Internationalization of general surgical journals: origin and content of articles published in North America and Great Britain from 1983 to 1998.

HYPOTHESIS: The origin and characteristics of articles published in the 6 highest rated (Institute for Scientific Information classification) English-language general surgical journals have changed significantly during the past 15 years. DESIGN: All articles published in 1983, 1988, 1993, and 1998 in 5 US surgical journals and 1 British surgical journal were reviewed and characterized. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Absolute numbers and proportions of national and international articles published in each journal. RESULTS: Articles reviewed included 4868 in US journals and 1380 in the British journal. The total number of US journal articles decreased by 15.1%. The total number of British journal articles increased by 58.9%. The percentage of national articles decreased from 87.5% to 68.8% in US journals (P<.001) and constituted the minority of freely submitted articles in 1998 in 3 of 5 US journals. The percentage of national articles also decreased from 74.8% to 47.1% in the British journal (P<.001). Articles by European and Asian authors showed the most striking increases in all journals. The percentage of basic research articles declined in US journals from 23.3% to 17.9% (P =.001) owing to a 14.9% decline in national basic research articles. The percentage of clinical randomized studies increased from 2.2% to 4.1% (P<.008), but the increase was attributable to international articles. Government funding alone decreased from 13.6% to 11.2%, and government plus another source of funding decreased from 19.2% to 16.7% for national articles in US journals. CONCLUSIONS: Internationalization of the highly rated British and the 5 highest rated US general surgical journals has occurred. The decrease in the number of national articles in the US journals has been accompanied by significant decreases in government funding and basic research articles and a static output of clinical randomized studies from North America.

Porcelain gallbladder is not associated with gallbladder carcinoma.

The surgical management of porcelain gallbladder is based on studies performed in 1931 and 1962, which indicated a correlation between porcelain gallbladder and carcinoma. We sought to evaluate the characteristics of patients with porcelain gallbladder and the risk for gallbladder carcinoma. The medical records of 10,741 cholecystectomies performed between 1955 and 1998 were reviewed and recorded. The pathology slides were evaluated for evidence of calcification and gallbladder carcinoma. Fifteen (0.14%) of 10,741 specimens were porcelain gallbladders. Ten patients (67%) had symptoms suggestive of biliary colic or cholecystitis. Five (33%) were asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. All specimens demonstrated chronic cholecystitis and partial calcification of the gallbladder wall. Nine (60%) had cholelithiasis. None had gallbladder carcinoma by recent review of pathologic material. During this same period 88 (0.82%) patients had gallbladder carcinoma, none of which showed calcification of the wall. This report represents the largest modern review of porcelain gallbladders. No carcinoma was identified among patients with porcelain gallbladder. In addition no patient with gallbladder carcinoma had calcified gallbladder. With a better understanding of the natural history of the porcelain gallbladder the current management of these patients may change.

The spectrum of mucin-producing adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

The clinical distinction between cystic and mucinous carcinomas of the pancreas has been poorly defined. Therefore we sought to stratify the entity known as pancreatic mucinous adenocarcinoma based on pathologic and clinical criteria. Clinical data and pathology specimens were reviewed for patients (n = 40) who had been diagnosed as having mucin-producing pancreatic adenocarcinoma and had undergone either resection or intraoperative biopsy of their pancreatic tumor during a 40-year period at the UCLA Medical Center. Based on histologic criteria, three distinct classes of pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified: mucinous noncystic (colloid) adenocarcinoma (group I), mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (group II), and ductal adenocarcinoma (group III). Based on clinical behavior, groups I and III were indistinguishable. Compared to patients from groups I and III, those from group II were younger, more likely to be female, and had a better prognosis. Among mucin-producing adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, mucinous noncystic adenocarcinoma and ductal adenocarcinoma share similar clinical features, whereas true cystic lesions represent a distinct clinical entity.

Provider-sponsored organizations: the state of the market.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 introduced the Medicare+Choice program, which expanded the types of organizations that could assume Medicare prepaid capitated risk. Among the many new options, the provider-sponsored organization (PSO) received the most attention, although there have been few PSO applications filed. Organizations considering the PSO opportunity can gauge their readiness by evaluating the ease with which they can adopt key aspects of successful HMOs.

Angiomyolipoma of the liver presenting in pregnancy.

Primary angiomyolipoma of the liver is a rare entity with fewer than 40 cases described in the English literature. Primary hepatic tumors diagnosed during pregnancy are also rare with adenomas, hemangiomas, and hepatocellular carcinoma having been described. This article reports a patient who was diagnosed with a large liver mass at 16 weeks gestation. The patient successfully completed her pregnancy and ultimately underwent resection of a giant hepatic angiomyolipoma. The literature on angiomyolipoma as well as liver tumors during pregnancy is reviewed.

Biliary complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has rapidly become the preferred treatment for symptomatic gallstones. Although this procedure has certain advantages over open cholecystectomy, concern has been expressed regarding the potential for bile duct injuries. In an effort to understand the scope of this problem, a retrospective review was performed of all patients referred to UCLA after having sustained biliary injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Over a 14-month period, 10 patients were referred to UCLA with 12 major bile duct injuries. One patient had a false positive cholangiogram leading to an unnecessary biliary-enteric bypass and subsequent dehiscence, resulting in a biliary fistula. Six patients were referred on an acute basis, whereas four patients underwent attempted biliary reconstruction at outside facilities and were ultimately referred with either a biliary stricture or a fistula. Review of cholangiograms suggested that bile duct anomalies were present in five patients. There did not appear to be a relationship between the use of either electrocautery or laser and bile duct injuries. To date eight patients have been successfully managed via Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomies, with a mortality rate of 0%. Although the exact frequency cannot be ascertained from the current study, our data demonstrate that major biliary complications do occur during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Most of these injuries, however, can be safely and successfully treated with surgical biliary reconstruction. Early diagnosis and treatment with liberal use of intraoperative cholangiography and a low threshold for conversion to open laparotomy appears to be associated with a more favorable outcome.

Management of bile duct strictures. An evolving strategy.

In an effort to determine the role of interventional radiologic and endoscopic techniques in the management of benign biliary strictures, a retrospective analysis was carried out on 194 consecutive patients with bile duct strictures treated at UCLA between 1955 and 1990. Patients were classified as group 1 (1955 through 1979; n = 138) or group 2 (1980 through 1989; n = 56). Follow-up was for a minimum of 24 months and was in excess of 3 years in 179 patients (92%). Although the incidence of recurrent strictures was similar in the two groups (21% and 23%), the reoperation rate was significantly lower (P less than .02) in group 2 (6%) than in group 1 (21%). Percutaneous transhepatic biliary dilatation, used in 20 patients in group 2, was successful in 13 (93%) of 14 patients with anastomotic strictures and three (50%) of six patients with primary strictures (P less than .05). We conclude that surgical reconstruction remains the standard therapy for patients with primary bile duct strictures. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary dilatation has limited usefulness for these patients, but may be more appropriate for those with anastomotic strictures.

The natural history of carcinoma of the bile duct in patients less than forty-five years of age.

Traditionally regarded as a disease of the elderly, the natural history of carcinoma of the bile duct in young patients has not been well defined. Of 186 patients (mean age of 62 years) treated at UCLA (1954 to 1988) for carcinoma of the bile duct, 26 were less than 45 years old. Younger patients had symptoms for an average of 4.5 +/- 0.8 months prior to diagnosis, as compared with 2.3 +/- 0.2 months for patients more than 45 years old (p less than 0.03). Of the younger patients, 96 per cent were managed surgically with either resection, surgical palliative bypass or laparotomy and tube drainage. Among the younger patients who underwent resections, 92 per cent were alive at one year, as compared with 60 per cent of patients who underwent palliative bypass procedures. Two patients who underwent tumor resections survived four years or longer. We conclude that carcinoma of the bile duct is not limited to the elderly and occurs in a significant number of young patients. In the younger population, carcinoma of the bile duct is characterized by delays in diagnosis. Early suspicion and aggressive management of young patients with obstructive jaundice are essential to ensure the best possible outcome for patients with this disease.

Repair of large paraesophageal hernia with complete intrathoracic stomach.

Paraesophageal hiatal hernia accounts for only five per cent of all diaphragmatic defects but is a potentially dangerous lesion. Herniation of the entire stomach, at times accompanied by the omentum, transverse colon, and small bowel, may occur in some patients, and incarceration and strangulation may be the result. Three patients underwent repair of large paraesophageal hernias, in one instance as an emergency. Symptoms of pain, bloating, and occasional regurgitation had been present for 17, 30, and 40 years. The operations included repair of the hiatal defect, anterior gastropexy, and Nissen fundoplication in two patients. In the third patient, a pyloromyotomy was performed as well. A subsequent thoracotomy was necessary in one patient to excise a persistent large hernia sac, which was densely adherent to the lung and mediastinal structures. All patients were asymptomatic after periods of 9 months, 1 year, and 7 years. The unique anatomic and clinical features of large paraesophageal hernias containing intrathoracic abdominal viscera, as well as the technique of operative repair, are presented.

Reoperation for biliary strictures.

Benign bile duct strictures most often follow intraoperative injury not recognized until later. The ideal reconstruction entails a mucosa-to-mucosa anastomosis without tension, usually with a stent tube to maintain patency in the immediate postoperative period. The mortality rate for reoperation and bile duct reconstruction in patients who are not cirrhotic is approximately 2%, and success rates average 85%. Prevention of operative injuries by the use of cholangiography, careful dissection, and removal of the gallbladder from the fundus downward is the best treatment.

Carcinoma of the ductus choledochus.

A retrospective review of patients treated for carcinoma of the common bile duct has demonstrated improvement in diagnostic capabilities, leading to earlier management by resectional therapy. The ability to resect these tumors is directly translatable to improved long-term survival. Efforts to obtain proof of malignancy prior to resection are often frustrated by the inability to obtain adequate representative tissue for frozen section. Choledochoscopic biopsies and incisional biopsies have given the highest yield of positive diagnoses. In experienced hands, a program of fewer preoperative tests with emphasis on early operation, diagnosis, and definitive treatment may be more cost-effective in the management of patients with common bile duct cancer.

Surgical management of bile duct stones.

The biliary surgeon in the 1990s must be familiar with all of the available techniques for the treatment of bile duct stones. Experience and judgment are important in the successful management of the individual patient with intrahepatic or extrahepatic stones. Knowledge of the nonsurgical methods of stone removal is important in the decision-making process. However, the biliary surgeon must resist the temptation to do less than a thorough removal of all stones at the operation lest the patient be subjected to additional procedures, which carry their own risks of morbidity and death. The goal should be to clear the stones from the biliary system with the fewest procedures offering the lowest morbidity and mortality risks to the patient.

Changing patterns in diagnosis and management of bile duct cancer.

An analysis of 186 patients treated for bile duct cancer at UCLA Medical Center from November 1954 to December 1988 demonstrated improvements in several areas of diagnosis and management. Comparison of 96 patients treated between 1954 and 1978 (group 1) with 90 patients treated between 1978 and 1988 (group 2) showed earlier diagnosis and treatment in group 2 (2.1 months from onset of symptoms) than in group 1 (4.9 months; p less than 0.05) and this was correlated with increased use of ultrasonography, computed tomographic (CT) scans, transhepatic cholangiography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Operative mortality rates were lower in group 2 (4%) than in group 1 (12%) and the difference was most marked in patients with upper-third lesions, where resections in group 1 had a 23% operative mortality rate but group 2 resected patients had zero mortality (p less than 0.001). A program of operative staging and selection of patients for resection or palliative procedures has resulted in better operative risks with no deterioration in survival.

Unique urinary-fecal calculus after cystectomy and ureterosigmoidostomy.

A 36-year-old m an had stage B1 bladder cancer-treated by cystectomy and ureterosigmoidostomy. Postoperatively, a urinary leak was managed successfully by transureteroureterostomy and temporary colostomy. In succeeding years a large calculus developed in the region where the bladder had been and it also involved the sigmoid colon. The huge stone was removed successfully. A nonabsorbable suture was found in the center of the stone. This is a unique complication of ureterosigmoidostomy.

Management of cystic disease of the liver.

The management of cystic diseases of the liver requires an understanding of their pathophysiology and natural history. Surgery for congenital solitary cysts and polycystic disease should be reserved for patients with significant symptoms. Caroli's disease requires careful preoperative evaluation and planning and long-term follow-up. Surgery for echinococcal liver cysts should be performed before complications of rupture and superinfection develop.

Agenesis of the gallbladder without extrahepatic biliary atresia.

Agenesis of the gallbladder without extrahepatic biliary atresia is a rare disorder. At the UCLA-affiliated hospitals, 12 patients were classified in the following groups: (1) multiple fetal anomaly, (2) asymptomatic, and (3) symptomatic. All four patients in the multiple fetal anomaly group died of their other congenital defects. In the three patients in the asymptomatic group, the absent gallbladder was an incidental finding at autopsy. The five patients in the symptomatic group underwent operations for symptoms suggestive of biliary tract disease, with no gallbladder found; all were symptom free postoperatively. Operative strategy should include a complete exploration, operative cholangiography, and common bile duct exploration as necessary. Possible mechanisms responsible for symptoms include primary duct stones, biliary dyskinesia, or nonbiliary disorders. Computed tomography, biliary manometry, upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy, and endoscopic cholangiography (with or without sphincterotomy) could be employed if symptoms continue.