Usefulness of harmonic focus during axillary lymph node dissection: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Axillary node dissection (ALND) is affected by various complications, (hematoma, seroma, lymphocele, infections). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Harmonic Focus (HF) in reducing these complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 92 patients requiring ALND, were divided into two group: Group A (HF) (33 women, 14 men), and Group B (control) (28 women, 17 men). RESULTS: Operating time was lower in Group A than in Group B. The amount of drain volume was lower in Group A than in Group B, the drain was removed earlier in Group A than in Group B. Seroma incidence was lower in Group A than in Group B. CONCLUSIONS: The use of HF during ALND is effective in reducing operating time, drain volume and complications.

Surgical management of abdominal manifestations of type 1 neurofibromatosis: experience of a single center.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disease characterized by neoplastic and nonneoplastic disorders involving tissues of neuroectodermal and mesenchymal origin. The mainly involved districts are skin, the central nervous system, and eye and there is a wide range of severity of clinical presentations. Abdominal manifestations of NF1 include five kinds of tumors: neurogenic tumors (neurofibromas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors [MPNSTs], and ganglioneuromas); neuroendocrine tumors (pheochromocytomas and carcinoids); nonneurogenic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs); embryonal tumors; and miscellaneous. The present experience depends on the participation in the National Project for Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Diseases. In the group of patients with a diagnosis of von Recklinghausen disease, 10 patients underwent surgical treatment for gastrointestinal and retroperitoneal tumors associated with NF1. Three patients underwent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma (in one case associated with jejunal wall neurofibroma); two patients were found to be affected by MPNST (recurrent and unresectable in one case). One patient was affected by giant gastric GIST and jejunal neurofibroma; two patients were affected by extraperitoneal neurofibroma (pararenal and pararectal position); one patient was affected by giant colic neurofibroma and one patient was affected by retroperitoneal bilateral plexiform neurofibromas. Early diagnosis of these abdominal manifestations is very important because of the risk of malignancy, organic complications (such as pheochromocytoma), or hemorrhagic-obstructive complications such as in case of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract (GISTs and neurofibromas). The importance of an annual clinical evaluation on the part of a multidisciplinary pool of clinicians in highly specialized centers allows early detection of complications and of neoplastic transformation. Genetic screening allows preclinical diagnosis with a sensibility of 95 per cent. Further studies are necessary to detect predictive factors of malignant tumor development of severe clinical conditions.

Gastrointestinal and retroperitoneal manifestations of type 1 neurofibromatosis.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) is a genetic disease characterized by neoplastic and not neoplastic disorders, involving tissues of neuroectodermal or mesenchymal origin. The mainly involved districts are skin, central nervous system, and eye, and there is a wide range of severity of clinical presentations. DATA SOURCES: Abdominal manifestations of NF1 comprehend five categories of tumors: neurogenic with neurofibromas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and ganglioneuromas, neuroendocrine with pheochromocytomas and carcinoids, non-neurogenic gastrointestinal stromal tumors, i.e., GISTs, and embryonal tumors and miscellaneous. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis of these abdominal manifestations is very important given the risk of malignancy, organic complications such as in the case of pheochromocytomas or hemorrhagic-obstructive complications such as in the case of the tumors of the gastrointestinal tract (GISTs and neurofibromas). The importance of an annual clinical evaluation on the part of a multidisciplinary pool of clinicians in highly specialized centers allows early detection of complications and of neoplastic transformation.

[Cavernous haemangioma of the lung: a case report and review of the literature]. / Emangioma cavernoso del polmone: caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Cavernous haemangioma is a rare benign vascular tumour rarely seen in the lung. A 73-year-old male complaining of haemoptysis and dyspnoea, with a solitary nodule of the left lower pulmonary lobe, underwent left lower wedge resection. Pathology showed a 3 cm cavernous haemangioma. One year later symptoms recurred and CT showed a second nodule in the left upper lobe. Upper left lobectomy was performed, confirming the diagnosis of cavernous haemangioma. There are less than 25 case reports of this type of tumour in the literature. Radiological findings usually show a single pulmonary nodule. The preoperative diagnosis is quite difficult because pulmonary biopsy is often non-diagnostic. Standard treatment is complete surgical resection. For asymptomatic patients a brief period of observation is suggested.

The effect of locally administered anti-growth factor antibodies on neointimal hyperplasia formation in expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts.

The selective blockage of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) by specific antibodies coated into expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts may diminish neointimal hyperplasia. Sixty pigs were divided into two groups (n = 30 each) and then further divided into five subgroups. Group 1 had a bilateral iliac artery ePTFE interposition graft precoated with Matrigel. Three subgroups (A, B, and C) received a specific monoclonal antibody against PDGF-BB, bFGF, or TGF-beta1. One (D) received all antibodies, and one served as control (nonimmune immunoglobulin G [IgG] isotypes) (E). Group 2 had a bilateral iliac artery endothelial cell (EC)-seeded ePTFE interposition graft precoated with Matrigel. Three subgroups (A, B, and C) received a specific antibody against PDGF-BB, bFGF, or TGF-beta1. One (D) received all antibodies, and one served as control (nonimmune IgG isotypes) (E). Light microscopy and immunohistochemical stain showed that neointimal hyperplasia formation was significantly reduced in subgroups D compared to the others (p < 0.05). In subgroups D, the different precoating influenced neointimal hyperplasia formation. It was more pronounced in the prosthesis precoated with EC and Matrigel (p < 0.05). In organ culture, the amount of PDGF-BB, bFGF, and TGF-beta1 release was reduced in subgroup D animals compared to the others (p < 0.05). In subgroups D, the release of PDGF-BB, bFGF, and TGF-beta1 depended on ePTFE seeding. A higher amount of these growth factors was released in the prostheses precoated with EC and Matrigel (p < 0.05), and the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index confirmed higher incorporation in this subgroup (p < 0.001). The combined use of locally administered anti-PDGF-BB, bFGF, and TGF-beta1 monoclonal antibodies reduces neointimal hyperplasia formation.

[Local excision of giant rectal polypoid neoplasms]. / Escissione locale delle neoplasie polipoidi giganti del retto.

Local excision is the best therapeutic option for giant adenomas of the rectum. Parks technique for lower rectal lesions and the T.E.M. technique for lesions localised in the middle and upper rectum offer exceptionally good exposure, allowing radical excision in the case of early low-risk T1 adenocarcinomas (well or moderately differentiated [G1/2] without lymphovascular invasion [L0]). From July 1987 to March 2006, 224 patients were treated by local excision for rectal lesions in our department. In 48 patients (21.4%) a large sessile benign lesion was diagnosed preoperatively. In 3 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of severe dysplasia (Tis) final pathology showed adenoma and for this reason they were included in our study group. A total of 51 patients with giant preoperative benign lesions were treated by local excision (Parks technique, T.E.M. or both). Twenty-five (49%) patients had a definitive diagnosis of adenocarcinoma: in situ (pTis) in 22 patients (88%), pT1 in 2 patients (8%) and pT2 in 1 patient (4%). In 26 patients (51%) the diagnosis was adenoma. The overall local recurrence rate was 9.8% (5/51); the recurrence rate was 7.6% (2/26) for adenomas and 12% (3/25) for carcinomas. The median hospital stay was 7 days (range 3-39). There was no operative mortality. Giant sessile polypoid lesions localized in the middle and upper rectum are best treated with T.E.M., while Parks technique is a good option in lower rectal tumours. These techniques, if correctly indicated and well performed, offer great advantages in terms of safety and radicality. In our experience the operative mortality was nil and the morbidity and recurrence rates were low.