Pneumatosis coli: a source of diagnostic confusion.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R K Phillips.
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Relaparotomy occurs commonly in patients with the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, and at quite short intervals. Between 1943 and 1987 laparotomies were performed on 54 occasions in 23 patients with the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome who at some time came under the care of St. Mark's Hospital. In four patients repeat laparotomy was performed within a single year. Between 1987 and 1989 a further five patients have undergone laparotomy with on-table small bowel endoscopy. External palpation and small bowel transillumination failed to demonstrate 17 out of a total of 45 hamartomas (38 per cent). Of these 17 polyps identified endoscopically, 11 (65 per cent) were sufficiently large that a snare was used to remove them. We recommend peroperative enteroscopy as an adjunct to surgery in the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.
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The argument for and against high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery in rectal cancer has yet to be resolved. Between 1948 and 1983, 4250 patients underwent surgery for rectal carcinoma at St. Mark's Hospital, London. From these, 250 patients were selected who had undergone curative anterior resection of a Dukes' C adenocarcinoma and their records were examined. In 150 (60 per cent) the inferior mesenteric artery was ligated above the origin of the left colic artery. The outcome was analysed using the Dukes', Gastrointestinal Tumour Study Group and Astler-Coller classifications, either alone or in combination. Tumour differentiation and extent of local invasion were also considered. Despite this detailed analysis, no improved survival was seen in patients when the inferior mesenteric artery was ligated above the origin of the left colic artery.
It has been suggested that preoperative measurement of resting anal canal pressure and internal sphincter function can be used to identify those patients with neurogenic faecal incontinence who are unlikely to benefit from the operation of postanal repair. We have therefore analysed the results of the operation in 62 patients (six men and 56 women, mean age 59 years, range 30-83 years) and related clinical outcome to preoperative assessment of: resting anal canal pressure, the presence of gape and a combination of gape and low resting pressure. None of these factors was found to predict a poor result after postanal repair.
Duodenal adenomas occur almost inevitably in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) whereas gastric adenomas are rare. FAP patients are also at high risk of duodenal cancer. Within the duodenum, adenomas cluster around the ampulla of Vater, as do the majority of duodenal cancers, suggesting that bile plays a role in tumour development. We therefore tested duodenal bile from 29 postcolectomy FAP patients (27 of whom had duodenal adenomas) and 24 non-FAP patients for mutagenicity, using techniques that detect point mutations in bacteria. Results which appeared to show that FAP bile was more mutagenic than control bile could be accounted for by a feeding effect, elimination of which also eliminated 'mutagenicity'. Under the conditions of our assays we conclude that if bile is an important factor in genesis of duodenal tumours, it does not act by inducing point mutation.
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Multiple gastric and duodenal biopsy specimens from 102 asymptomatic patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, taken during a prospective endoscopic screening programme were examined. One hundred patients had microscopic gastroduodenal pathology, often in the absence of macroscopic lesions. Adenomas were found in 94 patients in the duodenum, in the second and third parts. Hyperplasia of villous and crypt epithelium was also seen, sometimes in the absence of adenomas: this may be a precursor of neoplastic change. In the stomach fundic gland polyps were the commonest abnormality, seen microscopically in 44 patients. Chronic antral gastritis was common in patients without fundic polyps. Gastric adenomas were present in six patients, all of whom also had duodenal adenomas. If duodenal adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis have a similar malignant potential to those in the colorectum sequential endoscopy and biopsy are necessary to detect cancer in these patients.
Long-term parenteral nutrition requires central venous access, often difficult in patients who have had several central venous catheterizations. Therapy may be complicated by thrombosis and sepsis which may further compromise central access. We report five cases illustrating such difficulties and suggest that these patients be referred early to specialist centres where experienced catheter insertion and management results in a greatly reduced incidence of complications.
The monoclonal antibody PR1A3 against a normal colonic columnar cell surface antigen has been labelled with 99mTc and used for imaging colorectal cancer. High uptake in undifferentiated cancer is seen. The tumour to mucosa ratio was up to 63:1 and the percentage of the injected activity in the tumour up to 1.7 X 10(-2%)g-1. As 99mTc is continuously available in a Nuclear Medicine Department, on receipt of a request the study may be completed within 24 h enabling radioimmunoscintigraphy to be used routinely in the management of patients with colorectal cancer.
The case notes of 15 patients undergoing colonic resection for sigmoid volvulus at St Mark's Hospital over 25 years have been reviewed. Eight patients underwent sigmoid colectomy, four left hemicolectomy and three total colectomy. Although 12 of the 15 patients complained of a constipated bowel habit for 'all their lives' prior to operation, all but two had a much improved bowel habit thereafter, regardless of the extent of the resection. If there is evidence of acute or recent sigmoid volvulus at operation, sigmoid colectomy alone is recommended in the first instance.
Perioperative blood transfusion has been reported to adversely affect survival in cancer patients, but the evidence is inconclusive and may be an epiphenomenon. From the Large Bowel Cancer Project, 961 patients who underwent curative resection and left hospital alive have been reviewed to compare the effect of perioperative blood transfusion on outcome; 591 patients (61%) had been given a blood transfusion while 370 (39%) had not been transfused. Some clinical variables were equally distributed between the two groups; ie age, sex, obstruction, perforation, tumour differentiation. Three other variables known to influence patient prognosis were not equally distributed, ie tumour site, Dukes' stage and tumour mobility. Patients with tumours of the rectum and rectosigmoid, with Dukes' stage C lesions and with some degree of tumour fixation were more likely to have received blood transfusions. Using the logrank method of multivariate analysis to allow for differences in distribution of all those variables known to affect prognosis, there was no survival disadvantage for those patients who had received perioperative blood transfusion. Furthermore, there were no overall differences between the two groups of patients in their risk of developing local tumour recurrence or distant metastases. The distribution of metastases differed: in the 'transfused' group only 37% of distant metastases were found in the liver, while 71% were found in this site in the 'not transfused' group (chi 2 = 18.46, d.f. = 1, P less than 0.001). By contrast, there was a larger proportion of patients with lung metastases in the transfused group (27% vs 11%) (chi 2 = 5.59, d.f. = 1, P less than 0.05). Therefore, these data do not support the concept of an overall deleterious effect of blood transfusion on patient survival, but suggest that blood given in the perioperative period may change the biology of the metastatic process.
102 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy as a screening test for gastroduodenal adenomas. 100 had duodenal abnormalities (dysplasia in 94, and hyperplasia in 6), usually in the second and third parts of the duodenum (91%). The periampullary area was abnormal in 87 of 97 patients who had a biopsy specimen taken from this site (dysplasia 72, hyperplasia 13, and inflammation 2). By contrast, gastric dysplasia was found in only 6 patients. Classification of duodenal polyposis on a 5-grade scale (stages 0-IV), based on polyp number, size, histology, and severity of dysplasia, showed that 11 had stage IV disease: these patients are at greatest risk of malignant change and require close surveillance. The pattern of dysplasia observed in the upper gastrointestinal tract resembled the pattern of mucosal exposure to bile.
Mortality rates from the Large Bowel Cancer Project are presented with special reference to patients older than 70 years. The in-hospital mortality rate among those who underwent curative resection for colorectal carcinoma was 7%. Unlike long-term prognosis, which is influenced by pathological features, in-hospital mortality is influenced largely by clinical factors. Age was an adverse factor (78% of deaths occurred among those aged over 70, who formed 46% of the study population), as was obstruction or perforation. 55% of deaths were due to cardiopulmonary complications. Educating patients to seek treatment early, careful preoperative assessment and postoperative monitoring of cardiopulmonary function, and, in selected patients, use of local treatments rather than wide resections may help to reduce mortality in elderly patients.
Paget's disease of the anus is a rare disorder of controversial origin and is frequently associated with malignancy. We studied eight patients and carried out immunohistochemical studies to determine whether particular functional profiles might be indicators of a malignant association. One patient presented with synchronous carcinoma and two developed carcinomas 3 and 10 years after excision of Paget's disease. Five patients underwent wide local excision and have not developed cancer (median follow-up 6 years, range 5-13 years). However, four patients developed recurrent Paget's disease. Immunohistochemical studies showed that in general Paget cells stained positively with CAM 5.2 (a cytokeratin marker), gross cystic disease fluid protein (a marker for apocrine cells), human milk fat globule glycoprotein (HMFG 1 and 2) and carcinoembryonic antigen but negatively for PR3A5 (a marker for colonic goblet cells). Three cases had a staining profile which was quite different from that usually observed and these were associated with malignancy. One showed an antigenic profile more typical of a large bowel carcinoma. Paget's disease of the anus appears to run one of two clinical courses: to develop malignancy; or to recur locally, often on repeated occasions. Wide local excision is the treatment of choice but long-term follow-up is necessary because of the cancer risk. An immunohistochemical staining pattern which is different from usual may indicate a higher malignant risk and/or identify some cases of Paget's disease as representing a downward 'pagetoid' extension from a anorectal adenocarcinoma rather than a true epidermotropic apocrine neoplasm of the perianal skin.
Ileitis can occur after surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. Following continent ileostomy or restorative proctocolectomy ileitis can become a serious clinical problem and is then known as pouchitis although this condition is yet to be clearly defined. It is likely that pouchitis is the result of an abnormal host response to a change in bacterial flora and that the nature of this host response is related to the underlying pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Continued study of the immunological basis of ulcerative colitis is therefore required to solve the problem of pouchitis.
The results of anal sphincter repair in a group of six patients with anorectal Crohn's disease are reported. All patients had previously undergone anal surgery which was followed by faecal incontinence in five. The sixth patient became incontinent following obstetric injury. Of the six patients, five are completely continent and one has a permanent stoma (follow-up from 18 months to 16 years, mean 7.8 years). Anal sphincter repair in this highly selected group of patients with Crohn's disease has not been complicated by wound breakdown or fistula formation, and has given good results.