0000000000932323
AUTHOR
Marco Messina
CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF SELF-EXPAMDABLE METALLIC STENTS IN PALLIATION OF MALIGNANT ANASTOMOTIC STRICTURES: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE
Background: self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) are employed as the preferred non surgical palliative treatment for gastric outlet obstruction due to malignancies. Metallic stents are often employed to treat malignant anastomotic obstructions after surgicsl interventions as esophagojejunostomy, gastrojejunostomy and esophagogastrojejunostomy. Methods: this case series reports prospectively the clinical outcomes of SEMS in the palliative care of malignant anastomotic strictures caused by the recurrence gastric cancer follwing gastric surgery as oncological curative treatment, in a series of nine consecutive patients, treated between January 2009 and december 2012 in our center. Results: N…
Clinical and prognostic value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in restaging of pancreatic cancer
Aim The aim of this retrospective multicentre study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic effect of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET/computed tomography (CT) in the restaging process of pancreatic cancer (PC). Materials and methods Data from patients treated for primary PC, who underwent18F-FDG-PET/CT for suspicious of disease progression, were collected. Accuracy was assessed employing conventional diagnostic procedures, multidisciplinary team case notes, further18F-FDG-PET/CT scans and/or follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic curve and likelihood ratio (LR+/-) analyses were used for completion of accuracy definition. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall sur…
SELF-EXPANDABLE METAL STENT PLACEMENT FOR CLOSURE OF A LEAK AFTER TOTAL GASTRECTOMY FOR GASTRIC CANCER: REPORT ON THREE CASES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
In the setting of the curative oncological surgery, the gastric surgery is exposed to complicated upper gastrointestinal leaks, and consequently the management of this problem has become more critically focused than was previously possible. We report here three cases of placement of a partially silicone-coated SEMS (Evolution Controlled Release Esophageal Stent System, Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, NC, USA) in patients who underwent total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y end-to-side esophagojejunostomy for a gastric adenocarcinoma. The promising results of our report, despite the small number of patients, suggest that early stenting (through a partially silicone-coated SEMS) is a feasible alternat…
ADVANCED ENDOSCOPIC IMAGING FOR SURVEILLANCE FOR DYSPLASIA AND COLORECTAL CANCER IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: COULD THE PATHOLOGIST BE FURTHER HELPED?
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of developing intestinal cancer. The magnitude of that increased risk as well as how best to mitigate it remain a topic of ongoing investigation in the field. It is important to quantify the risk of colorectal cancer in association with IBD. The reported risk varies widely between studies. This is partly due to the different methodologies used in the studies. Because of the limitations of surveillance strategies based on the detection of dysplasia, advanced endoscopic imaging and techniques involving the detection of alterations in mucosal antigens and genetic abnormalities are being investigated. Development of new bioma…
An Unusual Presentation of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
Abstract Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is an often progressive, persistent and frequently life-threatening disease, described for the first time as characterized by ulceration of the upper jejunum, hypersecretion of gastric acid and non-beta islet cell tumors of the pancreas; this syndrome is due to the hypersecretion of gastrin. We report a case of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome presenting as severe esophagitis evolving in stenosis, which demonstrates how a delayed diagnosis may induce risk of disease spreading. In this setting new diagnostic approaches, such as somatostatin receptor scanning and positron emission tomography with 68 Ga-labeled octreotide, could be particularly useful, as well as …
Self-Expandable Metal Stent Placement for Closure of a Leak after Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: Report on Three Cases and Review of the Literature
In the setting of the curative oncological surgery, the gastric surgery is exposed to complicated upper gastrointestinal leaks, and consequently the management of this problem has become more critically focused than was previously possible. We report here three cases of placement of a partially silicone-coated SEMS (Evolution Controlled Release Esophageal Stent System, Cook Medical, Winston-Salem, NC, USA) in patients who underwent total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y end-to-side esophagojejunostomy for a gastric adenocarcinoma. The promising results of our report, despite the small number of patients, suggest that early stenting (through a partially silicone-coated SEMS) is a feasible alternat…
Clinical and Prognostic Value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the Restaging Process of Recurrent Cutaneous Melanoma
Background: Several studies on 18F-FDG-PET/CT have investigated the prognostic role of this imaging modality in different tumors after treatment. Nevertheless, its role in restaging patients with recurrent CM still needs to be defined. Objective: The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic impact of 18F-FDG-PET/CT on the restaging process of cutaneous melanoma (CM) after surgery in patients with suspected distant recurrent disease or suspected metastatic progression disease. Materials and Methods: 74 patients surgically treated for CM underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT for suspected distant recurrent disease or suspected metastatic progression disease.…
Could JC virus provoke metastasis in colon cancer?
AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of John Cunningham virus (JC virus) in a small cohort of patients with colon cancer and to assess its presence in hepatic metastasis. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive patients with histologically diagnosed colon cancer were included in our study, together with ten subjects affected by histologically and serologically diagnosed hepatitis C virus infection. In the patients included in the colon cancer group, JC virus was searched for in the surgical specimen; in the control group, JC virus was searched for in the hepatic biopsy. The difference in the prevalence of JC virus in the hepatic biopsy between the two groups was assessed through the χ2 test. RESULTS: Four…
JC Virus and Lung Adenocarcinoma: Fact or Myth?
Background/aim An association has been reported between lung cancer and John Cunningham (JC) virus infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of JC virus in a small cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma and assess its presence in nodal metastasis. Materials and methods Consecutive samples of 13 surgically-removed lung tumors and 13 surrounding normal cancer-free tissues were selected. Five cases included metastatic lymph nodes. JC virus infection was assessed through nested PCR. Results Seven out of thirteen patients with lung adenocarcinoma had a positive PCR test for JC virus. One of the five patients with nodal metastasis had a positive PCR test for JC virus. N…
Funzioni esecutive e riabilitazione residenziale. Studio preliminare su utenti in Strutture Residenziali Intermedie di Palermo
lo studio ha confrontato le funzioni esecutive di pazienti con disturbi psicotici coinvolti in programmi riabilitativi in Strutture Residenziali di Palermo. Metodi: sono stati reclutati 16 utenti di Comunità Alloggio (CA) e 14 utenti di Comunità Terapeutiche Assistite (CTA), tra 18 e 65 anni, valutati tramite somministrazione di Trail Making Test(TMT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Stroop Test, 4 subtest della WAIS-R e Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Risultati: i due campioni presentano caratteristiche sociodemografiche omogenee. Gli utenti delle CTA fanno rilevare maggiore uso di neurolettici (73,3% vs. 18.8% p 0,004) e un trend non significat…
Valutazione dell’empowerment nei percorsi integrati di riabilitazione psichiatrica in uno studio caso-controllo.
Introduzione: Lo studio dell’empowerment individuale e gruppale ha motivato la strutturazione di uno strumento di valutazione delle aree di intervento lungo le dimensioni (self-efficacy, partecipazione/coinvolgimento, progresso/autonomia). Lo strumento è stato somministrato ad un gruppo di 23 soggetti affetti da disturbo schizofrenico denominato “Albatros” costituito presso la U.O. di Psichiatria dell’A.U.O.P. di Palermo e fruenti di percorsi terapeutici riabilitativi multidisciplinari, confrontato con un gruppo di controllo di soggetti psicotici in esclusivo trattamento farmacoterapico . Materiali e metodi: Lo strumento permette la valutazione dei livelli di empowerment raggiunti tramite l…