Sentinel Lymph Node Analysis in Colorectal Cancer Patients Using One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification in Combination With Fluorescence and Indocyanine Green

Purpose: Analysis of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients was proposed for more accurate staging and tailored lymphadenectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the ability to predict lymph node (LN) involvement through analysis of the SLN with a one-step nucleic acid (OSNA) technique in combination with peritumoral injection of indocyanine green (ICG) and near-infrared (NIR) lymphangiography in CRC patients. Methods: A total of 34 patients were enrolled. Overall, 51 LNs were analyzed with OSNA. LNs of 17 patients (50%) were examined simultaneously with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and OSNA. Results: SLN analysis of 17 patients examined with H&E and OSN…

COVID-19 and the Pancreas: A Narrative Review.

The outbreak of COVID-19, initially developed in China in early December 2019, has rapidly spread to other countries and represents a public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 has caused great concern about respiratory symptoms, but it is worth noting that it can also affect the gastrointestinal tract. However, the data on pancreatic involvement during SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. The prevalence and severity of pancreatic damage and acute pancreatitis, as well as its pathophysiology, are still under debate. Moreover, the possible implication of pancreatic damage as an apparent adverse effect of COVID-19 therapies or vaccines are issues that need to be addressed. Finall…

Surgical treatment of primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs): Management and prognostic role of R1 resections

Abstract Background Surgery represents the best treatment for primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The aim of this study is to analyse outcomes of surgical management in order to evaluate the influence of microscopically R1 margins on survival and recurrence in patients affected by GISTs. Methods The study reviewed retrospective data from 74 patients surgically treated for primary GISTs without metastasis at diagnosis. Clinical and pathological findings, surgical procedures, information about follow up and outcomes were analyzed. Results Recurrence rate was low and no patients died in the R1 group during the follow up period. The difference in recurrence free survival for patien…

Laryngopharyngeal reflux as a potential cause of persistent local neck symptoms after total thyroidectomy

Abstract Purpose Local neck symptoms (LNS) may be related to goiter, but are also reported by patients suffering from laryngeal–pharyngeal reflux (LPR). The aim of this study was to investigate whether LPR could play a role in the persistence of some LNS after total thyroidectomy (TT). Methods A consecutive case series of 160 patients with multinodular goiter (MNG) candidate for TT were included in this study. Each patient was closely studied for both the thyroid pathology and reflux disease before and 6 months after surgery to assess the persistence of LNS after surgery. Results Only throat discomfort showed a significant improvement (p  = 0.031) after surgery. On the other hand, swallowin…

Cancer of the Esophagus

In 2015 esophageal cancer (OC) was globally the 11th most common cancer with 483,000 new cases and the 7th most common cause of cancer-related deaths, with 439,000 deaths. Esophageal cancer is a highly lethal disease of older age, sixth to seventh decades, associated with a remarkable decline in health-related quality of life, high mortality, and poor prognosis with an overall 5-year survival no greater than 20%. The two major histological types, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC), while sharing the esophageal site, can be considered like two different neoplastic diseases as they differ in their epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, and treatment. Other malignancies …

How uncomplicated total thyroidectomy could aggravate the laryngopharyngeal reflux disease?

Swallowing, voice disorders, throat discomfort and subjective neck discomfort are usually reported by patients with a known thyroid nodule and are correlated to nodular thyroid disease itself. Moreover, in endemic goitrous areas, total thyroidectomy (TT) is the most frequently performed surgical procedure. We are used to relate swallowing, voice and throat discomfort to the mechanical effects of nodular goiter or to thyroidectomy itself, but in both these cases the relationship between symptoms and the thyroid mass or its removal is not always clear or easily demonstrated. How can we explain the persistence of local neck symptoms after TT? And how can TT worsen the dysphagic or dysphonic di…

Smart cities: Case studies

Il capitolo mostra alcuni esempi di smart cities. Nel capitolo i casi di studio sono divisi in aree geografiche, che a livello macroscopico si riferiscono a diversi tipi di città e comunità in relazione a diversi livelli di innovazione tecnologica e tipo di capitale umano, che sono fattori chiave per raggiungere uno sviluppo smart. Le città di nuova costruzione sono città appartenenti all'area asiatica pianificate da zero per limitare emissioni nocive ed alzare la qualità della vita dei cittadini. Nel paragrafo sulle città del Nord Europa e quelle del Mediterraneo sono descritte città che possiedono alte caratteristiche storiche. Talvolta queste hanno poche possibilità - per le loro caratte…

PS01.057: THYROIDECTOMY AND LARYNGO-PHARYNGEAL REFLUX: WHAT’S NEW

Abstract Background ‘Local neck symptoms’ may be related to goiter; a persistence of those symptoms after an uncomplicated total thyroidectomy (TT) might be referred to the laryngo-pharyngeal reflux (LPR). Our previous study found a correlation between goiter and LPR in selected patients with local neck symptoms; the purpose of our current study is to investigate the presence of a laringopharyngitis in patients with goiter, before and after TT, even in the absence of local neck symptoms, assessing whether the presence of LPR may play a role at the outset of the symptomatology. Methods Two groups of patients were considered and they differred for the presence or absence of local neck symptom…

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy versus adjuvant chemotherapy for treatment of colo-rectal cancer at high-risk for peritoneal carcinosis

Impact of BMI on Preoperative Axillary Ultrasound Assessment in Patients With Early Breast Cancer

Background The accuracy of axillary ultrasound (AUS) with fine-needle aspiration with varying patient body mass index (BMI) is still unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the US features of axillary lymph nodes changes with BMI of patients. Patients and methods A retrospective review was performed involving 144 out of 270 patients with early breast cancer who underwent breast surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy. Diagnostic efficacy of AUS in preoperative axillary nodal staging was assessed in relation to BMI. Results Negative predictive values of AUS for the overweight and obese groups were statistically significantly lower compared to the normal/underweight group (p=0.0…