Use of intraoperative stereomicroscopy for preventing loss of metastases during frozen sectioning of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer.

Aims: Optimal detection of metastases in sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) remains controversial. To determine the reliability of intraoperative frozen sections, SLN protocol with one frozen section was compared with macroscopic SLN evaluation with consecutive complete SLN embedding.

Methods And Results: SLN from 135 consecutive breast cancer patients were analysed under a sereomicroscope.

[Loss of metastatic deposits in breast sentinel lymph nodes during intra-operative frozen section analysis].

The intraoperative evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes is an ongoing debated issue. In this review we discuss different approaches to sentinel lymph node processing in an intra operative setting and in the consecutive embedding in paraffin. We propose a method, which uses routine intra operative examination of lymph nodes with stereo microscopy with selected frozen section analysis.

[Sentinel lymphonodectomy in breast cancer - our own experience. Part 2].

Unlabelled: The aim of this investigation was to document the personal learning curve of the sentinel lymphonodectomy in breast surgery and to compare it with the experiences of other authors.

Results: Between July 1999 and May 2004, the authors performed 218 sentinel lymphonodectomies, 48 of them during the 24-month evaluation period with consecutive full axillary dissection. The overall detection rate was 212/218 or 97.

[Sentinel lymphonodectomy -- new surgical standard for the evaluation of the axilla:an overview. Part 1].

Complete axillary dissection is still integral component of breast cancer treatment, but significant morbidity is associated with this procedure. Sentinel lymphonodectomy can replace complete axillary dissection in selected cases and can significantly reduce morbidity. Sentinel lymphonodectomy has become a new surgical standard and should be offered to all patients with unicentric tumors of less than 3 cm in diameter.

[Conservative treatment of puerperal breast abscesses with repeated sonographically guided aspirations and oral antibiotic administrations].

Background: Breast abscesses have usually been treated by incision and drainage. During the past 10 years conservative treatment with repeated ultrasound-guided drainage to evacuate the abscess combined with antibiotic treatment has become a valuable alternative.

Patients And Methods: From 1991 to 2003 the authors treated 17 patients with puerperal abscess with this method.

[Postpartum footdrop due to compression of the lumbosacral trunk].

We report on a rare peripartal neuropathy of the leg caused by pro longed difficult labor in which forceps were used or caesarean sec tion was performed. Immediately after delivery, the 2 patients corn plained of a unilateral footdrop and numbness in the leg. The foot drop was most likely due to a compression of the lumbosacral trunl exposed to the fetal head.

[Postpartum footdrop].

We report on a rare peripartal neuropathy of the leg caused by prolonged difficult labour. Immediately after delivery two patients complained of unilateral footdrop and numbness in the leg. The footdrop was most probably due to compression of the lumbosacral trunk exposed to the foetal head.

Premature contractions: possible influence of sonographic measurement of cervical length on clinical management.

In a retrospective case control study with historical controls, the influence of the introduction of vaginal sonographic cervical length measurement on the utilization of hospital services and pregnancy outcome of gravid women at risk of preterm delivery was examined. Prior to the introduction of vaginal ultrasonography to measure cervical length, we registered 76 hospitalizations totalling 1827 hospitalization days due to premature cervical ripening and/or premature labor in 1991 and 1992. In 1994 and 1995, after vaginal ultrasonography was introduced and intravenous tocolysis was limited to cases with cervical shortening to less than 3 cm, there were 64 admissions resulting in just 869 hospitalization days.

[Does breast self-examination affect the stage of breast carcinoma?].

The regular self-examination of the breast is one of the possibilities to detect breast cancer early. Our aim was to test the sensitivity of the method on rural, poorly informed patients. Almost one fourth of the 90 cancer patients belonged to the self-examination group.