High Expression of DARPP-32 in Colorectal Cancer Is Associated With Liver Metastases and Predicts Survival for Dukes A and B Patients: Results of a Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate prognostic significance of Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated neuronal Phosphoprotein 32 (DARPP-32) expression in primary colorectal cancer. The study material consisted of clinical and histopathological data of 100 patients operated for colorectal cancer between 1994 and 1997. For immunohistochemical analysis, specific rabbit antibodies for DARPP-32 were used and the percentage of stained tumor cells was calculated under gross magnification (400 times) on a sample of 500 tumor cells.

Low-dose dexamethasone with levobupivacaine improves analgesia after supraclavicular brachial plexus blockade.

Purpose: We conducted ultrasound-guided single-shot supraclavicular blockade and investigated the analgesic effect of dexamethasone added to levobupivacaine. The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of low-dose dexamethasone to levobupivacaine would prolong the duration of analgesia sufficiently to avoid additional intravenous analgesic use for the first 24 hours postoperatively.

Methods: This randomised controlled study assessed 70 patients undergoing upper-extremity surgery.

The use of color duplex ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the dissolution of idiopathic recurrent priapism in patient with congenital penile curvature--a case report.

Priapism, penile erection characterized as prolonged and devoid of sexual stimulation or excitement is a rare condition. It is critical to distinguish between low- and high-flow priapism, because the treatment algorithm differs markedly for these 2 conditions. The diagnosis is made clinically and confirmed with color Doppler ultrasonographic imaging (CDUS).

[Postoperative mental disorders in cardiovascular surgery].

Postoperative mental disorders are a common complication of cardiovascular surgery, with serious consequences. The main types of postoperative mental disorders include postoperative delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Their incidence ranges up to 15%-80%.

[Guidelines for diagnosis and management of asthma in adults of the Croatian Respiratory Society].

The global use of guidelines for proper diagnosis and management of asthma was worldwide aimed toward obtaining effective control of asthma. Until now, the most often used guidelines in Croatia were the ones issued by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Their implementation significantly improved and uniformed the diagnosis and management of asthma at different levels of the national health system.

[Laparoscopic colorectal surgery].

Laparoscopy is not a standard approach for colorectal diseases yet. This is due to the technically demanding procedure, the necessary equipment and open questions on cancer surgery. In this paper, short-term results in a small group of patients together with a review of the recent publications are presented.

[Laparoscopic approach to incisional hernia--Carbajo procedure].

Incisional hernia is a common entity and occurs often in patients with previous operations in the abdominal cavity and the abdominal wall. In such patients, surgical therapy is challenging, since the recurrence rate varies between 14 and 50%. New technologies enabled the production of a new biocompatible non-adhesive mesh.