Mortality prognostic factors in acute pancreatitis.

Background: The aim of the study was to present the biological prognostic factors of mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods: Several usual laboratory values were monitored: glucose, urea, partial pressure of oxygen, WBC count, hemoglobin, total bilirubin, and cholesterol. A statistical analysis was performed by using ROC curves and AUC interpretation. Results: The overall mortality rate was 21.1% and was different depending on the severity of the disease. Only 2.22% of the patients with a mild disease died, as opposed to 45.63% of the patients with a severe form. All the analyses studied were significantly elevated in the deceased patients. A close correlation between blood glucose, urea, partial pressure of oxygen, WBC, hemoglobin, total bilirubin, and cholesterol and mortality was objectified by measuring the AUC, which was of 97.1%, 95.5%, 93.4%, 92.7%, 87.4%, 82.2%, and 79.0%. Conclusions: The usual, easy to use, fast, and cheap tests were useful in predicting mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis. Our study confirmed that the combination of several factors led to an accurate mortality prediction.

Giant Perineal Condyloma Acuminatum (Buschke-Lowenstein Tumour): A Case Report.

The giant condyloma acuminatum, also known as Buschke- Lowenstein tumor (BLT), is a rare sexually-transmitted disease. Moreover, the condyloma acuminatum produced by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection becomes one the most common sexually-transmitted infection which affects the perineal region. Under such situations, the first therapeutic option is surgical excision. The objective of this article is to present a case in which the tumor has reached giant dimensions and also to stress the importance of an in toto resection, taking into account the high rate of recurrence and the significant potential of malignant transformation of BLT.

NEUROENDOCRINE RENAL CARCINOMA - THERAPEUTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC ISSUES.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroendocrine renal carcinoma represents less than 1% of all primary neoplasia of the kidney. Most frequently poorly differentiated carcinoma is diagnosed in advanced stages and they have an aggressive evolution and limited survival rate. Neuroendocrine carcinomas that arise from the renal pelvis are frequently associated with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We present the case of a female patient, known for 3 years before with an undefined retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, being diagnosed at present with a left large cell neuroendocrine renal carcinoma, who initially had lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Until now, 118 cases of primary neuroendocrine renal carcinomas have been reported. A limited number of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas have been reported. DISCUSSION: Due to the clinical and biological findings, the aggressive evolution with early metastasis of lung and bone, the patient is included in the group of poorly differentiated carcinomas. In these cases, multimodal treatment is a gold standard. After surgical treatment and palliative chemotherapy with platinum salts, we obtained a partial remission of the disease and the control of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, the surgical treatment remains the treatment of choice. Chemotherapy can determine limited results, improve the quality of life and enhance the overall survival rate.

Efficacy of cetuximab in metastatic colon cancer - case report.

In recent years, targeted therapies have proved effective in the treatment of colon cancer, but even in these conditions,metastatic disease is generally considered incurable.Cetuximab is approved for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients with KRAS wild-type, in order to increase survival and hinder progression of the disease. We report a case of a 55 year-old woman, diagnosed with stenosing sigmoid cancer and liver metastases, which underwent multimodal treatment: palliative surgery -Hartmann segmental colectomy, and adjuvant chemotherapy -second line monotherapy with cetuximab, according to standard protocols. After 6 months of XELOX chemotherapy,during which she showed progression of metastatic disease, she was switched to monotherapy with cetuximab, with favorable outcome. Comparing relevant literature, in which complete response to treatment with cetuximab is obtained in low percentages ( 3%) after 3 months of treatment with cetuximab the patient shows clinical and paraclinical complete response and increased quality of life. Proper selection of patients with metastatic colon cancer for treatment with anti-EGFR therapy may lead to prolonged survival and time to progression.

Effect of intraperitoneal administration of sterile human cerebrospinal fluid in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Distal ventriculoperitoneal shunt failure can be attributed to unabsorbed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from peritoneum. The objective of the experiment was to determine peritoneal reaction in rats after intraperitoneal administration of human CSF and evolution of local inflammatory response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were used divided into four groups: three groups in which intraperitoneal injection of 3 mL, 2 mL and 0.5 mL of sterile human CSF was done and a control group. After sacrificing the animals, at 24, 48 or 72 hours, macro- and microscopic examination of the peritoneal cavity and peritoneal fluid analysis were performed. The experiment was done in compliance with legislation regarding animal research. RESULTS: Administration of high dose CSF (3 mL) led to death of all specimens. The dose of 0.5 mL of sterile CSF intraperitoneally administered was compatible with survival. Peritoneal response varied from necrotic-purulent reaction, with maximum intensity in group 1, and milder in group 2, to minimum inflammation in small foci and polymorphic cells in group 3. Inflammation only partially resolved in some specimens from group 3 after 72 hours, which incriminates the role of unabsorbed peritoneal CSF in pathogenesis of abdominal complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. CONCLUSIONS: Intraperitoneal administration of sterile human CSF caused inflammatory response of varying degrees and with multiple locations. High doses of CSF led to death of specimens. At 24 hours, the peritoneal response ranging from congestion to purulent reaction was acute, intense and diffuse but after 72 hours, the inflammatory response was mild, focal and limited.

Acute pancreatitis: the onset digestive manifestation, in a patient with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

UNLABELLED: Acute pancreatitis is a common complication, which occurs with patients suffering from vesicular biliary lithiasis or chronic alcoholism. Hypercalcemia may determine acute pancreatitis, its causes being multiple: primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism, metabolic diseases of the bone, metastatic bone neoplasm, as well as lymphoproliferative syndromes caused by the HTLV-1 virus-adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). ATLL is a malignant and aggressive lymphoproliferation with the T-cell, associated with the infection caused by the HTLV-1 retrovirus. Organomegaly, cutaneous conditions, and hypercalcemia represent the main characteristics of the disease. From a hematologic point of view, we can notice the atypical lymphocytes (also known as flower cells, due to the shape of their nucleus), with a distinct CD4+ CD25+ phenotype. There have been reported few cases of patients who showed acute pancreatitis in the onset of the disease. We will describe the case of a patient whose diagnosis has not been an easy one, as it showed multiple complications from a very early stage. CONCLUSIONS: The atypical onset of ATLL with acute pancreatitis is rarely reported. Its etiology seems to be hypercalcemia but pancreatic infiltration with ATLL cells cannot be ruled out. An attentive investigation of the peripheral blood sample and flow-cytometric tests of peripheral and medullar blood smear are very important for diagnosis. The patient showed from the very beginning severe neurological manifestations which developed to a coma. Causes could have been metabolic as well as CNS infiltration (as shown by the CT examination).

Spinal involvement with spinal cord compression syndrome in hematological diseases.

UNLABELLED: Primary spinal involvement in hematological diseases is rare. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is studying diagnostic and treatment strategies in patients with spinal cord primary hematologic tumors causing spinal cord compression syndrome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report two cases with spinal cord primary hematologic tumors causing spinal cord compression syndrome. One patient had a diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma located in the thoracic spine and the second patient had a plasmocytic plasmacytoma located in the thoraco-lumbar spine. RESULTS: Both patients underwent surgery, with resection of the intracanalar tumor and spinal cord decompression and adjuvant systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy. Neurological outcome was favorable with partial remission of spinal cord compression syndrome. Finally, patients developed secondary dissemination and succumbed due to progression of the hematological disease. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical onset and radiographic evaluation is uncharacteristic in early stages. Spinal MRI is mandatory in cases with rebel pain, unresponsive to conservative treatment. Surgery is indicated in all patients with spinal cord compression syndrome. Early diagnosis is associated with better prognosis. Recommended treatment is surgical resection and systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy adapted to histological form of each tumor. In selected cases, if indicated radiotherapy can also be associated.

[Renovascular hypertension: symptoms and signs. Clinical study on 20 patients]. / Hipertensiunea arteriala de origine renala: simptome si manifestari. Studiu clinic pe 20 pacienti.

OBJECTIVES: symptoms in renovascular hypertension can be wrong interpreted, which leads to a late diagnostic, after discover the determination disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: the study on the renovascular hypertension was made on 20 patients, aged between 2 and 36 years old, diagnosed with reno-ureteral malformations, pyelonephritis, reno-ureteral reflux and renal trauma as a determination disease, leads to manifestation types that guide the diagnostic: neuro-psychiatric signs, weight loss, renal signs and digestive signs. Beginning from these signs the arterial hypertension was diagnosed and the investigations determined the causes. RESULTS: Periodic postoperative evaluation at 3 months, during a period between 4 months and 7 years, individualised 4 evolutional clinical types: AHT with lumbar pain, AHT with no clinical signs, AHT with ophthalmologic signs and AHT with encephalitis like signs. CONCLUSIONS: symptoms in renovascular hypertension don't have pathognomonic clues and the identified signs, one type or all together, enforce the evaluation or even the monitoring of the arterial tension at least 30 days. If the values exceed the normal, complex investigations will be made in order to determine the specific cause of the AHT.

[Theoretical considerations and comments on the physiopathology in renovascular hypertension]. / Consideratii teoretice si comentarii privind fiziopatologia hipertensiunii arteriale de origine renovasculara.

The researches performed during the last four decades did not elucidate completely the pathogenic mechanism of the renovascular hypertension. The present knowledge considers that the origins of renovascular hypertension are the imbalance between the renal hypotensive system located in the medullar renal site (antihypertensive and hypotensive substances) and the renal hypertensive system (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone) located cortically. As an additional mechanism in producing hypertension is involved the disorder of hydro electrolytic metabolism, as a result of decreased excretory function, inducing an increase of plasmatic natrium level, of volemia and interstitial liquid.