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F J Solé-Balcells

Publications and source records attributed to F J Solé-Balcells.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Growing teratoma syndrome: experience of a single institution.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical outcome of patients diagnosed with growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) at a single center during a long follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven patients with GTS are reported. GTS lesions were located in the metastatic sites involved at disease presentation. Involved sites were: retroperitoneum in 9 patients; lung in 3; supraclavicular lymph nodes in 2, and inguinal lymph nodes in 1. Surgical resection of the masses was the treatment of choice. RESULTS: Twenty-four surgical procedures were performed: 4 thoracotomies; 2 supraclavicular; 1 inguinal, and 17 retroperitoneal node resections. Three patients have not relapsed since surgery of the masses, at 37+, 110+ and 118+ months. Eight patients have relapsed, 6 with mature teratoma and 2 (22%) with cancer. To date, all the patients are alive, 6 of them without disease and 5 with teratoma after resection of the masses. CONCLUSIONS: GTS is an infrequent entity. Involved sites are only at locations previously affected by the disease. The treatment of choice is surgical resection but recurrence is common. Efforts should be done to complete resection of the masses.

Adolescent↗

[Renal angiomyolipoma: diagnostic difficulties and surgical indications in 20 surgically treated patients].

Between 1982 and 1993, 6 male and 14 female patients underwent partial or total nephrectomy due to renal angiomyolipoma (AML). Presentation forms were: in 6 cases (30%) acute pain with severe haematuria or signs of visceral bleeding, 3 (15%) acute pain without other symptoms, 7 (35%) chronic pain associated to haematuria or fever, or isolated haematuria, and in 4 (20%) it was a chance finding. No significant differences were found among tumor sizes considering the severity of the presentation form, but all AMLs with serious signs and symptoms had more than 5 cm diameter. A pre-operative diagnosis of AML was made in 15 (75%) patients, while 5 (25%) underwent surgery for other presumed diagnosis. Nine were conservative procedures of renal parenchyma and 11 were total or radical nephrectomies. There were no significant differences between tumour sizes by treatment performed. The authors review the imaging diagnostic difficulties and the various criteria supporting surgery in AML, and conclude by recommending individualized diagnosis and treatment in patients with AML suspicion of including puncture biopsy or cytology when in doubt, trying to avoid surgery in well characterized tumours, under 4 or 5 cm, provided that they could be followed-up regularly.

Adult↗

[Filling defects in the upper urinary tract: update on the etiologic diagnosis and review of the specific value of urinary cytology].

We present 3 cases with upper tract filling defect and exfoliative cytology positive for malignant cells in 2 of these cases (micturition and via ureteral catheter, respectively). The initial suspicion of urinary tract tumor was discarded by subsequent work up in 2 patients who were managed conservatively and followed closely. The third patient was submitted to nephroureterectomy. The histopathological examination disclosed chronic pyelonephritis and a deposit of amorphous mucoid material but no evidence of tumor. We review the etiologies of upper tract filling defects and present a useful diagnostic algorithm for the study of these conditions and the etiopathogenic and physiopathologic evaluation of the false positives in urinary cytology.

Adult↗

[Our experience in the treatment of superficial cancer of the bladder with BCG].

We report on our experience with 21 patients with superficial bladder cancer who were treated with intravesical BCG instillation. The BCG vaccine was effective in the treatment of carcinoma in situ. Tumor regression was achieved in 83.3% at 3 months, and 61.1% at 24 months. It is advisable to follow patients closely because of the possibility of tumor progression.

Adult↗