[Malignant myoepithelial breast carcinoma: diagnosis and therapeutic difficulties]. / Carcinome myoépithélial malin mammaire: difficultés diagnostiques et thérapeutiques.

Myoepithelial carcinoma of the breast is a rare and malignant tumor. Local recurrence and distant metastasis are common. Treatment is not consensual. Here, we report a case of a 61-year-old female who developed a myoepithelial carcinoma. Primary treatment was a local wide excision with clear pathological margins. Three years later, a local recurrence was treated by further wide excision. Neither recurrences nor distant metastasis were detected four years later. Regular following of patients with myoepithelial carcinoma is essential.

Sperm morphology assessment using David's classification: time to switch to strict criteria? Prospective comparative analysis in a selected IVF population.

The aim of this study was to compare assessment of sperm morphology by using David's classification (DC), a method of manual analysis most common in France, with a computer-assisted method (Integrated Visual Optical System) based on the strict criteria (CASA SC) for their ability to predict fertilization in a selected in vitro fertilization (IVF) population. A total of 120 couples engaged in IVF protocols were prospectively included in the study. To focus mainly on sperm morphology, couples were excluded in cases of abnormalities of sperm concentration and/or motility and immunological factors and when a low number of oocytes were collected. Sperm morphology analysis was performed on the day of oocyte retrieval by the same trained biologist. Our results showed a moderate correlation between the two techniques (r = 0.49). The DC sperm morphology analysis was less indicative of fertilization than CASA SC (r = 0.07, p = 0.47 vs. r = 0.22, p = 0.014). Using receiver-operating characteristics analysis, we showed that DC was not discriminating in the prediction of fertilization (AUC = 0.572). DC seemed less appropriate for the prediction of fertilization success or failure. In contrast, with CASA SC, the previously determined cut-off value of around 14% was confirmed (AUC = 0.735, cut-off = 6%). Our results argue in favour of the replacement of DC by SC to tend towards worldwide standardization.

Enteral versus parenteral feeding. Effects on septic morbidity after blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma.

To investigate the importance of route of nutrient administration on septic complications after blunt and penetrating trauma, 98 patients with an abdominal trauma index of at least 15 were randomized to either enteral or parenteral feeding within 24 hours of injury. Septic morbidity was defined as pneumonia, intra-abdominal abscess, empyema, line sepsis, or fasciitis with wound dehiscence. Patients were fed formulas with almost identical amounts of fat, carbohydrate, and protein. Two patients died early in the study. The enteral group sustained significantly fewer pneumonias (11.8% versus total parenteral nutrition 31.%, p less than 0.02), intra-abdominal abscess (1.9% versus total parenteral nutrition 13.3%, p less than 0.04), and line sepsis (1.9% versus total parenteral nutrition 13.3%, p less than 0.04), and sustained significantly fewer infections per patient (p less than 0.03), as well as significantly fewer infections per infected patient (p less than 0.05). Although there were no differences in infection rates in patients with injury severity score less than 20 or abdominal trauma index less than or equal to 24, there were significantly fewer infections in patients with an injury severity score greater than 20 (p less than 0.002) and abdominal trauma index greater than 24 (p less than 0.005). Enteral feeding produced significantly fewer infections in the penetrating group (p less than 0.05) and barely missed the statistical significance in the blunt-injured patients (p = 0.08). In the subpopulation of patients requiring more than 20 units of blood, sustaining an abdominal trauma index greater than 40 or requiring reoperation within 72 hours, there were significantly fewer infections per patient (p = 0.03) and significantly fewer infections per infected patient (p less than 0.01). There is a significantly lower incidence of septic morbidity in patients fed enterally after blunt and penetrating trauma, with most of the significant changes occurring in the more severely injured patients. The authors recommend that the surgeon obtain enteral access at the time of initial celiotomy to assure an opportunity for enteral delivery of nutrients, particularly in the most severely injured patients.

Analysis of septic morbidity following gunshot wounds to the colon: the missile is an adjuvant for abscess.

Over a 7-year period, 151 patients with gunshot wounds to the colon surviving beyond 24 hours were managed. The bullet was retained in the body in 66% and exited in 34%. Thirty-four (23%) developed major septic complications (diffuse peritonitis, 21%; intraperitoneal abscesses 24%; and extraperitoneal abdominal abscesses, 56%). The septic complication rate was 26% in the bullet-present group compared with 16% in the remainder (p less than 0.15). The increased septic rate in those with bullets present was the result of abscesses developing around the retained missile. That group with missile abscesses had a lesser degree of injury as measured by the abdominal trauma index compared with the other patients with septic complications (p less than 0.001). Fifteen (79%) of the 19 patients with missile and missile track abscesses had them develop in the psoas muscle. These abscesses occur by fecal contamination of the muscle following inoculation by the bullet, which passes through the large bowel. Computed tomography-guided and operative drainage tend to fail if the foreign body is not removed. Computed tomography-guided or operative drainage should be successful in draining missile track abscesses when the bullet has exited the patient.