Ultrasound guided percutaneous drainage of abdominal abscesses in the hands of the clinician: a multicenter Italian study.

Objective: Image guided percutaneous drainage is a well established therapeutic technique. The results of these procedures, when performed directly by the clinician and under sonographic guidance,in respect to other imaging techniques are not yet clarified.

Methods: The 886 cases of ultrasound guided drainage were collected from eight italian clinical institutions and the results were analyzed according to location of the abscess, drainage technique, underlying diseases, microbiological findings, immunological patient status and previous surgical intervention.

[Colorectal carcinoma in the elderly. Assessment of prognostic factors].

Between 1976 and December 1992 a total of 80 patients aged 80 or over underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at the Surgical Clinic of Pisa University. Twelve patients died, 18 presented non-lethal complications and 48 had a normal postoperative recovery. The type of surgery did not appear to be correlated with mortality.

[Importance of endoscopic follow-up in the diagnosis of metachronous colorectal cancer].

Between 1976 and December 1992 a total of 748 patients with colorectal cancer were observed at the Surgical Clinic of Pisa University; in 9 of these a second colorectal tumour appeared between 30 months and 18 years after the original tumor. Coloscopy is the treatment of choice for evaluating the colon operated due to cancer since it allows an early diagnosis of any metachronous tumours, reveals synchronous tumours which have been overlooked prior to the operation and performs a therapeutic and prophylactic function in terms of the endoscopic removal of adenomatous polyps which have appeared in the meantime.

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses.

A retrospective review of 200 patients with intra-abdominal abscesses treated by percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage is reported. Abscesses were simple in 151 patients (75.5 per cent) and complex in 49 (24.

[Role of echography in the study of retroperitoneal tumors].

Fourteen patients affected by primitive retroperitoneal tumors were examined by means of sonography in order to assess the value of this technique in this type of pathology. Ten patients underwent fine needle biopsy, 5 barium meal examination, 2 intravenous pyelography. In 8 patients CT was also performed.