Alveolar Echinococcosis of the Liver with a Rare Infiltration of the Adrenal Gland.

Human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a silently-progressing disorder that has become a threat in many countries. Since 2000, when the first case was recorded, the number of human AE patients in Slovakia is on continuous raise. The article presents a rare case of alveolar echinococcosis with infiltration in the adrenal gland and discusses the problems associated with differential diagnosis of the disease. In 2016, abdominal ultrasound performed due abdominal pain complaint showed the presence of cystic lesions in the right liver lobe of 54-year old female patient. During surgery, another lesion in the right adrenal gland was found, and neoplastic processes or echinococcosis were considered in the differential diagnosis. Due to unclear correlation between radiology, serology and histopathology results and endemic situation in Slovakia, molecular examination was recommended. Subsequently E. multilocularis was confirmed as etiological agent of infection. Alveolar echinococcosis is considered as a rare disease, with very few patients referred to clinicians or hospitals that sometimes have almost none existing experience with the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Therefore, the establishment of networks or reference centres specialized on management of the disease would be suitable way to provide the patients with the best care and improve the disease diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Cardiovascular risk assessment prior to kidney transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to find out risk factors indicating the patients directly to selective coronarography (SCG) to avoid unnecessary non-invasive testing and in their absence to asses low cardiovascular risk and faster inclusion on the waiting list. BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most frequent cause of death in dialysed patients. The aim of our retrospective analysis was to identify risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) before kidney transplantation (KTx). METHODS: Our retrospective analysis consisted of 55 dialysed patients (46 males, 9 females, p < 0.0001), undergoing SCG before KTx. We divided the patients according to SCG results (negative, n = 40, positive finding, n = 15). RESULTS: We confirmed a significantly lower incidence of diabetic nephropathy (p = 0.0484), ischaemic heart disease (p = 0.0174) and CAD (p = 0.0001) in patients without percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; negative finding). Haemodynamically significant coronary stenosis correlated with the occurrence of stroke in a patient's history (p = 0.0104). We identified predictors for performing PCI (positive result): type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (p = 0.0472), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≤ 1.03 mmol/l (p = 0.0359), total calcium level ≤ 2 mmol/l (p = 0.0309), phosphate level ≥ 1.45 mmol/l (OR 0.2034; p = 0.0351). CONCLUSION: In our analysis, patients with DM and poorly managed chronic kidney disease/mineral bone disease were the riskiest subset of the patients with a positive SCG finding (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 30). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: kidney transplantation, coronary artery disease, selective coronarography, cardiovascular risk.

Impact of the venting via vena cava inferior on the outcome of liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The liver transplantation is a standard treatment method for the indicated group of patients with a final hepatic failure. The aim of this paper was to compare two reperfusion methods of implanted liver, non-venting and venting vena cava, and to evaluate the impact of both techniques on the post reperfusion syndrome. METHODS: We compared two groups of patients: non-venting (n = 42) and venting (n = 41). We monitored bilirubin, liver enzymes and hemodynamic changes after reperfusion. We recorded monitored parameters immediately prior to the transplantation, during and after the reperfusion and on the 1st postoperative day. All liver grafts were used from the donors after a brain death. RESULTS: We did not find a statistically significant difference in input monitored parameters. We detected significant changes of pH after reperfusion in both monitored groups. We determined a significantly better saturation in the non-venting group, bigger consumption of fresh frozen plasma and thrombo-concentrate in the non-venting group, a significantly higher value of total bilirubin and a lower value of Quick's time in the non-venting group. CONCLUSION: Venting via vena cava inferior did not impact the perioperative and early postoperative course of liver transplantation in our group of patients. However, further analyses are required (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 20).

Liver abscess as a rare complication of PEG.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is one of the most effective methods of providing long-term enteral nutrition in patients with the impossibility of oral intake. Complications are relatively common. The most common is peristomal wound infection at the site of the insertion and leakage along the cannula. Lesscommon complications are colo-cutaneous fistulas and peritonitis. A very rare complication is liver abscess. CASE REPORT: The authors describe a case of a 51-year-old man with a hepatic abscess with inoperable pharyngeal carcinoma with PEG. The patient was admitted to hospital with a developing septic condition due to a liver abscess. The liverabscess resulted from the buried bumper syndrome of the PEG and subsequent complete dislocation of the bumper into the left liver lobe area.. This condition was treated by a surgical review with abscess drainage and the construction of classical gastrostomy. CONCLUSION: Buried bumper syndrome with its complications, such as a liver abscess is a relatively rare complication, but challenges both the diagnosis and therapy of the syndrome itself. Its management requires a close cooperation between a gastroenterologist and a surgeon. Early recognition and treatment can prevent the progression of the condition to sepsis or a septic shock, which can lead to death.

Donor Body Mass Index as a Risk Factor for Delayed Onset of Graft Function.

Delayed graft function continues to pose a significant challenge to clinicians in the context of kidney transplantation. The objective of this retrospective, 5-year analysis is to identify the parameters of beating heart donors and those of recipients that affect the delayed development of graft function. The monitored group was composed of 152 beating heart donors and 179 recipients. Delayed graft function was identified in 32 (17%) patients. The predictor for development of delayed graft function was the body mass index of the donor (odds ratio: 1.1473; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0017-1.3140; P = .0472), and the independent risk factors were donor body mass index 30 to 34.9 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 6.0215; 95% CI: 1.4188-25.556; P = .0149), donor body mass index ≥35 kg/m2 (HR: 13.5484; 95% CI: 1.4575-125.938; P = .0220), and abuse of alcohol in the donor's history (HR: 1.779; 95% CI: 1.0679-2.964; P = .0270).

The role of proteinuria, paricalcitol and vitamin D in the development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) occurs most frequently during the first year after transplantation. We focused on parameters of calcium-phosphate metabolism and proteinuria as possible new risk factors for PTDM after kidney transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have prospectively identified risk factors for post-transplant diabetes mellitus with follow-up of 12 months in a set of 167 patients after kidney transplantation. Patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2 as well as patients using ciclosporin A or mTOR inhibitor have been excluded from the monitoring. From the perspective of immunosuppression it was a homogeneous set of patients. RESULTS: We identified the following independent risk factors for PTDM in our set: average proteinuria > 0.300 g/24 h (HR 3.0785, (95 % CI 1.6946-5.5927), p=0.0002), level of vitamin D<20 ng/ml (HR 5.4517, (95 % CI 2.3167-11.8209), p1.45 mmol/l (HR0.0821, (95 % CI0.0042-1.5920), p=0.0439). The lowest occurrence of PTDM and proteinuria was recorded in patients whose treatment included paricalcitol (p<0.0001) and these patients had at the same time the highest level of vitamin D (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Deficit of vitamin D, proteinuria and hyperphosphatemia have been independent risk factors for the development of PTDM in our set. We identified the usage of paricalcitol as protective factor with regard to the PTDM development (Tab. 6, Fig. 4, Ref. 29).

Occurrence of malignancies after kidney transplantation in adults: Slovak multicenter experience.

Malignancies are one of the three major causes of renal recipient´s death with a functioning graft after cardiovascular diseases and infections. Among the variety of risk factors, including conventional and specific to transplant recipients, the duration of immunosuppressive therapy, the intensity of therapy, and the type of immunosuppressive agent all have an impact on development of post-transplant malignancy. The aim of our retrospective study was to document the incidence, the type of malignancies, the patient/graft survival in the group of kidney transplant recipients in Slovak Republic, and to identify the factors which influenced the outcome. We analyzed the data of 1421 patients who underwent renal transplantation from deceased or living donors in the period from 2007 to 2015 in the Slovak transplant centers. The incidence of malignant tumors was 6%, the malignancy was diagnosed in 85 patients at the age of 54.1 ± 9.8 years, more frequently in men (68.2 %; P < 0.0001). The mean time of malignancy occurrence was 45 months after transplantation. The most frequent malignancies were skin cancers- basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in 17.6%, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 8.2%, and malignant melanoma (MM) in 2.4% of patients, followed by non-skin tumors such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in 16.5%, cancer of colon in 12.9%, prostatic cancer in 9.4%, breast cancer in 9.4%, cancer of lung in 7.1%, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in 2.4%, cancer of urine bladder in 2.4%, and cancer of sublingual gland in 1.17% of patients. Surgical treatment was used in 40% of patients, chemotherapy in 7.1%, radiotherapy in 2.4%, treatment with biological agents in 15.3%, combined therapy in 29.4% and palliative treatment in 5.9% of patients. 55.3% of patients underwent conversion from other immunosuppressive agents into mTORi at the time of malignancy occurrence. The remission was achieved in 48.2% of patients, 28.2% of patients were in the oncology treatment in the end of the year 2015, and 23.5% of patients died. There was no difference in the kidney function at the time of malignancy occurrence (s-creat 133.7 ± 59.8 µmol/l) and one year later (s-creat 131.1 ± 47.9 µmol/l) (P = 0.7768). The patients after successful treatment more frequently suffered from BCC (P = 0.0140), did not undergo palliative treatment (P = 0.0033), but were more frequently treated surgically (P < 0.0001).

[The use of negative pressure wound therapy in the fixation of split-thickness skin grafts]. / Pouzitie podtlakovej terapie pri fixácii meshovaných volných kozných transplantátov.

INTRODUCTION: Negative pressure wound therapy is one of the latest methods of dealing with complicated healing wounds. It promotes granulation, mechanically attracts the edges of the wound, removes secretions, reduces the number of bacteria in the wound and reduces swelling. In addition to its use to start and enhance the healing process, this method is also important in the fixation of split-thickness skin grafts in non-ideal conditions. The goal of this article is to establish basic indications for negative pressure fixation of meshed split-thickness skin grafts in non-ideal conditions in the wound and to assess the impact of contamination of wounds on engraftment using vacuum therapy. Additional goals are to verify the use of this method of fixation in defects of various etiologies (trauma, ischemia), to optimize and determine the advantages and disadvantages of fixation of grafts using this method in clinical practice, and to evaluate the effectiveness of fixation of meshed split-thickness skin grafts. METHODS: Set of 89 operated patients of both sexes, various ages, etiologies of defects, in non-ideal conditions; statistical evaluation of the percentage of engraftment, depending on the etiology of the defect, microbial contamination and location of the defect. Measured in vivo using a centimeter measure at the point of maximum length and width. RESULTS: Our set of 100% engraftments of StSG included 68 persons, 65 males and 24 females, in the following age groups: up to 30 years 11 persons; 3050 years 19 persons; 5070 years 38 persons; and above 70 years 21 persons, with negative microbial contamination of the defect in 20 cases, contamination with one germ in 33 cases, contamination with two germs in 22 cases and contamination with three germs in 14 cases. We obtained 100% engraftment in 68 cases, 9099% engraftment in 7 cases, 8089% engraftment in 5 cases, 7079% engraftment in 7 cases, and the 6069% and 5059% sets of engraftment were combined because of the low number of patients in this set. 51 of the patients had a traumatic origin of their defect, 22 had an ischemic origin of their defect and 16 had a different origin of their defect. We found a significant relationship between contamination and the percentage of engraftment, as well as dependence between patient age and the percentage of engraftment. CONCLUSION: Negative pressure fixation of meshed split-thickness skin grafts seems to be a convenient method of fixation in patients with defects of various origins in non-ideal conditions; this method increases the percentage of engraftment and apparently reduces the time required for fixation of the graft and the length of hospitalisation. We obtained 100% engraftment of StSG using negative pressure fixation. We concluded that traumatic origin had no effect on the percentage of engraftment, while ischemic origin had a significant effect on engraftment. Also, negative contamination of the defect had a positive effect on StSG engraftment, and contamination wit three microbial germs had a significant negative effect on the percentage of StSG engraftment using negative pressure fixation.Key words: negative pressure therapy - NPWT plastic surgery skin grafts complicated wounds.

[Experience with hepatoblastoma treatment in small children - the use of preoperative 3D virtual analysis MeVis for liver resections]. / Skúsenosti s liecbou hepatoblastómu u najmensích detí - vyuzitie predoperacnej 3D virtuálnej analýzy MeVis pri resekciách pecene.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatoblastoma is an uncommon but most frequent liver cancer in infants and children. The therapy is complex, including neoadjuvant, surgical, and adjuvant therapy. For surgery, the presence of a specialized surgeon and an anaesthesiologist is required. For planning the surgery, the 3D analysis MeVis is currently available. The objective of the work is the assessment of a group of children operated for a liver hepatoblastoma and the assessment of contribution of a pre-surgery virtual 3D analysis MeVis for a surgeon. METHODS: It represents a retrospective assessment of the operated children for the given diagnosis. Upon confirming the disease, the patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy, and then the MeVis analysis of a liver, a surgery, and an adjuvant therapy. The oncologic treatment was performed according to the SIOPEL recommendations. RESULTS: In the period of 2012 to 2016, we treated 5 infant patients with the diagnosed hepatoblastoma. The children were at the age between 4 and 37 months, 4 girls, 1 boy. The size of tumours according to the SIOPEL classification was PRETEXT II to IV. All children underwent a surgery without any complications and without any signs of post-operative failure of the post-resection remnant of the liver. The functional volume of the post-resection remnant of the liver was between 28%70% according to the MeVis analysis. During the long-term monitoring, one patient underwent lung metastasectomy, all children are currently without any signs of relapse of the disease. CONCLUSION: In case of quick catching and correct management of a hepatoblastoma, the results of therapy are very good. For successful treatment, a surgeon experienced in liver resection, presence of a specialized paediatric anaesthesiologist, and a paediatric oncologist are is required. The exact volumetric analysis MeVis is a contribution for a pre-operational review of the finding, and for the preparation of the surgery. The disease is uncommon, and therefore, the groups of patients are small. Due to that reason, the treatment should be centralized to a specialized department.Key words: hepatoblastoma MeVis volumetry liver resection.

[Splenosis as a rare cause of abdominal pain]. / Splenóza ako zriedkavá prícina bolestí brucha.

INTRODUCTION: Splenosis is the autotransplantation of splenic tissue in atypical locations in the abdomen, chest or other parts of the body. CASE REPORT: Authors present a case of splenosis in a 35 years old woman hospitalized with abdominal pain, who underwent splenectomy for traumatic rupture with splenic tissue implantation in the omentum 19 years ago. Surgical revision was indicated for intensive pain. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis in the excised tissue. CONCLUSION: Despite the abandonment of splenic tissue autotransplantation after splenectomy, surgeons may still encounter the diagnosis of splenosis in patients after traumatic splenic rupture. Any incidental finding of splenosis during an operation for another indication should be sent for histopathology examination. KEY WORDS: splenosis, splenectomy abdominal pain scintigraphy.

Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Europe and throughout the world is currently increasing. This is caused by an increase in the number of patients with alcoholic liver damage, metabolic syndrome, and by increasing incidence of hepatitis B and C.From January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2013, resection or radiofrequency ablation of the liver was done in 360 patients with benign lesions or malignant tumors of the liver. In 28 patients HCC was diagnosed and histologically confirmed (7.8 %). Seven patients had HCC associated with liver cirrhosis (25 %), and 21 patients were without histologically confirmed cirrhosis (75 %). R0 resection was done in 18 (64 %) patients.Surgical complications occurred in 6 (21 %) patients and reoperation due to tumor relapse or progression was done eight times in 6 (21 %) patients. One-year and five-year patients' survivals were 64 % and 10 %, repectively, and did not statistically differ from the survival of the whole set of patients with tumor diseases in the given time period. In the future it will be possible to improve the long-term survival of patients with HCC by using screening methods for presymptomatic diagnosis of HCC, precise preoperative diagnosis and efforts for R0 resection (Tab. 1, Fig. 4, Ref. 11).

[Neuroendocrine tumours of the upper gastrointestinal tract, characteristics and comparison of localization diagnostics]. / Neuroendokrinné nádory horného tráviaceho traktu, charakteristika a porovnanie efektivity lokalizacnej diagnostiky.

In daily clinical practice it's important to think of neuroendocrine tumors, since their prevalence for the past 5 years exceeded even the common occurrences of stomach, esophageal and pancreatic cancers. Patients diagnosed early and accurately with NET, have a greater chance for complete cure. The diagnostic tools over the past century were significantly inefficient in diagnosing NET i.e. (40% of tumors were not localized after USG, CT, MRI, AG investigations). Until the past 2 decades that major turnover in diagnostic methods has been achieved. In particular, the introduction of the somatostatine receptor scintigrafy (SRS) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) have increased sensitivity of localization diagnostics up to 90%. Our work is to test the success of the localization diagnostics in 22 patients with surgically and histologically confirmed NET ofthe pancreas and duodenum. These patients fulfilled jointly SRS, CT and/or MRI, but also classic USG and EUS. From our comparison, clearly endoscopic USG is the most efficient tool with 90% sensitivity.

Kidney transplantation as a treatment of choice for AA amyloidosis due to periodic fever syndrome.

Renal AA amyloidosis is the most serious complication of periodic fever syndrome, which, inadequate suppression, due to persistent inflammation, leads to nephrotic syndrome and renal failure over several years. In most cases, periodic fever syndromes begin to manifest clinically in early childhood. Occurrence in adulthood is considered rare and is associated with a poorer clinical course. Kidney transplantation (KT) is an effective and safe treatment for end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on AA amyloidosis. In this paper, we present cases of two patients after deceased donor KT, who have been diagnosed with adult periodic fever syndrome. In the first one, diagnosis and treatment began in advanced stage of CKD and therefore underwent KT with compensated disease, while in the second patient, the disease manifested and diagnosed in the post-KT period. Timely initiation of treatment ensured protection of the graft from amyloid deposition.

Preoperative stenting in insulinoma located nearby pancreatic duct: a case report and literature review.

Insulinoma is a rare functional neuroendocrine tumor of pancreas. The only recommended treatment is surgical removal. We present a case of a 46-year-old female patient who underwent the enucleation of insulinoma localized nearby pancreatic main duct after preoperative endoscopic insertion of pancreatic stent. The tumor was safely identified during the surgery and was enucleated without injury of pancreatic duct or postoperative complications.

[Unusual clinical presentation of hepatic yolk sac tumour in periappendical region. A case report and review of the literature]. / Nezvycajná klinická prezentácia pecenového yolk sac tumoru v periapendikálnej oblasti. Kazuistika a prehl'ad literatúry.

Primary hepatic yolk sac tumour (YST) is a very rare neoplasm. The authors present a case of a 20-year-old woman with fever and pain in the epigastrium, clinically resembling acute appendicitis along with high levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein. From laparoscopic appendectomy there was bioptically verified a diagnosis of YST. Consequently, there was discovered a tumor in the liver and the patient underwent right hemihepatectomy, hemicolectomy and ovariectomy, from which the YST was disclosed in the liver and in the coecum with spread into regional lymph nodes. While the gonadal, mediastinal and central nervous system origin of the YST was excluded, the diagnosis of the primary hepatic YST could have been established. The exact etiology of primary hepatic YST is still unclear. It has been suggested that these YSTs might originate from the germ cells that escaped during migration course from the yolk sac to the genital ridge during embryogenesis with subsequent malignant transformation or from persistent pluripotent embryonic cells in the liver, which escaped from the influence of differentiation during embryogenesis. This tumour is aggressive with ability to spread into distant sites, where it can lead to the first clinical presentation.

[The salvage of ischaemic limb by therapeutical angiogenesis]. / Záchrana isihemickej koncatiny terapeutickou angiogenézou.

BACKGROUND: Critical limb ischaemia (CLI) is defined as a chronic rest pain, lasting more than 2 weeks, requiring analgesics and/or with present skin defects. Autologous transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells has been used successfully in CLI. AIM: The salvage of critically ischaemic limb by endotel progenitory cells (EPCs) from patient's bone marrow. To assess efficacy and safety of critical lower limb ischaemia treatment with marrow stem cell autotransplantation. METHODS: 9 patients suffering from CLI have been enrolled. They did not require emergency amputation and had previously been unsuccessfully treated with conventional therapy. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the bone marrow taken from illiac crest and injected in the gastrocnemius muscle and pedal region of the affected limb. Patients have had evaluated: local finding, pain index, quality of life index, ABI, fotopletysmography, markers of endothelium and trombocytes' activation and digital subtractive angiography. RESULTS: Pain severity decreased in all of patients. Three of them are with no pain and no claudication. Lesions resolved in two patients, partially in three patients. Crural amputation was required in two patients, amputation of leg in 1 patient. No side effects of the therapy were observed. One patient died without connection with procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Marrow stem cell autotransplantation into the ischaemic lower limb seems to be a potentially effective method of peripheral perfusion enhancement. Further studies are needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of such improvement.

[Limitations of liver resections]. / Limitácie resekcií pecene.

Evaluation of the functional reserve before resectional performance and sufficient rest of liver parenchyma function is essential for the surgeon. From these factors, the decision based on operability, the maximum extent of liver parenchyma resection and the severity of post-operative course. In the period from December 2003 to December 2008, at the Dept of Transplant and Vascular surgery, JLF UK Martin, have been performed 161 resections of the liver in 144 patients, of which 91 large resections performances in the liver (hemihepatektomies or greater performance). Six patients have undergone repeated resection (4.1%), in 11 patients was performed Radio Frequency Ablation due to relaps of the disease (6.1%), and 3 patients were performed two steps resection. Of 91 major resection performance in the liver was 62 (68%) performed by anatomical boundaries of individual segments, in remaining 29 (32%) resections was reflected more to the localization of tumor itself as anatomical subdivision called combined anatomical and non-antomical resection. Radical resection R0 has been achieved in 76% of malignant tumors. In the post-operative course in 17% experienced complications, most often to the hematoma and biloma in place of the resection area, pleural effusion and 8 patients had postoperative liver dysfunction. Of this group, 5 patients had made volumetric examinations, and in all was the volume of residual liver parenchyma < 30% of the total volume of functional liver. Mortality within 30 days of the performance was 1.1%. The survival of patients was affected mainly by extent of resection, histological type of tumor, radicality of resection and necessity of the complex surgical procedures. Based on our evaluation of the results of a group of patients was arranged scheme measures for planning resectional procedures of the liver in our department. These include the adjustment of laboratory parameters, management of jaundice, preference of anatomical resections and volumetric examinations in patients with an estimated loss of more than 60-70% functional parenchyma of liver.

[Cystic feochromocytoma, mimicing a liver cyst. A case review]. / Cystický feochromocytóm, imitujúci cystu pecene.

Cystic feochromocytoma is a special subtype of supraadrenal tumors, with a specific clinical course, symptomatology, CT and MRI pictures and histological findings. The above factors frequently contribute to a wrong diagnosis and increased risk during its surgery. The authors present a case review of a patient with a cystic tumor of the right liver lobe. Its laparoscopic fenestration attempt resulted in hypertonic crisis with cardial decompensation and lung edema. Furthermore, attempts to embolize the tumor resulted in another hypertonic crisis, despite of the preoperative care as appropriate in feochromocytoma procedures. Only complete surgical removal of the tumor relieved the patient of the clinical symptoms. The authors discuss diagnostic and therapeutical problems of this specific and rare feochromocytoma subtype and suggest radical surgical management following a standard preoperative care as appropriate in all feochromocytoma procedures.

Importance of Markers of Sepsis in Surgical Patients.

Sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock represent a serious medicinal and general social problem and still maintain an important position among the present issues in the basic and clinical research. In the prospective analysis of patients satisfying the criteria of septic condition, we determined serum levels of bioparameters in three consecutive days from the first signs of sepsis depending on the stage or advancement of the septic condition. We determined the most significant parameter/parameters which are able to determine the stage of sepsis or to predict patient's death. In the group of 68 patients, all monitored biomarkers showed significant difference in serum concentrations versus the control group (P = 0.001). The strongest positive connection between the seriousness of sepsis and serum level is in case of procalcitonin. Predictor of mortality (r = -0.468; P = 0.001), transferrin (r = -0.506; P = 0.003), and tumor necrosis factor-α (r = 0.939; P = 0.001). Our results show that the monitored parameters (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin 6) have strong correlations between the serum levels and the stage of disease. Examination of at least one cytokine in normal clinical practice might lead to better interpretation of the patient's condition, determining the risk of death.

The effects of occlusive techniques on the short-term prognosis after liver resections.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anatomic liver resection can be performed without vascular occlusion, but controlling blood loss during liver parenchyma dissection by compression or clamping of vessels in the liver hilus is almost the rule. The aim of this study is to assess the negative consequences of different types of occlusion techniques used during liver parenchyma dissection. METHODOLOGY: From 2001 to 2003, 43 anatomical liver resections were performed in patients with primary and metastatic tumors. Patients were divided into three groups according to the duration and the type of occlusion of incoming blood vessels in the hepatoduodenal ligament (continuous over 20 min, continuous under 20 min, or interrupted blood-vessel occlusion for 5 min after every 20 min of occlusion). Blood level of bilirubin, ALT, AST and prothrombin time were evaluated in the postoperative period. RESULTS: Within the continuous occlusion group that lasted longer than 20 minutes (37 +/- 14 min) increase in levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes and decrease of prothrombin time were noted as compared to the group with occlusion shorter than 20 minutes and to the group with intermittent occlusion over 20 minutes (34 +/- 5 min). CONCLUSIONS: From results issued, it can be seen that using intermittent occlusion during liver parenchyma dissection lasting longer than 20 minutes causes less ischemic-reperfusion injury in the remaining liver parenchyma than by using continual occlusion.