Surgical options for left-sided large bowel emergencies.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B M Stephenson.
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Familial clustering of cancer is not uncommon. The frequency of familial colorectal cancer was estimated by taking family histories from 100 patients presenting with apparently sporadic colorectal cancer. Compared with controls, the relative risk of a positive family history for colorectal cancer was 4.6. Life-table methods were used to examine the observed to expected mortality from colorectal cancer. Overall there was a fourfold increase in mortality rate (P less than 0.0001), which was greatest in female relatives of patients with colonic cancer (P less than 0.001). Three families with dominant inheritance of colorectal cancer and one family with Lynch type II syndrome were identified. Nine per cent of patients had siblings who had developed colorectal cancer a median of 4 years before the diagnosis of the index patient (range 1-17 years). It is recommended that a careful family history should be obtained from all patients with colorectal cancer. Where a positive history is obtained a geneticist may determine empirical risks for the development of colorectal cancer and the appropriate method of surveillance may be selected.
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In 24 patients where the lower border of a cervical goitre was poorly defined, the value of simple lung function tests in the prediction of the presence of a retrosternal goitre was assessed. At operation there were nine patients with retrosternal extension (Group I) and 15 without (Group II). The preoperative PEF ratio (observed to predicted) was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.004) with a positive predictive value of 90% for a retrosternal goitre. This difference was abolished after thyroidectomy. There was a significant improvement in PEF in patients with retrosternal goitres after thyroidectomy (P less than 0.001). It is concluded that the preoperative measurement of PEF is a simple method of detecting the retrosternal extension of a cervical goitre.
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Of 60 patients presenting with acute obstructing carcinoma of the left colon, 49 underwent immediate resection either by radical subtotal/total colectomy (31 patients, group I) or by radical segmental resection (18 patients, group II) of whom three had immediate anastomosis after on-table bowel irrigation and 15 had a planned staged procedure. The operative mortality rate was 3 per cent in group I and 11 per cent in group II (not a statistically significant difference). However, substantial differences were found for major morbidity (6 versus 44 per cent in groups I and II respectively; P less than 0.01) and mean length of hospital stay (17 days in group I versus 35 days in group II; P less than 0.05). All three patients who had on-table lavage developed anastomotic leaks which necessitated a second operation to form a stoma. Six patients (19 per cent) in group I required antidiarrhoeal medication in the immediate postoperative period. However, subsequent improvement in stool frequency was noted in all patients. It is concluded that subtotal/total colectomy is an acceptable means of managing patients with obstructing carcinoma of the left colon in that it is associated with a low morbidity and mortality rate and good functional results.
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Two siblings with extrinsic duodenal obstruction caused by congenital peritoneal bands are reported. Attention is drawn to the unusual physical sign of halitosis as a presenting feature. It is suggested that this physical sign may be an indication for barium studies.
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A recent literature review of the rare anomalies of choledochal cysts is undertaken. Successful long-term outcome is dependent upon the operation performed. Cyst excision and hepaticojejunostomy is recommended to prevent the development of carcinoma and other serious complications.
We report on a man with castrate levels of testosterone who had acute retention of urine secondary to prostatic obstruction.
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