Criteria and procedures for breast conserving surgery.

Aim: Emphasizing circumstances that determine increasingly popular surgical approach of breast conserving surgery (BCS), used in lower grade breast tumors, while maintaining survival that is found when more radical procedures are used.

Patients And Methods: Several leading oncological protocols in the world are compared, using PubMed database, and our own experience. Data gathered are compared to conclusions of Consensus Conference on Breast Conservation (Milan, 2005).

Calcium at the carotid siphon as an indicator of internal carotid artery stenosis.

Objectives: Carotid siphon calcification is often visible on unenhanced head CT (UCT), but the relation to proximal carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is unclear. We investigated the association of carotid siphon calcification with the presence of CAS.

Methods: This IRB-waived retrospective study included 160 consecutive patients suspected of stroke (age 64 ± 14 years, 63 female) who underwent head UCT and CTA of the head and neck.

[Ileus caused by metastasis of cutaneous malignant melanoma: case report].

In this case report we describe rare metastatic appearance of cutaneous malignant melanoma ( MM) in small intestine followed by clinical appearance of acute surgical abdomen. A 42-year old women operated in our hospital in April 2009. due to unusual naevus on her right arm.

Extracorporeal fertilization in the world and in Croatia.

Aim: To point out the dangers, side effects and risks of medical assisted fertilization, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and injection on sperm in ovum for mother and the child.

Results: On the one hand the negative side effects for women of an abrupt rising risk for the development of neoplasm under pharmaceutical therapy are mentioned. Especially under a therapy which has the purpose to stimulate the ovulation of the ovary it lies around 100%.

Fournier gangrene: our approach and patients.

Aim: This retrospective analysis presents our experience in treating Fournier gangrene (FG) and aims to bring in focus diagnostic and therapeutic problems as well as early and aggressive treatment.

Patients And Methods: A total of 16 male patients were included in the study. The gastrointestinal form was seen in 5 and the urogenital form in 11 patients.

Chorangioma placentae.

Chorangioma of the placenta is a rare tumor with a frequency of about 1%, which usually presents as a solitary nodule or, less frequently, as multiple nodules. It is found on the fetal surface of the placenta or in placental parenchyma. Most chorangiomas are small and possess no clinical significance.

Microdochectomy in the management of pathologic nipple discharge.

Background: There is a debate in the literature whether a pathologic nipple discharge is a distinct sign of breast carcinoma. Our own results obtained by the use of microdochectomy as a minimally invasive operative procedure in 184 patients with pathologic nipple discharge were analysed. The aim of this retrospective 20-year study was to assess the efficacy of microdochectomy in detecting early stages of intraductal breast carcinoma.

Influence of stress related to war on biological and morphological characteristics of breast cancer in a defined population.

Purpose: To assess differences between patients with breast cancer before, during and after the 1991-1995 war in Croatia.

Material And Methods: We analyzed 660 patients of Pozesko-Slavonska County, during the three periods. Relative predictive values of patient's characteristics and stage of tumor were assessed using the X2-test, and survival with Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Diagnosis and therapy of gestational breast cancer: a review.

Purpose: In spite of the general consensus on the issue, to point to major dilemmas which appear in this matter of multidisciplinary interest, and to review current concepts on how to achieve optimal diagnostic and therapeutic outcome.

Results: Recent literature data show that the rate of gestational breast cancer, according to most protocols, range from 0.2% to 3.

Radial scar of the breast--a confusing lesion.

Radial scar is a confusing lesion of the breast which represent a premalignant lesion. It looks like a tubular carcinoma but histologically we can see two rows of cells in tubules. Mammographically there are some typical but not specific signs: (1) the presence of the central radiolucency, (2) the presence of radial long thin spicules, (3) varying appearance in different projection, (4) radiolucent linear structures parallel to spicules, and (5) abscence of palpable lesion or skin changes.

Management of Fournier's gangrene--report of 7 cases and review of the literature.

Fournier's gangrene is a rare infection characterized with fast-progressing myonecrosis, that affect regions of perineum, genitalia and perianal area. This retrospective study presents authors' experiences and their principles in early diagnosis and treatment of Fournier's gangrene. The goal of this paper is to point out numerous diagnostically and therapeutic difficulties that lead to a high mortality if not recognized in time.

Phyllodes tumors of the breast diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.

Background: This article compares experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of phyllodes tumors from 2 regional institutions with the relevant literature.

Patients And Methods: From 1991 to 2005, 2,848 breast cancer patients were treated in our institutions, 36 (1.44%) for phyllodes tumors.

The immunomodulation effect of allogenic blood transfusion in colorectal cancer--a new approach.

The total number of 542 patients with colorectal cancer surgery have been analyzed in order to estimate the effect of receiving transfusion local recurrences, and the disease free - survival. It should be examined whether there are changes in general immunity indicators which would be connected with perioperative transfusion. A significant connection has been found between local recurrences and blood transfusion (p<0.

Sexual dysfunction in breast cancer survivors.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine differences in body image and sexuality of breast cancer survivors, depending on treatment: radical mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery.

Patients And Methods: A total of 206 patients treated for breast cancer between January 2001 and January 2004 were asked to fill in the questionnaire 1-5 years after treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups.

Differences in sexual functioning between patients with benign and malignant breast tumors.

The aim of this study was to compare differences in sexual behavior between patients with benign and malignant breast tumors. A total of 187 patients treated for breast tumors (benign or malignant) at the General Hospital >>Pozega<<, Croatia, filled in the questionnaire between January 2001 and May 2003. Patients were asked to fill in the questionnaire one to ten years after treatment of breast tumor, while they were on their regular control visit.

Anthropological and clinical characteristics in adolescent women with dysmenorrhea.

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in female adolescents and the influence of anthropological characteristics and lifestyle factors on menstrual pain. Two hundred and ninety seven girls from several elementary and secondary schools were interviewed about the presence of the menstrual pain, their age, height and weight, menarcheal age, menstrual cycles quality, smoking and sexual activity. There were 164 (55%) subjects with and one hundred and thirty three (45%) without dysmenorrhea.

Effects of war aggression in Croatia on histopathological manifestations of breast cancer in defined population of one county.

The aim of the present study was to determine the differences in epidemiological and clinical manifestations of breast cancer during the war in Croatia and in peacetime. 660 consecutive patients were recorded (656 female and 4 male patients) from Pozesko-Slavonska County. The changes in histopathological features were recorded in war period (1991-1995, 156 patients) and through two control periods, before the war (1981-1990, 282 patients) and after the war (1995-2000, first five months, 223 patients).

Unilateral multicentric breast cancer.

Clinical characteristics of unilateral multicentric breast cancer (UMBC) were explored depending on aggressiveness, survival rate, disease-free period and local recurrence. The study included 296 women with breast cancer, surgically treated between 1990 and 2001. UMBC was histologically proved in 29 (9.

Effects of war aggression in Croatia on some forms and manifestations of breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine the differences in epidemiological and clinical manifestations of breast cancer in time of war in Croatia and in peacetime before and after the war, in the defined population of Pozesko-Slavonska County. The methods used in this study were the evaluation of relative predictive value of variables by means of chi 2-test and the analysis of variance, while the survival studies were tested by Long Rank test according to Kaplan-Meier analysis of survival. This work encompasses 660 patients who had breast cancer.

Youth and AIDS--a study of attitudes, knowledge, behavior and risks in the post-war Croatia.

According to the latest reports, the Eastern Europe currently exhibits the greatest relative increase in the number of newly registered HIV infections in the world. At the same time, Central Europe remains relatively spared from the epidemic, with reported rates significantly lower than those in both Eastern and Western Europe. Croatia geographically affiliates to Central Europe, but it has two specific potential risk factors in comparison to neighboring countries: recent War events and a summer season when immigration of large number of tourists from Central and Eastern Europe is expected.

War-related transformation and work of surgery service of the Pozega Medical Center, East-Croatian Hospital unaffected by direct war activities.

The work of the Pozega Medical Center Surgical Unit during the two war years (from July 16, 1991, to October 1, 1993) in Croatia is described. Since the war operations did not affect the town directly, the work was mostly characterized by treatment of wounds inflicted by explosive devices (51.2%) and localized mostly on the extremities (62.