Epidemiology of Strongyloides stercoralis in northern Italy: results of a multicentre case-control study, February 2013 to July 2014.

Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted helminth widely diffused in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Autochthonous cases have been also diagnosed sporadically in areas of temperate climate. We aimed at defining the epidemiology of strongyloidiasis in immigrants and Italians living in three northern Italian Regions.

Mediastinal chondrosarcoma. Case report.

A 34-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman underwent radical removal of mediastinally sited chondrosarcoma, presumably originating in the periosteum of the vertebral body. The man (with mesenchymal chondrosarcoma) died of remote metastasis 6 years postoperatively. The woman (poorly differentiated chondrosarcoma, grade 2-3) is still alive 2 years after the operation.

[Mesenchymoma of the mediastinum (a case report)].

A 44-year-old male affected by mesenchymoma of the mediastinum was treated surgically. The neoplasm, localized in the postero-inferior mediastinum with prevalent development to the left, was found to consist of adipose, leiomuscular and myxoid tissue. The patient was asymptomatic.

[Carcinoma of the male breast (our experience and a review of the literature)].

The authors consider their experience in male breast cancer. Making a review of the literature they point out the risk factors and the prognosis of this disease.

[Bullous emphysema of the lung (our experience)].

Ten patients (9 males and 1 female; mean age: 44.8 yrs) with bullous lung disease were treated. Frequent patient-history findings were smoking and spontaneous pneumothorax.

[Reinterpretation of the hepatic abscess, a new dimension in abdominal digestive surgery].

Pyogenic abscess of the liver is viewed here as a surgical disease, which appears to raise doubts as to its actual identity. Though located in a given abdominal organ, such abscesses find it hard to recognize this as their exclusive setting and attempt to shrug off these traditional confines. They aspire, rightly or wrongly perhaps, to symbolize a splanchnic context, though, in actual fact, the latter--at least for contingent, doctrinal reasons--is confined to the bipolar liver-bowel system.

Emergency surgical management of retrosternal goiter causing tracheal compression.

Acute tracheal compression caused by mediastinal masses is a rare event. Dyspnea is the most frequent symptom and the treatment of choice is intubation followed by surgical operation. Four cases of acute tracheal compression due to retrosternal goiter are described.

[Spontaneous rupture of the stomach (case report)].

The Authors show a case of a 68 year old woman underwent a successful operation for spontaneous stomach heavage. The linear solution of continuity, 5-6 cms long, was sutured on the small gastric curve. The treatment consisted in suturing the lesion and performing a decompressive gastrostomy.

[Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus (presentation of a case)].

The authors describe the case of a 67-year-old patient with spontaneous rupture of the middle third of the oesophagus, occurring apparently without any involvement of intraluminal hypertension. The surgical treatment consisted in the execution of an aspiration drainage of the left pleural cavity, followed by a right thoracotomy with exploration of the mediastinum. A gastrostomy according to Witzel was also performed.

Bronchopulmonary carcinoids: report of nine surgically treated cases.

Nine cases of bronchial carcinoids treated by surgery are reported. Six of them were females and three males. Their ages ranged from 37 to 68 years (median 52.

[Behavior of TBII (TSH receptor binding immunoglobulins) in multinodular struma].

The authors consider the behaviour of TBII (TSH receptor binding inhibitory immunoglobulins) in multinodular goiter, in relation to the functional status of the thyroid classified on the basis of T3, FT4, TSH IRMA. The samples were collected from 53 patients with normal T3, FT4 and TSH; 14 patients with T3 and FT4 in normal range and TSH less than 0.15 milli U/l; 8 patients with T3 and/or FT4 above the superior limits of normal range and TSH less than 0.

[Primary lymphoma of the breast (apropos of a clinical case)].

Taking as their starting point the observation of a case of primary lymphoma of the breast, the Authors point out that this tumour constitutes a rare disease in the context of non-Hodgkin lymphomas arising in sites other than the lymph nodes. They emphasize the clinical and instrumental diagnostic difficulties which the disease poses, as well as the uselessness of radical surgical therapy and the need for radio-chemotherapeutic management along with periodic follow-up. The Authors go on to explain how difficult it is to formulate a reliable prognosis for this type of tumour in view of the lack of homogeneity and the limited numbers of cases reported in the literature.

[Preoperative evaluation of the patient candidate for surgical intervention on the chest: methods of study and risk factors].

The authors review the main methods designed to evaluate operability and surgical risk in candidates for chest surgery. They also report on their own experience with 135 cases operated on for thoraco-pulmonary diseases requiring surgery; in these cases, postoperative complications were studied in relation to various respiratory parameters evaluated differentially and as a whole prior to surgery. This study enabled the investigators to establish that patients with CV, FEV1, FEF25-75 and Tiffffeneau Index values below 60% of the respective theoretical reference values run a very substantial risk of postoperative complications, with a post-surgical morbidity rate of more than 60% in such patients.

[Esophageal localization of granulosa cell tumor (presentation of a clinical case)].

The authors report on a case of granular cell tumour localized in the lower third of the thoracic oesophagus. The patient, a 49-year-old male, suffering from symptoms of dysphagia over the previous few months, was treated surgically by thoracotomy enucleation of the neoplasm. Despite its slow growth, this rare benign neoplasm, which probably originates in Schwann's sheath, is a candidate for endoscopic or surgical resection.

[Esophagogastroplasty in the treatment of squamous carcinoma of the esophagus (our experience)].

The authors report on their experience with 42 cases of squamous carcinoma of the oesophagus subjected to oesophagectomy and oesophagogastroplasty. The patients' mean age was 55.2 years (range: 41-70) with a 13:1 male/female ratio.

Mediastinal localization of Castleman's disease. A case report with review of the literature.

A case of mediastinal Castleman's disease is reported. A 46-year-old male patient presented a mass 9 X 5.5 X 3 cm wide, located in the supero-posterior mediastinum.

[Gastric metastasis of melanoma (report of a clinical case)].

The Authors report a case of gastric metastasis from melanoma of the skin, occurring 6 years after removal of the primary neoplasm. The metastasis, which was characterized by conspicuous alimentary tract haemorrhage, called for emergency surgery consisting in a total gastrectomy with oesophago-jejunal anastomosis according to Roux. The Authors then go on to review the literature on the subject, stressing the frequency of gastrointestinal metastases in skin melanomas with an incidence affecting up to 60% of cases in autopsy series.

[Benign pathology of the breast. Diagnostic protocol and therapeutic indications].

The frequency of benign mammary disease and the need to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors without the indiscriminate use of instrumental examinations and biopsies have prompted the Cooperative Interdisciplinary Group on Mammary Neoplasms to adopt the diagnostic protocol and propose a number of therapeutic indications. Though involving a progressive reduction in biopsies, the use of the protocol has not led to failure to recognize carcinomas, the number of identified malignancies being maintained within the anticipated limits.

[Nd-YAG laser disobstruction of esophageal endoprostheses occluded by neoplastic development in the palliative treatment of esophageal cancer].

Since August 1984 18 patients suffering from inoperable esophageal cancer have been treated by Nd. Yag Laser therapy under endoscopic control in the Verona University Institute of Clinical Surgery. Three patients, all males ranging in age from 68 to 80 years, had endo-esophageal prostheses which were occluded as a result of the neoplasms.

Leiomyomata of the oesophagus: report of four surgically-treated cases.

Four patients with leiomyoma of the upper or middle third of the oesophagus treated by surgical excision are reported. All operations were performed through a right thoracotomy with simple enucleation of the lesion. Two patients were asymptomatic.

[The ND-Yag laser in the treatment of non-resectable esophageal neoplasms: evaluation and results].

The Authors show a set of 9 cases of patients suffering from oesophagus flaky carcinoma, judged radically non-operable, and treated with endoscopic laser-therapy by N.D. Yag Laser.

[Treatment and prevention of postmastectomy lymphedema (our experience)].

The authors consider the incidence of arm lymphedema after mastectomy. Considering the temporary results which come from surgical practices, either from excision operations or lymphovenous anastomosis, they stress out the importance of the prevention measures and of the physiotherapeutic treatment. This is essential to keep lasting as long as possible the results of the operation when it is necessary because of serious functional deficit.

[Respiratory function after traumatic rupture of the diaphragm].

In eight patients who underwent surgical treatment for diaphragmatic rupture, pulmonary function and differential ventilation of the lungs were evaluated four months-one year after surgery. The results of the study show that diaphragmatic rupture produces only a small reduction in total ventilatory function. Moreover our data indicate that the ventilation estimated to be contributed by the side injured, is decreased in a larger extent in abdominal than in thoracic trauma.