A rare case of true carcinosarcoma of the breast.

Background: True carcinosarcoma of the breast is an extremely rare condition, accounting for 0.08-0.2% of all breast malignancies.

Breast conserving treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ in the elderly: can radiation therapy be avoided? Our experience.

Introduction: Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is a heterogeneous, pre-malignant disease accounting for 15-20% of all new breast cancers. If appropriately managed, DCIS has a small chance of impacting on patient life expectancy. Despite the possibility of a further recurrence or of a development in an invasive form, we are unable to select treatment of choice especially in the elderly.

Increase of mastectomy rates after preoperative MRI in women with breast cancer is not influenced by patients age.

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used for staging women with breast cancer, including screening for occult ipsilateral or contralateral cancer. If breast-conserving surgery is planned, a MRI examination should be performed in all ages women with suspected breast cancer, especially those exhibiting dense or heterogeneously dense breast parenchyma, for which the sensitivity of both ultrasonography and mammography is low. MRI staging causes more extensive breast surgery in a significative proportion of women by identifying additional cancer.

Axillary masses in a woman with a history of breast cancer: dermatopathic lymphadenopathy.

The presence of axillary enlarged lymph nodes in the follow-up of a woman with a history of breast cancer should always be thoroughly indagated. Dermatopathic lymphadenopathy presents a specific pathologic pattern found within the lymph nodes and is usually associated with cutaneous rashes. Patients with various skin conditions can develop regional lymphadenopathy, which can result in the asymptomatic enlargement of the lymph nodes, especially in the inguinal, axillary and cervical regions.

Feasibility of inguinal hernioplasty under local anaesthesia in elderly patients.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the safety of hernioplasty under local anaesthesia in elderly patients with significant comorbidity.

Methods: A total of 218 patients underwent inguinal hernia repair with mesh between June 2009 and July 2012. Presence of comorbid conditions and complications were compared between patients younger and older than 70 years.

Peripheral blood mono-nuclear cells implantation in patients with peripheral arterial disease: a pilot study for clinical and biochemical outcome of neoangiogenesis.

Background: Substantial progresses in the management of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) have been made in the past two decades. Progress in the understanding of the endothelial-platelet interaction during health and disease state has resulted in better antiplatelet drugs that can prevent platelet aggregation, activation and thrombosis during angioplasty and stenting. A role in physiological and pathological angiogenesis in adults has been recently shown in bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial progenitors (BM-DCEPs) identified in the peripheral blood.