Clinico-pathological characteristics of obstructing colorectal cancer and its management outcomes at a tertiary referral center of Eastern Nepal.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the treatment strategies being followed for patients with obstructing colorectal cancer (OCRC) at our institute and to know the management outcomes. METHODS: This study included 28 patients who were diagnosed with obstructing colorectal cancer (OCRC) either preoperatively or intraoperatively over a period of 5 years. RESULTS: Most were in the younger age group with mean age of 49.78 ± 15.96 years with 1/4th of the patients being younger than 40. There was no difference in incidence of OCRC among genders. It was found to be common in rural areas of the eastern Nepal, 16(57%) patients from such areas. 21.4% patients had complete bowel obstruction at presentation. The investigating modalities used were abdominal X-ray, ultrasonoghraphy of abdomen/pelvis, abdominal CT-scan, colonoscopy, serum CEA, punch biopsy and Faecal occult blood test. The anatomical shift to the right was observed with 54% lesions in the proximal colon. Majority were in advanced stage (stage 3:53.6%, stage 4:32.1%) with histologically adenocarcinoma (100%) and a higher incidence of synchronous lesion (28.6%). Patients averaged 13.82 days in the hospital with post-operative mortality rate of 3.6%. The 1-year and 2-years disease free survivals were 89.3% and 82.1% while overall survivals were 92.8% and 82.1% respectively. CONCLUSION: In developing countries like ours, relatively younger patients present to health center with obstructive colorectal cancer with anatomical shift to the right sided lesions. The treatments provided at our center and their outcomes are not inferior to that of the developed world.

TcCO2 changes correlate with partial obstruction in children suspected of sleep disordered breathing.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is characterized by long periods of partial upper airway obstruction (UAO) with low apnea-hypopnea indices (AHI). By measuring snoring and stertor, Sonomat studies allow quantification of these periods of partial UAO. AIM: To determine whether transcutaneous CO2 (TcCO2 ) levels correlate with increasing levels of partial UAO and to examine patterns of ΔTcCo2 in the transitions from (a) wakefulness to sleep and (b) non-rapid eye movement (NREM) to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of sleep studies in seven asymptomatic controls aged 7 to 12 years and 62 symptomatic children with suspected SDB and no comorbidities, aged 2 to 13 years. Both groups underwent overnight polysomnography, including continuous TcCO2 , at one of two pediatric hospitals in Sydney. Changes in carbon dioxide levels between wake to NREM (sleep onset) and NREM to REM sleep were evaluated using an all-night TcCO2 trace time-linked to a hypnogram. Paired Sonomat recordings were used to quantify periods of UAO in the symptomatic group. RESULTS: The ΔTcCO2 at sleep onset was greater in SDB children than controls and ΔTcCO2 with sleep onset correlated with the duration of partial obstruction (r = .60; P < .0001). Children with an increase in TcCO2 from NREM to REM had a higher number of snoring and stertor events compared to those in whom TcCO2 decreased from NREM to REM (91 vs 30 events/h; P = < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In children without comorbidities, the measurement of TcCO2 during sleep correlates with indicators of partial obstruction.

Functional outcomes after pyeloplasty in solitary kidneys: structured analysis with the implication of Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) staging criteria to predict long-term renal function recoverability.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term functional outcomes after pyeloplasty in solitary kidney (SK) models and to define factors affecting postoperative renal function recoverability in adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated all adult patients who underwent pyeloplasty for pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) in SK. Long-term renal function was assessed by diuretic scintigraphy and morphological changes were also determined, e.g. renal parenchymal volume (RPV) and parenchymal thickness (PT). We considered a >20% increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) as improvement, >20% decrease as deterioration, and changes within 20% as stationary renal function. Univariate and multivariate analysis for factors affecting renal function recoverability, including the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) Staging System postoperatively, were performed. RESULTS: The study included 62 patients with a mean (SD) age of 29 (10.5) years. At a median of 48 months, the mean (SD) GFR increased from 41.3 (17) to 48.5 (20.1) mL/min (P < 0.001), with a significant increase in RPV and PT (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). Follow-up renal function was static, improved and decreased in 39 (63.4%), 17 (27%) and six (9.6%) patients, respectively. Functional success was achieved in 90.4%. Patient's age ≥39 years, PT ≤0.75 cm and higher early postoperative AKIN staging were predictors associated with a 4.8-, 3.2- and 2.7-fold deterioration in renal function. CONCLUSION: Pyeloplasty in SK preserved renal function in 90.4% of the present patients. Pyeloplasty in SK when associated with older age, decreased PT preoperatively, and early higher AKIN staging postoperatively was associated with poor renal function recoverability.

Medication of comorbidities in females with sleep-disordered breathing during long-term CPAP therapy.

BACKGROUND: Treating sleep disordered breathing (SDB) with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce mortality, but the studies on the effect on medication use are few. Women tend to have more mild sleep apnoea and partial airway obstruction and are therefore expected to have less co-morbidity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of CPAP therapy on medication use in women as overall medication, and in different subcategories of diseases, and to evaluate the impact of nocturnal airway obstruction type as partial or complete. METHODS: From the database of the Department of Pulmonary Diseases in Turku University Hospital from 1994 to 1998, 601 consecutive females with SDB were enrolled, and the type of SDB was evaluated. All were offered CPAP therapy. The medication use measured as defined daily doses (DDD) in overall medication and in nine subcategories were collected three years before and three years after CPAP initiation. RESULTS: In final analyses, 182 women were included. In CPAP users (n = 66), comorbidities were more frequent and DDDs higher overall, in asthma, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and in severe mental disorders, both before and after CPAP initiation. The medication use was similar regardless of the type of SDB. The change in medication use was similar as in controls. CONCLUSIONS: CPAP therapy did not decrease medication use in three-year follow-up. However, possibly continuous rise in medication use was prevented, as the change in medication use was similar in controls. Complete and partial obstruction had similar effects.

Prolonged partial obstruction during sleep is a NREM phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE: Prolonged partial obstruction (PPO) is a common finding in sleep studies. Although not verified, it seems to emerge in deep sleep. We study the effect of PPO on sleep architecture or sleep electroencephalography (EEG) frequency. METHODS: Fifteen OSA patients, 15 PPO + OSA patients and 15 healthy subjects underwent a polysomnography. PPO was detected from Emfit mattress signal. Visual sleep parameters and median NREM sleep frequency of the EEG channels were evaluated. RESULTS: The amount of deep sleep (N3) did not differ between the PPO + OSA and control groups (medians 11.8% and 13.8%). PPO + OSA-patients' N3 consisted mostly of PPO. PPO + OSA patients had lighter sleep than healthy controls in three brain areas (Fp2-A1, C4-A1, O1-A2, p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PPO evolved in NREM sleep and especially in N3 indicating that upper airway obstruction does not always ameliorate in deep sleep but changes the type. Even if PPO + OSA-patients had N3, their NREM sleep was lighter in three EEG locations. This might reflect impaired recovery function of sleep.

Shear Modulus of the Partially Obstructed Rat Small Intestine.

A number of factors influence gastrointestinal tissue structure and mechanical properties such as the physical environment and diseases like partial obstruction. Hence multi-axial biomechanical properties are important for understanding the pathophysiology of the obstructed intestine. The aim was to estimate the multi-axial biomechanical properties, in particular with focus on the shear modulus. Partial obstruction of mid-jejunum was created surgically by placement of a polyethylene ring for two weeks in seven male rats. Sham operation was made in five other rats. At the time for termination, three 6-cm intestinal segments were used for histological and mechanical analysis. The segments were obtained distal (S1), proximal (S2) and further proximal (S3) to the site of obstruction or suturing site. The tri-axial testing included simultaneous torsion, inflation and longitudinal stretching. The lumen size, wall thickness, wall cross-sectional area, and muscle layer thickness increased in S2 and S3 of the obstructed rats (p < 0.001) with the most pronounced changes in S2. The opening angle decreased in S2 in the obstructed group (p < 0.05). The tissue stiffness increased in circumferential and longitudinal direction where as it was softer in shear direction, especially in S2 (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the histomorphological and mechanical properties including shear properties remodeled proximal to the intestinal obstruction site.

Interdependency between mechanical parameters and afferent nerve discharge in hypertrophic intestine of rats.

Partial intestinal obstruction causes smooth muscle hypertrophy, enteric neuronal plasticity, motility disorders, and biomechanical remodeling. In this study we characterized the stimulus-response function of afferent fibers innervating the partially obstructed jejunum. A key question is whether changes in afferent firing arise from remodeled mechanical tissue properties or from adaptive afferent processes. Partial obstruction was created by placing a polyethylene ring for 2 wk in jejunum of seven rats. Sham obstruction was made in six rats and seven rats served as normal controls. Firing from mesenteric afferent nerve bundles was recorded during mechanical ramp, relaxation, and creep tests. Stress-strain, spike rate increase ratio (SRIR), and firing rate in single units were assessed for evaluation of interdependency of the mechanical stimulations, histomorphometry data, and afferent nerve discharge. Partial intestinal obstruction resulted in hypertrophy and jejunal stiffening proximal to the obstruction site. Low SRIR at low strains during fast distension and at high stresses during slow distension was found in the obstructed rats. Single unit analysis showed increased proportion of mechanosensitive units but absent high-threshold (HT) units during slow stimulation, decreased number of HT units during fast stimulation, and shift from HT sensitivity towards low threshold sensitivity in the obstructed jejunum. Biomechanical remodeling and altered afferent response to mechanical stimulations were found in the obstructed jejunum. Afferents from obstructed jejunum preserved their function in encoding ongoing mechanical stimulation but showed changes in their responsiveness. The findings support that mechanical factors rather than adaption are important for afferent remodeling.

Bilateral asymptomatic giant renal artery aneurysm.

The incidence of renal artery aneurysm is very low. Approximately in 20% of these patients hypertension is observed. The diameter of aneurysm increases with accompanying complication rates. The most feared complication is rupture. The risk of rupture also increases with the diameter of aneurysm. We report an aneurysm with the biggest diameter reported in the literature. The patient had a 12 cm-diameter of aneurysm in one kidney and did not show any symptoms including hypertension until she was seventy years old.