Impact of rifampicin dose in bone and joint prosthetic device infections due to Staphylococcus spp: a retrospective single-center study in France.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality burden worldwide. While surgical management is well defined, rifampicin (RIF) dose remains controversial. The aim of our study was to determine whether Rifampicin dose impact infection outcomes in PJI due to Staphylococcus spp. METHODS: single-center retrospective study including 411 patients with PJI due to Rifampicin-sensitive Staphylococcus spp. Rifampicine dose was categorized as follow: < 10 mg/kg/day, 10-20 mg/kg/day or > 20 mg/kg/day. The primary endpoint was patient recovery, defined as being free of infection during 12 months after the end of the initial antibiotic course. RESULTS: 321 (78%) received RIF for the full antibiotic course. RIF dose didn't affect patients recovery rate with 67, 76 and 69% in the < 10, 10-20 and > 20 mg/kg/day groups, respectively (p = 0.083). In univariate analysis, recovery rate was significantly associated with gender (p = 0.012) but not to RIF dose, or Staphylococcus phenotype (aureus or coagulase-negative). In multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.01) and treatment duration (p <  0.01) were significantly associated with recovery rate. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that lower doses of RIF are as efficient and safe as the recommended high-dose French regimen in the treatment of PJI.

Accessible laparoscopic liver resection performed in low volume centers: Is it time for democratization?

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has been developed and is daily practiced by many expert teams. However, very few data are available on the experience of low volume centres. The aim of our study was to report and discuss the operative results of LLR performed in three low volume centres. METHODS: Records of patients who underwent a LLR in three low volume centres in France between May 2014 and November 2017 were collected. Endpoints studied were indications, intra and postoperative outcomes as well as short-term outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients (57 specimen resected) underwent a LLR during this period, representing 29.6% of total liver resections. Indications of LLR were benign lesions in 26%, primitive malignant lesions in 32.6% and metastatic tumours in 41.3%. Median size of lesions was 22mm (range 11-100). Most liver resections were non-anatomic (64.7%), while left lateral sectionectomies represented 19.2%. Five patients required conversion and there were at the end 3 specimen with margins inferior to 1mm resected laparoscopically. Postoperative mortality was nil and morbidity rate was 17.3%. Median hospital stay was 6 days (3-15). CONCLUSION: Although LLR have gained acceptance in surgeons' arsenal, it remains concentrated in referral centres. Our results suggest the feasibility of LLR in non-academic centres when it comes to small accessible lesions. Further studies would provide data about the long-term safety of this procedure in those centres.

5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy for the treatment of high-grade gliomas.

INTRODUCTION: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a two-step treatment involving the administration of a photosensitive agent followed by its activation at a specific light wavelength for targeting of tumor cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to analyze the indications for PDT, mechanisms of action, use of different photosensitizers, the immunomodulatory effects of PDT, and both preclinical and clinical studies for use in high-grade gliomas (HGGs). RESULTS: PDT has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of premalignant and malignant diseases, such as actinic keratoses, Barrett's esophagus, esophageal cancers, and endobronchial non-small cell lung cancers, as well as for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization. In neuro-oncology, clinical trials are currently underway to demonstrate PDT efficacy against a number of malignancies that include HGGs and other brain tumors. Both photosensitizers and photosensitizing precursors have been used for PDT. 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), an intermediate in the heme synthesis pathway, is a photosensitizing precursor with FDA approval for PDT of actinic keratosis and as an intraoperative imaging agent for fluorescence-guided visualization of malignant tissue during glioma surgery. New trials are underway to utilize 5-ALA as a therapeutic agent for PDT of the intraoperative resection cavity and interstitial PDT for inoperable HGGs. CONCLUSION: PDT remains a promising therapeutic approach that requires further study in HGGs. Use of 5-ALA PDT permits selective tumor targeting due to the intracellular metabolism of 5-ALA. The immunomodulatory effects of PDT further strengthen its use for treatment of HGGs and requires a better understanding. The combination of PDT with adjuvant therapies for HGGs will need to be studied in randomized, controlled studies.

The vision and role of geriatric oncology in surgical treatment of the elderly patient.

The phenomenon of population aging is constantly on the rise, as are the medical needs of elderly subjects. Oncological treatment concerns an ever larger number of elderly patients, raising a number of not only practical and medical questions, but also the ethical interrogations associated with therapeutic decision-making, quality of life and therapeutic obstinacy (futile medical care). Surgeons are increasingly preoccupied by elderly patients on account of the cancer rate among them, and they are compelled to cope with challenges such as morbimortality and prolonged hospitalization. Geriatric oncology is a discipline of increasing importance of which the goal consists in comprehensive care of the elderly cancer patient, care taking into full account his physical and psychological aging, his somatic and cognitive comorbidities, and, last but least, his life expectancy. The opinions and recommendations of geriatric oncologists provide increasingly more orientation for the oncological therapeutic decision-making processes. The objective of this attempt at clarification is to discuss the contributions of this discipline to everyday surgical activity, to provide surgeons with some tools facilitating initial evaluation of their patients, and to remind the reader of situations in which oncological assistance is of paramount importance.

Biliary leakage from gallbladder bed after cholecystectomy: Luschka duct or hepaticocholecystic duct?

Anatomic variations in the biliary tract are common and can cause difficulties when a cholecystectomy is performed. One of the most common ones are hepaticocholecystic ducts and Luschka ducts, connecting the gallbladder or its bed to the bile ducts but distinction between these two types of ducts can be difficult. We do discuss here the differences between these anatomical variations, their origin and their clinical implications. These aberrant ducts may go unnoticed and may require further complementary procedures in case of postoperative biliary leakage. In addition to a careful surgical procedure and an examination of the cystic bed in the end of the intervention, an intraoperative cholangiography should be performed as often as possible.

Recent concepts in the management of thoracolumbar spine metastasis.

As patient with cancer live longer, spine metastasis is a growing problem. Untreated, it can cause pain, instability and neurologic deficit, which can severely alter the patient's ability and quality of life. When the diagnosis is established, scoring systems help the physician to best define the objective of treatment by evaluating the life expectancy. Except in rare circumstances, treatment is palliative. Over the past 2 decades, remarkable evolution in surgical techniques provided to patients valuable therapeutic options to perform circumferential decompression and stabilization of the affected level. More recently, minimally invasive techniques allowed a significant reduction of morbidity. The parallel development of stereotactic radiosurgery offers new therapeutic options in particular for patients ineligible for surgery.

Hepatic artery ligation for arterial rupture following liver transplantation: a reasonable option.

Hepatic artery (HA) rupture after liver transplantation is a rare complication with high mortality. This study aimed to review the different managements of HA rupture and their results. From 1997 to 2007, data from six transplant centers were reviewed. Of 2649 recipients, 17 (0.64%) presented with HA rupture 29 days (2-92) after transplantation. Initial management was HA ligation in 10 patients, reanastomosis in three, aorto-hepatic grafting in two and percutaneous arterial embolization in one. One patient died before any treatment could be initiated. Concomitant biliary leak was present in seven patients and could be subsequently treated by percutaneous and/or endoscopic approaches in four patients. Early mortality was not observed in patients with HA ligation and occurred in 83% of patients receiving any other treatment. After a median follow-up of 70 months, 10 patients died (4 after retransplantation), and 7 patients were alive without retransplantation (including 6 with HA ligation). HA ligation was associated with better 3-year survival (80% vs. 14%; p=0.002). Despite its potential consequences on the biliary tract, HA ligation should be considered as a reasonable option in the initial management for HA rupture after liver transplantation. Unexpectedly, retransplantation was not always necessary after HA ligation in this series.

Tumor size of hepatocellular carcinoma in noncirrhotic liver: a controversial predictive factor for outcome after resection.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma in noncirrhotic liver (NC-HCC) presents usually with large size, which is seen as a contraindication to liver transplantation (LT) or even resection. The objective of our single-center study was to identify prognostic factors following resection of large NC-HCCs and to subsequently devise a treatment strategy (including LT) in selected patients. METHODS: From 2000 to 2010, 89 patients who had hepatic resection for NC-HCC (large ≥ 8 cm in 52) were analyzed with regard to pathological findings, postoperative and long-term outcome. RESULTS: Five patients died postoperatively. After a mean follow-up of 35 ± 30 months, NC-HCC recurred in 36 patients (26/47 survivors in group 8 cm+, 10/37 in group 8 cm-; p = 0.007). Five-year overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were significantly worse for group 8 cm+ (43.4% vs. 89.2% and 39.3% vs. 60.7% for group 8 cm-, p < 0.05). Seven patients underwent re-hepatectomy and/or LT for isolated intrahepatic recurrence, with 5-year DFS of 57.1%. In a multivariate analysis, the factors associated with poor OS and DFS were vascular invasion and tumor size ≥ 8 cm in the overall population and vascular invasion, fibrosis and satellite nodules in group 8 cm+. Adjuvant transarterial chemotherapy was a protective factor in group 8 cm+. In 22 isolated NC-HCC cases with no vascular invasion or fibrosis, tumor size had no impact on five-year DFS (85%). CONCLUSIONS: Although patients with NC-HCC ≥ 8 cm had a poorer prognosis, the absence of vascular invasion or fibrosis was associated with excellent survival, regardless of the tumor size. In recurrent patients, aggressive treatment (including LT) can be considered.

Exposure for hepatic surgery in the obese patient: an innovative adaptation in time of need .

Obesity has become a major public health concern. More and more patients with substantial obesity require surgery including complex hepatobiliary interventions. The morphology of these patients can make surgery difficult, especially in terms of exposure. We report the case of an obese patient who required a left hemihepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis. It was very difficult to obtain adequate exposure; this problem was solved by transcutaneous introduction of the handle of a broad costal margin retractor. We describe this maneuver, which allowed us to carry out the intervention under excellent conditions.

Laparoscopic resection vs. open liver resection for peripheral hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease: a case-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Studies that compare laparoscopic to open liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients are rare and may have suffered from low patient numbers. This work was designed to determine the impact of laparoscopic resection on postoperative and long-term outcomes in a large series of cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with open resection. METHODS: From 2002 to 2009, 36 patients with chronic liver disease with complicating HCC were selected for laparoscopic resection (laparoscopic group, LG). The outcomes were compared with those of 53 patients who underwent open hepatectomy (open group, OG) during the same period in a matched-pair analysis. The two groups were similar in terms of tumor number and size and number of resected segments. RESULTS: Morbidity and mortality rates were similar in the two groups (respectively 25 and 0% in LG vs. 35.8 and 7.5% in OG; p = 0.3). Severe complications were more frequent in OG (13.2%) than in LG (2.8%; p = 0.09). Despite similar portal hypertension levels, complications related to ascites (namely evisceration or variceal bleeding) were fatal in 4 of 12 affected patients in OG but 0 of 5 cases in LG (p = 0.2). The mean hospitalization durations were 6.5 ± 2.7 days and 9.5 ± 4.8 days in LG and OG, respectively (p = 0.003). The surgical margins were similar in the two groups. Although there was a trend toward better 5-year overall survival in LG (70 vs. 46% in OG; p = 0.073), 5-year disease-free survival was similar (35.5 vs. 33.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic resection of HCC in patients with chronic liver disease has similar results to open resection in terms of postoperative outcomes, surgical margins, and long-term survival.

Management of blunt hepatic trauma.

Management of blunt liver trauma has progressed over the last 20 years with the adoption of conservative non-operative management (CM) as the gold standard in 80-90% of patients. Clinical and hemodynamic changes, and CT imaging guide the conservative attitude or pose an indication for urgent surgical intervention in unstable patients. The adoption of CM for blunt liver trauma has resulted in an increased incidence of late complications. These consist principally of persistent hemorrhage, fistulas and bile leaks, the abdominal compartment syndrome, and hepatic necrosis or abscess. These late complications can be managed secondarily by planned interventions via laparotomy or laparoscopy, interventional radiology and/or endoscopic techniques in a non-emergency setting as indicated by circumstances and with the benefit of multidisciplinary consultation. These secondary interventions should not be considered a failure of conservative treatment, but rather as an anticipated eventuality in the management of these patients.

Pre-operative management is associated with low rate of post-operative morbidity in penetrating Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Ileocaecal resection for penetrating Crohn's disease is still challenging with a high rate of post-operative morbidity and faecal diversion. AIM: To report retrospectively the results of pre-operative management for penetrating Crohn's disease focusing on the rate of post-operative major morbidities and need for faecal diversion. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2007, 78 patients with penetrating Crohn's disease underwent a first ileocaecal resection after a pre-operative management consisting in bowel rest, nutritional therapy, intravenous antibiotics, weaning off steroids and immunosuppressors, and drainage of abscesses when appropriate. RESULTS: Resection was performed for terminal ileitis associated with (n = 41), abscesses (n = 37) or both (n = 5). A pre-operative nutritional therapy was performed in 50 patients (68%) for 23 days (range, 7-69 days) along with a weaning off steroids and immunosuppressors. A diverting stoma was performed for six patients (7.7%). There was no post-operative death. Post-operative complications were classified as minor in 10 patients (12.8%), and major in four patients (5%). Overall, the post-operative course was uneventful in 58 patients (74%). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative management for penetrating Crohn's disease allowed ileocaecal resection with low rates of post-operative morbidity and faecal diversion.

[Dermoid cyst of the diaphragm: a case report]. / Kyste dermoïde du diaphragme: un cas.

Dermoid cysts involving the diaphragm are rare and their symptomatology is non-specific. CT is the principal diagnostic tool, but it may fail to distinguish whether a cyst is located above, below, or within the diaphragm. Surgical excision of dermoid cysts is recommended because of the possibility of malignant degeneration.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of conformationally constrained tongs, new inhibitors of HIV-1 protease dimerization.

The active form of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease (HIV-1 PR) is a homodimeric structure in which two subunits are linked through a two-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet consisting of the N- and C-termini of each monomer. To inhibit the dimerization process or disrupt the dimeric interface leading to inactive enzyme, conformationally constrained "molecular tongs" have been designed and synthesized to interfere with one monomer end in a beta-sheet fashion. These molecules are based on two peptidic strands attached to an aromatic scaffold. Inhibitions (submicromolar range) were obtained with molecular tongs containing tripeptidic or tetrapeptidic arms attached to a pyridinediol- or naphthalenediol-based scaffold (Kid = 0.56-4.5 microM at pH 4.7 and 30 degrees C). Kinetic studies are in agreement with an interface inhibition mechanism.

Anaphylaxis to topical bacitracin zinc ointment.

This report describes a case of systemic anaphylaxis to bacitracin zinc ointment in a 24-year-old man who was injured in a motorcycle accident. Extensive abrasions on the patient's extremities were cleaned with Shurclens before application of viscous Xylocaine and bacitracin zinc ointment. Five minutes later, the patient exhibited symptoms of severe anaphylaxis and required the administration of epinephrine, antihistamines, intravenous fluids, and corticosteroids. Two weeks later, he underwent prick/puncture skin testing to Shurclens and bacitracin zinc ointment as well as prick/puncture, intracutaneous, and subcutaneous challenge with Xylocaine. Only the result of the prick test to bacitracin zinc ointment was positive. Although bacitracin is considered to be a safe topical antibiotic, physicians should be aware of the potential not only for delayed hypersensitivity but also for acute IgE-mediated allergic reactions and life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Month of birth and sensitization to dust mites in New England.

Charts from 908 patients born in New England and seen at the Lahey Clinic because of allergic rhinitis or asthma or both were reviewed to ascertain whether or not a relationship existed between month of birth and subsequent development of allergy to house dust mites. Prick/puncture and intradermal skin tests for aeroallergens were performed on all patients. Skin tests for Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) mite were scored very positive (VP) in 451 patients (49.7%), mildly positive (MP) in 234 patients (25.7%), and negative (NEG) in 223 patients (24.6%). No discernible difference in frequency of birth could be identified for any single month for either Df-sensitive or Df-negative patients. Comparisons of 4-month periods (May through August, September through December, and January through April) failed to show a seasonal predilection for month of birth. During the 6-month period of February through July, a slight difference was observed for the overall group of 908 patients: 240 of the VP patients (53.2%), 111 of the MP patients (47.4%), and 105 of the NEG patients (47.1%) were born within this period compared with 211 VP patients (46.8%), 123 MP patients (52.6%), and 118 NEG patients (52.9%) who were born within the period of August through January. The difference among the groups was not statistically different (P = 0.20). Of the 225 children and adolescents who were either VP or MP, 125 patients (55.6%) were born within the period of February through July; of the 83 children and adolescents who were NEG, 37 patients (44.6%) were born within that same period. Although dust-mite allergic patients and, in particular, children and adolescents with asthma or rhinitis or both tended to be born within the period of February through July, no clear-cut statistically significant predilection in month of birth or season could be identified for New England-born adult or pediatric mite-allergic patients with rhinitis or asthma or both.

[Imaging in pediatrics. Strategy and economic implications for the Third World]. / Imagerie en pédiatrie. Stratégie et implications économiques pour le tiers-monde.

The cost of acquiring medical imaging equipment is too high for many Third World nations. Ultrasonography and conventional roentegenography provide adequate data in most pediatric patients in tropical countries, for a low maintenance cost. Special training of practitioners in the use of these investigations is essential, before even performing the necessary choices among available equipment.