[Sentinel lymph-node biopsy for breast cancer. Analysis of 235 cases and review of the literature].

Sentinel lymph-node biopsy for breast cancer has been rapidly adopted in clinical practice. At the present time few prospective randomised studies exist, the false negative rate is variable and its role with regard to prognosis is not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the elements of sentinel lymph-node biopsy that have yet to be clearly defined, by reference to the literature and our own experience.

Mammary Paget's disease occurring after mastectomy.

Background: Mammary Paget's disease and extramammary Paget's disease are neoplastic conditions, in which there is intraepithelial (usually intraepidermal) infiltration by neoplastic cells showing glandular differentiation. Mammary Paget's disease occurs exclusively on the nipple/areola complex from where it may spread to the surrounding skin.

Case Presentation: We here describe a case of Paget's disease occurring on the thoracic wall site of a previous simple mastectomy, and also briefly summarise the most important aspects leading to a diagnosis of mammary Paget's disease.

Results of the Italian multicenter study on 239 super-obese patients treated by adjustable gastric banding.

Background: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the most common bariatric operation. This study is a retrospective analysis of the multicenter Italian experience in patients with BMI > 50 over the last 4 years.

Methods: An electronic data sheet made for LAGB-operated patients since January 1996, was mailed and e-mailed to all surgeons involved in this kind of procedure in Italy.

[Breast calcifications with percutaneous vacuum-assisted biopsy diagnosis of malignancy or atypical hyerplasia: correlations with surgical findings].

Percutaneous, stereotactic, vacuum-assisted biopsy has become a widely used alternative to open surgical biopsy for the initial diagnosis of breast calcifications. We retrospectively assessed the accuracy of the technique in the diagnoses of malignancy and atypical hyperplasia by correlation with the findings of the subsequent surgical excision. We studied 330 consecutive cases of breast calcifications, 216 (65.

Lap Band adjustable gastric banding system: the Italian experience with 1863 patients operated on 6 years.

Background: The Lap Band system procedure is currently the most common bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. This is an interim report of the experience of the 27 Italian centers participating in the national collaborative study group for Lap Band (GILB).

Methods: An electronic database was specifically created.

Laparoscopic Italian experience with the Lap-Band.

Background: An increasing number of surgeons with different levels of experience with laparoscopic surgery and open obesity surgery have started to perform laparoscopic implantation of the Lap-Band.

Methods: An electronic patient data sheet was created and was mailed and e-mailed to all surgeons performing laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) in Italy. Patients were recruited since January 1996.

[Papillary carcinoma in thyroglossal duct cyst remnant: review of the literature and presentation of a clinical case].

The authors report a case of papillary carcinoma arising from thyroglossal duct remnant. It was the only case observed in the last 20 years among 9000 thyroidectomies performed. After a survey of Literature, the role of total thyroidectomy combined to Sistrunk's technique is underlined.

Spindle cell and cartilaginous metaplasia in a breast carcinoma with osteoclastlike stromal cells. A difficult fine needle aspiration diagnosis.

The cytologic picture in fine needle aspirates from a unique type of breast tumor, with stromal proliferation of osteoclastlike giant cells, cartilaginous metaplasia and metaplastic spindle-shaped carcinomatous cells, is described. In this case, an erroneous cytologic diagnosis of fat necrosis associated with a rich component of reactive fibroblasts was made. This false-negative report, which was mainly due to lack of an obvious carcinomatous component in the aspirated material, is discussed with emphasis placed on the need to exclude spindle cell metaplasia in a breast carcinoma whose aspirates are characterized by a rich component of spindle-shaped cells.