Intraspinal metalloma causing lumbar stenosis after interbody fusion with cylindrical titanium cages.

Intraspinal metallomas are rare. The authors present a case after implantation of two titanium threaded interbody cages at the L4L5 level, without posterior instrumentation. To their knowledge this is the first case due to intervertebral cages. The lack of additional instrumentation had probably allowed the cages to make contact. Subsequently, friction generated wear debris, which led to the formation of a granuloma, responsible for compression of the dural sac. Intraspinal metallosis should be kept in mind as an infrequent cause of delayed neurological symptoms after spinal surgery with metallic instrumentation.

[Prognostic value study of lung cancer molecular markers]. / Valor pronóstico de los marcadores moleculares en el carcinoma broncogénico.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of molecular markers (proteins) of different paths of lung cancer development in patients with non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in initial stages. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Observational, cohort study in patients with NSCLC that was initially treated surgically in our hospital between October 1993 and September 1997. Thirty-two proteins were selected. The study consisted of the elaboration of tissue arrays with samples from resected tumour, using a semiquantitative immunohistochemical study. A prognosis analysis was done with the expression of each protein and calculation of the overall 5-year survival rate. The Wilcoxon-Gehan and Log-Rank tests were used for statistical comparisons, with p<.05 being considered to indicate a significant result. RESULTS: One hundred and forty six patients were studied. The overall 5-year survival rate was 37.7%. From 32 proteins studied, three were statistically associated with overall 5-year survival rate. RB protein expression in resected NSCLC was a positive prognostic factor (P=.01). P27 (P=.03) and Ki67 (P=.04) expression in resected NSCLC were negative prognostic factors. There was no protein with prognostic value in epidermoid tumours. CONCLUSIONS: We found three proteins with long-term prognostic value in the long-term in the general population and five adenocarcinoma prognostic proteins in our study of resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the future, genetic-molecular factors should be included along with anatomical (TNM staging) and clinical factors in a multidimensional lung cancer staging.

Analysis of the molecular expression profile of non small cell lung carcinoma associated to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor to develop lung cancer but there are no different functional clusters of biomarkers between patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with or without COPD. To analyse protein expression, in order to find out whether samples of resected NSCLC from patients with COPD present a different molecular expression. Observational, cohort, concurrent study with sampling since treatment of disease in patients with NSCLC in initial stages (pIA-pIIB) treated surgically in our hospital between October 1993 and September 1997. The study consisted of the elaboration of tissue arrays with samples from resected tumor, using immunohistochemistry as a study method. Univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed in order to determine molecular markers that showed a differential expression in NSCLC of the patients with COPD. We studied thirty-two proteins in 146 patients. 30% of the patients had COPD. Univariate analysis in patients with COPD showed one molecular marker to be overexpressed and five molecular markers to be underexpressed. Multivariate analysis in patients with COPD identified membranous beta-Catenin as a differential biomarker, which displayed an underexpression, with an Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) of 0.26 (0.07-1.01). A significant lowest expression of membranous beta-catenin was detected in NSCLC of the patients with COPD.

[Adenocarcinoma of the female urethra: report of two cases and bibliography review]. / Adenocarcinoma de uretra femenina: presentación de dos casos y revisión de la literatura.

OBJECTIVES: Primary adenocarcinoma of the female urethra is a rare malignancy. We report two cases and a review of the latest articles focused on classification and treatment of this kind of neoplasm. METHODS: We present two females diagnosed of urethral adenocarcinoma, describing clinic and pathological features, diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Female urethral adenocarcinoma is an uncommon neoplasm with a heterogeneous histogenesis. The distal urethral carcinoma is more amenable to treatment, and the prognosis is better than that of proximal or entire urethral carcinoma, which is often associated with extensive local invasion and metastasis.