Retroperitoneal Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A "Patternless" Tumor.

INTRODUCTION: Solitary fibrous tumor is a rare type of mesenchymal, spindle-cell tumor reported mostly in the pleura. Retroperitoneal occurrence is rare and histopathological diagnosis is challenging. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old woman with nonspecific abdominal pain was found to have a retroperitoneal/pelvic mass adjacent to the upper rectum. The patient underwent surgical resection in clear margins of this pelvic tumor, entering the total mesenteric excision surgical plane. Final histopathology revealed a solitary fibrous tumor and the case is presented herein. DISCUSSION: Solitary fibrous tumor in the retroperitoneum is rarely found in the literature and to the best of our knowledge less than a hundred cases are described so far. Histopathological diagnosis is mostly based on a "patternless pattern" on microscopic examination, which is a storiform arrangement of spindle cells combined with a "hemangiopericytoma-like appearance" and increased vascularity of the lesion. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment and recurrence rates are generally low.

Collision tumor of the appendix: mucinous cystadenoma and carcinoid. A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Mucinous cystadenoma is the most common of benign neoplasms of the appendix and carcinoid is the most common type of primary malignant lesions of the appendix.We report a rare case of a 57-year-old female with combined mucinous cystadenoma and carcinoid tumor of the appendix.Dual carcinoid and epithelial neoplasia is a rare occurrence in the appendix. CASE REPORT: A 57-year-old Caucasian woman presented after incidentally palpating a mass on her right iliac fossa. Imaging modalities revealed a cystic tumor in the right iliac fossa with a diameter of about 8 cm, originating either from the right ovary or the appendix. She underwent laparoscopic surgical exploration, which revealed appendiceal mucocele and appendicectomy was finally performed as well as excision of a right ovarian cyst. Pathological examination showed acollision tumor consisting of mucinous cystadenoma and carcinoid tumor of the appendix. Because of the size and extension of the carcinoid tumor, which the pathology report revealed, she underwent re-exploration and laparoscopic right colectomy. DISCUSSION: Mucinous cystadenoma is rare, but it is the commonest of benign appendiceal tumours accounting for 0.6% of appendectomy specimens. It can present as appendicitis,mucocele or if the tumour ruptures, as pseudomyxomaperitonei. On the other hand, carcinoid is the most common type of primary malignant lesion of the appendix and 0.3-0.9%of appendectomy specimens, with small predominance in female patients. Rare cases of mucinous cystadenomas of the appendix coexisting with carcinoid tumors were reported before, but in our case it was a collision tumor with no transitional zone between them. Also, the clinical presentation of our patient and the differential diagnosis of ovarian lesions from appendiceal tumors is worth being mentioned.

Clinicopathological features and management of hepatic vascular tumors. A 20-year experience in a Greek University Hospital.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the clinical features, diagnostic modalities, treatment options and pathological characteristics of various types of hepatic vascular tumors treated in our Institution over the last 20 years. METHODS: From 1991 to 2011, 761 cases of various hepatic lesions, benign and malignant, were surgically treated in our hospital. Among these, 56 (7.35%) hepatectomy specimens referred to vascular tumors. The records of these patients were retrieved and demographics , tumor characteristics, treatment, and actuarial survival were analyzed. The various therapeutic procedures, postoperative complications, follow-up data and the pre-and postoperative diagnostic difficulties were registered and analyzed. RESULTS: Pathological examination showed: hepatic hemangiomas in 35 (62.5%) patients (80% females), hepatic angiosarcomas in 7 patients (12.5%; males 71.4%), hepatic epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas in 9 (16%; females 50%) and hepatic angiomyolipomas in 5 patients (9%; females 60%). CONCLUSIONS: Vascular tumors of the liver comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, benign, malignant and of intermediate degree of malignant behavior. These lesions can create great diagnostic difficulties, pre- and postoperative considerations, but the correct pathological diagnosis and classification of vascular hepatic tumors are most of the times mandatory in order to choose the proper therapeutic actions.

Management of retroperitoneal sarcomas: main prognostic factors for local recurrence and survival.

PURPOSE: Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPs) are characterized by slow indolent growth and metastasize at a late point in their natural course. The purpose of this study was to review our experience in the management of RSs and identify prognostic factors for local control and survival. METHODS: Between January 1990 and December 2010, the hospital records of 75 patients with RSs were retrospectively studied. Sixty-four (85.3%) patients had undergone surgical resection in our hospital for primary RS, whereas 11 (14.7%) were referred to our department for recurrent disease. RESULTS: The patient median age was 57 years. Median tumor size was 18.5 cm. The most common histologic type was liposarcoma (44%) followed by leiomyosarcoma (17%), paraganglioma (10%), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (6.5%) and rare tumors such as 2 chondrosarcomas and 1 pecoma. Complete initial resection with negative macroscopic margins (R0) was achieved in 39 (60.9%) patients. En bloc resection of adjacent organs was required in 8 (12.5%) patients with primary RS and in 8 (72.9%) with recurrent disease. Mortality rate was 4%. For the group of patients initially treated in our hospital, 1-year recurrence rate was 34.3%. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 56.2% and 53.1%, respectively. Satellite tumors were recognised in 13 (20.3%) patients treated for primary RS, from whom 11 (84%) recurred within one year. Seven patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Radical surgical resection is the treatment of choice for patients with primary and locally recurrent RSs.

Arteriovenous malformation: An unusual cause of rectus sheath hematoma, following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) is an accumulation of blood in the rectus abdominis muscle sheath, secondary to several conditions which may cause the epigastric vessel rupture or muscular tear, but mostly affecting patients undergoing anticoagulation therapy.We present a rare case of a 67-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and developed RSH on the 12th postoperative day. The patient was under anticoagulation therapy with acenocoumarole due to mitral valve replacement. The bleeding source was an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture as indicated by the angiogram images and it was embolized succefully. The patient was discharged seven days later.

Results of salvage abdominoperineal resection after failed chemoradiation therapy for epidermoid anal canal carcinoma: Retrospective analysis at a single institution.

PURPOSE: The standard therapeutic approach to epidermoid anal canal cancer consists of combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Although disease control has been reported to have excellent results, as many as 40% of patients will develop locoregional disease progression. The treatment of choice for patients with persistent (PD) or recurrent disease (RD) is salvage abdominoperineal resection (APR). The purpose of this study was to review our experience with salvage surgery in this group of patients. METHODS: The medical records of all patients with epidermoid anal canal cancer treated from 1997 to 2010 in our department were retrospectively reviewed. Nine patients who presented with persistent or locally recurrent anal canal cancer were subjected to salvage APR. Before surgery, all of the patients had received chemoradiation therapy (CRT). RESULTS: There were 9 patients (7 women, 2 men) with a median age of 59 years (range 40-79). Six patients underwent radical salvage APR for persistent disease and 3 patients for recurrent disease. There were no deaths attributable to operation. The median follow-up time was 31.75 months (range 3-108) after salvage surgery. Two patients died of disease progression, with a median survival time of 24 months (range 12-36). At the time of last follow-up, 6 patients were alive without evidence of recurrent disease, and one patient was lost to follow-up. The median follow-up time for survivors was 34.3 months (range 3-108). CONCLUSION: Long-term survival can be achieved in the majority of patients who undergo radical salvage APR after failed CRT for epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal.

Extraovarian peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma mimicking colonic obstruction.

Involvement of the colon by extraovarian peritoneal serous papillary carcinoma (EPSPC) is considered as rare. During a 10-year period the records of five female patients with a mean age of 73.4 years who were admitted for colonic obstruction due to EPSPC were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative data were studied. All patients presented with symptoms of colonic obstruction and high concentrations of CA-125. Involvement of the sigmoid colon was demonstrated preoperatively both in CT and colonoscopy. Operative findings of multiple peritoneal implantations involving the surface of the ovaries in two cases, the greater omentum in three cases and invasion of the sigmoid colon in all cases prompted us to perform sigmoidectomy and omentectomy in all cases with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in four of them. All patients received adjuvant paclitaxel plus platinum-based combination chemotherapy.

Colorectal cancer emergencies during pregnancy case reports.

Colorectal carcinoma emergencies during pregnancy are exceptionally rare. Three women 38, 31 and 36 years old, in the third trimester of gestation received treatment, respectively, for acute abdomen due to perforation of rectal carcinoma, ileus due to a sigmoid tumor, and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) from a cecal tumor compromising the right iliac vein. In the first two patients urgent cesarean sections were carried out with Hartmann's procedure and a loop colostomy was performed to resolve the ensuing intraabdominal sepsis and ileus, respectively. In the third patient, a cesarean section was carried out to treat the underlying DVT more aggressively, while right colectomy was postponed for three weeks. Restoration of the alimentary tract was achieved two months later in the first case, while in the second and third cases total colectomy due to familial polyposis and right colectomy were performed three weeks after the cesarean section. An overview of the clinical features, diagnostic pitfalls and therapeutic approaches to manage complications of colorectal cancer during pregnancy are discussed.

Endometriosis mimicking soft tissue tumors: diagnosis and treatment.

The clinical manifestations, the radiologic appearance and the treatment of four women with extragenital endometriosis of the abdominal wall are presented. In two patients endometriosis was found adherent with the structures of the inguinal canal and in the other two the tumors infiltrated structures of the abdominal wall. Symptoms included cyclical pain and palpable subcutaneous masses fixed to the surrounding tissues. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging failed to differentiate the lesions from other soft tissue tumors. Resection to healthy tissue margins is the treatment of choice, in order to avoid local recurrence.

Stenting or stoma creation for patients with inoperable malignant colonic obstructions? Results of a study and cost-effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and cost of endoscopic palliative treatment with selfexpanding metallic stents with that of stoma creation in the management of inoperable malignant colonic obstructions. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with inoperable malignant partial obstruction (due to metastases, hemodynamic instability, or pulmonary instability) in the left colon arising from colorectal or ovarian cancer were included in the study. Fifteen were randomized to undergo palliative metallic colonic stent placement and 15 to undergo stoma creation. The efficacy and safety of the two methods was compared. A cost-effectiveness analysis was also performed, including the cost of postinterventional care. RESULTS: Stents were placed successfully in 14 of 15 patients. In one patient with obstruction of a tortuous rectosigmoid flexure colon, stenting was not possible; this patient was excluded from the study. During the follow-up period, a moderate, nonocclusive ingrowth of tumor into the stent lumen was observed in six patients; they were all treated with internal laser ablation. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that although the stoma creation procedure was less expensive, the total difference in average costs for the two methods was 6.9% (132 Euros). CONCLUSIONS: Self-expanding metallic stent placement is a palliative alternative to colostomy for patients with inoperable malignant colonic strictures. This treatment option provides a better quality of life for the patient, without the psychological repercussions of a colostomy, and it appears to be cost-effective.

A comparative study of postoperative adhesion formation after laparoscopic vs open cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence in the literature to support a lower incidence of adhesion formation following laparoscopic surgery rather than laparotomy. Adhesion formation after laparotomy has been well studied, but we believe that the decrease or absence of adhesions following laparoscopic surgery is underreported. Therefore, we set out to evaluate adhesion formation following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) compared with open cholecystectomy (OC). METHODS: Group A consisted of 18 patients who underwent a second laparoscopy due to various intraabdominal diseases after an LC had already been performed. Group B consisted of eight patients who underwent laparoscopy due to various intraabdominal diseases after an open cholecystectomy performed at an earlier date. In both groups, the frequency, extent, and thickness of adhesions were evaluated according to a standardized scoring system. RESULTS: Ten patients in group A (55.5%) had no adhesion formation either on the treated side of the previous LC or on the trocar entry sites. Three patients (16.6%) had minimal adhesions on the treated side of the previous LC, but no adhesions were observed at the trocar entry sites. Five patients (27.7%) had loose, easily separable adhesions on the treated site of the previous LC and at the trocar entry sites. All eight patients in group B (100%) had thick and extensive adhesions either on the treated side of the previous open cholecystectomy or the anterior abdominal wall below the surgical incision. CONCLUSION: This comparative clinical study suggests that LC results in less adhesion formation, either on the operative or at the trocar entry sites, than open cholecystectomy.

Pelvic floor reconstruction after major cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Many surgical techniques to keep the small intestine out of the pelvis after cancer surgery have been developed. METHODS: We used part of the ileum and its mesentery sutured around the linea terminalis in ten patients who underwent surgery for rectal or gynecologic carcinomas. RESULTS: All imaging studies of our patients on the tenth postoperative day confirmed the position of the bowel above the pelvis. Four of ten patients had radiation treatment postoperatively without any problems. CONCLUSION: Use of the ileum to reconstruct the pelvic floor seems to be a simple and efficacious technique to keep the pelvic area free. We believe this warrants further investigation in a larger number of patients.