[Intraperitoneal traumatic rupture of hydatid cyst of the liver: a case report and review of the literature].

We performed a subtotal cystectomy on the second and third hepatic segments, with the aid of a radiofrequency dissector device (Ligasure), together with removal of daughter cysts from the peritoneal cavity and irrigation of the peri- toneum with iodine solution. The postoperative course was uneventful and complication-free. A three-year follow-up was carried out without any recurrence.

Isolated polyarteritis nodosa of the large bowel: a case report.

Polyarteritis nodosa is a form of vasculitis that affects several organs. Gastrointestinal involvement is frequent, but cases in which the gastrointestinal tract is the only site of disease are rare. In this paper we report a case of a 70-year-old patient with polyarteritis nodosa restricted to the large intestine, who underwent a total colectomy.

Adrenal epithelioid angiosarcoma: a case report.

We report what to the best of our knowledge is the first case of primary angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland. A 49-year-old woman, with blunt abdominal trauma, was admitted to our department. Computed tomography revealed a suspected rupture of a liver neoplasm and surgical treatment was performed.

Surgical resection versus radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of small unifocal hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high worldwide prevalence and mortality. While surgical resection and transplantation offers curative potential, donor availability and patient liver status and comorbidities may disallow either. Interventional radiological techniques such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may offer acceptable overall and disease-free survival rates.

Capecitabine plus hepatic intra-arterial epirubicin and cisplatin in unresectable biliary cancer: a phase II study.

Unlabelled: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the activity of hepatic intra-arterial infusion of epirubicin and cisplatin combined with oral capecitabine, in patients with unresectable biliary carcinomas.

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients were treated by bolus infusion of epirubicin 50 mg/m2 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 in the hepatic artery on day 1, combined with oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 bid, from day 2 to day 15.

Results: Partial responses (PR) were observed in 6 patients (31.

The safety of radiofrequency thermal ablation in the treatment of liver malignancies.

Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become widely accepted as an important adjunct, and sometimes a viable alternative, to liver surgery. The aims of this study are to assess the risks associated with percutaneous RFA and to discuss the indications and contraindications to its use.

Patients And Methods: This is a review of 130 consecutive patients who were treated for primary (n = 92) and metastatic (n = 38) liver tumours.

Fatal necrotising fasciitis associated with intramuscular injection of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after uncomplicated endoscopic polypectomy.

Necrotising fasciitis is a life-threatening infection of the superficial muscle fascia and the adjacent deep layer of subcutaneous tissue that is often fatal. A 46-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) three days after an uncomplicated endoscopic polypectomy because of necrotising fasciitis of left tight, buttock and retroperitoneal space and septic shock. Six hours after the polypectomy she was given an intramuscular injection of ketorolac in the left tight because of moderate low abdominal pain.

Obstructive chronic pancreatitis and/or intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs): a 21-year long case report.

Context: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMNs), usually present with a picture of chronic pancreatitis and must be considered within the differential diagnosis of this condition.

Case Report: We report a long history of a 58-year-old male who presented with recurrent attacks of pancreatitis. He was treated for chronic pancreatitis until the age of 78 when the diagnosis of IPMN was made, but radical treatment was not possible and he was managed palliatively.

The role of calprotectin in predicting endoscopic post-surgical recurrence in asymptomatic Crohn's disease: a comparison with ultrasound.

Background And Objectives: Faecal calprotectin is predictive of clinical relapse in inflammatory bowel disease and ultrasound is sensitive in detecting its post-surgical recurrence. However, no data regarding the role of calprotectin in predicting post-surgical recurrence in asymptomatic Crohn's disease are available. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the role of calprotectin as a predictive marker for one year post-surgical endoscopic recurrence in comparison with ultrasound in patients with asymptomatic Crohn's disease.

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in compensated cirrhosis with radio-frequency thermal ablation (RFTA): a prospective study.

Background/aims: To assess the effectiveness and the safety of radio-frequency thermal ablation (RFTA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) < or = 5 cm in compensated cirrhosis.

Methods: A cohort of 202 consecutive patients (165 Child-Pugh class A and 37 class B) was prospectively assessed. A single lesion was observed in 160/202 (79.

Phase II study of hepatic intraarterial epirubicin and cisplatin, with systemic 5-fluorouracil in patients with unresectable biliary tract tumors.

Background: Patients with unresectable biliary tract carcinomas have a very poor prognosis. To improve the efficacy and tolerance of the ECF regimen (epirubicin at a dose of 50 mg/m2, cisplatin at a dose of 60 mg/m2, and 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] at a dose of 200 mg/m2 per day by continuous infusion), the authors designed a novel approach that combined locoregional and systemic chemotherapy with the same agents at the same dosages.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with advanced or metastatic biliary tumors were treated with epirubicin at a dose of 50 mg/m2 and cisplatin at a dose of 60 mg/m2 administered as a bolus in the hepatic artery on Day 1, combined with systemic continuous infusion of 5-FU at a dose of 200 mg/m2 per day, from Day 1 to Day 14, every 3 weeks.

Surgical treatment for liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma: results of 228 patients.

Background/aims: Liver metastases are a very common event. Multiple choices of therapies can be used. The aim of this paper is to analyze results and methods of a single institution series of 228 consecutive patients with colorectal liver metastases.

A case of rapid intrahepatic dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency thermal ablation.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a novel technique for the treatment of liver malignancies that is becoming increasingly more popular because of its feasibility, effectivity, repeatability, and safety. However, an increased number of complications after RFA has been reported in literature. The aim of this paper is to discuss the possible role of RFA in rapid intrahepatic spreading of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

[Influence of enteral nutrition on cytokine response in resective liver surgery].

Postoperative infectious complications are nowadays a major problem in liver surgery. Better surgical outcomes with a consequent reduction in treatment and hospitalisation costs are a primary objective. The aim of this prospective, randomised study was to evaluate the cytokine response during and after portal clamping in patients undergoing liver resection and continuously fed with enteral nutrition as compared to patients receiving parenteral nutritional support.

Focal nodular hyperplasia: morphologic and functional information from MR imaging with gadobenate dimeglumine.

Purpose: To determine whether gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) is able to provide morphologic and functional information for characterization of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH).

Materials And Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients with proved FNH were retrospectively examined. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with T2-weighted turbo spin-echo and T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences was performed.

Treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma by radiofrequency thermal ablation.

Background And Aims: The treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma is surgical resection. Recurrence occurs in most patients. Aggressive treatment of liver recurrence increases patients' survival, but most frequently, these patients are not suitable for surgery.

[Effect of probiotic administration on colic anastomosis healing].

Colic anastomoses are still affected by a high incidence of leakage. We speculate that a supply of fibres and probiotic bacteria improves the healing of colic anastomoses due to a higher production of short-chain fatty acids. These are known to improve the anastomotic healing of colic sutures.

Lactobacillus plantarum reduces infection of pancreatic necrosis in experimental acute pancreatitis.

Background: Infection is the commonest cause of death in acute pancreatitis. Early reduction of commensal flora (particularly Lactobacillus species) and, at the same time, overgrowth of Enterobacteriaceae, especially Escherichia coli, have recently been described during acute pancreatitis. Lactobacillus plantarum has been shown to be effective in reducing the egress of endotoxin and microbial translocation in several experimental models such as chemically induced hepatitis and ulcerative colitis.

[The Bengmark tube in surgical practice and in the critically ill patient].

Enteral nutrition (EN) is increasingly used to minimize the rate of septic complications related to bacterial translocation, due to its effectiveness and low cost. Bengmark's self-propelling auto-positioning feeding tube (SPT) absorbs and uses gut motility for rapid transport to the upper small intestine, thereby allowing uninterrupted EN both in surgical and critically ill patients. We report on our experience with 175 SPTs applied over the period from December 1996 to February 2000, and analyse the safety, compliance, and indications of SPT in surgical and ICU practice.

Intraoperative and percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aims And Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate feasibility, survival rate, complications and length of hospital stay in 47 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFTA). Though the treatment of choice for HCC is surgical resection, the strong association of this disease with cirrhosis often rules out this procedure. Many investigations have been conducted in order to identify alternative therapies.

[A probiotic as an antagonist of bacterial translocation in experimental pancreatitis].

Infection is the most common cause of death in acute pancreatitis. Earlier studies have demonstrated that early enteral nutrition decreases microbial translocation, upregulates the immune function and reduces septic complications and mortality. Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) has been shown to be effective in reducing egress of endotoxin and microbial strain that showed very high adherence power to gut mucosa.

[Stromal tumors of the stomach. Our experience with 25 patients].

Stromal tumors (GIST) represent 5% of gastric neoplasms. Twenty-five patients with GIST underwent surgical operation: the tumor was benign, malignant, and borderline in 11, 12, and 2 cases, respectively. Main symptoms were abdominal pain (36%), and digestive haemorrhage (32%); 4 patients (16%) complained of abdominal mass.

Hepatoblastoma in adult age: a report of two cases.

Hepatoblastoma in adults is a rare malignancy that presents in the epithelial or mixed epithelial-mesenchymal variants. We report two cases, the former representing the epithelial and the latter the mixed type. A 21 year-old woman with epigastric pain had abdominal ultrasound and CT scans showing a large hepatic mass.