Mast cell and eosinophil interaction in gastric carcinomas: ultrastructural observations.

BACKGROUND: An increase in the number of mastocytes has been described in some human neoplasms, mainly in gastric and colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case of diffuse-type gastric carcinoma, mainly infiltrated by eosinophils and mast cells, was studied using light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Using light microscopy, cell clusters containing one mast cell and one to three eosinophils were found in the tumour stroma. Electron microscopy of this unusual stromal element revealed that mast cells established areas of junctions with eosinophils. Moreover, focal polarized exocytosis of mast cell granules was found in the areas of junctions with eosinophils. Eosinophils in contact with mast cells showed signs of important in situ activation, such as alterations in the size and number of granules, cytoplasmic vacuoles, and scattered extracellular granules. CONCLUSION: Our ultrastructural study provides morphological evidence of cross-talk between activated mast cells and eosinophils that may play an important role in the enhancement of host immunity against cancer cells.

Gastric hepatoid adenocarcinoma with autophagy-related necrosis-like tumor cell death: report of a case.

A case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach is presented. The characteristic features of the tumor are summarized on the basis of the authors' experience and the literature. Ultrastructural examination revealed patchy condensations of chromatin throughout the nucleus suggestive of necrosis-like programmed cell death (PCD). These nuclear alterations were associated with the occurrence of vacuoles and lipofuscins, conferring an autophagic phenotype to this PCD. Thus, the case reported here provides an example of autophagic-related necrosis-like PCD. Alternative PCDs are reviewed and their morphologic distinction is discussed.

Pyoderma gangrenosum of the "sinus mammarum" in ulcerative colitis.

The first part of this article deals with the report of a patient suffering from pyoderma gangrenosum of the "sinus mammarum" associated with asymptomatic ulcerative colitis. This is followed by a revision of the present epidemiological, etiological, pathogenetic and clinical knowledges about this systemic manifestation of chronic phlogosis of the colon. The Authors have analysed the treatment for this condition and emphasized the resistance of the cutaneous ulcer encountered to conventional medical therapy of the underlying colonic disease which proved to be efficacious only on the latter; this led to integrate traditional treatment with the use of perilesional injections of small doses of calcic heparin as an alternative to immunosuppressive drugs or surgery. Topical antithrombotic treatment, which can be justified by the histological findings of phenomena of the vasculitis in the edge of pyoderma gangrenosum, demonstrated to be crucial and represents a peculiarity in the case here reported, which is unique in the literature as far as the Authors know, since it has not been experimented by anyone else.

[Hemorrhage and gastric perforation in patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)]. / Emorragia e perforazione gastrica in paziente con gastrostomia endoscopica percutanea (PEG).

INTRODUCTION: PEG is more and more used for those patients who need a medium and above all long term enteral nutrition, especially at home. This is the closest technical system to the requirements to have an ideal nutritional access; however it is burdened, on average in 32.5% of cases, with complications linked to technical mistakes of positioning or to a wrong management, such as haemorrhage and gastric perforation. CASE REPORT: A patient, subjected to supraglottic laryngectomy, to removal of tongue's base and to bilateral laterocervical lymphadenectomy and PEG carrier for 4 months, has arrived to our observation for a clinical outline of acute abdomen for perforation of hollow internal organ, preceded by progressive anaemia due to high digestive haemorrhage. Performed an exploratory laparotomy, it was discovered on the gastric fore face, between body and antrum, in proximity to the small curvature and in front of the PEG gastric access, a perforation with max 2 cm of diameter, crossed by probe's internal disk of retention. They proceeded to remove that, to unstick the gastric stoma from the parietal peritoneum, to suture the access of gastrostomy and the perforation by omentoplasty. Finally they carried out a jejunostomy for enteral feeding. DISCUSSION: We think we can pathogenetically identify the cause of the haemorrhage and of the stomach's perforation, occurred in a short time in the case we have examined, in the probe's movement for incorrect fixing of the plate of external anchorage or for excessive slimming of the patient due to not balanced nutritional supply, as well as in the consequent extension of its intraluminal part with continuous rubbing by internal disk on the gastric wall and with onset decubitus ulcer. Physiopathologic moments, connected with the supposed etiological factor, make both occurred complications as an unique pathologic entity, which has to be observed in the PEG carriers, in order to be able to diagnose it and treat it precociously and above all in order to be able to prevent it. Only a correct technique of positioning and of nursing and of management of nutritional supply is able not to thwart the finality of the PEG device which can be considered, in the elective indications and for the favourable requisites that marks it, a valid access to enteral nutrition realization.

["Switch prophylaxis one a day" with levofloxacin in laparoscopic cholecystectomy]. / "Switch prophylaxis one a day" con levofloxacina nelle laparocolecistectomie.

BACKGROUND: Special attention is paid today to the advisability of carrying out routine antibiotic prophylaxis in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and to the dosage protocol to be adopted in order to reduce the incidence of infections at the site of the surgical operation which, albeit with lower incidence than in "open" surgery, 5.3% vs 14%, can vanify the advantages of the mini-invasive approach. The demonstrated validity of administering the antibiotic beyond 24 hours after the operation led the authors to verify the clinical effectiveness and tolerance of "switch prophylaxis one a day" (SPOD) with levofloxacin in the prevention of septic complications after LC. METHODS: The experience reported relates to 185 patients suffering from symptomatic and/or complicated lithiasis of the gall-bladder subjected from January 1999 to April 2001 to LC and to antibiotic prophylaxis in accordance with the following dosage protocol: levofloxacin 500 mg i.v. 30 min before operation and 500 mg per os in the 3 days subsequent. RESULTS: The postsurgical evaluation documented the onset of 2 superficial infections in patients in whom LC had been of necessity converted and of a subhepatic abscess in an ASA III patient with acute cholecystitis. Prevention of infections at the surgical site totalled 98.4%. Nausea and slight diarrhoea and an increase in transaminasaemia were observed respectively in 3% and 4% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained led the authors to standardise the use of SPOD with levofloxacin in LC operations which, in their opinion represents a rational alternative to the antibiotic prophylaxis regimes most commonly used up to the present (STP and USTP).