Laparoscopic resection of a sigmoid colon lipoma in a young female patient: A case report and review of the literature.

Lipomas of the sigmoid colon are rare entities. The present case describes a 27-year-old Caucasian woman who underwent a laparoscopic sigmoidectomy following the detection of a giant lipoma. The young patient was referred to the Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Heraklion (Crete, Greece) in May 2013 after experiencing intermittent abdominal cramping during defecation, and altering episodes of diarrhea and constipation.

Cutaneous melanoma in the elderly: epidemiology, prognosis and treatment.

The incidence and mortality of cutaneous melanoma (CM) has increased over the last decades in fair-skinned populations. Incidence and mortality, as well as rates of increase, have been significantly higher in elderly people compared with younger age groups. Lower survival rates from CM among elderly are mainly the result of late diagnosis of tumors with dismal prognostic features.

Surgery should be the first line of treatment for empyema.

Few thoracic conditions present such considerable challenges as pleural space infections, herein termed 'empyema' as a general term. Patients may present with free-flowing infected pleural effusions that readily drain by catheter or, at the other extreme, with organized intrapleural collections of pus with thick pleural peels that require open decortication. In the transition from a simple to complex empyema, patients pass through the intermediary, or 'fibrinopurulent' stage.

Pseudotumoral hydatid cyst: report of a case.

Hydatidosis due to Echinococcus granulosus is an endemic parasitic zoonosis characterized by worldwide distribution particularly in Mediterranean countries. The most commonly involved anatomical locations are the liver and lung. Occasionally the cyst may progressively increase in size, mimicking gross ascites or intrabdominal tumor.

Breast cancer in the elderly.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and most breast cancers are not attributable to risk factors other than female gender and increased age. However, despite its increasing prevalence in the geriatric population, prospective clinical trials for older cancer patients do not exist and most data come from retrospective studies or subanalyses from general population studies. As a result physician's, patient's and family members' fear predominates and elderly patients do not receive the appropriate treatment when compared with younger ones.

LigaSure versus clamp-and-tie thyroidectomy for benign nodular disease.

Background: LigaSure is an alternative bipolar diathermy system (BDS) combining vessel sealing with reduced thermal spread, which has been successfully used in many abdominal operations; however, there is a little experience in open thyroidectomy. This study compares the efficacy and the advantages of the LigaSure BDS when used for total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease with the conventional clamp-and-tie technique.

Methods: Between May 1998 and October 2002, 517 patients underwent total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid multinodular goiter.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for thoracic empyema: primarily, or after fibrinolytic therapy failure?

Background: Traditional and modern treatments are proposed for thoracic empyema. The efficacy of video-assisted thocoscopic surgery (VATS) has been studied when the method is applied either as primary treatment for thoracic empyema or after the failure of fibrinolytic therapy.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients treated with VATS for thoracic empyema have been reviewed.

Hyperglycemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of solid-phase gastric emptying in healthy subjects.

Background: Acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying of solid foods in healthy control subjects. Erythromycin has been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in humans. We examined whether acute steady-state hyperglycemia reduces the erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of a solid meal after a fasted state in healthy subjects.

Hyperglycemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of liquid-phase gastric emptying of hypertonic liquids in healthy subjects.

Acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying in healthy controls. Erythromycin has recently been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in both solids and hypertonic liquids. Our aim was to examine whether the acute steady-state hyperglycemia reduces the erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of hypertonic liquids after a fasted state of the stomach in healthy subjects.

Upper extremities deep venous thrombosis: comparison of light reflection rheography and colour duplex ultrasonography for diagnosis and follow-up.

Background: Non-invasive diagnosis of axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis or documentation of the post-thrombotic syndrome performing methods currently in use is not definitive. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare two methods for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with primary and secondary axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis: light reflection rheography (LLR) which is a reflection of venous pressure changes in the extremity as record from the subdermal capillary plexus, and colour duplex ultrasonography (CDUS).

Methods: In 36 patients with primary and secondary axillary-subclavian vein thrombosis were used a 4006 GE (Milwaukee, USA) colour duplex ultrasonography and an AV-1000 Hemodynamics instrument for the light reflection rheography for diagnosis and follow-up.

Diagnosis and treatment of Barrett's oesophagus. A general survey.

Barrett's oesophagus is an acquired condition with columnar metaplasia of the distal oesophagus. This condition represents the most serious consequence of chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux as it is associated with an increased incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Since the exact pathophysiology is not known, prevention is not possible.

Spinal cord stimulation in diabetic lower limb critical ischaemia: transcutaneous oxygen measurement as predictor for treatment success.

Objectives: to evaluate whether transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcpO(2)) measurements could be used as a specific prognostic parameter in selecting diabetic patients for permanent device implantation.

Methods: sixty consecutive diabetic patients (28 with autonomic neuropathy), classified as Fontaine stage III or IV, underwent spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for ischaemic pain, after failed conservative or surgical treatment. Pedal TcpO(2)on the dorsum of the foot and ankle-pressure Doppler measurements were performed before, and 2 and 4 weeks after implantation.

Spinal cord stimulation in critical limb ischemia of the lower extremities: our experience.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves microcirculatory blood flow, relieves ischemic pain and reduces amputation rate in patients with severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Aim: To evaluate the specific prognostic parameters in the prediction of successful SCS and to perform a retrospective data analysis obtained during our patient follow-up.

Methods: 150 patients (97 men, 53 women; mean age: 68 years; range: 46-81) were submitted to implantation of a spinal cord electrical generator for rest pain, and trophic lesions with dry gangrene in severe lower limb ischemia, after failed conservative or surgical treatment.

Erythromycin enhances solid-phase gastric emptying in induced-hyperglycemia in patients with truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty.

Erythromycin has been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent while acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying in healthy controls and diabetics. The aim of this study was to investigate whether hyperglycemia, per se, alters gastric motility, during erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of solids in patients with truncal vagotomy and pyloroplasty (TVP) and the role of vagus nerves. Eight TVP patients and six controls underwent scintigraphic measurement of gastric emptying of a solid meal, during placebo in normoglycemia (5-8.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the diagnosis of lung disease. The Cretan experience.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been recently utilised in the diagnosis and management of thoracic diseases. In this report we reviewed our VATS experience for biopsy of diffuse or localised lung diseases in 51 cases focusing on indications, operative procedures, complications or failures rates.

Patients And Methods: Over the last 5 years we performed 51 VATS procedures for diagnostic purposes in 32 men and 19 women.

Epidural spinal cord electrical stimulation in diabetic critical lower limb ischemia.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been suggested to improve microcirculatory blood flow to relieve ischemic pain and to reduce amputation rate in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the specific prognostic parameters in the prediction of successful SCS, in diabetic patients, performing a retrospective data analysis. To perform this evaluation, 64 diabetic patients (39 men, 25 women; mean age, 69 years) classified as Fontaine's stage III and IV, with PAOD, were treated with SCS for rest pain and trophic lesions with dry gangrene, after failed conservative or surgical treatment.

Induced-hyperglycemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of hypertonic liquid-phase gastric emptying in type-I diabetic patients.

Background: Erythromycin has been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent of hypertonic liquids, while acute hyperglycemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying in diabetic patients.

Aim: To investigate whether hyperglycemia, per se, reduces gastric motility during erythromycin-induced acceleration on gastric emptying of hypertonic liquids in diabetic patients.

Methods: In 12 type-I diabetic patients following a hypertonic radiolabeled liquid meal, gastric emptying was measured scintigraphically during normoglycemia (5-8.

Does autonomic neuropathy influence spinal cord stimulation therapy success in diabetic patients with critical lower limb ischemia?

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves microcirculatory blood flow and relieves diabetic neuropathic and ischemic pain, reducing the amputation rate in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients with PAOD influences the success of SCS therapy.

Methods: Sixty consecutive diabetic patients (15 with early and 13 with definite and/or combined autonomic neuropathy) with an ankle/brachial systolic pressure index (ABI) less than 0.

Two Different Therapeutic Modalities in the Treatment of the Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: Preliminary Investigation With 20 Case Reports.

Primary or secondary axillary or/and subclavian vein thrombosis (ASVT) can produce long-term disability, mostly in young patients, while the final vein recanalization after various therapeutic modalities often fails. Our aim was to compare the results of two different therapeutic modalities: the thrombolytic vs anticoagulant therapy, in primary and secondary ASVT in a retrospective data analysis in terms of efficacy, negative side effects, long-term positive results. Eleven patients (Group A), with primary and secondary to central venous cannulation or cardiac pacing ASVT, were treated with anticoagulant therapy, while another 9 patients (Group B), were treated with thrombolytic therapy, that included urokinase or streptokinase for 24-48 hours.

Transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) in the testing period of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in critical limb ischemia of the lower extremities.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves microcirculatory blood flow, relieves ischemic pain and reduces amputation rate in patients with severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Aim: To evaluate the transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) measurements as a specific prognostic parameter in the prediction for permanent device implantation in a prospective controlled study in patients with lower limb ischemia.

Methods: 45 patients (35 men, 10 women; mean age 65 years, range: 46-70 years) were submitted to implantation of a spinal cord electrical generator for rest pain, trophic lesions dry gangrene in severe lower limb ischemia, after failed conservative or surgical treatment.

Hyperglycaemia attenuates erythromycin-induced acceleration of solid-phase gastric emptying in idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis.

Background: Erythromycin has recently been found to be a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent in humans. Acute hyperglycaemia has been associated with delayed gastric emptying in both healthy controls and diabetic patients. Our aim was to investigate in gastroparetic patients (diabetics and idiopathics) whether hyperglycaemia, per se, reduces gastric motility during erythromycin-induced acceleration of gastric emptying of solids.