Diagnostic value of intraoperative histopathological examination of the sentinel nodes in breast cancer and skin melanoma-Preliminary results of single centre retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Intraoperative histopatological examination of the sentinel nodes enables selection of patients who need dissection of the regional lymphatic system during the same operation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of intraoperative histopathological examination of the sentinel nodes in breast cancer and skin melanoma. Intraoperative histopathology of the sentinel nodes as a diagnostic method is used in patients with melanoma and breast cancer. Recent studies have proved it to be an effective method for evaluating the nodes in the final histopathology. Intraoperative histopathological examination of the sentinel nodes is not performed routinely and there is no clear position on this issue. In this paper we try to prove that intraoperative test gives patients the simultaneous benefits of removal of regional lymph nodes metastases and earlier initiation of adjuvant therapy. METHODS: The study comprises 137 patients with breast cancer and 35 patients with malignant skin melanoma. Sentinel nodes were intraoperatively sectioned and examined by means of the imprint method and frozen section evaluation. The patients with positive sentinel nodes underwent immediate dissection of regional lymph nodes. Those with negative sentinel nodes diagnosed in the intraoperative examination, but positive in final pathologic results, underwent subsequent dissection of regional lymph nodes. RESULTS: 60 sentinel lymph nodes were found in 35 patients with skin melanoma. In 3 patients, 3 sentinel lymph nodes were false negative in the intraoperative histopathological examination. No false positive sentinel lymph nodes were found. 249 sentinel lymph nodes were found in the intraoperative histopathological examination in 137 patients with breast cancer. There were no false positive sentinel nodes, but there were 7 false negative sentinel nodes. In this study, only 5 (3.6%) patients with breast cancer and 3 (8.5%) patients with skin melanoma required another regional operation. CONCLUSION: The method of intraoperative histopathological evaluation of the sentinel nodes enables identification of metastases in these lymph nodes and gives a possibility to carry out a one-step regional lymphadenectomy and start the adjuvant therapy earlier.

Intramuscular myxoma of the left leg-Case report of the lesion observed for several years.

AIM: The aim of this study was to present the process of diagnosis and treatment of a patient with diagnosed intramuscular myxoma in the left lower limb. BACKGROUND: Myxomas are benign neoplasms which can be found within large muscle groups. Histologically, these neoplasms are composed of a few elongated or star-shaped cells lying in abundant mucoid stroma. These tumours are characterized by expanding growth without forming distant metastases. CASE DESCRIPTION: A man, 58, came to the Surgical Oncology Outpatient Clinic due to pain ailments and a growing tumour located in the rear group of the left shank muscles. The patient had been observing the lesion for several years, but related the occurrence of pain to the change in the nature of his job - from sedentary to standing. The patient underwent diagnostic imaging, a magnetic resonance imaging test, in which a tumour was described. A surgery was carried out where the tumour was resected together with the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. No significant walking disorders, neurological deficits, either sensory or motor were observed. The follow-up imaging examinations, which were carried out a year after the surgery, did not reveal a relapse. The patient remains under the care of the Surgical Oncology Outpatient Clinic. CONCLUSION: Myxomas are a group of benign neoplasms whose first symptom is the appearance of a palpable tumour whose stretching growth causes painful ailments. After magnetic resonance imaging and a diagnosis, it is necessary to plan the surgery. Radical resection of the lesion is a method of choice which guarantees long-lasting recovery.

[Familial adenomatous polyposis in 48-year-old woman]. / Polipowatosc rodzinna gruczolakowata u 48-letniej kobiety.

In this study we presented the case of 48 years old woman who underwent surgery in the hospital in Poznan because of familial adenomatous polyposis. The disease was diagnosed in 1995, but then due to the fear of the surgery the patient did not consent to have an operation. We emphasized how it is important to motivate patients and explain them the need of surgical treatment in familial adenomatous polyposis.