Appendicular mucocele: two case reports and literature review.

The classification of mucinous tumors of the vermiform appendix is quite controversial, and includes a spectrum of neoplastic lesions ranging from benign proliferations, intraluminal, to invasive adenocarcinomas. Among the complications of appendicular mucinous neoplasms we should mention the "pseudomyxoma peritonei", a condition caused by cancerous cells (mucinous adenocarcinoma) that produce abundant mucin or gelationous ascites. Mucinous neoplasms of the appendix are rare diseases of unknown etiology. The diagnosis is difficult because of poorly specific clinical, biochemical and imaging parameters, and their detection can be occasional. Most of the reported cases involving women of reproductive age (with a history of endometriosis, abdominal surgery or pelvic inflammatory disease). The definitive diagnosis requires histology and immunohistochemistry. Cytoredutive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoterapy (HIPEC) is now considered the best treatment for this disease. We present two cases treated with surgery and HIPEC.

[Sentinel lymph nodes in early gastric cancer: preliminary feasibility study]. / Il linfonodo sentinella nell'early gastric cancer studio preliminare di fattibilità.

From January to December 2004, 8 patients with pre-operative diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC) and no nodal involvement were submitted to sentinel node biopsy using the dual mapping procedure with endoscopic blue dye and 99mTc radio-colloid injection. All the patients underwent standard radical gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy. The resected nodes were evaluated by routine (hematoxylin-eosin) histopathological examination; the sentinel (blue or hot) nodes in addition were evaluated with immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin. The preliminary results and perspectives for feasibility of sentinel node biopsy and its accuracy in predicting the nodal status in EGC are discussed.

[Intraperitoneal chemotherapy with oxaliplatin after complete cytoreduction for peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal carcinoma: preliminary experience]. / Chemioipertermia intraperitoneale con oxaliplatino dopo citoriduzione completa per carcinosi peritoneale da carcinoma colorettale: esperienza preliminare.

Colorectal cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis is usually considered incurable. Intraperitoneal carcinomatosis accounts for 25-35% of recurrences of colorectal cancer. Studies demonstrate that peritoneal carcinomatosis is not necessarily a terminal condition with no options for treatment or cure. Encouraging results were obtained in many studies by cytoreductive surgery followed by hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIIC). Oxaliplatin is a new agent whose clinical use with intraperitoneal administration has been pioneered by Elias et al. Eight patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colo-rectal origin underwent complete cytoreductive surgery from March 2004 to January 2005. Six of them were submitted to HIIC with semi-closed technique; in one patient mitomycin C (2 mg/m2/l) was used for intraperitoneal perfusion at 41.5-42 degrees for 60 minutes; in five patients IPCH was carried out for 30 minutes at 41.5-42 degrees with intraperitoneal oxaliplatin (460 mg/m2). Patients received intravenous leucovorin (10 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m2) just before HIIC to maximize the effect of oxaliplatin. Preliminary results are reported.