Appendiceal-sigmoid fistula presenting in a man with ulcerative colitis: a case report.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease characterized by diffuse mucosal inflammation limited to the colon. It mostly affects young adults, yet a large number of middle-aged and older patients with ulcerative colitis have also been reported.

Case Presentation: A 58-year-old Caucasian man presented to our hospital in August 2006 with continuous and diffuse abdominal pain, meteorism, fever and bloody diarrhea.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous treatment of abdominal collections.

Abdominal abscess is a very important problem nowadays, being responsible for prolonged hospitalisation, because these infections still cause substantial morbidity and mortality. For many years, surgical drainage has been considered the best therapeutic option in abdominal abscesses but several studies have subsequently shown that the percutaneous approach is as effective as surgical drainage. Starting from this background, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether or not percutaneous drainage is a valid treatment of choice.

Clinical evaluation of epithelioid angiomyolipoma.

Objective: Epithelioid angiomyolipomas (AML) of the kidney are malignant tumors with aggressive clinical behavior.

Methods: The Authors report on some cases epithelioid AM recently diagnosed at their Institute to highlight the spectrum of clinical presentations.

Results: In all cases, renal lesions observed at computed tomography were suspicious for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Anastomotic dehiscence after gastrectomy for cancer. Personal series.

Background/aims: Nowadays the risk of anastomotic dehiscence after gastrectomy still exists. So the aim of this study was to analyze our experience regarding these anastomoses.

Methodology: In our Surgical Unit, which is located in the Department of Surgical Sciences, Organ Transplantation and Advanced Technologies of the University of Catania, from January 1st 1985 to December 31st 2000, 249 patients underwent surgery for gastric cancer.

Rutin in rat liver ischemia/reperfusion injury: effect on DDAH/NOS pathway.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in the relationship between microcirculatory disorders and I/R injuries. Our results demonstrated a significant modification in the hepatic function of I/R rats compared with the control group; treatment with rutin reported hepatic damage markers to control value. Levels of plasmatic and hepatic thiol groups decreased in the I/R untreated group, and this decrease was inhibited by rutin treatment.

Can biliary carcinoembryonic antigen identify colorectal cancer patients with occult hepatic metastases?

Background: Twenty-five percent of radically treated colorectal cancer patients already have occult hepatic metastases (OHM) that will later be observed during postoperative follow-up. Instrumental examinations, i.e.

Totally implantable venous access ports: a clinical trial comparing percutaneous versus surgical technique.

Totally implantable venous access ports are valuable instruments for long-term intravenous treatment of patients with cancer, but implantation and use of these devices may be associated with complications. The aim of our study was to compare two implantation techniques in order to establish which one is better for the patient and the surgeon as regards morbidity, surgical time, tolerability, and costs. A prospective study was conducted on a series of 99 patients undergoing implantation of totally implantable venous access ports with surgical cut-down or percutaneous access from January 2000 to June 2004 at the Department of Surgical Sciences, Organ Transplantation and Advanced Technologies.

Heme oxygenase 1 expression in postischemic reperfusion liver damage: effect of L-arginine.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a multifactorial process that affects liver function after transplantation and resectional surgery. Alterations in hepatic microcirculation and decreased hepatic flow can cause local hypoxia and consequently liver damage, which is worsened by reperfusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate if treatment with L-arginine improved hepatic function in rats with I/R injury.

Ancient schwannoma of the facial nerve: a case report.

Ancient schwannomas are rare benign tumours, deriving from neural crest cells. Schwannomas of the head and neck are frequently misdiagnosed and preoperative investigations are often fruitless. We report a very rare case of a patient with a schwannoma of the seventh nerve.

A rare complication of the hepatic hydatid cyst: intraperitoneal perforation without anaphylaxis.

The hepatic hydatid cyst can lead to serious complications as a perforation into the biliary system or into the respiratory tract. The perforation into the peritoneal cavity can become dramatic, characterized by acute abdomen, usually with anaphylaxis. We recently treated a patient with a liver hydatid cyst perforated into the abdominal cavity.

Bilateral Morgagni-Larrey hernia: a rare cause of intestinal occlusion.

Morgagni-Larrey hernia is a rare pathologic finding, representing approximately 3% to 5% of diaphragmatic hernias. Its bilateral presentation is an absolute rarity, and its description is based only on isolated case reports. Two different theories exist about its origin: congenital vs acquired.