Paget's disease of the nipple.

Paget's disease of the nipple is an unusual epidermal presentation of underlying breast cancer. It presents as eczematous change or erythematous ulceration, but may also be an incidental histological finding in a mastectomy specimen. Approximately half of the underlying cancers are invasive, the remainder being ductal carcinoma in situ, and only rarely is there no associated malignancy.

Randomized, clinical trial of Ligasure vs conventional diathermy in hemorrhoidectomy.

Purpose: Hemorrhoidectomy is frequently associated with significant postoperative pain, and new techniques to reduce this pain are constantly under evaluation. The present study was conducted to determine the usefulness of the Ligasure system and compare it with conventional diathermy for hemorrhoidectomy.

Methods: Thirty-four consecutive patients with Grade 3 or 4 hemorrhoids requiring surgery were recruited and randomized into two groups by preoperative assignment of sealed envelopes.

Impact of socioeconomic deprivation and primary pathology on rate of reversal of Hartmann's procedure.

Background: Hartmann's procedure is an operation for left-sided colonic pathology where primary anastomosis is considered unsafe. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of socioeconomic deprivation and primary pathology on the rate of reanastomosis.

Methods: All patients who underwent Hartmann's procedure between 1992 and 2000 in our unit were included.