[Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava. Case report and literature review]. / Leiomiosarcoma de vena cava inferior. Caso clínico y revisión bibliográfica.

BACKGROUND: Large vessel sarcomas are rare tumours. Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava is the most common. About 300 cases have been reported in the literature. They tend to be large, and not develop metastasis. The prognosis of these tumours is poor. CLINICAL CASE: An 81 year-old woman who complained of pain in the right flank, with no other symptoms. Abdominal computed tomography showed a large retroperitoneal mass, which affected the inferior vena cava, with signs of thrombosis inside. It also encompassed the right renal vein and the right kidney. Excision of the tumour was performed in block, performing an autologous saphenous vein bypass between left the renal vein and proximal segment of inferior vena cava. DISCUSSION: Leiomyosarcomas of the inferior vena cava are classified according to their relationship with adjacent structures. The clinical signs and symptoms are generally non-specific. Diagnosis is made using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, and biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass. Surgery is the only treatment capable of providing prolonged survival. The surgical management is determined by: the level of involvement, the extension, and the presence or absence of collateral veins. The role of adjuvant therapy is controversial. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior vena cava leiomyosarcomas remain a challenge for surgeons. At present, radical resection with negative margins, offers the highest survival rate. The best results are obtained with a multidisciplinary approach by experienced teams in the management of these tumours.

[Colonic gallstone ileus: A rare cause of intestinal obstruction]. / Íleo biliar colónico: una rara causa de obstrucción intestinal.

BACKGROUND: A gallstone colonic ileus is a very rare condition. CLINICAL CASE: The case is reported of an 87 year-old patient who came to the Emergency Department due to an intestinal obstruction of several days onset, which was caused by a gallstone affected sigmoid colon. CONCLUSION: Colonic gallstone ileus is a rare disease that usually occurs in older patients due to the passage of large gallstone directly from the gallbladder to colon, through a cholecystocolonic fistula. It has a high morbidity and mortality.

[Role of care surgery in the treatment of pseudomembranous colitis]. / Papel de la cirugía en el tratamiento de la colitis pseudomembranosa.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomembranous colitis, caused by Clostridium difficile, has seen an increased incidence in recent years, driven mainly by the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Although initial treatment is medical, the role of emergency surgery has gained ground due to high mortality and the emergence of increasingly virulent strains. In our country the prevalence is still low so that sometimes our experience in handling is limited. AIM: To analyze our surgical experience in treatment of this disease and to remember the role of surgery as well as some technical aspects of it. CLINICAL CASES: We present 2 cases of patients who have suffered a fulminant pseudomembranous colitis unresponsive to initial medical treatment and requiring urgent surgical intervention with a good response to it. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to keep in mind the surgical option in treatment of pseudomembranous colitis, especially when it presents as fulminant colitis, there are associated complications or failure to respond to medical treatment.

Breast cancer in males.

BACKGROUND: Male breast cancer has a very low incidence (<1%). It has traditionally been considered to have a poorer prognosis than breast cancer in females due to delayed diagnosis as a cause of decreased survival. Our goal is to analyze our series and to identify factors influencing survival. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study from 1997-2008 (n = 32). Inclusion criteria were male gender and histological confirmation of breast cancer. We analyzed epidemiological data (age and personal and family history), tumors (size, grade of differentiation, histological type, location, TNM stage, receptors), therapeutic regimen (surgical technique, adjuvant therapy) and survival (relapse, followup, death). RESULTS: Male breast cancer represents 0.9% of all breast cancers treated in our center. The average age of our patients was 66.84 years. Only 9.3% demonstrated gynecomastia as a presenting complaint. Histologically, 90% were infiltrating ductal type; 59.25% were diagnosed in early stages (I-II) compared to 40.74% in stages III-IV. Aggressive surgical techniques are still performed, compared to conservative techniques (74.19% vs. 19.36%). With a median follow-up of 52.82 months, the mortality rate was 16%. Existence of distant metastasis has been the only statistically significant factor in survival. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of cases of male breast cancer is very low compared to breast cancer in females. Limited studies in the literature make gender-specific findings difficult. A low percentage of conservative surgical procedures are performed, even though this has increased considerably in recent years. The existence of distant metastasis was the main determinant of survival.