Malakoplakia of the appendix.

A case of a malakoplakia of the appendix in a sixty-year-old woman is reported. No involvement of the organs or important general diseases were present and the patient, after the appendicectomy, promptly recovered. Only three cases of malakoplakia of the appendix have previously been described in the literature and they are briefly summarized.

Repeated hepatic resections for recurrent metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Background/aim: Few cases of repeated hepatic resection for recurrent metastasis have been in literature. This paper focuses on metastatic recurrences and their surgical treatment, comparing the outcome of resective therapy with the natural history of metastases. Results of alternative methods (alcoholization and trans-arterial chemo-embolization), are evaluated through the analysis of indications, complications and real benefit.

Percutaneous fibercholangioscopies.

This is a report on our experience in 309 percutaneous fiberendoscopies of the biliary tract done in 106 patients of the 115 scheduled for the procedure. We describe the relevant approaches, techniques, complications and results. In particular, percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopies (PTCS) were accomplished on transhepatic percutaneous drainages located radiologically in 35 patients: in 13 for differential diagnosis to distinguish between malignant and benign stenoses (diagnostic accuracy in 92% of the biopsies), in 22 cases with therapeutic intent, including 14 lithotomies for extrahepatic biliary tract calculosis, combined in 4 cases with a simple dilatation of the papilla and a percutaneous "descending" papillotomy; in 7 patients a dilatation of the biliary tract (BT) or of the stenosis of a biliodigestive anastomosis was accomplished (malignant in 4 patients, benign in 3 patients).