Lymphatic fistulas: obliteration by low-dose radiotherapy.

Background: Lymphatic drainage from the surgical wound is an uncommon but challenging complication of surgical intervention. Protracted lymphorrhea contributes to morbidity, favors infections and results in a prolonged hospital stay. Treatment options include surgical ligation and, more conservatively, leg elevation, continuous local pressure, subatmospheric pressure dressings, and low-dose radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy as adjunct to surgery for malignant carotid body paragangliomas presenting with lymph node metastases.

Purpose: Three cases of malignant carotid body paragangliomas with nodal metastases are reported.

Patients And Methods: Between 1985 and 1994, 3 female patients (51 to 65 years of age) were referred for postoperative radiotherapy after complete (2) or incomplete (1) surgical excision of a malignant carotid paraganglioma (Shamblin III). Preoperative angiographic embolization of the tumor-supplying arteries was performed in all cases.

Köhlmeier-Degos's disease with primary intestinal manifestation.

Disseminated intestinal and cutaneous thromboangiitis (synonyms: Köhlmeier-Degos's syndrome, malignant atrophic papulosis, progressive arterial mesenterial vascular occlusive disease) is a rare, systemic vascular disease that is mainly manifested in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. The disease first appears as a necrotizing papulous dermatosis; as it generalizes, infarcted necroses develop in internal organs. These ischemic complications are the reason for the usually fatal outcome of the disease.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). 8 years of clinical experience in 232 patients.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is now a standard method for providing long-term enteral nutrition in patients who are unable to swallow. The aim of our study was to document clinical data that would allow prediction of a possible complicated clinical course.

Methods: The study was carried out retrospectively.

Vascular complications in minimally invasive surgery.

Injuries to major vessels in the course of laparoscopic surgery are rare but serious, life-threatening complications. We report nine iatrogenic vascular injuries during minimally invasive surgery that occurred between January 1991 and December 1995 in surgical and obstetric-gynecologic services in the Austrian province of Styria. The total vascular complication rate is 0.

[Results of surgical treatment of pregnancy-associated pelvic vein thrombosis].

We report the results of surgical treatment of iliofemoral vein thrombosis in 49 pregnant women in a seven years period. The patients mean age was 26.5 years (range 18-41 years).

[Isolated pelvic vein thrombosis in a young marathon runner].

The case of a 20-year old female patient who developed an isolated thrombosis of the pelvic vein after a marathon run, is presented. After surgical treatment and anticoagulation for one year, complete restitution was seen. The possible relation between marathon running and venous thrombosis without other risk factors is discussed.

[Vascular lesions in surgery of the hip joint].

The vascular anatomy in the acetabular region involves a certain risk of arterial and venous injuries complicating orthopaedic surgery. These complications have been grouped into four categories: lacerations, thrombosis, pseudoaneurysms and arteriovenous fistula. In a period of 5 years, three injuries of the external iliac artery and four lesions of the femoral artery associated with total hip arthroplasty were treated surgically at the Department of Vascular Surgery of the University Hospital in Graz.

[Iatrogenic vascular lesions in laparoscopic interventions in gynecology].

Injuries to major vessels in the course of gynecological laparoscopic surgery are rare but serious, life-threatening complications. We report on five iatrogenic vascular injuries during minimally invasive surgery that occurred between January 1991 and May 1996 in obstetrical-gynecological services in the Austrian province of Styria. The total vascular complication rate is 0.

[Preoperative angiographic embolization of carotid glomus tumors. A method for improving operability].

During surgical resections carotid body tumors may bleed profusely due to their vascularity. Preoperative angiographic embolization of tumor-supplying arteries has reduced intraoperative blood loss significantly. The present study reviews our clinical experiences with 13 paragangliomas of the carotid bifurcation in 12 patients during the past 5 years.

Paragangliomas of the carotid bifurcation: oncological aspects of vascular surgery.

The present study reviews in concise form the past 12 years of our clinical experience with paragangliomas of the carotid body. Every aspect of the anatomical, histological and biological and biological behaviour of paragangliomas of the carotid body has been recorded in order to be able to define better surgical management and the clinical prognosis. In addition to the conventional histological methods of investigation we also applied immunohistochemistry and made use of electron microscopy.

[An interdisciplinary therapy concept in treatment of paragangliomas of the skull base--demonstrated with a case].

Surgical resection of paragangliomas in the cervical region is complicated due to the tumour vascularity and is associated with the risk of major intraoperative blood loss. Preoperative angiographic embolization of the tumour supplying arteries by intravascular injection of gelfoam and implantation of microcoils was performed to decrease tumour vascularity. We report the case of a 78 years old female patient suffering from a carotid body tumour.

[Femoropopliteal vascular replacement: vein, ePTFE or ovine collagen?].

In an eight year-period from 1988 to 1995 653 femoropopliteal and femorocrural bypasses were performed. 347 above-knee reconstructions 206 below-knee reconstructions and at last 100 femorocrural bypasses were analysed. The cumulative patency rate after a follow up of three years for above-knee vein bypasses was 90%, patency rate for PTFE grafts in the same period was 52%, for ovine collagen grafts 56%.

Vascular complications of lumbar disc surgery.

Over a period of seven years nine patients with vascular complications after lumber discectomy received medical care at the Clinic of Vascular Surgery, University of Graz Medical School. We report five acute bleeding complications occurring during the operation and four late manifestations of vascular lesions. Five patients presented with acute life-threatening iatrogenic haemorrhages from pelvic vessels.

[Local vascular complications after iatrogenic femoral artery puncture].

Over a period of 5 years 81 vascular complications after 15,460 catheterizations of the femoral artery for diagnostic (n = 11,883) or therapeutic (n = 3577) procedures were registered. The following complications were observed in declining frequency: 1. False aneurysm (n = 65), 2.

[Breast cancer in the male. A long-term follow-up study of 55 patients].

Between 1964 and 1988, 55 male patients were treated for breast cancer. Fifty-one patients were treated by radical mastectomy; only four patients underwent a simple mastectomy. Nineteen cases received postoperative radiotherapy, eleven cases chemotherapy, six cases adjuvant hormonal therapy, and one patient was submitted to orchiectomy.

[A solitary metastasis in the trapezium bone].

Carpal bone is an uncommon location for metastases, and diagnostic problems can occur when a solitary metastasis mimics acute arthritis or osteomyelitis clinically as well as radiologically.