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Biomedical subjects

I P Todd

Publications and source records attributed to I P Todd.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

General practitioner referral of patients with lower gastrointestinal symptoms.

Of 500 consecutive patients with symptoms of colorectal disease referred to a specialist hospital for outpatient assessment, 305 were studied. There was a low incidence of examination by the general practitioner; less than half the patients had a rectal examination and 31% had no examination at all. In cases where GPs made a diagnosis, this was correct in half, which both demonstrates the potential for dangerous misdiagnosis and confirms the fact that many anorectal conditions can be identified by the history alone. It is suggested that direct-access clinics in a colorectal unit would minimize delay in accurate diagnosis. The resource implications for such a system would be limited in terms of special investigations and additional clinic facilities.

Colonic Diseases↗

The grading of rectal cancer: historical perspectives and a multivariate analysis of 447 cases.

The grade of a tumour is gauged on the subjective assessment of a number of histopathological parameters. The problems associated with this exercise were viewed from a historical perspective and survival analysis of 447 patients receiving surgery for rectal adenocarcinoma was undertaken. Only deaths from rectal adenocarcinoma were included as events in the survival analysis. Seven grade-related parameters were scored by one observer. A grading system was constructed using the Cox regression model. The variables in the best-fitting parsimonious model comprised lymphocytic infiltration, tubule configuration and pattern of growth. Scores were derived from the model and a four grade system was created in which the groups were of similar size. Good reproducibility of the selected histopathological parameters was demonstrated. Grade-related parameters were then allowed to compete with stage-related parameters in an overall model of pathological prognostic categories. The parameters selected in the best model were number of affected lymph nodes, the presence of lymphocytic infiltration and extent of spread through bowel wall. A set of five prognostic categories was developed from this model.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Hirschsprung's disease and idiopathic megacolon in adults and adolescents.

The distinction between Hirschsprung's disease and idiopathic megacolon in childhood dates from the classic clinical, radiological, and histological studies of Bodian, Stephens, and Ward. This article describes clinical experience over 15 years of 94 patients in whom megacolon of these two types was recognised for the first time after the age of 10, to illustrate the problems of diagnosis and treatment in later years. Just as it is now recognised that patients with the clinical characteristics of Hirschsprung's disease may have one of several abnormalities of the myenteric plexus, including not only absence of ganglion cells, but also patchy or zonal loss, abnormal neurones or neuronal dysplasia, so idiopathic megacolon may also be a heterogeneous group of cases. This paper suggests on clinical grounds that those patients with idiopathic megacolon whose symptoms start in childhood differ from those whose symptoms develop in later years.

Adolescent↗

Adult Hirschsprung's disease: results of the Duhamel procedure.

Hirschsprung's disease is a rare condition in the adult. The case reports of 39 patients managed by the Duhamel procedure were reviewed. One-third of the patients underwent at least one abdominal surgical procedure before the correct diagnosis was made. The operative mortality of the Duhamel procedure was zero. In 29 patients no defunctioning procedure was used to protect the anastomosis. The incidence of anastomotic dehiscence was 13 per cent. Thirty-six of the thirty-nine patients have excellent functional results.

Adolescent↗

Internal fistulas in Crohn's disease.

There is doubt about the timing of surgery for patients with internal fistulas in Crohn's disease. Although immediate operative intervention for all patients has been advocated, such a policy has not always been followed at St. Mark's Hospital. Between 1971 and 1982, 83 internal fistulas were identified in 59 patients with Crohn's disease. Fifty-nine fistulas arose primarily from the small intestine and involved another segment of the bowel, five were between large bowel and duodenum, and three between areas of large bowel. Sixteen fistulas (ten from ileum and six from large bowel) involved the bladder. Thirty-six patients with 54 fistulas underwent immediate surgical treatment. Fifteen patients with 20 fistulas required surgery later. There was one postoperative death among the 51 patients treated surgically and one late death unrelated to the treatment of the fistula. Of the remaining 49 surgically treated patients, 46 were traced and remain well, six after further surgery. Eight patients with nine fistulas (four involving the bladder) were treated at St. Mark's without operation. One later required surgery elsewhere for an enterocutaneous fistula, but the remaining seven patients are well. This study suggests that the presence of an internal fistula, even if it involves the bladder, is not an absolute indication for immediate surgery and that the severity of the symptoms should dictate the treatment policy.

Adolescent↗

Primary suture of the perineal wound using constant suction and irrigation, following rectal excision for inflammatory bowel disease.

Thirty-four consecutive patients with inflammatory bowel disease underwent proctectomy with primary closure of the perineal wound. Throughout this period neither preoperative perineal sepsis nor intraoperative soiling was a contraindication to primary closure. An overall primary healing rate of 82% was obtained. It appears that the commonest cause of perineal wound breakdown is the inability of the suction catheter to drain all the serous fluid from the perineal space, resulting in discharge from the suture line and wound breakdown.

Adolescent↗

Results of colectomy for severe idiopathic constipation in women (Arbuthnot Lane's disease).

Twenty-one women with slow-transit constipation have been treated by bowel resection. All had a normal barium enema, but an increased colonic transit time. Pathological examination of the resected colons showed no evidence of aganglionosis. Some of the patients were treated by segmental colonic resection, anorectal myectomy, anal stretch or internal sphincterectomy but were not helped. Colectomy with ileorectal or caecorectal anastomosis gave the best results; on balance, ileorectal anastomosis seems preferable. Of sixteen patients who underwent colectomy, ten subsequently had normal bowel function and four were markedly improved. The spontaneous bowel frequency in this group rose from 0.3 +/- 0.1 (s.e.m.) to 21.7 +/- 8.3 weekly (P less than 0.001).

Adolescent↗

Surgery for acute Crohn's colitis: results and long term follow-up.

Acute Crohn's disease of the colon requiring emergency surgery is uncommon, but may be increasing in frequency. Between 1954 and 1981, 215 patients had surgery for acute inflammatory bowel disease at St. Mark's Hospital, and of these 18 had acute Crohn's colitis. There was one postoperative death, and the remaining patients were followed up for an average of 8 years. Ten patients had toxic dilation, two a toxic dilation with free perforation, three had perforation without dilatation and in three surgery was required for an acute deterioration. Surgical treatment included proctocolectomy (one), colectomy and ileostomy (fourteen), colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis (two) and defunctioning ileostomy alone (one). Subsequent rectal excision was necessary in ten of sixteen patients. Acute colonic Crohn's disease requiring surgery is less likely than ulcerative colitis to be amenable to restorative surgery despite a policy of rectal conservation.

Acute Disease↗

Radical restorative surgery for poorly differentiated carcinoma of the mid-rectum.

A retrospective study was made to compare the results of restorative surgery with those of total rectal excision in the treatment of patients with a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the middle third of the rectum (between 8 and 12 cm from the anal verge). Of 1163 patients presenting between 1963 and 1975, 42 with poorly differentiated tumours at this level were followed up after treatment by a radical (i.e. curative) operation. Twenty-eight underwent total rectal excision and 14 anterior resection. Examination of the preoperative biopsy correctly established the histological grade in 17 (40 per cent) of 42 cases. Pathological examination of the resected specimens showed a slightly higher proportion of Dukes' C2 tumours and those with venous invasion removed by total rectal excision, but the extent of local spread among tumours removed by either operation was similar. There was no operative mortality. Ten out of 28 patients treated by total rectal excision (36 per cent) and 6 out of 14 treated by anterior resection (43 per cent) were alive at 5 years. One patient developed a histologically proved local recurrence after anterior resection; no other proved local recurrence was recorded. It would appear, therefore, that where radical surgery is possible, anterior resection offers as good a prospect of cure as total rectal excision for poorly differentiated tumours of the mid-rectum.

Adenocarcinoma↗