Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Lubrano.
We describe a rare case of fistula between the Wirsung duct and the right psoas muscle. The initial clinical presentation was localised in the thigh and successful treatment was achieved by exclusive mini-invasive techniques.
AIM OF THE STUDY: To report results of percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage, performed by a surgeon, in the treatment of complications of acute pancreatitis (AP), and to determine the role of this technique in the therapeutic armamentarium of severe AP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1986 to 2001, 59 patients were included in this retrospective study. All patients initially had severe necrotizing AP (mean Ranson score = 4.1 ; range : 2-7). Anatomical lesions included pancreatic abscess in 6 patients and necrosis in 53 (17 stage D and 36 stage E according to Balthazar's classification). Necrosis was infected in 42 and sterile in 11 respectively. Drainage was performed under ultrasound guidance and local anaesthesia using small-diameter drains (7-14 French). RESULTS: Drainage was performed on average 23 days after onset of AP. Infection was proven by fine-needle aspiration in 47 (80 %) patients (41 infected necrosis and 6 localized abscess). In one patient, culture of aspirated fluid was negative but necrosis was infected (one false negative). Culture of aspirated fluid was negative and necrosis was sterile in 11 patients. Nineteen (32%) patients healed without subsequent surgery: 7 (16%) in the infected necrosis group, 6(55%) in the sterile necrosis group, and 6 (100%) in the abscess group. Forty (68%) patients had subsequent necrosectomy including 8 (14%) who died. Twenty (34 %) digestive fistulas healed spontaneously, except one treated by diversion stomia. Of the 16 (27 %) pancreatic fistulas, 6 needed subsequent interventional treatment. CONCLUSION: In selected patients, percutaneous drainage can represent an alternative to surgery with a 14% mortality rate. The high rate of subsequent necrosectomy suggests that drains with larger diameter, possibly associated with continuous irrigation, should be used.
Large incisional hernias cannot be cured without prosthetic material. A large pore size prosthetic tissue seems to be the best alternative, since connective invasion of the mesh provides a very strong fixation of the prosthesis. In our view, the mesh should be placed in the rectus sheath, in a position we have described as "retromuscular prefascial". With this technique, a good result can be achieved in 98% of very large incisional hernias.
Based an their findings during thyroid operations and pathological examination of 100 specimens, the authors report the principal steps for identification and dissection of recurrent nerve during a thyroid lobectomy.
STUDY AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the role of thyroid peroxidase immunodetection in the cytological diagnosis of follicular variants of thyroid papillary cancer (FVTPC) which are difficult to identify by standard cytology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1991 and 1998, 3,505 thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsies were performed by thyroid peroxidase immunocytochemistry and 1,576 patients were operated on. Out of a total of 227 thyroid papillary cancers (TPC), 42 (18.5%) were diagnosed as FVTPC. The results of standard cytology and thyroid peroxidase immunodetection were compared with the histological findings. RESULTS: The rate of false negatives for TPC in standard cytology was 11% (25/227 cases), with 40% of these false negatives being FVTPC; ten out of 42 (23.8%) cases of FVTPC were not identified by standard cytology. However, cytology with thyroid peroxidase immunodetection diagnosed 224 out of the 227 TPC (99%), and all the FVTPC were correctly identified (100%). CONCLUSION: FVTCP are the most frequent source of false negatives in standard cytology. Thyroid peroxidase immunodetection allows most of these errors to be avoided, and correctly identifies 99% of TPC including FVTPC.
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Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has become the gold standard for adrenalectomy. Review of the literature indicates that the rate of intra- and postoperative complications is not negligible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the complications observed in a series of 169 consecutive LAs performed at a same center for a variety of endocrine disorders. Between June 1994 and December 1998 a series of 169 LAs were performed in 159 patients: 149 unilateral LAs and 10 bilateral LAs. There were 98 women and 61 men with a mean age of 49. 7 years (range 22-76 years). There were patients with 61 Conn syndrome, 41 with Cushing syndrome, 1 androgen-producing tumor, 29 pheochromocytomas, and 37 nonfunctioning tumors. Mean tumor size was 32 mm (range 7-110 mm). LA was performed by a transperitoneal flank approach in the lateral decubitus position. Mean operating time was 129 minutes (range 48-300 minutes) for unilateral LA and 228 minutes (range 175-275 minutes) for bilateral LA. There was no mortality. Twelve patients had a significant complication (7.5%): three peritoneal hematomas requiring (in two cases) laparotomy and (in one case) transfusion; one parietal hematoma; three intraoperative bleeding episodes without need for transfusion; one partial infarction of the spleen; one pneumothorax; one capsular effraction of the tumor; and two deep venous thromboses. Eight tumors were malignant at final histology (4.7%), of which four were completely removed laparoscopically. Conversion to open surgery was required in eight cases (5%): for malignancy in four cases, difficulty of dissection in three cases, and pneumothorax in one case. With a mean follow-up of 26.58 months (range 6-60 months) all patients are disease-free. We conclude that LA is a safe procedure. With increasing experience the morbidity becomes minor. To avoid complications LA should be converted to open surgery if local invasion is suspected or if there is difficulty with the dissection.
STUDY AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to report a series of nine patients with a sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism, operated on for an ectopic supernumerary hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From 1973 to 1998, among a total of 1,307 patients operated on for a primary hyperparathyroidism, 9 (0.69%) had an ectopic supernumerary hyperfunctioning gland. There were six women and three men (mean age: 63 years) with a sporadic hyperparathyroidism. Initial cervicotomy was performed in our institution in 6 cases. The nine patients underwent 19 operations including one through sternotomy. The ectopic parathyroid gland was localized in the eight patients who had preoperative localization studies. RESULTS: The supernumerary gland was located in the anterior mediastinum (n = 6), in the carotid sheath (n = 2) and within the vagus nerve (n = 1). In three patients, it was found during the initial cervicotomy. In the 6 other patients, it was found in the course of a reoperation. With a mean follow-up of five years, all the patients were biochemically cured. One patient had a permanent recurrent nerve palsy and a definitive hypoparathyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: The low incidence of an ectopic supernumerary hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland in sporadic hyperparathyroidism does not justify the routine use of preoperative localization studies and intra-operative quick parathormon assay. During an initial conventional cervicotomy the search for a 5th gland is highly recommended when 4 normal glands have been found in the neck. This research should also be performed in case of multi-glandular disease.
AIM OF THE STUDY: The presence of an ectopic parathyroid gland is the commonest cause of persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT). High cervical ectopic glands represent 0.21 to 9% of these cases. Only 3 cases of high intravagal sites have been described. The authors report two new cases of persistent HPT caused by an intravagal parathyroid gland. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In a series of 1,712 cases of HPT operated over the last 25 years (1,307 primary HPT and 405 secondary or tertiary HPT), two cases (0.12%) of persistent HPT were caused by a high intravagal parathyroid gland. One case corresponded to primary HPT and the other case corresponded to tertiary HPT. One patient underwent three operations and the other patient underwent four operations. CONCLUSION: Intravagal thyroid tissue may cause HPT. This very rare site must be considered among the other high cervical ectopic sites in the pre- and intraoperative assessment of hyperparathyroidism, particularly in cases of persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism.
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