Parotid metastases of Merkel cell carcinoma.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Sorrenti.
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BACKGROUND: The authors analyse the value of the exams preoperative for the identification of the pathological parathyroid glands. METHODS: The authors examined 58 patients affected by primitive hyperparathyroidism (HPTp) who had undergone surgical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism at the Third Surgical Department of University "La Sapienza" of Rome, in 175 patients affected by primitive hyperparathyroidism observed between January 1970 and June 2000; all patients had undergone echotomography of the neck and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy in the diagnostic phase. The histological valuation confirmed the diagnosis by I.P. RESULTS: 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy demonstrated the pathological glands in 56 cases (96.6%), the echography in 57 cases (98.2%). The comparison of the two exams demonstrated the pathological glands in 100% of the cases. In 45 cases the scintigraphy localized the side (77.6%), and the echography in 41 cases (70.7%). In one case demonstrated I.P. persistent (1.7%) and never one case demonstrated relapsed. CONCLUSIONS: The authors think that the scintigraphy together with the echography show high sensibility to identification the pathological glands. Neck surgical exploration can still give the side good when the diameter of the parathyroids is inferior to 5 mm.
Retroperitoneal lipomas are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors. They are usually large and occur most frequently in the retroperitoneal, perineal and pelvic regions. Lipomas grow slowly surrounding the retroperitoneal and pelvic organs, with a displacement of bowel and vascular axis. A case of a 61-year-old male patient which referred urinary frequency, urgency and nocturia is presented. Urodynamics evidenced a detrusor instability in a low capacity bladder. CT scan demonstrated a bladder dome compression due to a huge retroperitoneal mass extending from the right hepatic lobe to the hypogastric region and the right thigh. Surgical complete resection was performed: histology demonstrated a lipoma with areas of well differentiated myxoid degeneration. After surgery the irritative urinary symptoms disappeared. This is the first case described in literature of detrusor instability due to bladder compression by retroperitoneal lipoma.
Left testicular vein anatomy has received more attention due to the presence of competent or incompetent venous valves and bypassing anastomoses, which are involved in venographic diagnosis and embolisation of varicocele. The left gonadal vein develops, in both males and females, between the 5th and 7th intrauterine weeks, being derived from the distal or postrenal portion of the left subcardinal vein. The varicocele aetiologic hypothesis leads to ontogenetic disturbances in the development of the secondary venous system. Retrograde testicular venography shows the precise anatomy of the left pampiniform plexus, while anterograde testicular venography identifies the presence of the valve and possible continence. In the present case sclerotherapy could not be achieved due to testicular vein anomalies. Sclerotherapy versus surgical high ligature of the left testicular vein in cases of left idiopathic varicocele with testicular vein anomalies is discussed.
Vascular anastomoses among abdominal organs were studied in 289 laboratory mammals. Arterial anastomoses joining the wall or the parenchyma of the abdominal organs were studied in 108 animals and were found among the stomach, the spleen and the pancreas. In the cat, such anastomoses occur in 86.7% of cases, in the guinea pig in 73.3%, in the hedgehog in 61.1%, in the rabbit in 3.3%. The highest mean value was found in the cat: 3.1 anastomoses. Venous anastomoses were studied in 181 animals and were found among the stomach, the spleen and the pancreas, too. With the exception of the guinea pig (found in 89.1% of cases), these anastomoses were found almost in all cases of other five examined species. They mostly occur between the stomach and the spleen, and between the spleen and the pancreas with some differences in the guinea pig and the cat. The highest mean value was found in the rat: 6.1 anastomoses. For the present, it is not possible to state any significant differences among orders and species examined. As these vascular anastomoses occur also in man, we believe that they should be preserved during surgical procedures.
The Authors evaluated the results obtained in 145 patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism: 109 patients had primary hyperparathyroidism and 36 patients had secondary hyperparathyroidism. Preoperative localization by ultrasonography was assured in all cases, while only few patients were preoperatively evaluated by arteriography and selected venous sampling of the parathyroid hormone concentration. After surgical resection for primary hyperparathyroidism, transient postoperative hypoparathyroidism occurred in 30 patients (27.5%), recurrent disease occurred in 3 patients (2.7%), while 1 patient experienced persistent hypoparathyroidism (1%). In 3 patients (3%), resection of a solitary adenoma and biopsy of all parathyroid glands resulted in a permanent hypoparathyroidism which required long-term administration of vitamin D and oral calcium. Neither recurrent nor persistent hyperparathyroidism occurred in patients surgically treated for secondary hyperparathyroidism, and no postoperative hypoparathyroidism was registered. The Authors emphasize the importance of an adequate surgical strategy and accurate initial cervical exploration of the parathyroid glands as a necessary step for the correct treatment of this challenging disease.
A retrospective study on patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma operated on at the 3rd Department of General Surgery of the University "La Sapienza" of Rome from 1970 to 1996 was performed. In 709 patients total thyroidectomy was performed as the minimal procedure acceptable, while 19 patients had subtotal thyroidectomy out of necessity. A functional ipsilateral or bilateral lymphnectomy of the neck was performed in 256 cases. This wider operation is indicated in the presence of metastatic lymph nodes and on principle in patients older than forty-five years in which at least another risk factor is present. Long term follow-up (12 years) was assured in 302 patients and the survival rate was 92% independently from the histotype (papillary or follicular). The survival rate of a group of 120 patients (80 with papillary and 40 with follicular carcinoma) was analyzed in relation to the risk factors. This group analysis demonstrated a very low mortality rate in patients with low risk index and an increased rate in patients with a high risk index.
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of propafenone and quinidine to restore sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Eighty consecutive patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation were randomized to one of the following oral treatments: a) propafenone 450 mg as single dose followed by 300 mg t.i.d.; b) hydroquinidine 900 mg/24 hours + digoxin if necessary. Drugs were given for a maximum of three days and withdrawn at the restoration of sinus rhythm. If atrial fibrillation was persistent, the other drug was administered after two days wash out. The two groups did not differ from each other with respect to left atrial size, age and presence of organic heart disease, and kind of cardiopathies between the two groups. Sinus rhythm was restored in 39 patients of group 1 (93%) and 36 of group 2 (95%). In conclusion, oral propafenone is as effective as quinidine in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Benign formations in the liver constitute a heterogeneous group of pathology lesions that are rarely found clinically. In the period between January 1985 and June 1992, 81 patients, affected by benign formations of the liver, were observed at the Institute of the III Surgical Clinic of Rome "La Sapienza". Most of these lesions are asymptomatic and their diagnosis is mostly casual. Among these we found 48 cases of echinococcus cystis, 13 cases of congenital cystic formations, 2 amoebiasis cases, and 1 case the ecografic exam, which shows an hepatic formation to the fifth segment, was not in conformity with the cytologic exam which proved negative because of cellular abnormalities of any nature, therefore it's constituted by normal parenchyma. Consequently the patient was discharged. We operated on 65 patients. The complications found in the patient operated on were not important and we had the death of only 1 patient affected by hepatic abscess on the 3rd day after surgery because of septicemia and cardio-circulatory problems. The follow-up made after a certain time has resulted negative because of relapses if we exclude 1 case of echinococcus cystis wherein we found a serological relapsing. In our experience and according to most of the authors, the operation must take place always in cases such as: adenoma, cystoadenoma, hemangiomas having a diameter higher than 3 cm, echinococcus cysts, syntomatic formations and when we have complications. For all other cases we must limit ourselves to observation over a certain period both the dimensions and morphological modification of the lesions.
Nodular thyroid pathology weighs heavily for 4-5% of the general population, being the most common among the endocrinopathies. Because of this these diagnostic methods have gained more and more importance as FNA able to select already in the pre-operation phase the malignant nodules from the benign ones and to decide on the most suitable surgical intervention. In the period of time between January 1989 and June 1992 in the Institute of the III Surgical Clinic in Rome there have been performed 403 FNA. From the whole total we have extrapolated 221 patients. In this study we stressed how the FNA method has a sensibility of 80%, a specificity of 93% and afterwards an accurate diagnosis of 92%. Besides we have verified that sonography and radionuclide scanning have a truth worthiness respectively of 64% and 52%. The FNA in our opinion allows us to have in the pre-operation phase a much more accurate diagnosis as regards that obtained with only sonography and radionuclide scanning therefore the latter methods must be considered complementary to FNA.
Self-transfusion represents a clinical method used for the restoration of haematic losses that, in recent years has been employed more and more widely in the surgical ambit. The utilisation of this method has become increasingly frequent because of the high diffusion of haemotransmitted diseases, and of the incidences, not negligible, of complications relative to the transfusions of homologous blood. The techniques that are currently used are: self-donation with predeposit; inter-surgery recovery; hemodilution normal blood volume. From 1989 until now 260 patients have been performed, in the Institute of III Surgical Clinic of University of Rome, to self-transfusional method with predeposit and intersurgery recovery. In practice this technique did not present any complications.
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The Authors describe the interposition vein cuff technique as an adjuvant method to infrainguinal prosthetic bypass grafts. The haemodynamic, mechanical and humoral factors thought to be involved in the beneficial effects of the vein cuff are herein discussed. The results of the main series suggest the use of this method particularly in patients without any available autologous vein conduit requiring a below-knee popliteal or crural reconstruction.
Three cases of urothelial inverted papilloma, detected in two female patients aged 32 and 31 years, respectively and in one 67-year-old male patient, are described. Inverted papilloma is a benign lesion which occurs in the urinary epithelium with a 20% incidence in comparison with other urothelial tumours. The male:female ratio is 3:1. The histological structure of urothelial inverted papilloma is similar to that of inverted papilloma of the nasal and paranasal sinuses. It presents interanastomosed epithelial cords, with transitional cells, which develop in the tunica propria connective tissue. Some cells are distributed in such a way as to constitute vacuolated glandular-like structures. The histogenetic origin of the lesion from Home subtrigonal or Albarran subcervical glands is debatable. Recent aetiological hypotheses have claimed that the origin of the lesion may be related to Brunn's nest hyperplasia and/or to chronic urothelial inflammation. The latter hypothesis would currently appear to be the most accredited: immunostaining for cytokeratins would tend to support a urothelial inflammatory aetiology. In our cases, we achieved a definitive diagnosis of inverted papilloma only at histology, because of the specificity of the echotomography and cystoscopy findings. Urinary cytology revealed only a large number of inflammatory cells with anaplastic elements, but without any more detailed morphological description. We performed a transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) in all three patients: routine follow-up showed the absence of inverted papilloma relapses. On the basis of the above-mentioned data and a thorough review of the literature, we attempt to assess and classify the clinico-pathological findings and the aetiological hypotheses of urothelial inverted papilloma. In addition, the benign nature of the lesion and any malignant transformation factors are discussed.
The small cell carcinoma is a neuroendocrine tumour characterised by an aggressive clinical course and a high mortality rate. It occurs most commonly in the lung. Small cell carcinomas originating in the genitourinary system have been diagnosed with increasing frequency in recent years, because of the use of immunohistochemistry. Prostatic small cell carcinomas present the same biological behavior and similar histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features to small cell carcinomas of the lungs. We describe the clinico-pathological findings in a 65-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of prostatic small cell carcinoma, obtained by means of a tru-cut needle biopsy. We performed the immunohistochemical tests using neuron-specific enolase and chromogranin A antibodies, according to the literature. On the basis of our experience we stress the malignant features of small cell carcinoma and the difficulty in obtaining an early diagnosis and treatment because of the aggressive course of the lesion and the late symptomatology.
The Authors present a case of inflammatory pseudotumour (IPT) of the urinary bladder occurring in a 57-year-old female patient, who was referred to our department with haematuria, stranguria and hypogastric pain. Ultrasonographic, radiological and endoscopic examinations showed a sessile, ulcerated, easily bleeding bladder formation; urinary cytology revealed no atypical transitional cells. Abdomino-pelvic computed tomography analysis showed thickening of the bladder walls and infiltration of the perivesical fat. Histopathologically, the formation was indicated as an inflammatory pseudotumour (IPT) of the bladder. The patient underwent TURB (transurethral resection of the bladder) and was discharged clinically healed on postoperative day 4. A one-year follow up revealed no evidence of recurrence. On the basis of their experience and a thorough review of the literature review, the Authors discuss the clinico-pathological features of IPT of the bladder and the possible factors involved in the malignant transformation of IPT. In conclusion, the benign nature of the lesion is stressed.