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Biomedical subjects

A De Backer

Publications and source records attributed to A De Backer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Factors associated with recurrence and metastasis in sacrococcygeal teratoma.

BACKGROUND: Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a relatively uncommon tumour, with a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. The factors associated with recurrence and metastatic disease were studied. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 173 children with SCT treated between January 1970 and February 2003 at the paediatric surgical centres in the Netherlands. Risk factors were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Eight children died shortly after birth or around the time of operation. Nine children, all over 18 months old, had metastases at presentation. Four teratomas with metastasis showed mature histology of the primary tumour. Nineteen children had recurrence of SCT a median interval of 10 months (range 32 days to 35 months) after primary surgery. Risk factors for recurrence were pathologically confirmed incomplete resection (odds ratio (OR) 6.54 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 2.11 to 20.31)), immature histology (OR 5.74 (95 per cent c.i. 1.49 to 22.05)) and malignant histology (OR 12.83 (95 per cent c.i. 3.27 to 50.43)). Size, Altman classification, age and decade of diagnosis were not risk factors for recurrence. One-third of the recurrences showed a shift towards histological immaturity or malignancy, compared with the primary tumour. Seven patients died after recurrence, five with malignant disease. CONCLUSION: This national study showed that SCT recurred in 11 per cent of the children within 3 years of operation. Risk factors were immature and malignant histology, or incomplete resection. Mature teratoma has the biological capability to become malignant.

Epidemiologic Methods↗
PubMed2006

Mediastinal germ cell tumors: clinical aspects and outcomes in 7 children.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinal germ cell tumors presenting during childhood are extremely rare. Publications on this entity are very scarce. This paper reports on the clinical presentations, method(s) of treatment, complications, results and outcomes in a series of children with mediastinal germ cell tumors. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 7 children treated between 1971 and 2001 for mediastinal germ cell tumor was carried out. Age at diagnosis and symptoms were recorded. Each patient's surgical treatment, peri- and postoperative complications, histological staging and final outcome were analysed. RESULTS: The median age of the 4 boys and 3 girls was 3 years (range 21 months-15 years). The most frequent symptoms were respiratory distress, persistent coughing, thoracic pain and anorexia/weight loss. Four patients had histologically benign tumors (mature teratoma). Their sole treatment consisted of complete surgical excision of the tumor and (part of) the thymus using either median sternotomy or left-sided thoracotomy. Recovery was uneventful. No recurrences have been observed. All four are alive with no evidence of disease, between 2.5 and 29 years after treatment. Malignant tumors were observed in three patients (1 yolk sac tumor, 1 choriocarcinoma and 1 malignant teratoma). Treatment consisted of either biopsy or debulking followed by chemotherapy (and radiotherapy in 1 case). Two of them died from uncontrollable metastatic disease. The patient with yolk sac tumor survived; he is now in remission, 4 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Both this study and the literature review testify to the extreme rarity of mediastinal germ cell tumors in childhood. Children with this type of tumor usually are severely symptomatic. Histologically benign tumors carry an excellent prognosis provided surgical excision is complete. Histologically malignant tumors, on the other hand, have a worse prognosis. However, the use of platinum-based combination chemotherapy has considerably increased the survival rates.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Sacrococcygeal teratoma: results of a retrospective multicentric study in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Eighteen patients, operated upon for sacrococcygeal teratoma in 7 different centres in Belgium and Luxembourg between 1992 and 1996, were reviewed. From an epidemiological point of view, this series compares very well to others. Although excellent results were obtained, with all patients surviving, some imperfection in diagnosis, timing of delivery and of operation, and in operative technique was observed. Therefore, it is stated that for optimal treatment of sacrococcygeal teratoma to be achieved, these cases should be treated in just a very few centres of neonatal surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Leiomyoma of the right common iliac vein presenting as a duodenal tumour.

A case of vascular leiomyoma originating from the wall of the right common iliac vein is presented. Clinical and radiological features suggested a well circumscribed tumour arising from the duodenal wall. Laparotomy revealed a tumour without connection to the duodenum, but attached to the right iliac vein. The tumour was totally resected, including partial resection of the common iliac vein. Pathology showed a smooth muscle tumour with histological features of benignity. Six months after surgery the patient is asymptomatic.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1998

Diagnosis and nonsurgical management of bile leak complicated by biloma after blunt liver injury: report of two cases.

We report on two patients with biliary tract injury and associated biloma following blunt abdominal trauma. Both patients underwent emergency surgery because of hemodynamic instability and bloody peritoneal aspiration. Computed tomography in the postoperative days showed severe hepatic parenchymal injury and the presence of hypodense collections with intraparenchymal and subcapsular extension, suggestive for biloma, but otherwise failed to demonstrate the exact location of the bile duct injury. One of them underwent temporary percutaneous drainage. Bile duct injury was well demonstrated on endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) and treated by endobiliary stent placement. This report advocates the use of ERCP and endobiliary stenting in the management of biliary injury resulting from liver trauma.

Abdominal Injuries↗
PubMed1996

Endoscopic treatment of biliary ascariasis. Report of a case.

Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common intestinal parasite to infect humans. The incidence of ascariasis is increasing in our regions, due to world travel and population migration. In one third of cases, the worm can enter the bile duct and cause cholangitis or biliary colics. Diagnosis and treatment of ascariasis are discussed. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreaticography (ERCP) with endoscopic extraction of the worm, using a Dormia basket, is a safe and effective procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary ascariasis. This technique serves as an effective alternative for surgery.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Laparoscopic-assisted surgery of the spleen: clinical experience in expanding indications.

Between January 1993 and November 1995 laparoscopic surgery was used in 21 patients with a variety of splenic diseases, namely idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, congenital spherocytosis, lymphoma, leukemic infiltrative disease, splenic infarction, trauma, or splenic cyst. Total splenectomy was carried out laparoscopically in 16 patients. Conversion to open splenectomy was necessary in two other patients because of intractable bleeding. Two patients with a splenic cyst underwent laparoscopic unroofing of the cyst. Conservative hemostasis of a spleen injury grade II was carried out in a child after blunt trauma. The total mean duration of the laparoscopic procedures was 158 min and the mean blood loss volume was 350 ml, both conversions being excluded. Postsurgical recovery was excellent and the average hospital stay was 5 days, including the patients with conversion. There were no significant postoperative complications. Our observations indicate that an increasing number of surgical diseases of the spleen can be managed adequately by a less invasive laparoscopic approach. However, the criteria for using this procedure are in an expanding phase and are still mainly dependent on the surgeon's technical experience.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Bilateral Wilms' tumor: in situ cooling of the kidney facilitates curative excision of tumors, with preservation of renal function.

Bilateral synchronous multifocal Wilms' tumor is a rare malignancy for which no optimum treatment has been established thus far. The need to preserve renal parenchyma whenever possible is obvious. The authors describe a patient who underwent removal of six subcapsular tumors from a kidney that had been protected from ischemia by in situ cooling with UW-Belzer solution and by surface cooling. This technique was safe, easy to perform, and allowed all the time required to resect the tumors under adequate visual control and to wait for analysis of the frozen sections. It might be a useful alternative to the more complicated "bench" technique.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1995

Laparoscopy: any indication in the work-up and treatment of undescended testis?

About 10% of undescended testis are non palpable. Surgical exploration of the inguinal region was the standard treatment, mainly because reliable "localisation tests" were not available. Today, laparoscopy is becoming the first step for optimal management of this problem. This technique combines relevant diagnostic information with therapeutic facilitations.

Contraindications↗
PubMed1994

Contribution of endoscopy to early diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography and gastrointestinal endoscopy was compared in 63 infants who were operated on for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Endoscopy was far more accurate than ultrasonography, the diagnosis being made in 97 and 81% of the cases, respectively. The difference between the techniques was even more obvious in the younger patients and in those with a short history of vomiting. The ability to detect coexistent or other causes of vomiting with endoscopy appeared advantageous. The endoscopic procedure is easily done without general anesthesia and was without complications in our series. We recommend endoscopy as an important tool in very young patients with few clinical signs other than vomiting, allowing for appropriate treatment without delay.

Endoscopy↗
PubMed1993

Prepubertal melanoma in a medium-sized congenital naevus.

A case of malignant melanoma in a medium-sized congenital naevus in a prepubertal girl is presented. Risk factors for developing melanoma during childhood include giant congenital naevi, dysplastic naevus syndrome and xeroderma pigmentosum. The lifetime risk of melanoma associated with giant congenital naevi has been estimated to be 4%-20%; the risk associated with small and medium-sized congenital naevi however remains controversial. In the latter lesions, malignant transformation is considered an almost exclusively postpubertal phenomenon, in contrast to giant congenital naevi where it often occurs prior to puberty. In our patient, malignant transformation in a medium-sized congenital naevus occurred before puberty. We suggest that the true incidence of malignant transformation within these lesions and the time at which it occurs, should be documented by prospective studies and that not only the giant congenital naevi but also the smaller congenital naevi should be considered for prophylactic excision in early childhood.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed1993

Totally implantable central venous access devices in pediatric oncology--our experience in 46 patients.

Between 1986 and 1990, 50 venous access devices have been implanted in 45 children with various types of cancer and in one patient with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Twenty-five devices were of the so-called "pediatric" type (Port-A-Cath: 24, Vascuport: 1) and 25 were "adult" ports (Port-A-Cath: 8, Vascuport: 6, Infuse-A-Port: 6, Theraport: 5). The catheters (in silicone elastomer or polyurethane) were inserted percutaneously or surgically. Cumulative total venous access was 15024 patient-days (mean: 290 days per patient, range 2-900 days). Occlusion of the system, the most frequent complication, was encountered in 5 patients (11%). Rarer complications were catheter-related infection (2 pts), pneumothorax (1 pt), skin necrosis (1 pt), catheter leakage (1 pt) and port-catheter disconnection (1 pt). No serious complication ever occurred in 35 patients (76%). Seven of the 11 complications, including all 3 port occlusions, were encountered with "pediatric" systems. All the adult access devices tested were safe and allowed long-standing access to the central venous system in this series of pediatric cancer patients. With proper placement technique and adequate nursing care, they represent a definite improvement in child cancer therapy.

Adolescent↗