Current management of hepatocellular cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver, being the fifth most frequent cancer worldwide. It usually occurs in the setting of chronic liver disease and has a poor prognosis if untreated. Following the diagnosis, this disease requires multidisciplinary management. Orthotopic liver transplantation is theoretically the best treatment for early, unresectable HCC. However, the major practical obstacle is the extreme shortage of organs, which makes this a practical option only in selected patients. In this report we describe new advancements in diagnosis, classification, and treatment that have emerged in the field of HCC in recent years.

Current role of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is one of the most common routes of dissemination of colorectal cancer (CRC). It is encountered in 7% of patients at primary surgery, while it develops in about 4% to 19% of patients after curative surgery and in up to 44% of patients with recurrent CRC. Peritoneal involvement from colorectal malignancies has been considered traditionally as a manifestation of terminal disease, due to limited response to conventional surgical and chemotherapeutic treatments. In the past few years the introduction of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion has shown promising results in selected patients. Currently, the surgical management of peritoneal surface malignancies of colonic origin with this combined locoregional therapy has resulted in a significant improvement in survival of these patients. However, further controlled studies will help to standardize indications and the technique of this locoregional therapy in order to achieve an improvement of morbidity and mortality rates.

[Polyspecialistic treatment of a polytrauma. Case report]. / Politrauma complesso: gestione poli-specialistica. Caso clinico.

The Authors report the clinical course of M.L., a 22 years old man. He came to our observation after a road accident, in third care. In the former hospital admissions hemodynamic stabilization, surgical haemostasis of multiple hepatic lacerations with hemoperitoneum and right leg amputation were performed. He arrived to our department in a critical condition owing to mild respiratory insufficiency due to many rib fractures with sero-haematic spillage into the pleural cavity, in dialytic treatment for acute renal insufficiency consequent to right renal artery damage, soft tissues necrosis of the amputation stump with sepsis and persistent fever until 40 degrees C. The treatment and care of this patient required a team-work with the collaboration of many specialists, namely surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists, interventionist radiologists and hyperbaric oxygen therapy experts. Thanks to such collaboration we achieved an excellent quoad vitam result. The aim of this paper is to confirm and emphasize the central role of a Trauma Team, fed in a Trauma Center and in a Trauma System, in the management of complex traumas.

Current management strategy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains a considerable challenge for surgeons. Surgery, including liver transplantation, is the most important therapeutic approach for patients with this disease. HCC is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages and has a poor prognosis with a high mortality rate even when surgical resection has been considered potentially curative. This brief report summarizes the current status of the management of this malignancy and includes a short description of new pharmacological approaches in HCC treatment.

[Acute acalculous cholecystectoctomy associated with haemobilia in polytraumatized subject. Case report]. / Colecistite acuta alitiasica da emobilia in politraumatizzato. Caso clinico.

The Authors report the clinical case of polytraumatized patient who has colic abdominal pain and Murphy sign after 68 days from damaging event. This symptomatology is consequent to Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis (ACC) associated with hemobilia. This work may be different because hemobilia in polytraumatized patient, like causal factor of acute cholecystitis, is an isolated case in literature. The Authors discuss on ACC risk factors, diagnosis and therapy.

[Surgical treatment of gastric cancer]. / Il trattamento chirurgico del carcinoma gastrico.

Despite the decrease in incidence observed during the last decades, gastric adenocarcinoma remains the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Radical surgical resection is the best treatment option, though the role of extended and super-extended lymphadenectomy remains debatable. This review examines the different issues related to the surgical treatment of early and advanced gastric adenocarcinoma as well as the most recent strategies for the treatment and prevention of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Treatment of the intraabdominal abscesses through percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage in oncological patients: Clinical and microbiological data.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Oncological patients are particularly prone to the onset of septic complications such as abdominal abscesses. The aim of our study was to analyze clinical and microbiological data in a population of oncological patients, submitted to percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage (PUD) for postoperative abdominal abscesses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 24 patients operated on for neoplastic pathologies and treated with PUD for abdominal abscesses during the postoperative period were reviewed. In all cases cultural examination with antibiogram was performed. RESULTS: In 5 out of 24 patients (20.8%), the abdominal abscesses appeared after the discharge, with a mean hospital stay of 34.2 +/- 24.9 days. In six out of 24 patients (25%) there were multiple abscesses localizations. The cultural examination was positive in 23 patients and negative only in one patient. Abscesses localized only in the upper abdominal regions had a significant prevalence of monomicrobial cultural examinations (57.1%) with respect to the results for abscesses placed in the lower abdominal regions, that were polymicrobial in 88.8% of cases (p = 0.027). An antibiogram demonstrated a stronger activity of beta-lactamines, chinolones, and glycopeptides with respect to aminogycosides, cephalosporins, and metronidazole. CONCLUSIONS: In oncological patients, the planning of the empiric antibiotic therapy should be based on the anatomotopographic localization of the abdominal abscess and on the typology of the operation performed giving preference to beta-lactamines, chinolones and glycopeptides.

Updates on abdominal desmoid tumors.

Desmoid tumor is a monoclonal, fibroblastic proliferation arising in musculoaponeurotic structures. This connective tissue hyperplasia infiltrates locally, recurs frequently after resection but does not metastasize. Abdominal desmoid occurs sporadically, in association with some familial syndromes and often represents a clinical dilemma for surgeons. The enigmatic biology and anatomical location of abdominal desmoids make treatment recommendations difficult. This distinct pathological entity is reviewed with a specific focus on aetiology and management.

Lymph node involvement in advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The prognosis of gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma is unquestionably related to the extent of nodal involvement; nonetheless, few studies deal with the pattern of lymph node spread and specifically analyze the prognostic value of the site of metastasis. The present study was aimed at evaluating these key aspects in advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Of 219 patients consecutively operated on for gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma at the Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, University of Siena, and at the Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, 143 pT2-4 tumors not submitted to prior chemoradiation were analyzed according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association pN staging system. RESULTS: The majority of patients were given diagnoses of nodal metastases (77.6%). The mean number (P = .076) and the percentage of patients with pN+ disease (P = .022) progressively increased from Siewert type I to type III tumors. Abdominal nodes were involved in all but 1 of the patients with pN+ disease; conversely, nodal metastases into the chest were 46.2% for type I, 29.5% for type II, and 9.3% for type III tumors. Survival analysis showed virtually no chance of recovery for patients with more than 6 metastatic nodes or lymph nodes located beyond the first tier. CONCLUSIONS: In advanced gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, the high frequency of nodal metastases and the related unfavorable long-term outcome achieved by means of surgical intervention alone are indicative of the need for aggressive multimodal treatment along with surgical intervention to improve long-term results.

Presacral ganglioneuroma: a case report and review of literature.

Presacral ganglioneuromas are so rare benign tumors that only 17 cases have been reported in the literature. They are abdominal masses growing slowly and differential diagnoses have to be considered. Surgical resection is important for definitive diagnosis because it represents the only therapeutic choice. Because of the benign nature of ganglioneuroma, adjuvant chemo- or radiotherapy is not indicated but regular follow-up is necessary for an early diagnosis of potential local recurrence. We report a case of a 64-year-old man with a presacral ganglioneuroma.

Postoperative complications and functional results after subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction for primary gastric cancer.

Subtotal gastrectomy is considered the preferred treatment for gastric cancer with antral location. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of early postoperative complications and late functional results in patients who underwent subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction for primary gastric adenocarcinoma. The results of 310 patients were analyzed with regard to postoperative complications and death rates. Functional results as they relate to the gastric resection were evaluated in 195 disease-free patients. Of the 310 patients, 77 developed postoperative general and surgical complications (24.8%) and 13 consequently died (in-hospital mortality: 4.2%). Although infrequent (6 cases, 1.9%), anastomotic leak was the most serious complication (4 cases died during the postoperative phase). Considering functional results, weight loss continued for the first trimester after surgery, after which it stabilized. Loss of appetite was rarely observed; early after the operation the majority of patients were consuming a normal diet and regularly consumed less than five meals per day (83.6%). Dumping syndrome was uncommon and usually resolved within one year (12.3% at three months, 9.5% after one year, 5.2% after two years). On the other hand, postprandial abdominal fullness was frequently observed (43.1% at three months, 36.1% after one year, 21.3% after three years, and 16.5% after five years). Billroth II reconstruction after subtotal gastrectomy is associated with a limited risk of anastomotic complications. Anastomotic leak, although infrequent, is a life-threatening complaint and requires prompt recognition and aggressive surgical treatment. The incidence of late complications was low and the majority of patients recovered from them within one year after surgery, although the occurrence of postprandial abdominal fullness was not completely irrelevant.

Giant liposarcoma of the mesentery. Report of a case.

Liposarcomas represent the single most common type of soft tissue sarcoma. Its abdominal localization is rare, occurring in only 5% of cases. A 55 year old male was found to have a case of primary giant liposarcoma of the mesenterium with a maximum diameter of 40 cm and weight of 9 kg. Computed tomography revealed the presence of a large mass presenting a dishomogeneous density with an adipose component, probably of mesenteric origin. A xifopubic laparotomy confirmed the presence of a pedunculated growth originating from the mesentery. The mass was removed and the histopathological report noted a well differentiated sclerosing liposarcoma with the peritoneal liquid positive for malignant cells. Surgery currently represents the only possibly curative therapy for this type of tumour but close long-term follow up and accurate evaluation of the clinicopathologic parameters are needed.

[Empiric antibiotic therapy in the treatment of postoperative abdominal abscesses. Clinical and microbiological data]. / Antibioticoterapia empirica nel trattamento degli ascessi addominali postoperatori. Dati clinici e microbiologici.

Abdominal abscesses arising postoperatively constitute a serious problem, particularly in the field of oncological surgery. The aim of our study was to interpret clinical and microbiological data relating to a population of oncological patients, undergoing ultrasound-guided drainage for postoperative abdominal abscesses, so as to be able to better plan empiric antibiotic therapy. We therefore retrospectively analysed the data of 24 patients operated on for neoplastic pathologies and treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage for abdominal abscesses during the postoperative period. Microbiological and clinical data showed that abscesses located in the lower abdominal regions almost always present a polymicrobial growth, though abscesses in the upper regions are more frequent. Moreover, the antibiotic assay results prompted us to consider the use of beta-lactamines, quinolones and glycopeptides more favourably, in view of their greater efficacy against the microbes tested. Thus, the planning of empiric antibiotic therapy should be based above all on the anatomical-topographic location of the abdominal abscess and on the type of operation performed, with thorough assessment of the use of the above-mentioned antibiotics.

Small bowel metastases from renal cell carcinoma: a rare cause of intestinal intussusception.

Small bowel metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are very rare. Clinical presentation includes obstruction, bleeding, intussusception and rarely perforation. We report a case of a 48-year-old female presenting a jejunal intussusception due to intestinal metastasis from RCC. To our knowledge, there are only a few such cases reported in the literature (seven cases). However, if considered in the total summary of reported cases with small bowel metastases from RCC, intussusception is a probable cause.

A clinical case of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor with a peculiarity in the surgical approach.

We describe a case of duodenal, third portion, segmental resection for gastrointestinal stromal tumor. A 76-year-old man was referred for gastrointestinal bleeding, dyspnea and asthenia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a duodenal bleeding fistula. Computerized tomography demonstrated a retroperitoneal mass that compressed and displaced forward the third duodenal tract. Segmental resection of the third portion of the duodenum with a subtotal gastrectomy was performed. The patient was reconstructed with a termino-terminal duodenal anastomosis of the second and the fourth tract and with a Roux-en-Y gastrojejunum anastomosis. There were no postoperative complications. This duodenectomy procedure could be useful as a less extensive resection for duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor located in the third portion of the duodenum when the tumor is well capsulated, when the surrounding structures are not infiltrated and when there are no vascular difficulties. The technique reduces the morbidity and mortality correlated with duodenocefalopancreasectomy and improves postsurgical quality of life without worsening the risk of recurrence.

Giant appendiceal mucocele: report of a case and brief review.

Mucocele of the appendix is a rare lesion, characterized by distension of the lumen due to accumulation of mucoid substance. This disease is often asymptomatic and pre-operative diagnosis is rare. If untreated, one type of mucocele may rupture producing a potentially fatal entity known as pseudomyxoma peritonei. The type of surgical treatment is related to the dimensions and to histology of the mucocele. Appendectomy is used for simple mucocele or for cystadenoma. Right hemi-colectomy is recommended for cystadenocarcinoma. In this paper, we report a case of a 51-year-old woman with a mobile, painless mass in the right lower quadrant of abdomen caused by a giant appendiceal mucocele. Imaging showed a large, tubular, cystic structure extending below from the inferior wall of the cecum. Surgery revealed a giant retro-cecal appendix measuring 17 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter. The final pathologic diagnosis was mucocele caused by mucinous cystadenoma.