Intragastric enucleation of stromal tumors through a combined laparoscopic and endoscopic approach.

Dear Editor, We read with great interest the paper entitled "Laparoscopic organ-preserving gastric resection improves the quality of life in stromal tumor patients: an observational study with 23 patients" written by Ozcan et al. in Ann Ital Chir. 2018 Oct 23;7 1. We agree with the Authors that preserving the stomach after excision of stromal tumors is essential to improve the patients' quality of life. We would like, however, to discuss some issues that the paper published by Ozcan et al. might raise. When feasible, laparoscopic surgery is the best procedure for removal of gastric stromal tumors, since it is associated with all the advantages already recognized to the mini-invasive approach 2,3. Furthermore, it allows reducing the entity of the resected stomach wall and, therefore, it may help maintain the stomach functions and a post-operative excellent quality of life. Besides the standard laparoscopic procedure with wedge resection of the stomach, we would like to draw the attention that other mini-invasive procedures might be performed. The standard surgical treatment of gastric stromal tumors typically involves full-thickness resection of the tumor site stomach wall. Surgical treatment could be technically challenging for proximal gastric lesions located near the gastro-esophageal junction. In the article by Ozcan et al. it is not well defined how they approached iuxta-cardial stromal tumors. A combined endoscopic/laparoscopic intraluminal enucleation technique has been proposed by some Authors, including us, in these cases 4-6. Our technique consisted in inserting two 5-mm radially expandable trocars through the abdominal and gastric walls. Through the 5-millimeter trocar, a laparoscope was introduced into the gastric cavity and with an endoscopic polipectomy snare introduced per mouth, the gastric iuxta-cardial lesion was grasped and tractioned. Through the other 5-mm laparoscopic trocar, the iuxtacardial gastric lesion was then removed with a complete submucosal resection. The excellent exposure of the site of excision allowed by the endoscopic traction was essential in this step. The specimen was then pulled away from the mouth after its introduction into a small plastic bag and the gastric holes were closed with monofilament non-absorbable sutures. In selected cases of submucosal iuxta-cardial gastric stromal tumors, as well as in every small stromal gastric lesions, the laparoscopic-endoscopic technique should be preferred since it allows a complete safe and oncologic resection of submucosal lesions, reducing risk of complications (e.g., perforation) and lowering morbidity when compared to other open or laparoscopic approaches.

Idiopathic intramural hematoma of the right colon. A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal hematoma is usually observed after an abdominal trauma or in patients treated with anticoagulant therapy. Conversely, idiopathic bowel hematoma is very rare, being colon involvement sporadic with few reports in the Literature. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The Authors report a case of idiopathic spontaneous large bowel hematoma. A 48-year-old man was admitted for a thoraco-abdominal pain and signs of acute abdomen and fever. After ruling out heart diseases, a CT scan revealed a marked thickening of the ascending colon wall, obstructing the bowel lumen. Leukocytosis was observed. In an emergency setting, an explorative laparotomy was performed. Hemoperitoneum and a large hematoma involving the caecum and the ascending colon were detected, together with intramesenteric and retroperitoneal blood effusion. A right hemicolectomy was accomplished. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of large bowel hematoma. Post-operative molecular diagnostic testing for coagulative disorders failed to demonstrate any genetic variation associate with hemorrhagic predisposition. In the post-operative course, the patient experienced a left basal bronco-pneumonia with increased unilateral pleural effusion, successfully treated by a thoracic drain and antibiotic therapy. DISCUSSION: The reported case and Literature data show that diagnosis of idiopathic colon intramural hematoma is challenging, especially in the emergency setting. Although conservative therapy is the first line treatment, surgery still has an important role when the diagnosis is uncertain, medical treatment fails or a complication, such untreatable bleeding, perforation or occlusion occur. CONCLUSION: The Authors report a very rare case of spontaneous intramural hematoma of the right colon. Surgery still has a role in selected cases.

Laparoscopic surgery with total mesocolic excision in colon cancer. A systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Nowadays, there is no standardization in surgical procedures for treatment of colon cancer. Since its introduction, laparoscopic surgery has gained increasing interest in colorectal surgery and it is now performed worldwide for treatment of colon cancer. Following the concept of total mesocolic excision introduced by Heald in 1988 in order to reduce local recurrence after surgical treatment of mid/low rectal tumors, the idea of complete removal of the mesocolon mesocolic envelope has been developed also for colon cancer, has evolved longtime and complete mesocolic excision has been recently adopted as the optimal approach for colon cancer. However, complete mesocolic excision, whose purpose is to remove all lymphatics and lymph nodes draining the tumor, is still discussed as far as oncologic results are concerned. Moreover, the role of laparoscopic approach for complete removal of mesocolon has to be defined. METHODS: Selection of studies. A MEDLINE-PubMed database search of the current English Literature was performed using the terms: complete mesocolic excision; high vascular ligation; splenic flexure mobilization. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The inclusion criteria were report on CME for colonic cancer with high vascular ligation; minimum number of patients included (20 patients). Two independent reviewers (CRS, IE) extracted the data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In this article, an update from the Literature on results of complete mesocolic excision was undertaken and data have been discussed. The role of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision in colon cancer patients has been focused, and it seems to be safe and feasible, it should be standardized and hypothetical oncologic advantages should be expected. KEY WORDS: Colorectal-tumor, Complete mesocolic excision, High vascular ligation, Laparoscopic colorectal surgery, Splenic flexure mobilization, Total mesocolic excision.

A rare case of epithelioid hemangiothelioma of the quadriceps.

Hemangioendotelioma is a group of rare vascular tumors with border-line behavior. They may involve internal organs, limbs, bones and soft tissue. The histological variant epitheliod hemangiothelioma is locally aggressive and has metastatic potential. We present a case of a 41-years old woman affected by epitheliod hemangiothelioma of the right quadriceps. The patient complained of localized pain in the anterior region of the right thigh, which started about 3 months earlier during physical exercise. For the increasing size of the lesion, the patient was referred to our Department. On physical examination, the lesion appeared elastic, fixed to the surrounding tissues and painful under pressure. An ultrasound examination revealed a small avascular lesion and a MRI examination showed an oval formation measuring about 18 mm in diameter of nonspecific significance. A surgical removal of the lesion was performed and diagnosis of epithelioid hemangiothelioma was achieved. A complete removal of the quadriceps muscle was then accomplished. In this paper, clinical and oncologic aspects of this rare tumor are discussed KEY WORDS: Epithelioid hemangiothelioma, Lower limbs tumor, Rare tumors.

Preoperative Predictive Factors of Conversions in Laparoscopic Splenectomies.

PURPOSE: Presently, laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is being performed for several indications in clinical practice. However, conversion to open surgery is occasionally required in some patients. We analyzed the intraoperative indications and potential preoperative predictors associated with conversion to open surgery in those presenting for LS. METHODS: We reviewed 107 patients who underwent LS. We analyzed the surgical indications, spleen size, surgical procedure performed, operative time, rate of and indications for conversions, as well as postoperative complications. RESULTS: Among the 15 patients (14.0%) who underwent conversion, the conversion was related to the occurrence of a splenic lymphoma in 10, severe bleeding in 3, a lack of anatomic definition in 1, and splenic candidiasis in 1 patient. A comparison between the results obtained in the initial 30 patients (LS performed during the learning curve) and those obtained in the remaining 77 patients, showed that conversions appeared to be related to the experience/expertise of the surgical team excluding patients with splenic malignancies. Conversion was not associated with a higher morbidity-mortality rate, but only a longer length of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: LS is a gold standard procedure when performed by experienced and competent surgeons. However, careful patient selection is recommended before using the laparoscopic approach in those presenting with splenic malignancies.