Strangulated adenoma of the liver: a unique cause of acute abdomen.

Hepatic adenomas are uncommon benign tumours of the liver which may eventually present with acute onset following rupture of the lesion and haemorrhage. We present here a unique case of strangulated adenoma of the liver presenting as acute abdomen. A 27-year-old woman taking oral contraceptives, presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, palpable abdominal mass, fever, and neutrophilia.

Custom CGH array profiling of copy number variations (CNVs) on chromosome 6p21.32 (HLA locus) in patients with venous malformations associated with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disorder thought to result from an interaction between environmental and genetic predisposing factors which have not yet been characterised, although it is known to be associated with the HLA region on 6p21.32. Recently, a picture of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), consequent to stenosing venous malformation of the main extra-cranial outflow routes (VM), has been described in patients affected with MS, introducing an additional phenotype with possible pathogenic significance.

Fast track postoperative management after elective colorectal surgery: a controlled trail.

In the attempt to reduce postoperative complications and costs and improve outcomes, the concept of fast track surgery has been proposed. Improvements in anesthesia techniques and a better understanding of the pathophysiologic events occurring during and after surgery have made it possible. A group of patients undergoing colorectal resections with a fast track approach were investigated; specifically, the effects on postoperative morbidity, resumption of intestinal function, and duration of hospitalization.

The impact of radiotherapy on survival in resectable gastric carcinoma: a meta-analysis of literature data.

Background: The benefit of external radiotherapy for gastric carcinoma has been extensively studied, but data on survival are still equivocal.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of surgery combined with preoperative radiotherapy or postoperative chemoradiotherapy in the reduction of all-cause mortality in patients with resectable gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Computerised bibliographic searches of MEDLINE and CANCERLIT (1970-2006) were supplemented with hand searches of reference lists.

Role of peritoneal lavage in adhesion formation and survival rate in rats: an experimental study.

Following laparotomy, almost 95% of patients develop adhesions. To prevent adhesion formation, peritoneal lavage has been investigated and many different lavage solutions have been proposed. In this study, different peritoneal lavage solutions were evaluated, testing their ability to prevent adhesion formation.

Clinical and therapeutic importance of sentinel node biopsy of the internal mammary chain in patients with breast cancer: a single-center study with long-term follow-up.

Background: We evaluated the incidence of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in the internal mammary chain, calculated the lymphoscintigraphy and surgical detection rates, and evaluated the clinical effect on staging and the therapeutic approach in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: The study involved 741 women diagnosed with breast cancer eligible for the SLN technique. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed on the day before the operation by peritumoral injection of (99m)Tc-labeled nanocolloid.

Influence of gene polymorphisms in ulcer healing process after superficial venous surgery.

Objective: Role of superficial venous surgery in reducing the time it takes for ulcers to heal is still controversial, although all studies confirm a significant reduction in ulcer recurrences. Recently, the HFE-C282Y and FXIII-V34L gene variants demonstrated a role in the risk of venous ulceration in primary chronic venous disorder (CVD) and in modulating lesion size in chronic venous ulcer (CVU), respectively. This study was conducted to investigate the role of HFE-C282Y and FXIII (V34L and P564L) gene variants in ulcer healing time after superficial venous surgery, by assessing the outcome of a cohort of homogeneous CVU patients.

Hemochromatosis C282Y gene mutation increases the risk of venous leg ulceration.

Objective: Chronic venous disease (CVD) is the most common vascular disorder, progressing in approximately 10% of cases toward chronic venous leg ulceration, whereas the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) C282Y mutation is the most common recognized genetic defect in iron metabolism. Because CVD leads to local iron overload in the affected legs, we investigated whether two common HFE mutations could increase the risk of chronic venous leg ulceration.

Methods: This was a case-control study at the Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy.

Thoracoscopic localization techniques for patients with solitary pulmonary nodule and history of malignancy.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the best intrathoracoscopic localization technique in patients with single pulmonary nodule and a history of malignancy.

Methods: We divided 50 patients in two groups, well matched for diameter and depth of the pulmonary lesion. In 25 patients we performed intrathoracoscopic ultrasound to locate the pulmonary nodule (group A), whereas in the other 25 patients the radio-guided technique was adopted (group B).

Frequent aberrant methylation of the CDH4 gene promoter in human colorectal and gastric cancer.

Gene promoter methylation causes loss of tumor suppressor genes function in human cancer. Here, we show that the CDH4 gene, a member of the cadherin family encoding for R-cadherin, contains a CpG island located at the 5' of the first exon, which functions as a promoter element and is frequently affected by methylation in human cancer. By using methylation-specific PCR and reverse transcription-PCR in human cancer cell lines, promoter methylation could be directly linked to loss of gene expression.

Factor XIII contrasts the effects of metalloproteinases in human dermal fibroblast cultured cells.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are overexpressed in venous leg ulcers, determining a breakdown of the main extracellular matrix (ECM) components owing mainly to collagenase activities, and so playing a crucial role in ulcer pathogenesis. The authors studied the effects of coagulation factor XIII (FXIII), which cross-links collagen and other ECM components, in human fibroblast cultured cells in the presence and in the absence of matrix metalloproteinases from Clostridium histolyticum collagenase. Clostridium collagenase at concentrations of 2.

Factor XIII V34L polymorphism modulates the risk of chronic venous leg ulcer progression and extension.

Low Factor XIII (FXIII) activity has been reported in the blood of patients with chronic venous leg ulcer (CVU). In vivo studies have described increased wound healing in CVU patients treated with FXIII concentrate, and in vitro studies have shown increased regenerative capacity in FXIII-treated fibroblasts. In addition, a common G-to-T polymorphism in the FXIIIA-subunit gene (V34L) significantly increases the activity and modifies the cross-linking properties of the FXIII molecule and this variant has been investigated as a protective factor against thrombosis, a recognized risk factor for CVU establishment.

Elevated expression of A3 adenosine receptors in human colorectal cancer is reflected in peripheral blood cells.

Purpose: Adenosine is a ubiquitous nucleoside that accumulates at high levels in hypoxic regions of solid tumors, and A(3) adenosine receptors have been recently demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the adenosine-mediated inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. In the present work, we addressed the question of the putative relevance of A(3) subtypes in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Experimental Design: Seventy-three paired samples of tumor and surrounding peritumoral normal mucosa at a distance of 2 and 10 cm from the tumor and blood samples obtained from a cohort of 30 patients with colorectal cancer were investigated to determine the presence of A(3) receptors by means of binding, immunocytochemistry, and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction studies.

Early oral feeding after colorectal resection: a randomized controlled study.

Background: Nasogastric (NG) intubation is widely used following elective abdominal operations although it is associated with morbidity and discomfort. The present study is a randomised controlled trial on the effect of early oral feeding without NG decompression following elective colorectal resection for cancer.

Methods: One hundred patients were randomized to group A (NG catheter and fasting until passage of flatus, followed by liquid diet advanced to soft-solid) or group B (no NG tube, clear liquids the day after surgery, followed by soft-solid food).

Multigene methylation analysis of gastrointestinal tumors: TPEF emerges as a frequent tumor-specific aberrantly methylated marker that can be detected in peripheral blood.

Background: Gene promoter methylation is a mechanism for tumor suppressor gene silencing and inactivation. The development of highly sensitive methods for revealing aberrant cancer-associated DNA methylation allows the identification of tumor markers not only in tumor samples, but also in body fluid, an approach that can be useful in the early detection of neoplasms.

Methods: We analyzed the methylation status at 16 loci in tumor samples of the gastrointestinal tract and in early or pre-neoplastic lesions of the colon.