Interferon-γ and Colorectal Cancer: an up-to date.

Colorectal cancer still remains the third cause of cancer death among cancer patients. Early diagnosis is crucial and they can be either endoscopic or with blood biomarkers. Endoscopic methods consist of gastroscopy and colonoscopy, however; in recent years, endoscopic ultrasound is being used. The microenvironment is very important for the successful delivery of the treatment. Several proteins and hormones play a crucial role in the efficiency of the treatment. In the current mini review we will focus on interferon-γ.

Use of botulinum A toxin for proctalgia fugax-a case report of successful treatment.

Proctalgia fugax is considered as intermittent anal pain of unknown etiology; a variety of treatments have been used, without, however, permanent results. Injection of botulinum A toxin is recently suggested as an alternative option. We present the case of a woman presenting proctalgia fugax that was untreatable through other current forms of treatment. After two administrations of botulinum A toxin, 80 units and 100 units each, the patient remained asymptomatic on 8-month follow-up control. Botulinum A toxin injection can reduce internal anal sphincter pressure, leading to relief of symptoms, and seems a promising option with minimal morbidity in cases on proctalgia fugax that does not respond to other current treatments.

Leiomyoma of round ligament mimicking an incarcerated inguinal hernia-report of a rare case.

Inguinal hernia is a common condition and may contain small or large bowel, omentum or other tissues. Leiomyomas of a round ligament are a rare condition occurring predominantly in premenopausal women. Abdominal, inguinal and vulvar locations have been described. Rare situations have been reported in which leiomyomas resemble to an incarcerated inguinal hernia. We describe a rare case of a leiomyoma of a round ligament in a young Caucasian female mimicking an incarcerated inguinal hernia. The treatment was surgical and we were able to remove the leiomyoma of the round ligament successfully. Leiomyoma of the round ligament is a benign tumor. Surgeons should take into consideration this condition in terms of differential diagnosis of masses that mimic an inguinal hernia.

Robotic right segmental hepatectomy for the treatment of a giant hepatic hemangioma-a case report.

Hemangioma is the most common benign hepatic tumor. We present the case of a patient with a giant symptomatic hemangioma, treated with segmental liver resection using the Da Vinci Robotic System. A 38-year-old woman presented to our surgical out-patient Department complaining about abdominal discomfort and recurrent episodes of acute abdominal pain. CT-scan and MRI imaging of the abdomen revealed the presence of a giant hepatic hemangioma (>5 cm) involving segments VI and VII. Robotic right segmental hepatectomy was performed. The procedure was successfully completed in 120 min and with intraoperative blood loss of only 450 ml. Postoperative period was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the second postoperative day. In case of giant hemangiomas, a minimally invasive robotic major hepatic resection is a viable option that can be performed with minimal complications. A careful preoperative and intraoperative strategy is required, while significant experience in liver and robotic surgery is mandatory.

Primary solitary peritoneal tumor of the abdominal wall-report of a rare case and review of the literature.

Abdominal wall tumors are sometimes diagnosed as metastases of ovarian cancer, however, primary peritoneal tumors should be taken into consideration in the final diagnosis. A 49-year-old female patient was admitted in our Department for the excision of a pulpable abdominal wall lump, with no other abnormalities shown on imaging investigation. On histology examination, the excised specimen revealed characteristics of metastatic high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Total hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, omentectomy and appendectomy were performed. No signs of malignancy were proved on histology, leading to the final diagnosis of a primary serous peritoneal tumor. This is the third described case of solitary primary serous peritoneal tumor located in the abdominal wall. This condition should be included in the differential diagnosis of a probable metastatic ovarian carcinoma, as both present similar histologic characteristics.

Successful multiple-step management of intravenous leiomyomatosis diagnosed after episode of acute abdominal pain: Case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: We present the case of a 37-year old woman diagnosed with intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) that was managed uneventfully with multiple-step management. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 37-year-old woman was admitted because of acute abdominal pain. Emergency Computed Tomography demonstrated a big pelvic mass 5×15cm of heterogenous composition intaking the contrast agent. Total hysterectomy with salpingoophorectomy was proposed to patient, however, patient expressed her will for fertility preservation and gave consent only for the resection of a single ovary. Laparotomy revealed the presence of myoma, multiple lesions of potential adenomyosis and cordon-shaped formations arising from uterus and extending mainly to left ovary. Final histological diagnosis was intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL). MRI angiography revealed the presence of residual lesions in inferior vena cava. Laparoscopic resection was performed one month after laparotomy and left ovary was resected without complications. Venovenous bypass was finally performed three months later from initial surgery. The process was significantly labored, resulted in the successful resection of intravenous lesions but was complicated intraoperatively by right kidney rupture. After a follow-up of 33 months, case remains uncomplicated without signs or symptoms of potential recurrence. DISCUSSION: Intravenous leiomyomatosis represents a rare clinical entity histologically bening but clinically aggressive. No consensus exists regarding the optimal management, especially in cases with initial will for fertility preservation. CONCLUSION: IVL represents a rare clinical entity often presenting difficulties in diagnosis and optimal treatment. Large case-series studies should be encouraged to assess the optimal management.

Endoscopically assisted laparoscopic local resection of gastric tumor.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive procedures have been applied in treatment of gastric submucosal tumors. Currently, combined laparoscopic - endoscopic rendezvous resection (CLERR) emerges as a new technique which further reduces operative invasiveness. CASE PRESENTATION: A-57-year-old female patient presented with epigastric pain. She was submitted to gastroscopy, which revealed a tumor located at the angle of His. Biopsy specimens demonstrated a leiomyoma. The patient underwent endoscopically assisted laparoscopic resection of the tumor. The operative time was 45 minutes. Diagnosis of leiomyoma was confirmed by the final histopathological examination. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was discharged on the 2nd postoperative day. CONCLUSION: Combined laparoscopic and endoscopic rendezvous resection appears as a promising alternative minimally invasive technique. It offers easy recognition of the tumor, regardless of location, safe dissection, and full thickness resection with adequate margins as well as less operative time.

Acral lentiginous melanoma: a case control study and guidelines update.

Background. Malignant melanoma incidence is increasing dramatically. We report herein a case of the rarest acral lentiginous type. Case Report. A 58-year-old man presented with a melanoma resembling lesion over the sole of his right foot, measuring 15-20 mm in diameter. An excisional biopsy with a narrow (2 mm) margin of surrounding skin was obtained. Histological findings were consistent with a diagnosis of acral lentiginous melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was also performed and micrometastases were not identified in frozen-section examination. According to the AJCC system, the tumor stage was IB (T2aN0M0). A wide local excision of the biopsy scar with a margin of 2 cm was performed. A split-thickness thick skin graft was used to reconstruct the excisional defect. During an 18-month followup, no local or distant recurrence has been observed. This paper aims to extract an updated rational approach to the management of this disease out of an enormous body of knowledge.

Myofibroblasts and colonic anastomosis healing in Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: The myofibroblasts play a central role in wound healing throughout the body. The process of wound healing in the colon was evaluated with emphasis on the role of myofibroblasts. METHODS: One hundred male Wistar rats weighing 274 ± 9.1 g (mean age: 3.5 months) were used. A left colonic segment was transected and the colon was re-anastomosed. Animals were randomly divided into two groups. The first group experimental animals (n = 50) were sacrificed on postoperative day 3, while the second group rats (n = 50) were sacrificed on postoperative day 7. Healing of colonic anastomosis was studied in terms of anastomotic bursting pressure, as well as myofibroblastic reaction and expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), adhesion formation, inflammatory reaction and neovascularization. RESULTS: The mean anastomotic bursting pressure increased from 20.6 ± 3.5 mmHg on the 3rd postoperative day to 148.8 ± 9.6 Hg on the 7th postoperative day. Adhesion formation was increased on the 7th day, as compared to the 3rd day. In addition, the myofibroblastic reaction was more profound on the 7th postoperative day in comparison with the 3rd postoperative day. The staining intensity for α-SMA was progressive from the 3rd to the 7th postoperative day. On the 7th day the α-SMA staining in the myofibroblats reached the level of muscular layer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphasizes the pivotal role of myofibroblasts in the process of colonic anastomosis healing. The findings provide an explanation for the reduction in the incidence of wound dehiscence after the 7th postoperative day.

Small cell carcinoma in ulcerative colitis--new treatment option: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The most common type of carcinoma associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) is adenocarcinoma. We present a case of primary rectal small cell carcinoma in a patient with a history of UC. METHODS: A 34-year-old male diagnosed with UC for 10 years was not consistent with the usual annual follow-up and presented with mucoid-bloody diarrhea. Colonoscopy revealed a rectal mass 2 cm distant from the anal verge. The patient underwent a total proctocolectomy with preservation of the anal sphincters, construction of an ileal reservoir, anastomosis of the reservoir to the anus (J configuration) and protective loop ileostomy. RESULTS: Histological examination showed undifferentiated small cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of small cell carcinoma in a background of UC reported to be treated surgically and the patient and has no recurrence 18 months postoperatively.

Cytogenetic effects of recombinant interferon-gamma on lymphocytes cultures from patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Therapeutic effects of human interferons (IFN) on malignancies and infectious diseases have been demonstrated in several clinical trials. The effects of IFN alone or combined with other treatment modalities (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) in lung cancer are under investigation. Experimental data suggest that some cytokines, such as IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma, exhibit cytogenetic properties in human normal lymphocytes from peripheral blood, but the mechanisms are not clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vivo cytotoxic and cytostatic activity of IFN-gamma. Patients with certain cases of non-small cell lung cancer not eligible for chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were treated with thoracic radiotherapy. After tumor relapse, local treatment with instillations of IFN-gamma through the fiberoptic bronchoscope followed. To clarify the cytogenetic activity of IFN-gamma, sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and proliferation rate index (PRI) were evaluated in lymphocyte cultures from these patients' peripheral blood samples immediately after diagnosis (baseline), 30 days after radiotherapy, and after the fifth instillation of IFN-gamma. Our results show a decrease in SCE frequency and PRI values in lymphocytes after treatment with IFN-gamma, suggesting that IFN-gamma does not have cytotoxic activity but, in contrast, may induce repair mechanisms, as shown in earlier studies in other biologic models.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic right radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma and end-stage renal disease: a case report.

Nephron-sparing surgery (partial nephrectomy) results are similar to those of radical nephrectomy for small (<4 cm) renal tumors. However, in patients with end-stage renal disease, radical nephrectomy emerges as a more efficient treatment for localized renal cell cancer. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) increasingly is being performed. The objective of the present study was to present a case of a patient under hemodialysis who was submitted to LRN for a small renal mass and discuss the current issues concerning this approach. It appears that radical nephrectomy should be the standard treatment in dialysis patients even for small tumors. The laparoscopic technique is associated with acceptable cancer-specific survival and recurrence rate along with shorter hospital stay, less postoperative pain and earlier return to normal activities.