[Hybrid prosthesis for vascular reconstruction of the internal carotid artery near the skull base after radical excision of a very rare malignant glomus caroticum paraganglioma]. / Hybridprothese als schädelbasisnahes Interponat für die A. carotis interna bei radikaler Entfernung eines äußerst seltenen malignen Glomus-caroticum-Paraganglioms.

BACKGROUND: Neck tumors are challenging regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic management particularly in cases of malignant growth near relevant vessels to achieve R0 resection status and the best prognosis. AIM: The aim of this case report on a patient with a rare malignant tumor of the glomus caroticum (paraganglioma) is to present the successful outcome of a demanding interdisciplinary surgical approach (otorhinolaryngology and vascular surgery). Surgical re-intervention was necessary due to malignant tumor growth (detected in the histopathological investigation of the first specimen) including vascular resection using a hybrid graft for vascular reconstruction of the internal carotid artery near the skull base. CASE REPORT: A 38-year-old male patient underwent magnetic resonance angiography and digital subtraction angiography to clarify the diagnosis of a tumor in the right neck. This was preoperatively embolized and subsequently resected including vascular reconstruction using a prosthetic interposition graft (7 cm; W.L. Gore, Putzbrunn, Germany) between the common and internal carotid arteries. HISTOLOGY: malignant paraganglioma 40 mm in diameter with haemangiosis et lymphangiosis carcinomatosa demonstrating lymph node metastasis and prompting re-operation (neck dissection levels II, III, IV, V). This was followed by a novel vascular reconstruction using a GORE® hybrid vascular graft prosthetic stent (W.L. Gore) as interposition graft because of the short extracranial stump of the distal internal carotid artery near the skull base and to limit clamping time. Early postoperative outcome revealed no complications and after 24 months there were no signs or symptoms of recurrent tumor growth. CONCLUSION: Extended resections, if necessary including vascular (arterial) segments, aim at achieving R0 classification as shown in this extremely rare and usually challenging malignant tumor. Hybrid vascular prostheses are suitable for time-saving vascular reconstruction (>50%) to provide sufficient blood supply.

[Differential Vascular Medical Management of Visceral Artery Aneurysms in a Single-Centre Consecutive Patient Cohort as Part of an Ongoing Disease-Specific Systematic Clinical Prospective Observational Study]. / Differenzielles gefäßmedizinisches Management des Viszeralarterienaneurysmas anhand einer unizentrischen konsekutiven Patientenkohorte im Rahmen einer laufenden krankheitsspezifischen, klinisch-systematischen, prospektiven Observationsstudie.

AIM, PATIENTS AND METHODS: By means of a systematic single-centre prospective observational study, spectrum (symptomatology, frequency) and diagnostics of the different visceral artery aneurysm sites as well as the postinterventional course of the various therapeutic options used according to local finding and patient's clinical status as well as risk factors were analysed to contrast the different procedures (conservative, image-guided radiological intervention, open vascular surgery) in consideration of their decision-making criteria and their early postinterventional outcome (on the basis of complication rate, peri-interventional morbidity and hospital lethality) including relevant references from the literature. RESULTS: During a time period of 14 years, 22 patients (sex ratio: 12 males/10 females; mean age: 54.3 [range: 22-76] years) were registered. Most frequently, visceral artery aneurysms occurred in the splenic artery (50 %). The gastroduodenal artery, the hepatic artery and the right renal artery were affected in each with 13.6 % (n = 3/22), the superior mesenteric artery in 9.1 % (n = 2/22). The majority of patients (54.5 %) were treated with image-guided radiological intervention, whereas in 31.8 %, the patient underwent open vascular surgery and 13.6 % of cases were managed with "watchful waiting". While morbidity was 21.1 % (n = 4/19), overall lethality was 9.1 % (n = 2/22). CONCLUSION: Decision-making for a specific therapeutic approach should be made (i) after adequate diagnostic measures (transabdominal ultrasound, MR angiography, duplex ultrasonography, CT-A/DSA if required), (ii) on an individual case-adapted base, (iii) in a vascular surgical centre, (iv) case-associated to the specific local finding (in particular, according to size/specific probability of rupture [cave: gravidity]) and (v) according to the individual risk profile using the whole spectrum of therapeutic options (conservative vs. interventional; image-guided radiological intervention [endovascular repair such as embolisation, stent or stent graft] vs. open vascular surgery [according to a step-up approach]; open vascular ligation vs. reconstruction after exclusion of the aneurysm) including sufficient quality assurance of the treatment results as well as control investigations (duplex ultrasonography; MR-A if required) in a specialised vascular surgical out-patient centre within appropriate time intervals.

International quality assurance project in colorectal cancer-unifying diagnostic and histopathological evaluation.

PURPOSE: Several European countries are undertaking quality control projects in colorectal cancer. These efforts have led to improvements in survival, but a comparison between different projects reveals questionable results. The aim of this study is the presentation of results from hospitals in three different European countries participating in the International Quality Assurance in Colorectal Cancer (IQACC) project. METHODS: For this publication, patients with cancer of the colon or rectum treated in 2009 and 2010 and recorded in the IQACC (Germany, Poland and Italy) were analysed. The comparison included number of patients, age, preoperative diagnostics (CT of the abdomen and thorax, MRI, colonoscopy, ultrasound, tumour markers), surgical approach, metastasis, height of rectal cancer and histopathological examination of a specimen (T stage, N stage and MERCURY classification for rectum resection). For short-term outcomes, general complications, wound dehiscence, tumour-free status at discharge, anastomotic leakage and in-hospital mortality were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 12,691 patients (6,756 with colon cancer, 5,935 with rectal cancer) were included in the analysis. Preoperative diagnostics differed significantly between countries. For pT and pN stages, several quality differences could be demonstrated, including missing stages (colon cancer: pT 5.7-12.5 %, pN 2.5-11.0 %; rectal cancer: pT 1.1-5.6 %, pN 1.1-15.5 %). The most relevant differences for short-term outcomes in colon cancer were found in general complications (4.2-22.8 %) and tumour-free status at discharge (74.5-91.7 %). In-hospital deaths ranged between 2.5 and 4.3 % and did not show significant differences. For rectal cancer, the country with the highest percentage of tumours localised less than 4 cm from the anal verge (16.0 %) showed the lowest frequency of amputation (8.5 %). Outcome differences were found for general complications (3.2-18.8 %), anastomotic leakage (0-4.3 %) and tumour-free status at discharge (72.9-87.6 %). In-hospital deaths ranged between 1.1 and 3.2 %. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility of an international quality assurance project in colorectal cancer. This concept ensures data analysis based on a comparable data input. Differences in preoperative diagnostics, completeness of histopathological evaluation and short-term outcomes for Germany, Poland and Italy might result from disparities in socioeconomic factors and implementation of existing guidelines. Further activities are necessary to warrant the use of common standards in outcome control.

[Increasingly individualised therapeutic options in the rare isolated aneurysm of the iliac artery--vascular surgical versus image-guided endovascular intervention]. / Zunehmend individualisierte Versorgungsmöglichkeiten des seltenen isolierten Iliakalarterienaneurysmas--gefäßchirurgisch-operativ oder endovaskulär radiologisch-interventionell.

BACKGROUND: Isolated aneurysms of the iliac artery are rare but in case of rupture potentially life-threatening. AIM, PATIENTS AND METHODS: The aim of this systematic, clinical, prospective observational study was to retrospectively evaluate prospectively collected perioperative data obtained in consecutive patients with an isolated iliac artery aneurysm with regard to the diagnostic and therapeutic management including the outcome characterised by periinterventional morbidity, lethality, and overall survival over an intermediate time course of the follow-up. RESULTS: From 01/01/2002 to 03/31/2013, overall 35 patients with an isolated iliac artery aneurysm were diagnosed (females, n = 3 [8.6 %]; mean age, 70 [46-83] years). The mean hospital stay was 13 days. There were 24 aneurysms at the common iliac artery (AIC; 69 %), 8 at the internal iliac artery (AII; 23 %) and 3 at the external iliac artery (AIE; 9 %). Three patients (9 %) with an aneurysmatic rupture were admitted. The therapeutic options comprised: 12 patients underwent open resection and subsequent implantation of a prosthesis (34 %), 17 individuals were treated with an endovascular repair (49 %); 5 cases were managed with a "wait and see" policy (14 %). There was no lethality among the elective interventions whereas the lethality of emergency cases was 33 % (n = 1). Subdividing the patients treated with open surgery versus endovascular repair indicates significant differences of the preoperative characteristics, e.g., of the proportions of AIC in the distribution of aneurysmatic sites (75 % vs. 59 %; p = 0.007) reflecting the differential indication. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated iliac artery aneurysms can be approached with open surgery or with an endovascular repair depending on elective or emergency circumstances. In addition, clinical status of the patient and personal experience need to be taken into account. Depending on aneurysmatic site, extension, combination with accompanying findings and implantation sites at the proximal and distal sites of the aneurysm, the less invasive and less traumatic image-guided radiological approach can provide acceptable therapeutic success with regard to the sufficient exclusion of the aneurysm and can be increasingly used according to the individual patient and his/her findings.

The stem cell-associated Hiwi gene in human adenocarcinoma of the pancreas: expression and risk of tumour-related death.

Piwi proteins and their interaction with piRNAs have rapidly emerged as important contributors to gene regulation, indicating their crucial function in germline and stem cell development. However, data on the Hiwi 1 (Hiwi) gene, one of the four human Piwi homologues, are still scarce. Therefore, we investigated the Hiwi mRNA expression in microdissected PDAC tissues from patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) by quantitative real-time PCR and the protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Elevated levels of Hiwi mRNA transcripts were measured in 40 out of 56 tissues and a positive immunostaining of Hiwi was detected in tumours of 21 out of 78 patients. There was no general impact of elevated Hiwi mRNA transcript levels or protein expression on survival, as tested by multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. However, men showed a significantly increased risk for tumour-related death in case of down- or upregulated expression of Hiwi mRNA (relative risk (RR)=2.78; P=0.034). In summary, we report the first analysis of Hiwi expression in PDAC and its impact on prognosis. We suggest that alterations in mRNA expression of Hiwi can increase the risk of tumour-related death in male PDAC patients.

Histopathological outcome of 597 isolated soft tissue tumors suspected of soft tissue sarcoma: a single-center 12-year experience.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this present report was to analyze the patients referred to us with the presumptive diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma (STS). METHODS: We reviewed all patients referred to us with suspected soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremities or trunk over a 12-year period. RESULTS: We treated 597 patients with soft tissue tumors. Open biopsy revealed soft tissue sarcoma in 318 cases, benign mesenchymal tumor in 124 cases and isolated metastases (ISTM) from carcinomas in 98 patients; other pathologies were found in 57 patients. The primary carcinomas were lung cancer in 26 patients, breast cancer in 19 patients, renal carcinoma in 16 patients, carcinoma of the esophagus in 12 patients, colonic carcinoma in 5 patients, thyroid gland cancer in 6 patients, and in 14 patients carcinoma of unknown primary was diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: In our collective with soft tissue tumor, 50% of the patients had the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma, 20% presented with a metastasis of carcinoma and 20% had a benign tumor. Referring to our results, in patients with the presumptive diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas, soft tissue metastasis of a primary carcinoma was unexpectedly common, indicating that greater consideration should be given to this differential diagnosis.

[A giant malignant tumour of the skull-Case report and differential diagnosis]. / Ein gigantischer maligner Tumor der Kalotte - Fallbericht und Differentialdiagnose.

The case of a 72-year-old woman with a high-partially located tumor grown within a half year to a magnitude of 8.5 x 11 x 11 cm is reported. The patient remembered a mastectomy and axillary lymphadenectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation 8 years ago. Therefore we assumed a skeletal metastasis of a breast cancer. After wide excision, an unusual morphology was found, allowing only a classification as a pleomorphic sarcoma. Searching for the pathohistological evaluation of the former breast tumor, a cystosarcoma phylloides malignum could be found out. The tumor described here can be identified as a metastasis of this rare neoplasm.

[Nonpalpable carcinoma of the breast - diagnosed by vacuum core breast biopsy and surgical management]. / Nonpalpable Mammakarzinome - Vakuumstanzbioptische Sicherung und chirurgisches Management -

The wire-localized extirpation is the "gold standard" for the examination of nonpalpable lesions suspicious of malignancy. Less invasive techniques were introduced in the last years, offering also a high diagnostic reliability, e. g. stereotactic core needle biopsy, the "advanced breast biopsy" and the vacuum core biopsy. Based on an analysis of 40 vacuum core breast biopsies and the following interventions in the case of carcinoma recommendations for the management of the nonpalpable breast carcinoma diagnosed by vacuum core biopsy should be developed. In 12 patients (33 %) carcinomas were found necessitating further operations. These were 92 % pTis or pT1pN0M0-carcinomas and only in one case an occult pT2pN1M0-carcinoma. We recommend a short interval between core biopsy and operation, a preoperative localization of the clips e. g. the residual microcalcification, and the controlled placement of the hooked wire that should also be performed at the Mammotome(R) using the same way to the tumor. Furthermore it is necessary to excise the core biopsy localization channel en bloc together with a wide tumour excision. An intraoperative histological examination of the specimen should be performed to confirm tumour-free excision borders. For this, the position of specimen should be marked by a thread and a specimen radiography should be made for the orientation of the pathologist and for documentation. A long-term follow-up of these patients under study conditions should be considered. Patients with benign diagnosis, not undergoing general anesthesia and operation with the consequences for later radiological evaluation, mostly profit from vacuum core breast biopsy. For patients with carcinoma the costs of the perioperative management increase. This should have consequences for the quality assurance of this method.