[Surgical treatment of cervico-mediastinal goiter].

Over the last decades definitions and classifications of cervico-mediastinal goiters have been proposed. According to the definition of Valdoni and Tonelli, from 1968 to 1991 237 patients were operated on for cervico-mediastinal goiter. There were 168 simple forms (141 anterior and 27 posterior) and 69 complex forms according to Borrelly's classification.

Surgical management of substernal goiter: analysis of 237 patients.

Between 1968 and 1991, 237 patients underwent thyroidectomy for substernal goiter. Sixteen of them presented malignancies (6.8%).

[Diagnosis of thyroid metastasis of uveal melanoma by fine needle aspiration biopsy].

The Authors report the case of intra-thyroid metastasis from uveal malignant melanoma, diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy, 15 years after surgical treatment of the primary tumour. The site is very unusual as illustrated by a review of the literature, and confirms the extreme heterogeneity that sometimes the natural history of this pathology shows. The critical analysis of diagnostic reliability of the cytological techniques, proves their usefulness in the differential diagnosis of every suspicious mass.

[Esophago-gastro-intestinal manometry: study methods and potential clinical applications].

Simultaneous manometry of the esophagus and stomach and/or of the jejunum is an unconventional investigative maneuver that, for the most part, maintains features typical of a physiopathologic inquiry rather than those of clinical testing. This method contemplates the radiologically guided installation of an 8-channel probe, with measuring sites spaced 5 cm one from the other. The proximal measuring site is generally positioned at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), while the remaining are chosen in order to attain 3 or 4 tips in the stomach and 2 or 3 tips in the duodenum (in the jejunum following stomach resection).

[Intraoperative manometry during functional surgery of the esophagus].

The purpose of this investigation was to verify the suitability of intra-operative manometry in the course of functional surgery of the esophagus, especially with reference to the results obtained in terms of sphincter functionality, related to the overall changes in symptoms and pH-metry. The practice disclosed herein refers solely to the Heller-Dor operation for esophageal achalasia and to the Nissen Rossetti operation for gastro-esophageal reflux. The promising results obtained using this method to achieve a complete myotomy during Heller's operation, in our opinion testify in favor of its usefulness with this type of surgical procedure.