Molgramostim (GM-CSF) associated with antibiotic treatment in nontraumatic abdominal sepsis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

HYPOTHESIS: The addition of molgramostim (recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) to antibiotic therapy for nontraumatic and generalized abdominal sepsis is effective and has a significant impact on length of hospitalization, direct medical costs, and mortality. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Fifty-eight patients with abdominal sepsis. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were allocated to receive, in addition to ceftriaxone sodium, amikacin sulfate, and metronidazole, molgramostim in a daily dosage of 3 microg/kg for 4 days (group 1) or placebo (group 2). Antibiotics were administered for at least 5 days and discontinued after clinical improvement had occurred and white blood cell count had been normal for 48 hours. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to improvement, duration of antibiotic therapy, hospital stay, complications, mortality, and adverse reactions to drugs. RESULTS: Median time to improvement was 2 days in group 1 and 4 days in group 2 (P<.005). Median length of hospitalization was 9 and 13 days, respectively (P<.001), and median duration of antibiotic therapy was 9 and 13 days, respectively (P<.001). Numbers of infectious complications in the 2 groups were, respectively, 6 and 16 (P = .02); of residual abscesses, 3 and 5; and of deaths, 2 and 2. Costs per patient were 12,333 dollars and 16,081 dollars (US dollars), respectively. CONCLUSION: Addition of molgramostim to antibiotic therapy reduces the rate of infectious complications, the length of hospitalization, and costs in patients with nontraumatic abdominal sepsis.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression and clinical outcome in gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

The significance of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in mesenchymal tumors has not been completely described. We analyzed clinicopathologic variables and COX-2 protein expression in all mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract that were treated at our institution between 1990 and 2002. Paraffin-embedded specimens were immunohistochemically stained for KIT and COX-2 protein. KIT-positive tumors were diagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Among 42 available specimens, 38 tumors were diagnosed as GIST and four were non-GIST mesenchymal GI tumors (KIT negative). The median overall survival for the GIST patients was 34 months. Ninety-two percent of GIST expressed COX-2 protein. COX-2 protein was not expressed in any of the non-GIST tumors. GIST patients with negative or low COX-2 expression developed disease recurrence and/or died of their disease in 37% of the cases, compared with 18% for GIST patients with high COX-2 expression (difference not statistically significant). The vast majority of mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract are GIST that express COX-2 protein. As opposed to known predictors of GIST behavior such as tumor size and mitotic count, levels of COX-2 protein expression did not correlate with clinical outcome.

Correlation between radiologic and pathologic dimensions of adrenal masses.

The size of adrenal tumors has been shown to be a good predictor of malignancy. There is still some controversy about the concordance between radiologic and real pathologic measurements. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between direct and corrected radiologic computed tomography scan dimensions and the measurements of the resected specimen. A total of 41 adrenal tumors were included. Direct and corrected measurements of the largest diameter were contrasted with the pathologic dimensions. The Linos formula was used for the corrected measurements. Proper statistics were used considering a two-tailed significance level of 0.05. The intraclass correlations using direct and corrected measurements were 0.89 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.81-0.94, p = 0.00001) and 0.90 (95%CI 0.82-0.95, p = 0.00001), respectively. The bivariate analysis using Pearson's correlation between two-dimensional group variables showed r = 0.82 (p < 0.0001) when direct and pathologic measurements were compared and r = 0.83 (p < 0.0001) when the corrected values were compared with the real dimensions. In this study, we demonstrate good correlation between radiologic and pathologic measurements of adrenal tumors. The Linos formula turned out to be significantly more accurate than direct radiologic measurements when means of the groups were compared, whereas when individual correlations were determined the two were similar. The Linos formula and radiologic measurements can be used to determine the proper management of adrenal incidentalomas in individual patients.

Tratamiento Quirúrgico de las Fístulas Anorrectales: experiencia de 17 Años en el Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición ®Salvador Zubirán¼ / Surgical treatment of ano-rectal fistule: experience of 17 years at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion \"Salvador Zubiran\"

Introducción: el tratamiento quirúrgico para las fístulas anorrectales puede ser difícil por la probabilidad de recurrencias, cicatrización prolongada y/o incontinencia anal postoperatorios.Objetivo: analizar la experiencia de 17 años con el manejo y resultados de las fístulas anorrectales. Pacientes y métodos: se revisaron de forma retrospectiva 105 pacientes consecutivos con fístulas anorrectales y se analizaron los datos demográficos, clínicos, tipo de tratamiento, y resultados posoperatorios. Resultados: hubo 73 por ciento del sexo masculino y 27 por ciento del sexo femenino. La edad promedio fue de 45 años. Tuvo alguna enfermedad crónica asociada 6 por ciento principalmente diabetes mellitus 21 por ciento y obesidad 14 por ciento. No se consignó en el expediente una clasificación anatómica del trayecto fistuloso en 86 por ciento, los trayectos interesfintéricos fueron los más frecuentes en los casos clasificados. Se realizó fistulectomía en 90 por ciento. Hubo 13 por ciento de complicaciones con predominio de retraso en la cicatrización (6.5 por ciento). Se registraron 11 recurrencias (10 por ciento) y en la mayoría de los casos el tratamiento consistió en nueva fistulectomía. No hubo casos con incontinencia anal posoperatoria.Conclusiones: debe enfatizarse la necesidad de realizar una clasificación anatómica de las fístulas. La operación utilizada con mayor frecuencia fue la fistulectomía

Alternativas quirúrgicas para el tratamiento de la colitis ulcerativa crónica inespecífica / Surgical alternatives for chronic ulcerative colitis

Antecedentes: Se han desarrollado nuevas técnicas para el manejo quirúrgico de la colitis ulcerativa crónica inespecífica. Objetivo: En este artículo de revisión se analizan las alternativas quirúrgicas actuales para definir su papel en el manejo general de los pacientes con CUCI. Resultados: La proctocolectomía total no restaurativa con ileostomía permanente continúa la operación estándar de oro para la CUCI. La proctocolectomía total restaurativa, con o sin excisión de la zona de transición anal, se está convirtiendo en la operación más ampliamente utilizada. Evita una ileostomía permanente, y permite buenos resultados funcionales en la mayoría de los pacientes. La proctocolectomía subtotal con una bolsa de Hartmann es un procedimiento adecuado en los pacientes operados de urgencia, para permitir la realización de un reservorio ileoanal en una operación subsecuente. La colectomía con anastomosis ileorrectal, y la creación de una ileostomía continente son procedimientos que deben limitarse a candidatos selectos. Conclusiones: Actualmente, la proctocolectomía total con reservorio es la operación de elección en la mayoría de los pacientes, pero el estado general preoperatorio es importante para definir la mejor alternativa quirúrgica en cada individuo