- Rome, Latium, Italy
Marcello Picchio
Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma, Surgery, Department Member
We present a case of sigmoid colon injury after blunt abdominal trauma. The patient was submitted to sigmoid resection with primary end-to-end colo-colic anastomosis. He died 22 days after operation with septic shock and acute respiratory... more
We present a case of sigmoid colon injury after blunt abdominal trauma. The patient was submitted to sigmoid resection with primary end-to-end colo-colic anastomosis. He died 22 days after operation with septic shock and acute respiratory failure. Post-mortem examination showed left lung generalized pneumonia with no signs of intra-abdominal pathology; colo-colic anastomosis was intact. We reviewed the literature about the management of this rare trauma.
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BACKGROUND Challenges in the diagnosis of polypoid gallbladder lesion (PLG) is due to the low sensibility (SE) of ultrasound scan (US), and the selection criteria of patients with PLG to be addressed to surgical treatment or followup are... more
BACKGROUND Challenges in the diagnosis of polypoid gallbladder lesion (PLG) is due to the low sensibility (SE) of ultrasound scan (US), and the selection criteria of patients with PLG to be addressed to surgical treatment or followup are not yet fully defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective observational study was conducted on 2631 patients, 1175(44.6%) M, mean age 56 years, 1456(55.4%) F, mean age 46 years, who underwent laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy. RESULTS The US diagnosis for PLG was placed in 38/2631(1.4%) patients. On histological examination (HE) the polyps were identified in 68/2631(2.6%) patients and it was associated with biliary lithiasis in 28/2631 (1.1%) cases. From the US and HE comparison, the ultrasound diagnosis was burdened by false positives (8/38; 21%) and false negatives (38/2631;1.45%), with SE 44% (95% c.i.:32.2-55.7). The histological incidence of gall bladder cancer (GBC) was 0.38%(10/2631). DISCUSSION US survey underestimated the incidence of ...
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Pervenuto in Redazione Febbraio 2020. Accettato per la pubblicazione Marzo 2020 Correspondence to: Annalisa Romina Di Filippo, Via Baldassarre Orero 33, 00159 Roma (Italy) (e-mail: annalisa.difilippo@alice.it) Erasmo Spaziani*, Annalisa... more
Pervenuto in Redazione Febbraio 2020. Accettato per la pubblicazione Marzo 2020 Correspondence to: Annalisa Romina Di Filippo, Via Baldassarre Orero 33, 00159 Roma (Italy) (e-mail: annalisa.difilippo@alice.it) Erasmo Spaziani*, Annalisa Romina Di Filippo*, Claudio Di Cristofano*, Gianluca Caruso*, Martina Spaziani*, Simone Orelli**, Flavia Fiorini*, Maurizio Maragoni***, Giuliano Faccì*** Marcello Picchio°, Alessandro De Cesare°°
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Gallstone ileus is uncommon. Gallstone impaction in the jejunum was rarely reported. We report two cases of gallstone impaction in the proximal jejunum and in the distal ileum. One patient was treated with enterolithotomy alone and in the... more
Gallstone ileus is uncommon. Gallstone impaction in the jejunum was rarely reported. We report two cases of gallstone impaction in the proximal jejunum and in the distal ileum. One patient was treated with enterolithotomy alone and in the other one enterolithotomy was combined to cholecystectomy and repair of a cholecystoduodenal fistula. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen is the mainstay of diagnosis. One-stage procedure including both enterolithotomy and cholecystectomy with bilioenteric fistula repair should be reserved to low-risk patients.
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We present a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp, treated with local excision and flap reconstruction. We discuss the treatment modalities of this pathology with particular attention to the role of surgery and adjuvant... more
We present a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp, treated with local excision and flap reconstruction. We discuss the treatment modalities of this pathology with particular attention to the role of surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. The authors suggest the systematic use of subgaleal drainage to avoid the hematoma and/or seroma occurrence.
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Introduction The present study aimed to compare the long-term results of transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation (THD) with mucopexy and stapler haemorrhoidopexy (SH) in treatment of grade III and IV haemorrhoids. Methods One hundred... more
Introduction The present study aimed to compare the long-term results of transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation (THD) with mucopexy and stapler haemorrhoidopexy (SH) in treatment of grade III and IV haemorrhoids. Methods One hundred and twenty-four patients with grade III and IV haemorrhoids were randomised to receive THD with mucopexy (n=63) or SH (n=61). A telephone interview with a structured questionnaire was performed at a median follow-up of 42 months. The primary outcome was the occurrence of recurrent prolapse. Patients, investigators and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment. Results Recurrence was present in 21 patients (16.9%). It occurred in 16 (25.4%) in the THD group and 5 (8.2%) in the SH group (p=0.021). A second surgical procedure was performed in eight patients (6.4%). Reoperation was open haemorrhoidectomy in seven cases and SH in one case. Five patients out of six in the THD group and both patients in the SH group requiring repeat surge...
Research Interests: Medicine, Methods, Humans, Intestinal Mucosa, Female, and 15 moreMale, Patient Satisfaction, Randomised Controlled Trial, Recurrence, Clinical Sciences, Postoperative pain, Aged, Middle Aged, Internal medicine Doppler ultrasonography, Hemorrhoids, Hemorrhoidectomy, Arteries, Anal Canal, Ligation, and Haemorrhoids
Gallbladder polypoid lesions occur in 1.3%-6.9% of cases. The preoperative diagnosis between benign, malignant and potentially malignant lesions is difficult. Therefore it is not possible any. The Authors describe three cases. The case 1... more
Gallbladder polypoid lesions occur in 1.3%-6.9% of cases. The preoperative diagnosis between benign, malignant and potentially malignant lesions is difficult. Therefore it is not possible any. The Authors describe three cases. The case 1 was a gallbladder diffuse adenomyomatosis; the ultrasound and the CT were of little help in defining preoperatively the nature and the gravity of the thickening. Case 2 was an adenomyomatosis of the fundus: the ultrasound examinations were not able to establish preoperatively lesion's nature, site and dimensions. In the case 3, ultrasounds showed polypoid lesions and calculi concrections not found in colecistectomy. The ultrasound is the most widely used diagnostic tool in the evaluation of gallbladder polypoid lesions; its accuracy is only 66%. CT, which has an accuracy level of 75%, must be carried out there is any possibility of malignant degeneration of the polyp. If doubts persist, a MR, 93% accuracy, is indicated. In selected cases, PET ca...
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Liposarcomas are the most common type of sarcomas arising in the retroperitoneum. Retroperitoneal lipomas are extremely rare. They should be distinguished from well-differentiated liposarcomas in order to provide the appropriate... more
Liposarcomas are the most common type of sarcomas arising in the retroperitoneum. Retroperitoneal lipomas are extremely rare. They should be distinguished from well-differentiated liposarcomas in order to provide the appropriate treatment. A 53-years-old male was admitted with the presence of a palpable mass in the upper abdomen. Contrast enhanced computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis showed a 20x12 cm mass arising in the retroperitoneum and inglobing the celiac and superior mesenteric trunks. Because of unresectability an open surgical biopsy was performed. Histological examination showed the presence of adipose tissue with diffuse liponecrosis without definitive features of neoplasia. At six-month follow-up a CT documented an increase of the tumor to 22x13 cm. The mass was stable at the CT, performed at 1-year follow-up. Given the impossibility to distinguish well-differentiated liposarcomas from lipomas and the in the present case of unresectable retroperitoneal ...
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We present a rare case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to a ruptured pheochromocytoma. Our patient presented with signs of shock. By emergency surgery, an hemorrhagic pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland was removed. Recovery was... more
We present a rare case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to a ruptured pheochromocytoma. Our patient presented with signs of shock. By emergency surgery, an hemorrhagic pheochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland was removed. Recovery was uneventful. In cases of suspected hemorrhagic pheochromocytoma with severe shock, prompt surgery is mandatory and catecholamines administration may be crucial to resolve hypotension and guarantee an uneventful recovery.
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The aim of the study was to compare the early results in 52 patients randomly allocated to undergo either stapled or open hemorrhoidectomy. Seventy-four patients with grade III and IV hemorrhoids were randomly allocated to undergo either... more
The aim of the study was to compare the early results in 52 patients randomly allocated to undergo either stapled or open hemorrhoidectomy. Seventy-four patients with grade III and IV hemorrhoids were randomly allocated to undergo either stapled (37 patients) or open (37 patients) hemorrhoidectomy. Stapled hemorrhoidectomy was performed with the use of a circular stapling device. Open hemorrhoidectomy was accomplished according to the Milligan-Morgan technique. Postoperative pain was assessed by means of a visual analogue scale (V.A.S.). Recovery evaluation included return to pain-free defecation and normal activities. A 6-month clinical follow-up and a 17.5 (10 to 27)-month median telephone follow-up was obtained in all patients. Operation time for stapled hemorrhoidectomy was shorter (median 25 [range 15 to 49] minutes versus 30 [range 20 to 44] minutes, p = 0.041). Median (range) V.A.S. scores in the stapled group were significantly lower (V.A.S. score after 4 hours: 4 [2 to 6] v...
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We report our experience of concomitant laparoscopic treatment for enterocele and stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) for rectocele and/or rectal prolapse in patients with complex obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS). From June... more
We report our experience of concomitant laparoscopic treatment for enterocele and stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR) for rectocele and/or rectal prolapse in patients with complex obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS). From June 2005 to June 2007, we submitted 20 patients with ODS due to rectal prolapse and/or rectocele, combined with stable enterocele, to STARR and laparoscopic correction of the enterocele. Preoperative assessment included symptom evaluation with standardized questionnaires, clinical examination, colonoscopy, proctoscopy, anal sphincter ultrasonography, video-defecography with synchronous opacification of the ileal loops in all patients and colpography in female patients, and anorectal manometry. Follow-up was performed in the first, third, sixth, 12th, and 24th month after surgery. Eighteen (90%) patients were submitted to both procedures, simultaneously. One patient, previously submitted to STARR, underwent laparoscopic treatment of the enterocele. Postoperative complications occurred in two (10%) patients: one case of postoperative rectal bleeding and one case of retropneumoperitoneum. Median (range) preoperative and postoperative Altomare's obstructed defecation score was ten (6-14) and two (0-14), respectively (p<0.001). Median (range) preoperative and postoperative quality of life score was 79 (39-109) and 109 (50-126), respectively (p<0.001). No symptom related to ODS was detected at 6-month follow-up (19 patients) and at 24-month follow-up (19 patients). The combination of STARR and laparoscopy provides a safe and effective method to treat ODS caused by rectal internal prolapse and/or rectocele combined with enterocele.
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This study was designed to assess the long-term results of stapled hemorrhoidopexy in 291 patients with Grade III and Grade IV hemorrhoids after a minimum follow-up of five years. Records of patients submitted to stapled hemorrhoidopexy... more
This study was designed to assess the long-term results of stapled hemorrhoidopexy in 291 patients with Grade III and Grade IV hemorrhoids after a minimum follow-up of five years. Records of patients submitted to stapled hemorrhoidopexy for Grade III and Grade IV hemorrhoids between January 1999 and December 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. Long-term outcome was evaluated with a standardized questionnaire and an office visit, including anorectal examination and rigid proctoscopy. A total of 291 patients with Grade III (57.4 percent) and Grade IV (42.6 percent) hemorrhoids were evaluated. Intraoperative (20.3 percent) and postoperative (4.8 percent) bleeding was the most frequent complication. The questionnaire was submitted to all patients at a median follow-up of 73 (range 60-93) months. There were no symptoms related to hemorrhoids in 65.3 percent of patients, moderate symptoms in 25.4 percent of patients, and severe symptoms in 9.3 percent of patients. Fifty-three (18.2 percent) patients had recurrence. Reoperation was necessary in 21 (7.2 percent) patients (4 in Grade III hemorrhoids and 17 in Grade IV hemorrhoids; P < 0.001), with no recurrent symptoms and/or prolapse. Patient satisfaction for operation was 89.7 percent. Stapled hemorrhoidopexy is a safe and effective treatment for Grade III and Grade IV hemorrhoids. Recurrence requiring reoperation was higher in Grade IV hemorrhoids than in Grade III hemorrhoids.
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Background & Aims: Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular disease (SUDD) affects about 25% of patients harboring colonic diverticula. We assessed the effectiveness of mesalazine in improving symptoms (namely abdominal pain, primary... more
Background & Aims: Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular disease (SUDD) affects about 25% of patients harboring colonic diverticula. We assessed the effectiveness of mesalazine in improving symptoms (namely abdominal pain, primary outcome) and in preventing diverticulitis occurrence (secondary outcome) in patients with SUDD. Methods: Pertinent studies were selected from the Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status), which compared mesalazine, irrespective of the dosage assumption, with placebo in SUDD were evaluated. Results: Four RCTs enrolled 379 patients, 197 treated with mesalazine and 182 with placebo. Two studies provided data on symptom relief according to definition: it was achieved in 97/121 (80%) patients in the mesalazine group and in 81/129 (62.7%) patients in the placebo group (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.24-0.75; p=0.003 in favour of the mesalazine group). Tw...
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In this session diverse critical issues in diverticular disease were considered, including “In or outpatient management of uncomplicated diverticulitis?”, “Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis: what is it?”and “Diverticular... more
In this session diverse critical issues in diverticular disease were considered, including “In or outpatient management of uncomplicated diverticulitis?”, “Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis: what is it?”and “Diverticular inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer?”. The conclusions drawn are outlined in the statements but in summary, outpatient management is safe in selected patients, as long as correct diagnosis and stage are assured, and this can allow a cost effective treatment. Non-antibiotic management is also safe but should be confined as an outpatient treatment in carefully selected patients. Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD) is a defined pathological entity (only diagnosed on biopsy) characterized by an inflammatory bowel disease-like pathology, occurring principally in the sigmoid colon, with rectal and right colon sparing. The pathogenesis is unclear but may include a genetic predisposition, microbiome alteration and ischaem...
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Skin preparation with antiseptic agents is commonly recommended for incisional site cleansing before surgery. We present the result of a prospective case series submitted to a scheduled pre-operative antiseptic procedure combining... more
Skin preparation with antiseptic agents is commonly recommended for incisional site cleansing before surgery. We present the result of a prospective case series submitted to a scheduled pre-operative antiseptic procedure combining chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine before elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Consecutive patients underwent pre-operative standardized cleansing of the operation site combining chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone-iodine. Patients were reviewed one week and four weeks post-operatively. Post-operative infection was observed in seven patients (4.3%). All observed infections were port-site infections, always located at the level of the umbilical incision. In all cases infections involved skin and subcutaneous tissue. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in five patients (71.4%) and miscellaneous aerobic gram-positive bacteria in two subjects (28.6%). Post-operative hospital stay was the only factor significantly associated with the development of p...
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Gastric acid secretion is believed to decrease in the aging stomach, but the number of elderly patients on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is increasing. The aim was to assess gastric function by means of serology (PGI, PGII, G17 and... more
Gastric acid secretion is believed to decrease in the aging stomach, but the number of elderly patients on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is increasing. The aim was to assess gastric function by means of serology (PGI, PGII, G17 and IgG antibodies against <em>Helicobacter pylori</em>) in centenarians. Twenty-five centenarians (2 males, 23 females, mean age 101.3 years, range 100- 106 years) underwent to serological gastric markers assessment by means of Gastropanel<sup>®</sup>. Patients with laboratory signs of severe oxyntic gastric atrophy (OGA) underwent gastroscopy with biopsy samples. Twelve patients (48.0%) had serological values according to normal gastric secretion; 3 patients (12%) had serological values according to severe OGA, confirmed by histology; 21 patients (84.0%) had serological values according to <em>H. pylori</em> infection. Acid secretion seems to be preserved in a large part of centenarians. Serological markers may be h...
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Background & Aims: Golimumab (GOL) has been recently approved in Italy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) unresponsive to standard treatments. Our aims were to assess the real-life efficacy and safety of GOL in managing UC... more
Background & Aims: Golimumab (GOL) has been recently approved in Italy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) unresponsive to standard treatments. Our aims were to assess the real-life efficacy and safety of GOL in managing UC outpatients in Italian primary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) centres.Methods: Consecutive UC outpatients with at least 3-months follow-up were enrolled. Primary end-point was the induction and maintenance of remission in UC, defined as Mayo score ≤2, at 6-month follow-up.Results: Ninety-three patients were enrolled. At 6-month follow-up, remission was obtained in 34 (36.5%) patients. Shorter duration of disease was the only significant predictive factor of remission. Clinical response was achieved in 60 (64.5%) patients, while mucosal healing (MH) was obtained in 18 (19.3%) patients. Sixteen (47.0%) patients under remission were still under therapy with steroids. C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin significantly dropped during the follow-up (p&...
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Oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) is a bioabsorbable surgical hemostatic. We present the first prospective case series of circumscribed mass occurrence after using ORC in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Tabotamp (Ethicon, Inc.,... more
Oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) is a bioabsorbable surgical hemostatic. We present the first prospective case series of circumscribed mass occurrence after using ORC in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Tabotamp (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ) in the form of tightly woven knitted patches was used to achieve hemostasis in 83 patients submitted to LC. A subhepatic mass was detected in five patients and radiologic characteristics were described. Abdominal contrast enhanced CT showed a heterogeneous soft-tissue mass. NMR was performed in one patient and showed a T2-weighted hyperintense mass. ORC retention after surgery is not uncommon at long-term follow-up. The radiologic characteristics of a suspected ORC retention mass can differentiate it from a neoplastic lesion, so that surgery can be avoided.
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Several treatments are currently advised to manage diverticular disease (DD) patients, but their impact on the burden of the disease is unknown. Our aim was to assess the economic analysis of using the recent Diverticular Inflammation and... more
Several treatments are currently advised to manage diverticular disease (DD) patients, but their impact on the burden of the disease is unknown. Our aim was to assess the economic analysis of using the recent Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment (DICA) endoscopic classification on the burden of medical therapies prescribed in preventing DD complications occurrence in Italy. We assessed retrospectively the cost/year of treatments in estimated DICA 1, DICA 2 and DICA 3 population. Analysis of diverticulosis prevalence was estimated according to data population provided by Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). Cost of treatments calculated according to data on drugs' consumption collected during the DICA study. We estimated that >8 million of Italian people >60 years may have diverticulosis, and that about 75% of diverticular population are on DICA 1, about 30% on DICA 2, and about 13% on DICA 3. We estimated that >387 million of euros could be spent in...
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Gallstone ileus is a rare complication of cholecystolithiasis. It causes 1-3% of the mechanical obstructions of the small bowel. It often affects patients between 63 and 85 years old. Pre-operative diagnosis is usually delayed 1-10 days... more
Gallstone ileus is a rare complication of cholecystolithiasis. It causes 1-3% of the mechanical obstructions of the small bowel. It often affects patients between 63 and 85 years old. Pre-operative diagnosis is usually delayed 1-10 days because there is not a specific symptomatology. The authors report the case of a 50 year-old man with diagnosis of mechanical obstruction of the small bowel caused by a voluminous gallstone. Ileal occlusion was showed by CT. The patient underwent to one-stage emergency surgery with enterolithotomy, cholecystectomy and duodenal fistula repair. Patient's recovery was regular and he was discharged fourteen days after surgery. In our case gallstone ileus was diagnosed with a delay of 5 days. Ultrasonography was not able to show the gallbladder. Diagnosis was made by CT, which is the diagnostic gold standard. Patient's performance status influences surgical strategy. In our experience, the patient underwent one-stage surgery because he was conside...
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Hepatocellular carcinoma is a main challenge in oncologic care. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Transarterial chemoembolization is the most widely used palliative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. The Authors present a case... more
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a main challenge in oncologic care. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Transarterial chemoembolization is the most widely used palliative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. The Authors present a case report of a 61-year old man with hepatocellular carcinoma, belonging to Child-Pugh class A. The advanced age and the previous history of bladder carcinoma made the patient not suitable for liver transplantation. The patient refused hepatic resection so that transarterial chemoembolization was proposed. During 14-year follow-up there was intrahepatic progression of the tumor after the first treatment, followed by reduction in size and number of the lesions after subsequent treatments. In spite of the ominous prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, in this case-report transarterial chemoembolization allowed us to achieve a unique long-term survival.
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Research Interests: Immunology, Probiotics, Biology, Innate immunity, Medicine, and 3 moreHumans, Animals, and Microbiota
Splenic infarction is a rare cause of acute abdomen. It must be suspected in patient with hematologic diseases or thromboembolic conditions. The most common onset symptom is left-upper quadrant abdominal pain. Additional symptoms include... more
Splenic infarction is a rare cause of acute abdomen. It must be suspected in patient with hematologic diseases or thromboembolic conditions. The most common onset symptom is left-upper quadrant abdominal pain. Additional symptoms include fever and anemia. Laboratory may show elevated white blood cell and platelet counts. A 97-year-old female with a past history of atrial fibrillation presented with left-upper quadrant abdominal pain and fever since 20 days. Laboratory showed elevated white blood cell and platelet counts, increased C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase. Both ultrasonographic and tomographic scans showed a large hypodense area of the spleen. The patient received intravenous antibiotic therapy, which led to significant clinical improvement with discharge 16 days after admission. The diagnosis of splenic infarction is based both on clinical presentation and imaging studies. Angio-computed tomography is the diagnostic procedure of choice. Ultrasonography and conve...
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Background: A validated endoscopic classification of diverticular disease (DD) of the colon is lacking at present. Our aim was to develop a simple endoscopic score of DD: the Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment (DICA)... more
Background: A validated endoscopic classification of diverticular disease (DD) of the colon is lacking at present. Our aim was to develop a simple endoscopic score of DD: the Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment (DICA) score. Methods: The DICA score for DD resulted in the sum of the scores for the extension of diverticulosis, the number of diverticula per region, the presence and type of inflammation, and the presence and type of complications: DICA 1 (≤3), DICA 2 (4-7) and DICA 3 (>7). A comparison with abdominal pain and inflammatory marker expression was also performed. A total of 50 videos of DD patients were reassessed in order to investigate the predictive role of DICA on the outcome of the disease. Results: Overall agreement in using DICA was 0.847 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.812-0.893): 0.878 (95% CI 0.832-0.895) for DICA 1, 0.765 (95% CI 0.735-0.786) for DICA 2 and 0.891 (95% CI 0.845-0.7923) for DICA 3. Intra-observer agreement (kappa) was 0.91 (95%...
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ABSTRACT Aim: Inflammation occurs in diverticular disease (DD), but there is little information on inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The aim of this study was to assess TNF-α expression in DD and to see... more
ABSTRACT Aim: Inflammation occurs in diverticular disease (DD), but there is little information on inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The aim of this study was to assess TNF-α expression in DD and to see whether it is related to the severity of the disease. Method: Twenty four patients with symptomatic DD were divided into those with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis [AUD], (12 patients) and symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease [SUDD] (12 patients). Twelve further patients with asymptomatic diverticulosis (AD), six with segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), with ulcerative colitis (UC) and six healthy individuals (HC) served as controls. TNF-α expression in the colonic mucosa was assessed by the amount of the mRNA codifying for the synthesis of TNF-α. Results: TNF-α expression was significantly higher in AUD than in HC (p=0.0007), in AD (p=0.0001) and in SUDD (p=0.0179). It was significantly higher also in SUDD than in HC (p=0.0007) and in AD (p=0.0001). TNF-α expression in AUD did not differ significantly from that of UC (p=0.0678) and SCAD (p=0.0610). It was significantly higher in UC, SCAD, and AUD than SUDD (p=0.0007, p=0.0001, p=0.0179). Conclusion: TNF-α expression in DD seems to be related to the severity of the disease. In particular, it appears to be overexpressed in DD with inflammation (AUD and SUDD) compared with DD without (AD).
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Inflammation occurs in diverticular disease (DD), but there is little information on inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The aim of this study was to assess TNF-α expression in DD and to see whether it is... more
Inflammation occurs in diverticular disease (DD), but there is little information on inflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The aim of this study was to assess TNF-α expression in DD and to see whether it is related to the severity of the disease. Twenty-four patients with symptomatic DD were divided into those with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) (12 patients) and those with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) (12 patients). Twelve further patients with asymptomatic diverticulosis (AD), six with segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), with ulcerative colitis (UC) and six healthy individuals (HC) were enrolled as controls. TNF-α expression in the colonic mucosa was assessed by the amount of mRNA codifying for the synthesis of TNF-α. TNF-α expression was significantly higher in AUD than in HC (P=0.0007), in AD (P=0.0001) and in SUDD (P=0.0179). It was significantly higher also in SUDD than in HC (P=0.0007) and in AD (P=0.0001). TNF-α expression in AUD did not differ significantly from that in UC (P=0.0678) and SCAD (P=0.0610). It was significantly higher in UC, SCAD and AUD than in SUDD (P=0.0007, P=0.0001, P=0.0179). TNF-α expression in DD seems to be related to the severity of the disease. In particular, it appears to be overexpressed in DD with inflammation (AUD and SUDD) compared with DD without (AD).
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Inflammation and fibrosis are present in both colonic diverticulitis and Crohn&#39;s disease (CD). The molecular pattern of basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) and syndecan 1 (SD1) expression is altered in stenosing CD, but their... more
Inflammation and fibrosis are present in both colonic diverticulitis and Crohn&#39;s disease (CD). The molecular pattern of basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) and syndecan 1 (SD1) expression is altered in stenosing CD, but their expression in resected complicated colonic diverticulitis (ACD) is unknown. The expression of bFGF, SD1 and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in 20 patients after resection of ACD was compared with 15 patients having a resection for CD. Analysis was conducted using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in biopsy samples. Lymphocytic and neutrophil inflammation scores were similar in both groups (P = 0.771 and P = 0.562). TNF-α and bFGF expression was significantly higher in ACD than in CD (P &lt; 0.0001 and P = 0.009). SD1 expression was similar in both groups (P = 0.841). TNF-α and bFGF are significantly overexpressed in ACD with respect to CD, whilst SD1 levels do not differ. The findings confirm that inflammation and its association with altered molecular patterns of mucosal healing may play an important role in the phenotype of the diseases.
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The Authors report two cases with local recurrence after partial gastrectomy for advanced gastric carcinoma. The Authors suggest that chemo and/or radiotherapy associated with surgical treatment can improve the prognosis in some patients... more
The Authors report two cases with local recurrence after partial gastrectomy for advanced gastric carcinoma. The Authors suggest that chemo and/or radiotherapy associated with surgical treatment can improve the prognosis in some patients with recurrence. Response to chemotherapy and time elapsing before recurrence appears may select this group of patients.
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Uterine carcinosarcoma is a highly aggressive neoplasm with tendency to early recurrence and/or metastasis. The neoplasia has both epithelial and stromal malignant components. Clinically, it is characterized by a postmenopausal... more
Uterine carcinosarcoma is a highly aggressive neoplasm with tendency to early recurrence and/or metastasis. The neoplasia has both epithelial and stromal malignant components. Clinically, it is characterized by a postmenopausal metrorrhagia, associated sometimes with abdominal pain. The Authors describe a case of carcinosarcoma in a 82-year old woman with a vaginal bleeding since 10 months and an ingravescent hypochromic anemia. The RMN of the abdomen and pelvis showed a mass occupying the whole uterine lumen, without signs of pelvic diffusion. A bilateral hystero-oophorectomy was performed; the patient&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s critical conditions and a high anaesthesiological risk advised us not to perform a bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with aortic sampling. Six months after operation, a clinical follow-up with a total-body CT didn&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;t show any sign of local recurrence and/or distant metastasis. From the analysis of this case report and from the data of the literature some important considerations can be done: a) gynecologic check up in post-menopausal women with associated risk factors (obesity and hypertension) can allow an early diagnosis also in asymptomatic patients; b) sovrapubic and transvaginal US, abdomino-pelvic CT and MRI are essential for a correct clinical staging; c) surgical excision followed by the histological examination of the specimen is mandatory to establish a correct diagnosis.