RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Doppler-guided hemorrhoidal laser procedure (HeLP) is a new minimally invasive technique to treat symptomatic hemorrhoids. The aim of this multicenter study was to prospectively assess clinical results and patients' satisfaction in patients treated with HeLP. METHODS: Indications for HeLP included patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids resistant to medical therapy, with low-grade prolapse. Clinical efficacy was evaluated assessing resolution of symptoms and patient satisfaction. Frequency of bleeding and frequency of acute hemorrhoid-related symptoms were given a score of 0 to 4 (where 4 = more than 3 episodes/week) and 0 to 3 (where 3 = more than 5 episodes/year), respectively. Quality of life, pain at rest, and pain with evacuation were scored using a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0 to 10. Intra- and postoperative complications were recorded. Potential predictive factors for failure were assessed. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty-four patients (183 males, 101 females) with a mean age of 47.5 years were included in the study. At 6-month follow-up, symptoms had completely resolved in 257/284 (90.5%) and 275/284 (96.8%) patients were satisfied with the results. An analysis of a subgroup of 144 patients followed up for a minimum of 12 months revealed a resolution of symptoms in 130/144 (90.3%) and satisfaction in 139/144 (96.5%). There was a statistically significant improvement of the bleeding score (from 2.4 ± 1.07 to 0.36 ± 0.49; p < 0.0001), acute symptoms score (from 2.03 ± 0.16 to 0.61 ± 0.59; p < 0.0001), quality of life (from 4.63 ± 1.32 to 8.96 ± 1.35; p < 0.0001), pain at rest (from 3.0 ± 2.05 to 1.1 ± 0.99; p < 0.0006), and pain with evacuation (from 4.8 ± 1.22 to 1.7 ± 1.15; p < 0.0001). No significant changes in continence and constipation were observed. Univariate analysis failed to show factors significantly associated with failure. CONCLUSIONS: The HeLP procedure seems to be safe and effective in patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids. It is simple, minimally invasive, and relatively pain free. It can be performed in an ambulatory setting without anesthesia, and it achieves high patient satisfaction. It may, therefore, be considered a "first-line treatment" in all patients without significant hemorrhoidal prolapse in whom medical therapy has failed.
Asunto(s)
Hemorreoidectomía/métodos , Hemorroides/cirugía , Prolapso Rectal/cirugía , Ultrasonografía Doppler/métodos , Ultrasonografía Intervencional/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Hemorroides/complicaciones , Humanos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Dolor Postoperatorio/epidemiología , Dolor Postoperatorio/etiología , Satisfacción del Paciente , Estudios Prospectivos , Calidad de Vida , Prolapso Rectal/etiología , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
We report a case of iliac arteriovenous fistula (AVF) following disk surgery. A 51-year-old woman underwent hemilaminectomy for a slipped disk. Two weeks after surgery the patient experienced dyspnea and oedema of the lower limbs. Presence of a systolic murmur on the cardiac floor and on the abdomen was detected and abdomen CT scan which evidenced a AVF between the right common iliac artery and vein. The lesion, confirmed by angiography, was successfully treated with the endovascular technique. The endovascular technique appears to be a valid alternative to the traditional surgical treatment of postlaminectomy AVF.
Asunto(s)
Fístula Arteriovenosa/terapia , Arteria Ilíaca , Vena Ilíaca , Desplazamiento del Disco Intervertebral/cirugía , Laminectomía , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/terapia , Stents , Fístula Arteriovenosa/etiología , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The aim of out study was to investigate the efficacy of Pycnogenol - a French maritime pine bark extract - in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The study consisted of a double-blind phase - in which 20 patients were recruited and randomly treated with placebo or Pycnogenol (100 mg 2 3/day for 2 months) - and an open phase - in which other 20 patients were treated with Pycnogenol at the same dose schedule. In total, 40 patients were enrolled; 30 of them were treated with Pycnogenol and 10 with placebo. Pycnogenol significantly improved the legs' heaviness and subcutaneous edema; the venous pressure was also significantly reduced by the Pycnogenol treatment, thus adding further clinical evidence to its therapeutic efficacy in patients with CVI. Pycnogenol was effective, probably by either stabilizing the collagenous subendothelial basal membrane or scavenging the free radicals, or by a combination of these activities. Clinically, capillary leakage, perivascular inflammation and subcutaneous edema were all reduced. The safety of use of Pycnogenol is demonstrated by the lack of side effects or changes in blood biochemistry and hematologic parameters. Pycnogenol can be therefore recommended both for prevention and treatment of CVI and related veno-capillary disturbances.
Asunto(s)
Flavonoides/uso terapéutico , Inhibidores de Agregación Plaquetaria/uso terapéutico , Insuficiencia Venosa/tratamiento farmacológico , Adulto , Análisis de Varianza , Enfermedad Crónica , Método Doble Ciego , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Extractos Vegetales , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
The results are reported of work carried out during the last five years by the Center of Social Ophthalmology, director Prof. G. Scuderi, which is part of the II Division of the Ophthalmologic Clinic of Rome University "La Sapienza" with the object of trying out together with territorial units a model of preventive intervention acting as a filter for specialized university facilities. In other words, already existing facilities and medical personnel were to be used and trained for specific methods and techniques. From 1985 through 1990, 787 children selected by ophthalmologic screening by school doctors among the compulsory school population of the RM 3 and 5 districts were seen and submitted to periodic checks. This cohort included children aged 5 to 14 without significant differences in sex distribution and with prevalence of the 8 to 10 year olds. Each subject was submitted to complete eye examination including refractometry and orthoptics, color vision, biomicroscopic and ophthalmoscopic examination. The principal findings show that about 36% of subjects examined have a natural vision of 11/10 while the high percentage of ametropia observed was mainly represented by astigmatism and hypermetropy, albeit of minor intensity. Strabismus was found in 2.79% and implied marked visual deficit that was often refractory to any type of treatment. In addition, the prevalence was determined of other abnormalities concerning eye motility, color vision and pathologies involving anterior segment and eyeground. In their conclusion, the authors stress the rarity of organic ocular pathology in children (mostly represented by inflammatory changes of the adnexes and conjunctiva) whereas amblyopia was one of the main causes of visual deficit in children. They stress the importance of early therapeutic intervention in order to allow complete visual rehabilitation. The results of the clinical model for prevention were excellent so that it can even be proposed for large scale prevention of amblyopia.
Asunto(s)
Oftalmopatías/diagnóstico , Trastornos de la Visión/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Ambliopía/epidemiología , Ambliopía/rehabilitación , Ceguera/prevención & control , Niño , Preescolar , Oftalmopatías/epidemiología , Oftalmopatías/prevención & control , Oftalmopatías/terapia , Femenino , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Tamizaje Masivo , Refracción Ocular , Servicios de Salud Escolar , Factores Sexuales , Estrabismo/epidemiología , Estrabismo/rehabilitación , Estudiantes , Trastornos de la Visión/epidemiología , Trastornos de la Visión/prevención & control , Trastornos de la Visión/rehabilitaciónAsunto(s)
Neoplasias del Colon/prevención & control , Neoplasias del Recto/prevención & control , American Cancer Society , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Actitud Frente a la Salud , Neoplasias del Colon/mortalidad , Educación en Salud/métodos , Humanos , Médicos/psicología , Neoplasias del Recto/mortalidad , TexasRESUMEN
The object of this study was to explore the use of fecal skatole and indole and breath methane and hydrogen as metabolic markers of the anaerobic colonic flora in patients with unresected large bowel cancer or polyps. Patients with descending or sigmoid colon cancer were more likely to be breath methane excretors than control subjects, patients with proximal colon cancer, and patients with rectal cancer. Control subjects excreting breath methane excreted less fecal skatole than breath methane excretors in the following groups: patients with adenomatous polyps, all patients with colorectal cancer, patients with proximal colon cancer, patients with descending and sigmoid colon cancer, and patients with rectal cancer. These data suggest that fecal skatole excretion equal to or greater than 100 micrograms/g feces might be useful to discriminate colorectal cancer patients from control subjects. Twenty-nine percent (8 of 28) of the cancer patients had both "high" skatole levels and breath methane excretion compared with only 2% (1 of 41) of the control subjects (P less than 0.01).
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Pólipos del Colon/metabolismo , Hidrógeno/análisis , Indoles/metabolismo , Metano/análisis , Neoplasias del Recto/metabolismo , Escatol/metabolismo , Bacterias/metabolismo , Pruebas Respiratorias , Colon/microbiología , Heces/análisis , Humanos , Absorción Intestinal , Triptófano/metabolismoRESUMEN
The objective of our study was to verify or refute the observation that patients with unresected colorectal cancer are more likely to be breath methane excretors than the general population. Intracolonic heme had no effect on breath methane excretion of 11 normal volunteers given oral hemoglobin. Laxative-enema colonoscopy preparation had a profound effect on the subsequent measurement of breath methane. Three of 4 volunteer methane excretors became nonexcretors, and 2 remained nonexcretors for 21 days and 7 months, respectively. No significant difference was found in the frequency and the amount of breath methane excretion in 55 patients with unresected colorectal cancer and in 99 control subjects. However, 13 patients with unresected descending or sigmoid colon cancers were almost twice as likely to be breath methane excretors as 38 patients with colorectal cancer at other sites.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Metano/análisis , Neoplasias del Recto/metabolismo , Adulto , Anciano , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Pruebas Respiratorias , Catárticos/farmacología , Colon Sigmoide , Enema , Femenino , Hemoglobinas/farmacología , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
It has been postulated that the intestinal anaerobes play a role in the etiology of large bowel cancer. This study was designed to characterize and compare the fecal anaerobes of patients with large bowel cancer, patients with nonhereditary large bowel polyps, and healthy control subjects. Although some distributional variations of the anaerobic genera were observed among the study groups, significant differences in fecal anaerobic microflora and total aerobic counts were not noted. This suggests that taxonomic grouping of fecal bacteria is an inadequate measure of relative risk of developing large bowel cancer. However, the fecal microbial 7alpha-dehydroxylase and cholesterol dehydrogenase activities of large bowel cancer patients and patients with nonhereditary large bowel polyps were significantly higher than those of healthy control subjects. On the other hand, no significant difference in fecal microbial beta-glucuronidase activity was noted among the study groups. It may be that assessment of the total metabolic activities of the intestinal microflora will provide a better understanding of their potential role in the genesis of large bowel cancer.
Asunto(s)
Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Neoplasias del Colon/microbiología , Heces/microbiología , Pólipos Intestinales/microbiología , Neoplasias del Recto/microbiología , Adulto , Bacterias/enzimología , Neoplasias del Colon/etiología , Dieta , Heces/enzimología , Femenino , Humanos , Pólipos Intestinales/etiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias del Recto/etiología , RiesgoRESUMEN
Epidemiological data demonstrate that colon cancer incidence is associated mainly with high dietary fat consumption. Studies in metabolic epidemiology indicate that high fat intake influences both the amount and type of bile acids and neutral sterols and intestinal microflora acting on these compounds which may contain tumorigenic activity for the colon. This is compatible with the results of studies comparing populations with high or low risk for the colon cancer and patients with colon cancer.
Asunto(s)
Grasas de la Dieta/efectos adversos , Neoplasias Intestinales/etiología , Bacterias/metabolismo , Ácidos y Sales Biliares/metabolismo , Colesterol/metabolismo , Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Grasas de la Dieta/metabolismo , Heces/análisis , Heces/microbiología , Femenino , Humanos , Neoplasias Intestinales/genética , Neoplasias Intestinales/microbiología , Pólipos Intestinales/genética , Pólipos Intestinales/metabolismo , Intestino Grueso/metabolismo , Intestino Grueso/microbiología , Masculino , Carne/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Because of the potential significance of secondary bile acids and cholesterol metabolites formed by the intestinal microflora in the pathogenesis of colon cancer, fecal microbial 7alpha-dehydroxylase and cholesterol dehydrogenase activities were assayed in colorectal cancer patients, patients with adenomatous polyps, asymptomatic controls, and normal controls. The mean 7alpha-dehydroxylase activity per 100 mg of dry feces per 2 hr incubation for colorectal cancer patients was significantly greater than either asymptomatic controls or normal controls. Patients with polyps had greater activity than controls, but did not differ significantly from the cancer patients or asymptomatic controls. The mean cholesterol dehydrogenase activity for colorectal cancer patients was significantly greater than controls. Patients with polyps also had greater activity than controls. No differences in the level of fecal beta-glucuronidase activity were found among the four risk groups. These data support the concept that patients with colorectal cancer are more able to convert primary bile acids and cholesterol to microbial products in colon contents than are controls. Such differences in the activity of intestinal microflora may serve as biochemical indicators that will reflect the enzymic activity of the fecal flora as well as the key intraluminal compounds in identifying populations at different risk for developing colorectal cancer.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias del Colon/microbiología , Heces/microbiología , Glucuronidasa/metabolismo , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta/metabolismo , Oxidorreductasas/metabolismo , Ácidos y Sales Biliares/metabolismo , Colestanol/metabolismo , Colesterol/metabolismo , Femenino , Humanos , Pólipos Intestinales/microbiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadAsunto(s)
Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Vida Libre de Gérmenes , Traumatismos Experimentales por Radiación/prevención & control , Protectores contra Radiación/uso terapéutico , Organismos Libres de Patógenos Específicos , Animales , Radioisótopos de Cesio , Rayos gamma , Gentamicinas/uso terapéutico , Vida Libre de Gérmenes/efectos de la radiación , Kanamicina/uso terapéutico , Ratones , Neomicina/uso terapéutico , Organismos Libres de Patógenos Específicos/efectos de los fármacos , Organismos Libres de Patógenos Específicos/efectos de la radiación , Estreptomicina/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Fecal neutral steroids and bile acids were measured in patients with familial polyposis, family controls who are immediate relatives of patients, and controls other than relatives. All subjects were consuming a mixed Western diet at the time of collection of stool specimens. Although the total fecal neutral sterol concentrations were not different between the groups, the patients with familial polyposis excreted a high amount of cholesterol and low levels of coprostanol and coprostanone compared with other groups. Patients with familial polyposis excreted levels of total bile acids in their feces comparable to those excreted by controls; lithocholic acid excretion was decreased in patients with familial polyposis. These findings suggest that analysis of stools for cholesterol and its metabolites be useful in screening the siblings of polyposis families for latent disease.
Asunto(s)
Ácidos y Sales Biliares/análisis , Heces/análisis , Pólipos Intestinales/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Colesterol/análisis , Colesterol/metabolismo , Neoplasias del Colon/genética , Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Dieta , Composición Familiar , Femenino , Humanos , Pólipos Intestinales/metabolismo , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias del Recto/genética , Neoplasias del Recto/metabolismoRESUMEN
Studies in metabolic epidemiology have shown that the dietary intake of high fat affects the composition of the intestinal bacteria and their metabolic activity as well as the levels of certain neutral sterols and bile acids that may act as tumor promoters for the colon. A strong association has also been established between microbially modified bile acids and cholesterol metabolites and the risk of colon cancer among different populations. The patients with colon cancer had high concentrations of fecal bile acids and cholesterol metabolites compared with the controls. It remains to be shown whether this established association is causative in nature.