Bowel obstruction in recurrent gynecologic malignancies: defining who will benefit from surgical intervention.

AIM: To define factors that could help select, in a cohort of gynecologic cancer patients with malignant gastro-intestinal obstruction, those most likely to benefit from palliative surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective study of patients with malignant gastro-intestinal obstruction who underwent palliative surgery in our institute over 7 years, outcome measures were oral intake, chemotherapy, and 30-day, 60-day and overall survival. Based on Cox proportional-hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank tests, a prognostic score was developed to identify those most likely to benefit from surgery. RESULTS: Sixty-eight palliative surgeries were performed in 62 patients with ovarian (69.1%), primary-peritoneal (8.8%), cervical (11.8%) or uterine (10.3%) malignancies. Procedures were colostomy (26.5%), ileostomy (39.7%), colonic stent (1.5%), gastrostomy (7.3%), gastroenterostomy (5.9%) and bypass/resection and anastomosis (19.1%). Eighteen patients died prior to discharge, within 3-81 days (median 25 days). The 30-day and 60-day mortality rates were 14.7% and 29.4%, respectively. Postoperative oral-intake and chemotherapy rates were 65% and 53%, respectively, with albumin level identified on multivariate analysis as the only significant predictor of both. Median postoperative survival was 106 days (3-1342). Bypass/resection and anastomosis was associated with improved survival. Ascites below 2 L, younger age, ovarian primary tumor, and higher blood albumin correlated with longer postoperative survival. A prognostic index based on these factors was found to identify patients with increased 30-day and 60-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed prognostic index, based on age, primary tumor, albumin and ascites, might help select those gynecological cancer patients most likely to benefit from palliative surgery.

Diffusion MRI findings in monochorionic twin pregnancies after intrauterine fetal death.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Monochorionic twin pregnancies complicated by the IUFD of 1 twin are associated with substantial morbidity to the survivor twin. The aim of this study was to determine whether fetal sonography, T2 MR imaging, and DWI can diagnose acute cerebral lesions in the survivor of an MC twin pregnancy shortly after fetal death of the co-twin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the study period (2007-2010) 34 cases of single IUFD were evaluated. Group A included 6 cases complicated by spontaneous IUFD. Group B had 10 cases of fetal death shortly after treatment of severe TTTS. These were compared with group C, with 18 pregnancies treated by selective termination due to severe complications in MC pregnancies. RESULTS: Altogether 9/34 patients had abnormal prenatal cerebral findings. In group A, in 2/6 of pregnancies with spontaneous death, MR imaging showed findings of severe cerebral infarct, while cerebral damage was not evident by sonography. In another case, the surviving fetus was found to be hydropic on sonography, while MR imaging findings were normal. In group B, in 1/10 cases, cerebral infarct was demonstrated only by DWI. In 2 other cases, sonographic findings were normal, but MR imaging showed germinal matrix bleeding. In group C, in 1/18 cases, only DWI showed bilateral cerebral ischemia. In 2 other cases, MR imaging findings suggested germinal matrix bleeding and focal changes in the basal ganglia. In both cases, fetal sonographic findings were normal. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, early manifestations of cerebral ischemia in monochorionic twin pregnancies were better diagnosed with MR imaging, especially with DWI.