The effect of preoperative 18f Fdg-Pet on staging and treatment protocols in breast cancer patients.

AIM: We aimed to evaluate the effect of PET taken before surgery on the treatment protocol in patients diagnosed with BC and whether PET resulted in changes in the disease stage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: BC patients in our hospital who underwent surgery between 2016-2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The effect of preoperative PET on the treatment protocol was evaluated in all. Patients were divided into subgroups depending on whether they underwent direct surgery without CTX or were operated on after CTX initiation. In addition, in the group that did not receive CTX, axillary findings of PET were compared with postoperative histopathological results, and axillary PPV, NPV, sensitivity and specificity of PET were determined. In this subgroup, the preoperative PET stage was compared with the postoperative histopathological stage, and any changes in the disease stage were compared. RESULTS: In our study, PET affected the treatment protocol of 19 patients (20%). PET resulted in staging differences in 57.6% overall, increased staging in four patients (8.8%) who did not receive early-stage CT, and lower staging in 22 (48.8%) patients in the group. In early-stage BC of PET, the PPV for axilla was 81.2%, the NPV was 65.5%, sensitivity was 56.5%, and specificity was 86.3%. DISCUSSION: Although PET has many limitations, the determination of the size of the primary tumor and the multiple foci at different locations according to PET findings helped us to easily determine the treatment protocol for patients planned for BCS. CONCLUSION: The preoperative routine use of PET, which can provide more information about metastasis and stage than other methods in patients undergoing BC surgery, may improve the management of treatment in these patients. KEY WORDS: Breast cancer, 18F FDG-PET/CT, Chemotherapy, Staging.

A surgeon's nightmare: Complications.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to determine the physically and psychologically most difficult complication resulting in chronic discomfort and occurring sensationally in the postoperative period of operations performed frequently in the daily surgical routine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a survey among surgeons who participated in the 19(th) National Surgery Congress. The questions were related to the complications encountered in the frequent procedures performed in the daily general surgery routine and resulting in chronic life discomfort but which are not life threatening. Three hundred and sixty general surgeons participated in the survey and they were asked which complication among the given ones was the most difficult for a surgeon to manage physically and psychologically. The received answers were recorded and evaluated with descriptive statistical analysis. RESULTS: Among the surgeons who participated in the survey, 345 were male (96%) and 15 female (4%); 218 (61%) general surgeons served in universities whereas 112 (30%) surgeons served in other public institutes and 30 (9%) served in private hospitals. With regard to the ranking of the complications that are most difficult to manage by the surgeons, pain and hemorrhage developing after hemorrhoidectomy were in the first place with 90 (25%) votes, whereas persistent hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy was in the second place with 73 (20%) votes. Furthermore, 286 (80%) surgeons stated that the complications did not discourage them from performing the same operation again. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that among the determined complications of operations performed in daily surgery routine, pain and hemorrhage developing after hemorrhoidectomy were the most difficult to manage. In addition, it was observed that complications did not discourage surgeons to perform the same operation again, contrary to popular belief.

Cross-sectional Imaging Features of Primary Retroperitoneal Tumors and Their Subsequent Treatment.

Basically malignant tumors in the retroperitoneal region arise from a heterogeneous group of tissues: mesodermal, neurogenic, germ cell, and lymphoid. Although rare, benign tumors and cystic masses can be also encountered in retroperitoneal space. Developments in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have contributed to both diagnosis and staging of the retroperitoneal tumors. High spatial resolution and superiority in calcification make CT indispensable; on the other hand, MRI has a better soft-tissue contrast resolution which is essential for the assessment of vascular invasion and tissue characterization. The aim of this article is to review the CT and MRI features of retroperitoneal tumors and their subsequent management.

Management of patients with retroperitoneal tumors and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal tumors (RTs) develop insidiously and are generally seen as large masses, and 50% of RTs are larger than 20 cm at the time of diagnosis. In this article, we share our experience of 5 years of surgical management of RTs. METHODS: We evaluated 28 RT cases operated on in three education hospitals in Turkey from January 2008 onwards, with regard to patients' demographic characteristics, complaints, weight loss figures, the location and size of the tumor, blood transfusion, intra-operational time, metastases (in malignant cases), additional organ resection, histological grade, local recurrences, average life expectancy, and post-operative treatment methods. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 18 to 78 years). Twenty (71.43%) were female, and 8 (28.57%) were male. The primary complaint was abdominal pain in 18 patients (64.28%). CT scans were performed in 17 (61%) patients, 10 (35.4%) underwent abdominal MR imaging, and 1 (3.6%) underwent both abdominal CT and abdominal MR imaging. A mass was palpated in the pelvis (suprapubic region) in seven (25%) of the patients during physical examination. The largest tumors were detected in the left lumbar area. The mean tumor size was 12.78 cm (range, 2 to 30 cm). The mean intra-operational time was 192 min (range, 70 to 380 min). The mean hospitalization period was 11 days (range, 8 to 23 days). Seven (25%) patients were reported to have benign tumors, while 21 (75%) were reported to have malignant tumors. The most frequently seen malignant pathology was liposarcoma (eight cases; 38.09%) followed by leiomyosarcoma (five cases; 23.8%) and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (four cases; 19.04%). The earliest local recurrence was detected in the 12th month and the latest in the 28th month. A total of 11 (52.3%) of the total of 21 malignant cases experienced local recurrence within 3 years. The 3-year average life expectancy was 85.7% in the 18 malignant cases. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the low response rate of all but two types of RT to chemotherapy, the best remaining treatment option is surgery with wide resection margins, whereby all macroscopic traces of tumor are removed.

Vascular Z-shaped ligation technique in surgical treatment of haemorrhoid.

AIM: To present the effectiveness of minimal invasive vascular zet ligation in the surgical treatment of haemorrhoidal disease (HD). METHODS: Among 138 patients with 2(nd)-4(th) grade internal HD having several complaints and operated at our hospital between 2003-2013; 116 patients who regularly attended 1-year control were included in the study. Operation times, postoperative early period pain, satisfaction score, complications and relapse details were obtained from computer records retrospectively. Visual Analogous Scale (VAS) scores were used for patient satisfaction on the 3(rd), 7(th) and 21(st) days. Technique; fixed suture which is constituted by the first leg of the Z-shaped suture (to pass by the mucosa and muscular layer) was put in the pile root in order to ensure vascular ligation and fixation. The second leg of the Z-shaped suture is constituted by mobile suture and it passes by the pile mucosa and submucosa which prolapses 5-10 mm below the first suture. RESULTS: Seventy-five of the patients (65%) were male, 41 of them (35%) were female and their age average was 41. The mean operation time was 12 ± 4.8 min. VAS/satisfaction score was found as 2.2/4.3, 1.8/4.0, 1.2/4.4 respectively on the 3(rd), 7(th), and 21(st) days. Four of the patient (3.5%) had relapse. CONCLUSION: This technique is an easily applicable, cost efficient way of operation which increases patient satisfaction.

Investigation of relation between visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat volumes and calcified aortic plaques via multislice computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated effect of subcutaneous fat volume and abdominal visceral fat volume on aortic atherosclerosis via multislice computed tomography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study comprised 424 subjects who underwent non-contrast-enhanced abdominal CT in our clinic between June 2012 and June 2013. Using dedicated software visceral fat volume was calculated for each individual and then subcutaneous fat volume was calculated by subtracting visceral fat volume from total fat volume. By dividing visceral fat volume/subcutaneous fat volume participants were assigned to three groups according to their mean visceral fat volume/subcutaneous fat volume: Group 1 consisted of subjects with visceral fat volume/subcutaneous fat volume lower than 0.48 (Group 1 < 0.48); Group 2 consisted of subjects with visceral fat volume/subcutaneous fat volume equal to or higher than 0.48 and lower than 0.69 (0.48 ≤ Group 2 < 0.69); and Group 3 consisted of subjects with visceral fat volume/subcutaneous fat volume equal to or higher than 0.69 (Group 3 ≥ 0.69). RESULTS: The mean abdominal aortic calcium scores according to Agatston scoring (au) were 136.8 ± 418.7 au in Group 1, 179.9 ± 463 au in Group 2 and 212.2 ± 486.9 in Group 3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated a significant correlation between visceral fat volume and abdominal aorta atherosclerosis, while there was absence of significant correlation between subcutaneous fat volume and abdominal atherosclerosis.

MRI findings of lumbosacral metastasis from occult follicular thyroid cancer: report of a case.

A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with bowel and bladder incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 13 × 12 × 12 cm mass invading the posterior regions of the L4, L5, S1 and S2 vertebrae with broad paravertebral soft tissue invasion. A Tru-cut biopsy of the mass was performed. The histopathological examination revealed metastatic follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Thyroid functional tests were within the normal limits. Thyroid sonography revealed a heterogeneous, ill-defined, 14 × 9 mm hypoechoic solid nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid gland. On thyroid scintigraphy, an area of focal hyperactivity was detected in the right lobe at the nodule localization. Total thyroidectomy was performed, and the primary tumor pathology was determined to be follicular thyroid cancer. To our knowledge, only a few cases of lumbosacral cord compression as the initial manifestation of follicular thyroid carcinoma have been reported in the literature. We aimed to discuss the MRI findings of tumors in this age group with lumbosacral localization.