Resection margin involvement after endoscopic excision of malignant colorectal polyps: definition of margin involvement and its impact upon tumour recurrence.

AIMS: Malignant polyps are examined to assess histological features which predict residual tumour in the unresected bowel and guide surgical decision-making. One of the most important of these features is resection margin involvement, although the best definition of margin involvement is unknown. In this study we aimed to investigate three different definitions and determine their impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-five malignant polyps removed endoscopically were identified and histological features correlated with either residual tumour in subsequent surgical resections or tumour recurrence following a period of clinical follow-up. Involvement of the polyp margin by cancer was defined in three different ways and outcomes compared. Tumour recurrence was associated with tumour grade, mucinous histology and resection margin involvement. All three definitions of margin involvement separated polyps into clinically significant categories; however, a margin ≤ 1 mm identified 73% of polyps as 'high-risk' compared with 59.1% when involvement was defined as tumour within the zone of coagulation artefact at the polyp base or 50% when tumour was present at the margin. All three 'low-risk' groups had a locoregional recurrence rate < 6.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Definitions of margin involvement for endoscopically removed malignant polyps in the colon and rectum vary between health-care systems, but a 1-mm clearance is widely used in Europe and North America. Our results suggest that a 1-mm margin is unnecessary and should be replaced by a definition based on tumour at the margin or within coagulation artefact at the polyp base.

18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging of Necrotizing Crescentic Glomerulonephritis With Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease.

A 30-year-old woman presented with lethargy, night sweats, and fever with raised inflammatory markers. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody was negative. Abdominopelvic CT was unremarkable. Subsequently, she underwent FDG PET/CT showing globally enlarged kidneys with diffuse hypermetabolic activity within the renal parenchyma bilaterally. Renal biopsies showed morphologic features of an active necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis, which was confirmed clinically and treated. This case demonstrates the role that FDG PET/CT can play in inflammatory conditions, such as glomerulonephritis, where it may be clinically useful when the presentation is atypical.

Sexual Functioning, Beliefs About Sexual Functioning and Quality of Life of Women with Infertility Problems.

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted in the background of paucity of studies examining the sexual and psychosocial functioning of women with infertility. AIMS: The study explored sexual functioning in women with infertility problems, their beliefs about sexuality and their quality of life. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A single group exploratory design with non-probability purposive sampling was used. A total of 30 participants diagnosed with primary infertility were included in the study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data were obtained by individual administration of the following tools: Semi-structured interview schedule, Female Sexual Functioning Inventory, Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale - BREF Version and General Health Questionnaire-12. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. RESULTS: About half of the participants had sexual dysfunction. Pain-related problems were most commonly reported (50%). Factors contributing to dysfunction included inadequate knowledge about sex, sexual stimulation and sexual communication. Along with inadequate self-image, negative childhood experiences, financial difficulties and marital discord in parents influenced the perception of self. Majority of the women had dysfunctional beliefs about sexuality (56%), and greater beliefs were found to be in the domain of sexual conservatism. The overall quality of life was poor, and 56% of women experienced psychological distress. There was significant positive correlation between sexual conservatism and experience of pain and overall sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: Women with infertility bear dysfunctional beliefs and suffer from problems in sexual functioning, have low quality of life and high psychological distress.

Red Kidney: Kidney Transplant From a Deceased Donor Who Received Massive Blood Transfusion During Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Here, we present a case of a deceased-donor kidney transplant. The brain-dead donor had received a massive blood transfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass, which lead to hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, acute kidney injury, and renal replacement therapy. The kidney appeared red after in situ flush. Postoperatively, the recipient developed delayed graft function. Protocol biopsy during the postoperative period revealed the widespread deposition of heme pigment in the renal tubules. Massive blood transfusion and cardiopulmonary bypass surgery are associated with hemolysis and heme pigment deposition in the renal tubules, which subsequently lead to acute kidney injury. Kidneys from such donors appear red and, while this does not preclude transplant, are likely to develop delayed graft function.

Alemtuzumab induction in renal transplantation permits safe steroid avoidance with tacrolimus monotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The use of alemtuzumab as induction immunosuppression for renal transplantation introduces the possibility of long-term tacrolimus monotherapy, avoiding maintenance with both corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). METHODS: We conducted a single-center, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial comparing two steroid avoidance regimens between December 2006 and November 2010. One hundred and sixteen adult patients were randomized to either basiliximab induction followed by tacrolimus and MMF maintenance or to alemtuzumab induction followed by tacrolimus monotherapy. The primary endpoint was noninferiority of isotopic glomerular filtration rate at 1 year; secondary endpoints included patient and graft survival, incidence of delayed graft function, and incidence and severity of biopsy-proven acute rejection. RESULTS: The two groups were well matched for all baseline demographics. Isotopic glomerular filtration rate was comparable between the groups at 1 year (57±26 mL/min for alemtuzumab group and 53±21 mL/min for basiliximab group; P=0.42). Secondary endpoints were also similar between the groups. The rate of biopsy-proven acute rejection by 12 months was lower in the alemtuzumab group (n=6 vs. n=14 in basiliximab arm) just reaching statistical significance (P=0.049); however, a single extra case in the alemtuzumab arm included when considering clinically treated rejection removes this significance (P=0.082). Similar rates of cardiovascular, infective, and neoplastic complications were observed in both groups. Forty-seven (81.0%) of the patients in the alemtuzumab group remained on tacrolimus monotherapy at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Renal transplantation with alemtuzumab induction followed by tacrolimus monotherapy leads to good graft and patient outcomes, with no major differences detected compared with basiliximab induction and tacrolimus/MMF maintenance at 1 year.

Prospective observational study of Thermablate Endometrial Ablation System as an outpatient procedure.

This single-arm prospective observational study was designed to evaluate patient acceptability and feasibility of the Thermablate endometrial ablation (EA) system (TEAS), a new-generation endometrial thermal balloon ablation system, as an office procedure. It was set up in a one-stop menstrual disorder clinic with a facility for outpatient hysteroscopy in the Queen's Medical Center, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, United Kingdom. Seventy premenopausal women mainly, with menorrhagia, without earlier endometrial preparation were included in the study. The exclusion criteria were women requesting general anesthesia, presence of submucous myoma, suggestion of malignant lesions, and a desire to preserve fertility. The intervention involved the use of global thermal EA with TEAS. This is an endometrial balloon ablation system that combines a "thermablation" time of 128 seconds with automatic controls of the treatment parameters of temperature and pressure, without any earlier endometrial preparation. Patients were given diclofenac sodium (100 mg orally) 2 hours before the procedure, with intracervical 4% prilocaine and intracavitary lidocaine gel for analgesia. Main results involved measurement of overall satisfaction with TEAS as an outpatient (office) procedure, intraoperative and postoperative pain scores, need for additional analgesia, nausea and vomiting rate, total time in clinic and the need for any admission, speed of recovery, and time away from home. In conclusion, the TEAS appears to be a well-accepted and safe outpatient procedure for treating menorrhagia.