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Biomedical subjects

P F Schofield

Publications and source records attributed to P F Schofield.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Is laparotomy for small bowel obstruction justified in patients with previously treated malignancy?

We report 53 patients who developed small bowel obstruction some time after the treatment of a primary malignant tumour. Previous treatment of the primary tumour in these patients had been by abdominal surgery (22 patients) or pelvic radiotherapy (20 patients) but 11 of the patients had not received previous abdominal surgery or radiotherapy. All the patients had a laparotomy in an attempt to relieve the obstruction. Seventeen patients had a cause for the obstruction other than secondary malignancy. This was noted particularly when the patients had had pelvic radiotherapy, when radiation change of the ileum causing obstruction was common. Thirty-six patients had obstruction due to secondary tumour and it was found possible to overcome the obstruction in all but two of these. The operative mortality in the patients with secondary malignancy was 19 per cent, but 15 patients (42 per cent) survived for more than a year and the median survival was 11 months. It is concluded that a policy of aggressive surgical intervention is desirable in patients who develop small bowel obstruction after previous treatment for malignant disease.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗

Incidence of synchronous and metachronous colorectal carcinoma.

Two hundred and twenty-three patients with colorectal carcinoma were treated consecutively at the University Hospital of South Manchester from May 1976 to January 1981. Twenty-four patients (10.7 per cent) were found to have more than one colorectal carcinoma. In 18 patients this was recognized either immediately or within 6 months of the initial diagnosis--synchronous carcinoma. In the other six cases a second carcinoma was found at a later time--metachronous carcinoma. The incidence of synchronous, and consequently the combined incidence of synchronous and metachronous carcinoma, was higher than previously documented. The anatomical distribution of the multiple carcinomas and the sex incidence in these patients was similar to that seen in patients with a single carcinoma of the large bowel. A high association of adenomatous polypi with multiple large bowel carcinomas was observed. The possibility of more extensive colonic resection in the younger patient with a favourable carcinoma is discussed.

Adult↗

A method for the determination of microvascular volume in tissue samples.

An estimate of the volume of the microvascular bed in injected tissue specimens of human bowel has been made by measuring the concentration of injected contrast material using X-ray fluorescent analysis. The contrast medium used was barium sulphate and this completely fills the microvasculature in excised specimens. The concentration of barium in excised tissue samples has been determined by measuring the ratio of gamma-ray induced X-ray fluorescence in the barium to the 90 degree Compton scattered 140 keV gamma rays from a collimated 99Tcm source. Barium concentration was estimated in tissue samples from 45 specimens of normal bowel and 11 specimens of radiation damaged bowel. The radiation group showed a highly significant reduction (p less than 0.001) in barium concentration and therefore vascular volume. The mean percentage error for barium concentration measured on two separate occasions in 45 randomly selected tissue samples was 5%.

Barium Sulfate↗

Pneumatosis coli: a case report with ultrastructural study.

A case of pneumatosis intestinalis studied by light and electron microscopy is presented. The cysts are dilated lymphatic vessels. Abundant fine fatty globules are found in the cysts and in the histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells which line the lymphatics and which are present in the interstitium. The giant cell formation and florid histiocytic reaction are most probably due to leakage of fatty material from the dilated lymphatics.

Aged↗

Microvascular studies in human radiation bowel disease.

The microvasculature was investigated in the normal bowel (n = 43 patients) and in radiation bowel disease (n = 18 patients). Tissue samples obtained from postoperative colectomy specimens in which the intramural vessels had been perfused with barium sulphate suspension were examined. Microradiography was used to study vascular pattern which was abnormal in radiation bowel disease. A recently described radiograph fluorescence system was used to estimate barium concentration, and hence microvascular volume. The radiation group showed a highly significant reduction in barium concentration (p less than 0.001), when compared with the normal group. This reduction was diffuse in samples from 15 patients who had received combined intracavity and external radiotherapy, but localised in two patients who had received intracavity treatment only. It is concluded that microvascular compromise is an important factor in the natural history of radiation bowel disease.

Adult↗

Diagnosis and management of psoas abscess in Crohn's disease.

Four patients with Crohn's disease complicated by psoas abscess are described. These patients did not have general or abdominal signs of sepsis but they all showed wasting of the right quadriceps femoris and hip flexion. It is important to examine the hip and thigh in patients with known Crohn's disease who are on medical treatment. Surgical treatment of a Crohn's psoas abscess should include resection of recurrent disease, fashioning of the anastomosis remote from the abscess cavity, and long-term (21 days) drainage of the abscess cavity to avoid the possibilities of faecal fistula or recurrent abscess.

Abscess↗

Computed tomographic scanning in rectal carcinoma.

Computed tomographic (CT) scanning has been used to assess the extent of local spread in 85 patients with rectal carcinoma. In 37 patients with carcinoma of the rectum who were scanned before surgery, good correlation was found between the extent of local invasion, as assessed by scanning, and that demonstrated at operation by histological assessment. Scanning is not a reliable method for assessing regional lymph node involvement. Forty-eight patients presented with recurrent rectal carcinoma after previous rectal excision (30 patients after abdominoperineal and 18 patients after anterior resection). CT scanning was shown to be a valuable tool in establishing the diagnosis of recurrent tumour. Most of these patients have spread which precludes further curative surgery. CT may identify those patients who have a resectable recurrence, but is especially valuable in planning radiotherapy which may be used for palliation.

Aged↗

A prospective randomized trial of vagotomy in chronic duodenal ulceration: 4-year follow-up.

A total of 153 patients (124 male and 29 female) with uncomplicated chronic duodenal ulceration were studied in a prospective, randomized trial of proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) and truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP), conducted in four Manchester hospitals. Of these, 137 patients have now been followed up for 2.5 to 5.5 (mean 4.1) yr. There have been 15 (21 per cent) recurrent ulcers following PGV compared with 5 (7.5 per cent) after TVP (P less than 0.05). A satisfactory functional result was obtained in 82 per cent of patients after TVP compared with 73 per cent following PGV and there was little difference between the groups with regard to the incidence of dumping, heartburn and vomiting. There was significantly more diarrhoea following TVP (13 per cent) compared to PGV (1.4 per cent) but this represented only a minor clinical problem.

Adult↗

Limitations of immune complex measurements in colorectal disease.

Three techniques (Clq, Raji and L1210 binding assays) alleged to measure circulating immune complexes (ICs) were applied to the sera of 101 patients with colorectal disease (54 carcinoma; 23 inflammatory; 13 benign tumour and 11 miscellaneous) at the time of diagnostic or definitive surgery, and 58 healthy adult controls. Elevated levels in the pathological sera were observed by all 3 methods in order of sensitivity: Raji greater than Clq greater than L1210. However, none of them differentiated between benign, inflammatory and neoplastic conditions nor, in the case of colorectal carcinoma, was there any correlation with stage of disease. With the exception of Raji v. L1210 (r = 0.43, P less than 0.001), correlations between the various assays were poor and levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) did not correlate with ICs measured by any of the techniques. Indeed, the IC assays were even less discriminatory than CEA, which was elevated mainly in the serum of carcinoma patients and which was positively correlated with serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma GT) (r = 0.42, P less than 0.005). The data suggest that the lack of concordance between the IC assays is a reflection of heterogeneity among ICs, interfering factors present in pathological sera, or both. Thus the IC assays deployed here have neither diagnostic nor prognostic utility in colorectal disease at this time, and immunochemical characterization of the serum reactive material detected by the different assays is required.

Adult↗

Bowel disease after radiotherapy.

The clinical presentation, operative findings and outcome in 40 patients who required surgery for bowel disease after radiotherapy are presented. The type of presentation varied according to the time after radiotherapy. In the first month, many patients had a proctitis but none required surgery. Five patients were operated on within one month, 2 for radiation-induced acute ileitis and 3 for exacerbations of pre-existing disease (diverticular disease 2, ulcerative colitis 1). The commonest time of presentation was between 3 and 18 months after radiotherapy, when 20 patients needed surgery for bowel disease caused by radiation-induced local ischaemia. Twelve of these patients had chronic perforation, 6 had severe rectal bleeding and 2 had painful anorectal ulceration. Fifteen patients presented between 2 and 24 years after radiotherapy, usually with incomplete intestinal obstruction due to a fibrous stricture, but 2 patients had rectal carcinoma. Wide resection of the involved bowel was the principal method of treatment but any anastomosis was protected by a proximal defunctioning stoma. There was no operative mortality but 10 patients have died subsequently. The danger of dismissing these patients as having incurable malignancy is stressed because, although the condition is infrequent, it is usually amenable to adequate surgery.

Female↗

Randomized trial of elective highly selective or truncal vagotomy in chronic duodenal ulceration.

Between 1973 and 1976, 153 patients (124 men, 29 women) with uncomplicated, chronic, duodenal ulcer were entered into a prospective randomized trial of highly selective vagotomy (HSV) or truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP). The study was conducted in four Manchester hospitals and the operations were performed by consultants or chief registrars. The follow-up was conducted by personal interview using a standardized questionnaire. The medical gastroenterologist did not know which type of operation the patient had had. The patients who had symptoms were referred back to the surgeon who performed the operation. The clinical laboratory and follow-up data were analysed by computer. There were no operative deaths. Three patients died from unrelated causes, 13 were lost to follow-up; 137 (89.5%) were followed up for a mean of 4.1 years (range from 2.5 to 5.5 years). A modified Visick grading was used to assess the results of surgery. The outcome was good in 82% after TVP and 73% after HSV. This difference and those in the incidences of early or late postprandial dumping, bilious vomiting, weight loss, anemia and heartburn were not significant. Diarrhea was more frequent after TVP (13.4%) than after HSV (1.4%); although the difference was significant (p less than 0.025), this complaint did not present a serious clinical problem. Ulcers recurred in 15 (21.4%) patients following HSV and in 5 (7.5%) after TVP; this difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05).

Adult↗

Inflammatory bowel disease in the older patient.

This paper presents a review of 64 patients in whom the first symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease occurred after the age of 60 years. Inflammatory bowel disease in older patients affects the large bowel much more commonly than the small bowel. The commonest variant is disease localized in the rectum and distal colon, and many of these patients have Crohn's disease (14 out of 28 patients). In 19 patients with localized left-sided colitis it was difficult to distinguish ischaemic colitis, acute diverticulitis and Crohn's disease. Patients with left-sided colitis or total colitis (15 patients) had a high incidence of acute complications, particularly colonic perforation. There should be an awareness of the risks associated with all types of colitis in the older patient.

Age Factors↗

Intraoperative microscopy of bile--is it useful?

Direct microscopy of the bile was performed during cholecystectomy in 111 patients in an attempt to identify those with a high risk of wound infection. Bacteria were identified in 23 patients, 11 of 83 undergoing cholecystectomy alone and 12 of 28 undergoing exploration of the common bile duct (P less than 0.01). These 23 patients were randomly allocated to an antibiotic group or a control group; there was one wound infection in the antibiotic group and two in the control group. A total of 14 patients developed wound sepsis. Infection was more likely if the common bile duct was explored (6 of 28) rather than cholecystectomy alone (8 of 83). There was a poor correlation between microscopy and culture of the bile for bacteria and there was no increase in sepsis when bacteria were observed on microscopy. We were not able to identify a high risk group of patients by intraoperative microscopy of bile.

Adult↗

Role of autologous lymphocyte cytotoxicity in colonic neoplasia.

The T-lymphocyte mediated killing of autologous carcinoma colon cells was investigated. There was no change in the incidence of activity with advanced disease, age, or nutritional status of the patient and no difference could be demonstrated in lymphocytes extracted from blood, draining lymph nodes, or the tumour itself. Nevertheless. T-lymphocyte activity did appear to be specific for the patients's own tumour, as it was rarely observed with allogeneic tumours. There was also no correlation with lymphocyte natural killer activity. The in vitro studies demonstrated patient specific T-lymphocyte activity in 23 of 47 patients with carcinoma of the colon, but the results do not correlate with clinical and pathological findings.

Adult↗