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Biomedical subjects

F G Cerrai

Publications and source records attributed to F G Cerrai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Prevention and treatment of complications after endoscopic prostheses placement in tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Endoscopic intubation is a popular palliative method to resolve immediately malignant dysphagia. However, the complication rate is still high. Between 1978 and 1993, at the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Endoscopy of Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan, 305 patients suffering from malignant dysphagia, were endoscopically treated by insertion of an endoprosthesis. We report the analysis of data regarding our complication rate, compared with the literature, and our experience in preventing managing complications related to this endoscopic procedure.

Adult

Self-expanding tracheobronchial stents using flexible bronchoscopy. Preliminary clinical experience.

Endoscopic insertion of tracheobronchial stents is indicated to achieve patency of the airway in case of malignant or benign obstructing lesions. Until now, the placement of prostheses has required a rigid bronchoscope with specially designed insertion instruments. Self-expanding stents are currently used to treat stenoses of different hollow organs (vessels, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, bile duct, respiratory tract). We report the first case of a self-expanding stent implanted in the trachea and right main stem bronchus using flexible videobronchoscope under local anesthesia. The procedure was easy, safe, effective, and well tolerated. No complications occurred.

Aged

Endoscopic treatment of polyps in the resected stomach.

Between 1974 and 1992, at the Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Endoscopy of Istituto Nazionale Tumori, in Milan, 27 patients with resected stomach and suffering from epithelial polyps of the gastric stump (10 lesions) and/or anastomosis (25 lesions), were endoscopically treated using electroresection (13 cases), electrocoagulation (2 cases), combined methods (electroresection plus Nd:YAG photocoagulation) (1 case) and biopsy forceps (19 cases). Complications occurred in 4 cases and consisted of hemorrhage. Seven patients developed 15 recurrences. Endoscopic treatment of polyps in patients with resected stomach is a safe and effective treatment, considering the low rate of complication.

Adult

Endoscopic treatment of gastric carcinoids.

Carcinoids are the most common endocrine tumours, and arise from a multipotential primitive stem cell; the gastric location represents 2% of all carcinoids. From 1979 to 1992 at the Endoscopy Division of Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, 2 patients suffering from single gastric carcinoid were endoscopically treated by electro-resection. No complication occurred during the treatment; 2 year- and 5-year-follow-up was performed in these patients, and no recurrence are observed. Surgical treatment represents the therapy of choice for gastric carcinoids, but endoscopic resection can represent an alternative in selected cases (lesions less than 1 cm or carcinoids with multicentric growth). Endoscopy can be used also in patients at high surgical risk.

Carcinoid Tumor

Endoscopic treatment of malignant dysphagia.

Palliative endoscopic treatment of dysphagia in patients with inoperable oesophageal cancer includes: dilation, Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation and intubation, used alone or in combination. Such procedures are usually performed on an outpatient basis and are associated with a low rate of morbidity and mortality. From 1978 to 1988, 476 patients (401 males, 75 females) were treated at the Endoscopy division of the National Cancer Institute of Milan for inoperable primary or recurrent malignancies of the oesophagus or cardia or for extra-oesophageal neoplasms causing dysphagia. Dilation was used in 172 cases, Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation in 90, prosthesis insertion in 72, dilation and laser in 97, and prosthesis and laser in 45. Functional improvement was reported in 75% of patients after dilation, in 89% after laser treatment, in 80% after intubation, in 80% after dilation and photocoagulation, and in 89% after laser and intubation. The median duration of dysphagia-free interval was 4 weeks in dilated patients, 6-8 weeks in photocoagulated patients and 20 weeks intubate patients. Overall median survival was 6.2 months. The complication rate was: 1.4% in dilation treatment, 1.4% in laser photocoagulation, and 8.8% in prosthesis intubation. Mortality related to endoscopic treatment was 2.1% (10/476 patients). Relief of dysphagia is one of the most important goals of palliative treatment in patients with inoperable oesophageal neoplasms. Moreover, endoscopic palliation improves the quality of life in the patients, with a low complication rate.

Aged

Endoscopic treatment of postradiation strictures.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal stricture is a rare complication of radiotherapy: reports on its incidence and management are therefore anecdotal. METHODS: From January 1978 to September 1992, 44 patients presenting with an esophageal stricture related to a previous radiation treatment were endoscopically dilated at the Endoscopy Division of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan. RESULTS: Esophageal recanalization was obtained in 95% of the patients treated, and in 79% of these normal eating habits were restored. No strict correlation was observed between radiation dose and severity of the stricture, or time elapsed between first treatment and endoscopic dilation. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, endoscopic dilation was a safe effective procedure and represented an effective palliative tool in dysphagic patients with esophageal strictures due to previous local radiotherapy.

Adult

Endoscopic treatment of upper gastrointestinal tract malignancies.

Palliative endoscopic treatment of the upper gastro-intestinal (UGI) tract includes: dilation, Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation and intubation, used alone or in combination. These procedures are usually performed on an outpatient basis and are associated with a low rate of morbidity and mortality. From 1978 to 1992, 836 patients were treated at the Endoscopy Division of the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, for inoperable primary or recurrent malignancies of the UGI-tract. Recanalization was obtained in 96% of patients treated; functional results have been computed according to the site and to the endoscopic method. Overall median survival was 6.2 months. The complication rate was 8%. Relief of dysphagia is the goal of palliative treatment in patients with inoperable neoplasms of the UGI-tract.

Aged

A new technique of endoscopic implantation of self-expanding mesh stents for inoperable tracheo-bronchial malignancies.

When malignant or benign lesions obstruct the tracheobronchial tree in patients unsuitable for surgery, patency of the lumen can be maintained using endoprostheses. This procedure is traditionally performed by rigid bronchoscopy. Recently, self-expanding metal stents have been developed and used in clinical practice. We employed these stents in 3 patients suffering from advanced tracheo-bronchial tumors; in all cases the procedure was carried out with flexible videobronchoscopes under local anaesthesia.

Adenocarcinoma

Esophageal intubation for malignant fistulas.

Between April 1978 and December 1989 at the Endoscopy Division of the National Cancer Institute of Milan, 140 patients were intubated for esophageal neoplasms; 19 of these subjects underwent endoscopic intubation for malignant fistulas complicated by pneumonia and/or mediastinitis. The prostheses were tolerated well and enabled the restoration of oral nutrition. The mean survival was 4.7 months (range, 0.5-17 months). No major complications occurred. Tube dislodgement was observed in 2 cases (10.5%). Two patients died of causes that were not related to the procedure.

Aged

Pharyngo-esophageal prostheses in malignancies of the cervical esophagus.

Cervical location of inoperable esophageal carcinoma is usually considered a contraindication of palliative intubation due to technical limitations and complications of the procedure. Between 1978 and 1989, 32 patients with inoperable cancer of the cervical esophagus were treated endoscopically at the Endoscopy Division of the National Cancer Institute, Milan. Eight of them underwent endoscopic intubation. The prostheses were tolerated well and did not cause any respiratory impairment. No complications related to the procedure were observed. In seven of the patients resumption of oral nutrition led to improvement of the general condition. The mean survival time was 5.5 months (range 0.5-23 months).

Aged

[Endoscopic polypectomy of the stomach].

Until 1970 endoscopy of the digestive tract was the only diagnostic method available. After this date, the introduction of endoscopic polypectomy enabled patients affected by these lesions to be treated, and at the same time considerably reduced their length of stay in hospital. The paper reports the results of 346 gastric polypectomies performed in 187 patients from 1974 to the present.

Adult

[A case of cloacogenic carcinoma with extra-visceral localization].

Cloacogenic carcinoma is a rare form of neoplasia (4-14% of tumours of the colon-rectum) which occurs on the transitional epithelium of anal canal. An extra-visceral location is rare. The paper reports a case of cloacogenic carcinoma sited on the perianal skin, treated with radiotherapy and local surgical excision. It is important to perform a biopsy and a thorough endoscopic examination of all ano-perianal lesions in order to separate those of dermatological relevance from those of surgical relevance, and at the same time to determine the exact histological type of the latter group so as to select the correct therapeutical approach.

Aged

Esophageal tumors--treatment by endoscopic intubation.

Esophageal tumors are often inoperable, because of the poor general condition of patients or the coexistence of metastatic disease. Endoscopic intubation is a safe method of palliation in these patients which can restore esophageal patency and lead to an improved nutritional status. At the Endoscopy Division of the National Cancer Institute in Milan, 141 patients with inoperable esophageal cancer underwent endoscopic intubation between 1978 and 1989. The 7-day mortality was 9/141 (6.3%) patients. In 114/132 surviving patients there was an improvement in the nutritional status and general condition. The complication rate was 17.7% (25/141 patients) and the mean survival was 5.9 months.

Adult