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Biomedical subjects

G C Pansini

Publications and source records attributed to G C Pansini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Laparoscopic approach for esophageal achalasia with epiphrenic diverticulum.

We report the case of a 65-year-old woman with a 10-year history of dysphagia, regurgitation, cough, and 10-kg weight loss caused by an epiphrenic diverticulum associated with esophageal achalasia managed with a laparoscopic approach. A preoperative barium swallow showed a dilated sigmoid esophagus with a 6-cm epiphrenic diverticulum. Esophageal manometry confirmed the absence of peristalsis in the esophageal body. We performed a laparoscopic diverticulectomy and a 7-cm distal esophageal myotomy with a Dor fundoplication. The postoperative course was uneventful. On the third postoperative day a barium swallow showed no leak, and the patient started oral intake. She was discharged home 5 days after the operation free of symptoms and tolerating a soft diet. Sixteen months after surgery, she was asymptomatic and had gained 8 kg. A barium swallow showed a normal-size esophagus with regular emptying. We reaffirm the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the laparoscopic diverticulectomy and distal myotomy with Dor fundoplication to manage epiphrenic diverticula resulting from esophageal achalasia.

Aged↗

Massive bleeding in an adult patient suffering from Meckel's diverticulum.

The case of a 22-year-old male who bled from a Meckel's diverticulum is described. The diagnosis was achieved after 99mTechnetium pertechnetate scintigraphy. With the administration of somatostatin very clear images were obtained. The histological examination confirmed the presence of ectopic gastric mucosa. The literature, over the last 10 years, has been reviewed to identify factors associated with bleeding in adults. Ectopic gastric mucosa is the most important factor predicting bleeding. The diagnostic approach to bleeding Meckel's diverticulum and the improvement in the quality of 99mTechnetium pertechnetate scintigraphy, following administration of somatostatin, is discussed.

Adult↗

Surgical management of ascending saphenous thrombophlebitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute saphenous vein ascending thrombophlebitis is recognised to be a dangerous condition due to the reported high incidence of deep vein thrombus involvement and possibly fatal pulmonary embolism. We assessed the accuracy of duplex scanning in determining the extent of thrombosis as well as the effectiveness of surgical treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 146 patients referred to our Vascular Laboratory for acute superficial thrombophlebitis from 1987 to 1997. Duplex scanning identified 85 cases of superficial thrombophlebitis involving at least a segment of the saphenous vein localised below the knee (58.2%); 37 of thrombophlebitis extending into both the superficial and deep venous systems (25.3%), and 24 of saphenous thrombosis extending to within 5 cm of the saphenofemoral junction (16.4%). The latter group underwent saphenofemoral disconnection. We compared the preoperative duplex with the surgical reports and evaluated the surgical results. RESULTS: We did not observe any complication. Return to work and normal activity occurred within 3-5 days. When varicose vein thrombectomy was performed concurrently, the patients had better postoperative pain control. CONCLUSIONS: Duplex scanning showed 100% accuracy both in determining the presence of thrombosis and its extent. Saphenofemoral disconnection for thrombosis involving the saphenofemoral junction is a safe procedure and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Anticoagulants↗

When CHIVA treatment could be video guided.

BACKGROUND: Hemodynamic correction (CHIVA) is a conservative, ambulatory, and controversial varicose vein treatment. It consists of selected ligatures of the superficial venous system decided by means of preoperative duplex mapping. OBJECTIVE: Prospective evaluation of 80 patients, operated on according to the CHIVA technique described by Claude Franceschi. Mean follow-up length was 30 months. METHODS: Fifty-five consecutive patients were operated on after clinical, ultrasonographic, ambulatory venous pressure and light reflection rheography evaluations. After a 3-year follow-up, another 25 consecutive patients were selected applying some exclusion criteria that emerged in the first part of the study. This second series was operated on by means of intraoperative angioscopy. The same preoperative evaluations have been used to study the outcome in all patients. RESULTS: CHIVA failed in the short saphenous vein territory varices and when the long saphenous vein and the insufficient perforating veins had a preoperative diameter greater than 10 and 4 mm, respectively. The procedure showed a long saphenous vein patency of 90.4% and registered a total recurrence rate of 18.7%. CONCLUSIONS: CHIVA seems to be a more effective varicose vein treatment than high ligation and distal stab avulsion. It also preserves a higher rate of long saphenous veins, suitable for bypass surgery.

Adolescent↗

[Laparoscopic treatment of Mirizzi's syndrome].

The Mirizzi syndrome is an unusual benign obstructive jaundice due to extrinsic mechanical compression of the common hepatic duct by gallstone impacted within the neck or cystic duct of the gallbladder. This syndrome is described either as an acute form due only to extrinsic compression of the common bile duct (type I) or as a chronic form resulting in an erosive cholecysto-choledochal fistula (type II). Up to date, the syndrome remains a clinically and surgically challenging problem. The anatomic basic of the syndrome (an anomalous relationship between the cystic duct and the common hepatic duct) when associated with inflammation and interbiliary fistula predisposes to a critical situation to be clearly detected and contributes to technical difficulties when surgical management is performed. The operative diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome remains elusive and requires careful scrutiny of the biliary tract imaging to recognize the diseased duct system and to facilitate the following operative procedures. The surgical treatment requires a skill and careful operative dissection of the duct system, cholecystectomy and a safe biliary exploration and stone clearance, avoiding any iatrogenic damage to common hepatic duct. Laparotomy is commonly advocated as the safer approach to the diseased biliary tract and it is still employed by most authors. The laparoscopic surgery has not yet entered as the first-choice procedure for this syndrome due to jaundice and acute inflammation considered by some as contraindication to mini-invasive treatment. This paper describes successful surgical management by laparoscopic techniques in two patients affected by Mirizzi type I and type II syndrome treated by cholecystectomy alone and cholecystectomy with choledochal fistula flap repair, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Immunoscintigraphy in malignant melanoma: a five-year clinical experience.

Immunoscintigraphy (IS) with 99Tcm-labelled anti-melanoma monoclonal antibody F(ab')2 fragments was performed in 135 melanoma patients, 64 males and 71 females, aged 19-82 years (mean 52.3 years) between December 1987 and December 1991. The first group of IS was performed in 50 patients before surgery to assess optimal management: seven true positive and one true negative were obtained in ocular and visceral melanomas, while in cutaneous MM sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in assessing lymph node involvement were, respectively, 61.5, 93.3 and 83.7%. The second group of 128 IS is relative to 85 patients in follow-up: excluding 13 cases with known metastatic disease and 12 inconclusive tests, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were, respectively, 83.3, 98.8 and 96.1%. Immunoscintigraphy is free of side effects even after repeated administrations and is a useful adjunct to standard diagnostic techniques as a basis for treatment decisions.

Adult↗

Pitfalls in scintigraphic detection of neuroendocrine tumours.

We report 4 cases of abnormal results using iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-mIBG) or technetium-99m (V) dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc(V)-DMSA) scintigraphy in the diagnosis and follow-up of presumed neuroendocrine tumours. The present series consisted of 2 false-positive cases (1 adenomatous polyp of the caecum with mIBG and 1 follicular adenoma of the thyroid with DMSA) and 2 cases of anomalous uptake of (V)-DMSA in a non-neuroendocrine tissue.

3-Iodobenzylguanidine↗