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Biomedical subjects

G Todorov

Publications and source records attributed to G Todorov.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

[Thymectomy for myastenia gravis: 25-year experience].

OBJECTIVE: Thymectomy is considered an effective therapeutic option for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). We reviewed our 25-years experience with surgical treatment of MG with respect to long-term results and factors affecting outcome. METHODS: Between 1978 and 2002, we performed 232 thymectomies for MG. Fifteen patients were lost to follow-up; the remaining 217 form the object of our study. 32 patients (28.4%) had thymoma. Myasthenia was graded according to a modified Osserman classification: 51 patients (23.5%) were in class I, 81 (37.3%) in class IIA, 52 (24%) in class IIB, 26 (12%) in class III and seven (3.2%) in class IV. Mean duration of symptoms before the operation was 14 +/- 10 months. Fifty-eight thymectomies for thymoma were performed through a median sternotomy and four through a clamshell incision. Forty-six thymectomies for non-thymomatous MG were performed through a standard cervicotomy, 155 procedures through a partial upper sternal-splitting incision and eight through a complete median sternotomy. RESULTS: Operative mortality was 0.92% (two patients). After a mean follow-up of 119 months, 77% of all patients improved their clinical status (26% without medications and asymptomatic; 45% with a reduction of medications and/or clinically improved); 39 (18%) have a stable disease with no clinical modifications; 12 (5%) presented a deterioration of their clinical status with worse symptoms, required more medications, or both. Thirteen patients (6%) died because of MG (mean survival 34.3 +/- 3.6 months). The presence of a thymoma negatively influenced the prognosis. Younger patients showed a more favorable outcome as well as patients with a shorter duration of symptoms before the operation; patients with lower classes of myasthenia showed a higher rate of remission. CONCLUSIONS: Thymectomy is effective in the management of patients with MG at all stages with low morbidity. Patients with thymoma present a less favorable outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Possibilities of retroperitoneal endoscopic surgery in treatment of adrenal diseases].

UNLABELLED: After introduction of the transperitoneal endoscopic adrenalectomy in 1992 and retroperitoneal adrenalectomy (RA) in 1994, the both techniques were widely accepted in the routine surgery practices. Now some authors described them as a "golden standard" in the surgical treatment of adrenal disorders. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 34 retroperitoneal endoscopic adrenalectomy were performed in our clinic for the period of May 1996-December 2002. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 125 minutes (45-220 min.) The average itraoperative blood loss was 70 ml. Only in one case the blood loss was 300 ml, causing conversion to open adrenalectomy. In 6 cases we converted to open adrenalectomy for other reasons--17.6%. In the last 15 cases we had no need of conversion to open adrenalectomy. Intraoperative complications were minor--2 cases (5.88%). Consumption of analgesics was low. Hospitalization period was 3 days. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, EA is associated with fewer complications than have been reported with OA. Despite the limitations of retrospective analysis, the results of this technique are very impressing in relation to diminishing the operative trauma, postoperative pain syndrome and faster recovery. EA is to become a method of choice in surgical treatment of the benign adrenal disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Retrospective analysis of the results of surgical treatment of 407 patients with differential thyroid gland cancer over a period of 23 years].

Over a period of 23 years (1980-2002) 407 cases of differential thyroid gland cancer were operated, monitored and analyzed at the Endocrine Surgery Clinic of Alexandrovska University Hospital. Of them 71.7% were monitored over a period of more than 10 years (up to 23 years), and 39.3% were monitored between 15 and 23 years. The youngest patient was 12 years old, and the oldest--78 years old. All patients were at a T(1-3) N(a-b) M0 stage. 308 (75.7%) patients had papillary carcinoma, and multi-centric localization was established in 3.9%, while capsular invasion and unilateral lymph-nodular metastases--in 6.2% of those patients. Follicular cancer was found in 24%, and vascular invasion--in 15.1%. 72.4% of the patients fall within the low-risk age groups (women under 50 years of age and men under 40). The treatment of 22.1% (90) of the patients comprised thyroidectomy with a follow-on 131J therapy. 77.9% (317) of the patients underwent radical thyroid gland resections of various size. Bilateral subtotal resections were applied most often--in 64.5% of all cases, and the rest of the patients underwent lobectomy with contra-lateral subtotal resection. The recurrence rate among the patients treated with radical resections is 6.1%, mainly within the high-risk age group. No correlation was established between the recurrence rate and the type of organ-saving surgery. In the group of patients treated with thyroidectomy and 131J, recurrences of the disease were established in 16.2%, again mainly within the high-risk age group. Remote metastases and mortality were established in 3% and 2.5% respectively. In conclusion, preference is given to organ-saving surgical treatment of differential thyroid gland cancer, and it is recommended that in the high-risk age groups the operations be of a broader scope.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMed2004

[Surgical treatment of the diabetic septic foot].

An opening and a major stage of the diabetic septic foot surgical treatment is the primary surgical processing that is usually combined with amputation of separate fingers or with various types of transmetatarsal amputations. Out of the total of 379 operated patients 35.7% underwent amputation of separate fingers, combined with resection of the metatarsal bone head. 18.3% of the patients underwent transmetatarsal amputations by Sharp with plantar lambo shaping, and 14.9% had oblique resections with dermatological plastic surgeries. As a result of this treatment the foot amputations were reduced to 5.7%. The extended use of conservative treatment combined with primary surgical processing is a major precondition for restricting the suppurative gangrenous process. Staged surgical treatment ensures a drastic decrease in the number of foot amputations. The reconstruction plastic foot operations enable the shaping of an adequate foot area with good biomechanics.

Amputation, Surgical↗
PubMed2004

[Surgical treatment of creeping infections of the flexor foot tendons in diabetic patients].

UNLABELLED: The creeping infections of the flexor foot tendons are a common reason for amputation of limbs in diabetic patients. Usually the process starts from the fingers and spreads through their long flexors. METHODS: Of the total of 149 operated patients, 49 underwent selective removal of the m. flexor hallucis longus tendon, and amputation of the 1st finger. The long flexors of the foot fingers were totally removed through a transmethatarsal amputation in 78 patients, and in 22 the long flexor tendons of the 4 lateral fingers were selectively removed through an oblique foot resection. After this type of surgical operations, limb amputation as a result of losing control over the suppurative-gangrenous process, became necessary in 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The infection spreading through the long flexors of the foot fingers in diabetic patients is a serious surgical complication that can only be treated surgically. The method of selective resection and removal of the infected long flexors of the foot fingers allows to avoid the limb amputation in most patients. Following this type of surgical interventions the foot biomechanics and the steadiness of the patient is inconsiderably disrupted.

Amputation, Surgical↗
PubMed1997

[Retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The 3-trocar surgical technic].

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA), introduced in surgical practice quite recently, proves to be an effective method for treating diseases of the adrenal gland on account of the good visualization provided, in conjunction with all additional advantages of laparoscopic surgery, such as reduced traumatism, postoperative pain alleviation, shortened hospital stay and the like. Two patients presenting Cushing's syndrome are subjected to retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RLA). With the patient in lumbotomy position on the operating table, a retroperitoneal space is created using a balloon dissector (Ethicon). The optics is introduced after placing a 10 mm balloon trocar (Origin). Under visual control two additional 10 mm trocars are placed along the course of lumbotomy line, accordingly along the anterior and posterior axillary lines. Next blunt dissection of the adrenal gland is done, and a clip applied to v. centralis. The adrenal gland is removed through one of the trocars, and the operation terminates after hemostasis and insertion of a drainage tube. The patients are discharged on the 4th postoperative day in a good general condition, mobilized, well fed with restored passage. In conclusion, the assumption is warranted that the early experience with RLA is encouraging as a safe and considerably less traumatic surgical procedure for operative management of diseases of the adrenal glands.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1997

[The surgical treatment of cervical lymph node metastases in differentiated thyroid carcinoma].

Over the period 1980 through 1994, a total of 297 patients presenting histological evidence of differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland are studied. In thirty-two of them (10.8 per cent) palpable metastases in the lymph nodes are found at the time of making the diagnosis. A higher frequency of palpable lymph nodes is established in younger patients with histological diagnosis papillary carcinoma (62.5 per cent). In the 32 patients with palpable metastases in the lymph nodes, discovered during diagnosing of the disease, lymph node dissection is undertaken. The obtained results show that the modified cervical dissection yields favourable results, and at the same time preserves intact the neck structure.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMed1995

Activity of RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF blocked by Rb gene product.

The protein encoded by the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (Rb) functions as a tumour suppressor and negative growth regulator. As actively growing cells require the ongoing synthesis of ribosomal RNA, we considered that Rb might interact with the ribosomal DNA transcription apparatus. Here we report that (1) there is an accumulation of Rb protein in the nucleoli of differentiated U937 cells which correlates with inhibition of rDNA transcription; (2) addition of Rb to an in vitro transcription system inhibits transcription by RNA polymerase I; (3) this inhibition requires a functional Rb pocket; and (4) Rb specifically inhibits the activity of the RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF (upstream binding factor) in vitro. This last observation was confirmed by affinity chromatography and immunoprecipitation, which demonstrated an interaction between Rb and UBF. These results indicate that there is an additional mechanism by which Rb suppresses cell growth, namely that Rb directly represses transcription of the rRNA genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

[Differentiated thyroid cancer--a study of the pathomorphological variants in 216 patients].

Two-hundred sixteen patients presenting differentiated carcinoma of the thyroid gland are subjected to operative treatment over the period 1980 through 1993. The distribution of cases by histological type is as follows: papillary carcinoma--127 cases, follicular--58, and mixed type (papillary-follicular)--thirty one. In the group presenting papillary lesions, infiltration of the capsula is noted in nine cases, multifocal location--in five, and microcarcinoma--in twenty three. In the follicular carcinoma group a markedly expressed vascular invasion is established in four cases, multifocal location--three, and microcarcinoma--five. Assessment of the morphological patterns of differentiated thyroid carcinoma reveals a marked predomination of noncomplicated histologic variants, enabling the wide use of minor conservative operative procedures, compared to thyroidectomy, with a positive outcome. Over he past few decades, the incidence of differentiated forms of thyroid gland carcinoma shows an increase, and nowadays it caries in the range 60 to 90 per cent. Papillary forms are prevailing, while follicular carcinomas are detected in 8 to 20 per cent of cases. An overall shift of morbidity towards younger ages and female gender is observed.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗
PubMed1995

[Hypophyseal-thyroid function following partial thyroid resections for euthyroid struma nodosa].

The serum levels of svT3, svT4, TTH, T3 and T4 are evaluated at two, six and twelve months after partial resection of the thyroid gland in patients with euthyroid struma nodosa. The patients are divided up in two groups: group one--given hormonal substitution therapy, and group two--untreated. The results are estimated with a special reference to the need of hormonal administration in view of precluding recurrences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[The incidence and morphological aspects of thyroid cancer].

A total of 10,736 biopsy specimens presenting diverse thyroid gland pathology are studied over the period 1974 to December 1993. The histopathological investigation shows that 5.45 per cent of them (n = 585) are with carcinoma. Comparative analysis of the incidence of thyroid carcinoma in the series reviewed, covering the two decades, points to a tendency of the incidence rate to augment from 4.03 per cent in the first decade to average 6.63 per cent in the second decade of study, with a frequency peak reached in the period 1986-1993. There is a clearcut tendency of the incidence of malignant conditions of the thyroid to rise among younger age groups. A markedly expressed tendency of the number of patients with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, affecting mainly women and younger persons, to increase is also documented.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[The routine immunohistochemical diagnosis and surgical treatment of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid].

Over the period 1977 through 1988, in the Research Institute of Surgery--Medical Academy a total of 372 patients undergo primary operative management for thyroid gland carcinoma. Medullary carcinoma is discovered in 18 patients of the series (4.8 per cent). The preoperative diagnosis is supplemented by thyroscintigraphy with 131iodine or technetium Tc 201. After 1981, calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), specific medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) markers, measurements are routinely done, with substantially elevated levels in the patients under study being found, in those with metastases inclusive. Presumably, the preoperative diagnosis medullary thyroid carcinoma is very difficult, and only a combined approach, including thyroidectomy with ensuing iodine radiotherapy, may account for a good survivorship. Postoperatively, all patients with MTC diagnosis are regularly tested for serum calcitonin and CEA levels. The carefully taken family history and questioning of the patients allows to differentiate familial from cases from sporadic neoplasms.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Early thymectomy in the treatment of myasthenia gravis].

Over a 10-year period, 1983 through 1992, in the clinic of endocrinologic surgery--Alexander Hospital, Sofia, 89 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), 57 women and 32 men, are subjected to operative treatment--thymectomy. The mean age in women is 32 years (range 19 to 68), and in men--45.6 years (range 25 to 70). Two age-related distributions in the series are impressive--in female patients the peak is between 20 and 30 years, whereas in men--between 45 and 55 years. The operative intervention consists in total thymectomy. Preference is given to the trans-sternal median access to the thymus gland. In the complex therapeutic approach to MG are included also a number of drugs and other agents--corticosteroids, anticholinesterase agents, immunosuppressives and the like. Patients undergoing operative thymectomy are usually given preoperative treatment with anticholinesterase drugs for different periods of time. Operation is undertaken only in stable condition of the patients. Good postoperative results are recorded in 57 per cent of those operated by the first year, with a satisfactory improvement in 29.2 per cent of them. In the third group (13.4 per cent) the postoperative results are poor, and treatment is proceeded with anticholinesterase drugs or immunosuppressives. The average follow-up term is 44.7 months. The delay in improvement is typical of patients with longer duration of the complaints, but it may be attained within 2, 3 or 5 years postoperatively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[The surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis--the authors' own experience].

Proceeding from personal experience accumulated hitherto, the indications for both operative treatment of MG, and choice of the most adequate preoperative preparation and timing of thymectomy, are precisely determined. Pathohistologic findings and postoperative results in 47 patients, thymectomized in the period 1989 to 1994, are followed up and analyzed. The inference is reached that preliminary stabilization of the patient's condition with anticholinesterase drugs, and early and total thymectomy are essential for the successful outcome of treatment. It is preferable that thymectomy is done within six months of the occurrence of complaints or making the diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Struma nodosa and cancer of the thyroid].

The disputable issue of the pathogenetic relation between struma nodosa and thyroid gland carcinoma is discussed. A total of 234 patients with definitive diagnosis thyroid carcinoma, operated in the clinic of endocrine surgery--Higher Medical Institute, Sofia, are retrospectively analyzed. Clinical, past history and pathomorphologic data are considered--123 patients present papillary carcinoma, 67--follicular, and 42--mixed form. All patients undergo operative management over the period 1980 through 1991. Later, to the aforementioned group are added further 50 patients with carcinoma of the thyroid, treated from 1991 to late December 1992, and thus the total number amounts to 284 cases--153 papillary, 79 follicular and 52 mixed forms, respectively. In 67.2 per cent of the cases the thyroid carcinoma presents clinical patterns of a solitary node, in 27.8 per cent--node of multinodular struma, and in 4.9 per cent--formation associated with another thyroid disease. Multifocal location is established in five cases. As shown by the pathomorphological study in 18 per cent of the cases it is a matter of a combination--thyroid carcinoma and struma multinodosa, and in 1.2 per cent of the cases only there is conclusive evidence of solitary adenoma malignization. The obtained results lead to the inference that thyroid carcinoma deriving from the nodose structures of the gland is an exception, rather than rule.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗