Living Donor Liver Transplantation as a Backup Procedure: Treatment Strategy for Hepatocellular Adenomas Requiring Complex Resections.

METHODS: We present a series of three patients with large hepatocellular adenoma lesions showing a central location, for which the living donor liver transplantation strategy was used as a backup procedure. RESULTS: Hepatocellular adenoma was confirmed by biopsy in all patients. Surgical resection was indicated because of the patients' symptoms and lesion size and growth. All patients had a lesion that was central or in close contact with major vessels. The final decision to proceed with the resection was made intraoperatively. A live donor was prepared for all three patients. Two patients underwent portal vein embolization associated with extended hepatectomy, and a total hepatectomy plus liver transplantation with a living donor was performed in one patient. All patients had good postoperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of hepatocellular adenomas for which complex resections are necessary and resectability can only be confirmed intraoperatively, surgical safety can be improved through the use of a living donor backup. Center expertise with living donor liver transplantation is paramount for the success of this approach.

HCC prevalence and histopathological findings in liver explants of patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1.

BACKGROUND: Untreated tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1) is manifested by liver failure associated with renal tubular dysfunction, growth failure, and rickets. The indication for liver transplantation (LT) is restricted to non-responders to 2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1, 3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC) treatment, patients not treated with NTBC or for patients with HCC. The aim of this study is to report on a series of NTBC naive HT1 patients submitted to LT along with the prevalence of HCC in their liver explants. PROCEDURE: This is a retrospective study of 16 children with HT1 who underwent liver transplantation between January 1993 and December 2012. CLINICAL FEATURES: liver failure in 12 (75%), growth failure in 4 (25%), rickets in 5 (31.2%), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in three (18.7%), and renal tubulopathy in seven patients (43.7%). Median AFP level was 64,335 ng/ml. Abdominal CT scans showed multiple nodules in most patients. Histopathology of the explants showed cirrhosis in all patients and HCC in 12 (75%), 3 with microvascular invasion. The majority of the tumors were well differentiated. Patient survival rate was 86% at a median follow-up of 6.6 years. All survivors were tumor-free with no adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: In countries where neonatal screening programs are not effective and NTBC treatment is not widely available, LT still plays an important role in the treatment of children with HT1. An early indication in patients who present with multinodular livers can also serve to treat an otherwise underdiagnosed HCC condition.

Diagnosis and management of biliary complications in pediatric living donor liver transplant recipients.

The incidence of biliary complications (BCs) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) can reach 40%. Published data on the pediatric population are limited, and treatment protocols vary. Our aim was to describe the clinical scenario for BCs and treatment approaches after LDLT. Between October 1995 and December 2012, 489 pediatric LDLT procedures were performed. BCs developed in 71 patients (14.5%). Biliary strictures (BSs) developed in 45 (9.2%) patients, and bile leaks (BLs) developed in 33 patients (6.7%). The BL diagnosis was clinical in all cases, and 69.7% of the patients underwent surgery. Nearly half of the BS cases had clinical features or suggestive ultrasound findings. Liver biopsy findings suggested BSs in 51.7%. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography was performed in 95.6% of the BS patients. The success rate was 77% [mean number of percutaneous biliary interventions (PBIs) = 3.9 ± 1.98, median drainage time = 8 months]. In conclusion, BL patients can be managed with conservative therapy, even though most of these patients will ultimately be treated with surgery. Diagnosing a BS requires a high degree of clinical suspicion because the available resources for its identification can fail in up to 50% of cases. A higher number of PBIs and the use of a drainage catheter for a longer time may be required to achieve better results with this technique.

Pectin methylesterase activity and ascorbic acid content from guava fruit, cv. Predilecta, in different phases of development.

The guava pectin methylesterase (PME) specific activity and vitamin C were assayed in samples from different phases of guava fruit development. The PME enzyme from guava was extracted with borate-acetate buffer, 50 mol/l, pH 8.0, in the presence of NaCl 0.3 mol/l. The results showed PME optimum activity at pH 9 and 95 degrees C, and it is a thermostable enzyme. Guava PME retained 96.8% of activity after 300 min in 90 degrees C. Electrophoresis showed that guava PME contained two isoforms, one with 57 kDa molecular mass. The analyses of the different phases of guava maturation showed that ascorbic acid decreases during the maturation process, but PME activity increases with maturation.

The influence of bladder neck mucosal eversion and early urinary extravasation on patient outcome after radical retropubic prostatectomy: a prospective controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of bladder neck (BN) mucosal eversion during retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) on the rate of BN sclerosis and urinary incontinence, with the hypothesis that BN mucosal eversion is not essential to improve the clinical outcome after RRP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred patients with stage T1c-T2c prostate cancer had RRP by the same surgeon and were randomly divided in two equal groups; one had a vesico-urethral anastomosis with and one with no BN mucosal eversion. The patients were assessed by retrograde cysto-urethrography 4 days after surgery to evaluate the presence of urinary leakage. The occurrence of BN sclerosis and the rate of urinary incontinence (more than one pad/day) was assessed by double-blind interviews at 2 days, 2 months and 6 months after catheter removal, and the incidence of BN sclerosis was also assessed after 12 months. RESULTS: In the groups with or with no BN mucosal eversion, 48 and 47 patients, respectively, fulfilled the selection criteria. Urinary leakage after vesico-urethral anastomosis was more common after mucosal eversion (33% vs 21%), but not significantly (P = 0.251). BN sclerosis occurred in only one patient, with no mucosal eversion. The rate of urinary continence was similar in both groups at 2 days (69% vs 68%, respectively), 2 months (90% vs 87%) and 6 months (92% vs 92%) after surgery. Urinary extravasation at 4 days after surgery was followed by same rate of BN sclerosis and urinary continence as in patients with no urinary extravasation. CONCLUSION: BN mucosal eversion before vesico-urethral anastomosis during RRP is not essential to reduce the frequency of BN sclerosis or urinary incontinence. Early radiological urinary extravasation at the vesico-urethral anastomosis did not increase the risk of BN sclerosis or urinary incontinence.

[Incidental and symptomatic kidney cancer: pathological features and survival]. / Carcinoma de células renais incidentais e sintomáticos: fatores patológicos e sobrevida.

BACKGROUND: Patients with early diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (CCR) have higher chance of cure following surgical treatment. This study was set to compare the pathological characteristics between the surgical specimens and the survival of the patients with incidental and symptomatic CCR. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen patients with sporadic CCR were studied retrospectively following nephrectomy and divided into two groups. Group 1; 59 patients with incidental diagnosis and Group 2; 56 symptomatic patients. The mean age of the patients was 59 years, with 86 men and 29 women. Radical nephrectomy was performed in 96 patients and the conservative surgery was performed in the remaining 19. Comparison parameters included pathological outcome, specifically nuclear grade, pathological stage, size of the tumor and presence of microvascular invasion intratumoral and patients survival. RESULTS: Comparison between the two groups confirmed that the incidental tumors have smaller nuclear grade (p=0.003), smaller size (p=0.001), smaller incidence of microvascular invasion (p<0.001) and lower stage (p<0.001). Disease specific survival and recurrence free survival of the incidental group were statistically higher than the symptomatic group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Incidentally discovered CCR have more favorable pathological characteristics, the patients have disease free survival when compared to symptomatic CCR.

Value of various PSA parameters for diagnosing prostate cancer in men with normal digital rectal examination

OBJECTIVES: The risks of identifying prostate cancer (PCa) in patients with serum total PSA (tPSA) between 4 and 10 ng/dl are between 25 and 35 percent. There are no data in Brazil showing the incidence of disease when all variables for PSA assessment are considered altogether, specifically tPSA, free fraction, PSA velocity and PSA stratified by age. The objective in this work was to define the incidence of disease in a population of men with abnormal values of PSA variables and normal digital rectal examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1998 and 2003, 273 prostate biopsies were performed by the same radiologist and analyzed by the same pathologist. All patients had a normal digital rectal examination and biopsy had been indicated due to tPSA above 4 ng/dl or free-to-total PSA ratio (F/T PSA) below 15 percent or PSA velocity higher than 25 percent per year or a PSA level regarded as high for the age range. The relationship between these parameters and the positivity for prostate caner was determined. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 63.8 years, and PCa was identified in 135 cases (49.5 percent). The incidence of PCa, related to unitary variations in tPSA, ranged from the limits of 33 to 80 percent, respectively, in tPSA < 3 and PSA between 15.1 to 20. When the other PSA parameters were assessed (free PSA, PSA according to age, rise velocity) PCa was detected in more than 25.3 percent of cases. CONCLUSION: When patients with normal digital rectal examination are selected for prostate biopsy due to tPSA levels above 4 or F/T PSA ratio lower than 15 percent or PSA velocity higher than 25 percent per year or high PSA for the age range, the incidence of PCa is quite higher than that observed in a population selected exclusively with basis on total PSA value.

Predictive value of PSA velocity over early clinical and pathological parameters in patients with localized prostate cancer who undergo radical retropubic prostatectomy

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the behavior of the prostate specific antigen velocity (PSAV) in localized prostate adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 500 men who had localized prostate adenocarcinoma, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between January 1986 and December 1999. The PSAV was calculated for each patient and subsequently, the values were correlated with 5 groups: age, initial PSA value, clinical stage, tumor volume and Gleason score. RESULTS: The behavior of PSAV presented statistic significance with an increment between 1.3 ng/mL and 9.6 ng/mL, ranging from 38.6 percent and 59.8 percent when compared with the initial PSA value (p < 0.0001), clinical stage (p = 0.0002), tumor volume (p < 0.0001) and Gleason score (p = 0.0009). CONCLUSION: PSAV up to 2.5 ng/mL/year is associated with factors of good prognosis, such as initial PSA below 10 mg/mL, clinical stage T1, tumor volume below 20 percent and Gleason score lower than 7.

Value of various PSA parameters for diagnosing prostate cancer in men with normal digital rectal examination.

OBJECTIVES: The risks of identifying prostate cancer (PCa) in patients with serum total PSA (tPSA) between 4 and 10 ng/dl are between 25 and 35%. There are no data in Brazil showing the incidence of disease when all variables for PSA assessment are considered altogether, specifically tPSA, free fraction, PSA velocity and PSA stratified by age. The objective in this work was to define the incidence of disease in a population of men with abnormal values of PSA variables and normal digital rectal examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1998 and 2003, 273 prostate biopsies were performed by the same radiologist and analyzed by the same pathologist. All patients had a normal digital rectal examination and biopsy had been indicated due to tPSA above 4 ng/dl or free-to-total PSA ratio (F/T PSA) below 15% or PSA velocity higher than 25% per year or a PSA level regarded as high for the age range. The relationship between these parameters and the positivity for prostate caner was determined. RESULTS: Patients' mean age was 63.8 years, and PCa was identified in 135 cases (49.5%). The incidence of PCa, related to unitary variations in tPSA, ranged from the limits of 33 to 80%, respectively, in tPSA < 3 and PSA between 15.1 to 20. When the other PSA parameters were assessed (free PSA, PSA according to age, rise velocity) PCa was detected in more than 25.3% of cases. CONCLUSION: When patients with normal digital rectal examination are selected for prostate biopsy due to tPSA levels above 4 or F/T PSA ratio lower than 15% or PSA velocity higher than 25% per year or high PSA for the age range, the incidence of PCa is quite higher than that observed in a population selected exclusively with basis on total PSA value.

Predictive value of PSA velocity over early clinical and pathological parameters in patients with localized prostate cancer who undergo radical retropubic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the behavior of the prostate specific antigen velocity (PSAV) in localized prostate adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 500 men who had localized prostate adenocarcinoma, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between January 1986 and December 1999. The PSAV was calculated for each patient and subsequently, the values were correlated with 5 groups: age, initial PSA value, clinical stage, tumor volume and Gleason score. RESULTS: The behavior of PSAV presented statistic significance with an increment between 1.3 ng/mL and 9.6 ng/mL, ranging from 38.6% and 59.8% when compared with the initial PSA value (p < 0.0001), clinical stage (p = 0.0002), tumor volume (p < 0.0001) and Gleason score (p = 0.0009). CONCLUSION: PSAV up to 2.5 ng/mL/year is associated with factors of good prognosis, such as initial PSA below 10 mg/mL, clinical stage T1, tumor volume below 20% and Gleason score lower than 7.

Carcinoma de células renais incidentais e sintomáticos: fatores patológicos e sobrevida / Incidental and symptomatic kidney cancer: pathological features and survival

OBJETIVOS: Pacientes com carcinoma de células renais (CCR) quando diagnosticados precocemente têm maior possibilidade de cura com o tratamento cirúrgico. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar as características anatomopatológicas dos espécimes cirúrgicos que justificam a diferença da história natural dos pacientes com CCR incidental e sintomático. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados retrospectivamente 115 pacientes submetidos a nefrectomia por CCR esporádico, divididos em Grupo 1: 59 pacientes assintomáticos com diagnóstico incidental e Grupo 2: 56 pacientes sintomáticos. A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 59 anos, com 86 homens e 29 mulheres. Cirurgia radical foi realizada em 96 pacientes e cirurgia conservadora em 19 casos. Foram analisadas as características anatomopatológicas, incluindo grau nuclear, estadio patológico, tamanho do tumor e presença de invasão microvascular intratumoral, sendo estes parâmetros comparados com a sobrevida dos pacientes. RESULTADOS: Ao compararmos os dois grupos, confirmou-se que os tumores incidentais têm menor grau nuclear (p=0,003), menor tamanho (p=0,001), menor incidência de invasão microvascular (p<0,001) e mais baixo estadio (p<0,001). A probabilidade de sobrevida do grupo incidental foi significativamente maior quando comparada ao grupo sintomático (p<0,001). CONCLUSAO: Os CCR descobertos incidentalmente têm características anatomopatológicas mais favoráveis e estes pacientes têm maiores chances de sobrevida livre de doença quando comparados com os CCR sintomáticos.

[Must the TNM staging of the renal cell carcinoma be modified again?]. / O estadiamento TNM do carcinoma de células renais deve ser modificado novamente ?

OBJECTIVE: The behavior of the renal cells carcinoma stage PT1 is not completely clarified. We studied the presence of factors after prognostics and tumoral size in the recurrence of survival of the sporadic kidney carcinoma after surgical treatment. METHODS: 120 patients followed after nephrectomy had been revised retrospectively 93 PT1, 9 PT2, 11 PT3, 7 PT4, It was analyzed survival and recurrence of the disease inside of three groups of tumors: Group 1: < 4cm, group 2: 4-7cm and group 3: > 7cm, and the prognostics factors above-mentioned evaluated were nuclear degree, microvascular invasion, presence of committed ganglia and sarcomatous degeneration. RESULTS: The frequency of adverse prognostics factors increase as the tumor size increase. In the group 1, we had only four tumors of high degree and only one shown microvascular invasion that does not committed ganglia or sarcomatous degeneration. In group 2 there was 16 tumors of high degree, 4 sarcomatoses, two with positive microvascular invasion and two with positive ganglia. In group 3, was found 18 tumors of high degree, 15 with microvascular invasion and 7 with positive ganglia and 5 sarcomatoses. There was statistical significance in the specific cancer survival (p=0.002) and free of illness (p=0.0002) between the three groups. CONCLUSION: The evolution of tumors PT1 is distinct for lesser tumors of 4 cm and 4-7 cm fitting the subdivision of these two groups in T1a and T1b.

O estadiamento TNM do carcinoma de células renais deve ser modificado novamente ? / Must the TNM staging of the renal cell carcinoma be modified again?

OBJETIVOS: O comportamento do carcinoma de células renais estádio PT1 näo está completamente esclarecido. Nós estudamos a presença de fatores prognósticos e tamanho tumoral na recorrência e sobrevida do carcinoma de rim esporádico após tratamento cirúrgico. MÉTODOS: Foram revisados retrospectivamente 120 pacientes, 93 PT1, nove PT2, 11 PT3, sete PT4, seguidos após nefrectomia. Foram analisadas sobrevida e recorrência da doença dentro de três grupos de tumores: grupo 1: < 4cm, grupo 2: 4-7 cm e grupo 3: >7 cm e os fatores prognósticos preditivos avaliados foram grau nuclear, invasäo microvascular, presença de gânglios comprometidos e degeneraçäo sarcomatosa RESULTADOS: A freqüência de fatores prognósticos adversos aumenta à medida que aumenta o tamanho do tumor. No grupo 1 tivemos apenas quatro tumores de alto grau e somente um apresentou invasäo microvascular näo havendo gânglios comprometidos ou degeneraçäo sarcomatosa. No grupo 2 havia 16 tumores de alto grau, quatro sarcomatosos, dois com invasäo microvascular positiva e dois com gânglios positivos. No grupo 3, encontraram-se 18 tumores de alto grau, 15 com invasäo microvascular e sete com gânglios positivos e cinco sarcomatosos. Houve significância estatística na sobrevida câncer específica (p=0,002) e livre de doença (p=0,0002) entre os três grupos. CONCLUSÄO: A evoluçäo dos tumores PT1 é distinta para tumores menores de 4 cm e de 4-7 cm cabendo a subdivisäo destes dois grupos em T1a e T1b