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P Chirletti

Publications and source records attributed to P Chirletti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Squamous and adenosquamous cell carcinomas of the gallbladder.

Squamous and adenosquamous cell carcinomas (ASC and SCC) are rare subtypes of gallbladder cancer, traditionally considered more aggressive and with a poorer prognosis than adenocarcinoma. We report about two patients affected by an advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder. Both had a large tumour in the gallbladder fossa region with infiltration of the liver. Surgical resection was radical in one, but palliative in the other. pTNM was T3 N0 M0, G3, R0 in the former and T3 N0 M0, G2 R1 in the latter. Patients died for local recurrence after 12 and 5 months, respectively. Natural history, clinical findings, prognosis and outcome of this rare gallbladder tumour are discussed on the basis of a review of the English literature. In conclusion, an aggressive and radical surgical treatment of advanced squamous and adenosquamous cell gallbladder carcinomas seems to be indicated for their low proclivity to distant spreading.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Systematic radical gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy in primary gastric B cell lymphoma: impact on diagnosis, classification and long term results. A prospective study.

The role of surgery in the treatment of primary gastric lymphoma has been recently re-evaluated. We report the results of a series of 37 operated patients for primary gastric lymphoma (PGL). All patients underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectony and bilateral liver biopsies. Postoperative histopathological classification was compared to preoperative staging data. No mortality and low morbidity were observed in this series of patients. We found a high incidence of mixed grading of tumors and a relatively high incidence of lymph node metastases in low grade lymphoma. Relying on preoperative biopsies and imaging techniques could lead to preoperative staging inaccuracy and therefore to inappropriate treatment planning. For these reasons we advocate systematic primary surgery in PGL. Surgery could be useful for staging purposes and seems to be curative in stage IE.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Acute abdomen in a 15-year-old patient with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Surgical approach.

The natural history of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is characterized by gastrointestinal complications (occlusion, invagination or bleeding), often the first clinical manifestation in young patients. Surgical treatment consists of treating the complication, exploring the bowel and cleaning out all polyps to prevent further emergency operations at brief intervals. For this purpose both the laparotomic and laparoscopic approaches have been proposed, especially in young patients. A 15-year-old girl was admitted for investigation of colicky abdominal pains. When she was 5 years old, PJS was diagnosed. On admission to our department, the patient underwent emergency esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, both negative. At 24 hours after admission peritonitis developed. Given her clinical history, we rejected the laparoscopic approach proposed at admission and decided for an open laparotomy. Laparotomy disclosed a long jejunoileal invagination that caused irreversible ischemic damage of the bowel. We resected about 130 cm of the ileum and did an end-to-end ileo-ileal anastomosis. Meticulous palpation and transillumination of the residual bowel identified no other polyps. In young patients with acute abdomen and with proven or suspected PJS instead of laparoscopy, open laparotomy is a unique occasion to explore the residual bowel thoroughly, manually and, if possible, endoscopically.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed2003

Functional results of a personal technique of reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The aim of the study is to propose a new technique of reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy with more attention to the functional aspects. From 1995 and 2003, 25 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic or periampullary cancer. The reconstruction was carried out by: end-to-end gastro-jejunal anastomosis (first jejunal loop); a Roux-en-Y T-T pancreatico-jejunal anastomosis leaving a silastic catheter in the Wirsung; hepatico-jejunostomy and jejuno-jejunostomy below the biliary anastomosis; superselective vagotomy. Mortality was 8%. Regarding the complications, we observed 3 biliary fistulas, mean duration 5 days, with spontaneous healing; 8 pleural effusions and 7 wound infections. Postoperative 3 months reevaluation showed weight gain in 14 patients with no other digestive symptoms (vomiting, fullness, dumping). With a scintigraphic meal we observed a good rythmic and regular gastric emptying. No jejunal peptic ulcers were noted in all patients after the gastric protonic pump inhibitors were discontinued. Fecal fats were evaluated in all cases for malabsorption 3 months after operation with low fat fecal levels. The preliminary results of our recent experience seem to be encouraging. This technique may have a useful application in the clinical setting as far as radicality and quality of life of the patients with pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Ampulla of Vater↗
PubMed2001

Neutropenic enterocolitis in patients with acute leukemia: prognostic significance of bowel wall thickening detected by ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: Neutropenic enterocolitis (NE) is a severe complication of intensive chemotherapy and is barely identifiable by clinical signs alone. Ultrasonography (US) supports the diagnosis of NE by showing pathologic thickening of the bowel wall. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the degree of mural thickening evaluated by US in patients with clinically suspected NE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Neutropenic patients with fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain after intensive chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies were studied with abdominal US. We evaluated the degree of bowel wall thickening detected by US and its correlation with the duration of the clinical syndrome as well as NE-related mortality. RESULTS: Eighty-eight (6%) of 1,450 consecutive patients treated for leukemia had clinical signs of NE. In 44 (50%) of 88 patients, US revealed pathologic wall thickening (mean +/- SD, 10.2 +/- 2.9 mm; range, 6 to 18). The mean duration of symptoms was significantly longer in this group (7.9 days) than among patients without mural thickening (3.8 days, P <.0001), and the NE-related mortality rate was higher (29.5% v 0%, P <.001). Patients with bowel wall thickness of more than 10 mm had a significantly higher mortality rate (60%) than did those with bowel wall thickness < or = 10 mm (4.2%, P <.001). CONCLUSION: Symptomatic patients with sonographically detected bowel wall thickening have a poor prognosis compared with patients without this finding. In addition, mural thickness of more than 10 mm is associated with poorer outcome among patients with NE.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Impaired human gallbladder lipid absorption in cholesterol gallstone disease and its effect on cholesterol solubility in bile.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The role of the gallbladder in gallstone pathogenesis is still unclear. We examined the effects of gallbladder mucosal lipid absorption on lipid composition and cholesterol crystallization in bile. METHODS: The in vitro-isolated, intra-arterially perfused gallbladder model was used (1) to compare the absorption rates of lipids from standard bile by gallbladders obtained from 7 patients with cholesterol gallstones and 6 controls; and (2) to measure the microscopic cholesterol crystal detection time in cholesterol-enriched pig bile before and after lipid absorption by the pig gallbladder. RESULTS: Control gallbladders, but not cholesterol gallstone gallbladders, significantly reduced cholesterol (P < 0.02) and phospholipid (P < 0.01) and increased bile salt (P < 0.01) molar percentages in bile over a 5-hour period by efficient and selective cholesterol and phospholipid absorption. A histomorphometric study of the epithelial cells showed significantly higher values for nuclear density (P < 0.01) and nuclear (P < 0.05) and cytoplasmic (P < 0.05) areas in the cholesterol gallstone than the control group. Sequential microscopy of cholesterol-enriched pig bile showed significantly shorter cholesterol filament (P < 0.01) and typical cholesterol plate (P < 0. 02) detection times before than after exposure of bile to the gallbladder lipid absorption. CONCLUSIONS: In cholesterol gallstone disease, the human gallbladder epithelium loses its capacity to selectively and efficiently absorb cholesterol and phospholipids from bile, even if it is hyperplastic and hypertrophic. This epithelial dysfunction eliminates the positive effect that the normal gallbladder exerts on cholesterol solubility in bile and might be a pathogenetic cofactor for cholesterol gallstone formation.

Absorption↗
PubMed1998

Gastrointestinal emergencies in patients with acute intestinal graft-versus-host disease.

Acute intestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) develops in about 30-50% of allogeneic bone-marrow transplant recipients: 10-20% have gastrointestinal emergencies (hemorrhage or perforation). Mortality reaches 30-60% in patients with acute, grade 2-4 GVHD. We studied 36 bone marrow recipients in whom acute intestinal GVHD developed. Seven had gastrointestinal emergencies: 4 severe gastrointestinal bleeding and 3 acute peritonitis. Three patients with gastrointestinal bleeding and one patient with peritonitis responded to medical therapy. Three needed surgery: one with bleeding and two with peritonitis, while 1 patient had embolization. Of the 7, two patients died, one after embolization and one after surgery. Two of the three surgically-treated cases are still alive several years after operation. From this experience we feel that surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding in acute GVHD is indicated only when medical treatment fails. Severe neutropenia, thrombocytopenia (<10.000 x mm3) and blood cultures positive for CMV have an unfavorable prognostic value.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of insulinomas. Apropos of a personal experience of 21 cases].

Insulinomas account for about 90% of all pancreatic endocrine tumors and their surgical resection leads to cure in 90% of patients. Although current laboratory tests have simplified the clinical diagnosis of insulinomas, despite recourse to an array of most preoperative diagnostic procedures in 10-15% of patients the exact location of the tumor remains undefined. Tumor localization is difficult because: 80% of insulinomas measure less than 2 cm, about 10-12% of insulinomas are multicentric and 4-6% escape detection because are multiple endocrine neoplasms (MEN). If preoperative imaging fails to detect the site of the lesion, the surgeon could be obliged to perform a "blinded resection" with high risks of failure. The Authors refer their experience in a series of 21 patients operated on for insulinoma over the past 8 years (1987-1995). Arteriography with calcium stimulation (ASVS) and scintigraphy with 111-Indium-labeled octreotide performed in the later 16 and 13 cases respectively, achieved a correct tumor localization (confirmed by surgery) in 100% and 84.7% of patients. Intraoperative ultrasonography, performed in 18 cases, allowed not only to localize the tumor but also to study the tumor's neighbouring anatomic structures (Wirsung duct. splenic artery and vein), thus providing the anatomical and surgical information necessary to plan the right surgical strategy (tumor enucleation or pancreatic resection). Tumor enucleation was performed in 15 patients, distal pancreatic resections in 5 cases and multiple liver biopsies in 1 case: this patient had liver micrometastases from a malignant insulinoma without a palpable tumor. Operative mortality was nil. Postoperative complications occurred only in 5 of the 15 enucleations (1 pseudocyst successfully treated with a ultrasound-guided drainage and 4 pancreatic fistula resolved by medical therapy).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the intestine associated with asymptomatic celiac disease in adults].

Celiac disease (CD), a gluten-induced enteropathy, is characterized by typical intestinal involvement with classical clinic features in childhood and less frequent features in adult patients. Recognizing pauci- and asymptomatic patients is a critical point in the clinical management of CD because of the high mortality associated with the onset of complications. Among these, malignant diseases are the most severe, particularly squamous cell carcinoma and lymphoma, the latter accounting for 50% of all malignancies occurring in CD patients. The authors describe a 57 years old patient with CD and Enteropathy-Associated-T-Cell Lymphoma, who had no intestinal symptoms but only severe pruritus and hypereosinophilia.

Celiac Disease↗
PubMed1997

[Video-assisted closed-thorax esophagectomy in cancer. A technical proposal].

Blunt transhiatal esophagectomy is largely performed in selected cases of esophageal cancer following the experience of Mark Orringer. We have recently performed five consecutive video-laparoscopy-assisted transhiatal esophagectomies in order to help the esophageal dissection and to avoid injuries to mediastinal structures. In our experience a routine use of laparoscopic assistance during transhiatal esophageal dissection improves the safety of this technique and lowers postoperative complications. The results recently reported from neoadjuvant treatments (radio-chemotherapy) emphasize the role of transhiatal esophagectomy for cancer.

Esophageal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1993

The surgical choice in neutropenic patients with hematological disorders and acute abdominal complications.

The clinical course of patients with hematological disease, especially after treatment, is often complicated by gastrointestinal infections. Between 1986 and 1990 a total of 18 patients affected with hematologic disease and presenting with an acute abdomen were admitted to the surgery department at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". Most patients were affected with acute or chronic myeloid leukemia (61%) and lymphoma. Five patients with acute appendicitis, three with necrotizing enterocolitis, three with spontaneous hemoperitoneum, three with cholecystitis, two splenic infarctions and two intestinal occlusions were diagnosed. Symptoms were often vague and non specific and blood counts revealed neutropenia in all but two patients, while anemia was characteristic in spontaneous hemoperitoneum and in neutropenic enterocolitis. Fungemia occurred in only two cases while bacteremia was present in seven. The most critical patients were those affected by neutropenic enterocolitis and acute cholecystitis. Sonography was meaningful in the diagnosis of hemoperitoneum, splenic infarct and acute cholecystitis. All patients underwent surgical procedures within 48 hours of admission to the department. In all cases peritoneal washing was performed and at least one peritoneal drainage was left. In all cases of necrotizing enterocolitis, intestinal resections, either ileal or colonic, were followed by an immediate anastomosis in two layers. Intensive hematological and antibiotic post surgical care was performed in all patients. Seven patients presented minor complications (38.8%), and only one died (5.5%). Emergency surgical treatment may be safely carried out in patients with hematological diseases presenting with an acute abdomen. Intensive postsurgical care is mandatory for the recovery of patients and the patient's critical condition should not be a deterrent to surgical intervention.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed1992

Role of CEA, TPA, and Ca 19-9 in the early detection of localized and diffuse recurrent rectal cancer.

Sixty-six consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for rectal cancer were studied prospectively to evaluate the roles of sequential carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), and carcinomatous antigen 19-9 (Ca 19-9) determinations in the early diagnosis of resectable recurrences. Thirty-three recurrences were detected between 6 and 42 months. CEA, TPA, and Ca 19-9 showed a sensitivity of 72.7 percent, 78.8 percent, and 60.1 percent, respectively, and a specificity of 60.6 percent, 60.6 percent, and 87.9 percent, respectively. In 23 cases the rise in the value of CEA and/or TPA and/or Ca 19-9 was the first sign of recurrences, and the diagnosis was established later by clinical methods. In this group, the lead time was two months for liver metastases and four months for disseminated metastases. As far as the relationship between localization of recurrence and marker level increase is concerned, of 16 hepatic metastases CEA, TPA, and Ca 19-9 showed a sensitivity of 94 percent (P less than 0.05), 69 percent, and 62 percent, respectively. Of six patients with local recurrences, CEA, TPA, and Ca 19-9 showed a sensitivity of 50 percent, 100 percent (P less than 0.05), and 83.3 percent, respectively. Of three patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, CEA, TPA (P less than 0.05), and Ca 19-9 showed a sensitivity of 0 percent, 100 percent, and 0 percent, respectively. No significant differences were reported among the three markers according to multiple metastases and metachronous polyps. Fourteen patients (42.4 percent) underwent surgical treatment for recurrent disease, and eight of them (57 percent) showed a resectable disease, for a total resectability rate of 24.2 percent. The findings of our study indicate that a follow-up program based on CEA, TPA, and Ca 19-9 assays is related to an early diagnosis and a good resectability rate for both local and metastatic recurrences from rectal cancer.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed1992

Fluconazole treatment of catheter-related right-sided endocarditis caused by Candida albicans and associated with endophthalmitis and folliculitis.

An unusual case of catheter-related right-sided endocarditis, endophthalmitis, and extensive folliculitis, apparently caused by a single DNA biotype of Candida albicans, was successfully treated with a 6-month course of fluconazole plus two intravitreous doses of amphotericin B. The patient was a 21-year-old man who underwent colectomy for diffuse polyposis and developed the clinical syndrome just described following total parenteral nutrition for the treatment of purulent anal fistulas. Fluconazole was initially administered at a daily dose of 200 mg, with 600 mg daily given after 4 weeks. Clinical improvement resulted, with no relapse during 14 months of follow-up. Sequential measurements by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent inhibition assay demonstrated that levels of circulating mannoprotein antigen of C. albicans fell from 75 ng/mL to less than 1 ng/mL after the institution of fluconazole therapy. These observations seem to confirm previous reports on the efficacy of fluconazole as sole therapy for candidal endocarditis and suggest a role for serological studies in clinical monitoring of severe candidal infections.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Low colorectal anastomosis using the Knight and Griffen technique].

The low anterior resection currently represents the procedure of choice in the treatment of middle and low rectal cancer. The double stapling technique described by Knight and Griffen may be considered a safe and valid alternative able to decrease the incidence of complications related to a low colorectal anastomosis.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1988

Clinical evaluation of subcutaneously administered DDAVP.

1-deamino-8D-arginine vasopressin was given subcutaneously at the dosage of 0.3 micrograms/Kg. b.w. to 24 mild factor VIII deficient patients (16 mild, 2 moderate hemophiliacs and 6 patients with von Willebrand's Disease), to treat bleedings (10 episodes) or to prevent bleeding during and after dental extractions (6 extractions) and surgery (11 interventions). None of the patients who underwent surgery bled. The vasopressin analogue was effective in the early treatment of muscle hematomas and promptly stopped all mucosal hemorrhages. Most of the patients treated for "spontaneous" bleedings performed self-injections at home. The drug was administered in two pharmaceutical forms (4 and 40 micrograms/ml): no differences in the clinical outcome were found. No significant side effects were recorded. The subcutaneous route of DDAVP administration thus seems to be particularly useful (mainly in the concentrated pharmaceutical form) in treating mild factor VIII deficiencies even on self- and home-treatment basis.

Deamino Arginine Vasopressin↗
PubMed1988

Prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory anorectal complications in leukemia.

Forty leukemic patients with inflammatory anorectal complications were examined. Twenty two were affected by acute lymphatic leukemia, 10 by chronic lymphatic leukemia, 6 by acute myelocytic leukemia and 2 by non H lymphoma and chronic myelocytic leukemia, respectively. In all cases surgery was indicated not only to treat the anorectal complication, but mainly to resume the antiblastic chemotherapy discontinued because of the risk of sepsis and to prevent the failure of bone marrow transplantation in patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia. The underlying malignant disease and the altered platelet, white blood cell and neutrophil levels were shown to be the major factors conditioning the surgical treatment. In 2 cases, acute recurrence of the underlying disease and the development of a graft verus host disease have been the cause of death. It is concluded that in patients eligible for bone marrow transplantation or undergoing radio and/or chemotherapy, local and general antinfective prophylaxis is of paramount importance to decrease the risk of inflammatory anorectal complications.

Abscess↗