Effects of laparoscopy on tumor growth.

Laparoscopic resections of colon cancer may affect survival. To address the effects of pneumoperitoneum on tumor cell biology, we developed an experimental model. Mice were injected with colonic tumor cells.

Development of an adjustable prosthesis for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux: preliminary results in a porcine model.

Dysphagia and recurrent gastroesophageal reflux complicate use of the Angelchik prosthesis. The authors developed an inflatable silicone device, similar to the Angelchik prosthesis, that may allow for the adjustment of the total pressure exerted around the gastroesophageal junction after implantation. To estimate its potential to prevent gastroesophageal reflux in humans, we used a short-term porcine model in which we measured the effective lower esophageal sphincter pressure in 10 anesthetized pigs using a computerized, three dimensional pressure vector volume analysis.

[Symptomatologic and surgical definition of functioning parathyroid carcinoma].

Hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid carcinoma is rare. The natural history of this neoplastic disease is poorly understood for the extremely small number of cases reported in literature. The Authors observed three cases and discuss the clinical features illustrating how to recognize and treat this neoplasia.

[Early postoperative enteral nutrition and total parenteral nutrition. Technics compared in patients undergoing radical surgery for carcinoma of the large intestine. Preliminary report].

A preliminary study has been carried out on 10 patients suffering from cancer of the colon and rectum, all subjected to radical surgery. The clinical effectiveness of two alternative techniques of postoperative artificial nutrition, EPEN and TPN, are compared. The results confirm that enteral nutrition is technically applicable and well tolerated in the immediate post-operative period in these patients; it also presents a lower cost, it is more manageable and present a lower incidence of complications compared to TPN while offering similar metabolic and nutritional results.

[Cavernous hemangioma of the small intestine].

The Authors report an uncommon cavernous hemangioma of the small bowel. Pathological and clinical features are compared with those of the literature. Considering the difficulty of diagnosis, they remark the importance of histological exam as the only reliable diagnostic tool and surgery as the only therapy.