[Obligatory surgery after endoscopic sphincterotomy for the treatment of stones in the common bile duct].

Endoscopic sphincterotomy is the treatment of choice for stones in the common bile duct in patients with a high operative risk. However, when this modality is insufficient or fails, these patients need to be operated. The authors have operated 14 patients under these conditions.

Surgery for carcinoma of the colon in people aged 75 years and older.

From January 1976 to June 1986, 154 patients (75 men and 79 women) who were 75 years of age or older were admitted for the surgical treatment of a colonic cancer. The mean age was 80.7 years.

[A case of sacrococcygeal chordoma].

The authors describe a case of sacrococcygeal chordoma which was detected in a 49-year old male subject in the course of a clinical examination. Bone X-rays and CT-scans confirmed the diagnosis of sacral tumor, and radical excision was performed via combined abdominal and sacral approach. The chief characteristics of these rare tumors are further discussed, with particular focus on the therapeutical problems arising in relation with the fact that surgical removal, alone, can prevent tumor recurrences.

Surgical treatment of Graves' disease.

Seven men and 81 women were operated on for Graves' disease. Their median age was 33 years. Eleven patients underwent a bilateral subtotal lobectomy; 77 patients underwent a complete lobectomy with contralateral partial lobectomy.