Type I insulin-like growth factor receptors in human colorectal cancer.

Type I insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptors have been recently characterised in human colorectal cancers. The aim of this study was to determine whether type I IGF receptor concentration may be related to prognostic variables in colorectal cancers. Saturation experiments with [125I]IGF-I were performed on membrane preparations of 46 frozen specimens (20 tumours, 26 controls) and analysed according to the Scatchard method. In all the studied cases, we found a single class of high affinity binding sites in both normal and malignant colorectal tissues (median 0.17 and 0.15 nmol/l, respectively). Using paired analysis, we found no significant difference in terms of type I IGF receptor concentration between malignant and normal colorectal tissues. There was also no relationship between type I IGF receptors and any of the tumour characteristics studied. This study does not support a critical role of the type I IGF receptors in the clinical management of colorectal cancers.

Arterial embolization for bleeding pseudocysts complicating chronic pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of arterial embolization (EMB) in the management of bleeding pancreatic pseudocysts or pseudoaneurysms and to assess the possible indication for secondary surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective review with a mean follow-up of 60 months (range, 18-125 months). SETTING: Tertiary care center, university hospital. PATIENTS: The medical records of 14 patients who were referred to the hospital with bleeding pancreatic pseudocysts and/or pseudoaneurysms related to chronic pancreatitis, between 1983 and 1994, were reviewed. The clinical presentation was major bleeding in 10 patients (gastrointestinal or intraperitoneal) and chronic signs in 4. INTERVENTION: Celiac and superior mesenteric angiography with EMB attempt in all patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The immediate effect on bleeding and the long-term safety of arterial EMB. RESULTS: Embolization failed in 3 patients and surgery was needed (1 patient died). Embolization was successful in 11 patients, but 2 complications occurred (duodenal necrosis and aortic thrombosis) (1 patient died). Among the 10 patients whose bleeding stopped, an intentional pancreatectomy was performed 4 times (all patients are alive). The 6 other patients did not undergo a further pancreatic operation due to unfavorable local or general condition. None of them had recurrent bleeding, 3 of them died later of extrapancreatic diseases. Overall, early mortality was 14%, with deaths occurring only in unsuccessful or complicated EMB cases. CONCLUSIONS: The immediate effectiveness of arterial EMB is undeniable but depends on the expertise of the radiologist. When EMB is successful, further surgery should be reserved for patients in good general condition who have other complications of chronic pancreatitis that are not amenable to minimally invasive techniques.

Retroperitoneal approach and endoscopic management of peripancreatic necrosis collections.

OBJECTIVE: To review the results of the different modalities of treatment of acute necrotizing pancreatitis that have been used by a single team during a 6-year period to assess the technique and indications of an endoscopic method of retroperitoneal drainage that is routinely performed for the management of peripancreatic necrosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study of 53 patients in a tertiary care center. RESULTS: All patients had signs of peripancreatic necrosis on initial computed tomography scan, 20 patients experienced organ failure during the first 7 days of the disease, and bacterial contamination was proved in 22 (56%) of 39 samples of peripancreatic necrosis. Methods of treatment included supportive therapy alone (group 1), percutaneous drainage (group 2), endoscopic retroperitoneal drainage (group 3), and laparotomy and transperitoneal drainage (group 4). Mortality and mean hospital stay were as follows: group 1, 0% and 23 days; group 2, 20% and 89 days; group 3, 10% and 62 days; and group 4, 33% and 86 days. Percutaneous drainage was beneficial in only 3 cases of sterile collection. Two local complications were related to the method of endoscopic drainage. Primary laparotomy was not routinely performed except in patients with an intraperitoneal complication. Overall mortality was 13.2%; mortality was significantly higher in patients with an infected necrosis (32%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of endoscopic retroperitoneal drainage seemed to be a significant factor in the observed improvement by providing a reliable drainage of the peripancreatic areas and avoiding the opening of the peritoneal cavity. This surgical approach is not exclusive and may be combined with a secondary laparotomy when needed. The preferred indications of this method are heterogeneous collections of necrosis with bacterial contamination.

Perforation of Barrett's ulcer: a challenge in esophageal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Barrett's ulcer, which develops within Barrett's esophagus, is frequently responsible for bleeding. Perforation is a rare complication constituting a great challenge for diagnosis and management. METHODS: Three personal cases and 31 published reports of perforated Barrett's ulcer were reviewed retrospectively. The site of perforation, clinical presentation, management, and outcome were assessed. RESULTS: The clinical presentation proved to be heterogeneous and was determined by the site of perforation: this was the pleural cavity (20% of cases), mediastinum (20%), left atrium (16.6%), tracheobronchial tract (13.3%), aorta (13.3%), pericardium (10%), or pulmonary vein (6.6%). Early esophagectomy and esophageal diversion-exclusion were the most frequent procedures, and overall mortality was 45%. CONCLUSIONS: The poor prognosis of perforated Barrett's ulcer should be improved by earlier diagnosis and adequate emergent operation. Although early esophagectomy constitutes the recommended procedure, esophageal diversion-exclusion, which allows control of both sepsis and bleeding, is also of interest.

A pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, associating 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin, after resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases.

We initiated a pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (AHAIC) using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin. Hepatic arterial infusion ports were placed in 15 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of a weekly infusion of 5-FU (12 mg m 2 per day) and leucovorin (200 mg m 2 per day) for 12 months. The mean follow-up was 22 months (range 3-62 months, SD 21-37 months). There were no clinical or biological complications related to chemotherapy, except for sharp epigastric burns in four patients immediately after 5-FU infusions. Catheter irreversible occlusions led to early cessation of the treatment in three patients. Four of the 15 evaluable patients developed recurrent disease. The site of relapse was the liver in two patients and extra-hepatic sites in the two remaining patients. Three of these four patients died of their recurrent disease. These results suggest that 5-FU and leucovorin can be combined for AHAIC in a long duration regimen with a very low rate of side-effects. This protocol could be safely employed in a prospective randomized study in combination with 5-FU systemic infusions.

Mixed ductal-endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas: a possible pathogenic mechanism for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

We describe herein a case of a mixed ductal-endocrine pancreatic carcinoma. Rare cases of mixed pancreatic tumors have been described, with endocrine and exocrine components each making up a significant proportion of the neoplasm; to our knowledge, only one case has been reported with a mixed liver metastasis. In our case, ductal and endocrine cells were intimately admixed in the primary tumor and in a peripancreatic lymph node metastasis, diagnosed by standard light microscopy and double immunostaining for cytokeratin 19 and synaptophysin. The endocrine component was immunoreactive for somatostatin. Tumors with admixed endocrine and exocrine components support the hypothesis of a common endodermal histogenesis for the ductal and endocrine cells in the human pancreas.

[Myocardial revascularization in silent myocardial ischemia]. / La revascularisation myocardique au cours de l'ischémie myocardique silencieuse.

Although there have been many reports of medical treatment of silent myocardial ischaemia (SMI) there have been fewer studies on the effects of myocardial revascularisation for this form of ischaemia. Myocardial revascularisation by coronary bypass surgery is particularly beneficial in patients with triple vessel disease and poor ventricular function, as shown by Weiner in a subgroup of patients from the CASS study. The tendency nowadays is to offer percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), because it is less traumatic, relatively simple and effective. A review of the literature shows that SMI may be treated effectively by PTCA. In a personal series of 62 patients, 80% of those are still asymptomatic and have no signs of ischaemia on maximal negative exercise stress tests one year after the procedure.

[Angiography of the left ventricle]. / L'angiographie du ventricule gauche.

Left ventricular angiography in the 30 degree right anterior oblique projection is the reference method of calculating volumes and assessing segmental wall motion. The calculation of volumes is based on the surface-length or Simpson's methods which assume that the ventricle has an ellipsoid shape. The use of both the right and left anterior oblique projections only slightly improves the accuracy of the method and is not necessary in routine procedures. The global parameters of left ventricular function are the end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes and the ejection fraction. Segmental wall motion assessment provides a more precise analysis of left ventricular function. Many methods have been described but only two have been validated clinically: the Stanford method proposed by Ingels in which fractional shortening is calculated with respect to a point situated at 69% of the length of the axis between the apex and the anterior aortic border, and the more complex Rotterdam method reported by Slager. The introduction of digitisation of the image has enabled calculation of these different parameters in routine investigations.

[Predictive factors of primary success after coronary angioplasty. Qualitative and quantitative angiography of 3679 coronary stenosis before and after dilatation]. / Facteurs prédictifs du succès primaire après angioplastie coronaire. Analyse angiographique qualitative et quantitative de 3,679 sténoses coronaires avant et après dilatation.

This study summarises the authors' experience of the prediction of primary success of coronary balloon angioplasty. A qualitative and quantitative angiographic study of 3679 coronary stenoses was undertaken before and after dilatation. Total occlusions before angioplasty and dilatations of saphenous vein bypass grafts were excluded. Two parameters were noteworthy: the occurrence of acute occlusion of the lesion during or immediately after angioplasty and the degree of residual stenosis as assessed by quantitative angiography. After multivariate analysis, 3 factors seemed strongly predictive of the risk of acute occlusion: the percentage stenosis before angioplasty, a left coronary artery stenosis and stenosis situated at the point of angulation of an artery. Quantitative angiographic studies identified 4 factors predictive of significant residual stenosis: the percentage stenosis before angioplasty, the irregularity of the contours of the lesion stenosis situated at the point of angulation of an artery and the presence of calcification. This study therefore shows at least two important discordances with the ACC/AHA morphological classification of coronary stenosis: firstly, excentricity would not seem to be a risk factor for primary failure of angioplasty and, secondly, excluding total occlusions, the percentage coronary stenosis before angioplasty as assessed by quantitative coronary angiography would seem to be the main predictive factor of both the risk of occlusion and the degree of residual stenosis.

[Absence of subrenal inferior vena cava revealed by rupture of duodenal varices in an adult]. / Absence de veine cave inférieure sous-rénale révélée par une rupture de varices duodénales chez un adulte.

This report concerns a case of absence of caudal inferior vena cava revealed by gastrointestinal bleeding from isolated duodenal varices by an adult. The diagnosis of duodenal varices was performed by ultrasonographic endoscopy. Development of duodenal varices in absence of portal hypertension is uncommon. Involvement of cavo-portal collateral circulation in case of inferior vena cava obstruction is unusual and duodenal varices are still more rarely encountered. Diagnosis was ultimately supported by femoral venous angiography showing the absence of inferior vena cava and a venous return from the right lumbar vein into the portal vein via the duodenal varices. The absence of caudal portion of inferior vena cava is more probably related to neo-natal thrombosis than to a true atresia.

[Intestinal surgery in the treatment of stenoses of the small intestine in Crohn disease]. / Les plasties intestinales dans le traitement des sténoses de l'intestin grêle au cours de la maladie de Crohn.

Strictureplasty is an alternative to extensive and/or multiple small bowel resections in the surgical treatment of Crohn's disease. We here report a series of 22 patients (12 M-10 F--mean age years: 28). All patients had a non-perforative form of Crohn's disease lasting for a mean of 8 years. Nine out of 22 had had previous intestinal resection. A total of 201 stenosis was identified during peroperative examination (mean per patient: 9). Only tight stenoses (diameter < 2 cms) were treated while others were left untouched (n = 22 in 11 patients). Eighty-three stenoses were treated by short strictureplasty and 24 by long strictureplasty using steel thread. One or several resections were simultaneously performed in 15 patients. Mortality was nil. A post operative abscess without loosened suture was drained. The mean follow-up in the 22 patients was 24 months (3-7 years). Clinical and radiological symptoms of stenosis were relieved after strictureplasty. Clinical recurrence occurred in 5 patients among 12 followed-up more than 2 years. Subsequent surgery was required in 4: in one case hemorrhagic ulceration developed within a long strictureplasty and in 3 others stenosis developed in plasty areas but also in previously healthy areas. In conclusion, strictureplasty is a short and long-term efficient procedure in the treatment of Crohn's disease stenosis. It allows limiting extensive intestinal resection. A more prolonged follow-up is needed in order to evaluate the rate of long-term recurrence and complications that would limit the interest of this technique.

[Bacterial translocation in Crohn disease]. / Translocation bactérienne dans la maladie de Crohn.

Bacterial translocation is the passage of viable endogenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to mesenteric lymph nodes and other internal organs. The aim of this work was to study bacterial translocation in patients operated on for Crohn's disease. Twenty-eight patients, mean age 29 years, not having received any antibiotics since at least 8 days, presenting with ileal (n = 12), ileo-colonic (n = 14) or colonic (n = 2) Crohn's disease were studied. In 25 out of 28 cases (89%) indication for surgery was strictures inducing an upper small bowel distension in 9 out of 25 patients. Mesenteric lymph nodes and liver biopsies, portal blood samples and peritoneum swabs were harvested after laparotomy and before gut opening. Bacterial translocation, defined as the presence of intestinal bacteria in at least one of the specimens, was present in 8 out of 28 patients. This was found in lymph nodes draining surgical territories in 7 out of 8 cases. Bacterial strains involved in translocation included E. coli (n = 5), Enterococcus (n = 3), Clostridium perfringens (n = 2), Proteus (n = 2), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 1). The rate of translocation differed neither according to Crohn's disease site nor with perforating or non perforating type of the disease. Five out of 9 patients operated on for strictures with proximal distension had a translocation. In conclusion, bacterial translocation was identified in 29% of patients operated on for Crohn's disease in this series. Distension of the intestine proximal to a digestive stricture could favor the occurrence of bacterial translocation in Crohn's disease.

[Percutaneous drainage of a presacral and spinal extra-dural abscess complicating Crohn's disease]. / Drainage percutané d'un abcès présacré et rachidien extra-dural compliquant une maladie de Crohn.

A 43-year-old man with Crohn's disease was hospitalized because of bilateral radicular pain secondary to a presacral abscess penetrating into the extra-dural space from L5 to S3. Conservative treatment using computed tomography guided percutaneous drainage of the abscess and parenteral antibiotherapy allowed complete recovery.

[Lymphomas of the colon complicating hemorrhagic rectocolitis]. / Lymphomes du côlon compliquant une rectocolite hémorragique.

Colonic lymphoma is a rare complication of ulcerative colitis. We report two cases of B cell colonic lymphoma occurring in two patients who had a left-sided ulcerative colitis for 7 and 24 years respectively. The diagnosis was made during surgery in one case and at colonoscopy in the other. Complete remission was achieved after surgery and chemotherapy with a 8-year and 15-month follow-up respectively.

[Crohn disease. Results of surgical treatment]. / Maladie de Crohn - résultats du traitement chirurgical.

The aim of this study was to describe and to analyze the results of surgery for Crohn's disease in a retrospective series of 155 operations performed in 124 patients from 1949 to 1981 by the same surgical team. Indications for surgical treatment were as follows: acute complications (25 p. 100), intestinal obstruction (35 p. 100), systemic inflammatory manifestations (40 p. 100). Three patients died postoperatively and complications necessitated a reintervention in 10 other subjects. Surgical indications and late postoperative prognosis were significantly different in patients with right-sided bowel lesions (i. e. terminal ileitis, ileocolitis of the ascending colon) and in those with left colonic involvement (i.e. colitis of the whole or descending colon, rectitis and anoperineal lesions). Surgery was required because of failure of medical treatment in 73 p. 100 of Crohn's disease affecting the left colon and in 17 p. 100 of the right-sided lesions (p less than 0.001). After resection a recurrence rate after 1 year and 3 years of respectively 50 and 62 p. 100 was observed in the left colonic disease group and in 5 and 23 p. 100 of the cases respecting the left colon. Finally 31 reoperations were necessary; no surgical mortality occurred in 12 patients with right-sided lesions whereas 5 among 19 patients with involvement of the left colon died postoperatively. These results: a) confirm the high postoperative rate of recurrence (or relapse) after surgical bowel resection for Crohn's disease (especially when the left colon is affected), b) emphasize the need for the surgeon to be very cautious when determining the extent of resection.

[Excluded rectum during Crohn's diseases: what is the risk of dysplasia?]. / Rectums exclus au cours de la maladie de Crohn: quel est le risque de dysplasie?

OBJECTIVES: An excluded rectum may be at risk of carcinoma in the course of Crohn's disease. Surveillance of patients requires detection of dysplasia. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of dysplasia from secondary proctectomy specimens in active rectal Crohn's disease. METHODS: Twenty three patients (13 women and 10 men, median age 38 years) were studied. The median duration of rectal exclusion was four years. Detection of dysplasia relied upon histopathology. Immunohistochemistry with MIB-1 (Ki-67) and anti-p53 (clone DO7) antibodies was performed as well. RESULTS: Frequency of dysplasia was 30%. This was low grade dysplasia, focally observed in proctectomy specimens. MIB-1 was positive on 46% of dysplastic cells. There was no expression of p53 protein. CONCLUSIONS: These results must be taken into account for decision of secondary proctectomy, in patients having an excluded rectum for Crohn's disease, when ileorectal anastomosis is not possible. Rectal endoscopic surveillance is advisable with multiple biopsies according to focal distribution of dysplasia.

Bacterial translocation in colorectal cancers.

Bacterial translocation, the passage of viable indigenous bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to the mesenteric lymph nodes and other internal organs, has been poorly studied in man to date. Pericolonic lymph nodes, liver, portal blood, and peritoneum specimens were harvested before antibiotics were administered during 20 operations for colorectal cancer and compared with those obtained in 20 operations for non colorectal conditions. Bacterial translocation, defined as the presence of intestinal bacteria in at least one of the specimens, was found in 13 patients (65 percent) in the colorectal cancer group as compared to 6 (30 percent) in the control group (p less than 0.05). The increased incidence of bacterial translocation in colorectal cancers was mainly due to the presence of bacteria in the pericolonic lymph nodes adjacent to the cancer. These findings suggest that intestinal bacteria translocate from the bowel lumen in a high proportion of patients with colorectal cancer and further stress the need for prophylactic antibiotics in colorectal cancer surgery.

[Diffuse jejuno-ileitis of Crohn's disease: a separate form of the disease?]. / Maladie de Crohn jéjuno-iléale diffuse: une forme particulière de la maladie?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diffuse jejuno-ileitis of Crohn's disease may be a homogeneous clinical subgroup. The aim of this work was to compare the demographic and clinical data at diagnosis and the initial treatments of patients with diffuse jejuno-ileitis of Crohn's disease and to the ones without this localization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For demographic and clinical studies, 48 (32M/16F) incident cases of diffuse jejuno-ileitis of Crohn's disease diagnosed between 1988 and 1994 in the EPIMAD register were compared with 96 (48M/48F) controls diagnosed the same year. As far as for the therapeutic management, the 48 incident cases were compared with 48 controls. RESULTS: Diffuse jejuno-ileitis constituted 3.3% of the total incident cases. Median age at diagnosis was significantly lower (20 vs 23 years, P = 0.01) and an upper digestive involvement was more frequent (56% vs 34%, P = 0.03) in patients with diffuse jejuno-ileitis. These patients were more often treated by total parenteral nutrition (43.8% vs 19.6%, P = 0.01) or azathioprine (50% vs 20.8%, P = 0.005). Azathioprine was also introduced earlier (20.7 vs 40.3 months, P = 0.009). Surgery for resection was less often required in diffuse jejuno-ileitis than in controls (65.2% vs 99.8%, P = 0.02) while more stricturoplasties were performed (52.9% vs 10%, P = 0.003); overall surgical rates did not significantly differ in the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Our series suggest that diffuse jejuno-ileitis of Crohn's disease is a subgroup of patients characterized by a young age at diagnosis, with more frequent and earlier requirement for azathioprine.

[Infliximab therapy for Crohn's disease anoperineal lesions]. / Traitement par anticorps anti-TNF alpha (infliximab, Remicade) des lésions anopérinéales de la maladie de Crohn.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy, the duration of response, and the tolerance of Remicade in anoperineal Crohn's disease. METHODS: Fifty patients with severe symptomatic and refractory anoperineal Crohn's lesions (38 fistulae and 29 cavitating ulcers and superficial fissures) were treated with 3 intravenous infusions of Remicade (5 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2 and 6. Efficacy was assessed using Allan's functional score and proctologic examination at 8 weeks (W8) and 24 weeks (W24) after the first infusion. RESULTS: At W8, a response was noted for 71% (27/38) of fistulae and 79% (23/29) of ulcers and fissures. Healing rates were 39% and 49%, respectively. Efficacy of Remicade at W8 did not vary according to sex, number and type of fistulae and other treatments. At W24, 58% (15/26) of patients with fistulae and 63% (10/16) of patients with ulcers or fissures had a response. The response rate at W24 was higher in patients having anoperineal Crohn's lesions for less than one year: 77% vs 32% (P=0.004). Median Allan's score significantly decreased from 3.9 before treatment to 1.7 at W2 (P<0.001), 1.3 at W6 and 0.8 at W8. Median duration of response was 9.5 months (range: 0.5-12.5) after last infusion and was not influenced by associated treatments including immunomodulators. The relapse rate at 1 year was 64% for the responders followed at least one year (n=21). Minor adverse events occurred during 12% of all infusions. Eight patients had an infection, including one pneumonia. Eight patients developed a perineal abscess 16 weeks (range: 4-32) after the first infusion. CONCLUSION: Remicade is rapidly effective and well tolerated in anoperineal Crohn's lesions, but the high relapse rate stresses the need for long term therapeutic strategies in these patients.

[Silent ischemia]. / L'ischémie silencieuse.

Silent myocardial ischaemia is a very common phenomenon in patients with coronary artery disease. It may occur in patients with clinical manifestations of angina, be detected during the post-myocardial infarction period or in patients totally asymptomatic. Whatsoever, it is well demonstrated that silent myocardial ischaemia has a very potent prognostic value. Therapeutic implications are similar to those in symptomatic ischaemia. Indications for myocardial revascularization by mean of angioplasty or bypass grafting may be discussed and depend on ventricular function and extension of coronary lesions.