Hepatitis B reactivation in HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-positive allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: risk factors and outcome.

HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-positive haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients are at high risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation. Allogeneic HSCT recipients from years 2000 to 2010 were evaluated in order to study the impact of being HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-positive in this population. Overall, 137 of 764 patients (18%) were HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-positive before HSCT. Overall survival, non-relapse mortality (NRM), acute and chronic graft-vs.-host disease were similar in HBcAb-positive and HBcAb-negative patients. Reactivation occurred in 14 patients (10%) within a median of 19 months after HSCT (range 9-77). Cause-specific hazard for reactivation was decreased in the case of an HBV-immune/exposed donor (HRadjusted = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.02-0.96; p 0.045) and increased in patients who received rituximab treatment (HRadjusted = 2.91; 95%CI, 0.77-10.97; p 0.11). Competing risk analyses documented a protective role of an HBV-immune/exposed donor (p 0.041) and an increased probability associated with the length of treatment with cyclosporine (p <0.001) and treatment with rituximab (but not with low-dose rituximab prophylaxis, p <0.001 at each landmark point). No differences in overall survival and NRM were found between patients with and without HBV reactivation. The donor's immunity was independently and consistently associated with a decreased risk of HBV reactivation, while rituximab and cyclosporine treatments increased the probability.

[Intestinal perforation by ingested foreign bodies in the digestive tract: an insidious pathology always of interest. Our experience]. / La complicanza perforativa da ingestione di corpi estranei alimentari: una patologia insidiosa sempre attuale. Nostra esperienza.

The authors want to present five cases (from May 1999 to May 2009) of acute abdomen from perforation of the foreign body introduced with food. They highlight how the accidental ingestion is very common but the perforation is rare. The preoperative diagnosis, in these cases, is always very difficult and the radiological examinations are not always able to resolve the diagnostic doubt with other acute intestinal diseases that are responsible of perforation. Then, the surgery procedure is, necessarily, the only possible diagnostic and therapeutic means. The mortality and the morbidity remain still high first of all for the delay in the diagnosis and the advanced age of patients.

[Angiodysplasia in the gastrointestinal haemorrhage of the elderly patient. Our experience]. / Le angiodisplasie nelle emorragie digestive del paziente anziano. La nostra esperienza.

Angiodysplasia of the digestive tract is one of the main causes of acute bleeding and is a frequent reason for admittance to the emergency surgery unit. This pathology, previously considered rare and often not recognised, has only recently acquired a precise anatomo-pathology thanks to endoscopy. Besides having a decisive diagnostic role, endoscopy also allows the control and successful treatment of lesions, often in a definitive way, which were previously only dealt with surgery, with significant advantages for the elderly patient, reducing the rate of morbidity and mortality. There are still many discussions today, above all on the priority of various diagnostic investigations to be carried out in digestive bleeding and on the choice of treatment in the case of angiodysplasic lesions in geriatric age. Some cases of acute bleeding from intestinal angiodysplasia, observed by the Authors, have led them to study the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and emergency treatment of such lesions.

Pyoderma gangrenosum of the "sinus mammarum" in ulcerative colitis.

The first part of this article deals with the report of a patient suffering from pyoderma gangrenosum of the "sinus mammarum" associated with asymptomatic ulcerative colitis. This is followed by a revision of the present epidemiological, etiological, pathogenetic and clinical knowledges about this systemic manifestation of chronic phlogosis of the colon. The Authors have analysed the treatment for this condition and emphasized the resistance of the cutaneous ulcer encountered to conventional medical therapy of the underlying colonic disease which proved to be efficacious only on the latter; this led to integrate traditional treatment with the use of perilesional injections of small doses of calcic heparin as an alternative to immunosuppressive drugs or surgery. Topical antithrombotic treatment, which can be justified by the histological findings of phenomena of the vasculitis in the edge of pyoderma gangrenosum, demonstrated to be crucial and represents a peculiarity in the case here reported, which is unique in the literature as far as the Authors know, since it has not been experimented by anyone else.

[Hemorrhage and gastric perforation in patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)]. / Emorragia e perforazione gastrica in paziente con gastrostomia endoscopica percutanea (PEG).

INTRODUCTION: PEG is more and more used for those patients who need a medium and above all long term enteral nutrition, especially at home. This is the closest technical system to the requirements to have an ideal nutritional access; however it is burdened, on average in 32.5% of cases, with complications linked to technical mistakes of positioning or to a wrong management, such as haemorrhage and gastric perforation. CASE REPORT: A patient, subjected to supraglottic laryngectomy, to removal of tongue's base and to bilateral laterocervical lymphadenectomy and PEG carrier for 4 months, has arrived to our observation for a clinical outline of acute abdomen for perforation of hollow internal organ, preceded by progressive anaemia due to high digestive haemorrhage. Performed an exploratory laparotomy, it was discovered on the gastric fore face, between body and antrum, in proximity to the small curvature and in front of the PEG gastric access, a perforation with max 2 cm of diameter, crossed by probe's internal disk of retention. They proceeded to remove that, to unstick the gastric stoma from the parietal peritoneum, to suture the access of gastrostomy and the perforation by omentoplasty. Finally they carried out a jejunostomy for enteral feeding. DISCUSSION: We think we can pathogenetically identify the cause of the haemorrhage and of the stomach's perforation, occurred in a short time in the case we have examined, in the probe's movement for incorrect fixing of the plate of external anchorage or for excessive slimming of the patient due to not balanced nutritional supply, as well as in the consequent extension of its intraluminal part with continuous rubbing by internal disk on the gastric wall and with onset decubitus ulcer. Physiopathologic moments, connected with the supposed etiological factor, make both occurred complications as an unique pathologic entity, which has to be observed in the PEG carriers, in order to be able to diagnose it and treat it precociously and above all in order to be able to prevent it. Only a correct technique of positioning and of nursing and of management of nutritional supply is able not to thwart the finality of the PEG device which can be considered, in the elective indications and for the favourable requisites that marks it, a valid access to enteral nutrition realization.

[The switch prophylaxis with levofloxacin in surgical procedures for prosthetic inguinal hernia repair in one day surgery]. / La switch prophylaxis con levofloxacina negli interventi di ernioplastica inguinale con protesi in regime di one day surgery.

The installation of synthetic prosthesis in the repair of the hernial defects of the inguinal region, though it is part of cleaned surgical operations, it needs of an antibacterial prophylaxis for the prevention of the septic complications of the surgical wound and these, compared with complications following hernioplasty by straight suture, have a meaningful morbidity that can outweigh social and economic advantages of the hernioplasties. The Authors' experience is relative to 112 patients submitted to prosthetic hernioplasty by anterior approach (94 cases) and by transabdominal preperitoneal laparoscopy (TAPP) (18 cases) and underwent to "switch prophylaxis" with Levofloxacin using this posologic scheme: 500 mg ev 30 m' before the surgical operation and 500 mg os in seven days following. The evaluation of the surgical wound has never evidenced septic and suppurative complications; only 11 of the 122 surgical wounds (9%) have documented light phlogosis never advanced to evident suppuration. No patients have showed signs of pharmacologic local intolerance; about collateral general effects as sick and diarrhoea are appeared in 5% of patients, but these have been of light entity; an increase of the transaminase, quickly reverted to the suspension of the therapy, has interested 4% of cases. On the basis of these satisfactory results about clinical efficacy on the prophylaxis of the phlogistic complications of the surgical wound, with reduction of the incidence and gravity and in relation to large and complete antibacterial spectrum included Staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis, and about excellent tolerability without collateral effects, the Authors consider to be important the standardized use of this prophylaxis in the prosthetic hernial surgery of the inguinal region. This choice is correlated to the typical pharmacologic characteristics of the Levofloxacin and particularly to the total bioequivalence between endovenous and oral formulation and besides in relation to perseverance, not inferior to 24 hours, of the plasmatic and tissutal concentrations above bactericide IMC on the most part of organic districts, included skin and soft tissue. The assurance of Levofloxacin's employment in the "switch prophylaxis" also is correlated to patient's elevated compliance, above all if he is operated on regimen of "one day surgery", and to a favorable relationship between costs and benefits.

[Blunt hernia trauma with ileal perforation and incidental finding of Taenia saginata infestation]. / Trauma contusivo erniario con perforazione ileale a reperto incidentale di infestazione da taenia saginata.

Taking as their starting point the observation of a patient with blunt trauma of a voluminous inguinoscrotal hernia and with peritonitis due to perforation of the small bowel within the hernia, the Authors illustrate the aetiological, pathogenetic and physiopathological mechanisms of "seat belt syndrome". In the case described, they postulate that the incidental presence of taenia saginata in the small bowel lumen contributed considerably to the rupture. They then go on to focus on the difficult clinical diagnosis of this pathology and analyze its treatment. In view of the direct correlation between the prognosis and the therapeutic interval, they stress that resorting to diagnostic laparotomy in doubtful cases is a rational course of action. Laparoscopy today also constitutes an effective diagnostic and therapeutic option.