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Biomedical subjects

A Wurtz

Publications and source records attributed to A Wurtz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Postpneumonectomy interatrial right-to-left shunt: successful percutaneous treatment.

This report describes the case of a 67-year-old man in whom atrial right-to-left shunt developed after a right pneumonectomy, leading to dyspnea with severe arterial desaturation. Transcatheter occlusion of the patent foramen ovale was successfully performed using a buttoned device. Review of literature and mechanisms of these atrial right-to-left shunts are discussed.

Aged↗

Progressive dysphonia and acute respiratory failure: revealing a bronchogenic cyst.

We report the case of a 17-year old girl presenting a 3-month history of progressive dysphonia, and ultimately acute respiratory failure. CT scan and bronchoscopy showed severe extrinsic compression of the carina and of the left main stem bronchus. Emergency thoracotomy was performed permitting complete resection of an intra mural oesophageal bronchogenic cyst. The post operative course was uneventful except a persistent dysphonia. Dysphonia is an exceptional early symptom of bronchogenic cyst located in the oesophageal wall.

Acute Disease↗

[Diagnosis of adenopathies and retroperitoneal masses by surgical endoscopy. Apropos of 93 cases].

Lumboscopy is an endoscopic surgical technique providing direct visualization of the retroperitoneal space from the kidney hilium to the iliac bifurcation. We report our 10-year experience with this technique used to diagnose masses in the retroperitoneal space. This method is not very invasive and the morbidity is low. The sensitivity is greater than needle biopsy under CT guidance.

Adolescent↗

Retroperitoneoscopy for the diagnosis of infiltrating retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy and masses.

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneoscopy (RPS) is a form of direct vision endoscopy, used to explore the retroperitoneal space, and was first described by Bartel in 1969. METHODS: RPS was performed prospectively to diagnose infiltrating retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy or masses when needle aspiration biopsy under computed tomographic guidance (NABCT) failed to establish a definite diagnosis. RESULTS: From May 1985 to August 1995, RPS was performed in 118 patients (121 procedures). Mean hospital stay was 2.4 (range 2-5) days. The peroperative and perioperative morbidity rate was 6.6 per cent of the procedures. A precise diagnosis was obtained in 108 of the 118 patients. The sensitivity was 84 per cent for malignant lymphoma, 94 per cent for Hodgkin's lymphoma, 95 per cent for metastatic lymph nodes of carcinomas and 100 per cent for primary retroperitoneal tumours. The overall sensitivity was 91.5 per cent. CONCLUSION: RPS is an alternative procedure to NABCT when aspiration biopsy is not technically feasible because a lesion is too small to sample or failed to establish a precise histopathological diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Pericardioscopy in the etiologic diagnosis of pericardial effusion in 141 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: Although previous small series have documented the utility of pericardioscopy for accurate etiologic diagnosis of pericardial effusion, this technique remains underused. The aim of our study was to assess the benefits and risks of surgical pericardioscopy in a large prospective series. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred forty-one consecutive patients with unexplained pericardial effusion underwent 142 pericardioscopies with a rigid mediastinoscope. For each patient, the etiologic data obtained by pericardioscopy (visualization of pericardium, guided biopsies, subxiphoid window biopsy, and fluid analysis) were compared with the results that would have been obtained with only conventional surgical drainage and biopsy (subxiphoid window biopsy and fluid analysis). After complete workup, a specific cause was found in 69 cases (48.6%); the other 73 cases were considered idiopathic effusions (51.4%). Procedural and in-hospital mortality was 8 of 141 patients (5.6%). No death was directly attributable to pericardioscopy. During long-term follow-up (median duration, 24 months; range, 6 to 96), a previously unrecognized cause was discovered in 6 patients (4%). By comparing the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves, the diagnostic advantage of pericardioscopy was significant for the whole series (pericardioscopy, 0.98 +/- 0.011; conventional surgical drainage, 0.89 +/- 0.029; P < .001). The increase in sensitivity was more marked for some types such as neoplastic (21%), radiation-induced (100%), or purulent (83%) effusions. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that pericardioscopy increases the diagnostic sensitivity of surgical pericardial drainage and biopsy without specific risk.

Adolescent↗

Ten-year experience with extraperitoneal pelvioscopy for the lymph node staging of pelvic cancers.

BACKGROUND: In view of the surgical lymphadenectomy morbidity and of the low accuracy of the preoperatory radiological investigations, minimal access surgery procedures are needed to assess lymph node involvement in pelvic cancers. METHODS: Extraperitoneal pelvioscopy (EPP) is a direct vision endoscopy permitting the exploration of the retroperitoneal space of the pelvic area. Beginning 1/05/1995, 235 patients with apparently resectable tumors underwent EPP for lymph node staging of 133 bladder, 89 prostate, 12 cervix, and one endometrium cancers. RESULTS: Lymph node involvement was discovered in 68 cases; the absence of lymph node involvement was demonstrated in 155 cases; and there were 12 false-negative results of the procedure. The feasibility was of 98.3%. The global sensitivity and accuracy were, respectively, 85% and 94%. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that EPP is a safe and accurate procedure to evaluate the lymph node status of pelvic cancers.

Adult↗

Sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection technique in the diagnosis of emphysema: histopathologic-CT correlation.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection technique in the detection of emphysema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 29 patients without radiographic evidence of emphysema and who were undergoing lung resection, focal spiral computed tomography (CT) was performed in the lobe to be resected. Ten contiguous 1-mm-thick CT scans and sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection images with slab thicknesses of 3-, 5-, and 8 mm were generated. From each image, the presence and extent of emphysema were recorded before histopathologic analysis was performed. To familiarize readers with the appearance of normal lung parenchyma on sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection images, five asymptomatic volunteers underwent scanning with a similar protocol. RESULTS: Emphysema was present on both thin-section CT scans and sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection images in 13 patients. In all cases, sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection images improved conspicuity of small areas of hypoattenuation. When thin-section CT scans were negative (n = 16), sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection images enabled identification of focal zones of hypoattenuation in four cases with histologic confirmation of emphysema. Sensitivity of thin-section CT (62%) and sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection technique (81%) were significantly different (P < .01); specificity for both was 100%. Emphysema was easier to detect on 8-mm-thick slabs because of better suppression of vascular structures. CONCLUSION: The sliding thin slab, minimum intensity projection technique enabled improved detection of mild forms of emphysema.

Adult↗

[Total pancreatectomy for diffuse and malignant mucinous ductal ectasia of the pancreas. Apropos of 2 cases].

Two cases of mucinous duct ectasia are reported. Epithelial changes were spread along the pancreatic duct and ductal ectasia was diffuse. Multi focal infiltrating carcinoma was observed in one case, microinvasive carcinoma located in the head of the pancreas was observed. Morphologic features by computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasonography pancreatography were useful for preoperative diagnosis of mucinous pancreatic duct ectasia. In one case, malignancy was suggested by measurement of tumor markers in cystic fluid aspirated during percutaneous pancreatography. Total duodenopancreatectomy was performed in both cases. The two patients were alive and disease-free with a follow-up in both cases of 18 and 36 months.

Aged↗

A pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, associating 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin, after resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases.

We initiated a pilot study of adjuvant hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (AHAIC) using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin. Hepatic arterial infusion ports were placed in 15 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of a weekly infusion of 5-FU (12 mg m 2 per day) and leucovorin (200 mg m 2 per day) for 12 months. The mean follow-up was 22 months (range 3-62 months, SD 21-37 months). There were no clinical or biological complications related to chemotherapy, except for sharp epigastric burns in four patients immediately after 5-FU infusions. Catheter irreversible occlusions led to early cessation of the treatment in three patients. Four of the 15 evaluable patients developed recurrent disease. The site of relapse was the liver in two patients and extra-hepatic sites in the two remaining patients. Three of these four patients died of their recurrent disease. These results suggest that 5-FU and leucovorin can be combined for AHAIC in a long duration regimen with a very low rate of side-effects. This protocol could be safely employed in a prospective randomized study in combination with 5-FU systemic infusions.

Aged↗

Hilar lymph nodes: identification with spiral CT and histologic correlation.

PURPOSE: To determine the appearance of normal hilar lymph nodes and associated soft tissue at spiral computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: At spiral CT in 50 healthy patients, peribronchovascular hypoattenuated areas of 42 right and 45 left hila were systematically evaluated. Histologic results were correlated in five additional cases. RESULTS: Hilar lymph nodes were depicted (a) in the right hilum (lateral to A2 [n = 33 (79%)], medial [n = 29 (69%)] or lateral [n = 11 (26%)] to the interlobar pulmonary artery, and medial to the lower-lobe pulmonary artery [n = 30 (71%)], A7 [n = 9 (21%)], and A8-10 [n = 8 (19%)]; and (b) in the left hilum (lateral to A2 [n = 22 (49%)], medial to the interlobar pulmonary artery [n = 45 (100%)], and the lower-lobe pulmonary artery [n = 27 (60%)], and in the angles of bifurcation of A7 + 8 and A9 + 10 [n = 18 (40%)]). Hilar lymph nodes were seen to be triangular or linear and to be less than 3 mm wide except around the left-lower-lobe pulmonary artery. CONCLUSION: Spiral CT accurately depicts normal hilar lymph nodes and their major anatomic relationships.

Contrast Media↗

[Value of iliac direct-view retroperitoneoscopy (or "extraperitoneal pelvioscopy") in the assessment of lymph node invasion by pelvic cancer].

Iliac retroperitoneoscopy, also called extraperitoneal pelviscopy (EPP), is a form of direct vision endoscopy derived from mediastinoscopy; It allows biopsies of pelvic lymph nodes. In view of the poor accuracy of radiological investigations for pelvic lymph node metastasis (N+) detection, EPP was performed in 210 patients with apparently resectable neoplasms (bladder n = 116, prostate n = 81, cervix n = 12, endometrium n = 1). Among 174 patients without radiologic evidence of metastasis (N-), EPP assessed 47 N+ patients and failed in 1 case, requiring a laparotomy (one N+ patient). Among 36 N+ patients after radiologic examinations, EPP assessed 20 N- patients and failed in 1 case, requiring a laparotomy (one N+ patient). Among 124 N- patients after EPP, a further laparotomy showed 8 N+ cases (false negative). Thus, out of 210 patients, EPP corrected the radiologic findings in 67 cases and drastically modified the therapeutic indications. Considering its absence of contraindications, EPP can be performed more often than laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy techniques. Furthermore, its exploration field is not limited to the interiliac area. Its overall reliability is 95% in staging lymph node involvement of pelvic neoplasms.

Adult↗

[Is endoscopy of the respiratory-digestive tract under general anesthesia useful in the screening for cancer of the superior respiratory-digestive tract synchronous with lung cancer?].

The frequency of lung cancers associated with synchronous head and neck malignancies can be evaluated between 1.5 to 2%. The purpose of our work was to determine if complete endoscopic head and neck examination performed under general anesthesia was superior than clinical head and neck examination for the diagnosis of these synchronous additional tumors. From july 1991 to august 1992, we realised a prospective study on 58 consecutive patients suffering from pulmonary removable lung cancers. All the patients had a clinical head and neck examination during the preoperative period. Immediately before thoracotomy a complete endoscopy of head and neck aerian and digestive tract was performed. During this last examination 18 new macroscopical lesions were discovered in 13 patients: benign lesions (n = 17), oral cavity and laryngeal dysplasia (n = 1). The one gingivolingual sulcus carcinoma, already discovered by the clinical examination, was confirmed. This study suggests that complete head and neck endoscopy is not superior than clinical examination for the diagnosis of synchronous malignancies before lung cancers removal.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Endoscopic treatment of post-intubation tracheal stenosis. Apropos of 58 cases].

Over a period of 6 years, 58 patients aged between 55 +/- 16 years have been treated for post-intubation tracheal stenosis (STPI). These patients were characterised by their frequency of an underlying respiratory or cardiac failure, a duration of intubation which was sometimes short and a delay between the extubation and the detection of stenosis which was les than one month in about one half of the cases. Thirty of the 58 patients presented with respiratory distress on admission. All the stenoses were treated initially by mechanical dilatation using a rigid bronchoscope. Radial incisions using an Nd-Yag laser were performed when necessary to facilitate the dilatation. The great majority of stenoses which were not fitted up with a tracheal endoprosthesis (EPT) at the first attempt recurred, leading to repeated therapeutic bronchoscopies (221 sessions in all). Fitting an EPT (Dumon prosthesis) was necessary in 35 cases on 12 occasions at the first attempt with the first bronchoscopy, and 23 times following a recurrence. Amongst the recurring stenoses a stabilisation was obtained at the price of repeated dilatations (4.3 sessions on average in only nine patients). Seven patients finally had a surgical resection and anastamosis of the trachea, of whom four had a transitory instillation of an EPT for the stenosis. The removal of the EPT was later attempted in 11 patients. Four did not present with any symptomatic recurrence. The secondary migration of the EPT is in practice one of the main inconveniences of the silicon prosthesis (8 cases now experienced). Our approach, which used to favour the mechanical dilatation has lead to a relatively high number of failures and thus to repeated bronchoscopies. This has lead us to re-define our therapeutic approach. The current schema which we propose is in the course of being validated in which we use EPT and surgical repair of the trachea more often. Only short stenoses (less than 1 cm) with a diaphragm are treated by dilatation and laser. The others are fitted initially with an EPT. The final management is guided by the progress in the stenosis, the tolerance of the endoprosthesis and the operability of the patients.

Adolescent↗

[Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas revealed by Weber-Christian syndrome].

Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare tumor of the exocrine pancreas that may be associated with a characteristic syndrome of disseminated fat necrosis with a bad prognosis. We report a case of this tumor occurring in a 63 year-old man who presented with polyarthralgia and panniculitis of the legs. The histological features and the differential diagnosis of acinar cell carcinoma are discussed.

Carcinoma, Acinar Cell↗