Radioguided Surgery for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours: a Systematic Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Radioguided surgery (RGS) for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) has been suggested as a way to improve intraoperative lesion detection. This systematic literature review of reports of the use of RGS for GEP-NETs was performed to determine if there is a benefit. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using Google Scholar and PubMed, and snowballing from any relevant literature. Full-text studies were included if they were published in the English language and reported outcomes of RGS on human subjects with GEP-NETs. Qualitative data synthesis was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-six papers including a total of 209 patients were included. The tracers used were predominantly indium-111 pentetreotide, gallium-68 DOTA-peptides, and technetium-99m EDDA/HYNIC-peptides. Heterogeneous protocols make comparisons difficult, but most papers reported a benefit from the use of RGS in tumours in the gastrointestinal tract; utility in localisation of pancreatic tumours was less clear. Time between tracer administration and operation varied: from 16 h to 8 days with indium-111, 0-24 h with technetium-99m, and 19-193 min with gallium-68. Eight teams reported the thresholding technique used for discrimination-four used a ratio, four statistical methods, and one looked at the sensitivity and specificity of different cut-offs. Six teams performed follow-up of 24 patients (three pancreas, eight gastrinoma, 13 gastrointestinal tract) for between 3 months and 3 years. Two patients relapsed (one pancreas, one gastrinoma) between 6 and 12 months post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: RGS appears to aid in localisation of gastrointestinal NETs, but the benefit is more equivocal in pancreatic NETs. Further work into outcomes is warranted.

Surgical cure for type 2 diabetes by foregut or hindgut operations: a myth or reality? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery results in remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a significant proportion of patients. Animal research has proposed the foregut and hindgut hypotheses as possible mechanisms of remission of T2DM independent of weight loss. These hypotheses have formed the basis of investigational procedures designed to treat T2DM in non-obese (in addition to obese) patients. The aim of this study was to review the procedures that utilise the foregut and hindgut hypotheses to treat T2DM in humans. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify the investigational procedures performed in humans that are based on the foregut and hindgut hypotheses and then to assess their outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies reported novel procedures to treat T2DM in humans; only ten utilised glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in their definition of remission. Reported remission rates were 20-40 % for duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB), 73-93 % for duodenal-jejunal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (DJB-SG), 62.5-100 % for duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve (DJBS) and 47-95.7 % for ileal interposition with sleeve gastrectomy (II-SG). When using a predetermined level of HbA1c to define remission, the remission rates were lower (27, 63, 0 and 65 %) for DJB, DJB-SG, DJBS and II-SG. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of the foregut- and hindgut-based procedures are not better than the outcomes of just one of their components, namely sleeve gastrectomy. The complexity of these procedures in addition to their comparable outcomes to a simpler operation questions their utility.

Metaplastic breast carcinoma: a case report and systematic review of the literature.

A 78-year-old retired woman was diagnosed with metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC), a rare tumor, in our hospital. We reviewed 15 articles with a total of 1328 patients to determine the epidemiology, clinical features, biomarkers, histology, management and outcome of patients with this tumor. The mean age at presentation is 58.5 years (range 32-83). Eighty-one percent of patients presented either with a breast mass or abnormal mammographic finding. Twenty-three percent of patients had a family history of breast cancer. Estrogen receptors were only found in 12%, progesterone receptors in 10% and HER2 in 6% of patients. The main method of treatment was mastectomy (66.9%) in combination with chemotherapy (57%) and radiotherapy (47%). Five-year disease-free survival ranged between 40% and 84% and 5-year overall survival ranged between 64 and 83%. We have further reviewed the nature of this disease in the light of advancement in genetics, such as microarray gene expression profiling. The relationship of MBC with triple-negative tumor and basal-like tumor is discussed. It is hoped that advances in genetics and biomarkers will bring forward the era of personalized medicine in the treatment of breast carcinoma.

Role of the laparoscopic approach to biliary bypass for benign and malignant biliary diseases: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The laparoscopic approach for biliary bypass surgery is a contemporary management option. This article reviews the evidence available for its role and effectiveness. METHODS: A computerised search was made of the MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases for English language publications from the first report of laparoscopic biliary bypass in 1992 to January 2010. RESULTS: Some 89 patients featured in 19 reports underwent 89 laparoscopic biliary bypass procedures for benign (n=17) and malignant (n=72) indications. Of those, 52 patients underwent biliary bypass alone, while 37 patients underwent biliary bypass combined with gastric bypass. The procedures included cholecystojejunostomy (n=64), hepaticojejunostomy (n=14), and choledochoduodenostomy (n=11). The overall success rate in achieving resolution of jaundice was 98.9%, with a morbidity rate of 12.3% and a mortality rate of 5.6%. More than one procedure was required in 1.1% of patients to achieve resolution of obstructive jaundice. During a reported median follow-up period of 13 months, obstructive jaundice recurred in none of the patients. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach to biliary bypass surgery is safe and has a high initial success rate, low reintervention rate, and low morbidity and mortality rates. Longer follow-up data and comparative studies with open surgery and endoscopic stenting are needed.

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for a large pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst: a rare entity.

Lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) of the pancreas are rare true pancreatic cysts. Their cause is not known. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes many benign and malignant cystic lesions of the pancreas and surrounding organs. A combination of imaging modalities and fine needle aspiration might narrow the differential diagnosis. However, the final diagnosis can only be achieved with certainty after resection of the cyst. In this study, we report the largest LEC of the pancreas to have been resected laparoscopically. A 43-year-old man presented with upper abdominal pain, a 7.5 cm mutlioculated cystic mass in the pancreatic body and tail on imaging, and a raised serum cancer antigen-19-9. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was performed. Histologic examination revealed a LEC. This study discusses the diagnostic difficulties and management decisions which face surgeons treating pancreatic cysts.

Systematic review of blunt abdominal trauma as a cause of acute appendicitis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis commonly presents as an acute abdomen. Cases of acute appendicitis caused by blunt abdominal trauma are rare. We present a systematic review of appendicitis following blunt abdominal trauma. The aim of this review was to collate and report the clinical presentations and experience of such cases. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A literature review was performed using PubMed, Embase and Medline and the keywords 'appendicitis', 'abdominal' and 'trauma'. RESULTS: The initial search returned 381 papers, of which 17 articles were included. We found 28 cases of acute appendicitis secondary to blunt abdominal trauma reported in the literature between 1991 and 2009. Mechanisms of injury included road-traffic accidents, falls, assaults and accidents. Presenting symptoms invariably included abdominal pain, but also nausea, vomiting and anorexia. Only 12 patients had computed tomography scans and 10 patients had ultrasonography. All reported treatment was surgical and positive for appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, the diagnosis of acute appendicitis must be considered following direct abdominal trauma especially if the patient complains of abdominal right lower quadrant pain, nausea and anorexia. Haemodynamically stable patients who present shortly after blunt abdominal trauma with right lower quadrant pain and tenderness should undergo urgent imaging with a plan to proceed to appendicectomy if the imaging suggested an inflammatory process within the right iliac fossa.