The prognostic importance of tumor mitotic rate confirmed in 1317 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma and long follow-up.

Background: The late Dr. Vincent McGovern (1915 to 1983) was an international authority on melanoma pathology and one of the first to suggest that assessment of tumor mitotic rate (TMR) might provide useful prognostic information. Data for a large cohort of patients, now with extended follow-up, whose tumors had been assessed by Dr.

Tumor mitotic rate is a more powerful prognostic indicator than ulceration in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma: an analysis of 3661 patients from a single center.

Background: The current study was performed to determine whether tumor mitotic rate (TMR) is a useful, independent prognostic factor in patients with localized cutaneous melanoma.

Methods: From the Sydney Melanoma Unit database, 3661 patients with complete clinical information and details of primary tumor thickness, ulcerative state, and TMR were studied. TMR was expressed as mitoses per mm(2) in the dermal part of the tumor in which most mitoses were seen, as recommended in the 1982 revision of the 1972 Sydney classification of malignant melanoma.

Laparoscopic colectomy: indications, standardized technique and results after 6 years experience.

Background/aims: The aim of the present study was to perform a retrospective study of our experience in performing laparoscopic colon surgery after 6 years experience.

Methodology: From April 1992 to April 1998, 215 patients underwent colon laparoscopic surgery. There were 121 females and 94 males, whose average age was 66.

Laparoscopic appendectomy and minilaparoscopic approach: a retrospective review after 8-years' experience.

Background: This is a presentation of our 8-year experience in laparoscopic appendectomy, showing complications and results to determine the advantages and efficacy of laparoscopy.

Methods: We used this technique from December 1990 to December 1998 on 282 consecutive and non-selected patients (169 females and 113 males) with an average age of 24 years (range 5-86 years). All patients were suffering from sub-acute appendicitis or chronic appendicopathies, except for 84 (29.

Peptic ulcer disease and thoracoscopic left truncal vagotomy.

Background: This study illustrates our experience in treating duodenal ulcer by means of thoracoscopy and laparoscopy over a period of six years.

Materials And Methods: From October 1991 to October 1998, we submitted 38 patients (31 males and 7 females), average age 51 years (range 22-78 years), with duodenal ulcer to vagotomy with minimally invasive access: 23 Hill-Barkers, 2 Taylors, 9 thoracoscopic truncal vagotomies and 4 laparoscopic truncal vagotomies. The patients submitted to thoracoscopic truncal vagotomy had previous gastric surgery (5 ulcers of the neostoma in patients who had undergone gastric resection, 3 hemorrhagic gastritis of the gastric neostoma and 1 incomplete abdominal vagotomy).