[Human IgG and adjuvant therapy in patients with colon-rectal cancer].

Unlabelled: It is well known that, in patients with carcinoma, chemotherapy produces an increase of the incidence of infections and changes the immune defences of the patient. Since 1952 human immunoglobulins have been used for pathologies with immune deficiency. This study aims to evaluate the immunologic efficacy of purified human immunoglobulins in patients with colon-rectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Disappearance of a virilizing adrenal tumor following therapy with cyproterone acetate.

A 57-year-old woman presented with an apparently obvious diagnosis of iatrogenic virilization. At the age of 51, she began a 4-year treatment with prednisone or cyclosporine, which are known to promote hair growth, for Behçet disease. At the age of 56, osteoporosis was overtreated with the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

[Nutritional habits and colon-rectal tumours].

Following a review of the literature, the relationship between diet and the onset of colorectal cancer is analysed starting from the consideration that in Italy about 20,000 people every year from carcinoma of the colon and 50% of these do not survive. The authors proceed to analyse the epidemiological data which point to diet as an aetiological factor in the cancerogenesis of a variety of tumours in spite of the fact that none of the individual nutritional components has been specifically identified as a triggering and/or protective agent, with the exception perhaps of alcohol in the cancer-cirrhosis sequence. They conclude by stating that, while continuing to give the correct importance to integrated surgical, chemo and radio treatment, to prevent the onset of tumours of the large intestine it is useful to associate the support of a complete nutritional education, which should be begun as soon as possible, with the canonical screening techniques.

[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: the complications].

The authors report their experience of 48 consecutive cases of colecystectomy performed using a videolaparoscopic technique. Laparoscopic surgery was not successful in only two patients in whom it was necessary to resort to laparotomy; bile duct injury occurred in one patient. On the basis of their experience the authors conclude by affirming that this videolaparoscopic technique may be applied to almost all patients requiring cholecystectomy since it offers considerable advantages over traditional techniques.

[Anatomopathological and clinical aspects of primary gastric lymphoma].

The authors utilised several reviews of the literature and own experience based on 6 cases of non Hodgkin's primary gastric lymphoma. They refer about the importance and the difficulties to make differential diagnosis and on the staging. The authors believe that the treatment of choice is a surgical therapy but the role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is very interesting in several cases.