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Biomedical subjects

A M Cooperman

Publications and source records attributed to A M Cooperman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Pancreas divisum--advocates and agnostics.

Pancreas divisum is discussed to define and evaluate criteria for treatment. Selecting candidates for surgery is imprecise since the anatomic anomaly is so prevalent. Endoscopic stenting has been utilized as a therapeutic and diagnostic test. Appraisals of operative results vary depending on length and detail of follow-up. Sphincteroplasty of the dorsal segment is the procedure of choice when the gland is normal--but resection and caudal drainage each have a role, depending on the anatomic and endoscopic findings.

Abdominal Pain↗

The value of SPECT imaging in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma.

Radionuclide flow studies, planar, and SPECT hepatic blood pool imaging were performed in 23 patients with 39 hepatic hemangiomas, 23 patients with primary and secondary liver tumors, 12 patients with hepatocellular disease, two patients with hepatic cysts, and 10 patients with no evidence of liver disease. The hepatic SPECT imaging identified all 39 hemangiomas as having a sequestration pattern compared with a yield of 69% (27 of 39 cases) for the planar imaging. None of the 47 other patients demonstrated this pattern. The SPECT approach is considered superior to planar blood pool imaging because of improved diagnostic yield, reduced patient imaging time, and greater ease of correlation with other cross-sectional imaging modalities.

Adult↗

Biliary cystadenocarcinoma of extrahepatic duct origin arising in previously benign cystadenoma.

A case of biliary cystadenocarcinoma arising from the common hepatic duct in a 47-yr-old woman who had two previous attempts at cure by local excision of a then-benign biliary cystadenoma is reported, adding further evidence that resection is the preferred treatment of these tumors, even when histologically benign. A review of the literature and of pertinent clinical and pathological features of the 32 previously reported cases is included.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗

Results of surgical treatment of periampullary tumors: a thirty-five-year experience.

Data on 126 consecutive patients with periampullary tumors resected at the Cleveland Clinic between January 1950 and December 1984 were reviewed. One hundred five patients underwent pancreatoduodenal resection, 10 patients total pancreatectomy, and 11 patients local resection of the tumor. The site of tumor was ampulla of Vater (59), head of the pancreas (30), duodenum (20), and distal common bile duct (11). Six patients had benign disease. The operative mortality rate for radical resection for the entire period was 7.8%; it has declined to 5.4% since 1974. The operative mortality rate for local resection was 9.1% (one patient). The overall 5-year survival rate for all malignant tumors of the periampullary area was 28% and 25.5% for invasive adenocarcinoma. Survival was affected primarily by location and histologic findings. The 5-year survival rate for adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater was 37.2%, 27.5% for the duodenum, 16.7% for the distal common bile, and 4.3% for the pancreas (p = 0.0001). Papillary adenocarcinoma had a 5-year survival rate of 49.2% in contrast to 18.4% for nonpapillary ductal adenocarcinoma (p = 0.002). Patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma treated by local resection had a 5-year survival rate of 40.9%. These data justify continued use of a selective radical approach in the resection of most periampullary tumors with local resection for small tumors in high-risk patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Results of conservative operations for breast cancer.

The results of conservative operations for breast cancer in 1,593 patients treated at the Cleveland Clinic between 1957 through 1975 are reported. During this period, we individualized our treatment of breast cancer depending on tumor size, location in the breast, and clinical stage of the disease. The following three principal operations were performed: modified radical mastectomy in 592 patients (37%), simple (total) mastectomy in 442 patients (28%), and partial (segmental) mastectomy in 291 patients (18%). Survival results at 5, 10, and 15 years are reported. Factors important in long-term survival included stage of the disease, number of lymph node metastases, delay in therapy, size of the tumor, histologic type, and estrogen receptor status; type of operation was not a significant factor. In this series, partial (segmental) mastectomy without radiation therapy provided five- to 15-year survival rates equal to modified radical mastectomy and simple (total) mastectomy.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Inflammatory breast cancer.

Of all malignancies in women, perhaps none is as lethal or as frustrating to the surgeon as inflammatory breast cancer. No significant progress in curing or controlling inflammatory breast cancer was made until the last decade, when investigators, noting the futility of local therapies, applied systemic therapies with some significant improvement in survival. This article outlines the epidemiology, clinical signs, differential diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of this disease.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Breast cancer: an overview.

Depending on one's viewpoint and appraisal of studies and statistics, breast cancer is viewed with optimism, pessimism, enthusiasm, or disappointment. Each opinion is substantiated by ample data that support differing views. This article will review some of the unresolved issues in the management of breast cancer, including etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. These issues are discussed at length in the articles that follow.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Partial mastectomy without radiation therapy.

Partial mastectomy without radiation therapy has been used at The Cleveland Clinic as a treatment option for selected patients with breast cancer since 1957. Our experience with 322 patients has been reviewed; survival results are equal to or better than the other operative procedures we have employed for the treatment of breast cancer. These results, we believe, relate more to the selection of patients with small tumors and at a more favorable stage of the disease than to the benefit of the operative procedure itself.

Axilla↗

Surgical management of portal hypertension and esophageal varices. 10 year experience.

The results of 157 operations performed for portal hypertension and esophageal varices on 148 patients at the Cleveland Clinic in the 10 year period between 1970 and 1980 are reported. One hundred four shunt procedures and 53 ligation procedures were performed. The overall operative mortality rate of 13 percent did not differ significantly from the 11 percent rate reported from this institution in 1971. A comparatively higher rate of recurrent variceal hemorrhage and a lower rate of encephalopathy reflected our increased use of selective shunts and ligation procedures. There was no improvement in overall long-term survival, which was approximately 50 percent. The two most important factors in predicting the results of all operations for esophageal varices continue to be assessment of preoperative liver function and the timing of the operation. The best results were obtained in patients with good liver function who had an elective operation. Our data suggest that the portacaval shunt is associated with a higher incidence of late mortality, largely as a result of liver failure; therefore, our preference now is to perform a distal selective splenorenal shunt procedure whenever possible. If a selective shunt procedure cannot be performed, we advocate either a mesocaval shunt or a ligation procedure, depending on patient risk and the suitability of veins for a shunt procedure.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices↗

The radiological management of malignant biliary obstruction.

Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage has become widely accepted as a safe and effective palliative therapy for malignant biliary obstruction. The results of drainage were reviewed over a 3-year period and patients divided by the response to decompression as measured by change in serum bilirubin. Patients with good response survived an average of 198 days, while patients with a poor response survived an average of 12 days. No procedural mortality was encountered. However, despite the generally good results, a 30-day mortality rate of 28% was seen, with good responders having a mortality of 10% and poor responders a mortality of 88%. Patients with hepatic metastatic disease as documented by liver-spleen scan, ultrasonography or computed tomography do poorly, surviving an average of 39 days, despite a good biochemical response. The success of percutaneous biliary decompression has allowed surgeons to select cases for cholecystenterostomy from the group of good responders. A more selective clinical approach is suggested for radiologists on the basis of these results.

Aged↗

Gastric carcinoma. A ten-year review.

Data on 164 patients treated at the Cleveland Clinic with gastric adenocarcinoma during the ten year period 1970 to 1980 was analyzed. Fiberoptic esophagogastroduodenoscopy was introduced as a routine diagnostic modality during this time and yielded a positive tissue diagnosis in 86% of patients in this series. Laparotomy was performed on 150 patients; 49 patients (30%) were biopsied only, 19 (12%) were bypassed for palliation, and 82 (58%) underwent gastrectomy. Of the latter group, only 45 patients (27%) were resected for cure. The overall operative mortality rate was 6%. All patients were staged according to the International TNM classification (stage I--10%, II--24%, III--12%, and IV--53%). Survival at 5 years was influenced by tumor location and extent of gastric resection but was most significantly related to stage of disease at operation (stage I--65%, II--22%, III--5%, and IV--0%; p less than 0.0001) and to the status of regional nodes (positive--17%, negative--56%; p less than 0.005). Despite the routine use of fiberoptic endoscopy, the majority of gastric cancers were advanced at diagnosis and their prognosis remains discouraging. Improvement of results will require a more aggressive approach to the endoscopic investigation of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and earlier surgical intervention.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Surgical experience with pancreatic and periampullary cancer.

Between 1940 and 1978, 179 patients underwent pancreatic resection (64 total, 102 Whipple, 13 distal) at the Presbyterian Hospital, predominantly for carcinoma of the pancreas and periampullary area. With respect to operative morbidity and mortality and survival, these patients have been compared with 141 patients subjected to pancreatic biopsy only, and with 172 by-passed for palliation. Likewise, total pancreatectomy has been compared to pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple) in terms of safety and efficacy. The overall major postoperative complication rate for pancreatic resection was 36%, in contrast with 13.5% for biopsy only and 16.8% for by-pass. Of the resected cases with major complications postoperatively, roughly half died, a mortality of 17.9%. Patients who underwent Whipple resections fared significantly better than did those having total pancreatectomies; the postoperative mortality following 102 Whipples was 14.7%, as compared with 23.4% for total pancreatectomies. Intra-abdominal sepsis accounted for most of the postoperative deaths; nine pancreatic and four biliary leaks or fistulae followed Whipple resections. The later complications were of interest; 18 patients undergoing biliary-en-teric by-pass procedures later developed gastroduodenal obstruction, 15 of whom required reoperation, and in 18 survivors of pancreatic resection, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (mostly from marginal ulcers) developed, necessitating surgery in seven. Brittle diabetes was a problem in nine patients following pancreatectomy. Survival rates were discouraging in all categories. For ductal carcinoma of the pancreas, median survival for biopsy only was two months, for by-pass six months, for total pancreatectomy nine months, and for Whipple resection 14 months. There were three five-year survivors following resection, a rate of 4.5%. Five-year survival rates following resection for ampullary, common duct, duodenal, and islet cell cancer were 27.8, 33.3, 27.3, and 37.5%, respectively. It is concluded that survival after resection for ductal pancreatic cancer is so rare as to be considered more a biologic aberration than a result of radical surgery. Despite theoretical advantages of total pancreatectomy over Whipple resections, our experience would suggest that the latter can be carried out with lower morbidity and mortality, and with equal chance for cure. Resection for pancreatic cancer should not be abandoned, but rather undertaken with greater selectivity. Operative morbidity and mortality can probably be improved additionally by preoperative transhepatic biliary decompression, and later complications reduced by including vagotomy with gastric resection at the time of pancreatectomy and by performing prophylactic gastroenterostomies in conjunction with by-pass procedures.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Non-surgical drainage of intra-abdominal and mediastinal abscesses: a report of twelve cases.

Twelve patients with intra-abdominal or mediastinal abscesses were treated by percutaneous drainage. Three abscesses were subphrenic, three were adjacent to enteric leaks, two were intrahepatic, two were pancreatic pseudocysts, one was a pancreatic abscess extending to the lesser sac, and one was an infected adrenal hematoma. All 12 lesions were entered percutaneously using fluoroscopic guidance without traumatizing the adjacent normal tissue. Localization was frequently aided by computed tomography. Various catheters were positioned using basic angiographic techniques. Following drainage all patients had a favorable clinical response. Seven of the 12 patients required no surgical management. Careful radiologic follow-up and frequent changing of catheters was necessary in six of the patients. Two patients benefited from the addition of auxiliary drains. Five of the 12 patients were electively operated upon because of incomplete drainage of the abscess cavity. Causes of failure were: persistent anastomotic leak (two patients), sequestered, loculated extension of abscess cavity (two patients), or necrotic, viscous hepatic tissue requiring removal at laparotomy (one patient).

Abscess↗

Chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis is marked by recurrent bouts of pain, complications of pancreatitis, and progressive exocrine and endocrine dysfunction. Objective complications are generally well managed, although they do not alter the natural or progressive course of the disease. Treatment of palpable pseudocysts is varied, and the multiple surgical alternatives are equally effective, since most pancreas function until the pseudocyst decompresses. For patients with recurrent and/or persisting pain, selection of candidates is as important as selection of operations. The goal of preserving as much parenchyma as possible and doing decompressive procedures is attractive for this reason alone. Success, as measured by relief of pain and ability to return to work, is dependent upon cessation of abuse of alcohol and other drugs and perhaps progressive dysfunction of the pancreas.

Alcoholism↗

Cancer of the ampulla of vater, bile duct, and duodenum.

The presenting features of periampullary cancer have been reviewed. Unless the neoplasm is discovered as an incidental finding at surgery, diagnosis is not made until the onset of symptoms (pain, jaundice, weight loss), which is not early, even though these tumors are close to the bile duct or ampulla of Vater. Individual philosophies aside, the prognosis for ampullary, duodenal, or distal bile duct tumors reflects the grade and stage of tumor as much as the operation done. Pancreatoduodenal resection, standard or modified, should be done with an attempt to cure and not to palliate. Statistics that show superior results after resection compared with palliative procedures reflect earlier stages lesions, healthier patients, and, most importantly, patient selection.

Ampulla of Vater↗