Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Luciano Izzo.
The authors present a case report of a 60-year-old man with a hepatic unknown mass. For diagnosis, they used ECO, CT (with and without contrast), MR (with and without contrast) and an ultrasound-assisted percutaneous lesion biopsy. Thus the mass-lesion in the liver appeared to be an intrahepatic accessory spleen in a patient afflicted with chronic hepatitis.
OBJECTIVE: The coexistence of hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer is considered a rare event. With the aim of assessing the clinical relevance of this association, we have retrospectively analyzed the incidence of thyroid cancer in 425 hyperthyroid patients seen and treated by surgery in our institutions. METHODS: Among these hyperthyroid patients, we observed 241 (56.7%) cases of multinodular toxic goiter, 120 (28.3%) of uninodular toxic goiter and 64 (15%) cases of Graves' disease. RESULTS: Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 7 (1.65%) hyperthyroid patients. Histological examination revealed the presence of papillary carcinoma in 5 cases and follicular carcinoma in 2 cases. Neoplasia was detected in 4 patients with nodular toxic goiter and in 3 with uninodular toxic goiter. None of the patients with Graves' disease had thyroid cancer. During the follow-up of 74 months (range 4-154), there were no deaths or any recurrences. CONCLUSION: Although the occurrence of thyroid cancer in hyperthyroid patients is a rare event, the presence of a 'cold' nodule in a hyperfunctioning thyroid should be carefully evaluated to exclude the presence of concurrent malignancy.
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BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence in patients submitted to chronic hemodialysis still remains a subject of debate: there is evidence for increased risk, but the results are still controversial. Adoption of a specific surveillance protocol would appear useful. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our Department we prospectively followed patients subject to long-term hemodialysis for a 10-year period, having adopted strict inclusion criteria. The protocol of surveillance included available, low cost and low-invasive examinations. RESULTS: The cancer incidence among our study group was significantly higher than expected (1.58%), similar to that reported in the literature, with prevalence of cancer of the kidney (2 patients), prostate, corpus uteri and colon (1 patient each). CONCLUSION: Through following the surveillance protocol, all patients were able to undergo radical oncological surgery, with prevalence of early stage disease at histopathological examination. Our data support the adoption of such protocols for cancer surveillance in hemodialysis units.
BACKGROUND: Oncocytic cell neoplasm of the thyroid is currently recognized as a histological entity, but doubts still exist about its clinical and evolutionary categorization. Controversies concern occurrence and frequency of malignant forms, natural history and therapeutic strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors report six cases of Hürthle cell tumor. Five cases were adenoma, one was carcinoma. Morpho-functional pre-operative evaluation and inter-operative histopathological test were performed in all patients. One patient underwent lobectomy (absence of unusual characteristics of the adenoma Hürthle cell) and five underwent total thyroidectomies (1 carcinoma). All patients were treated with suppressive hormonal therapy. RESULTS: No mortality and morbidity was recorded. All patients are undergoing follow-up (adenomas: average 64.2 months; carcinoma: 132 months) and none of them show recurrent symptoms. DISCUSSION: Hürthle cell tumors can be diversified in adenoma and carcinoma. Almost all reports classify oncocytic nodules as malignant when capsular and/or vascular invasion is present or when there is peri-thyroid tissue infiltration or lymphatic or hematic metastases. A clear differentiation between adenoma and carcinoma is determined by a histological test. Also an intra-operative histopathological analysis is sometimes unable to show minimal signs of invasion. Conflicting observations about the biological behaviour of Hürthle cell neoplasm lead to different therapeutic strategies. The authors believe lobectomy is the treatment of choice when a clear histological diagnosis of adenoma has been made. When carcinoma is diagnosed or when doubts exist after intraoperative histological test, the authors recommend total thyroidectomy followed by scintigraphic test and preventive radio-active therapy. All patients should be treated with suppressive hormonal therapy and undergo periodic check-ups.
BACKGROUND: The use of endoluminal self-expanding metallic stents is an effective alternative to surgery in neoplastic gastrointestinal tract obstructions. It is often difficult to mark the proximal segment of the stricture under fluoroscopic guidance (due to patient movements or change of markers' position). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We placed Ultraflex precision colonic stent (Microvasive, Boston Scientific) in ten patients with neoplastic stricture of the rectosigmoid colon. Before placement of the delivery catheter, a radiopaque proximal marker was identified on the delivery catheter under fluoroscopic guidance. The external side of the delivery catheter was coloured (in correspondence with the radiopaque marker) with non toxic colour. After the introduction of the delivery catheter, we placed the proximal coloured marker just above the distal tumour margin under endoscopic guidance. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in relieving the obstruction in all patients, without mortality or complications. In all patients the coloured marker was identified and the stent correctly placed. CONCLUSION: The location of a coloured marker in the external side of the delivery catheter permits an accurate and correct placement of the stent, without unnecessary exposure to X-rays.
Sarcomas of the breast are uncommon, accounting for less than 1% of all primary malignancies. Among these tumors, malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is very rare. Two cases of this neoplasm are reported, with histological findings and surgical treatment. The issue of radiation-induced lesions after surgery for carcinoma and the necessity for a correct preoperative diagnosis is examined. A review of the available literature evaluates the histopathological and biological features of MFH of the breast, for which there are no prospective trials, owing to the rarity of this kind of neoplasm. The extent of surgery or role of axillary lymph nodes dissection and multimodality therapy are discussed.