The impact of methylene blue in colon cancer: a retrospective multicentric study.

Introduction: Discussions about the optimal lymph node (LN) count and its therapeutic consequences have persisted over time. The final LN count in colorectal tissues is affected by a variety of variables (patient, tumor, operation, pathologist, immune response). Methylene blue (MB) intra-arterial injection is a simple and inexpensive procedure that can be used to enhance lymph node count.

The impact of methylene blue in colorectal cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis study.

Purpose: In patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), the most important factor to decide the need of adjuvant chemotherapy is the histological lymph node (LN) evaluation. Our work aimed to give a broad view over the use of methylene blue and its consequences in the number of lymph node harvest.

Methods: PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE and EMBASE databases were consulted, retrieving clinical trials, which mentioned the used of intra-arterial methylene blue in patients with colorectal cancer.

Gaucher Disease: One of the Few Causes of Massive Splenomegaly.

Unlabelled: Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme (glucocerebrosidase/β-glucosidase) that leads to the accumulation of its substrate in lysosomal macrophages. GD remains rare and delayed diagnosis is common due its gradual onset. It is important to include this differential diagnosis in cases of massive splenomegaly and/or thrombocytopenia, in order to avoid potentially harmful splenectomy.

The effects of laser procedure in symptomatic patients with haemorrhoids: A systematic review.

Purpose: Haemorrhoids are normal structures in the human body, only seen as pathological when symptomatic. Nowadays, new techniques have surfaced using a diode laser which, after locating the target arteries, blocks the blood flow while hitting and shrinking the local mucosa/submucosa at a depth of 4 mm. Our work aimed to give a broad view over this new technique and its consequences in the post-operative follow-up with a systematic review.

Ceftriaxone-induced Agranulocytosis.

Unlabelled: Ceftriaxone is a widely used antibiotic regarded as safe and effective. Drug-induced agranulocytosis is a life-threatening adverse reaction and few reports related to ceftriaxone were found in a review of the literature. The authors present a case of ceftriaxone-induced agranulocytosis, in which a brain abscess was diagnosed and ceftriaxone was commenced.

Orbital Plasmacytoma, An Uncommon Presentation of Advanced Multiple Myeloma.

Introduction: Extramedullary plasmacytomas are present in 13% of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Less than 5% of MM cases are non-secretory. The orbital location is uncommon and a minority of orbital tumours are plasmacytomas.

The correlation between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor VEGF receptor 3 in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Despite plasma biomarkers offering a number of advantages over tissue-based markers, the relationship between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor (VEGF-R) tumor expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. This study was designed to establish the relationship between the concentration of serum VEGF and tumor VEGF-R expression in patients with CRC.

Methods: A prospective study of consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery during 1 year.

TaTME: analysis of the evacuatory outcomes and EUS anal sphincter.

Some patients undergoing transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) may experience post-surgical complications, such as impaired bowel function and urogenital and sexual dysfunction. The present work aims to evaluate the one-year impact of TaTME surgery on bowel function, quality of life, and outcomes. Twenty patients undergoing TaTME with cancer in the mid and lower rectum were assessed prospectively by endoscopic transanal ultrasound (EUS) and three physiological function degrees, along with different clinical outcome questionnaires.

Early Inflammatory Biomarkers as Predictive Factors for Freedom from Infection after Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Different biomarkers are useful in diagnosing infections. The aim of this work was to clarify the relation between different inflammatory biomarkers (white blood cell [WBC] count, C-reactive protein [CRP], procalcitonin [PCT], and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio [CAR]) and early infectious complications after colorectal surgery.

Methods: This prospective single-center cohort study included 130 patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery.

Mucinous Carcinomatosis: A Rare Association between an Ovarian Tumor and an E-GIST.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (E-GISTs) are both rare entities. Most of the time, PMP is associated with an appendiceal tumor. An ovarian mucinous tumor can mimic appendiceal metastases.

Influence of Visceral Fat in the Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer.

Aim: To determine the relationship of visceral fat (VF) with the surgical outcome of the patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) submitted to curative surgery.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients submitted to CRC surgery during 3 years with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. We assessed the length of hospital stay, complications, pathologic reports, surgical re-interventions and hospital re-admissions, relapses, survival time and disease-free time.

Abdominal Catastrophe in Crohn's Disease Surgery.

Introduction: Performing surgery on patients with Crohn's disease is a true challenge due to the elevated risk of complications related to the chronic proinflammatory response. Stenosis is the leading cause of intestinal resection in these patients.

Case Report: The authors present the case of a 50-year-old woman with inflammatory stenosis of the terminal ileum due to Crohn's disease.

Enterocutaneous fistula: a novel video-assisted approach.

Video-assisted anal fistula treatment (VAAFT) is a novel minimally invasive and sphincter-saving technique to treat complex anal fistulas described by Meinero in 2006. An enterocutaneous fistula is an abnormal communication between the bowel and the skin. Most cases are secondary to surgical complications, and managing this condition is a true challenge for surgeons.

The influence of metabolic syndrome in the outcomes of colorectal cancer patients.

Aims: Determine the influence of metabolic syndrome and its different components in the outcomes of colorectal cancer surgery at 30days.

Materials And Methods: Prospective study that included all patients submitted to elective colorectal cancer surgery between August 2015 and August 2016 at Hospital de Braga. Clinical and laboratory parameters evaluated pre-operatively were: central obesity, blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides levels and HDL cholesterol levels.

Doctor, How Much Weight Will I Lose?-a New Individualized Predictive Model for Weight Loss.

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for weight loss, but the patient's ability to reach a sustained weight loss depends upon several technical and individual factors. Creating an easy model that adapts bariatric surgery's weight loss goals for each patient is very important for pre-surgery and follow-up evaluations.

Day and night surgery: is there any influence in the patient postoperative period of urgent colorectal intervention?

Background: Medical activity performed outside regular work hours may increase risk for patients and professionals. There is few data with respect to urgent colorectal surgery. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of daytime versus nighttime surgery on postoperative period of patients with acute colorectal disease.

[231 laparoscopic cholecystectomy in ambulatory: what results?].

Introduction: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard procedure for the treatment of lithiasic gallblader pathology and acute cholecystitis. Whether or not it should be done as ambulatory surgery is still being discussed. The present study aims to analyze the quality and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy conducted by the Ambulatory Unit of Hospital de Braga and compare the results with those from other European surgical centers performing LC as ambulatory surgery.

Surgical management of acute cholecystitis (experience of 249 cases).

Background/aims: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the most widely used technique in the surgical treatment of acute cholecystitis, some schools continue to perform the open approach in the treatment of that disease. Our objective is to make a comparative analysis of results obtained with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and gall bladder removal by open cholecystectomy (OC).

Methodology: The study includes 249 acute cholecystitis cases operated on between January 2007 to December 2008.