Impact of anemia management with EPO on psychologic distress in cancer patients: results of a multicenter patient survey.

Aim: We investigated the role of erythropoietin (EPO) in reducing anemia and preventing the development of psychological distress in patients treated with chemotherapy.

Patients & Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 591 adult patients receiving EPO at a dose of 30,000 IU administered once weekly for chemotherapy-induced anemia (mean baseline hemoglobin [Hb] level was 9.55 g/dl) over a 12-month period.

The endovascular management of open aortic surgery complications with emergency stent-graft repair in high-risk patients.

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the utility of endovascular stent-graft repair for emergency management of aorto-iliac surgery complications. Between 1997 and 2004, in our institute, 201 patients underwent transluminal endovascular graft placement. In 3 patients (1.

Open surgery of infrarenal aortic aneurysms with iliac involvement: repair should be entirely intra-abdominal.

Aim: A review of the literature on the surgical treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) reveals that aortofemoral bypass (AFB) is used frequently in some centers. The latter series are characterized by higher rates of graft-related complications than in those in which AFB is used less frequently. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relative frequency and outcome of different types of bypass grafts in the surgical treatment of AAAs with iliac involvement, in our center and in others.

Popliteal artery aneurysms. Factors associated with thromboembolism and graft failure.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to review our experience with popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAS) and to identify the major factors associated with thromboembolism of PAAS and failure of grafts after surgical repair.

Methods: The medical records of 38 patients with 42 PAA, who presented in a university medical center between March 1985 and September 2000, were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected on clinical presentation, risk factors, type of reconstructions, early and late morbidity, limb loss and mortality.

The impact of cardiovascular comorbidity on the outcome of surgery for stage I and II non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objective: The association between lung malignancy and cardiovascular disease has been frequently reported though its therapeutic and prognostic implications not thoroughly analyzed. This study aims at assessing the possible impact of coexisting cardiovascular disease on the outcome of surgical treatment of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Among 247 consecutive patients undergone surgery for stage I and II NSCLC between 1990 and 1997, 34 (13.

Usefulness of RA and RO isoforms of common leukocyte antigen (CD45) for early distinction between normal and abnormal promyelocytes.

Normal promyelocytes express CD45RO, while acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) blasts express CD45RA, both isoforms of common leukocyte antigen with mutually exclusive expression. Here we report a patient with accumulation of promyelocytes in the bone marrow and the diagnostic strategy is described along with the ability to quickly discriminate between normal and abnormal cells using the flow cytometric detection of expression of RA/RO isoforms of CD45.

Immunophenotypic profile of AC133-positive cells in bone marrow, mobilized peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood.

AC133 is a molecule whose expression in the human hematopoietic system is restricted to a subset of CD34+ progenitor/stem cells with long-term repopulating ability. The antigenic features of these cells, like CD34+ cells, are described heterogeneous. The immunophenotypic profile of AC133+ cells, detected by means of dual-color flow cytometry, in bone marrow (BM), cytokine-mobilized peripheral blood (PB) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) was evaluated.

Postoperative regression of retroperitoneal fibrosis in patients with inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms: evaluation with spiral computed tomography.

Partial or total regression of aortic and retroperitonel fibrosis after surgery has been reported in combination with inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). In this report, we consider the most recent 21 patients with inflammatory AAA consecutively operated on at our institution. The group was composed of 19 men and 2 women, with a mean age of 66 years.

Carotid endarterectomy in diabetic patients.

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to identify the possible short- and long-term effects of diabetes on the outcome of carotid endarterectomy.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for 781 carotid endarterectomies (in 734 patients) performed by the same vascular surgeon in a university medical center between January 1994 and December 1998. Patients were divided two groups: those with diabetes (n = 181 patients; 193 operations) and those without diabetes (n = 553; 588 operations).

Can knitting structure affect dilation of polyester bifurcated prostheses? A randomized study with the use of helical computed tomography scanning.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the postoperative dilation of two types of knitted polyester arterial prostheses with the use of helical computed tomographic scanning.

Methods: Thirty-four patients who underwent aortoiliac or aortofemoral bifurcation grafting were randomized to receive a collagen-sealed warp-knitted polyester graft (n = 16 patients) or a gelatin-sealed Köper-knitted polyester graft (n = 18 patients). Alterations in size of all parts of the grafts were evaluated by helical computed tomographic scanning at postoperative day 8, at 3 months, and at 6 months.

[Breath-hold gadolinium enhanced tree-dimensional MR angiography: personal experience in the thoracic-abdominal area].

Purpose: To investigate different clinical applications of gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography (Gd MRA) using three-dimensional breath-hold GE sequences, without bolus time calculation, in patients with vascular diseases.

Material And Methods: Forty-seven patients were examined (49 studies in all). Eleven of them had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, 6 surgical bypass, 7 renal artery stenosis, 3 aortoiliac Wallstent, 7 aortic stent-graft; 11 patients had a suspected condition in the thoracic aorta and pulmonary arteries, 1 had subclavian artery stenosis and 1 suspected axillary artery compression.

[Update on cerebral monitoring and protective methods].

Clamping ischaemia is responsible for the 20-30% of the neurological complications during carotid surgery. It is impossible at present to determine preoperatively for certainty the patients who are at risk and the ones who are not at risk for clamping ischemia. Intraoperative monitoring is mandatory in all the cases to point out cerebral ischemia and to prevent neurological deficit with an adequate brain protection.

Leucocyte rheological properties are altered in patients with diffuse atherosclerosis.

To evaluate whether atherosclerosis may be associated with altered leucocyte rheology, we assessed leucocyte count (by Coulter counter), aggregation (by means of the leukergy test) and expression of adhesion molecules integrin LFA-1 and CD 44 (by means of immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry) in 9 patients with carotid plus lower limb artery atherosclerosis (group A), 14 patients with carotid atherosclerosis only (group B) and 23 controls without atherosclerosis (group C). The level of LFA-1 (calculated as mean fluorescence channels-MFCs) on neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group A and B patients than in controls (group A-mean +/- SE: 383.

[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in the treatment of iliac stenosis. The authors' new guideline for 100 patients].

This retrospective study was carried out from January, 1990, to September, 1994, after reviewing a series of 100 patients submitted to 143 percutaneous maneuvers (PTA) for aortoiliac revascularization (PTA, PTA and stenting, PTA and bypass). This study was aimed at conforming as much as possible our patients selection criteria and the analysis of the results to the current standards adopted by the major interventional radiology and vascular surgery departments. The Fontaine and the SCVIR classification methods were used for patients selection.

Transcranial Doppler assessment of the functional effects of symptomatic carotid stenosis.

Mean flow velocity changes in the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) during a 2-minute thumb-to-finger opposition task were measured by means of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in patients with severe unilateral carotid stenosis and ipsilateral transient ischemic attacks and in control subjects. The increase of flow velocity in the MCA contralateral to the hand performing the task was significantly different (p < 0.001, one-way ANOVA) in controls (+5.

Cerebral haemodynamics during carotid cross-clamping.

Carotid artery cross-clamping ischaemia during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) causes 5-30% of perioperative neurological deficits. This study was performed to identify possible clinical situations at higher risk for carotid cross-clamping ischaemia. 606 consecutive patients underwent CEA and were retrospectively studied; they were grouped according to risk factors, presence of associated vascular diseases, clinical pattern, angiographic and CT scan findings.