as a measure of lipid peroxidation in occlusive intestinal ischemia in the rat. Weanling rats (n = 25) underwent cross clamping of the common mesenteric artery followed by various intervals of reperfusion; blood was sampled from the common mesenteric vein and the ileum was simultaneously biopsied. Blind-light microscopic scoring of the ischemic intestine was used. Fluorescent products were extracted using a chloroform/methanol/acidic water solvent extraction and measured with a spectrophotofluorometer using excitation/emission wavelengths of 360 and 430 nm, respectively. A trend was observed with prolonged reperfusion. Accumulation of fluorescent products correlated directly with the interval of reperfusion. Graded intervals of vascular occlusion produced progressive intestinal injury, but light microscopic analysis was not a sensitive index to distinguish the influence of graded reperfusion intervals. These data confirm a role for both ischemia and reperfusion in occlusive intestinal injury in the neonate and suggest that MDA accumulation may be a sensitive index of the reperfusion component of such injury.

Maternal cocaine abuse and necrotizing enterocolitis: outcome and survival.

Since 1987, multiple complications related to maternal cocaine abuse have been reported. Necrotizing enterocolitis-(NEC) of the newborn has been observed with increasing frequency. We report a comparative analysis of infants with NEC born to cocaine abusing mothers (n = 11) to a standard population of newborns with NEC (n = 50) treated in this institution from January 1987 to July 1989. We also evaluated whether prenatal cocaine abuse predisposes infants to NEC by performing a case-control analysis using 51 of 61 infants and controls matched for race, sex, and birthweight +/- 250g. Significant differences were apparent between the cocaine-affected infants (COC) and the noncocaine-affected infants (Non-COC) with regard to surgical intervention (72.7% v 38%, P less than .05), the presence of massive gangrene (54% v 12%, P less than .01), mortality (54.5% v 18%, P less than .01), and maternal age (28.13 +/- 3.82 years v 24.12 +/- 6.21 years P less than .05). No differences between these groups could be demonstrated for other known NEC risk factors such as gestational age, birthweight, feeding patterns, umbilical artery catheters, or asphyxia. In the matched case-control study, infants born to mothers who were cocaine abusers demonstrated a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing NEC (95% Cl = 1.17 to 5.32, P = .02) when compared with the noncocaine-exposed group. Maternal cocaine abuse appears to play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of NEC, its extent, and its outcome.

Blunt abdominal trauma resulting in intestinal obstruction: when to operate?

The overall approach to blunt abdominal trauma resulting in hematoma and intestinal obstruction has been variable and controversial. Recent reports recommend conservative nonoperative management. We reviewed six cases of duodenal and jejunal hematomas resulting from blunt trauma of which five resolved with nasogastric decompression and parenteral nutrition. The average hospital stay was 16 days (10-23 days), and total parenteral nutrition days were 9 days (4-16 days). Upper gastrointestinal series (UGI) demonstrated partial bowel obstruction in all five cases. In contrast, the sixth case was a restrained passenger who had evidence of complete bowel obstruction on UGI series, which failed to resolve after 18 days of conservative management. Laparotomy revealed jejunal and colonic strictures with fibrosis, which were successfully resected. We recommend that based on radiologic documentation of persistent high-grade obstruction, as well as the clinical course, patients whose obstructions do not resolve by 10 to 14 days ought to be further investigated and operative intervention considered. This approach may facilitate an earlier diagnosis of complications, reduce length of hospitalization and days on parenteral nutrition, as well as to expedite the proper management.