[Malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Case report]. / Istiocitoma fibroso maligno. Caso clinico.

Malignant fibroous histiocytoma (MFH) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma, that most frequently occurs in the muscles of the extremities and in abdominal or in retroperitoneal space of young adults. It is seldom confined to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. It is rarely diagnosed before excision and pathological exam, and has an unfavorable prognostic in some cases. This work reports the case of a 94 years old patient with originally cutaneous MFH stressing the importance of the early diagnosis.

[Giant appendiceal mucocele during laparotomy for acute abdomen. Report of a case and brief review]. / Diagnosi di mucocele appendicolare gigante in corso di laparotomia per addome acuto. Caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

The authors describe a case of giant appendiceal mucocele, secondary to a mucinous neoplasm of the appendix, diagnosed during laparotomy for acute abdomen. By a review of the literature they stress the rarity of this lesion, the particular onset in their case as acute complication of appendiceal neoplasm with rupture of the intestinal wall, the difficulties of diagnosis and management in emergency.

[GIST: our experience]. / GIST: nostra esperienza.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are generally found in the stomach or small intestine and less commonly in the colon and rectum. Complete surgical remove remains the best current therapy. In the treatment of advanced/metastatic GIST is available imatinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In our experience, 12 patients observed between 2000 and 2007 and affected by GIST underwent surgery, in one case associated to treatment with imatinib.

[Colo-anal anastomosis. Our experience]. / Anastomosi coloanale. Casistica clinica.

The aim of study is to report the results of our experience about ultra-low rectum carcinomas treated with anterior resection and colo-anal anastomosis. The surgery still represents the treatment of choice for the cancer of the rectum. The problems concern the conservation of the sphincter functions (anal and urethral), and sexual function and the reduction of the locoregional recurrences. From 2005 to 2007, 33 patients underwent surgery for low and ultralow rectal carcinoma (30 treated with neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy, and 3 only with surgery). In 16 of these we have performed a colo-anal anastomosis, in 11 an ultralow colorectal anastomosis and in 7 a Miles resection. We report our updated results.

[Downstaging after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer modifies the planned original surgery]. / Il downstaging dopo terapia neoadiuvante del cancro del retto modifica l'intervento originariamente programmato.

Cancer of the rectum has been for more years burdened with a heavy rate of local relapse about 30%. The introduction of total meso-rectum excision has reduced the rate of up to 5-8%. Later more studies proved how the preoperative radiotherapy was able to reduce the rate of local relapse. The Authors introduce studies about downstaging after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer and discuss about their own series from 2005 to 2007.