Monitoring EBV infection, MSI, PDL-1 expression, Her-2/neu amplification as a biomarker for PD-1 inhibition in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab has been shown to be associated with a good response in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Excellent therapeutic results of pembrolizumab have been shown in patients with tumours showing a high microsatellite instability (MSI) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity. GOAL: This is a retrospective study of 40 bioptic specimens from the patients, who underwent gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. The goal of the study was to identify biomarkers (EBV, MLH-1, PDL-1 expression) that are potentially relevant for selecting the patients, who may benefit from PD-1 inhibition therapy. METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of PDL-1 and MSI, cytogenetic FISH amplification of the HER-2/neu gene and polymerase chain reaction of EBV RNA, including charge quantification, were performed in selected patients with metastatic or advanced gastric cancer. RESULTS: EBV-encoded RNA was detected in nine patients. None of them exhibited Her-2 overexpression or CMV infection. PD-L1 was detected in twelve patients. Ten patients were MLH1 positive. All nine cases of EBV infection showed a high expression of PD-L1 and MLH-1 (Tab. 1, Ref. 14).

Autoimmune pancreatitis ­ a surgical mistake?

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a specific type of chronic pancreatitis. Its clinical manifestation mimics pancreatic cancer. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to establish the correct diagnosis. Autoimmune pancreatitis can be diagnosed on the basis of symptomatology, imaging methods, endoscopy, serology and histopathological examination. There are two different forms of autoimmune pancreatitis ­ type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis and type 2 is idiopathic centroductal sclerosing pancreatitis. The disease most often takes a chronic form with acute exacerbations. In this paper we present two case reports of patients operated on for suspected malignancy of the pancreas, who were subsequently diagnosed with autoimmune pancreatitis based on histopathological examination. The aim of this communication is to point out the diagnostic pitfalls of this disease. Surgical treatment is not considered as a standard therapeutic method according to the current guidelines.

[Damage Control Surgery in Polytrauma Patients with Pelvic Fractures. Is It Possible to Use Internal Fixation?] / Damage Control Surgery u polytraumatizovaných pacientu s poranením pánve. Je mozné pouzít vnitrní osteosyntézu?

Current polytrauma management is multidisciplinary, with Damage Control Surgery (DCS), Damage Control Orthopaedics (DCO) and Damage Control Resuscitation (DCR) being applied in the first few hours after injury. The most severe group of polytrauma patients are those with circulatory instability and massive blood loss as a consequence of unstable pelvic fractures. In treating these patients, of crucial importance is the speed and quality of stabilisation of pelvic fracture fragments. The authors present two case reports of polytrauma patients with unstable pelvic fractures, in whom open reduction and internal fixation was performed on the anterior fracture segment through extended laparotomy in order to stop bleeding into the abdominopelvic cavity as part of the DCS approach. Key words: exsanguination, polytrauma, unstable pelvic fracture, plate fixation.

[Atypical, extra pancreatic pseudocyst of the pancreas]. / Atypická, extrapankreatická pseudocysta pankreatu.

UNLABELLED: The pseudocyst of the pancreas is one of the most common cystic lesions of the pancreas. The pseudocysts can be defined as intrapancreatic, peripancreatic or extrapancreatic fluid collections with a defined wall formed mostly on the basis of acute or chronic pancreatitis. This is a relatively common complication of acute or chronic pancreatitis. Sonography is essential for the diagnosis given its noninvasivity and availability. Other assessments that show the highest accuracy, specificity and sensitivity include MDCT and ERCP. The MDCT and ERCP assessments can be used to classify the pseudocyst; the treatment algorithm is then determined based on this classification. MDCT should ideally be preceded by ERCP. EUS-FNAB or aspiration with the determination of oncomarkers and AMS in the aspirate have been shown to be most important to distinguish the pseudocyst from malignant cystic lesions. Functional classification of the pseudocyst is an important prerequisite for successful algorithm of the treatment. The classification is based mainly upon anatomical relations of the pseudocyst to the pancreatic outlet and morphology of the pancreatic parenchyma. Percutaneous drainage, endoscopic and surgical methods are mainly applied in the treatment. The authors present a case report of a very rare extrapancreatic pseudocyst. KEY WORDS: pseudocyst pancreatic pseudocyst classification extrapancreatic pseudocyst.

Perioperative cardiovascular complications versus perioperative bleeding in consecutive patients with known cardiac disease undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Focus on antithrombotic medication. The PRAGUE-14 registry.

BACKGROUND: Interruption of antithrombotic treatment before surgery may prevent bleeding, but at the price of increasing cardiovascular complications. This prospective study analysed the impact of antithrombotic therapy interruption on outcomes in non-selected surgical patients with known cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: All 1200 consecutive patients (age 74.2 ± 10.2 years) undergoing major non-cardiac surgery (37.4 % acute, 61.4 % elective) during a period of 2.5 years while having at least one CVD were enrolled. Details on medication, bleeding, cardiovascular complications and cause of death were registered. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 3.9 % (versus 0.9 % mortality among 17,740 patients without CVD). Cardiovascular complications occurred in 91 (7.6 %) patients (with 37.4 % case fatality). Perioperative bleeding occurred in 160 (13.3 %) patients and was fatal in 2 (1.2 % case fatality). Multivariate analysis revealed age, preoperative anaemia, history of chronic heart failure, acute surgery and general anaesthesia predictive of cardiovascular complications. For bleeding complications multivariate analysis found warfarin use in the last 3 days, history of hypertension and general anaesthesia as independent predictive factors. Aspirin interruption before surgery was not predictive for either cardiovascular or for bleeding complications. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative cardiovascular complications in these high-risk elderly all-comer surgical patients with known cardiovascular disease are relatively rare, but once they occur, the case fatality is high. Perioperative bleeding complications are more frequent, but their case fatality is extremely low. Patterns of interruption of chronic aspirin therapy before major non-cardiac surgery are not predictive for perioperative complications (neither cardiovascular, nor bleeding). Simple baseline clinical factors are better predictors of outcomes than antithrombotic drug interruption patterns.

[Hemorrhagic complications of warfarin therapy]. / Hemoragické komplikace lécby warfarinem.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction of warfarin use in prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases resulted in lower rates of thromboembolic complications, however, on the other hand, it has been associated with increased incidence of hemorrhagic complications,which often require surgical management. AIM, MATERIAL, METHODS: The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of hemorrhagic complications in 184 patients, hospitalized in the FNKV (Královské Vinohrady Faculty Hospital) Surgical Clinic during 2000-2008, following warfarin overdose. The following diagnostic or treatment methods were used: endoscopy of the upper or lower GIT in GIT hemorrhages and spiral CT when peritoneal bleeding was suspected. RESULTS: GIT bleeding, such as hematemesis, melena, enterorrhagy, was the commonest complication observed in 147 patients, ie. 79.9%. Upper GIT was identified as the source of bleeding in 76 subjects, i.e. 51.7%, lower GIT was the identified source in 26 subjects, ie. 17.7%, and the source remained unidentified in 45 patients, ie. in 30.6%. 10 patients suffered from soft tissue bleeding, m. rectus abdominis hematoma was detected in 7 subjects, hemoperitoneum and/or retrohemoperitoneum was identified in 8 subjects. Intestinal wall or its intestinal peritoneum was affected in 3 subjects and 3 patients suffered from liver or splenic intraparenchymal hematoma. Out of the total of 184 patients, 165 subjects were treated conservatively (89.7%), 19 subjects underwent surgery (10.3%), including 14 laparotomies for acute abdomen symptoms and 5 incisions with removal of hematomas. Overall lethality rate was 7/184, ie. 3.8%, 5 subjects undergoing conservative treatment and 2 subjects undergoing surgery exited. CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled warfarin administration may cause serious, even life- threatening complications. Therefore, patients undergoing warfarin therapy should be adequately informed about potential complications and regular INR monitoring is required.

[Surgical management of varicose ulcers]. / Chirurgická léba zilních bércových viedu.

One of the most often diseases of the European population is the venous chronic leg ulcer. It requires a long-term and expensive therapy. Basic elements of the therapy are elastic banding of the leg, diuretics, antibiotics and local treatment. In some cases a profit can be acquired from surgical procedure, which includes the stripping and/or crossectomy of the saphenous vein or the subfascial ligation of insufficient perforators and skin grafting (two phases operation). This procedure shorts the time of therapy and prevents the ulcer recurrence, because it resolves the reason and the results of the disease. We present 22 patients treated by this cure during the last 3 years at our surgery department of the 3rd faculty of medicine Charles University in Prague. 21 patients (95.5%) are healed.