The role of intraoperative ultrasound in establishing the surgical strategy regarding hepato-bilio-pancreatic pathology.

Intraoperative ultrasound examination plays a more and more important role in open or laparoscopic abdominal surgery,satisfying the surgeon's need to correctly characterize lesions,bringing various benefits regarding topography and local regional extension, relations between neighbouring structures and, finally, disease staging. Intraoperative ultrasound is used especially in hepato-bilio-pancreatic tract interventions, given its diagnostic and therapeutic values. Between 2009-2012 in the IOB First Surgery Clinic 57 intraoperative echo graphies were performed, in patients with hepato-bilio-pancreatic pathologies, leading to intraoperative guided punctures with diagnostic or therapeutic purpose (in case of hepatic abscesses),detection of new hepatic metastases, their ablation under ultrasound guidance, exploration of the local-regional topography with the aim of an optimal hepatic resection. Intraoperative ultrasound allowed radioablation under echographic guidance in 43 patients, the majority presenting multiple hepatic metastases in different areas, this method also enabling control over complete lesional destruction. Also, in 11 cases (22.915), a number of hepatic 20 metastases which had not been visible on preoperative imaging scans were detected, and afterwards treated through RFA; also, in 14 cases intraoperative echography revealed the presence and nature of the hepatic tumours, leading to a correct histopathological diagnostic and an adequate therapy. The method was useful in pancreatic pathologies as well, in complicated forms of acute or chronic pancreatitis, tracking the Wirsung duct within the scleral and calcified mass of pancreatic tissue, through an ultrasound guided puncture, as well as in locating pancreatic cystic masses,determining the optimal puncture or pericystic-digestive drainage areas. Intraoperative ultrasound is an inexpensive, easy method, which allows real time exploration throughout the entire surgical process of hepato-bilio-pancreatic lesions, aiding the surgeon in modifying decisions regarding the intervention and preventing complications.

Congenital splenic cyst - case study.

BACKGROUND: Splenic cysts represent a pathology seldom encountered in practice, the most often etiology being, parasitic, congenital and pseudo-cysts, which usually appear post-traumatically or after a splenic infarction.Splenic cysts indicate a surgical treatment when they are large (and thus present a high risk for complications such as rupture, hemorrhaging, compression of the neighboring organs), when they are symptomatic or present complications. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a patient diagnosed with splenic cyst in our Clinic, its discovery being incidental, while conducting investigations for an abdominal pain syndrome. DISCUSSIONS: The clinical case presented completely abides to the literary description-the diagnostic has been incidental, the large size of the cyst has determined the need for surgery (splenectomy), its etiology has been established by means of anatomo-pathological report (the presence of the epithelial inner wall that indicates congenital cysts).

Prognostic factors in colorectal cancer evolution.

BACKGROUND: This paper tries to evaluate prognostic value of various pre and post-operative colorectal cancer markers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study conducted in our clinic over a period of five years we tried to emphasize the biological factors of prognostic value in colorectal cancer, and to demonstrate the important role of these factors in predicting survival, but also of early relapse or, in some cases, resistance to chemotherapy. Most important component of these factors remains molecular tumor markers. RESULTS: Of the markers of tumor load increased preoperative serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) means increased risk of neoplastic recurrence and reducing survival expectancy. Aneuploidy tumor cells would have the same importance. CONCLUSIONS: Although for their study modern and expensive techniques are necessary, molecular tumor markers have an increasingly role appreciated by researchers both in estimating the risk of relapse and neoplastic dissemination and the response rate to adjuvant treatment. It is estimated that the study of molecular/genetic profile of colorectal tumors in the future will dictate therapeutic decisions ahead.