Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Cavallaro.
A case of non-functioning parathyroid cyst is reported, in which the preoperative diagnosis was missed. A careful review of the pertinent literature allows to outline the correct approach to this rare pathology as for the diagnosis and the treatment; as well, to enlight the current controversies about the physiopathology and the pathology.
The choice of operative approach represents one of the main problems of adrenal gland surgery, nowadays the minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopic adrenalectomy) in selected cases may be an important alternative to conventional approaches. Retrospective analysis was performed on 140 patients with adrenal gland tumors from 1980-1997; there were 95 women and 45 men: The tumors were resected through flank extraperitoneal approach (35 patients), transabdominal (91), thoraco-abdominal (14). Operating time, perioperative blood loss, postoperative course were evaluated. The authors conclude that in functioning and non-functioning adenomas, in pheochromocytoma, smaller than 6 cm., with precise pre-operative unilateral localization, flank extraperitoneal approach may be sufficient, in patients with Cushing disease resistant to pituitary surgery or irradiation, in patients with familiar history or bilateral pheochromocytoma, in patients with suspected malignant disease, a thorough surgical exploration of the abdominal cavity is recommended.
Riedel's invasive fibrous thyroiditis is a rare disorder of unknown origin with progressive extension and invasion of adjacent structures. Clinically it is impossible to distinguish between Riedel's/thyroiditis and other diseases as undifferentiated carcinoma, Hashimoto's disease etc... The patients often have dyspnea, dysphagia, paralysis of the vocal cord; fine needle puncture-aspiration and biopsy themselves may be insufficient, Surgical treatment depends on the stage of the disease, when both lobes are involved generous wedge resection of the isthmus may be the treatment of choice to relieve tracheal compression; in earlier stages radical operation are considered. Corticosteroid treatment in Riedel's thyroiditis, as multifocal disease has been successfully used. Other drugs with antifibrosing actions have also utilised in small groups of patients with encouraging results.
In this work the authors report a clinical case of Brunner's adenoma, which was responsible for the onset of other pathologies in the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), esophagitis and ulcerations of the antral mucosa. The preoperative diagnostic procedure (endoscopy, esophageal manometry, gastric emptying) and the follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months from the surgery confirmed the relationship between the Brunner's adenoma and the alterations of the lower esophageal sphyncter (LES) tone and the gastric emptying. After a review of the international literature and a short analysis of the physiopathologic alterations, the authors point out the different therapeutical approach, in according to the size and implantation (sessile or peduncolated) of the lesion and to the related pathologies.
Varicocele is one of the main causes of male infertility. This pathology, in fact, is responsible for progressive anatomical and functional testicular damage. Constant monitoring of subjects suffering from varicocele is therefore necessary. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of varicocele surgical treatment on seminal parameters, testicular growth and pregnancy rate in patients with grade I varicocele. We operated on 47 patients with left grade I varicocele associated with sperm abnormalities and with testicular hypotrophy. A high ligation of the internal spermatic vein and all its collaterals was performed in all patients. The postoperative follow-up showed a significant improvement in seminal parameters (motility, morphology and sperm count) and in testicular volumes. Moreover, a pregnancy rate of 58% was observed. These results confirm the observations of other investigators and suggest that surgical therapy of varicocele is capable of improving seminal parameters, of reversing varicocele-related testicular hypotrophy and of achieving high pregnancy rates even in patients with grade I varicocele.
Ten specimens of adrenal cyst resected during the period 1984-1999 were re-examined. Thorough examination of multiple sections and the use of immunohistochemistry allowed to change the recorded diagnosis in 8 cases: three epithelial cysts and five pseudocysts were redefined as endothelial cysts. All 10 cysts were of the endothelial type. A synthetic review of the current knowledge about the pathogenesis, the classification and the clinical aspects of this rare disease is presented.
From November 1994 to June 2001, the authors have performed 16 operations for epigastric hernia. Local anaesthesia was used in 8 patients with small hernias, in the remaining 8 general anaesthesia was preferred. In defects smaller than 4 cm, the repair was achieved by insertion of a polypropylene dart plug sutured to the margins of the hernial defect. In larger defects a double layer mesh placed in the pre-peritoneum was used. All patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. Postoperative pain was mild and required hospital analgesia in 25% of cases and domiciliary analgesia in 1 patient only. During a follow-up ranging 3 to 79 months (mean 31.2), no recurrence has been recorded. The proposed technique is simple, safe and absolutely effective, allows immediate rehabilitation with a low risk of complications.
Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor of the sympathetic nervous system which in 4-14% of the cases may be malignant. The differentiation between benign and malignant phoechromocytomas is very difficult, the presence of metastatic lesions and gross invasion into surrounding tissues are the lonely accettable parameters to confirm malignancy. Since the patients with malignant pheochromocytomas have a very poor survival rate, care must be taken for an early detections and a careful follow up. Three cases of malignant pheochromocytoma are reported. In one of these cases the tumor was a functioning mass; the other two cases presented by a hemorrhagic complication. A careful review of the pertinent literature allows to outline the correct approach to this rare pathology as for the diagnosis and the treatment, also including the actual criteria to establish its malignancy.
Abdominal wall neoplasms represent more or less 1% of human neoplasms in the adult. The authors reports their own experience based on 9 cases during over 20 years. The prognosis of these tumors is almost influenced from a lot of factors such as: histology, localization, staging, grading, sex, surgical margins, number of local recurrences. Abdominal wall neoplasm are less aggressive for compartmentalization of muscle layer and with a better prognosis because of their localization, and surgical opportunities of extensive resection (not less of 2 cm from tumor's macroscopic limits) allowed by modern prosthetic reconstruction techniques. Polipropilene seems to be the ideal material for such kind of reconstruction even if also mersilene, PTFEe and others were employed. PTFEe and Dual-meshes could be useful in those malignant tumors in which peritoneum resection is necessary.
Bilateral breast cancer has a cumulative incidence of 3-13% in patients with primary breast cancer, and the majority of these lesions are metachronous. The synchronous and metachronous bilateral breast cancer have at greater risk for distant metastasis than unilateral breast cancer. There was no difference in overall survival when comparing metachronous and synchronous bilateral patients to those with unilateral disease.
OBJECTIVE: The authors report their experience with a new prosthetic technique for the repair of incisional hernia defects smaller than 3 cm. METHODS: From January 1995 to September 2002, 16 operations for small incisional hernias have been performed. Local anaesthesia was used in 12 out of 16 patients (75%). The repair was achieved by insertion of a polypropylene plug sutured to the margins of the hernial defect. RESULTS: All patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. Postoperative pain was mild and required hospital analgesia in 25% of cases. Back at home analgesia was needed in only 1 patient. During a follow-up ranging 3 to 91 months (mean 46), no recurrence has been recorded. CONCLUSION: The proposed technique allows a sound repair of small incisional hernias with minimal pain, quick rehabilitation and early return to unrestricted work.
Endometriosis is a very common gynecological disease, although the abdominal wall localization is a rare clinical problem in the everyday practice and this explains the incomplete reports in literature and the difficulty of a standard treatment. The authors report four cases of abdominal wall endometriosis, underlining how the surgical therapy represents the golden standard of decisive treatment, thanks also to prosthetic reconstruction techniques who allow more radical demolitions. On the contrary, the medical treatment should be reserved to selected cases such as especially the less symptomatic umbilical primitive diseases.
Amyloid goiter is a rare pathology due to massive amyloid infiltration of thyroid tissue, which cause diffuse or localized enlargement of the gland. It can be totally asymptomatic or cause only non-specific symptoms (compression of adjacent structures, tracheal deviation). Thyroid disfunction (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) is rare. It is important to differentiate primitive amyloid goiter from other kinds of amyloid infiltration of the thyroid, such as in systemic amyloidosis. The correct diagnosis can be difficult because of the common presence of amyloid in thyroid neoplasms, such as medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The Authors present a case of primitive amyloid goiter, that needed immunohistochemical analysis for a correct diagnosis, and a review of the concerning literature.
Following a broad review of the literature on the topic, the paper illustrates the technique of removing epididymal neoformations using a microscope which proves to be extremely useful not only during the delicate phase of isolating pathological formations, the majority of which are not more than 1.5 cm in diameter, but above all during the careful process of reconstructing damaged structures. The use of microsurgery is particularly important since it is extremely accurate and non-invasive, both of which attributes are fundamental to maintain and preserving fertility in subjects affected by this pathology.
A case of intracorporeal concealment of narcotics is reported. Cocaine mixed with marihuana were the ingested drugs. Surgical treatment is, in selected cases, the safest method to remove such packages from the gastrointestinal tract also in subjects without mechanical obstruction. In fact, rupture of a packet threatens the patient's life, because of cocaine's high toxicity and lack of antidote.
To evaluate the results of single and multinodular thyropathies surgical treatment, 1.300 cases operated on from january 1974 to december 1987 were reviewed. 842 patients (64.7%) were female; the average age was 41 +/- 2.4 year. Thyroid pathology was represented by solitary nodule in 643 cases (49.4%); multinodular goitre in 559 cases (43.0%) (377 euthyroid, with multinodular lesions extended to the entire gland; 182, hyperthyroid); retrosternal goitre in 78 cases (5.9%); recurrent goitre in 20 cases (1.5%). The patients underwent to: total thyroidectomy (525 cases); subtotal thyroidectomy (132 cases); total lobectomy (322 cases); subtotal lobectomy (321 cases). Post-operative follow-up (clinical exam; T3, T4, TSH, calcemia and phosphatemia) was performed at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after surgery). The overall mortality was 0.13 percent (two deaths, respectively after total = 0.1% and subtotal thyroidectomy = 0.7%). Immediate postoperative complications were: recurrent palsy (9 cases: 0.6%; acute respiratory failure with temporary tracheostomy (10 cases: 0.7%); hypoparathyroidism (3 cases: 0.2%). Late sequelae (1-3 year) were: recurrent nerve palsy in 7 patients (0.5%); hypoparathyroidism in one case (0.07%). 46 patients (34.8%) which underwent subtotal thyroidectomy were hypothyroid to T3, T4, TSH tests (1 year). Such sub-clinic pathology required levo-thyroxin treatment. New concepts on the pathogenesis of multinodular goitre (growth autonomy of goitre human tissue; the lack of levo-thyroxin therapy to prevent relapses after subtotal thyroidectomy) and the results drawed from the revision of this series seems confirm the indication to lobectomy for solitary "cold" nodules and thyroidectomy for treatment of normo and hyperthyroid multinodular goitre.
Primary tumours of the epididymis are rare and one of the rarest is papillary cysto-adenomas. For this reason, a case arising in a patient with Grade III varicocele seemed worth reporting. The report discusses the clinical case and describes the histological characteristics of the tumour.
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