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Biomedical subjects

H Richelme

Publications and source records attributed to H Richelme.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[Complicated solitary biliary cysts].

With development of ultra sound, solitary hepatic cyst (SHC) appears as a common and benign affection. Complications can occur in 10 per cent of cases. We report here four cases of complicated SHC: vena caval obstruction, intracystic bleeding, rupture, intracystic infection. Those four patients were successfully treated by partial excision of the cyst in the first 3 cases, and by percutaneous drainage with CT scan guidance in the latter. Complications of SHC occur only in large cysts, with a diameter up to 8 cm. So, small SHC do not require any treatment, while large SHC must be treated to avoid complications. Percutaneous aspiration and direct injection of alcohol can lead to recurrence. Surgical therapy by partial excision is successful, with low rates of mortality and morbidity.

Adolescent↗

[Pharyngoesophageal diverticula. Results of a series of 41 diverticulectomies].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term results of surgical treatment of pharyngoesophageal diverticulum (POD). From 1970 to 1988, 41 patients underwent diverticulectomy for POD and in 10 cases, myotomy was associated. Patients were divided into two groups: group I (10 cases) in which patients required nutritional and/or respiratory preparation before surgery; group II (31 cases) in which patients underwent surgery without delay. In group I, the mean age was 79.8 years and the delay before diagnosis and treatment was 80.6 months versus 66 years and 34.6 months in group II. In group I, all patients presented with weight loss and suffered from pulmonary infections. Mortality in this series was 3 patients (7.3%) and 4 complications occurred. In group I, mortality was 2 patients (20%) and 3 complications occurred (30%), while in group II, mortality was one patient (3.2%) and one complication occurred (p less than 0.05). Long-term results showed 90% of good results. Local complications might be avoided by perfect surgical procedure. The mortality can be explained by the patients' previous status and the long history of disease.

Aged↗

[Is the excision surgery of bronchial cancer in patients over 70 years of age justified?].

The retrospective analysis of 331 files relating to primary bronchial cancer shows that 30% of the patients are 70 years old or over. This patient group is compared to younger subjects who were operated during the same period. For this surgical series, the disease studied is the same whichever the age (detection conditions, excision types, TNM classification). Mortality for excision is comparable (5.1% vs 8.2%), but the type of mortal complications differs according to the age. Our analysis allows isolating two factors of risk (cardiovascular defects and obstructive chronic respiratory failure). Provided that a pre-operation rigorous selection of the patients over 70 years has been made, pneumonectomy does not seem more serious than lobectomy (mortality 3.7% vs 10.3%). For identical stages, remote survival after excision can be compared to that of operated patients under 70 years old. Excision beyond 70 years old seems justified provided that: a selection of patients, from which subjects having major defects (cardiovascular and respiratory) should be excluded, is carried out by appreciating physiological age and not actual age, a pre-operation respiratory preparation is performed, a careful operating technique which allows avoiding surgical complications is used, a peri-operating assistance is provided.

Age Factors↗

[What is the value of tracheobronchial fibroscopy in the assessment of esophageal cancer?].

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of bronchoscopy in the assessment of resectability of esophageal carcinomas. From 1981 to 1986, 125 patients were referred for a carcinoma of the esophagus. Bronchoscopy was performed in 105 cases. Patients were classified into 3 groups: group I: normal bronchoscopy (58 cases: 55.2%); group II: compression, localized inflammation (35 cases: 33.3%); Group III: invasion (12 cases: 11.5%). Tracheo-bronchial abnormalities were found whatever the site of the esophageal carcinoma: 60% of cases for the upper third, 40% for the middle third and 36% for the lower third. They were significantly more frequent when the esophageal tumor was larger than 5 centimeters. Correlation with CT scan was good in 75% of cases. Sensitivity and specificity of these two exams were similar and they appeared to be complementary. In group I, resection was impossible or palliative for bronchial reasons in 10% of cases, while resection was impossible or palliative in 35% of cases in group II. Lastly, resection was curative in 73.5% of cases in group I and in only 39% of cases in group II. Bronchoscopy must be systematically performed in carcinoma of esophagus. It may predict the palliative nature of resection if abnormalities are present, and may contraindicate the resection when invasion of the bronchial tree is discovered.

Bronchial Diseases↗

[Pulmonary metastases of colorectal origin].

From January 1979 to December 1988, 18 patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancers were operated in our division. This series included 11 men and 7 women (average age 57 years). The primary cancer was colic in 6 cases and rectal in 12. In 3 cases, the metastases were synchronous and discovered during the initial assessment. In 15 cases, they were metachronous, without symptoms in 12 cases and symptomatic in 3. These metastases were single in 14 cases, multiple in 3, bilateral in 1. They were peripheral in 15 cases. The histological diagnosis was obtained preoperatively in 5 cases (27.7%). The procedures uses were lobectomy for 11 patients, segmentectomy for 1, wedge resection for 10. Postoperative chemotherapy was given to 7 patients. Benign complications occurred in 2 cases during the postoperative period. No perioperative death was noted. One patient was lost to follow-up without recurrence after 1 year, 6 patients died from neoplastic evolution 4, 8, 15, 17, 22 and 28 months after being operated. In May 1989, 11 patients were still living: -2 scheduled for the excision of a contralateral lesion, -2 with pulmonary recurrence. 7 patients were alive without recurrence 12, 14, 17, 46, 52, 68 and 108 months after being operated. The probability of occurrence of pulmonary metastases in the evolution of colorectal cancer is estimated between 20 and 50%. Only 1% of the patients can be treated surgically. When screening these lesions, one must bear in mind that their appearance is sometimes quite delayed, and often asymptomatic. The repeated use of tracers is necessary but not sufficient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[A rare cause of acute circulatory failure with pulmonary edema: catecholergic cardiomyopathy of pheochromocytoma].

We report the case of a 37 years old woman with pheochromocytoma of the adrenal gland, with acute circulatory failure and pulmonary oedema. Its originality lies, besides the rare circumstances of diagnosis, in the echographic aspect of the left ventricle with an apical myocardial infarction with both severe apical hypokinesia and compensating basal hyperkinesia. In the literature the most frequent aspect of catecholamine cardiomyopathy is a large uniform dilatation of the left ventricle with often wall hypertrophy. After surgical ablation of the left adrenal gland tumor, we observe quickly a complete normalisation of the picture and especially the echocardiogram. The cardiomyopathy and the pulmonary oedema can result from the specific action of the excess catecholamines on the myocardial cells and the pulmonary capillaries.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[Role of coloproctectomy with colonic-anal anastomosis in the treatment of rectal cancer].

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and long term results of straight colo-anal anastomosis (CAA) after resection for rectal carcinoma as described by Parks. From January 1986 to June 1989, 40 patients underwent this operation: 27 men and 13 women with a mean age of 63.5 years (range 37-81). In 36 cases, the indication was for carcinoma of mid and low rectum and in 4 cases for carcinoma of the upper rectum associated with a low rectal benign tumour (3 Dukes A, 19 Dukes B, 13 Dukes C, and 5 Dukes D). A diverting colostomy was constructed in all cases. Operative mortality was one patient (2.5 per cent) by pulmonary embolism. Anastomotic dehiscence occurred in four patients. None of these patients required reoperation and all colostomies have been closed. 6 patients presented a local recurrence (15.4 per cent) 6 to 34 months after CAA, of whom two were treated by abdomino-perineal resection. 5 patients died 6 to 34 months after CAA from local recurrence (2 cases) or distant metastasis (3 cases) and one patient has liver disease. All others patients are alive free of disease with a mean follow-up of 21.7 months (range 3-46 months). Actuarial survival is 77 per cent at 40 months. Functional results were assessed in the 26 patients followed up more than one year. The mean stool frequency was 2.4 per day (range 0, 3-6). All patients are continent, with a good discrimination gas-stool. 4 patients (15.4 per cent) suffer from soiling, 5 (19 per cent) from stool frequency, and 2 (7.7 per cent) from urgency. In conclusion, CAA is a good alternative of abdominoperineal resection for some mid and low rectal carcinomas. Functional results might be improved by the construction of a colonic reservoir.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Surgical excision of the cancer of the stomach after 75 years of age].

A retrospective study of 302 patients hospitalized for gastric adenocarcinoma in the period between 1976 and 1987 revealed that 133 of the patients (44%) were over 75 years of age. In order to bring out the characteristics of stomach cancer in the elderly, these patients were compared with younger subjects, as a comparison with a population of under seventies emphasizes the existing differences. Clinical signs, the time necessary for reaching diagnosis, as well as the evolutive stage of the pathology at the time of diagnosis were the same. The incidence of the intestinal histological type, which has a better prognosis, was significantly higher after the age of 75. Operability was decreased due to contraindications related to the patients' general status. Resectability (86 patients, i.e., 77.2%) did not differ significantly. Complications imputable to surgery did not occur more frequently. Anastomotic fistulas were rare, although invariably fatal in the over-seventy-five group. Overall mortality for excision patients over 75 was 12.8%, and did not rise significantly (or exponentially) before the age of 79. Mortality was 14.3% in case of palliative excision versus 9.8% for curative excision. This parameter was nil for the 48 patients classified ASA 1 and 2, and 30% for the 38 patients classified ASA 3 and 4. In this latter group, it was 20% when the operation was curative versus 43% in palliative surgery situations. Post-surgery survival rates were similar to those obtained for the younger subjects. In conclusion, the course of stomach cancer is the same for both the elderly and younger subjects. This study permits to set up certain rules for excision surgery after the age of 75.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Hemorrhagic duodenal ulcer: which procedure should be performed?].

The authors reviewed the emergency treatment of 64 duodenal ulcers operated during the haemorrhagic period in order to evaluate the results of an approach adapted to the site of the ulcer and to the lesions observed. Twenty-four ulcers were situated in the post-bulbar region (37.5%) and need to be considered separately as their anatomical situation and the frequently callous and burrowing nature raise difficult problems in the diagnosis and surgical approach. Conservative treatment (vagotomy, pyloroplasty, direct suture) was possible in 75% of cases. Sixteen gastrectomies (25%) were necessary because of the severity of the duodenal disease with a significantly higher rate in the case of post-bulbar ulcers. The overall postoperative mortality was 25%; it was due to a surgical cause in one half of cases. The surgical morbidity was dominated by recurrent haemorrhages (11%) with 85% mortality. The authors believe that suture vagotomy, which is the basic treatment for bulbar ulcers, also constitutes treatment of choice in the post-bulbar variety when the duodenum appears to be suturable after haemostasis. In the opposite case, duodenal resection is necessary and should extend beyond the ulcer crater. In every case, identification of the common bile duct and the papilla constitutes an essential precaution.

Adult↗

[Inflammatory and neoplastic esophagotracheal fistula. Intubation or surgery?].

There are two principal aetiologies for oesophago-tracheal fistulae: cancer of the oesophagus opening into the airways and assisted ventilation (tracheotomy or nasotracheal intubation). Oesophago-tracheal fistulae are rare. Over a period of 6 years, the authors have treated 9 neoplastic oesophago-tracheal fistulae in a series of 150 cases of oesophageal cancer and 2 inflammatory oesophago-tracheal fistulae out of a series of more than 20 stenoses of the same nature. The two types of oesophago-tracheal fistulae have the same degree of severity but very different significance, treatment and prognosis: neoplastic oesophago-tracheal fistulae, an advanced, often terminal form of oesophageal cancer, justify palliative treatment to exclude the respiratory tract. Endoscopic intubation of the oesophagus is generally appropriate treatment. Exceptionally, a surgical bypass of the oesophagus may be proposed. Inflammatory oesophago-tracheal fistulae require treatment to restore the continuity of the trachea and oesophagus in patients with respiratory autonomy. In agreement with H. Grillo, we consider treacheal resection-suture and repair of the oesophageal defect to constitute the most satisfactory procedure.

Adult↗

[Gangrenous states of the perineum and genital region].

The authors report on 13 cases of gangrene of the perineum. Eight of the patients presented with a pre-existing infectious or tumoral anorectal lesion. In two cases, gangrene was a complication of a surgically treated prostatic pathology; two other patients had Fournier's disease. The last case was termed "spontaneous" as no causative factor was found. The unexpected recrudescence of this pathology, its severe nature, our limited knowledge of the pathogenic factors involved, and the difficulties encountered in treatment make analysis of this series of cases particularly interesting; moreover, despite the apparent etiological disparity of these observations, there were common anatomic, bacteriologic, and therapeutic elements. As concerns treatment, emphasis is placed on three points: prime role of surgery, the only means of obtaining precise information on lesions, broad indications for bypass colostomy, value of treatment with hyperbaric oxygen. The mortality rate remains high: 4 of the 13 patients died.

Adult↗

Anatomical bases of lateral thoracotomy without muscle transection.

The descriptive anatomy of the lateral thoracic wall and the topographical anatomy of the fifth intercostal space are used as bases for the description of the lateral approach to the thoracic cavity without muscle transection, considered by the authors as a "standard" approach to the thoracic cavity.

Humans↗